1
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Zhang J, Lu Z, Feng L, Qu D, Zhu J. Identification of microbial communities and multi-species biofilms contamination in seafood processing environments with different hygiene conditions. Food Microbiol 2024; 122:104553. [PMID: 38839233 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2024.104553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Biofilms formed by spoilage and pathogenic bacteria increase microbial persistence, causing an adverse influence on the quality of seafood. The mono-species biofilms are widely reported, however, the contamination of multi-species biofilms and their matrix in food environments are still not fully understood. Here, we assessed the contamination of multi-species biofilms in three seafood processing environments with different hygiene levels by detecting bacterial number and three biofilm matrix components (carbohydrates, extracellular DNA (eDNA), and proteins). Samples comprising seven food matrix surfaces and eight food processing equipment surfaces were collected from two seafood processing plants (XY and XC) and one seafood market (CC). The results showed that the bacterial counts ranged from 1.89 to 4.91 CFU/cm2 and 5.68 to 9.15 BCE/cm2 in these surfaces by cultivation and real-time PCR, respectively. Six biofilm hotspots were identified, including four in CC and two in XY. Among the three processing environments, the amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria decreased with improved processing hygiene, while Firmicutes showed a decrease in the four most abundant phyla. The most prevalent bacteria belonged to genera Psychrobacter, Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas, demonstrating the significant differences and alteration in bacterial community composition during different environments. From the biofilm hotspots, 15 isolates with strong biofilm forming ability were identified, including 7 Pseudomonas, 7 Acinetobacter, and 1 Psychrobacter. The Pseudomonas isolates exhibited the highest production of EPS components and three strong motilities, whose characteristics were positively correlated. Thus, this study verified the presence of multi-species biofilms in seafood processing environments, offering preliminary insights into the diversity of microbial communities during processing. It highlights potential contamination sources and emphasizes the importance of understanding biofilms composition to control biofilms formation in seafood processing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Food Safety Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, China
| | - Zhong Lu
- College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Food Safety Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, China
| | - Lifang Feng
- College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Food Safety Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, China
| | - Daofeng Qu
- College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Food Safety Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, China
| | - Junli Zhu
- College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Food Safety Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, China.
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2
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Şimşek E, Kim K, Lu J, Silver A, Luo N, Lee CT, You L. A 'rich-get-richer' mechanism drives patchy dynamics and resistance evolution in antibiotic-treated bacteria. Mol Syst Biol 2024; 20:880-897. [PMID: 38877321 PMCID: PMC11297297 DOI: 10.1038/s44320-024-00046-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria in nature often form surface-attached communities that initially comprise distinct subpopulations, or patches. For pathogens, these patches can form at infection sites, persist during antibiotic treatment, and develop into mature biofilms. Evidence suggests that patches can emerge due to heterogeneity in the growth environment and bacterial seeding, as well as cell-cell signaling. However, it is unclear how these factors contribute to patch formation and how patch formation might affect bacterial survival and evolution. Here, we demonstrate that a 'rich-get-richer' mechanism drives patch formation in bacteria exhibiting collective survival (CS) during antibiotic treatment. Modeling predicts that the seeding heterogeneity of these bacteria is amplified by local CS and global resource competition, leading to patch formation. Increasing the dose of a non-eradicating antibiotic treatment increases the degree of patchiness. Experimentally, we first demonstrated the mechanism using engineered Escherichia coli and then demonstrated its applicability to a pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We further showed that the formation of P. aeruginosa patches promoted the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Our work provides new insights into population dynamics and resistance evolution during surface-attached bacterial growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emrah Şimşek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Kyeri Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Jia Lu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Anita Silver
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Nan Luo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Charlotte T Lee
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
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3
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Ezeduru V, Shao ARQ, Venegas FA, McKay G, Rich J, Nguyen D, Thibodeaux CJ. Defining the Functional Properties of Cyclopropane Fatty Acid Synthase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. J Biol Chem 2024:107618. [PMID: 39095026 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2024] [Revised: 07/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyclopropane fatty acid synthases (CFAS) catalyze the conversion of unsaturated fatty acids to cyclopropane fatty acids (CFAs) within bacterial membranes. This modification alters the biophysical properties of membranes and has been correlated with virulence in several human pathogens. Despite the central role played by CFAS enzymes in regulating bacterial stress responses, the mechanistic properties of the CFAS enzyme family and the consequences of CFA biosynthesis remain largely uncharacterized in most bacteria. We report the first characterization of the CFAS enzyme from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) - an opportunistic human pathogen with complex membrane biology that is frequently associated with antimicrobial resistance and high tolerance to various external stressors. We demonstrate that CFAs are produced by a single enzyme in PA and that cfas gene expression is upregulated during the transition to stationary phase and in response to oxidative stress. Analysis of PA lipid extracts reveal a massive increase in CFA production as PA cells enter stationary phase and help define the optimal membrane composition for in vitro assays. The purified PA-CFAS enzyme forms a stable homodimer and preferentially modifies phosphatidylglycerol lipid substrates and membranes with a higher content of unsaturated acyl chains. Bioinformatic analysis across bacterial phyla shows highly divergent amino acid sequences within the lipid binding domain of CFAS enzymes, perhaps suggesting distinct membrane binding properties among different orthologues. This work lays an important foundation for further characterization of CFAS in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and for examining the functional differences between CFAS enzymes from different bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Geoffrey McKay
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, McGill University
| | - Jacquelyn Rich
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, McGill University; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University
| | - Dao Nguyen
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, McGill University; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University; Department of Medicine, McGill University
| | - Christopher J Thibodeaux
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University.
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4
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Wan C, Ju X, Xu D, Ou J, Zhu M, Lu G, Li K, Jiang W, Li C, Hu X, Tian Y, Niu Z. Escherichia coli exopolysaccharides disrupt Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm and increase its antibiotic susceptibility. Acta Biomater 2024:S1742-7061(24)00400-8. [PMID: 39067645 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is a major pathogen that causes infectious diseases. It has high tendency to form biofilms, resulting in the failure of traditional antibiotic therapies. Inspired by the phenomenon that co-culture of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and P. aeruginosa leads to a biofilm reduction, we reveal that E. coli exopolysaccharides (EPS) can disrupt P. aeruginosa biofilm and increase its antibiotic susceptibility. The results show that E. coli EPS effectively inhibit biofilm formation and disrupt mature biofilms in P. aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and E. coli itself. The maximal inhibition and disruption rates against P. aeruginosa biofilm are 40% and 47%, respectively. Based on the biofilm-disrupting ability of E. coli EPS, we develop an E. coli EPS/antibiotic combining strategy for the treatment of P. aeruginosa biofilms. The combination with E. coli EPS increases the antibacterial efficiency of tobramycin against P. aeruginosa biofilms in vitro and in vivo. This study provides a promising strategy for treating biofilm infections. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Biofilm formation is a leading cause of chronic infections. It blocks antibiotics, increases antibiotic-tolerance, and aids in immune evasion, thus representing a great challenge in clinic. This study proposes a promising approach to combat pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) biofilms by combining Escherichia coli exopolysaccharides with antibiotics. This strategy shows high efficiency in different P. aeruginosa stains, including two laboratory strains, PAO1 and ATCC 10145, as well as a clinically acquired carbapenem-resistant strain. In addition, in vivo experiments have shown that this approach is effective against implanted P. aeruginosa biofilms and can prevent systemic inflammation in mice. This strategy offers new possibilities to address the clinical failure of conventional antibiotic therapies for microbial biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxiao Wan
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoyan Ju
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Dandan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jinzhao Ou
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Meng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Guojun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kejia Li
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chunyan Li
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100035, China
| | - Xiaohua Hu
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100035, China
| | - Ye Tian
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China..
| | - Zhongwei Niu
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.; School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China..
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5
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Chen X, Zhang R, Yuan J. Vertical confinement enhances surface exploration in bacterial twitching motility. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16679. [PMID: 39039815 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria are often found in environments where space is limited, and they attach themselves to surfaces. One common form of movement on these surfaces is bacterial twitching motility, which is powered by the extension and retraction of type IV pili. Although twitching motility in unrestricted conditions has been extensively studied, the effects of spatial confinement on this behaviour are not well understood. In this study, we explored the diffusive properties of individual twitching Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells in spatially confined conditions. We achieved this by placing the bacteria between layers of agarose and glass, and then tracking the long-term twitching motility of individual cells. Interestingly, we found that while confinement reduced the immediate speed of twitching, it paradoxically increased diffusion. Through a combination of mechanical and geometrical analysis, as well as numerical simulations, we showed that this increase in diffusion could be attributed to mechanical factors. The constraint imposed by the agarose altered the diffusion pattern of the bacteria from normal to superdiffusion. These findings provide valuable insights into the motile behaviour of bacteria in confined environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Chen
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Rongjing Zhang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Junhua Yuan
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
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6
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Beaussart A, Paiva TO, Geiger CJ, Baker AE, O'Toole GA, Dufrêne YF. Atomic force microscopy analysis of Pel polysaccharide- and type IV pili-mediated adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 to an abiotic surface. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:12134-12141. [PMID: 38832761 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr01415d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Type IV pili (TFP) contribute to the ability of microbes such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa to engage with and move across surfaces. We reported previously that P. aeruginosa TFP generate retractive forces of ∼30 pN and provided indirect evidence that TFP-mediated surface attachment was enhanced in the presence of the Pel polysaccharide. Here, we use different mutants defective in flagellar, Pel production or TFP production - alone or in combination - to decipher the relative contribution of these biofilm-promoting factors for P. aeruginosa adhesion. By means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), we show that mutating the flagellum (ΔflgK mutant) results in an increase in Pel polysaccharide production, but this increase in Pel does not result in an increase in surface adhesive properties compared to those previously described for the WT strain. By blocking Pel production in the ΔflgK mutant (ΔflgKΔpel), we directly show that TFP play a major role in the adhesion of the bacteria to hydrophobic AFM tips, but that the adhesion force is only slightly impaired by the absence of Pel. Inversely, performing single-cell force spectroscopy measurements with the mutant lacking TFP (ΔflgKΔpilA) reveals that the Pel can modulate the attachment of the bacteria to a hydrophobic substrate in a time-dependent manner. Finally, little adhesion was detected for the ΔflgKΔpilAΔpelA triple mutant, suggesting that both TFP and Pel polysaccharide make a substantial contribution to bacteria-substratum interaction events. Altogether, our data allow us to decipher the relative contribution of Pel and TFP in the early attachment by P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Beaussart
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud, 4-5, L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Telmo O Paiva
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud, 4-5, L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Christopher J Geiger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, USA.
| | - Amy E Baker
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, USA.
| | - George A O'Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, USA.
| | - Yves F Dufrêne
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud, 4-5, L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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7
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Liu YN, Liu XW. Nanoscale Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Microbial Adhesion: Unveiling Stepwise Transitions with Plasmonic Imaging. ACS NANO 2024; 18:16002-16010. [PMID: 38837910 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c04354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Understanding bacterial adhesion at the nanoscale is crucial for elucidating biofilm formation, enhancing biosensor performance, and designing advanced biomaterials. However, the dynamics of the critical transition from reversible to irreversible adhesion has remained elusive due to analytical constraints. Here, we probed this adhesion transition, unveiling nanoscale, step-like bacterial approaches to substrates using a plasmonic imaging technique. This method reveals the discontinuous nature of adhesion, emphasizing the complex interplay between bacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and substrates. Our findings not only deepen our understanding of bacterial adhesion but also have significant implications for the development of theoretical models for biofilm management. By elucidating these nanoscale step-like adhesion processes, our work provides avenues for the application of nanotechnology in biosensing, biofilm control, and the creation of biomimetic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Nan Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Xian-Wei Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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8
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Perez Ipiña E, d’Alessandro J, Ladoux B, Camley BA. Deposited footprints let cells switch between confined, oscillatory, and exploratory migration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318248121. [PMID: 38787878 PMCID: PMC11145245 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318248121] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
For eukaryotic cells to heal wounds, respond to immune signals, or metastasize, they must migrate, often by adhering to extracellular matrix (ECM). Cells may also deposit ECM components, leaving behind a footprint that influences their crawling. Recent experiments showed that some epithelial cell lines on micropatterned adhesive stripes move persistently in regions they have previously crawled over, where footprints have been formed, but barely advance into unexplored regions, creating an oscillatory migration of increasing amplitude. Here, we explore through mathematical modeling how footprint deposition and cell responses to footprint combine to allow cells to develop oscillation and other complex migratory motions. We simulate cell crawling with a phase field model coupled to a biochemical model of cell polarity, assuming local contact with the deposited footprint activates Rac1, a protein that establishes the cell's front. Depending on footprint deposition rate and response to the footprint, cells on micropatterned lines can display many types of motility, including confined, oscillatory, and persistent motion. On two-dimensional (2D) substrates, we predict a transition between cells undergoing circular motion and cells developing an exploratory phenotype. Small quantitative changes in a cell's interaction with its footprint can completely alter exploration, allowing cells to tightly regulate their motion, leading to different motility phenotypes (confined vs. exploratory) in different cells when deposition or sensing is variable from cell to cell. Consistent with our computational predictions, we find in earlier experimental data evidence of cells undergoing both circular and exploratory motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Perez Ipiña
- William H. Miller III Department of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
| | | | - Benoît Ladoux
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013Paris, France
| | - Brian A. Camley
- William H. Miller III Department of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
- Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
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9
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Perez Ipiña E, D'Alessandro J, Ladoux B, Camley BA. Deposited footprints let cells switch between confined, oscillatory, and exploratory migration. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.14.557437. [PMID: 37745526 PMCID: PMC10515912 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.14.557437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
For eukaryotic cells to heal wounds, respond to immune signals, or metastasize, they must migrate, often by adhering to extracellular matrix. Cells may also deposit extracellular matrix components, leaving behind a footprint that influences their crawling. Recent experiments showed that some epithelial cells on micropatterned adhesive stripes move persistently in regions they have previously crawled over, where footprints have been formed, but barely advance into unexplored regions, creating an oscillatory migration of increasing amplitude. Here, we explore through mathematical modeling how footprint deposition and cell responses to footprint combine to allow cells to develop oscillation and other complex migratory motions. We simulate cell crawling with a phase field model coupled to a biochemical model of cell polarity, assuming local contact with the deposited footprint activates Rac1, a protein that establishes the cell's front. Depending on footprint deposition rate and response to the footprint, cells on micropatterned lines can display many types of motility, including confined, oscillatory, and persistent motion. On two-dimensional substrates, we predict a transition between cells undergoing circular motion and cells developing an exploratory phenotype. Small quantitative changes in a cell's interaction with its footprint can completely alter exploration, allowing cells to tightly regulate their motion, leading to different motility phenotypes (confined vs exploratory) in different cells when deposition or sensing is variable from cell to cell. Consistent with our computational predictions, we find in earlier experimental data evidence of cells undergoing both circular and exploratory motion.
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10
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Barton DL, Chang YR, Ducker W, Dobnikar J. Data-driven modelling makes quantitative predictions regarding bacteria surface motility. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012063. [PMID: 38743804 PMCID: PMC11125545 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
In this work, we quantitatively compare computer simulations and existing cell tracking data of P. aeruginosa surface motility in order to analyse the underlying motility mechanism. We present a three dimensional twitching motility model, that simulates the extension, retraction and surface association of individual Type IV Pili (TFP), and is informed by recent experimental observations of TFP. Sensitivity analysis is implemented to minimise the number of model parameters, and quantitative estimates for the remaining parameters are inferred from tracking data by approximate Bayesian computation. We argue that the motility mechanism is highly sensitive to experimental conditions. We predict a TFP retraction speed for the tracking data we study that is in a good agreement with experimental results obtained under very similar conditions. Furthermore, we examine whether estimates for biologically important parameters, whose direct experimental determination is challenging, can be inferred directly from tracking data. One example is the width of the distribution of TFP on the bacteria body. We predict that the TFP are broadly distributed over the bacteria pole in both walking and crawling motility types. Moreover, we identified specific configurations of TFP that lead to transitions between walking and crawling states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L. Barton
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yow-Ren Chang
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Dr, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
| | - William Ducker
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Center for Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virgina, United States of America
| | - Jure Dobnikar
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Wenzhou Institute of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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11
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Granton E, Brown L, Defaye M, Moazen P, Almblad H, Randall TE, Rich JD, Geppert A, Abdullah NS, Hassanabad MF, Hiroki CH, Farias R, Nguyen AP, Schubert C, Lou Y, Andonegui G, Iftinca M, Raju D, Vargas MA, Howell PL, Füzesi T, Bains J, Kurrasch D, Harrison JJ, Altier C, Yipp BG. Biofilm exopolysaccharides alter sensory-neuron-mediated sickness during lung infection. Cell 2024; 187:1874-1888.e14. [PMID: 38518773 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Infections of the lung cause observable sickness thought to be secondary to inflammation. Signs of sickness are crucial to alert others via behavioral-immune responses to limit contact with contagious individuals. Gram-negative bacteria produce exopolysaccharide (EPS) that provides microbial protection; however, the impact of EPS on sickness remains uncertain. Using genome-engineered Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strains, we compared EPS-producers versus non-producers and a virulent Escherichia coli (E. coli) lung infection model in male and female mice. EPS-negative P. aeruginosa and virulent E. coli infection caused severe sickness, behavioral alterations, inflammation, and hypothermia mediated by TLR4 detection of the exposed lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in lung TRPV1+ sensory neurons. However, inflammation did not account for sickness. Stimulation of lung nociceptors induced acute stress responses in the paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei by activating corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons responsible for sickness behavior and hypothermia. Thus, EPS-producing biofilm pathogens evade initiating a lung-brain sensory neuronal response that results in sickness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Granton
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Luke Brown
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Manon Defaye
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Inflammation Research Network, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Parisa Moazen
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Henrik Almblad
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Trevor E Randall
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jacquelyn D Rich
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Andrew Geppert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Nasser S Abdullah
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Inflammation Research Network, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mortaza F Hassanabad
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Carlos H Hiroki
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Raquel Farias
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Angela P Nguyen
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Courtney Schubert
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Yuefei Lou
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Graciela Andonegui
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mircea Iftinca
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Inflammation Research Network, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Deepa Raju
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mario A Vargas
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - P Lynne Howell
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tamás Füzesi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Cumming School of Medicine Optogenetics Core Facility, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jaideep Bains
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Deborah Kurrasch
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Joe Jonathan Harrison
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Christophe Altier
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Inflammation Research Network, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Bryan G Yipp
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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12
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Sánchez-Peña A, Winans JB, Nadell CD, Limoli DH. Pseudomonas aeruginosa surface motility and invasion into competing communities enhances interspecies antagonism. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.03.588010. [PMID: 38617332 PMCID: PMC11014535 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.03.588010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Chronic polymicrobial infections involving Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are prevalent, difficult to eradicate, and associated with poor health outcomes. Therefore, understanding interactions between these pathogens is important to inform improved treatment development. We previously demonstrated that P. aeruginosa is attracted to S. aureus using type IV pili-mediated chemotaxis, but the impact of attraction on S. aureus growth and physiology remained unknown. Using live single-cell confocal imaging to visualize microcolony structure, spatial organization, and survival of S. aureus during coculture, we found that interspecies chemotaxis provides P. aeruginosa a competitive advantage by promoting invasion into and disruption of S. aureus microcolonies. This behavior renders S. aureus susceptible to P. aeruginosa antimicrobials. Conversely, in the absence of type IV pilus motility, P. aeruginosa cells exhibit reduced invasion of S. aureus colonies. Instead, P. aeruginosa builds a cellular barrier adjacent to S. aureus and secretes diffusible, bacteriostatic antimicrobials like 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide (HQNO) into the S. aureus colonies. P. aeruginosa reduced invasion leads to the formation of denser and thicker S. aureus colonies with significantly increased HQNO-mediated lactic acid fermentation, a physiological change that could complicate the effective treatment of infections. Finally, we show that P. aeruginosa motility modifications of spatial structure enhance competition against S. aureus. Overall, these studies build on our understanding of how P. aeruginosa type IV pili-mediated interspecies chemotaxis mediates polymicrobial interactions, highlighting the importance of spatial positioning in mixed-species communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Sánchez-Peña
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - James B Winans
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Carey D Nadell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Dominique H Limoli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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13
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Jin C, Sengupta A. Microbes in porous environments: from active interactions to emergent feedback. Biophys Rev 2024; 16:173-188. [PMID: 38737203 PMCID: PMC11078916 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-024-01185-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbes thrive in diverse porous environments-from soil and riverbeds to human lungs and cancer tissues-spanning multiple scales and conditions. Short- to long-term fluctuations in local factors induce spatio-temporal heterogeneities, often leading to physiologically stressful settings. How microbes respond and adapt to such biophysical constraints is an active field of research where considerable insight has been gained over the last decades. With a focus on bacteria, here we review recent advances in self-organization and dispersal in inorganic and organic porous settings, highlighting the role of active interactions and feedback that mediates microbial survival and fitness. We discuss open questions and opportunities for using integrative approaches to advance our understanding of the biophysical strategies which microbes employ at various scales to make porous settings habitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyu Jin
- Physics of Living Matter Group, Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, 162 A, Avenue de la Faïencerie, Luxembourg City, L-1511 Luxembourg
| | - Anupam Sengupta
- Physics of Living Matter Group, Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, 162 A, Avenue de la Faïencerie, Luxembourg City, L-1511 Luxembourg
- Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Luxembourg, 2 Avenue de l’Université, Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4365 Luxembourg
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14
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Tröger L, Goirand F, Alim K. Size-dependent self-avoidance enables superdiffusive migration in macroscopic unicellulars. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2312611121. [PMID: 38517977 PMCID: PMC10990088 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312611121] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Many cells face search problems, such as finding food, mates, or shelter, where their success depends on their search strategy. In contrast to other unicellular organisms, the slime mold Physarum polycephalum forms a giant network-shaped plasmodium while foraging for food. What is the advantage of the giant cell on the verge of multicellularity? We experimentally study and quantify the migration behavior of P. polycephalum plasmodia on the time scale of days in the absence and presence of food. We develop a model which successfully describes its migration in terms of ten data-derived parameters. Using the mechanistic insights provided by our data-driven model, we find that regardless of the absence or presence of food, P. polycephalum achieves superdiffusive migration by performing a self-avoiding run-and-tumble movement. In the presence of food, the run duration statistics change, only controlling the short-term migration dynamics. However, varying organism size, we find that the long-term superdiffusion arises from self-avoidance determined by cell size, highlighting the potential evolutionary advantage that this macroscopically large cell may have.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Tröger
- Technical University of Munich, School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Protein Assemblies, Garching85748, Germany
| | - Florian Goirand
- Technical University of Munich, School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Protein Assemblies, Garching85748, Germany
| | - Karen Alim
- Technical University of Munich, School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Protein Assemblies, Garching85748, Germany
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15
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Yaeger LN, Ranieri MRM, Chee J, Karabelas-Pittman S, Rudolph M, Giovannoni AM, Harvey H, Burrows LL. A genetic screen identifies a role for oprF in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm stimulation by subinhibitory antibiotics. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2024; 10:30. [PMID: 38521769 PMCID: PMC10960818 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-024-00496-7] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Biofilms are surface-associated communities of bacteria that grow in a self-produced matrix of polysaccharides, proteins, and extracellular DNA (eDNA). Sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations (sub-MIC) of antibiotics induce biofilm formation, potentially as a defensive response to antibiotic stress. However, the mechanisms behind sub-MIC antibiotic-induced biofilm formation are unclear. We show that treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with multiple classes of sub-MIC antibiotics with distinct targets induces biofilm formation. Further, addition of exogenous eDNA or cell lysate failed to increase biofilm formation to the same extent as antibiotics, suggesting that the release of cellular contents by antibiotic-driven bacteriolysis is insufficient. Using a genetic screen for stimulation-deficient mutants, we identified the outer membrane porin OprF and the ECF sigma factor SigX as important. Similarly, loss of OmpA - the Escherichia coli OprF homolog - prevented sub-MIC antibiotic stimulation of E. coli biofilms. Our screen also identified the periplasmic disulfide bond-forming enzyme DsbA and a predicted cyclic-di-GMP phosphodiesterase encoded by PA2200 as essential for biofilm stimulation. The phosphodiesterase activity of PA2200 is likely controlled by a disulfide bond in its regulatory domain, and folding of OprF is influenced by disulfide bond formation, connecting the mutant phenotypes. Addition of reducing agent dithiothreitol prevented sub-MIC antibiotic biofilm stimulation. Finally, activation of a c-di-GMP-responsive promoter follows treatment with sub-MIC antibiotics in the wild-type but not an oprF mutant. Together, these results show that antibiotic-induced biofilm formation is likely driven by a signaling pathway that translates changes in periplasmic redox state into elevated biofilm formation through increases in c-di-GMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke N Yaeger
- Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Michael R M Ranieri
- Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jessica Chee
- Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Sawyer Karabelas-Pittman
- Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Madeleine Rudolph
- Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Alessio M Giovannoni
- Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Hanjeong Harvey
- Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Lori L Burrows
- Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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16
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Ruijgrok G, Wu DY, Overkleeft HS, Codée JDC. Synthesis and application of bacterial exopolysaccharides. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2024; 78:102418. [PMID: 38134611 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Exopolysaccharides are produced and excreted by bacteria in the generation of biofilms to provide a protective environment. These polysaccharides are generally generated as heterogeneous polymers of varying length, featuring diverse substitution patterns. To obtain well-defined fragments of these polysaccharides, organic synthesis often is the method of choice, as it allows for full control over chain length and the installation of a pre-determined substitution pattern. This review presents several recent syntheses of exopolysaccharide fragments of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus and illustrates how these have been used to study biosynthesis enzymes and generate synthetic glycoconjugate vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gijs Ruijgrok
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333, CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Dung-Yeh Wu
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333, CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Herman S Overkleeft
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333, CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen D C Codée
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333, CC Leiden, the Netherlands.
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17
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Zhang J, Li S, Sun T, Zong Y, Luo Y, Wei Y, Zhang W, Zhao K. Oscillation of type IV pili regulated by the circadian clock in cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadd9485. [PMID: 38266097 PMCID: PMC10807798 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add9485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Type IV pili (TFP) are known to be functionally related to cell motilities and natural transformation in many bacteria. However, the molecular and ecological functions of the TFP have rarely been reported for photosynthetic cyanobacteria. Here, by labeling pili in model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 (Syn7942), we have quantitatively characterized the TFP and its driven twitching motility in situ at the single-cell level. We found an oscillating pattern of TFP in accordance with the light and dark periods during light-dark cycles, which is correlated positively to the oscillating pattern of the natural transformation efficiency. We further showed that the internal circadian clock plays an important role in regulating the oscillating pattern of TFP, which is also supported by evidences at the molecular level by tracking the expression of 16 TFP-related genes. This study adds a detailed picture toward the gap between TFP and its relations to circadian regulations in Syn7942.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingchao Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
- Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China
| | - Shubin Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
| | - Tao Sun
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
- Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
| | - Yiwu Zong
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
| | - Yan Luo
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
| | - Yufei Wei
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
| | - Weiwen Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
- Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
| | - Kun Zhao
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
- The Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study and The Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China
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18
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Dzięgielewska M, Bartoszewicz M, Książczyk M, Dudek B, Brożyna M, Szymczyk-Ziółkowska P, Gruber P, Pawlak J, Kozłowska W, Zielińska S, Fischer J, Woytoń A, Junka A. Abietic Acid as a Novel Agent against Ocular Biofilms: An In Vitro and Preliminary In Vivo Investigation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1528. [PMID: 38338807 PMCID: PMC10855443 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031528] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Biofilm-related ocular infections can lead to vision loss and are difficult to treat with antibiotics due to challenges with application and increasing microbial resistance. In turn, the design and testing of new synthetic drugs is a time- and cost-consuming process. Therefore, in this work, for the first time, we assessed the in vitro efficacy of the plant-based abietic acid molecule, both alone and when introduced to a polymeric cellulose carrier, against biofilms formed by Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans in standard laboratory settings as well as in a self-designed setting using the topologically challenging surface of the artificial eye. These analyses were performed using the standard microdilution method, the biofilm-oriented antiseptic test (BOAT), a modified disk-diffusion method, and eyeball models. Additionally, we assessed the cytotoxicity of abietic acid against eukaryotic cell lines and its anti-staphylococcal efficacy in an in vivo model using Galleria mellonella larvae. We found that abietic acid was more effective against Staphylococcus than Pseudomonas (from two to four times, depending on the test applied) and that it was generally more effective against the tested bacteria (up to four times) than against the fungus C. albicans at concentrations non-cytotoxic to the eukaryotic cell lines and to G. mellonella (256 and 512 µg/mL, respectively). In the in vivo infection model, abietic acid effectively prevented the spread of staphylococcus throughout the larvae organisms, decreasing their lethality by up to 50%. These initial results obtained indicate promising features of abietic acid, which may potentially be applied to treat ocular infections caused by pathogenic biofilms, with higher efficiency manifested against bacterial than fungal biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marzenna Bartoszewicz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Parasitology, Medical University of Wroclaw, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Marta Książczyk
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, 51-148 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Bartłomiej Dudek
- Platform for Unique Model Application, Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Parasitology, Medical University of Wroclaw, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (M.B.); (A.W.)
| | - Malwina Brożyna
- Platform for Unique Model Application, Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Parasitology, Medical University of Wroclaw, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (M.B.); (A.W.)
| | - Patrycja Szymczyk-Ziółkowska
- Center for Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (CAMT/FPC), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Łukasiewicza 5, 50-371 Wroclaw, Poland; (P.S.-Z.); (P.G.)
| | - Piotr Gruber
- Center for Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (CAMT/FPC), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Łukasiewicza 5, 50-371 Wroclaw, Poland; (P.S.-Z.); (P.G.)
| | - Jacek Pawlak
- Medical Department, Lazarski University, 02-662 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Weronika Kozłowska
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, Division of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland; (W.K.); (S.Z.)
| | - Sylwia Zielińska
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, Division of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland; (W.K.); (S.Z.)
| | - Jędrzej Fischer
- Department of Angiology, Hypertension and Diabetology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Aleksandra Woytoń
- Platform for Unique Model Application, Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Parasitology, Medical University of Wroclaw, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (M.B.); (A.W.)
| | - Adam Junka
- Platform for Unique Model Application, Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Parasitology, Medical University of Wroclaw, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (M.B.); (A.W.)
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19
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Migration of surface-associated microbial communities in spaceflight habitats. Biofilm 2023; 5:100109. [PMID: 36909662 PMCID: PMC9999172 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2023.100109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Astronauts are spending longer periods locked up in ships or stations for scientific and exploration spatial missions. The International Space Station (ISS) has been inhabited continuously for more than 20 years and the duration of space stays by crews could lengthen with the objectives of human presence on the moon and Mars. If the environment of these space habitats is designed for the comfort of astronauts, it is also conducive to other forms of life such as embarked microorganisms. The latter, most often associated with surfaces in the form of biofilm, have been implicated in significant degradation of the functionality of pieces of equipment in space habitats. The most recent research suggests that microgravity could increase the persistence, resistance and virulence of pathogenic microorganisms detected in these communities, endangering the health of astronauts and potentially jeopardizing long-duration manned missions. In this review, we describe the mechanisms and dynamics of installation and propagation of these microbial communities associated with surfaces (spatial migration), as well as long-term processes of adaptation and evolution in these extreme environments (phenotypic and genetic migration), with special reference to human health. We also discuss the means of control envisaged to allow a lasting cohabitation between these vibrant microscopic passengers and the astronauts.
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20
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Gheorghita AA, Wozniak DJ, Parsek MR, Howell PL. Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm exopolysaccharides: assembly, function, and degradation. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2023; 47:fuad060. [PMID: 37884397 PMCID: PMC10644985 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad060] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The biofilm matrix is a fortress; sheltering bacteria in a protective and nourishing barrier that allows for growth and adaptation to various surroundings. A variety of different components are found within the matrix including water, lipids, proteins, extracellular DNA, RNA, membrane vesicles, phages, and exopolysaccharides. As part of its biofilm matrix, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is genetically capable of producing three chemically distinct exopolysaccharides - alginate, Pel, and Psl - each of which has a distinct role in biofilm formation and immune evasion during infection. The polymers are produced by highly conserved mechanisms of secretion, involving many proteins that span both the inner and outer bacterial membranes. Experimentally determined structures, predictive modelling of proteins whose structures are yet to be solved, and structural homology comparisons give us insight into the molecular mechanisms of these secretion systems, from polymer synthesis to modification and export. Here, we review recent advances that enhance our understanding of P. aeruginosa multiprotein exopolysaccharide biosynthetic complexes, and how the glycoside hydrolases/lyases within these systems have been commandeered for antimicrobial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea A Gheorghita
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay St, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King's College Cir, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Daniel J Wozniak
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, 776 Biomedical Research Tower, 460 W 12th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University College, Biological Sciences Bldg, 105, 484 W 12th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - Matthew R Parsek
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Health Sciences Bldg, 1705 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA 98195-7735, United States
| | - P Lynne Howell
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay St, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King's College Cir, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
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21
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Römling U. Cyclic di-GMP signaling-Where did you come from and where will you go? Mol Microbiol 2023; 120:564-574. [PMID: 37427497 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Microbes including bacteria are required to respond to their often continuously changing ecological niches in order to survive. While many signaling molecules are produced as seemingly circumstantial byproducts of common biochemical reactions, there are a few second messenger signaling systems such as the ubiquitous cyclic di-GMP second messenger system that arise through the synthesis of dedicated multidomain enzymes triggered by multiple diverse external and internal signals. Being one of the most numerous and widespread signaling system in bacteria, cyclic di-GMP signaling contributes to adjust physiological and metabolic responses in all available ecological niches. Those niches range from deep-sea and hydrothermal springs to the intracellular environment in human immune cells such as macrophages. This outmost adaptability is possible by the modularity of the cyclic di-GMP turnover proteins which enables coupling of enzymatic activity to the diversity of sensory domains and the flexibility in cyclic di-GMP binding sites. Nevertheless, commonly regulated fundamental microbial behavior include biofilm formation, motility, and acute and chronic virulence. The dedicated domains carrying out the enzymatic activity indicate an early evolutionary origin and diversification of "bona fide" second messengers such as cyclic di-GMP which is estimated to have been present in the last universal common ancestor of archaea and bacteria and maintained in the bacterial kingdom until today. This perspective article addresses aspects of our current view on the cyclic di-GMP signaling system and points to knowledge gaps that still await answers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute Römling
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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22
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Meacock OJ, Durham WM. Tracking bacteria at high density with FAST, the Feature-Assisted Segmenter/Tracker. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011524. [PMID: 37812642 PMCID: PMC10586697 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Most bacteria live attached to surfaces in densely-packed communities. While new experimental and imaging techniques are beginning to provide a window on the complex processes that play out in these communities, resolving the behaviour of individual cells through time and space remains a major challenge. Although a number of different software solutions have been developed to track microorganisms, these typically require users either to tune a large number of parameters or to groundtruth a large volume of imaging data to train a deep learning model-both manual processes which can be very time consuming for novel experiments. To overcome these limitations, we have developed FAST, the Feature-Assisted Segmenter/Tracker, which uses unsupervised machine learning to optimise tracking while maintaining ease of use. Our approach, rooted in information theory, largely eliminates the need for users to iteratively adjust parameters manually and make qualitative assessments of the resulting cell trajectories. Instead, FAST measures multiple distinguishing 'features' for each cell and then autonomously quantifies the amount of unique information each feature provides. We then use these measurements to determine how data from different features should be combined to minimize tracking errors. Comparing our algorithm with a naïve approach that uses cell position alone revealed that FAST produced 4 to 10 fold fewer tracking errors. The modular design of FAST combines our novel tracking method with tools for segmentation, extensive data visualisation, lineage assignment, and manual track correction. It is also highly extensible, allowing users to extract custom information from images and seamlessly integrate it into downstream analyses. FAST therefore enables high-throughput, data-rich analyses with minimal user input. It has been released for use either in Matlab or as a compiled stand-alone application, and is available at https://bit.ly/3vovDHn, along with extensive tutorials and detailed documentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J. Meacock
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - William M. Durham
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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23
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Li Y, Ni M. Regulation of biofilm formation in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1238482. [PMID: 37744914 PMCID: PMC10513181 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1238482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that is responsible for a variety of nosocomial and community-acquired infections. Klebsiella pneumoniae has become a major public health issue owing to the rapid global spread of extensively-drug resistant (XDR) and hypervirulent strains. Biofilm formation is an important virulence trait of K. pneumoniae. A biofilm is an aggregate of microorganisms attached to an inert or living surface by a self-produced exo-polymeric matrix that includes proteins, polysaccharides and extracellular DNA. Bacteria within the biofilm are shielded from antibiotics treatments and host immune responses, making it more difficult to eradicate K. pneumoniae-induced infection. However, the detailed mechanisms of biofilm formation in K. pneumoniae are still not clear. Here, we review the factors involved in the biofilm formation of K. pneumoniae, which might provide new clues to address this clinical challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ming Ni
- Department and Institute of Infectious Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Disease, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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24
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Rossy T, Distler T, Meirelles LA, Pezoldt J, Kim J, Talà L, Bouklas N, Deplancke B, Persat A. Pseudomonas aeruginosa type IV pili actively induce mucus contraction to form biofilms in tissue-engineered human airways. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002209. [PMID: 37527210 PMCID: PMC10393179 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes antibiotic-recalcitrant pneumonia by forming biofilms in the respiratory tract. Despite extensive in vitro experimentation, how P. aeruginosa forms biofilms at the airway mucosa is unresolved. To investigate the process of biofilm formation in realistic conditions, we developed AirGels: 3D, optically accessible tissue-engineered human lung models that emulate the airway mucosal environment. AirGels recapitulate important factors that mediate host-pathogen interactions including mucus secretion, flow and air-liquid interface (ALI), while accommodating high-resolution live microscopy. With AirGels, we investigated the contributions of mucus to P. aeruginosa biofilm biogenesis in in vivo-like conditions. We found that P. aeruginosa forms mucus-associated biofilms within hours by contracting luminal mucus early during colonization. Mucus contractions facilitate aggregation, thereby nucleating biofilms. We show that P. aeruginosa actively contracts mucus using retractile filaments called type IV pili. Our results therefore suggest that, while protecting epithelia, mucus constitutes a breeding ground for biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Rossy
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tania Distler
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lucas A Meirelles
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Joern Pezoldt
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jaemin Kim
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Lorenzo Talà
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nikolaos Bouklas
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Bart Deplancke
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Persat
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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25
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Park S, Dingemans J, Sauer K. Manganese Acts as an Environmental Inhibitor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Development by Inducing Dispersion and Modulating c-di-GMP and Exopolysaccharide Production via RbdA. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0000323. [PMID: 37199658 PMCID: PMC10294637 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00003-23] [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: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes chronic infections that involve multicellular aggregates called biofilms. Biofilm formation is modulated by the host environment and the presence of cues and/or signals, likely affecting the pool of the bacterial second messenger cyclic diguanylate monophosphate (c-di-GMP). The manganese ion Mn2+ is a divalent metal cation that is essential for pathogenic bacterial survival and replication during the infection in a host organism. In this study, we investigated how Mn2+ alters P. aeruginosa biofilm formation via the regulation of c-di-GMP levels. Exposure to Mn2+ was found to temporally enhance attachment but impair subsequent biofilm development, apparent by reduced biofilm biomass accumulation and lack of microcolony formation due to the induction of dispersion. Moreover, exposure to Mn2+ coincided with reduced production of the exopolysaccharides Psl and Pel, decreased transcriptional abundance of pel and psl, and decreased levels of c-di-GMP. To determine whether the effect of Mn2+ was linked to the activation of phosphodiesterases (PDEs), we screened several PDE mutants for Mn2+-dependent phenotypes (attachment and polysaccharide production) as well as PDE activity. The screen revealed that the PDE RbdA is activated by Mn2+ and is responsible for Mn2+-dependent attachment, inhibition of Psl production, and dispersion. Taken together, our findings suggest Mn2+ is an environmental inhibitor of P. aeruginosa biofilm development that acts through the PDE RbdA to modulate c-di-GMP levels, thereby impeding polysaccharide production and biofilm formation but enhancing dispersion. IMPORTANCE While diverse environmental conditions such as the availability of metal ions have been shown to affect biofilm development, little is known about the mechanism. Here, we demonstrate that Mn2+ affects Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm development by stimulating phosphodiesterase RbdA activity to reduce the signaling molecule c-di-GMP levels, thereby hindering polysaccharide production and biofilm formation but enhancing dispersion. Our findings demonstrate that Mn2+ acts as an environmental inhibitor of P. aeruginosa biofilms, further suggesting manganese to be a promising new antibiofilm factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoung Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Jozef Dingemans
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Karin Sauer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
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26
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Razvi E, DiFrancesco BR, Wasney GA, Morrison ZA, Tam J, Auger A, Baker P, Alnabelseya N, Rich JD, Sivarajah P, Whitfield GB, Harrison JJ, Melnyk RA, Nitz M, Howell PL. Small Molecule Inhibition of an Exopolysaccharide Modification Enzyme is a Viable Strategy To Block Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pel Biofilm Formation. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0029623. [PMID: 37098898 PMCID: PMC10269871 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00296-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Biosynthesis of the Pel exopolysaccharide in Pseudomonas aeruginosa requires all seven genes of the pelABCDEFG operon. The periplasmic modification enzyme PelA contains a C-terminal deacetylase domain that is necessary for Pel-dependent biofilm formation. Herein, we show that extracellular Pel is not produced by a P. aeruginosa PelA deacetylase mutant. This positions PelA deacetylase activity as an attractive target to prevent Pel-dependent biofilm formation. Using a high-throughput screen (n = 69,360), we identified 56 compounds that potentially inhibit PelA esterase activity, the first enzymatic step in the deacetylase reaction. A secondary biofilm inhibition assay identified methyl 2-(2-pyridinylmethylene) hydrazinecarbodithioate (SK-017154-O) as a specific Pel-dependent biofilm inhibitor. Structure-activity relationship studies identified the thiocarbazate as a necessary functional group and that the pyridyl ring could be replaced with a phenyl substituent (compound 1). Both SK-017154-O and compound 1 inhibit Pel-dependent biofilm formation in Bacillus cereus ATCC 10987, which has a predicted extracellular PelA deacetylase in its pel operon. Michaelis-Menten kinetics determined SK-017154-O to be a noncompetitive inhibitor of PelA, while compound 1 did not directly inhibit PelA esterase activity. Cytotoxicity assays using human lung fibroblast cells showed that compound 1 is less cytotoxic than SK-017154-O. This work provides proof of concept that biofilm exopolysaccharide modification enzymes are important for biofilm formation and can serve as useful antibiofilm targets. IMPORTANCE Present in more than 500 diverse Gram-negative and 900 Gram-positive organisms, the Pel polysaccharide is one of the most phylogenetically widespread biofilm matrix determinants found to date. Partial de-N-acetylation of this α-1,4 linked N-acetylgalactosamine polymer by the carbohydrate modification enzyme PelA is required for Pel-dependent biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus. Given this and our observation that extracellular Pel is not produced by a P. aeruginosa PelA deactylase mutant, we developed an enzyme-based high-throughput screen and identified methyl 2-(2-pyridinylmethylene) hydrazinecarbodithioate (SK-017154-O) and its phenyl derivative as specific Pel-dependent biofilm inhibitors. Michaelis-Menten kinetics revealed SK-017154-O is a noncompetitive inhibitor and that its noncytotoxic, phenyl derivative does not directly inhibit P. aeruginosa PelA esterase activity. We provide proof of concept that exopolysaccharide modification enzymes can be targeted with small molecule inhibitors to block Pel-dependent biofilm development in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erum Razvi
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Gregory A. Wasney
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- The Structural & Biophysical Core Facility, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - John Tam
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anick Auger
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- SPARC BioCentre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Perrin Baker
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Noor Alnabelseya
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jacquelyn D. Rich
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Piyanka Sivarajah
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gregory B. Whitfield
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joe J. Harrison
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Roman A. Melnyk
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark Nitz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - P. Lynne Howell
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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27
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Extracellular matrix affects mature biofilm and stress resistance of psychrotrophic spoilage Pseudomonas at cold temperature. Food Microbiol 2023; 112:104214. [PMID: 36906314 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2023.104214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Psychrotrophic Pseudomonas as the dominant spoilage bacteria, have biofilm forming ability, increasing persistence and contamination in the chilled food. Biofilm formation of spoilage Pseudomonas at cold temperature was documented, however, role of extracellular matrix in mature biofilm and stress resistance of psychrotrophic Pseudomonas are much less abundant. The aim of this study was to investigate the biofilm forming characteristics of three spoilers P. fluorescens PF07, P. lundensis PL28, and P. psychrophile PP26 at 25 °C, 15 °C and 4 °C, and to explore their stress resistance to chemical and thermal treatments of mature biofilms. The results showed that biofilm biomass of three Pseudomonas at 4 °C was significantly higher than that at 15 °C and 25 °C. The secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) greatly increased in those Pseudomonas under low temperature, of which extracellular protein constituted about 71.03%-77.44%. Compared to 25 °C, the mature biofilms were observed to more aggregation and thicker spatial structure at 4 °C ranging from 42.7 to 54.6 μm, in contrast to 25.0-29.8 μm at 25 °C, especially strain PF07. These Pseudomonas biofilms switched into moderate hydrophobicity, and their swarming and swimming were significantly inhibited at low temperature. Furthermore, the resistance to NaClO and heating at 65 °C apparently enhanced for mature biofilm formed at 4 °C, indicating the difference in EPS matrix production influenced the stress resistance of biofilm. In addition, three strains contained alg and psl operons for exopolysaccharide biosynthesis, and biofilm related genes of algK, pslA, rpoS, and luxR were significantly up-regulated, while flgA gene was down-regulated at 4 °C compared to 25 °C, consistent with the above phenotype changes. Thus, the dramatic increase of mature biofilm and their stress resistance in psychrotrophic Pseudomonas were associated with large secretion and protection of extracellular matrix under low temperature, which provide a theoretical basis for subsequent biofilm control during cold chain.
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28
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Chung J, Eisha S, Park S, Morris AJ, Martin I. How Three Self-Secreted Biofilm Exopolysaccharides of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Psl, Pel, and Alginate, Can Each Be Exploited for Antibiotic Adjuvant Effects in Cystic Fibrosis Lung Infection. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108709. [PMID: 37240055 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In cystic fibrosis (CF), pulmonary infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a cause of increased morbidity and mortality, especially in patients for whom infection becomes chronic and there is reliance on long-term suppressive therapies. Current antimicrobials, though varied mechanistically and by mode of delivery, are inadequate not only due to their failure to eradicate infection but also because they do not halt the progression of lung function decline over time. One of the reasons for this failure is thought to be the biofilm mode of growth of P. aeruginosa, wherein self-secreted exopolysaccharides (EPSs) provide physical protection against antibiotics and an array of niches with resulting metabolic and phenotypic heterogeneity. The three biofilm-associated EPSs secreted by P. aeruginosa (alginate, Psl, and Pel) are each under investigation and are being exploited in ways that potentiate antibiotics. In this review, we describe the development and structure of P. aeruginosa biofilms before examining each EPS as a potential therapeutic target for combating pulmonary infection with P. aeruginosa in CF, with a particular focus on the current evidence for these emerging therapies and barriers to bringing these therapies into clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Chung
- Department of Translational Medicine, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Shafinaz Eisha
- Department of Translational Medicine, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Subin Park
- Department of Translational Medicine, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Amanda J Morris
- Department of Translational Medicine, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Isaac Martin
- Department of Translational Medicine, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
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29
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Simsek AN, Koch MD, Sanfilippo JE, Gitai Z, Gompper G, Sabass B. Type-IV pili tune an adhesion-migration trade-off during surface colonization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.09.538458. [PMID: 37215001 PMCID: PMC10197611 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.09.538458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial pathogenicity relies on both firm surface adhesion and cell dissemination. How twitching bacteria resolve the fundamental contradiction between adhesion and migration is unknown. To address this question, we employ live-cell imaging of type-IV pili (T4P) and therewith construct a comprehensive mathematical model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa migration. The data show that only 10% to 50% of T4P bind to substrates and contribute to migration through random extension and retraction. Individual T4P do not display a measurable sensory response to surfaces, but their number increases on cellular surface contact. Attachment to surfaces is mediated, besides T4P, by passive adhesive forces acting on the cell body. Passive adhesions slow down cell migration and result in local random motion on short time scales, which is followed by directionally persistent, superdiffusive motion on longer time scales. Moreover, passive adhesions strongly enhance surface attachment under shear flow. Δ pilA mutants, which produce no T4P, robustly stick to surfaces under shear flow. In contrast, rapidly migrating Δ pilH cells, which produce an excessive number of T4P, are easily detached by shear. Wild-type cells sacrifice migration speed for robust surface attachment by maintaining a low number of active pili. The different cell strains pertain to disjunct regimes in a generic adhesion-migration trait space. Depending on the nature of the adhesion structures, adhesion and migration are either compatible or a trade-off is required for efficient bacterial surface colonization under different conditions.
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30
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Khateb H, Hook AL, Kern S, Watts JA, Singh S, Jackson D, Marinez-Pomares L, Williams P, Alexander MR. Identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exopolysaccharide Psl in biofilms using 3D OrbiSIMS. Biointerphases 2023; 18:031007. [PMID: 37255378 PMCID: PMC10234676 DOI: 10.1116/6.0002604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) offers advantages over both liquid extraction mass spectrometry and matrix assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry in that it provides the direct in situ analysis of molecules and has the potential to preserve the 3D location of an analyte in a sample. Polysaccharides are recognized as challenging analytes in the mass spectrometry of liquids and are also difficult to identify and assign using SIMS. Psl is an exopolysaccharide produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which plays a key role in biofilm formation and maturation. In this Letter, we describe the use of the OrbiTrap analyzer with SIMS (3D OrbiSIMS) for the label-free mass spectrometry of Psl, taking advantage of its high mass resolving power for accurate secondary ion assignment. We study a P. aeruginosa biofilm and compare it with purified Psl to enable the assignment of secondary ions specific to the Psl structure. This resulted in the identification of 17 peaks that could confidently be ascribed to Psl fragments within the biofilm matrix. The complementary approach of the following neutral loss sequences is also shown to identify multiple oligosaccharide fragments without the requirement of a biological reference sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heba Khateb
- Advanced Materials and Healthcare Technologies Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- National Biofilms Innovation Centre, Biodiscovery Institute and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew L Hook
- Advanced Materials and Healthcare Technologies Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Stefanie Kern
- Nanoscale and Microscale Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Julie A Watts
- Nanoscale and Microscale Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sonali Singh
- National Biofilms Innovation Centre and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Darryl Jackson
- National Biofilms Innovation Centre and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Luisa Marinez-Pomares
- National Biofilms Innovation Centre and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Williams
- National Biofilms Innovation Centre, Biodiscovery Institute and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Morgan R Alexander
- Advanced Materials and Healthcare Technologies Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- National Biofilms Innovation Centre, Biodiscovery Institute and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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31
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Young E, Melaugh G, Allen RJ. Active layer dynamics drives a transition to biofilm fingering. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2023; 9:17. [PMID: 37024470 PMCID: PMC10079924 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-023-00380-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of spatial organisation in biofilm growth is one of the most fundamental topics in biofilm biophysics and microbiology. It has long been known that growing biofilms can adopt smooth or rough interface morphologies, depending on the balance between nutrient supply and microbial growth; this 'fingering' transition has been linked with the average width of the 'active layer' of growing cells at the biofilm interface. Here we use long-time individual-based simulations of growing biofilms to investigate in detail the driving factors behind the biofilm-fingering transition. We show that the transition is associated with dynamical changes in the active layer. Fingering happens when gaps form in the active layer, which can cause local parts of the biofilm interface to pin, or become stationary relative to the moving front. Pinning can be transient or permanent, leading to different biofilm morphologies. By constructing a phase diagram for the transition, we show that the controlling factor is the magnitude of the relative fluctuations in the active layer thickness, rather than the active layer thickness per se. Taken together, our work suggests a central role for active layer dynamics in controlling the pinning of the biofilm interface and hence biofilm morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Young
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin Melaugh
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Rosalind J Allen
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, United Kingdom.
- Theoretical Microbial Ecology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Buchaer Strasse 6, 07745, Jena, Germany.
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32
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Thakur K, Kuthiala T, Singh G, Arya SK, Iwai CB, Ravindran B, Khoo KS, Chang SW, Awasthi MK. An alternative approach towards nitrification and bioremediation of wastewater from aquaponics using biofilm-based bioreactors: A review. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 316:137849. [PMID: 36642133 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Aquaponics combines the advantages of aquaculture and hydroponics as it suits the urban environment where a lack of agricultural land and water resources is observed. It is an ecologically sound system that completely reuses its system waste as plant fertilizer. It offers sustainable water savings, making it a supreme technology for food production. The two major processes that hold the system together are nitrification and denitrification. The remains of fish in form of ammonia reach the bio filters where it is converted into nitrite and further into nitrate in presence of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. Nitrate eventually is taken up by the plants. However, even after the uptake from the flow stream, the effluent contains remaining ammonium and nitrates, which cannot be directly released into the environment. In this review it is suggested how integrating the biofilm-based bioreactors in addition to aquaculture and hydroponics eliminates the possibility of remains of total ammonia nitrogen [TAN] contents, leading to bioremediation of effluent water from the system. Effluent water after releasing from a bioreactor can be reused in an aquaculture system, conditions provided in these bioreactors promote the growth of required bacteria and encourages the mutual development of plants and fishes and eventually leading to bioremediation of wastewater from aquaponics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kritika Thakur
- Department of Biotechnology, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Tanya Kuthiala
- Department of Biotechnology, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Gursharan Singh
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Shailendra Kumar Arya
- Department of Biotechnology, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
| | - Chuleemas Boonthai Iwai
- Integrated Land and Water Resource Management Research and Development Center in Northeast Thailand, Khon Kaen University, Thailand; Department of Soil Science and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Balasubramani Ravindran
- Department of Environmental Energy and Engineering, Kyonggi University, Yeongtong-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do, 16227, South Korea; Department of Medical Biotechnology and Integrative Physiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Kuan Shiong Khoo
- Biorefinery and Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Soon Woong Chang
- Department of Environmental Energy and Engineering, Kyonggi University, Yeongtong-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do, 16227, South Korea
| | - Mukesh Kumar Awasthi
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Taicheng Road 3# Shaanxi, Yangling, 712100, China.
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Öztürk FY, Darcan C, Kariptaş E. The Determination, Monitoring, Molecular Mechanisms and Formation of Biofilm in E. coli. Braz J Microbiol 2023; 54:259-277. [PMID: 36577889 PMCID: PMC9943865 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-022-00895-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilms are cell assemblies embedded in an exopolysaccharide matrix formed by microorganisms of a single or many different species. This matrix in which they are embedded protects the bacteria from external influences and antimicrobial effects. The biofilm structure that microorganisms form to protect themselves from harsh environmental conditions and survive is found in nature in many different environments. These environments where biofilm formation occurs have in common that they are in contact with fluids. The gene expression of bacteria in complex biofilm differs from that of bacteria in the planktonic state. The differences in biofilm cell expression are one of the effects of community life. Means of quorum sensing, bacteria can act in coordination with each other. At the same time, while biofilm formation provides many benefits to bacteria, it has positive and negative effects in many different areas. Depending on where they occur, biofilms can cause serious health problems, contamination risks, corrosion, and heat and efficiency losses. However, they can also be used in water treatment plants, bioremediation, and energy production with microbial fuel cells. In this review, the basic steps of biofilm formation and biofilm regulation in the model organism Escherichia coli were discussed. Finally, the methods by which biofilm formation can be detected and monitored were briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fırat Yavuz Öztürk
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bilecik Seyh Edebali University, Bilecik, Turkey.
| | - Cihan Darcan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bilecik Seyh Edebali University, Bilecik, Turkey
| | - Ergin Kariptaş
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun University, Samsun, Turkey
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Abstract
Indirect interactions via shared memory deposited on the field ("field memory") play an essential role in collective motions. Some motile species, such as ants and bacteria, use attractive pheromones to complete many tasks. Mimicking these kinds of collective behavior at the laboratory scale, we present a pheromone-based autonomous agent system with tunable interactions. In this system, colloidal particles leave phase-change trails reminiscent of the process of pheromone deposition by individual ants, and the trails attract other particles and themselves. To implement this, we combine two physical phenomena: the phase change of a Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) substrate by self-propelled Janus particles (pheromone deposition) and the AC (alternating current) electroosmotic (ACEO) flow generated by this phase change (pheromone attraction). Laser irradiation causes the GST layer to crystalize locally beneath the Janus particles, owing to the lens heating effect. Under AC field application, the high conductivity of the crystalline trail causes a field concentration and generates ACEO flow, and we introduce this flow as an attractive interaction between the Janus particles and the crystalline trail. By changing the AC frequency and voltage, we can tune the attractive flow, i.e., the sensitivity of the Janus particles to the trail, and the isolated particles undergo diverse states of motion, from self-caging to directional motion. A swarm of Janus particles also shows different states of collective motion, including colony formation and line formation. This tunability enables a reconfigurable system driven by a pheromone-like memory field.
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Material Substrate Physical Properties Control Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Architecture. mBio 2023; 14:e0351822. [PMID: 36786569 PMCID: PMC10127718 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03518-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In the wild, bacteria are most frequently found in the form of multicellular structures called biofilms. Biofilms grow at the surface of abiotic and living materials with wide-ranging mechanical properties. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa forms biofilms on indwelling medical devices and on soft tissues, including burn wounds and the airway mucosa. Despite the critical role of substrates in the foundation of biofilms, we still lack a clear understanding of how material mechanics regulate their architecture and the physiology of resident bacteria. Here, we demonstrate that physical properties of hydrogel material substrates define P. aeruginosa biofilm architecture. We show that hydrogel mesh size regulates twitching motility, a surface exploration mechanism priming biofilms, ultimately controlling the organization of single cells in the multicellular community. The resulting architectural transitions increase P. aeruginosa's tolerance to colistin, a last-resort antibiotic. In addition, mechanical regulation of twitching motility affects P. aeruginosa clonal lineages, so that biofilms are more mixed on relatively denser materials. Our results thereby establish material properties as a factor that dramatically affects biofilm architecture, antibiotic efficacy, and evolution of the resident population. IMPORTANCE The biofilm lifestyle is the most widespread survival strategy in the bacterial world. Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms cause chronic infections and are highly recalcitrant to antimicrobials. The genetic requirements allowing P. aeruginosa to grow into biofilms are known, but not the physical stimuli that regulate their formation. Despite colonizing biological tissues, investigations of biofilms on soft materials are limited. In this work, we show that biofilms take unexpected forms when growing on soft substrates. The physical properties of the material shape P. aeruginosa biofilms by regulating surface-specific twitching motility. Physical control of biofilm morphogenesis ultimately influences the resilience of biofilms to antimicrobials, linking physical environment with tolerance to treatment. Altogether, our work established that the physical properties of a surface are a critical environmental regulator of biofilm biogenesis and evolution.
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36
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Bera P, Wasim A, Ghosh P. A mechanistic understanding of microcolony morphogenesis: coexistence of mobile and sessile aggregates. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:1034-1045. [PMID: 36648295 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01365g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Most bacteria in the natural environment self-organize into collective phases such as cell clusters, swarms, patterned colonies, or biofilms. Several intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as growth, motion, and physicochemical interactions, govern the occurrence of different phases and their coexistence. Hence, predicting the conditions under which a collective phase emerges due to individual-level interactions is crucial. Here we develop a particle-based biophysical model of bacterial cells and self-secreted extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to decipher the interplay of growth, motility-mediated dispersal, and mechanical interactions during microcolony morphogenesis. We show that the microcolony dynamics and architecture significantly vary depending upon the heterogeneous EPS production. In particular, microcolony shows the coexistence of both motile and sessile aggregates rendering a transition towards biofilm formation. We identified that the interplay of differential dispersion and the mechanical interactions among the components of the colony determines the fate of the colony morphology. Our results provide a significant understanding of the mechano-self-regulation during biofilm morphogenesis and open up possibilities of designing experiments to test the predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palash Bera
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad, Telangana, 500046, India
| | - Abdul Wasim
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad, Telangana, 500046, India
| | - Pushpita Ghosh
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695551, India.
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The Alginate and Motility Regulator AmrZ is Essential for the Regulation of the Dispersion Response by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms. mSphere 2022; 7:e0050522. [PMID: 36374041 PMCID: PMC9769550 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00505-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersion is an active process exhibited by Pseudomonas aeruginosa during the late stages of biofilm development or in response to various cues, including nitric oxide and glutamate. Upon cue sensing, biofilm cells employ enzymes that actively degrade the extracellular matrix, thereby allowing individual cells to become liberated. While the mechanism by which P. aeruginosa senses and relays dispersion cues has been characterized, little is known about how dispersion cue sensing mechanisms result in matrix degradation. Considering that the alginate and motility regulator AmrZ has been reported to regulate genes that play a role in dispersion, including those affecting virulence, c-di-GMP levels, Pel and Psl abundance, and motility, we asked whether AmrZ contributes to the regulation of dispersion. amrZ was found to be significantly increased in transcript abundance under dispersion-inducing conditions, with the inactivation of amrZ impairing dispersion by P. aeruginosa biofilms in response to glutamate and nitric oxide. While the overexpression of genes encoding matrix-degrading enzymes pelA, pslG, and/or endA resulted in the dispersion of wild-type biofilms, similar conditions failed to disperse biofilms formed by dtamrZ. Likewise, the inactivation of amrZ abrogated the hyperdispersive phenotype of PAO1/pJN-bdlA_G31A biofilms, with dtamrZ-impaired dispersion being independent of the expression, production, and activation of BdlA. Instead, dispersion was found to require the AmrZ-target genes napB and PA1891. Our findings indicate that AmrZ is essential for the regulation of dispersion by P. aeruginosa biofilms, functions downstream of BdlA postdispersion cue sensing, and regulates the expression of genes contributing to biofilm matrix degradation as well as napB and PA1891. IMPORTANCE In P. aeruginosa, biofilm dispersion has been well-characterized with respect to dispersion cue perception, matrix degradation, and the consequences of dispersion. While the intracellular signaling molecule c-di-GMP has been linked to many of the phenotypic changes ascribed to dispersion, including the modulation of motility and matrix production, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms leading to matrix degradation and cells actively leaving the biofilm. In this study, we report for the first time an essential role of the transcriptional regulator AmrZ and two AmrZ-dependent genes, napB, and PA1891, in the dispersion response, thereby linking dispersion cue sensing via BdlA to the regulation of matrix degradation and to the ultimate liberation of bacterial cells from the biofilm.
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Dreifus JE, O’Neal L, Jacobs HM, Subramanian AS, Howell PL, Wozniak DJ, Parsek MR. The Sia System and c-di-GMP Play a Crucial Role in Controlling Cell-Association of Psl in Planktonic P. aeruginosa. J Bacteriol 2022; 204:e0033522. [PMID: 36448788 PMCID: PMC9794950 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00335-22] [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: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Many bacterial species use the secondary messenger, c-di-GMP, to promote the production of biofilm matrix components. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, c-di-GMP production is stimulated upon initial surface contact and generally remains high throughout biofilm growth. Transcription of several gene clusters, including the Sia signal transduction system, are induced in response to high cellular levels of c-di-GMP. The output of this system is SiaD, a diguanylate cyclase whose activity is induced in the presence of the detergent SDS. Previous studies demonstrated that Sia-mediated cellular aggregation is a key feature of P. aeruginosa growth in the presence of SDS. Here, we show that the Sia system is important for producing low levels of c-di-GMP when P. aeruginosa is growing planktonically. In addition, we show that Sia activity is important for maintaining cell-associated Psl in planktonic populations. We also demonstrate that Sia mutant strains have reduced cell-associated Psl and a surface attachment-deficient phenotype. The Sia system also appears to posttranslationally impact cell-associated Psl levels. Collectively, our findings suggest a novel role for the Sia system and c-di-GMP in planktonic populations by regulating levels of cell-associated Psl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E. Dreifus
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lindsey O’Neal
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Holly M. Jacobs
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Adithya S. Subramanian
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Research Institute the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - P. Lynne Howell
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Research Institute the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel J. Wozniak
- Department of Microbial Infections and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Matthew R. Parsek
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Raya D, Shreya A, Kumar A, Giri SK, Salem DR, Gnimpieba EZ, Gadhamshetty V, Dhiman SS. Molecular regulation of conditioning film formation and quorum quenching in sulfate reducing bacteria. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1008536. [PMID: 36386676 PMCID: PMC9659907 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1008536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensing surface topography, an upsurge of signaling biomolecules, and upholding cellular homeostasis are the rate-limiting spatio-temporal events in microbial attachment and biofilm formation. Initially, a set of highly specialized proteins, viz. conditioning protein, directs the irreversible attachment of the microbes. Later signaling molecules, viz. autoinducer, take over the cellular communication phenomenon, resulting in a mature microbial biofilm. The mandatory release of conditioning proteins and autoinducers corroborated the existence of two independent mechanisms operating sequentially for biofilm development. However, both these mechanisms are significantly affected by the availability of the cofactor, e.g., Copper (Cu). Generally, the Cu concentration beyond threshold levels is detrimental to the anaerobes except for a few species of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Remarkably SRB has developed intricate ways to resist and thrive in the presence of Cu by activating numerous genes responsible for modifying the presence of more toxic Cu(I) to Cu(II) within the periplasm, followed by their export through the outer membrane. Therefore, the determinants of Cu toxicity, sequestration, and transportation are reconnoitered for their contribution towards microbial adaptations and biofilm formation. The mechanistic details revealing Cu as a quorum quencher (QQ) are provided in addition to the three pathways involved in the dissolution of cellular communications. This review articulates the Machine Learning based data curing and data processing for designing novel anti-biofilm peptides and for an in-depth understanding of QQ mechanisms. A pioneering data set has been mined and presented on the functional properties of the QQ homolog in Oleidesulfovibrio alaskensis G20 and residues regulating the multicopper oxidase properties in SRB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dheeraj Raya
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD, United States
- 2DBEST Research Center, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD, United States
| | - Aritree Shreya
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD, United States
- 2DBEST Research Center, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD, United States
| | - Anil Kumar
- Centre for Medical Biotechnology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India
| | - Shiv Kumar Giri
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharaja Agrasen University, Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - David R. Salem
- Chemical and Biological Engineering, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD, United States
| | - Etienne Z. Gnimpieba
- 2DBEST Research Center, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
| | - Venkataramana Gadhamshetty
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD, United States
- 2DBEST Research Center, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD, United States
| | - Saurabh Sudha Dhiman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD, United States
- 2DBEST Research Center, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Health Sciences, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD, United States
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40
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Zhang Y, Cai Y, Zeng L, Liu P, Ma LZ, Liu J. A Microfluidic Approach for Quantitative Study of Spatial Heterogeneity in Bacterial Biofilms. SMALL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202200047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhen Zhang
- Center for Infectious Disease Research School of Medicine Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences Beijing 100084 China
| | - Yumin Cai
- Center for Infectious Disease Research School of Medicine Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Lingbin Zeng
- Center for Infectious Disease Research School of Medicine Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering School of Medicine Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Luyan Z. Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Institute of Microbiology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100101 China
| | - Jintao Liu
- Center for Infectious Disease Research School of Medicine Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences Beijing 100084 China
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41
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Lim GM, Kim JK, Kim EJ, Lee CS, Kim W, Kim BG, Jeong HJ. Generation of a recombinant antibody for sensitive detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. BMC Biotechnol 2022; 22:21. [PMID: 35927722 PMCID: PMC9354424 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-022-00751-9] [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: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is a major pathogen that causes nosocomial infections and often exhibits antibiotic resistance. Therefore, the development of an accurate method for detecting P. aeruginosa is required to control P. aeruginosa-related outbreaks. In this study, we established an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method for the sensitive detection of three P. aeruginosa strains, UCBPP PA14, ATCC 27853, and multidrug-resistant ATCC BAA-2108. We produced a recombinant antibody (rAb) against P. aeruginosa V‐antigen (PcrV), which is a needle tip protein of the type III secretion system of P. aeruginosa using mammalian cells with high yield and purity, and confirmed its P. aeruginosa binding efficiency. The rAb was paired with commercial anti-P. aeruginosa Ab for a sandwich ELISA, resulting in an antigen-concentration-dependent response with a limit of detection value of 230 CFU/mL. These results suggest that the rAb produced herein can be used for the sensitive detection of P. aeruginosa with a wide range of applications in clinical diagnosis and point-of-care testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyu-Min Lim
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo-Kyung Kim
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Jung Kim
- BioMAX/N-Bio Institute, Institute of Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Soo Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Wooseong Kim
- College of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Gee Kim
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea. .,BioMAX/N-Bio Institute, Institute of Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hee-Jin Jeong
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Hongik University, Sejong, 30016, Republic of Korea.
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42
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Surface Motility Favors Codependent Interaction between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cenocepacia. mSphere 2022; 7:e0015322. [PMID: 35862793 PMCID: PMC9429929 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00153-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between different bacterial species shape bacterial communities and their environments. The opportunistic pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cenocepacia both can colonize the lungs of individuals affected by cystic fibrosis. Using the social surface behavior called swarming motility as a study model, we noticed intricate interactions between B. cenocepacia K56-2 and P. aeruginosa PA14. While strain K56-2 does not swarm under P. aeruginosa favorable swarming conditions, co-inoculation with a nonmotile PA14 flagellum-less ΔfliC mutant restored spreading for both strains. We show that P. aeruginosa provides the wetting agent rhamnolipids allowing K56-2 to perform swarming motility, while aflagellated PA14 appears to “hitchhike” along with K56-2 cells in the swarming colony. IMPORTANCEPseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cenocepacia are important opportunistic pathogens often found together in the airways of persons with cystic fibrosis. Laboratory cocultures of both species often ends with one taking over the other. We used a surface motility assay to study the social interactions between populations of these bacterial species. Under our conditions, B. cenocepacia cannot swarm without supplementation of the wetting agent produced by P. aeruginosa. In a mixed colony of both species, an aflagellated mutant of P. aeruginosa provides the necessary wetting agent to B. cenocepacia, allowing both bacteria to swarm and colonize a surface. We highlight this peculiar interaction where both bacteria set aside their antagonistic tendencies to travel together.
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43
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Ma LZ, Wang D, Liu Y, Zhang Z, Wozniak DJ. Regulation of Biofilm Exopolysaccharide Biosynthesis and Degradation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Annu Rev Microbiol 2022; 76:413-433. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-041320-111355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Microbial communities enmeshed in a matrix of macromolecules, termed as biofilms, are the natural setting of bacteria. Exopolysaccharide is a critical matrix component of biofilms. Here, we focus on biofilm matrix exopolysaccharides in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This opportunistic pathogen can adapt to a wide range of environments and can form biofilms or aggregates in a variety of surfaces or environments, such as the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis, catheters, wounds, and contact lenses. The ability to synthesize multiple exopolysaccharides is one of the advantages that facilitate bacterial survival in different environments. P. aeruginosa can produce several exopolysaccharides, including alginate, Psl, Pel, and lipopolysaccharide. In this review, we highlight the roles of each exopolysaccharide in P. aeruginosa biofilm development and how bacteria coordinate the biosynthesis of multiple exopolysaccharides and bacterial motility. In addition, we present advances in antibiofilm strategies targeting matrix exopolysaccharides, with a focus on glycoside hydrolases. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 76 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyan Z. Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Di Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiwei Liu
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity and Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Zhenyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Daniel J. Wozniak
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity and Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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44
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Lewis KA, Vermilyea DM, Webster SS, Geiger CJ, de Anda J, Wong GCL, O’Toole GA, Hogan DA. Nonmotile Subpopulations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Repress Flagellar Motility in Motile Cells through a Type IV Pilus- and Pel-Dependent Mechanism. J Bacteriol 2022; 204:e0052821. [PMID: 35377166 PMCID: PMC9112919 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00528-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The downregulation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa flagellar motility is a key event in biofilm formation, host colonization, and the formation of microbial communities, but the external factors that repress motility are not well understood. Here, we report that on soft agar, swarming motility can be repressed by cells that are nonmotile due to the absence of a flagellum or flagellar rotation. Mutants that lack either flagellum biosynthesis or rotation, when present at as little as 5% of the total population, suppressed swarming of wild-type cells. Non-swarming cells required functional type IV pili and the ability to produce Pel exopolysaccharide to suppress swarming by the flagellated wild type. Flagellated cells required only type IV pili, but not Pel production, for their swarming to be repressed by non-flagellated cells. We hypothesize that interactions between motile and nonmotile cells may enhance the formation of sessile communities, including those involving multiple genotypes, phenotypically diverse cells, and perhaps other species. IMPORTANCE Our study shows that, under the conditions tested, a small population of non-swarming cells can impact the motility behavior of a larger population. The interactions that lead to the suppression of swarming motility require type IV pili and a secreted polysaccharide, two factors with known roles in biofilm formation. These data suggest that interactions between motile and nonmotile cells may enhance the transition to sessile growth in populations and promote interactions between cells with different genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley A. Lewis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Danielle M. Vermilyea
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Shanice S. Webster
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Christopher J. Geiger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jaime de Anda
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gerard C. L. Wong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - George A. O’Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Deborah A. Hogan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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45
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UVA as environmental signal for alginate production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: role of this polysaccharide in the protection of planktonic cells and biofilms against lethal UVA doses. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2022; 21:1459-1472. [PMID: 35551642 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-022-00236-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an extremely versatile microorganism that survives in a wide variety of niches. It is capable to respond rapidly to changes in the environment by producing secondary metabolites and virulence factors, including alginate. Alginate is an extracellular polysaccharide that protects the bacteria from antibiotics and oxidative agents, and enhances cell adhesion to solid surfaces in the process of biofilm formation. In the present study, we analyzed the role of alginate in the response of P. aeruginosa to lethal doses of ultraviolet-A (UVA) radiation, the major fraction of solar UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface. We also studied the role of alginate in the context of the adaptive responses generated when P. aeruginosa is exposed to sublethal doses of UVA radiation. The survival studies demonstrated that alginate has a key role in the resistance of P. aeruginosa to the oxidative stress generated by lethal UVA doses, both in planktonic cells and in static biofilms. In addition, the presence of alginate proved to be essential in the occurrence of adaptive responses such as induction of biofilm formation and cross-protection against hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite, both generated by exposure to low UVA doses. Finally, we demonstrated that the increase of biofilm formation is accompanied by an increase in alginate concentration in the biofilm matrix, possibly through the ppGpp-dependent induction of genes related to alginate regulation (algR and algU) and biosynthesis (algD operon). Given the importance of alginate in biofilm formation and its protective roles, better understanding of the mechanisms associated to its functions and synthesis is relevant, given the normal exposure of P. aeruginosa to UVA radiation and other types of oxidative stresses.
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Amphotericin B and Curcumin Co-Loaded Porous Microparticles as a Sustained Release System against Candida albicans. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27103079. [PMID: 35630555 PMCID: PMC9147969 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27103079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Amphotericin B (AMB) is an antifungal drug used for serious fungal infections. However, AMB has adverse reactions such as nephrotoxicity, which limit the clinical application of AMB alone or in combination with other antifungal drugs. Nano or micro drug delivery systems (DDS) have been proven to be effective in reducing the toxic and side effects of drugs. Further, the combination of AMB with other compounds with antifungal activity, such as curcumin (CM), may enhance the synergistic effects. Herein, AMB and CM were co-loaded into porous poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles (MPs) to prepare AMB/CM-PLGA MPs. The AMB/CM-PLGA MPs showed a remarkably reduced hemolysis (62.2 ± 0.6%) compared to AMB (80.9 ± 1.1%). The nephrotoxicity of AMB/CM-PLGA MPs is significantly lower than that of AMB. In vitro, AMB/CM-PLGA MPs had better inhibitory effects on the adhesion and biofilm formation of Candida albicans compared with AMB. Experiments on mice infected with C. albicans showed that AMB/CM-PLGA MPs have a better therapeutic effect than AMB in vivo. In summary, AMB/CM-PLGA MPs may be a novel and promising therapeutic candidate for fungal infection.
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Zhang J, Wu H, Wang D, Wang L, Cui Y, Zhang C, Zhao K, Ma L. Intracellular glycosyl hydrolase PslG shapes bacterial cell fate, signaling, and the biofilm development of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. eLife 2022; 11:e72778. [PMID: 35438634 PMCID: PMC9075953 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilm formation is one of most important causes leading to persistent infections. Exopolysaccharides are usually a main component of biofilm matrix. Genes encoding glycosyl hydrolases are often found in gene clusters that are involved in the exopolysaccharide synthesis. It remains elusive about the functions of intracellular glycosyl hydrolase and why a polysaccharide synthesis gene cluster requires a glycosyl hydrolase-encoding gene. Here, we systematically studied the physiologically relevant role of intracellular PslG, a glycosyl hydrolase whose encoding gene is co-transcribed with 15 psl genes, which is responsible for the synthesis of exopolysaccharide PSL, a key biofilm matrix polysaccharide in opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We showed that lack of PslG or its hydrolytic activity in this opportunistic pathogen enhances the signaling function of PSL, changes the relative level of cyclic-di-GMP within daughter cells during cell division and shapes the localization of PSL on bacterial periphery, thus results in long chains of bacterial cells, fast-forming biofilm microcolonies. Our results reveal the important roles of intracellular PslG on the cell fate and biofilm development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingchao Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Huijun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Di Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Lanxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yifan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Chenxi Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Kun Zhao
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Luyan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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Ganesan S, Ruendee T, Kimura SY, Chawengkijwanich C, Janjaroen D. Effect of biofilm formation on different types of plastic shopping bags: Structural and physicochemical properties. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 206:112542. [PMID: 34929185 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plastics and biofilms have a complicated relationship that has great interest. Bacterial cell attachment and biofilm formation is considered to cause health and environmental risks from plastic waste accumulation. In water, plastic waste could serve as a new substrate for bacteria. In our study, the attachment of Escherichia coli K12, to four types of plastic shopping bags (biodegradable polylactic acid and the non-biodegradable polypropylene, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride) was investigated. The change in physicochemical phenomena of each plastic, such as reduced hydrophobicity and higher exopolysaccharide concentrations (total extractable protein and carbohydrate) resulted in increased biofilm content on the plastic surfaces. The bacterial colonization of different plastic surfaces controls the ionic strength of the nutrition sources. The adhesion of Escherichia coli K12 cells on the surfaces were revealed by SEM images. The finding shows that increases surface roughness, besides favor for adhesion of bacterial cells due to hydrophobicity leading to a rapid attachment of Escherichia coli K12 on the surfaces. In addition, we used Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory to predict the attachment of Escherichia coli K12, which gave result of adhesion due to the high energy barrier. This present study added to our knowledge of the possible consequences of plastics acting as a new habitat for microbes in different aquatic condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunantha Ganesan
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
| | - Thanaporn Ruendee
- International Program in Hazardous Substance and Environmental Management, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
| | - Susana Y Kimura
- Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
| | - Chamorn Chawengkijwanich
- National Nanotechnology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 12120, Pathumthani, Thailand; Research Network of NANOTEC - CU on Environment, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
| | - Dao Janjaroen
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand; International Program in Hazardous Substance and Environmental Management, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand; Research Network of NANOTEC - CU on Environment, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand; Research Program of Industrial Waste Management - Policies and Practices, Center of Excellence on Hazardous Substance Management (HSM), Bangkok, Thailand.
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Chiba A, Seki M, Suzuki Y, Kinjo Y, Mizunoe Y, Sugimoto S. Staphylococcus aureus utilizes environmental RNA as a building material in specific polysaccharide-dependent biofilms. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2022; 8:17. [PMID: 35379830 PMCID: PMC8980062 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-022-00278-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilms are surface-bound microbial communities that are typically embedded in a matrix of self-produced extracellular polymeric substances and can cause chronic infections. Extracellular DNA is known to play a crucial role in biofilm development in diverse bacteria; however, the existence and function of RNA are poorly understood. Here, we show that RNA contributes to the structural integrity of biofilms formed by the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. RNase A dispersed both fresh and mature biofilms, indicating the importance of RNA at various stages. RNA-sequencing analysis demonstrated that the primary source of RNA in the biofilm matrix was the Brain Heart Infusion medium (>99.32%). RNA purified from the medium promoted biofilm formation. Microscopic and molecular interaction analyses demonstrated that polysaccharides were critical for capturing and stabilizing external RNA in biofilms, which contributes to biofilm organization. These findings provide a basis for exploring the role of externally derived substances in bacterial biofilm organization.
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Feehan DD, Jamil K, Polyak MJ, Ogbomo H, Hasell M, LI SS, Xiang RF, Parkins M, Trapani JA, Harrison JJ, Mody CH. Natural killer cells kill extracellular Pseudomonas aeruginosa using contact-dependent release of granzymes B and H. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010325. [PMID: 35202434 PMCID: PMC8903247 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that often infects individuals with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis, and contributes to airway blockage and loss of lung function. Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic, granular lymphocytes that are part of the innate immune system. NK cell secretory granules contain the cytolytic proteins granulysin, perforin and granzymes. In addition to their cytotoxic effects on cancer and virally infected cells, NK cells have been shown to play a role in an innate defense against microbes, including bacteria. However, it is not known if NK cells kill extracellular P. aeruginosa or how bacterial killing might occur at the molecular level. Here we show that NK cells directly kill extracellular P. aeruginosa using NK effector molecules. Live cell imaging of a co-culture of YT cells, a human NK cell line, and GFP-expressing P. aeruginosa in the presence of the viability dye propidium iodide demonstrated that YT cell killing of P. aeruginosa is contact-dependent. CRISPR knockout of granulysin or perforin in YT cells had no significant effect on YT cell killing of P. aeruginosa. Pre-treatment of YT and NK cells with the serine protease inhibitor 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin (DCI) to inhibit all granzymes, resulted in an inhibition of killing. Although singular CRISPR knockout of granzyme B or H had no effect, knockout of both in YT cells completely abrogated killing of P. aeruginosa in comparison to wild type YT cell controls. Nitrocefin assays suggest that the bacterial membrane is damaged. Inhibition of killing by antioxidants suggest that ROS are required for the bactericidal mode-of-action. Taken together, these results identify that NK cells kill P. aeruginosa through a membrane damaging, contact-dependent process that requires granzyme induced ROS production, and moreover, that granzyme B and H are redundant in this killing process. Natural Killer (NK) cells comprise at least 10% of the resident lymphocytes in the lung and are increasingly recognized as an important part of the immune response to bacterial pathogens. Despite invivo studies demonstrating the importance of NK cells in the host response to the respiratory pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the mechanism of antimicrobial activity has yet to be found. Using human NK cell lines and NK cells isolated from human peripheral blood, we show that NK cells exhibit direct, contact-dependent cytotoxicity against P. aeruginosa, leading to bacterial cell death. NK cells use granzyme B and H to damage bacterial membranes and permeabilize the cells. We provide evidence that this leads to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the bacteria that kills them. Furthermore, granzyme function appears to be redundant because loss of function by one granzyme is rescued by the activity of the other. These findings identify a role for granzymes in the antibacterial functions of NK cells, providing new insight into the host response to P. aeruginosa infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- David D. Feehan
- Calvin, Phoebe, and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Khusraw Jamil
- Calvin, Phoebe, and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Maria J. Polyak
- Calvin, Phoebe, and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Henry Ogbomo
- Calvin, Phoebe, and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Mark Hasell
- Calvin, Phoebe, and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Shu Shun LI
- Calvin, Phoebe, and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Richard F. Xiang
- Calvin, Phoebe, and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael Parkins
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Joseph A. Trapani
- Cancer Immunology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Joe J. Harrison
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christopher H. Mody
- Calvin, Phoebe, and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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