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Cervoni M, Sposato D, Ferri G, Bähre H, Leoni L, Rampioni G, Visca P, Recchiuti A, Imperi F. The diadenosine tetraphosphate hydrolase ApaH contributes to Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenicity. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012486. [PMID: 39159286 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes a wide range of infections that are difficult to treat, largely because of the spread of antibiotic-resistant isolates. Antivirulence therapy, í.e. the use of drugs that inhibit the expression or activity of virulence factors, is currently considered an attractive strategy to reduce P. aeruginosa pathogenicity and complement antibiotic treatments. Because of the multifactorial nature of P. aeruginosa virulence and the broad arsenal of virulence factors this bacterium can produce, the regulatory networks that control the expression of multiple virulence traits have been extensively explored as potential targets for antivirulence drug development. The intracellular signaling molecule diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) has been reported to control stress resistance and virulence-related traits in some bacteria, but its role has not been investigated in P. aeruginosa so far. To fill this gap, we generated a mutant of the reference strain P. aeruginosa PAO1 that lacks the Ap4A-hydrolysing enzyme ApaH and, consequently, accumulates high intracellular levels of Ap4A. Phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that the lack of ApaH causes a drastic reduction in the expression of several virulence factors, including extracellular proteases, elastases, siderophores, and quorum sensing signal molecules. Accordingly, infection assays in plant and animal models demonstrated that ApaH-deficient cells are significantly impaired in infectivity and persistence in different hosts, including mice. Finally, deletion of apaH in P. aeruginosa clinical isolates demonstrated that the positive effect of ApaH on the production of virulence-related traits and on infectivity is conserved in P. aeruginosa. This study provides the first evidence that the Ap4A-hydrolysing enzyme ApaH is important for P. aeruginosa virulence, highlighting this protein as a novel potential target for antivirulence therapies against P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Giulia Ferri
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnology Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Heike Bähre
- Research Core Unit Metabolomics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Livia Leoni
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | - Giordano Rampioni
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Visca
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Recchiuti
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnology Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Francesco Imperi
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
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Fu S, Song W, Han X, Chen L, Shen L. Veratryl Alcohol Attenuates the Virulence and Pathogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Mainly via Targeting las Quorum-Sensing System. Microorganisms 2024; 12:985. [PMID: 38792814 PMCID: PMC11123940 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12050985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that usually causes chronic infections and even death in patients. The treatment of P. aeruginosa infection has become more challenging due to the prevalence of antibiotic resistance and the slow pace of new antibiotic development. Therefore, it is essential to explore non-antibiotic methods. A new strategy involves screening for drugs that target the quorum-sensing (QS) system. The QS system regulates the infection and drug resistance in P. aeruginosa. In this study, veratryl alcohol (VA) was found as an effective QS inhibitor (QSI). It effectively suppressed the expression of QS-related genes and the subsequent production of virulence factors under the control of QS including elastase, protease, pyocyanin and rhamnolipid at sub-inhibitory concentrations. In addition, motility activity and biofilm formation, which were correlated with the infection of P. aeruginosa, were also suppressed by VA. In vivo experiments demonstrated that VA could weaken the pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa in Chinese cabbage, Drosophila melanogaster, and Caenorhabditis elegans infection models. Molecular docking, combined with QS quintuple mutant infection analysis, identified that the mechanism of VA could target the LasR protein of the las system mainly. Moreover, VA increased the susceptibility of P. aeruginosa to conventional antibiotics of tobramycin, kanamycin and gentamicin. The results firstly demonstrate that VA is a promising QSI to treat infections caused by P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Lixin Shen
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China; (S.F.); (W.S.); (X.H.); (L.C.)
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3
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Winter H, Wagner R, Ehlbeck J, Urich T, Schnabel U. Deep Impact: Shifts of Native Cultivable Microbial Communities on Fresh Lettuce after Treatment with Plasma-Treated Water. Foods 2024; 13:282. [PMID: 38254583 PMCID: PMC10815073 DOI: 10.3390/foods13020282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Foods consumed raw, such as lettuce, can host food-borne human-pathogenic bacteria. In the worst-case, these diseases cause to death. To limit illness and industrial losses, one innovative sanitation method is non-thermal plasma, which offers an extremely efficient reduction of living microbial biomass. Unfortunately, the total viable count (TVC), one of the most common methods for quantifying antimicrobial effects, provides no detailed insights into the composition of the surviving microbial community after treatment. To address this information gap, different special agars were used to investigate the reduction efficiency of plasma-treated water (PTW) on different native cultivable microorganisms. All tested cultivable microbial groups were reduced using PTW. Gram-negative bacteria showed a reduction of 3.81 log10, and Gram-positive bacteria showed a reduction of 3.49 log10. Fungi were reduced by 3.89 log10. These results were further validated using a live/dead assay. MALDI-ToF (matrix-assisted laser-desorption-ionization time-of-flight)-based determination was used for a diversified overview. The results demonstrated that Gram-negative bacteria were strongly reduced. Interestingly, Gram-positive bacteria and fungi were reduced by nearly equal amounts, but could still recover from PTW treatment. MALDI-ToF mainly identified Pseudomonas spp. and groups of Bacillus on the tested lettuce. These results indicate that the PTW treatment could efficiently achieve a ubiquitous, spectrum-wide reduction of microbial life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hauke Winter
- Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany; (H.W.); (R.W.); (J.E.)
- Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany;
| | - Robert Wagner
- Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany; (H.W.); (R.W.); (J.E.)
| | - Jörg Ehlbeck
- Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany; (H.W.); (R.W.); (J.E.)
| | - Tim Urich
- Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany;
| | - Uta Schnabel
- Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany; (H.W.); (R.W.); (J.E.)
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4
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Dinev T, Velichkova K, Stoyanova A, Sirakov I. Microbial Pathogens in Aquaponics Potentially Hazardous for Human Health. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2824. [PMID: 38137969 PMCID: PMC10745371 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The union of aquaculture and hydroponics is named aquaponics-a system where microorganisms, fish and plants coexist in a water environment. Bacteria are essential in processes which are fundamental for the functioning and equilibrium of aquaponic systems. Such processes are nitrification, extraction of various macro- and micronutrients from the feed leftovers and feces, etc. However, in aquaponics there are not only beneficial, but also potentially hazardous microorganisms of fish, human, and plant origin. It is important to establish the presence of human pathogens, their way of entering the aforementioned systems, and their control in order to assess the risk to human health when consuming plants and fish grown in aquaponics. Literature analysis shows that aquaponic bacteria and yeasts are mainly pathogenic to fish and humans but rarely to plants, while most of the molds are pathogenic to humans, plants, and fish. Since the various human pathogenic bacteria and fungi found in aquaponics enter the water when proper hygiene practices are not applied and followed, if these requirements are met, aquaponic systems are a good choice for growing healthy fish and plants safe for human consumption. However, many of the aquaponic pathogens are listed in the WHO list of drug-resistant bacteria for which new antibiotics are urgently needed, making disease control by antibiotics a real challenge. Because pathogen control by conventional physical methods, chemical methods, and antibiotic treatment is potentially harmful to humans, fish, plants, and beneficial microorganisms, a biological control with antagonistic microorganisms, phytotherapy, bacteriophage therapy, and nanomedicine are potential alternatives to these methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toncho Dinev
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Katya Velichkova
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Antoniya Stoyanova
- Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Ivaylo Sirakov
- Department of Animal Husbandry–Non-Ruminant Animals and Special Branches, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
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Tian Y, Liu Y, Uwaremwe C, Zhao X, Yue L, Zhou Q, Wang Y, Tran LSP, Li W, Chen G, Sha Y, Wang R. Characterization of three new plant growth-promoting microbes and effects of the interkingdom interactions on plant growth and disease prevention. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2023; 42:1757-1776. [PMID: 37674059 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-023-03060-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE The novel interkingdom PGPM consortia enhanced the ability of plant growth promotion and disease resistance, which would be beneficial to improve plant growth in sustainable agriculture through engineering microbiome. Plant growth-promoting microbes (PGPMs) play important roles in promoting plant growth and bio-controlling of pathogens. Much information reveals that the plant growth-promoting ability of individual PGPM affects plant growth. However, the effects of the PGPM consortia properties on plant growth remain largely unexplored. Here, we characterized three new PGPM strains including Rhodotorula graminis JJ10.1 (termed as J), Pseudomonas psychrotolerans YY7 (termed as Y) and P. chlororaphis T8 (termed as T), and assessed their effects in combination with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 (termed as F) on plant growth promotion and disease prevention in Arabidopsis thaliana and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants by investigating morphological changes, whole-genome sequencing and plant growth promoting (PGP) characterization. Results revealed that the three new strains R. graminis JJ10.1, P. psychrotolerans YY7 and P. chlororaphis T8 had the potential for being combined with B. amyloliquefaciens FZB42 to form interkingdom PGPM consortia. The combinations of R. graminis JJ10.1, B. amyloliquefaciens FZB42, and P. psychrotolerans YY7, i. e. JF and JYF, exhibited the strongest ability of synergetic biofilm production. Furthermore, the growth-promotion abilities of the consortia were significantly enhanced compared with those of individual strains under both inoculation and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) treatment. Importantly, the consortia showed stronger abilities of in planta disease prevention than individual strains. Findings of our study may provide future guidance for engineering the minimal microbiome communities to improve plant growth and/or disease resistance in sustainable agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Tian
- Gansu Gaolan Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Agricultural Ecosystem, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agricultural Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, People's Republic of China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Liu
- Gansu Gaolan Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Agricultural Ecosystem, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, People's Republic of China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Constantine Uwaremwe
- Gansu Gaolan Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Agricultural Ecosystem, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, People's Republic of China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Xia Zhao
- Gansu Gaolan Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Agricultural Ecosystem, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, People's Republic of China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Yue
- Gansu Gaolan Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Agricultural Ecosystem, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, People's Republic of China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Qin Zhou
- Gansu Gaolan Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Agricultural Ecosystem, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, People's Republic of China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, People's Republic of China
| | - Lam-Son Phan Tran
- Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Weiqiang Li
- Jilin Da'an Agro-Ecosystem National Observation Research Station, Changchun Jingyuetan Remote Sensing Experiment Station, State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Science, Changchun, 130102, People's Republic of China
| | - Gaofeng Chen
- Gansu Shangnong Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Baiyin, 730900, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuexia Sha
- Institute of Plant Protection, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruoyu Wang
- Gansu Gaolan Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Agricultural Ecosystem, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, People's Republic of China.
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China.
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6
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Hastings CJ, Keledjian MV, Musselman LP, Marques CNH. Delayed host mortality and immune response upon infection with P. aeruginosa persister cells. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0024623. [PMID: 37732789 PMCID: PMC10580972 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00246-23] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic infections are a heavy burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Persister cells are thought to be largely responsible for chronic infection due to their tolerance to antimicrobials and recalcitrance to innate immunity factors. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common and clinically relevant pathogen that contains stereotypical persister cells. Despite their importance in chronic infection, there have been limited efforts to study persister cell infections in vivo. Drosophila melanogaster has a well-described innate immune response similar to that of vertebrates and is a good candidate for the development of an in vivo model of infection for persister cells. Similar to what is observed in other bacterial strains, in this work we found that infection with P. aeruginosa persister cells resulted in a delayed mortality phenotype in Caenorhabditis elegans, Arabidopsis thaliana, and D. melanogaster compared to infection with regular cells. An in-depth characterization of infected D. melanogaster found that bacterial loads differed between persister and regular cells' infections during the early stages. Furthermore, hemocyte activation and antimicrobial peptide expression were delayed/reduced in persister infections over the same time course, indicating an initial suppression of, or inability to elicit, the fly immune response. Overall, our findings support the use of D. melanogaster as a model in which to study persister cells in vivo, where this bacterial subpopulation exhibits delayed virulence and an attenuated immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody J. Hastings
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Maya V. Keledjian
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | | | - Cláudia N. H. Marques
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
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7
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Turner TL, Mitra SD, Kochan TJ, Pincus NB, Lebrun-Corbin M, Cheung BH, Gatesy SW, Afzal T, Nozick SH, Ozer EA, Hauser AR. Taxonomic characterization of Pseudomonas hygromyciniae sp. nov., a novel species discovered from a commercially purchased antibiotic. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0183821. [PMID: 37737625 PMCID: PMC10581066 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01838-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In an attempt to identify novel bacterial species, microbiologists have examined a wide range of environmental niches. We describe the serendipitous discovery of a novel gram-negative bacterial species from a different type of extreme niche: a purchased vial of antibiotic. The vial of antibiotic hygromycin B was found to be factory contaminated with a bacterial species, which we designate Pseudomonas hygromyciniae sp. nov. The proposed novel species belongs to the P. fluorescens complex and is most closely related to P. brenneri, P. proteolytica, and P. fluorescens. The type strain Pseudomonas hygromyciniae sp. nov. strain SDM007T (SDM007T) harbors a novel 250 kb megaplasmid which confers resistance to hygromycin B and contains numerous other genes predicted to encode replication and conjugation machinery. SDM007T grows in hygromycin concentrations of up to 5 mg/mL but does not use the antibiotic as a carbon or nitrogen source. While unable to grow at 37°C ruling out its ability to infect humans, it grows and survives at temperatures between 4 and 30°C. SDM007T can infect plants, as demonstrated by the lettuce leaf model, and is highly virulent in the Galleria mellonella infection model but is unable to infect mammalian A549 cells. These findings indicate that commercially manufactured antibiotics represent another extreme environment that may support the growth of novel bacterial species. IMPORTANCE Physical and biological stresses in extreme environments may select for bacteria not found in conventional environments providing researchers with the opportunity to not only discover novel species but to uncover new enzymes, biomolecules, and biochemical pathways. This strategy has been successful in harsh niches such as hot springs, deep ocean trenches, and hypersaline brine pools. Bacteria belonging to the Pseudomonas species are often found to survive in these unusual environments, making them relevant to healthcare, food, and manufacturing industries. Their ability to survive in a variety of environments is mainly due to the high genotypic and phenotypic diversity displayed by this genus. In this study, we discovered a novel Pseudomonas sp. from a desiccated environment of a sealed antibiotic bottle that was considered sterile. A close genetic relationship with its phylogenetic neighbors reiterated the need to use not just DNA-based tools but also biochemical characteristics to accurately classify this organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy L. Turner
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sumitra D. Mitra
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Travis J. Kochan
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Nathan B. Pincus
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Marine Lebrun-Corbin
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Bettina H. Cheung
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Samuel W. Gatesy
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Tania Afzal
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sophie H. Nozick
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Egon A. Ozer
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Alan R. Hauser
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Totsline N, Kniel KE, Bais HP. Microgravity and evasion of plant innate immunity by human bacterial pathogens. NPJ Microgravity 2023; 9:71. [PMID: 37679341 PMCID: PMC10485020 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00323-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Spaceflight microgravity and modeled-microgravity analogs (MMA) broadly alter gene expression and physiology in both pathogens and plants. Research elucidating plant and bacterial responses to normal gravity or microgravity has shown the involvement of both physiological and molecular mechanisms. Under true and simulated microgravity, plants display differential expression of pathogen-defense genes while human bacterial pathogens exhibit increased virulence, antibiotic resistance, stress tolerance, and reduced LD50 in animal hosts. Human bacterial pathogens including Salmonella enterica and E. coli act as cross-kingdom foodborne pathogens by evading and suppressing the innate immunity of plants for colonization of intracellular spaces. It is unknown if evasion and colonization of plants by human pathogens occurs under microgravity and if there is increased infection capability as demonstrated using animal hosts. Understanding the relationship between microgravity, plant immunity, and human pathogens could prevent potentially deadly outbreaks of foodborne disease during spaceflight. This review will summarize (1) alterations to the virulency of human pathogens under microgravity and MMA, (2) alterations to plant physiology and gene expression under microgravity and MMA, (3) suppression and evasion of plant immunity by human pathogens under normal gravity, (4) studies of plant-microbe interactions under microgravity and MMA. A conclusion suggests future study of interactions between plants and human pathogens under microgravity is beneficial to human safety, and an investment in humanity's long and short-term space travel goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah Totsline
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, AP Biopharma, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
| | - Kalmia E Kniel
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Harsh P Bais
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, AP Biopharma, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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9
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Wood SJ, Goldufsky JW, Seu MY, Dorafshar AH, Shafikhani SH. Pseudomonas aeruginosa Cytotoxins: Mechanisms of Cytotoxicity and Impact on Inflammatory Responses. Cells 2023; 12:cells12010195. [PMID: 36611990 PMCID: PMC9818787 DOI: 10.3390/cells12010195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most virulent opportunistic Gram-negative bacterial pathogens in humans. It causes many acute and chronic infections with morbidity and mortality rates as high as 40%. P. aeruginosa owes its pathogenic versatility to a large arsenal of cell-associated and secreted virulence factors which enable this pathogen to colonize various niches within hosts and protect it from host innate immune defenses. Induction of cytotoxicity in target host cells is a major virulence strategy for P. aeruginosa during the course of infection. P. aeruginosa has invested heavily in this strategy, as manifested by a plethora of cytotoxins that can induce various forms of cell death in target host cells. In this review, we provide an in-depth review of P. aeruginosa cytotoxins based on their mechanisms of cytotoxicity and the possible consequences of their cytotoxicity on host immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J. Wood
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Cell Therapy, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Josef W. Goldufsky
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Cell Therapy, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Michelle Y. Seu
- Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Amir H. Dorafshar
- Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Sasha H. Shafikhani
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Cell Therapy, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Cancer Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Correspondence:
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10
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Han X, Nan M, Cai X, Qiao B, Chen L, Shen L. Sennoside A inhibits quorum sensing system to attenuate its regulated virulence and pathogenicity via targeting LasR in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1042214. [DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1042214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen, and the emergence of drug resistance greatly increased the difficulty of treating its infection. Cell density-dependent quorum sensing (QS) system not only regulates the virulence but also associates with the drug resistance of P. aeruginosa. Screening for agents targeting QS to inhibit bacterial virulence and pathogenicity is considered a promising strategy to combat P. aeruginosa infection. In the present study, sennoside A was found to be able to inhibit the QS expression of P. aeruginosa at subinhibitory concentrations. The QS-regulated virulence factors, including protease, elastase, rhamnolipid, and pyocyanin, were also inhibited by sennoside A at both transcriptional and translational levels. Moreover, sennoside A could suppress the motility of twitching, swimming, and swarming as well as the biofilm formation, which is associated with the acute and chronic infections of P. aeruginosa in a dose-dependent manner. The attenuated pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa by sennoside A was further verified by Chinese cabbage, Drosophila melanogaster, and Caenorhabditis elegans infection analysis. Further study found that sennoside A might target the las system, mainly LasR, to interfere with QS. All the results indicate that sennoside A could inhibit the QS system to attenuate its regulated virulence and pathogenicity via mainly targeting LasR in P. aeruginosa and further research to identify its anti-QS activity for other Gram-negative bacteria is warranted.
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11
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Towards Understanding the Function of Aegerolysins. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14090629. [PMID: 36136567 PMCID: PMC9505663 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14090629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aegerolysins are remarkable proteins. They are distributed over the tree of life, being relatively widespread in bacteria and fungi, but also present in some insects, plants, protozoa, and viruses. Despite their abundance in cells of certain developmental stages and their presence in secretomes, only a few aegerolysins have been studied in detail. Their function, in particular, is intriguing. Here, we summarize previously published findings on the distribution, molecular interactions, and function of these versatile aegerolysins. They have very diverse protein sequences but a common fold. The machine learning approach of the AlphaFold2 algorithm, which incorporates physical and biological knowledge of protein structures and multisequence alignments, provides us new insights into the aegerolysins and their pore-forming partners, complemented by additional genomic support. We hypothesize that aegerolysins are involved in the mechanisms of competitive exclusion in the niche.
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12
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Abstract
Sunlight drives phototrophic metabolism, which affects redox conditions and produces substrates for nonphototrophs. These environmental parameters fluctuate daily due to Earth’s rotation, and nonphototrophic organisms can therefore benefit from the ability to respond to, or even anticipate, such changes. Circadian rhythms, such as daily changes in body temperature, in host organisms can also affect local conditions for colonizing bacteria. Here, we investigated the effects of light/dark and temperature cycling on biofilms of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14. We grew biofilms in the presence of a respiratory indicator dye and found that enhanced dye reduction occurred in biofilm zones that formed during dark intervals and at lower temperatures. This pattern formation occurred with cycling of blue, red, or far-red light, and a screen of mutants representing potential sensory proteins identified two with defects in pattern formation, specifically under red light cycling. We also found that the physiological states of biofilm subzones formed under specific light and temperature conditions were retained during subsequent condition cycling. Light/dark and temperature cycling affected expression of genes involved in primary metabolic pathways and redox homeostasis, including those encoding electron transport chain components. Consistent with this, we found that cbb3-type oxidases contribute to dye reduction under light/dark cycling conditions. Together, our results indicate that cyclic changes in light exposure and temperature have lasting effects on redox metabolism in biofilms formed by a nonphototrophic, pathogenic bacterium.
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13
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Wang H, Lin Q, Dong L, Wu W, Liang Z, Dong Z, Ye H, Liao L, Zhang LH. A Bacterial Isolate Capable of Quenching Both Diffusible Signal Factor- and N-Acylhomoserine Lactone-Family Quorum Sensing Signals Shows Much Enhanced Biocontrol Potencies. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:7716-7726. [PMID: 35708354 PMCID: PMC9248010 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c01299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
N-Acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) and diffusible signal factor (DSF) molecules are two families of widely conserved quorum sensing (QS) signals. Quorum quenching (QQ) via enzymatic inactivation of QS signals is a promising strategy of biocontrol. In the search for biocontrol agent quenching both AHL and DSF signals, it has been recently identified that DSF-quenching biocontrol agent Pseudomonas sp. HS-18 contains at least three genes (aigA, aigB, and aigC) encoding AHL-acylases displaying strong AHL-acylase activities on various AHLs. Among them, AigA and AigC presented broad-spectrum enzyme activity against AHLs, while AigB preferred longer AHLs. Interestingly, transcriptional expression of aigC could be significantly induced by AHL signals. Heterologous expression of aigA-C in Burkholderia cenocepacia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa resulted in drastically decreased AHL accumulation, virulence factor production, biofilm formation, motility, and virulence on plants. Significantly, the two types of QQ mechanisms in HS-18 showed a strong and much desired synergistic effect for enhanced biocontrol potency against AHL- and DSF-dependent pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huishan Wang
- Guangdong
Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control,
Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Qiqi Lin
- Guangdong
Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control,
Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Lingling Dong
- Guangdong
Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control,
Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Wenting Wu
- Guangdong
Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control,
Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhibing Liang
- Guangdong
Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control,
Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhangyong Dong
- Institute
of Plant Health, Zhongkai University of
Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Huijuan Ye
- Zhaoqing
Food Inspection Institute, Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province 526000, China
| | - Lisheng Liao
- Guangdong
Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control,
Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Lian-Hui Zhang
- Guangdong
Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control,
Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong
Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Institute
of Plant Health, Zhongkai University of
Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
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14
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Panstruga R, Donnelly SC, Bernhagen J. A Cross-Kingdom View on the Immunomodulatory Role of MIF/D-DT Proteins in Mammalian and Plant Pseudomonas Infections. Immunology 2022; 166:287-298. [PMID: 35416298 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Gram-negative Pseudomonas bacteria are largely harmless saprotrophs, but some species can be potent pathogens of both plants and mammals. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and its homolog D-dopachrome tautomerase (D-DT, also referred to as MIF-2) are multifunctional proteins that in addition to their intracellular functions also serve as extracellular signaling molecules (cytokines) in orchestrating mammalian immune responses. It recently emerged that plants also possess MIF-like proteins, termed MIF/D-DT-like (MDL) proteins. We here provide a comparative cross-kingdom view on the immunomodulatory role of MIF and MDL proteins during Pseudomonas infections in mammals and plants. Although in both kingdoms the lack of MIF/MDL proteins is associated with a reduction in bacterial load and disease symptoms, the underlying molecular principles seem to be different. We provide a perspective for future research activities to unravel additional commonalities and differences in the MIF/MDL-mediated adjustment of antibacterial immune activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Panstruga
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Biology I, Unit of Plant Molecular Cell Biology, Aachen, Germany
| | - Seamas C Donnelly
- Department of Medicine, Tallaght University Hospital & Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jürgen Bernhagen
- Chair of Vascular Biology, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
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15
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Kraševec N, Panevska A, Lemež Š, Razinger J, Sepčić K, Anderluh G, Podobnik M. Lipid-Binding Aegerolysin from Biocontrol Fungus Beauveria bassiana. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:820. [PMID: 34822604 PMCID: PMC8624791 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13110820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi are the most common pathogens of insects and thus important regulators of their populations. Lipid-binding aegerolysin proteins, which are commonly found in the fungal kingdom, may be involved in several biologically relevant processes including attack and defense against other organisms. Aegerolysins act alone or together with membrane-attack-complex/perforin (MACPF)-like proteins to form transmembrane pores that lead to cell lysis. We performed an in-depth bioinformatics analysis of aegerolysins in entomopathogenic fungi and selected a candidate aegerolysin, beauveriolysin A (BlyA) from Beauveria bassiana. BlyA was expressed as a recombinant protein in Escherichia coli, and purified to further determine its functional and structural properties, including lipid-binding ability. Aegerolysins were found to be encoded in genomes of entomopathogenic fungi, such as Beauveria, Cordyceps, Metarhizium and Ophiocordyceps. Detailed bioinformatics analysis revealed that they are linked to MACPF-like genes in most genomes. We also show that BlyA interacts with an insect-specific membrane lipid. These results were placed in the context of other fungal and bacterial aegerolysins and their partner proteins. We believe that aegerolysins play a role in promoting the entomopathogenic and antagonistic activity of B. bassiana, which is an active ingredient of bioinsecticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada Kraševec
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (Š.L.); (G.A.); (M.P.)
| | - Anastasija Panevska
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.P.); (K.S.)
| | - Špela Lemež
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (Š.L.); (G.A.); (M.P.)
- Biotechnology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jaka Razinger
- Plant Protection Department, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova 17, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Kristina Sepčić
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.P.); (K.S.)
| | - Gregor Anderluh
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (Š.L.); (G.A.); (M.P.)
| | - Marjetka Podobnik
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (Š.L.); (G.A.); (M.P.)
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16
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Fortuna A, Bähre H, Visca P, Rampioni G, Leoni L. The two Pseudomonas aeruginosa DksA stringent response proteins are largely interchangeable at the whole transcriptome level and in the control of virulence-related traits. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:5487-5504. [PMID: 34327807 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The stringent response regulator DksA plays a key role in Gram negative bacteria adaptation to challenging environments. Intriguingly, the plant and human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is unique as it expresses two functional DksA paralogs: DksA1 and DksA2. However, the role of DksA2 in P. aeruginosa adaptive strategies has been poorly investigated so far. Here, RNA-Seq analysis and phenotypic assays showed that P. aeruginosa DksA1 and DksA2 proteins are largely interchangeable. Relative to wild type P. aeruginosa, transcription of 1779 genes was altered in a dksA1 dksA2 double mutant, and the wild type expression level of ≥90% of these genes was restored by in trans complementation with either dksA1 or dksA2. Interestingly, the expression of a small sub-set of genes seems to be preferentially or exclusively complemented by either dksA1 or dksA2. In addition, evidence has been provided that the DksA-dependent regulation of virulence genes expression is independent and hierarchically dominant over two major P. aeruginosa regulatory circuits, i.e., quorum sensing and cyclic-di-GMP signalling systems. Our findings support the prominent role of both DksA paralogs in P. aeruginosa environmental adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heike Bähre
- Research Core Unit Metabolomics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Paolo Visca
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Livia Leoni
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
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17
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Identification of Three Type II Toxin-Antitoxin Systems in Model Bacterial Plant Pathogen Dickeya dadantii 3937. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115932. [PMID: 34073004 PMCID: PMC8198452 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are genetic elements usually encoding two proteins: a stable toxin and an antitoxin, which binds the toxin and neutralizes its toxic effect. The disturbance in the intracellular toxin and antitoxin ratio typically leads to inhibition of bacterial growth or bacterial cell death. Despite the fact that TA modules are widespread in bacteria and archaea, the biological role of these systems is ambiguous. Nevertheless, a number of studies suggests that the TA modules are engaged in such important processes as biofilm formation, stress response or virulence and maintenance of mobile genetic elements. The Dickeya dadantii 3937 strain serves as a model for pathogens causing the soft-rot disease in a wide range of angiosperm plants. Until now, several chromosome-encoded type II TA systems were identified in silico in the genome of this economically important bacterium, however so far only one of them was experimentally validated. In this study, we investigated three putative type II TA systems in D. dadantii 3937: ccdAB2Dda, phd-docDda and dhiTA, which represents a novel toxin/antitoxin superfamily. We provide an experimental proof for their functionality in vivo both in D. dadantii and Escherichia coli. Finally, we examined the prevalence of those systems across the Pectobacteriaceae family by a phylogenetic analysis.
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18
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Shen L, Gao L, Yang M, Zhang J, Wang Y, Feng Y, Wang L, Wang S. Deletion of the PA4427-PA4431 Operon of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 Increased Antibiotics Resistance and Reduced Virulence and Pathogenicity by Affecting Quorum Sensing and Iron Uptake. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9051065. [PMID: 34069209 PMCID: PMC8156433 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9051065] [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: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The respiratory chain is very important for bacterial survival and pathogenicity, yet the roles of the respiratory chain in P. aeruginosa remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we not only proved experimentally that the operon PA4427-PA4431 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 encodes respiratory chain complex III (cytobc1), but also found that it played important roles in virulence and pathogenicity. PA4429–31 deletion reduced the production of the virulence factors, including pyocyanin, rhamnolipids, elastase, and extracellular polysaccharides, and it resulted in a remarkable decrease in pathogenicity, as demonstrated in the cabbage and Drosophila melanogaster infection models. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis showed that PA4429–31 deletion affected the expression levels of the genes related to quorum-sensing systems and the transport of iron ions, and the iron content was also reduced in the mutant strain. Taken together, we comprehensively illustrated the function of the operon PA4427–31 and its application potential as a treatment target in P. aeruginosa infection.
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19
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Hao S, Yang D, Zhao L, Shi F, Ye G, Fu H, Lin J, Guo H, He R, Li J, Chen H, Khan MF, Li Y, Tang H. EGCG-Mediated Potential Inhibition of Biofilm Development and Quorum Sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094946. [PMID: 34066609 PMCID: PMC8125375 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), one of the dangerous multidrug resistance pathogens, orchestrates virulence factors production through quorum sensing (QS). Since the exploration of QS inhibitors, targeting virulence to circumvent bacterial pathogenesis without causing significant growth inhibition is a promising approach to treat P. aeruginosa infections. The present study has evaluated the anti-QS and anti-infective activity of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a bioactive ingredient of the traditional green tea, against P. aeruginosa. EGCG showed significant inhibitory effects on the development of biofilm, protease, elastase activity, swimming, and swarming motility, which was positively related to the production of C4-AHL. The expression of QS-related and QS-regulated virulence factors genes was also evaluated. Quantitative PCR analysis showed that EGCG significantly reduced the expression of las, rhl, and PQS genes and was highly correlated with the alterations of C4-AHL production. In-vivo experiments demonstrated that EGCG treatment reduced P. aeruginosa pathogenicity in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). EGCG increased the survival of C. elegans by 23.25%, 30.04%, and 36.35% in a dose-dependent manner. The findings of this study strongly suggest that EGCG could be a potential candidate for QS inhibition as an anti-virulence compound against bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suqi Hao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China; (S.H.); (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (F.S.); (G.Y.); (H.F.); (J.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Dan Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China; (S.H.); (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (F.S.); (G.Y.); (H.F.); (J.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Ling Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China; (S.H.); (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (F.S.); (G.Y.); (H.F.); (J.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Fei Shi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China; (S.H.); (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (F.S.); (G.Y.); (H.F.); (J.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Gang Ye
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China; (S.H.); (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (F.S.); (G.Y.); (H.F.); (J.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Hualin Fu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China; (S.H.); (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (F.S.); (G.Y.); (H.F.); (J.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Juchun Lin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China; (S.H.); (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (F.S.); (G.Y.); (H.F.); (J.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Hongrui Guo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China; (S.H.); (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (F.S.); (G.Y.); (H.F.); (J.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Ran He
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China; (S.H.); (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (F.S.); (G.Y.); (H.F.); (J.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
| | - Jianlong Li
- College of Food Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China;
| | - Hongwei Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing 402460, China;
| | - Muhammad Faraz Khan
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Rawalakot 12350, Pakistan;
| | - Yinglun Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China; (S.H.); (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (F.S.); (G.Y.); (H.F.); (J.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (H.T.)
| | - Huaqiao Tang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China; (S.H.); (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (F.S.); (G.Y.); (H.F.); (J.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (H.T.)
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20
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Lee C, Klockgether J, Fischer S, Trcek J, Tümmler B, Römling U. Why? - Successful Pseudomonas aeruginosa clones with a focus on clone C. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 44:740-762. [PMID: 32990729 PMCID: PMC7685784 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The environmental species Pseudomonas aeruginosa thrives in a variety of habitats. Within the epidemic population structure of P. aeruginosa, occassionally highly successful clones that are equally capable to succeed in the environment and the human host arise. Framed by a highly conserved core genome, individual members of successful clones are characterized by a high variability in their accessory genome. The abundance of successful clones might be funded in specific features of the core genome or, although not mutually exclusive, in the variability of the accessory genome. In clone C, one of the most predominant clones, the plasmid pKLC102 and the PACGI-1 genomic island are two ubiquitous accessory genetic elements. The conserved transmissible locus of protein quality control (TLPQC) at the border of PACGI-1 is a unique horizontally transferred compository element, which codes predominantly for stress-related cargo gene products such as involved in protein homeostasis. As a hallmark, most TLPQC xenologues possess a core genome equivalent. With elevated temperature tolerance as a characteristic of clone C strains, the unique P. aeruginosa and clone C specific disaggregase ClpG is a major contributor to tolerance. As other successful clones, such as PA14, do not encode the TLPQC locus, ubiquitous denominators of success, if existing, need to be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhan Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Biomedicum C8, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jens Klockgether
- Clinic for Paediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Clinical Research Group 'Pseudomonas Genomics', Hannover Medical School, D-30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Sebastian Fischer
- Clinic for Paediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Clinical Research Group 'Pseudomonas Genomics', Hannover Medical School, D-30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Janja Trcek
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Biology, University of Maribor, Maribor, 2000, Slovenia
| | - Burkhard Tümmler
- Clinic for Paediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Clinical Research Group 'Pseudomonas Genomics', Hannover Medical School, D-30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Ute Römling
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Biomedicum C8, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
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21
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Wei Y, Balaceanu A, Rufian JS, Segonzac C, Zhao A, Morcillo RJL, Macho AP. An immune receptor complex evolved in soybean to perceive a polymorphic bacterial flagellin. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3763. [PMID: 32724132 PMCID: PMC7387336 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17573-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In both animals and plants, the perception of bacterial flagella by immune receptors elicits the activation of defence responses. Most plants are able to perceive the highly conserved epitope flg22 from flagellin, the main flagellar protein, from most bacterial species. However, flagellin from Ralstonia solanacearum, the causal agent of the bacterial wilt disease, presents a polymorphic flg22 sequence (flg22Rso) that avoids perception by all plants studied to date. In this work, we show that soybean has developed polymorphic versions of the flg22 receptors that are able to perceive flg22Rso. Furthermore, we identify key residues responsible for both the evasion of perception by flg22Rso in Arabidopsis and the gain of perception by the soybean receptors. Heterologous expression of the soybean flg22 receptors in susceptible plant species, such as tomato, enhances resistance to bacterial wilt disease, demonstrating the potential of these receptors to enhance disease resistance in crop plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Wei
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences; Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Alexandra Balaceanu
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose S Rufian
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences; Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Cécile Segonzac
- Department of Plant Science, Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Achen Zhao
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences; Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Rafael J L Morcillo
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences; Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Alberto P Macho
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences; Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China.
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22
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Pip serves as an intermediate in RpoS-modulated phz2 expression and pyocyanin production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microb Pathog 2020; 147:104409. [PMID: 32707314 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Pyocyanin, a main virulence factor that is produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, plays an important role in pathogen-host interaction during infection. Two copies of phenazine-biosynthetic operons on genome, phz1 (phzA1B1C1D1E1F1G1) and phz2 (phzA2B2C2D2E2F2G2), contribute to phenazine biosynthesis. In our previous study, we found that RpoS positively regulates expression of the phz2 operon and pyocyanin biosynthesis in P. aeruginosa PAO1. In this work, when a TetR-family regulator gene, pip, was knocked out, we found that pyocyanin production was dramatically reduced, indicating that Pip positively regulates pyocyanin biosynthesis. With further phenazines quantification and β-galactosidase assay, we confirmed that Pip positively regulates phz2 expression, but does not regulate phz1 expression. In addition, while the rpoS gene was deleted, expression of pip was down-regulated. Expression of rpoS in the wild-type PAO1 strain, however, was similar to that in the Pip-deficient mutant PAΔpip, suggesting that expression of pip could positively be regulated by RpoS, whereas rpoS could not be regulated by Pip. Taken together, we drew a conclusion that Pip might serve as an intermediate in RpoS-modulated expression of the phz2 operon and pyocyanin biosynthesis in P. aeruginosa.
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Pillai SE, Kumar C, Dasgupta M, Kumar BK, Vungarala S, Patel HK, Sonti RV. Ectopic Expression of a Cell-Wall-Degrading Enzyme-Induced OsAP2/ERF152 Leads to Resistance against Bacterial and Fungal Infection in Arabidopsis. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2020; 110:726-733. [PMID: 31898928 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-10-19-0395-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pathogen secreted cell-wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs) induce plant innate immune responses. The expression of rice transcription factor APETALA2/ethylene response factor-152 (OsAP2/ERF152) is enhanced in leaves upon treatment with different CWDEs and upon wounding. Ectopic expression of OsAP2/ERF152 in Arabidopsis leads to induction of immune responses such as callose deposition and upregulation of both salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid/ethylene-responsive defense genes. Arabidopsis transgenics expressing OsAP2/ERF152 exhibited resistance to infections caused by both bacterial and fungal pathogens (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 and Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA, respectively). Ectopic expression of OsAP2/ERF152 results in transient activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases 3/6 (MPK3/6), which could be leading to the induction of a broad range immunity in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakuntala E Pillai
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana 500007, India
| | - Chandan Kumar
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi110067, India
| | - Madhumita Dasgupta
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Imphal, Manipur795004, India
| | - Bipin K Kumar
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana 500007, India
| | - Sridivya Vungarala
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana 500007, India
| | - Hitendra K Patel
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana 500007, India
| | - Ramesh V Sonti
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana 500007, India
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi110067, India
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Forging New Antibiotic Combinations under Iron-Limiting Conditions. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 64:AAC.01909-19. [PMID: 31907180 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01909-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen. We showed previously that thiostrepton (TS), a Gram-positive thiopeptide antibiotic, is imported via pyoverdine receptors and synergizes with iron chelator deferasirox (DSX) to inhibit the growth of P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates. A small number of P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii isolates were resistant to the combination, prompting us to search for other compounds that could synergize with TS against those strains. From literature surveys, we selected 14 compounds reported to have iron-chelating activity, plus one iron analogue, and tested them for synergy with TS. Doxycycline (DOXY), ciclopirox olamine (CO), tropolone (TRO), clioquinol (CLI), and gallium nitrate (GN) synergized with TS. Individual compounds were bacteriostatic, but the combinations were bactericidal. Our spectrophotometric data and chrome azurol S agar assay confirmed that the chelators potentiate TS activity through iron sequestration rather than through their innate antimicrobial activities. A triple combination of TS plus DSX plus DOXY had the most potent activity against P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii isolates. One P. aeruginosa clinical isolate was resistant to the triple combination but susceptible to a triple combination containing higher concentrations of CLI, CO, or DOXY. All A. baumannii isolates were susceptible to the triple combinations. Our data reveal a diverse set of compounds with dual activity as antibacterial agents and TS adjuvants, allowing combinations to be tailored for resistant clinical isolates.
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Transgenic tobacco expressing Medicago sativa Defensin (Msdef1) confers resistance to various phyto-pathogens. THE NUCLEUS 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13237-020-00307-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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Mukherjee S, Jemielita M, Stergioula V, Tikhonov M, Bassler BL. Photosensing and quorum sensing are integrated to control Pseudomonas aeruginosa collective behaviors. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000579. [PMID: 31830037 PMCID: PMC6932827 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria convert changes in sensory inputs into alterations in gene expression, behavior, and lifestyles. A common lifestyle choice that bacteria make is whether to exhibit individual behavior and exist in the free-living planktonic state or to engage in collective behavior and form sessile communities called biofilms. Transitions between individual and collective behaviors are controlled by the chemical cell-to-cell communication process called quorum sensing. Here, we show that quorum sensing represses Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation and virulence by activating expression of genes encoding the KinB–AlgB two-component system (TCS). Phospho-AlgB represses biofilm and virulence genes, while KinB dephosphorylates and thereby inactivates AlgB. We discover that the photoreceptor BphP is the kinase that, in response to light, phosphorylates and activates AlgB. Indeed, exposing P. aeruginosa to light represses biofilm formation and virulence gene expression. To our knowledge, P. aeruginosa was not previously known to detect and respond to light. The KinB–AlgB–BphP module is present in all pseudomonads, and we demonstrate that AlgB is the partner response regulator for BphP in diverse bacterial phyla. We propose that in the KinB–AlgB–BphP system, AlgB functions as the node at which varied sensory information is integrated. This network architecture provides a mechanism enabling bacteria to integrate at least two different sensory inputs, quorum sensing (via RhlR-driven activation of algB) and light (via BphP–AlgB), into the control of collective behaviors. This study sets the stage for light-mediated control of P. aeruginosa infectivity. Photosensing and quorum sensing are integrated to control collective behaviors of the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa; the information is transduced via a phosphorylation–dephosphorylation sensory system. The study has implications for light-mediated control of P. aeruginosa infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sampriti Mukherjee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Matthew Jemielita
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Vasiliki Stergioula
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Mikhail Tikhonov
- Physics Department, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Bonnie L. Bassler
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kutschera A, Schombel U, Wröbel M, Gisch N, Ranf S. Loss of wbpL disrupts O-polysaccharide synthesis and impairs virulence of plant-associated Pseudomonas strains. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2019; 20:1535-1549. [PMID: 31559681 PMCID: PMC6804347 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Despite its importance for membrane stability and pathogenicity of mammalian pathogens, functions of the O-polysaccharide (OPS) of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) remain unclear in plant-associated bacteria. Genetic information about OPS biosynthesis in these bacteria is largely missing. Genome analysis of various plant-associated Pseudomonas strains revealed that one of the two known OPS biosynthesis clusters from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, the common polysaccharide antigen (CPA) gene cluster, is only conserved in some strains of the Pseudomonas fluorescens group. For the O-specific antigen (OSA) biosynthesis cluster, the putative genomic position could be identified, but orthologues of most functional important OSA biosynthesis enzymes could not be detected. Nevertheless, orthologues of the glycosyltransferase WbpL, required for initiation of CPA and OSA synthesis in P. aeruginosa PAO1, could be identified in the analysed Pseudomonas genomes. Knockout mutations of wbpL orthologues in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst) and Pseudomonas cichorii ATCC10857/DSM50259 (Pci) resulted in strains lacking the OPS. Infection experiments of Arabidopsis thaliana plants revealed a reduced entry into the leaf apoplast after spray inoculation and a reduced apoplastic amplification of Pst ∆wbpL. Stab and spray inoculation of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) leaves with Pci ∆wbpL causes reduced infection symptoms compared to the wild-type strain. Furthermore, swarming motility was reduced in ∆wbpL mutants of Pst and Pci. This might be a possible reason for reduced bacterial titres after surface inoculation and reduced bacterial amplification in the plant. Our results imply that the presence of lipopolysaccharide OPS is required for efficient host colonization and full virulence of plant-pathogenic Pseudomonas bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kutschera
- Technical University of MunichPhytopathology, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan85354Freising‐WeihenstephanGermany
| | - Ursula Schombel
- Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung CenterDivision of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Priority Area InfectionsParkallee 1‐4023845BorstelGermany
| | - Michelle Wröbel
- Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung CenterDivision of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Priority Area InfectionsParkallee 1‐4023845BorstelGermany
| | - Nicolas Gisch
- Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung CenterDivision of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Priority Area InfectionsParkallee 1‐4023845BorstelGermany
| | - Stefanie Ranf
- Technical University of MunichPhytopathology, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan85354Freising‐WeihenstephanGermany
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García-Fontana C, Vílchez JI, González-Requena M, González-López J, Krell T, Matilla MA, Manzanera M. The involvement of McpB chemoreceptor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 in virulence. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13166. [PMID: 31511598 PMCID: PMC6739360 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49697-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen causing infections in a variety of plant and animal hosts. The gene mcpB, part of the chemosensory gene cluster II, encodes a soluble chemoreceptor whose function remains unknown. Previous studies show that the cheB2 gene, also located in the chemosensory cluster II, is involved in a specific response during infection and it is required for full pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa. To determine whether the McpB (or Aer2) chemoreceptor is involved in virulence processes, we generated a mcpB mutant and tested its phenotype using a virulence-measuring system. This system was developed by our group and is based on different bioassays using organisms living at different soil trophic levels, including microbial, nematode, arthropod, annelid, and plant model systems. The deletion of mcpB resulted in an attenuation of bacterial virulence in different infection models, and wild-type virulence was restored following genetic complementation of the mutant strain. Our study indicates that the McpB chemoreceptor is linked to virulence processes and may constitute the basis for the development of alternative strategies against this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina García-Fontana
- Institute for Water Research and Department of Microbiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Juan I Vílchez
- Institute for Water Research and Department of Microbiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Marta González-Requena
- Institute for Water Research and Department of Microbiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jesús González-López
- Institute for Water Research and Department of Microbiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Tino Krell
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008, Granada, Spain
| | - Miguel A Matilla
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008, Granada, Spain
| | - Maximino Manzanera
- Institute for Water Research and Department of Microbiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
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Dingemans J, Al-Feghali RE, Lau GW, Sauer K. Controlling chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections by strategically interfering with the sensory function of SagS. Mol Microbiol 2019; 111:1211-1228. [PMID: 30710463 PMCID: PMC6488366 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The hybrid sensor SagS plays a central role in the formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, by enabling the switch from the planktonic to the biofilm mode of growth and by facilitating the transition of biofilm cells to a highly tolerant state. In this study, we examined the importance of the SagS key amino acid residues associated with biofilm formation (L154) and antibiotic tolerance (D105) in P. aeruginosa virulence. Recombinant P. aeruginosa ΔsagS and ΔsagS chromosomally expressing wild-type sagS, or its two variants D105A and L154A, were tested for their potential to form biofilms and cause virulence in plants and mouse models of acute and chronic pneumonia. Although mutation of sagS did not alter P. aeruginosa virulence during acute infections, a significant difference in pathogenicity of sagS mutants was observed during chronic infections, with the L154A variant showing reduced bacterial loads in the chronic pneumonia model, while interference with the D105 residue enhanced the susceptibility of P. aeruginosa biofilms during tobramycin treatment. Our findings suggest that interference with the biofilm or tolerance regulatory circuits of SagS affects P. aeruginosa pathogenicity in chronic but not acute infections, and reveal SagS to be a promising new target to treat P. aeruginosa biofilm infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jozef Dingemans
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States.,Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States
| | - Rebecca E. Al-Feghali
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States.,Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States
| | - Gee W. Lau
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, United States
| | - Karin Sauer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States.,Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States.,Corresponding author: Karin Sauer, Binghamton University, Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton Biofilm Research Center (BBRC), 2401 ITC Building, 85 Murray Hill Road, Binghamton, NY 13902, Phone (607) 777-3157, Fax: (607) 777-6521,
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Antibiofilm and antivirulence properties of chitosan-polypyrrole nanocomposites to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microb Pathog 2019; 128:363-373. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Torres A, Kasturiarachi N, DuPont M, Cooper VS, Bomberger J, Zemke A. NADH Dehydrogenases in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Growth and Virulence. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:75. [PMID: 30804898 PMCID: PMC6370648 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen with a complex respiratory chain. The bacterium is predicted to express three NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductases (NDH-1, NDH-2 and Nqr). We created deletions strains of the predicted NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductases alone, and in combination to determine the respective roles of the NADH dehydrogenases in growth and virulence. NDH-1 and NDH-2 were largely redundant under aerobic conditions. Aerobic NADH dehydrogenase enzymatic activity assay was lost with deletion of both NDH-1 and NDH-2. Under anaerobic conditions, NDH-1 was required for robust growth, and overexpression of NDH-2 rescued the NDH-1 anaerobic growth defect in rich media. There was not compensatory upregulation of NDH-2 under anaerobic conditions in NDH-1 deletion strains. To test which genes were required for in vivo virulence, we used both an insect and plant disease model. In the Galleria mellonella model, neither deletion of NDH-1 nor NDH-2 led to a change in median lethal dose, although death occurred more slowly in the NDH-1 deletion infections. In a lettuce model of virulence, loss of NDH-1 caused a decrease in recovered viable bacteria and a decrease in visual tissue damage. The compound deletion of NDH-1/NDH-2 causes a severe growth defect, both under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, and was avirulent in a lettuce model. Together, these results demonstrate the redundancy of the P. aeruginosa respiratory chain at the NADH dehydrogenase level in aerobic growth and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Torres
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Naomi Kasturiarachi
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Matthew DuPont
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Vaughn S Cooper
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jennifer Bomberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Anna Zemke
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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Zhou JW, Ruan LY, Chen HJ, Luo HZ, Jiang H, Wang JS, Jia AQ. Inhibition of Quorum Sensing and Virulence in Serratia marcescens by Hordenine. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2019; 67:784-795. [PMID: 30609368 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b05922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Serratia marcescens NJ01 is a pathogenic bacterium isolated from diseased tomato leaves. Here, we report on the development of a tomato- S. marcescens host-pathogen system as a model to evaluate the effects of hordenine on quorum sensing (QS)-mediated pathogenicity under native conditions. Exposure to hordenine at 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL significantly inhibited the production of acyl-homoserine lactones and the formation of biofilms. Hordenine treatment notably enhanced the susceptibility of the preformed biofilms to ciprofloxacin by reducing the production of extracellular polysaccharides, destroying the architecture of biofilms, and changing the permeability of membranes, as evidenced by the scattered appearance and dominant red fluorescence in the combination-treated biofilms. Furthermore, the addition of hordenine affected the production of virulence factors, influenced the intracellular metabolites, and downregulated the expressions of QS- and biofilm-related genes. The plant infection model indicated that hordenine could significantly attenuate the pathogenicity of S. marcescens NJ01 in tomato plants. Thus, hordenine could act as a potential pesticide or pesticide accelerant in treating crop infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Wei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry Education , Hainan University , Haikou , Hainan 570228 , People's Republic of China
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering , Nanjing University of Science and Technology , Nanjing , Jiangsu 210094 , People's Republic of China
| | - Ling-Yu Ruan
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering , Nanjing University of Science and Technology , Nanjing , Jiangsu 210094 , People's Republic of China
| | - Hong-Juan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology , Nanjing University , Nanjing , Jiangsu 210023 , People's Republic of China
| | - Huai-Zhi Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry Education , Hainan University , Haikou , Hainan 570228 , People's Republic of China
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering , Nanjing University of Science and Technology , Nanjing , Jiangsu 210094 , People's Republic of China
| | - Huan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry Education , Hainan University , Haikou , Hainan 570228 , People's Republic of China
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering , Nanjing University of Science and Technology , Nanjing , Jiangsu 210094 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Song Wang
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering , Nanjing University of Science and Technology , Nanjing , Jiangsu 210094 , People's Republic of China
| | - Ai-Qun Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry Education , Hainan University , Haikou , Hainan 570228 , People's Republic of China
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering , Nanjing University of Science and Technology , Nanjing , Jiangsu 210094 , People's Republic of China
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The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Complement of Lactate Dehydrogenases Enables Use of d- and l-Lactate and Metabolic Cross-Feeding. mBio 2018; 9:mBio.00961-18. [PMID: 30206167 PMCID: PMC6134097 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00961-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactate is thought to serve as a carbon and energy source during chronic infections. Sites of bacterial colonization can contain two enantiomers of lactate: the l-form, generally produced by the host, and the d-form, which is usually produced by bacteria, including the pulmonary pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we characterize P. aeruginosa’s set of four enzymes that it can use to interconvert pyruvate and lactate, the functions of which depend on the availability of oxygen and specific enantiomers of lactate. We also show that anaerobic pyruvate fermentation triggers production of the aerobic d-lactate dehydrogenase in both liquid cultures and biofilms, thereby enabling metabolic cross-feeding of lactate over time and space between subpopulations of cells. These metabolic pathways might contribute to P. aeruginosa growth and survival in the lung. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common cause of chronic, biofilm-based lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Sputum from patients with CF has been shown to contain oxic and hypoxic subzones as well as millimolar concentrations of lactate. Here, we describe the physiological roles and expression patterns of P. aeruginosa lactate dehydrogenases in the contexts of different growth regimes. P. aeruginosa produces four enzymes annotated as lactate dehydrogenases, three of which are known to contribute to anaerobic or aerobic metabolism in liquid cultures. These three are LdhA, which reduces pyruvate to d-lactate during anaerobic survival, and LldE and LldD, which oxidize d-lactate and l-lactate, respectively, during aerobic growth. We demonstrate that the fourth enzyme, LldA, performs redundant l-lactate oxidation during growth in aerobic cultures in both a defined MOPS (morpholinepropanesulfonic acid)-based medium and synthetic CF sputum media. However, LldA differs from LldD in that its expression is induced specifically by the l-enantiomer of lactate. We also show that the P. aeruginosa lactate dehydrogenases perform functions in colony biofilms that are similar to their functions in liquid cultures. Finally, we provide evidence that the enzymes LdhA and LldE have the potential to support metabolic cross-feeding in biofilms, where LdhA can catalyze the production of d-lactate in the anaerobic zone, which is then used as a substrate in the aerobic zone. Together, these observations further our understanding of the metabolic pathways that can contribute to P. aeruginosa growth and survival during CF lung infection.
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Pillai SE, Kumar C, Patel HK, Sonti RV. Overexpression of a cell wall damage induced transcription factor, OsWRKY42, leads to enhanced callose deposition and tolerance to salt stress but does not enhance tolerance to bacterial infection. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 18:177. [PMID: 30176792 PMCID: PMC6122458 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-018-1391-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Members of the WRKY gene family play important roles in regulating plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Treatment with either one of the two different cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs), LipaseA and CellulaseA, induces immune responses and enhances the expression of OsWRKY42 in rice. However, the role of OsWRKY42 in CWDE induced immune responses is not known. RESULTS Expression of the rice transcription factor OsWRKY42 is induced upon treatment of rice leaves with CWDEs, wounding and salt. Overexpression of OsWRKY42 leads to enhanced callose deposition in rice and Arabidopsis but this does not enhance tolerance to bacterial infection. Upon treatment with NaCl, Arabidopsis transgenic plants expressing OsWRKY42 exhibited high levels of anthocyanin and displayed enhanced tolerance to salt stress. Treatment with either cellulase or salt induced the expression of several genes involved in JA biosynthesis and response in Arabidopsis. Ectopic expression of OsWRKY42 results in reduced expression of cell wall damage and salt stress induced jasmonic acid biosynthesis and response genes. OsWRKY42 expressing Arabidopsis lines exhibited enhanced tolerance to methyl jasmonate mediated growth inhibition. CONCLUSION The results presented here suggest that OsWRKY42 regulates plant responses to either cell wall damage or salinity stress by acting as a negative regulator of jasmonic acid mediated responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakuntala E. Pillai
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007 India
| | - Chandan Kumar
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007 India
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, 110067 India
| | - Hitendra K. Patel
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007 India
| | - Ramesh V. Sonti
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007 India
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, 110067 India
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Garge S, Azimi S, Diggle SP. A simple mung bean infection model for studying the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2018; 164:764-768. [PMID: 29629857 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Here we highlight the development of a simple and high-throughput mung bean model to study virulence in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The model is easy to set up, and infection and virulence can be monitored for up to 10 days. In a first test of the model, we found that mung bean seedlings infected with PAO1 showed poor development of roots and high mortality rates compared to uninfected controls. We also found that a quorum-sensing (QS) mutant was significantly less virulent when compared with the PAO1 wild-type. Our work introduces a new tool for studying virulence in P. aeruginosa that will allow for high-throughput virulence studies of mutants and testing of the in vivo efficacy of new therapies at a time when new antimicrobial drugs are desperately needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Garge
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology Center, Faculty of Science, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, India
| | - Sheyda Azimi
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30032, USA
| | - Stephen P Diggle
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30032, USA
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Hernández-Calderón E, Aviles-Garcia ME, Castulo-Rubio DY, Macías-Rodríguez L, Ramírez VM, Santoyo G, López-Bucio J, Valencia-Cantero E. Volatile compounds from beneficial or pathogenic bacteria differentially regulate root exudation, transcription of iron transporters, and defense signaling pathways in Sorghum bicolor. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 96:291-304. [PMID: 29330694 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-017-0694-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Our results show that Sorghum bicolor is able to recognize bacteria through its volatile compounds and differentially respond to beneficial or pathogens via eliciting nutritional or defense adaptive traits. Plants establish beneficial, harmful, or neutral relationships with bacteria. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) emit volatile compounds (VCs), which may act as molecular cues influencing plant development, nutrition, and/or defense. In this study, we compared the effects of VCs produced by bacteria with different lifestyles, including Arthrobacter agilis UMCV2, Bacillus methylotrophicus M4-96, Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021, the plant pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, and the commensal rhizobacterium Bacillus sp. L2-64, on S. bicolor. We show that VCs from all tested bacteria, except Bacillus sp. L2-64, increased biomass and chlorophyll content, and improved root architecture, but notheworthy A. agilis induced the release of attractant molecules, whereas P. aeruginosa activated the exudation of growth inhibitory compounds by roots. An analysis of the expression of iron-transporters SbIRT1, SbIRT2, SbYS1, and SbYS2 and genes related to plant defense pathways COI1 and PR-1 indicated that beneficial, pathogenic, and commensal bacteria could up-regulate iron transporters, whereas only beneficial and pathogenic species could induce a defense response. These results show how S. bicolor could recognize bacteria through their volatiles profiles and highlight that PGPR or pathogens can elicit nutritional or defensive traits in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erasto Hernández-Calderón
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Maria Elizabeth Aviles-Garcia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Diana Yazmín Castulo-Rubio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Lourdes Macías-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Vicente Montejano Ramírez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Gustavo Santoyo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - José López-Bucio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Eduardo Valencia-Cantero
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B3, Ciudad Universitaria, 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, México.
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa Contact-Dependent Growth Inhibition Plays Dual Role in Host-Pathogen Interactions. mSphere 2017; 2:mSphere00336-17. [PMID: 29152577 PMCID: PMC5687917 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00336-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
How bacteria compete and communicate with each other is an increasingly recognized aspect of microbial pathogenesis with a major impact on disease outcomes. Gram-negative bacteria have recently been shown to employ a contact-dependent toxin-antitoxin system to achieve both competition and regulation of their physiology. Here, we show that this system is vital for virulence in acute infection as well as for establishment of chronic infection in the multidrug-resistant pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying bacterial virulence and infection is important for the development of effective therapeutics in the era of increasing antimicrobial resistance. Microorganisms exist in a diverse ecosystem and have evolved many different mechanisms for sensing and influencing the polymicrobial environment around them, utilizing both diffusible and contact-dependent signals. Contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) is one such communication system employed by Gram-negative bacteria. In addition to CDI mediation of growth inhibition, recent studies have demonstrated CDI-mediated control of communal behaviors such as biofilm formation. We postulated that CDI may therefore play an active role in host-pathogen interactions, allowing invading strains to establish themselves at polymicrobial mucosal interfaces through competitive interactions while simultaneously facilitating pathogenic capabilities via CDI-mediated signaling. Here, we show that Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces two CDI systems capable of mediating competition under conditions of growth on a surface or in liquid. Furthermore, we demonstrated a novel role for these systems in contributing to virulence in acute infection models, likely via posttranscriptional regulation of beneficial behaviors. While we did not observe any role for the P. aeruginosa CDI systems in biofilm biogenesis, we did identify for the first time robust CDI-mediated competition during interaction with a mammalian host using a model of chronic respiratory tract infection, as well as evidence that CDI expression is maintained in chronic lung infections. These findings reveal a previously unappreciated role for CDI in host-pathogen interactions and emphasize their importance during infection. IMPORTANCE How bacteria compete and communicate with each other is an increasingly recognized aspect of microbial pathogenesis with a major impact on disease outcomes. Gram-negative bacteria have recently been shown to employ a contact-dependent toxin-antitoxin system to achieve both competition and regulation of their physiology. Here, we show that this system is vital for virulence in acute infection as well as for establishment of chronic infection in the multidrug-resistant pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying bacterial virulence and infection is important for the development of effective therapeutics in the era of increasing antimicrobial resistance.
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Pruitt RN, Joe A, Zhang W, Feng W, Stewart V, Schwessinger B, Dinneny JR, Ronald PC. A microbially derived tyrosine-sulfated peptide mimics a plant peptide hormone. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 215:725-736. [PMID: 28556915 PMCID: PMC5901733 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The biotrophic pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) produces a sulfated peptide named RaxX, which shares similarity to peptides in the PSY (plant peptide containing sulfated tyrosine) family. We hypothesize that RaxX mimics the growth-stimulating activity of PSY peptides. Root length was measured in Arabidopsis and rice treated with synthetic RaxX peptides. We also used comparative genomic analyses and reactive oxygen species burst assays to evaluate the activity of RaxX and PSY peptides. Here we found that a synthetic sulfated RaxX derivative comprising 13 residues (RaxX13-sY), highly conserved between RaxX and PSY, induces root growth in Arabidopsis and rice in a manner similar to that triggered by PSY. We identified residues that are required for activation of immunity mediated by the rice XA21 receptor but that are not essential for root growth induced by PSY. Finally, we showed that a Xanthomonas strain lacking raxX is impaired in virulence. These findings suggest that RaxX serves as a molecular mimic of PSY peptides to facilitate Xoo infection and that XA21 has evolved the ability to recognize and respond specifically to the microbial form of the peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory N. Pruitt
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Feedstocks Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Anna Joe
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Feedstocks Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Weiguo Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Wei Feng
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Valley Stewart
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Benjamin Schwessinger
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Feedstocks Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - José R. Dinneny
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Pamela C. Ronald
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Feedstocks Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Martínez E, Campos-Gómez J. Oxylipins produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa promote biofilm formation and virulence. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13823. [PMID: 27929111 PMCID: PMC5155153 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The oxygenation of unsaturated fatty acids by dioxygenases occurs in all kingdoms of life and produces physiologically important lipids called oxylipins. The biological roles of oxylipins have been extensively studied in animals, plants, algae and fungi, but remain largely unidentified in prokaryotes. The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa displays a diol synthase activity that transforms several monounsaturated fatty acids into mono- and di-hydroxylated derivatives. Here we show that oxylipins derived from this activity inhibit flagellum-driven motility and upregulate type IV pilus-dependent twitching motility of P. aeruginosa. Consequently, these oxylipins promote bacterial organization in microcolonies, increasing the ability of P. aeruginosa to form biofilms in vitro and in vivo (in Drosophila flies). We also demonstrate that oxylipins produced by P. aeruginosa promote virulence in Drosophila flies and lettuce. Our study thus uncovers a role for prokaryotic oxylipins in the physiology and pathogenicity of bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eriel Martínez
- Southern Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Drug Discovery Division, 2000 Ninth Ave South, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, USA
| | - Javier Campos-Gómez
- Southern Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Drug Discovery Division, 2000 Ninth Ave South, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, USA
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40
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Khanam S, Guragain M, Lenaburg DL, Kubat R, Patrauchan MA. Calcium induces tobramycin resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by regulating RND efflux pumps. Cell Calcium 2016; 61:32-43. [PMID: 28034459 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic multidrug resistant pathogen causing severe chronic infections. Our previous studies showed that elevated calcium (Ca2+) enhances production of several virulence factors and plant infectivity of the pathogen. Here we show that Ca2+ increases resistance of P. aeruginosa PAO1 to tobramycin, antibiotic commonly used to treat Pseudomonas infections. LC-MS/MS-based comparative analysis of the membrane proteomes of P aeruginosa grown at elevated versus not added Ca2+, determined that the abundances of two RND (resistance-nodulation-cell division) efflux pumps, MexAB-OprM and MexVW-OprM, were increased in the presence of elevated Ca2+. Analysis of twelve transposon mutants with disrupted RND efflux pumps showed that six of them (mexB, muxC, mexY, mexJ, czcB, and mexE) contribute to Ca2+-induced tobramycin resistance. Transcriptional analyses by promoter activity and RT-qPCR showed that the expression of mexAB, muxABC, mexXY, mexJK, czcCBA, and mexVW is increased by elevated Ca2+. Disruption of mexJ, mexC, mexI, and triA significantly decreased Ca2+-induced plant infectivity of the pathogen. Earlier, our group showed that PAO1 maintains intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+in) homeostasis, which mediates Ca2+ regulation of P. aeruginosa virulence, and identified four putative Ca2+ transporters involved in this process (Guragain et al., 2013). Here we show that three of these transporters (PA2435, PA2092, PA4614) play role in Ca2+-induced tobramycin resistance and one of them (PA2435) contributes to Ca2+ regulation of mexAB-oprM promoter activity. Furthermore, mexJ, czcB, and mexE contribute to the maintenance of Ca2+in homeostasis. This provides the first evidence that Ca2+in homeostasis mediates Ca2+ regulation of RND transport systems, which contribute to Ca2+-enhanced tobramycin resistance and plant infectivity in P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharmily Khanam
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Manita Guragain
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Dirk L Lenaburg
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Ryan Kubat
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Marianna A Patrauchan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States.
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41
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Mina EG, Marques CNH. Interaction of Staphylococcus aureus persister cells with the host when in a persister state and following awakening. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31342. [PMID: 27506163 PMCID: PMC4979210 DOI: 10.1038/srep31342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Persister cells, a tolerant cell sub-population, are commonly associated with chronic and recurrent infections. However, little is known about their ability to actually initiate or establish an infection, become virulent and cause pathogenicity within a host. Here we investigated whether Staphylococcus aureus persister cells initiate an infection and are recognized by macrophages, while in a persister cell status, and upon awakening due to exposure to cis-2-decenoic acid (cis-DA). Our results show that S. aureus persister cells are not able to initiate infections in A. thaliana and present significantly reduced virulence towards C. elegans compared to total populations. In contrast, awakened S. aureus persister cells are able to initiate infections in A. thaliana and in C. elegans albeit, with lower mortality than total population. Furthermore, exposure of S. aureus persister cells to cis-DA led to a loss of tolerance to ciprofloxacin, and an increase of the bacterial fluorescence to levels found in total population. In addition, macrophage engulfment of persister cells was significantly lower than engulfment of total population, both before and following awakening. Overall our findings indicate that upon awakening of a persister population the cells regain their ability to infect hosts despite the absence of an increased immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin G Mina
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA.,Binghamton Biofilm Research Center (BBRC), Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Cláudia N H Marques
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA.,Binghamton Biofilm Research Center (BBRC), Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
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42
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Flynn PB, Busetti A, Wielogorska E, Chevallier OP, Elliott CT, Laverty G, Gorman SP, Graham WG, Gilmore BF. Non-thermal Plasma Exposure Rapidly Attenuates Bacterial AHL-Dependent Quorum Sensing and Virulence. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26320. [PMID: 27242335 PMCID: PMC4886528 DOI: 10.1038/srep26320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The antimicrobial activity of atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma has been exhaustively characterised, however elucidation of the interactions between biomolecules produced and utilised by bacteria and short plasma exposures are required for optimisation and clinical translation of cold plasma technology. This study characterizes the effects of non-thermal plasma exposure on acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-dependent quorum sensing (QS). Plasma exposure of AHLs reduced the ability of such molecules to elicit a QS response in bacterial reporter strains in a dose-dependent manner. Short exposures (30-60 s) produce of a series of secondary compounds capable of eliciting a QS response, followed by the complete loss of AHL-dependent signalling following longer exposures. UPLC-MS analysis confirmed the time-dependent degradation of AHL molecules and their conversion into a series of by-products. FT-IR analysis of plasma-exposed AHLs highlighted the appearance of an OH group. In vivo assessment of the exposure of AHLs to plasma was examined using a standard in vivo model. Lettuce leaves injected with the rhlI/lasI mutant PAO-MW1 alongside plasma treated N-butyryl-homoserine lactone and n-(3-oxo-dodecanoyl)-homoserine lactone, exhibited marked attenuation of virulence. This study highlights the capacity of atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma to modify and degrade AHL autoinducers thereby attenuating QS-dependent virulence in P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Padrig B. Flynn
- Biofilm Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
- Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Maths and Physics, Queen’s University Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
| | - Alessandro Busetti
- Biofilm Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Ewa Wielogorska
- Advanced Asset Centre, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 18-30 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 5BN, UK
| | - Olivier P. Chevallier
- Advanced Asset Centre, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 18-30 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 5BN, UK
| | - Christopher T. Elliott
- Advanced Asset Centre, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 18-30 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 5BN, UK
| | - Garry Laverty
- Biofilm Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Sean P. Gorman
- Biofilm Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - William G. Graham
- Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Maths and Physics, Queen’s University Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
| | - Brendan F. Gilmore
- Biofilm Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
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Pfeilmeier S, Saur IML, Rathjen JP, Zipfel C, Malone JG. High levels of cyclic-di-GMP in plant-associated Pseudomonas correlate with evasion of plant immunity. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2016; 17:521-31. [PMID: 26202381 PMCID: PMC4982027 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The plant innate immune system employs plasma membrane-localized receptors that specifically perceive pathogen/microbe-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs/MAMPs). This induces a defence response called pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) to fend off pathogen attack. Commensal bacteria are also exposed to potential immune recognition and must employ strategies to evade and/or suppress PTI to successfully colonize the plant. During plant infection, the flagellum has an ambiguous role, acting as both a virulence factor and also as a potent immunogen as a result of the recognition of its main building block, flagellin, by the plant pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), including FLAGELLIN SENSING2 (FLS2). Therefore, strict control of flagella synthesis is especially important for plant-associated bacteria. Here, we show that cyclic-di-GMP [bis-(3'-5')-cyclic di-guanosine monophosphate], a central regulator of bacterial lifestyle, is involved in the evasion of PTI. Elevated cyclic-di-GMP levels in the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pto) DC3000, the opportunist P. aeruginosa PAO1 and the commensal P. protegens Pf-5 inhibit flagellin synthesis and help the bacteria to evade FLS2-mediated signalling in Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana. Despite this, high cellular cyclic-di-GMP concentrations were shown to drastically reduce the virulence of Pto DC3000 during plant infection. We propose that this is a result of reduced flagellar motility and/or additional pleiotropic effects of cyclic-di-GMP signalling on bacterial behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Pfeilmeier
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Isabel Marie-Luise Saur
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - John Paul Rathjen
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Cyril Zipfel
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Jacob George Malone
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
- University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
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Adaptive Remodeling of the Bacterial Proteome by Specific Ribosomal Modification Regulates Pseudomonas Infection and Niche Colonisation. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005837. [PMID: 26845436 PMCID: PMC4741518 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-transcriptional control of protein abundance is a highly important, underexplored regulatory process by which organisms respond to their environments. Here we describe an important and previously unidentified regulatory pathway involving the ribosomal modification protein RimK, its regulator proteins RimA and RimB, and the widespread bacterial second messenger cyclic-di-GMP (cdG). Disruption of rimK affects motility and surface attachment in pathogenic and commensal Pseudomonas species, with rimK deletion significantly compromising rhizosphere colonisation by the commensal soil bacterium P. fluorescens, and plant infection by the pathogens P. syringae and P. aeruginosa. RimK functions as an ATP-dependent glutamyl ligase, adding glutamate residues to the C-terminus of ribosomal protein RpsF and inducing specific effects on both ribosome protein complement and function. Deletion of rimK in P. fluorescens leads to markedly reduced levels of multiple ribosomal proteins, and also of the key translational regulator Hfq. In turn, reduced Hfq levels induce specific downstream proteomic changes, with significant increases in multiple ABC transporters, stress response proteins and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases seen for both ΔrimK and Δhfq mutants. The activity of RimK is itself controlled by interactions with RimA, RimB and cdG. We propose that control of RimK activity represents a novel regulatory mechanism that dynamically influences interactions between bacteria and their hosts; translating environmental pressures into dynamic ribosomal changes, and consequently to an adaptive remodeling of the bacterial proteome. Post-transcriptional control of protein abundance is a significant and underexplored regulatory process by which organisms respond to environmental change. We have discovered an important new mechanism for this control in bacteria, based on the covalent modification of a small ribosomal protein by the widespread enzyme RimK. Here we show that the activity of RimK has specific effects on the levels of ribosomal proteins in the cell, which in turn affects the abundance of the important translational regulator Hfq. RimK is itself controlled by binding to the small regulatory proteins RimA and RimB and the widespread signalling molecule cyclic-di-GMP. Deletion of rimK compromises motility, virulence and plant colonisation/infection in several different Pseudomonas species. We propose that changes in intracellular RimK activity enable Pseudomonas to respond to environmental pressures by changing the nature of their ribosomes, leading in turn to an adaptive phenotypic response to their surroundings. This promotes motility and virulence during the initial stages of plant contact, and phenotypes including attachment, metabolite transport and stress control during long-term environmental adaptation.
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Varga JJ, Barbier M, Mulet X, Bielecki P, Bartell JA, Owings JP, Martinez-Ramos I, Hittle LE, Davis MR, Damron FH, Liechti GW, Puchałka J, dos Santos VAPM, Ernst RK, Papin JA, Albertí S, Oliver A, Goldberg JB. Genotypic and phenotypic analyses of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic bronchiectasis isolate reveal differences from cystic fibrosis and laboratory strains. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:883. [PMID: 26519161 PMCID: PMC4628258 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2069-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an environmentally ubiquitous Gram-negative bacterium and important opportunistic human pathogen, causing severe chronic respiratory infections in patients with underlying conditions such as cystic fibrosis (CF) or bronchiectasis. In order to identify mechanisms responsible for adaptation during bronchiectasis infections, a bronchiectasis isolate, PAHM4, was phenotypically and genotypically characterized. Results This strain displays phenotypes that have been associated with chronic respiratory infections in CF including alginate over-production, rough lipopolysaccharide, quorum-sensing deficiency, loss of motility, decreased protease secretion, and hypermutation. Hypermutation is a key adaptation of this bacterium during the course of chronic respiratory infections and analysis indicates that PAHM4 encodes a mutated mutS gene responsible for a ~1,000-fold increase in mutation rate compared to wild-type laboratory strain P. aeruginosa PAO1. Antibiotic resistance profiles and sequence data indicate that this strain acquired numerous mutations associated with increased resistance levels to β-lactams, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones when compared to PAO1. Sequencing of PAHM4 revealed a 6.38 Mbp genome, 5.9 % of which were unrecognized in previously reported P. aeruginosa genome sequences. Transcriptome analysis suggests a general down-regulation of virulence factors, while metabolism of amino acids and lipids is up-regulated when compared to PAO1 and metabolic modeling identified further potential differences between PAO1 and PAHM4. Conclusions This work provides insights into the potential differential adaptation of this bacterium to the lung of patients with bronchiectasis compared to other clinical settings such as cystic fibrosis, findings that should aid the development of disease-appropriate treatment strategies for P. aeruginosa infections. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2069-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Varga
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, Allergy/Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis and Sleep, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Emory + Children's Center for Cystic Fibrosis Research, Emory University and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - Mariette Barbier
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA. .,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA.
| | - Xavier Mulet
- Servicio de Microbiología and Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Son Espases, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Palma (IdISPa), Palma, de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Piotr Bielecki
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany. .,Present address: Immunobiology Department, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
| | - Jennifer A Bartell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - Joshua P Owings
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, Allergy/Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis and Sleep, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Emory + Children's Center for Cystic Fibrosis Research, Emory University and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | | | - Lauren E Hittle
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Michael R Davis
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - F Heath Damron
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA. .,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA.
| | - George W Liechti
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - Jacek Puchałka
- Servicio de Microbiología and Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Son Espases, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Palma (IdISPa), Palma, de Mallorca, Spain. .,Present address: Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
| | - Vitor A P Martins dos Santos
- Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands. .,Present address: Chair of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. .,Present address: LifeGlimmer GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Robert K Ernst
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Jason A Papin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - Sebastian Albertí
- IUNICS, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Antonio Oliver
- Servicio de Microbiología and Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Son Espases, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Palma (IdISPa), Palma, de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Joanna B Goldberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, Allergy/Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis and Sleep, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Emory + Children's Center for Cystic Fibrosis Research, Emory University and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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46
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Park SJ, Kim SK, So YI, Park HY, Li XH, Yeom DH, Lee MN, Lee BL, Lee JH. Protease IV, a quorum sensing-dependent protease of Pseudomonas aeruginosa modulates insect innate immunity. Mol Microbiol 2014; 94:1298-314. [PMID: 25315216 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, quorum sensing (QS) plays an essential role in pathogenesis and the QS response controls many virulence factors. Using a mealworm, Tenebrio molitor as a host model, we found that Protease IV, a QS-regulated exoprotease of P. aeruginosa functions as a key virulence effector causing the melanization and death of T. molitor larvae. Protease IV was able to degrade zymogens of spätzle processing enzyme (SPE) and SPE-activating enzyme (SAE) without the activation of the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) production. Since SPE and SAE function to activate spätzle, a ligand of Toll receptor in the innate immune system of T. molitor, we suggest that Protease IV may interfere with the activation of the Toll signaling. Independently of the Toll pathway, the melanization response, another innate immunity was still generated, since Protease IV directly converted Tenebrio prophenoloxidase into active phenoloxidase. Protease IV also worked as an important factor in the virulence to brine shrimp and nematode. These results suggest that Protease IV provides P. aeruginosa with a sophisticated way to escape the immune attack of host by interfering with the production of AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Jin Park
- College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Pusan, 609-735, Korea
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47
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Hilker R, Munder A, Klockgether J, Losada PM, Chouvarine P, Cramer N, Davenport CF, Dethlefsen S, Fischer S, Peng H, Schönfelder T, Türk O, Wiehlmann L, Wölbeling F, Gulbins E, Goesmann A, Tümmler B. Interclonal gradient of virulence in thePseudomonas aeruginosapangenome from disease and environment. Environ Microbiol 2014; 17:29-46. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Hilker
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology; University of Giessen; Gießen D-35392 Germany
| | - Antje Munder
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
| | - Jens Klockgether
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
| | - Patricia Moran Losada
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
| | - Philippe Chouvarine
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
| | - Nina Cramer
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
| | - Colin F. Davenport
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
| | - Sarah Dethlefsen
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
| | - Sebastian Fischer
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
| | - Huiming Peng
- Department of Molecular Biology; University Hospital Essen; University of Duisburg-Essen; Essen D-45122 Germany
| | - Torben Schönfelder
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
| | - Oliver Türk
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
| | - Lutz Wiehlmann
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
| | - Florian Wölbeling
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
| | - Erich Gulbins
- Department of Molecular Biology; University Hospital Essen; University of Duisburg-Essen; Essen D-45122 Germany
| | - Alexander Goesmann
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology; University of Giessen; Gießen D-35392 Germany
| | - Burkhard Tümmler
- Clinical Research Group; ‘Molecular Pathology of Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas Genomics’; Hannover Medical School; OE 6710 Hannover D-30625 Germany
- Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease (BREATH); German Center for Lung Research; Hannover Germany
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48
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Sarkisova SA, Lotlikar SR, Guragain M, Kubat R, Cloud J, Franklin MJ, Patrauchan MA. A Pseudomonas aeruginosa EF-hand protein, EfhP (PA4107), modulates stress responses and virulence at high calcium concentration. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98985. [PMID: 24918783 PMCID: PMC4053335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Accepted: 05/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a facultative human pathogen, and a major cause of nosocomial infections and severe chronic infections in endocarditis and in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Calcium (Ca2+) accumulates in pulmonary fluids of CF patients, and plays a role in the hyperinflammatory response to bacterial infection. Earlier we showed that P. aeruginosa responds to increased Ca2+ levels, primarily through the increased production of secreted virulence factors. Here we describe the role of putative Ca2+-binding protein, with an EF-hand domain, PA4107 (EfhP), in this response. Deletion mutations of efhP were generated in P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 and CF pulmonary isolate, strain FRD1. The lack of EfhP abolished the ability of P. aeruginosa PAO1 to maintain intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Quantitative high-resolution 2D-PAGE showed that the efhP deletion also affected the proteomes of both strains during growth with added Ca2+. The greatest proteome effects occurred when the pulmonary isolate was cultured in biofilms. Among the proteins that were significantly less abundant or absent in the mutant strains were proteins involved in iron acquisition, biosynthesis of pyocyanin, proteases, and stress response proteins. In support, the phenotypic responses of FRD1 ΔefhP showed that the mutant strain lost its ability to produce pyocyanin, developed less biofilm, and had decreased resistance to oxidative stress (H2O2) when cultured at high [Ca2+]. Furthermore, the mutant strain was unable to produce alginate when grown at high [Ca2+] and no iron. The effect of the ΔefhP mutations on virulence was determined in a lettuce model of infection. Growth of wild-type P. aeruginosa strains at high [Ca2+] causes an increased area of disease. In contrast, the lack of efhP prevented this Ca2+-induced increase in the diseased zone. The results indicate that EfhP is important for Ca2+ homeostasis and virulence of P. aeruginosa when it encounters host environments with high [Ca2+].
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana A. Sarkisova
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Shalaka R. Lotlikar
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Manita Guragain
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Ryan Kubat
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - John Cloud
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Franklin
- Department of Microbiology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Marianna A. Patrauchan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
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49
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Li Y, Petrova OE, Su S, Lau GW, Panmanee W, Na R, Hassett DJ, Davies DG, Sauer K. BdlA, DipA and induced dispersion contribute to acute virulence and chronic persistence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004168. [PMID: 24901523 PMCID: PMC4047105 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is capable of causing both acute and chronic infections. Differences in virulence are attributable to the mode of growth: bacteria growing planktonically cause acute infections, while bacteria growing in matrix-enclosed aggregates known as biofilms are associated with chronic, persistent infections. While the contribution of the planktonic and biofilm modes of growth to virulence is now widely accepted, little is known about the role of dispersion in virulence, the active process by which biofilm bacteria switch back to the planktonic mode of growth. Here, we demonstrate that P. aeruginosa dispersed cells display a virulence phenotype distinct from those of planktonic and biofilm cells. While the highest activity of cytotoxic and degradative enzymes capable of breaking down polymeric matrix components was detected in supernatants of planktonic cells, the enzymatic activity of dispersed cell supernatants was similar to that of biofilm supernatants. Supernatants of non-dispersing ΔbdlA biofilms were characterized by a lack of many of the degradative activities. Expression of genes contributing to the virulence of P. aeruginosa was nearly 30-fold reduced in biofilm cells relative to planktonic cells. Gene expression analysis indicated dispersed cells, while dispersing from a biofilm and returning to the single cell lifestyle, to be distinct from both biofilm and planktonic cells, with virulence transcript levels being reduced up to 150-fold compared to planktonic cells. In contrast, virulence gene transcript levels were significantly increased in non-dispersing ΔbdlA and ΔdipA biofilms compared to wild-type planktonic cells. Despite this, bdlA and dipA inactivation, resulting in an inability to disperse in vitro, correlated with reduced pathogenicity and competitiveness in cross-phylum acute virulence models. In contrast, bdlA inactivation rendered P. aeruginosa more persistent upon chronic colonization of the murine lung, overall indicating that dispersion may contribute to both acute and chronic infections. Pathogenic bacteria, including the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, can cause acute and chronic infections. The difference in these infection modes can be explained by how bacteria grow. Acute infections occur when individual bacteria rapidly replicate, produce high levels of virulence factors, and disseminate from the nidus of infection. Chronic infections occur when bacteria adhere to tissue or implanted medical devices and form multi-cellular, matrix-encased aggregates known as biofilms. The acute-to-chronic infection switch occurs when bacteria transition from planktonic to biofilm growth. However, the contribution of dispersion, the process by which bacteria leave a biofilm to return to planktonic growth, remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that, while having left a biofilm, dispersed cells are distinct from planktonic cells with respect to gene expression, release of matrix-degrading enzymes, and pathogenicity. We found that a mutant impaired in nutrient-induced dispersion, while enhancing chronic infections, is impaired in mounting acute infections in both plant and mouse hosts. Overall, this work establishes that dispersed cells have a unique virulence phenotype, with nutrient-induced dispersion not only serving as an integral part of both acute and chronic infections but also as a potential mechanism of infection control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, United States of America
| | - Olga E. Petrova
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, United States of America
| | - Shengchang Su
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Gee W. Lau
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Warunya Panmanee
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Renuka Na
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Daniel J. Hassett
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - David G. Davies
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, United States of America
| | - Karin Sauer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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50
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Baldini RL, Starkey M, Rahme LG. Assessing Pseudomonas virulence with the nonmammalian host model: Arabidopsis thaliana. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1149:689-697. [PMID: 24818943 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0473-0_53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The popular plant model, Arabidopsis thaliana, has been used to successfully identify novel Pseudomonas aeruginosa genes that are involved in virulence. These genes have also been shown to be important for mammalian infection, demonstrating that this bacterium has a conserved set of virulence factors with broad range. This chapter describes using A. thaliana as a plant model for P. aeruginosa infection and describes obtaining the plants, preparing the inoculum, infecting the leaves, and collecting and interpreting the data. This protocol allows for both a qualitative assessment of symptoms and a quantitative measurement of the bacterial growth inside the leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina L Baldini
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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