1
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Yee WX, Elsener T, Cehovin A, Maiden MCJ, Tang CM. Evolution and exchange of plasmids in pathogenic Neisseria. mSphere 2023; 8:e0044123. [PMID: 37850911 PMCID: PMC10732060 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00441-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a major influence in driving the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in many bacteria. A conjugative plasmid which is widespread in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, pConj, prevented the use of tetracycline/doxycycline for treating gonococcal infection. Here, we show that pConj evolved in the related pathogen, Neisseria meningitidis, and has been acquired by the gonococcus from the meningococcus on multiple occasions. Following its initial acquisition, pConj spread to different gonococcal lineages; changes in the plasmid's conjugation machinery associated with another transfer event limit spread in the gonococcal populations. Our findings have important implications for the use of doxycycline to prevent bacterial sexually transmitted disease which is likely to exacerbate the spread of AMR through HGT in pathogenic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wearn-Xin Yee
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tabea Elsener
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Cehovin
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Christoph M. Tang
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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2
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Hu M, Miao M, Li K, Luan Q, Sun G, Zhang T. Human milk oligosaccharide lacto-N-tetraose: Physiological functions and synthesis methods. Carbohydr Polym 2023; 316:121067. [PMID: 37321746 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) have attracted considerable attention due to their unique role in boosting infant health. Among the HMOs, lacto-N-tetraose (LNT) is a significant constituent associated with various health benefits, such as prebiotic effects, antiadhesive antimicrobials, antiviral protection, and immune modulators. LNT has received a "Generally Recognized as Safe" status by the American Food and Drug Administration and was approved as a food ingredient for infant formula. However, the limited availability of LNT poses a major challenge for its application in food and medicine. In this review, we first explored the physiological functions of LNT. Next, we describe several synthesis methods for production of LNT, including chemical, enzymatic, and cell factory approaches, and summarize the pivotal research results. Finally, challenges and opportunities for the large-scale synthesis of LNT were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Ming Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Kewen Li
- Baolingbao Biology Co., Ltd., Yucheng, Shandong 251200, China
| | - Qingmin Luan
- Baolingbao Biology Co., Ltd., Yucheng, Shandong 251200, China
| | - Guilian Sun
- Baolingbao Biology Co., Ltd., Yucheng, Shandong 251200, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
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3
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Yee WX, Yasir M, Turner AK, Baker DJ, Cehovin A, Tang CM. Evolution, persistence, and host adaption of a gonococcal AMR plasmid that emerged in the pre-antibiotic era. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010743. [PMID: 37186602 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmids are diverse extrachromosomal elements significantly contributing to interspecies dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. However, within clinically important bacteria, plasmids can exhibit unexpected narrow host ranges, a phenomenon that has scarcely been examined. Here we show that pConj is largely restricted to the human-specific pathogen, Neisseria gonorrhoeae. pConj can confer tetracycline resistance and is central to the dissemination of other AMR plasmids. We tracked pConj evolution from the pre-antibiotic era 80 years ago to the modern day and demonstrate that, aside from limited gene acquisition and loss events, pConj is remarkably conserved. Notably, pConj has remained prevalent in gonococcal populations despite cessation of tetracycline use, thereby demonstrating pConj adaptation to its host. Equally, pConj imposes no measurable fitness costs and is stably inherited by the gonococcus. Its maintenance depends on the co-operative activity of plasmid-encoded Toxin:Antitoxin (TA) and partitioning systems rather than host factors. An orphan VapD toxin encoded on pConj forms a split TA with antitoxins expressed from an ancestral co-resident plasmid or a horizontally-acquired chromosomal island, potentially explaining pConj's limited distribution. Finally, ciprofloxacin can induce loss of this highly stable plasmid, reflecting epidemiological evidence of transient local falls in pConj prevalence when fluoroquinolones were introduced to treat gonorrhoea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wearn-Xin Yee
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, OXFORD, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Ana Cehovin
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, OXFORD, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph M Tang
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, OXFORD, United Kingdom
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4
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Walker E, van Niekerk S, Hanning K, Kelton W, Hicks J. Mechanisms of host manipulation by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1119834. [PMID: 36819065 PMCID: PMC9935845 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1119834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae (also known as gonococcus) has been causing gonorrhoea in humans since ancient Egyptian times. Today, global gonorrhoea infections are rising at an alarming rate, in concert with an increasing number of antimicrobial-resistant strains. The gonococcus has concurrently evolved several intricate mechanisms that promote pathogenesis by evading both host immunity and defeating common therapeutic interventions. Central to these adaptations is the ability of the gonococcus to manipulate various host microenvironments upon infection. For example, the gonococcus can survive within neutrophils through direct regulation of both the oxidative burst response and maturation of the phagosome; a concerning trait given the important role neutrophils have in defending against invading pathogens. Hence, a detailed understanding of how N. gonorrhoeae exploits the human host to establish and maintain infection is crucial for combating this pathogen. This review summarizes the mechanisms behind host manipulation, with a central focus on the exploitation of host epithelial cell signaling to promote colonization and invasion of the epithelial lining, the modulation of the host immune response to evade both innate and adaptive defenses, and the manipulation of host cell death pathways to both assist colonization and combat antimicrobial activities of innate immune cells. Collectively, these pathways act in concert to enable N. gonorrhoeae to colonize and invade a wide array of host tissues, both establishing and disseminating gonococcal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Walker
- Te Huataki Waiora, School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Stacy van Niekerk
- Te Huataki Waiora, School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Kyrin Hanning
- Te Huataki Waiora, School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - William Kelton
- Te Huataki Waiora, School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand,Te Aka Mātuatua School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Joanna Hicks
- Te Huataki Waiora, School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand,*Correspondence: Joanna Hicks,
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5
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Dave N, Albiheyri RS, Wanford JJ, Green LR, Oldfield NJ, Turner DPJ, Martinez-Pomares L, Bayliss CD. Variable disruption of epithelial monolayers by Neisseria meningitidis carriage isolates of the hypervirulent MenW cc11 and MenY cc23 lineages. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169. [PMID: 36821361 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Colonization of mucosal tissues by Neisseria meningitidis requires adhesion mediated by the type IV pilus and multiple outer-membrane proteins. Penetration of the mucosa and invasion of epithelial cells are thought to contribute to host persistence and invasive disease. Using Calu-3 cell monolayers grown at an air-liquid interface, we examined adhesion, invasion and monolayer disruption by carriage isolates of two clonal complexes of N. meningitidis. Carriage isolates of both the serogroup Y cc23 and the hypervirulent serogroup W cc11 lineages exhibited high levels of cellular adhesion, and a variable disruption phenotype across independent isolates. Inactivation of the gene encoding the main pilus sub-unit in multiple cc11 isolates abrogated both adhesive capacity and ability to disrupt epithelial monolayers. Contrastingly, inactivation of the phase-variable opa or nadA genes reduced adhesion and invasion, but not disruption of monolayer integrity. Adherence of tissue-disruptive meningococci correlated with loss of staining for the tight junction protein, occludin. Intriguingly, in a pilus-negative strain background, we observed compensatory ON switching of opa genes, which facilitated continued adhesion. We conclude that disruption of epithelial monolayers occurs in multiple meningococcal lineages but can vary during carriage and is intimately linked to pilus-mediated adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neelam Dave
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Raed S Albiheyri
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.,Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Joseph J Wanford
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.,Present address: Department of Infectious Disease, King's College, London, UK
| | - Luke R Green
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.,Present address: Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Neil J Oldfield
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - David P J Turner
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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Talà A, Calcagnile M, Resta SC, Pennetta A, De Benedetto GE, Alifano P. Thiostrepton, a resurging drug inhibiting the stringent response to counteract antibiotic-resistance and expression of virulence determinants in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1104454. [PMID: 36910221 PMCID: PMC9998046 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1104454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the increased resistance to all available antibiotics and the lack of vaccines, Neisseria gonorrhoeae (the gonococcus) poses an urgent threat. Although the mechanisms of virulence and antibiotic resistance have been largely investigated in this bacterium, very few studies have addressed the stringent response (SR) that in pathogenic bacteria controls the expression of genes involved in host-pathogen interaction and tolerance and persistence toward antibiotics. In this study, the results of the transcriptome analysis of a clinical isolate of N. gonorrhoeae, after induction of the SR by serine hydroxamate, provided us with an accurate list of genes that are transcriptionally modulated during the SR. The list includes genes associated with metabolism, cellular machine functions, host-pathogen interaction, genome plasticity, and antibiotic tolerance and persistence. Moreover, we found that the artificial induction of the SR in N. gonorrhoeae by serine hydroxamate is prevented by thiostrepton, a thiopeptide antibiotic that is known to interact with ribosomal protein L11, thereby inhibiting functions of EF-Tu and EF-G, and binding of pppGpp synthase I (RelA) to ribosome upon entry of uncharged tRNA. We found that N. gonorrhoeae is highly sensitive to thiostrepton under in vitro conditions, and that thiostrepton, in contrast to other antibiotics, does not induce tolerance or persistence. Finally, we observed that thiostrepton attenuated the expression of key genes involved in the host-pathogen interaction. These properties make thiostrepton a good drug candidate for dampening bacterial virulence and preventing antibiotic tolerance and persistence. The ongoing challenge is to increase the bioavailability of thiostrepton through the use of chemistry and nanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelfia Talà
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Matteo Calcagnile
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Silvia Caterina Resta
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Antonio Pennetta
- Laboratory of Analytical and Isotopic Mass Spectrometry, Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Egidio De Benedetto
- Laboratory of Analytical and Isotopic Mass Spectrometry, Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Pietro Alifano
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
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7
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Greenawalt AN, Stoudenmire J, Lundquist K, Noinaj N, Gumbart JC, Cornelissen CN. Point Mutations in TbpA Abrogate Human Transferrin Binding in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0041422. [PMID: 36321833 PMCID: PMC9670983 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00414-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
TonB-dependent transporters (TDTs) are essential proteins for metal acquisition, an important step in the growth and pathogenesis of many pathogens, including Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhea. There is currently no available vaccine for gonorrhea; TDTs are being investigated as vaccine candidates because they are highly conserved and expressed in vivo. Transferrin binding protein A (TbpA) is an essential virulence factor in the initiation of experimental infection in human males and functions by acquiring iron upon binding to host transferrin (human transferrin [hTf]). The loop 3 helix (L3H) is a helix finger that inserts into the hTf C-lobe and is required for hTf binding and subsequent iron acquisition. This study identified and characterized the first TbpA single-point substitutions resulting in significantly decreased hTf binding and iron acquisition, suggesting that the helix structure is more important than charge for hTf binding and utilization. The tbpA D355P ΔtbpB and tbpA A356P ΔtbpB mutants demonstrated significantly reduced hTf binding and impaired iron uptake from Fe-loaded hTf; however, only the tbpA A356P ΔtbpB mutant was able to grow when hTf was the sole source of iron. The expression of tbpB was able to restore function in all tbpA mutants. These results implicate both D355 and A356 in the key binding, extraction, and uptake functions of gonococcal TbpA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Nicole Greenawalt
- Center for Translational Immunology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Julie Stoudenmire
- Center for Translational Immunology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Karl Lundquist
- Markey Center for Structural Biology, Department of Biological Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Nicholas Noinaj
- Markey Center for Structural Biology, Department of Biological Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - James C. Gumbart
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Cynthia Nau Cornelissen
- Center for Translational Immunology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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8
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Corcoran JA, Napier BA. C3aR plays both sides in regulating resistance to bacterial infections. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010657. [PMID: 35925892 PMCID: PMC9352106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of the complement pathway results in the production of bioactive C3a, a product of C3 cleavage, which interacts with membrane-bound receptor C3aR to regulate innate immune cell function and outcome of bacterial infection. Specifically, previous research has identified mechanistically distinct and cell type–specific roles for C3aR in regulating innate immune cell inflammatory state, antimicrobial killing capacity, and metabolism. Historically, the production of C3a has been relegated to the serum; however, recent studies have provided evidence that various cell types can produce intracellular C3a that stimulates intracellular C3aR. In light of these new results, it is imperative that we revisit previous studies regarding the role of C3aR in controlling bacterial infections and analyze these results in the context of both extracellular and intracellular C3a production and C3aR activation. Thus, this review will cover specific roles of C3aR in driving cell type–specific and tissue specific responses during bacterial infections and emphasize the contribution of the C3a–C3aR axis in regulating host resistance to bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse A. Corcoran
- Department of Biology and Center for Life in Extreme Environments, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Brooke A. Napier
- Department of Biology and Center for Life in Extreme Environments, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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9
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The source of carbon and nitrogen differentially affects the survival of Neisseria meningitidis in macrophages and epithelial cells. Arch Microbiol 2022; 204:404. [PMID: 35723778 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-022-03037-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis is a commensal of human nasopharynx which under certain unidentified conditions could lead to fulminant meningitis or sepsis. Availability of nutrients is essential for bacterial growth and virulence. The metabolic adaptations allow N. meningitidis to utilize host resources, colonize and cause virulence functions which are a crucial for the invasive infection. During colonization meningococci encounters a range of microenvironments involving fluctuations in the availability of carbon and nitrogen source. Therefore, the characterization of virulence factors of N. meningitidis under different microenvironmental conditions is a prime requisite to understand pathogenesis; however, the role of nutrients is not well understood. Here, we explore the expression of virulence phenotype leading to symptomatic behaviour as affected by available carbon and nitrogen sources. We evaluate the effect of carbon or nitrogen source on growth, adhesion to epithelial cells, macrophage infectivity, capsule formation and virulence gene expression of N. meningitidis. It was found that lactate, pyruvate, and acetate facilitate survival of N. meningitidis in macrophages. While in epithelial cells, the survival of N. meningitidis is negatively affected by the presence of lactate and pyruvate.
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10
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Mikucki A, McCluskey NR, Kahler CM. The Host-Pathogen Interactions and Epicellular Lifestyle of Neisseria meningitidis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:862935. [PMID: 35531336 PMCID: PMC9072670 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.862935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis is a gram-negative diplococcus and a transient commensal of the human nasopharynx. It shares and competes for this niche with a number of other Neisseria species including N. lactamica, N. cinerea and N. mucosa. Unlike these other members of the genus, N. meningitidis may become invasive, crossing the epithelium of the nasopharynx and entering the bloodstream, where it rapidly proliferates causing a syndrome known as Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD). IMD progresses rapidly to cause septic shock and meningitis and is often fatal despite aggressive antibiotic therapy. While many of the ways in which meningococci survive in the host environment have been well studied, recent insights into the interactions between N. meningitidis and the epithelial, serum, and endothelial environments have expanded our understanding of how IMD develops. This review seeks to incorporate recent work into the established model of pathogenesis. In particular, we focus on the competition that N. meningitidis faces in the nasopharynx from other Neisseria species, and how the genetic diversity of the meningococcus contributes to the wide range of inflammatory and pathogenic potentials observed among different lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- August Mikucki
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Nicolie R. McCluskey
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Telethon Kids Institute, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Charlene M. Kahler
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- *Correspondence: Charlene M. Kahler,
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11
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Borghi S, Antunes A, Haag AF, Spinsanti M, Brignoli T, Ndoni E, Scarlato V, Delany I. Multilayer Regulation of Neisseria meningitidis NHBA at Physiologically Relevant Temperatures. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10040834. [PMID: 35456883 PMCID: PMC9031163 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10040834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis colonizes the nasopharynx of humans, and pathogenic strains can disseminate into the bloodstream, causing septicemia and meningitis. NHBA is a surface-exposed lipoprotein expressed by all N. meningitidis strains in different isoforms. Diverse roles have been reported for NHBA in heparin-mediated serum resistance, biofilm formation, and adherence to host tissues. We determined that temperature controls the expression of NHBA in all strains tested, with increased levels at 30−32 °C compared to 37 °C. Higher NHBA expression at lower temperatures was measurable both at mRNA and protein levels, resulting in higher surface exposure. Detailed molecular analysis indicated that multiple molecular mechanisms are responsible for the thermoregulated NHBA expression. The comparison of mRNA steady-state levels and half-lives at 30 °C and 37 °C demonstrated an increased mRNA stability/translatability at lower temperatures. Protein stability was also impacted, resulting in higher NHBA stability at lower temperatures. Ultimately, increased NHBA expression resulted in higher susceptibility to complement-mediated killing. We propose that NHBA regulation in response to temperature downshift might be physiologically relevant during transmission and the initial step(s) of interaction within the host nasopharynx. Together these data describe the importance of NHBA both as a virulence factor and as a vaccine antigen during neisserial colonization and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Borghi
- Immune Monitoring Laboratory, NYU Langone Health, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA;
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Vaccines, 53100 Siena, Italy;
| | - Ana Antunes
- MabDesign, 69007 Lyon, France;
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Vaccines, 53100 Siena, Italy;
| | - Andreas F. Haag
- School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, North-Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9TF, UK;
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Vaccines, 53100 Siena, Italy;
| | | | - Tarcisio Brignoli
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TH, UK;
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Vaccines, 53100 Siena, Italy;
| | - Enea Ndoni
- Lonza Group AG, 4057 Basel, Switzerland;
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Vaccines, 53100 Siena, Italy;
| | - Vincenzo Scarlato
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Isabel Delany
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Vaccines, 53100 Siena, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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12
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Abstract
The noncanonical structures, G-quadruplexes (GQs), formed in the guanine-rich region of nucleic acids regulate various biological and molecular functions in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Neisseria meningitidis is a commensal residing in a human's upper respiratory tract but occasionally becomes virulent, causing life-threatening septicemia and meningitis. The factors causing these changes in phenotypes are not fully understood. At the molecular level, regulatory components help in a clearer understanding of the pathogen's virulence and pathogenesis. Herein, genome analysis followed by biophysical assays and cell-based experiments revealed the presence of conserved GQ motifs in N. meningitidis. These GQs are linked to the essential genes involved in cell adhesion, pathogenesis, virulence, transport, DNA repair, and recombination. Primer extension stop assay, reporter assays, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) further affirmed the formation of stable GQs in vitro and in vivo. These results support the existence of evolutionarily conserved GQ motifs in N. meningitidis and uphold the usage of GQ-specific ligands as novel antimeningococcal therapeutics.
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13
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Jiao M, Li W, Yu Y, Yu Y. Anisotropic presentation of ligands on cargos modulates degradative function of phagosomes. BIOPHYSICAL REPORTS 2022; 2:100041. [PMID: 35382229 PMCID: PMC8978551 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpr.2021.100041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Anisotropic arrangement of cell wall components is ubiquitous among bacteria and fungi, but how such functional anisotropy affects interactions between microbes and host immune cells is not known. Here we address this question with regard to phagosome maturation, the process used by host immune cells to degrade internalized microbes. We developed two-faced microparticles as model pathogens that display ligands on only one hemisphere and simultaneously function as fluorogenic sensors for probing biochemical reactions inside phagosomes during degradation. The fluorescent indicator on just one hemisphere gives the particle sensors a moon-like appearance. We show that anisotropic presentation of ligands on particles delays the start of acidification and proteolysis in phagosomes, but does not affect their degradative capacity. Our work suggests that the spatial presentation of ligands on pathogens plays a critical role in modulating the degradation process in phagosomes during host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengchi Jiao
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - Wenqian Li
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - Yanqi Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - Yan Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
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14
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Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an obligate human pathogen that is the cause of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea. Recently, there has been a surge in gonorrhoea cases that has been exacerbated by the rapid rise in gonococcal multidrug resistance to all useful antimicrobials resulting in this organism becoming a significant public health burden. Therefore, there is a clear and present need to understand the organism's biology through its physiology and pathogenesis to help develop new intervention strategies. The gonococcus initially colonises and adheres to host mucosal surfaces utilising a type IV pilus that helps with microcolony formation. Other adhesion strategies include the porin, PorB, and the phase variable outer membrane protein Opa. The gonococcus is able to subvert complement mediated killing and opsonisation by sialylation of its lipooligosaccharide and deploys a series of anti-phagocytic mechanisms. N. gonorrhoeae is a fastidious organism that is able to grow on a limited number of primary carbon sources such as glucose and lactate. The utilization of lactate by the gonococcus has been implicated in a number of pathogenicity mechanisms. The bacterium lives mainly in microaerobic environments and can grow both aerobically and anaerobically with the aid of nitrite. The gonococcus does not produce siderophores for scavenging iron but can utilize some produced by other bacteria, and it is able to successful chelate iron from host haem, transferrin and lactoferrin. The gonococcus is an incredibly versatile human pathogen; in the following chapter, we detail the intricate mechanisms used by the bacterium to invade and survive within the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke R Green
- Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Joby Cole
- Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Ernesto Feliz Diaz Parga
- Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan G Shaw
- Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
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15
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Wassing GM, Lidberg K, Sigurlásdóttir S, Frey J, Schroeder K, Ilehag N, Lindås AC, Jonas K, Jonsson AB. DNA Blocks the Lethal Effect of Human Beta-Defensin 2 Against Neisseria meningitidis. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:697232. [PMID: 34276631 PMCID: PMC8278289 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.697232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis is a gram-negative bacterium that often asymptomatically colonizes the human nasopharyngeal tract. These bacteria cross the epithelial barrier can cause life-threatening sepsis and/or meningitis. Antimicrobial peptides are one of the first lines of defense against invading bacterial pathogens. Human beta-defensin 2 (hBD2) is an antimicrobial peptide with broad antibacterial activity, although its mechanism of action is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effect of hBD2 on N. meningitidis. We showed that hBD2 binds to and kills actively growing meningococcal cells. The lethal effect was evident after 2 h incubation with the peptide, which suggests a slow killing mechanism. Further, the membrane integrity was not changed during hBD2 treatment. Incubation with lethal doses of hBD2 decreased the presence of diplococci; the number and size of bacterial microcolonies/aggregates remained constant, indicating that planktonic bacteria may be more susceptible to the peptide. Meningococcal DNA bound hBD2 in mobility shift assays and inhibited the lethal effect of hBD2 in a dose-dependent manner both in suspension and biofilms, supporting the interaction between hBD2 and DNA. Taken together, the ability of meningococcal DNA to bind hBD2 opens the possibility that extracellular DNA due to bacterial lysis may be a means of N. meningitidis to evade immune defenses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela M Wassing
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kenny Lidberg
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara Sigurlásdóttir
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas Frey
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kristen Schroeder
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nathalie Ilehag
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ann-Christin Lindås
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kristina Jonas
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ann-Beth Jonsson
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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16
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Bartsch A, Ives CM, Kattner C, Pein F, Diehn M, Tanabe M, Munk A, Zachariae U, Steinem C, Llabrés S. An antibiotic-resistance conferring mutation in a neisserial porin: Structure, ion flux, and ampicillin binding. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2021; 1863:183601. [PMID: 33675718 PMCID: PMC8047873 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria cause the majority of highly drug-resistant bacterial infections. To cross the outer membrane of the complex Gram-negative cell envelope, antibiotics permeate through porins, trimeric channel proteins that enable the exchange of small polar molecules. Mutations in porins contribute to the development of drug-resistant phenotypes. In this work, we show that a single point mutation in the porin PorB from Neisseria meningitidis, the causative agent of bacterial meningitis, can strongly affect the binding and permeation of beta-lactam antibiotics. Using X-ray crystallography, high-resolution electrophysiology, atomistic biomolecular simulation, and liposome swelling experiments, we demonstrate differences in drug binding affinity, ion selectivity and drug permeability of PorB. Our work further reveals distinct interactions between the transversal electric field in the porin eyelet and the zwitterionic drugs, which manifest themselves under applied electric fields in electrophysiology and are altered by the mutation. These observations may apply more broadly to drug-porin interactions in other channels. Our results improve the molecular understanding of porin-based drug-resistance in Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Bartsch
- Institute of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstraße 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Callum M Ives
- Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Christof Kattner
- ZIK HALOmem, Membrane Protein Biochemistry, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes Straße 3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Florian Pein
- Institute for Mathematical Stochastics, University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstraße 7, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Manuel Diehn
- Institute for Mathematical Stochastics, University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstraße 7, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mikio Tanabe
- Institute of Materials Structure Science, Structural Biology Research Center, KEK/High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan
| | - Axel Munk
- Institute for Mathematical Stochastics, University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstraße 7, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Zachariae
- Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK; Physics, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Nethergate, Dundee DD1 4NH, UK.
| | - Claudia Steinem
- Institute of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstraße 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Am Fassberg 17, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Salomé Llabrés
- Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK.
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17
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Analysis of patchclamp recordings: model-free multiscale methods and software. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2021; 50:187-209. [PMID: 33837454 PMCID: PMC8071803 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-021-01506-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Analysis of patchclamp recordings is often a challenging issue. We give practical guidance how such recordings can be analyzed using the model-free multiscale idealization methodology JSMURF, JULES, and HILDE. We provide an operational manual how to use the accompanying software available as an R-package and as a graphical user interface. This includes selection of the right approach and tuning of parameters. We also discuss advantages and disadvantages of model-free approaches in comparison to hidden Markov model approaches and explain how they complement each other.
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18
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Peters S, Kaiser L, Fink J, Schumacher F, Perschin V, Schlegel J, Sauer M, Stigloher C, Kleuser B, Seibel J, Schubert-Unkmeir A. Click-correlative light and electron microscopy (click-AT-CLEM) for imaging and tracking azido-functionalized sphingolipids in bacteria. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4300. [PMID: 33619350 PMCID: PMC7900124 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83813-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids, including ceramides, are a diverse group of structurally related lipids composed of a sphingoid base backbone coupled to a fatty acid side chain and modified terminal hydroxyl group. Recently, it has been shown that sphingolipids show antimicrobial activity against a broad range of pathogenic microorganisms. The antimicrobial mechanism, however, remains so far elusive. Here, we introduce ‘click-AT-CLEM’, a labeling technique for correlated light and electron microscopy (CLEM) based on the super-resolution array tomography (srAT) approach and bio-orthogonal click chemistry for imaging of azido-tagged sphingolipids to directly visualize their interaction with the model Gram-negative bacterium Neisseria meningitidis at subcellular level. We observed ultrastructural damage of bacteria and disruption of the bacterial outer membrane induced by two azido-modified sphingolipids by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Click-AT-CLEM imaging and mass spectrometry clearly revealed efficient incorporation of azido-tagged sphingolipids into the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria as underlying cause of their antimicrobial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Peters
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Julius-Maximilian University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Lena Kaiser
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Julius-Maximilian University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Julian Fink
- Institute for Organic Chemistry, Julius-Maximilian University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Schumacher
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Toxicology, University of Potsdam, Nuthetal, Germany.,Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Veronika Perschin
- Imaging Core Facility, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilian University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Jan Schlegel
- Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilian University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Sauer
- Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilian University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Stigloher
- Imaging Core Facility, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilian University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Burkhard Kleuser
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Toxicology, University of Potsdam, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Jürgen Seibel
- Institute for Organic Chemistry, Julius-Maximilian University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
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19
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Jula Vanegas L, Behr M, Munk A. Multiscale Quantile Segmentation. J Am Stat Assoc 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/01621459.2020.1859380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Jula Vanegas
- Institute for Mathematical Stochastics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Merle Behr
- Department of Statistics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Axel Munk
- Institute for Mathematical Stochastics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany;
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
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20
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Mashbat B, Bellos E, Hodeib S, Bidmos F, Thwaites RS, Lu Y, Wright VJ, Herberg JA, Klobassa DS, Zenz W, Hansel TT, Nadel S, Langford PR, Schlapbach LJ, Li MS, Redinbo MR, Di YP, Levin M, Sancho-Shimizu V. A Rare Mutation in SPLUNC1 Affects Bacterial Adherence and Invasion in Meningococcal Disease. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 70:2045-2053. [PMID: 31504285 PMCID: PMC7201419 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) is a nasopharyngeal commensal carried by healthy individuals. However, invasive infections occurs in a minority of individuals, with devastating consequences. There is evidence that common polymorphisms are associated with invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), but the contributions of rare variants other than those in the complement system have not been determined. Methods We identified familial cases of IMD in the UK meningococcal disease study and the European Union Life-Threatening Infectious Disease Study. Candidate genetic variants were identified by whole-exome sequencing of 2 patients with familial IMD. Candidate variants were further validated by in vitro assays. Results Exomes of 2 siblings with IMD identified a novel heterozygous missense mutation in BPIFA1/SPLUNC1. Sequencing of 186 other nonfamilial cases identified another unrelated IMD patient with the same mutation. SPLUNC1 is an innate immune defense protein expressed in the nasopharyngeal epithelia; however, its role in invasive infections is unknown. In vitro assays demonstrated that recombinant SPLUNC1 protein inhibits biofilm formation by Nm, and impedes Nm adhesion and invasion of human airway cells. The dominant negative mutant recombinant SPLUNC1 (p.G22E) showed reduced antibiofilm activity, increased meningococcal adhesion, and increased invasion of cells, compared with wild-type SPLUNC1. Conclusions A mutation in SPLUNC1 affecting mucosal attachment, biofilm formation, and invasion of mucosal epithelial cells is a new genetic cause of meningococcal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bayarchimeg Mashbat
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, United Kingdom
| | - Evangelos Bellos
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Hodeib
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, United Kingdom
| | - Fadil Bidmos
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan S Thwaites
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Yaxuan Lu
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria J Wright
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, United Kingdom
| | - Jethro A Herberg
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, United Kingdom
| | - Daniela S Klobassa
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescence Surgery, Division of General Pediatric Surgery, Medical University Graz, Austria
| | - Werner Zenz
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescence Surgery, Division of General Pediatric Surgery, Medical University Graz, Austria
| | - Trevor T Hansel
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Nadel
- Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, St. Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul R Langford
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, United Kingdom
| | - Luregn J Schlapbach
- Faculty of Medicine Brisbane, The University of Queensland Brisbane, Australia.,Paediatric Critical Care Research Group, The University of Queensland Brisbane, Australia.,Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, Children's Health Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,Department of Pediatrics, Bern University Hospital, Inselspital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ming-Shi Li
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew R Redinbo
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
| | - Y Peter Di
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael Levin
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, United Kingdom
| | - Vanessa Sancho-Shimizu
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, United Kingdom
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21
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Pein F, Bartsch A, Steinem C, Munk A. Heterogeneous Idealization of Ion Channel Recordings - Open Channel Noise. IEEE Trans Nanobioscience 2020; 20:57-78. [PMID: 33052850 DOI: 10.1109/tnb.2020.3031202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We propose a new model-free segmentation method for idealizing ion channel recordings. This method is designed to deal with heterogeneity of measurement errors. This in particular applies to open channel noise which, in general, is particularly difficult to cope with for model-free approaches. Our methodology is able to deal with lowpass filtered data which provides a further computational challenge. To this end we propose a multiresolution testing approach, combined with local deconvolution to resolve the lowpass filter. Simulations and statistical theory confirm that the proposed idealization recovers the underlying signal very accurately at presence of heterogeneous noise, even when events are shorter than the filter length. The method is compared to existing approaches in computer experiments and on real data. We find that it is the only one which allows to identify openings of the PorB porine at two different temporal scales. An implementation is available as an R package.
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22
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Binepal G, Mabanglo MF, Goodreid JD, Leung E, Barghash MM, Wong KS, Lin F, Cossette M, Bansagi J, Song B, Balasco Serrão VH, Pai EF, Batey RA, Gray-Owen SD, Houry WA. Development of Antibiotics That Dysregulate the Neisserial ClpP Protease. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:3224-3236. [PMID: 33237740 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Evolving antimicrobial resistance has motivated the search for novel targets and alternative therapies. Caseinolytic protease (ClpP) has emerged as an enticing new target since its function is conserved and essential for bacterial fitness, and because its inhibition or dysregulation leads to bacterial cell death. ClpP protease function controls global protein homeostasis and is, therefore, crucial for the maintenance of the bacterial proteome during growth and infection. Previously, acyldepsipeptides (ADEPs) were discovered to dysregulate ClpP, leading to bactericidal activity against both actively growing and dormant Gram-positive pathogens. Unfortunately, these compounds had very low efficacy against Gram-negative bacteria. Hence, we sought to develop non-ADEP ClpP-targeting compounds with activity against Gram-negative species and called these activators of self-compartmentalizing proteases (ACPs). These ACPs bind and dysregulate ClpP in a manner similar to ADEPs, effectively digesting bacteria from the inside out. Here, we performed further ACP derivatization and testing to improve the efficacy and breadth of coverage of selected ACPs against Gram-negative bacteria. We observed that a diverse collection of Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae clinical isolates were exquisitely sensitive to these ACP analogues. Furthermore, based on the ACP-ClpP cocrystal structure solved here, we demonstrate that ACPs could be designed to be species specific. This validates the feasibility of drug-based targeting of ClpP in Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gursonika Binepal
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Mark F. Mabanglo
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Jordan D. Goodreid
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Elisa Leung
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Marim M. Barghash
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Keith S. Wong
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Funing Lin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Michele Cossette
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Jazmin Bansagi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Boxi Song
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Vitor Hugo Balasco Serrão
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Emil F. Pai
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Robert A. Batey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Scott D. Gray-Owen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Walid A. Houry
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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23
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Azimi S, Wheldon LM, Oldfield NJ, Ala'Aldeen DAA, Wooldridge KG. A role for fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 in the pathogenesis of Neisseria meningitidis. Microb Pathog 2020; 149:104534. [PMID: 33045339 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis (the meningococcus) remains an important cause of human disease, including meningitis and sepsis. Adaptation to the host environment includes many interactions with specific cell surface receptors, resulting in intracellular signalling and cytoskeletal rearrangements that contribute to pathogenesis. Here, we assessed the interactions between meningococci and Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1-IIIc (FGFR1-IIIc): a receptor specific to endothelial cells of the microvasculature, including that of the blood-brain barrier. We show that the meningococcus recruits FGFR1-IIIc onto the surface of human blood microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). Furthermore, we demonstrate that expression of FGFR1-IIIc is required for optimal invasion of HBMECs by meningococci. We show that the ability of N. meningitidis to interact with the ligand-binding domain of FGFR1-IIIc is shared with the other pathogenic Neisseria species, N. gonorrhoeae, but not with commensal bacteria including non-pathogenic Neisseria species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheyda Azimi
- Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK
| | - Lee M Wheldon
- Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK
| | - Neil J Oldfield
- Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK
| | - Dlawer A A Ala'Aldeen
- Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK
| | - Karl G Wooldridge
- Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK.
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24
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Takahashi H, Dohmae N, Kim KS, Shimuta K, Ohnishi M, Yokoyama S, Yanagisawa T. Genetic incorporation of non-canonical amino acid photocrosslinkers in Neisseria meningitidis: New method provides insights into the physiological function of the function-unknown NMB1345 protein. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237883. [PMID: 32866169 PMCID: PMC7458321 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Although whole-genome sequencing has provided novel insights into Neisseria meningitidis, many open reading frames have only been annotated as hypothetical proteins with unknown biological functions. Our previous genetic analyses revealed that the hypothetical protein, NMB1345, plays a crucial role in meningococcal infection in human brain microvascular endothelial cells; however, NMB1345 has no homology to any identified protein in databases and its physiological function could not be elucidated using pre-existing methods. Among the many biological technologies to examine transient protein-protein interaction in vivo, one of the developed methods is genetic code expansion with non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) utilizing a pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNAPyl pair from Methanosarcina species: However, this method has never been applied to assign function-unknown proteins in pathogenic bacteria. In the present study, we developed a new method to genetically incorporate ncAAs-encoded photocrosslinking probes into N. meningitidis by utilizing a pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNAPyl pair and elucidated the biological function(s) of the NMB1345 protein. The results revealed that the NMB1345 protein directly interacts with PilE, a major component of meningococcal pili, and further physicochemical and genetic analyses showed that the interaction between the NMB1345 protein and PilE was important for both functional pilus formation and meningococcal infectious ability in N. meningitidis. The present study using this new methodology for N. meningitidis provides novel insights into meningococcal pathogenesis by assigning the function of a hypothetical protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideyuki Takahashi
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Department of Bacteriology I, Shinjuku-ku, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Naoshi Dohmae
- Biomolecular Characterization Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Kwang Sik Kim
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ken Shimuta
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Department of Bacteriology I, Shinjuku-ku, Japan
| | - Makoto Ohnishi
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Department of Bacteriology I, Shinjuku-ku, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Yokoyama
- RIKEN Structural Biology Laboratory, Yokohama, Japan
- RIKEN Cluster for Science, Technology and Innovation Hub, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Yanagisawa
- RIKEN Structural Biology Laboratory, Yokohama, Japan
- RIKEN Cluster for Science, Technology and Innovation Hub, Yokohama, Japan
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25
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Guvenc F, Kaul R, Gray-Owen SD. Intimate Relations: Molecular and Immunologic Interactions Between Neisseria gonorrhoeae and HIV-1. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1299. [PMID: 32582133 PMCID: PMC7284112 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
While the global incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) remains well above UNAIDS targets, sexual transmission HIV is surprisingly inefficient. A variety of host, viral and environmental factors can either increase HIV-1 shedding in the infected partner and/or increase mucosal susceptibility of the HIV-1 uninfected partner. Clinical and epidemiological studies have clearly established that Neisseria gonorrhoeae substantially enhances HIV-1 transmission, despite it not being an ulcerative infection. This review will consider findings from molecular, immunologic and clinical studies that have focused on each of these two human-restricted pathogens, in order to develop an integrative model that describes how gonococci can both increase mucosal shedding of HIV-1 from a co-infected person and facilitate virus establishment in a susceptible host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Furkan Guvenc
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rupert Kaul
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Infectious Diseases, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Scott D Gray-Owen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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26
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Delbaz A, Chen M, Jen FEC, Schulz BL, Gorse AD, Jennings MP, St John JA, Ekberg JAK. Neisseria meningitidis Induces Pathology-Associated Cellular and Molecular Changes in Trigeminal Schwann Cells. Infect Immun 2020; 88:e00955-19. [PMID: 31964742 PMCID: PMC7093114 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00955-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis, a common cause of sepsis and bacterial meningitis, infects the meninges and central nervous system (CNS), primarily via paracellular traversal across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) or blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. N. meningitidis is often present asymptomatically in the nasopharynx, and the nerves extending between the nasal cavity and the brain constitute an alternative route by which the meningococci may reach the CNS. To date, the cellular mechanisms involved in nerve infection are not fully understood. Peripheral nerve glial cells are phagocytic and are capable of eliminating microorganisms, but some pathogens may be able to overcome this protection mechanism and instead infect the glia, causing cell death or pathology. Here, we show that N. meningitidis readily infects trigeminal Schwann cells (the glial cells of the trigeminal nerve) in vitro in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional cell cultures. Infection of trigeminal Schwann cells may be one mechanism by which N. meningitidis is able to invade the CNS. Infection of the cells led to multinucleation and the appearance of atypical nuclei, with the presence of horseshoe nuclei and the budding of nuclei increasing over time. Using sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra (SWATH-MS) proteomics followed by bioinformatics pathway analysis, we showed that N. meningitidis induced protein alterations in the glia that were associated with altered intercellular signaling, cell-cell interactions, and cellular movement. The analysis also suggested that the alterations in protein levels were consistent with changes occurring in cancer. Thus, infection of the trigeminal nerve by N. meningitidis may have ongoing adverse effects on the biology of Schwann cells, which may lead to pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Delbaz
- Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | - Mo Chen
- Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | - Freda E-C Jen
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | - Benjamin L Schulz
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, the University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Alain-Dominique Gorse
- QFAB Bioinformatics, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - James A St John
- Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | - Jenny A K Ekberg
- Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
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27
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Ceyhan M, Ozsurekci Y, Lucidarme J, Borrow R. Characterization of invasive Neisseria meningitidis isolates recovered from children in Turkey during a period of increased serogroup B disease, 2013-2017. Vaccine 2020; 38:3545-3552. [PMID: 32199701 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Diverse Neisseria meningitidis strains belonging to various serogroups and clonal complexes cause epidemic and endemic life-threatening disease worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of recent invasive meningococci in Turkey with respect to multilocus sequence type (MLST) and also meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) vaccine antigens to enable assessment of potential MenB strain coverage using the genetic Meningococcal Antigen Typing System (gMATS). Fifty-four isolates, representing 37.5% of all pediatric (ages 0-18 years) invasive meningococcal disease cases in Turkey from January 2013 to December 2017, underwent genome sequence analysis. Thirty-six (66.7%) isolates were MenB, 10 (18.5%) were serogroup W (MenW), 4 (7.4%) were serogroup A (MenA), 3 (5.6%) were serogroup Y (MenY) and 1 (1.8%) was serogroup X (MenX). The MenB isolates were diverse with cc35 (19.4%), cc41/44 (19.4%) and cc32 (13.8%) as the most prevalent clonal complexes. The MenW isolates (n = 10) comprised cc11 (n = 5), ST-2754 (cc-unassigned; n = 4) and cc22 (n = 1). gMATS was indicative of high 4CMenB coverage (72.2-79.1%) of Turkish invasive MenB strains from pediatric patients. Strain coverage of several clonal complexes differed from that seen elsewhere in Europe highlighting the importance of performing local assessments and also the use of phenotypic methods, i.e. MATS, where possible. All of the isolates possessed in-frame fhbp alleles and so were potentially covered by MenB-fHbp. Continued surveillance is essential to guide recommendations for current and future vaccines as well as understanding changes in epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Ceyhan
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yasemin Ozsurekci
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Jay Lucidarme
- Meningococcal Reference Unit, Public Health England, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ray Borrow
- Meningococcal Reference Unit, Public Health England, Manchester, United Kingdom
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28
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Marullo S, Doly S, Saha K, Enslen H, Scott MGH, Coureuil M. Mechanical GPCR Activation by Traction Forces Exerted on Receptor N-Glycans. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2020; 3:171-178. [PMID: 32296760 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.9b00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cells are sensitive to chemical stimulation which is converted into intracellular biochemical signals by the activation of specific receptors. Mechanical stimulations can also induce biochemical responses via the activation of various mechano-sensors. Although principally appreciated for their chemosensory function, G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) may participate in mechano-transduction. They are indirectly activated by the paracrine release of chemical compounds secreted in response to mechanical stimuli, but they might additionally behave as mechano-sensors that are directly stimulated by mechanical forces. Although several studies are consistent with this latter hypothesis, the molecular mechanisms of a potential direct mechanical activation of GPCRs have remained elusive until recently. In particular, investigating the activation of the catecholamine β2-adrenergic receptor by a pathogen revealed that traction forces directly exerted on the N-terminus of the receptor via N-glycan chains activate specific signaling pathways. These findings open new perspectives in GPCR biology and pharmacology since most GPCRs express N-glycan chains in their N-terminus, which might similarly be involved in the interaction with cell-surface glycan-specific lectins in the context of cell-to-cell mechanical signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Marullo
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Stephane Doly
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INSERM, NEURO-DOL, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Kusumika Saha
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Hervé Enslen
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Mark G H Scott
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Coureuil
- Université de Paris, Institut-Necker-Enfants-Malades, INSERM U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, 75015 Paris, France
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29
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Kim KS. Investigating Bacterial Penetration of the Blood-Brain Barrier for the Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Therapy of Bacterial Meningitis. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:34-42. [PMID: 31805229 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The most distressing aspect of bacterial meningitis is limited improvement in the mortality and morbidity despite attributable advances in antimicrobial chemotherapy and supportive care. A major contributing factor to such mortality and morbidity is our incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease. Microbial penetration of the blood-brain barrier, a prerequisite for the development of bacterial meningitis, exploits specific host and bacterial factors as well as host cell signaling molecules. Determination and characterization of such host and bacterial factors have been instrumental for developing our current knowledge on the pathogenesis of bacterial meningitis. In addition, counteracting such host and microbial factors has been shown to be efficacious in the prevention of bacterial meningitis. Antimicrobial therapy alone has limited efficacy in improving the outcome of bacterial meningitis. Recent studies suggest that counteracting targets contributing to bacterial penetration of the blood-brain barrier are a beneficial therapeutic adjunct to antimicrobial therapy in improving the outcome of bacterial meningitis. Taken together, these findings indicate that the elucidation of host and bacterial factors contributing to microbial penetration of the blood-brain barrier provides a novel strategy for investigating the pathogenesis, prevention, and therapy of bacterial meningitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang Sik Kim
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 200 North Wolfe Street, Room 3157, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
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30
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Hodeib S, Herberg JA, Levin M, Sancho-Shimizu V. Human genetics of meningococcal infections. Hum Genet 2020; 139:961-980. [PMID: 32067109 PMCID: PMC7272491 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-020-02128-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis is a leading cause of bacterial septicaemia and meningitis worldwide. Meningococcal disease is rare but can be life threatening with a tendency to affect children. Many studies have investigated the role of human genetics in predisposition to N. meningitidis infection. These have identified both rare single-gene mutations as well as more common polymorphisms associated with meningococcal disease susceptibility and severity. These findings provide clues to the pathogenesis of N. meningitidis, the basis of host susceptibility to infection and to the aetiology of severe disease. From the multiple discoveries of monogenic complement deficiencies to the associations of complement factor H and complement factor H-related three polymorphisms to meningococcal disease, the complement pathway is highlighted as being central to the genetic control of meningococcal disease. This review aims to summarise the current understanding of the host genetic basis of meningococcal disease with respect to the different stages of meningococcal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Hodeib
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK
| | - Jethro A Herberg
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK
| | - Michael Levin
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK
| | - Vanessa Sancho-Shimizu
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK.
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK.
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31
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Humbert MV, Christodoulides M. Atypical, Yet Not Infrequent, Infections with Neisseria Species. Pathogens 2019; 9:E10. [PMID: 31861867 PMCID: PMC7168603 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria species are extremely well-adapted to their mammalian hosts and they display unique phenotypes that account for their ability to thrive within niche-specific conditions. The closely related species N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis are the only two species of the genus recognized as strict human pathogens, causing the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea and meningitis and sepsis, respectively. Gonococci colonize the mucosal epithelium of the male urethra and female endo/ectocervix, whereas meningococci colonize the mucosal epithelium of the human nasopharynx. The pathophysiological host responses to gonococcal and meningococcal infection are distinct. However, medical evidence dating back to the early 1900s demonstrates that these two species can cross-colonize anatomical niches, with patients often presenting with clinically-indistinguishable infections. The remaining Neisseria species are not commonly associated with disease and are considered as commensals within the normal microbiota of the human and animal nasopharynx. Nonetheless, clinical case reports suggest that they can behave as opportunistic pathogens. In this review, we describe the diversity of the genus Neisseria in the clinical context and raise the attention of microbiologists and clinicians for more cautious approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of the many pathologies these species may cause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Victoria Humbert
- Molecular Microbiology, School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK;
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32
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Le Guennec L, Coureuil M, Nassif X, Bourdoulous S. Strategies used by bacterial pathogens to cross the blood-brain barrier. Cell Microbiol 2019; 22:e13132. [PMID: 31658405 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The skull, spine, meninges, and cellular barriers at the blood-brain and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid interfaces well protect the brain and meningeal spaces against microbial invasion. However, once in the bloodstream, a range of pathogenic bacteria is able to reach the brain and cause meningitis. Despite advances in antibacterial therapy, bacterial meningitis remains one of the most important infectious diseases worldwide. The most common causative bacteria in children and adults are Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis associated with high morbidity and mortality, while among neonates, most cases of bacterial meningitis are due to group B Streptococcus and Escherichia coli. Here we summarise our current knowledge on the strategies used by these bacterial pathogens to survive in the bloodstream, to colonise the brain vasculature and to cross the blood-brain barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loic Le Guennec
- Inserm (Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale), U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.,CNRS (Centre National de la recherche Scientifique), UMR8104, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Coureuil
- Inserm (Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale), unité U1151, Institut-Necker-Enfants-Malades, Paris, France.,CNRS (Centre National de la recherche Scientifique), UMR 8253, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de médecine, Paris, France
| | - Xavier Nassif
- Inserm (Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale), unité U1151, Institut-Necker-Enfants-Malades, Paris, France.,CNRS (Centre National de la recherche Scientifique), UMR 8253, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de médecine, Paris, France.,Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Bourdoulous
- Inserm (Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale), U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.,CNRS (Centre National de la recherche Scientifique), UMR8104, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
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33
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Chen DD, Li JH, Yao YY, Zhang YA. Aeromonas hydrophila suppresses complement pathways via degradation of complement C3 in bony fish by metalloprotease. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 94:739-745. [PMID: 31561026 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2019.09.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Aeromonas hydrophila is a pathogen that causes high mortality in the grass carp. The complement system, as a frontline defence of innate immunity, plays an important role in the immune response against pathogens. However, the immunity evasion mechanism of A. hydrophila against the complement system of grass carp remains unclear. In this study, we described an additional mechanism used by A. hydrophila GD18 to evade the complement system and survive in grass carp serum. First, A. hydrophila evaded the bactericidal activity of grass carp serum. Second, the haemolytic activity assays showed that A. hydrophila obviously suppressed the alternative pathway, which depended on preventing the formation or disabling the function of the membrane-attack complex (MAC). Further research indicated that A. hydrophila targeted complement C3, the central component of the three complement pathways, and degraded it in the grass carp serum, leading to the inhibition of the complement pathways, which resulted in the serum-resistance of A. hydrophila. Furthermore, cleavage analyses showed that extracellular proteases (ECPases) of A. hydrophila efficiently cleaved purified C3 as well as C3 in grass carp serum. Finally, protease inhibitor studies and mass spectrum analysis identified the secreted metalloprotease elastase (AhE), which was present in large amounts in crude ECPases, as the central molecule responsible for C3 cleavage. Compared to wild strain GD18, the AhE knockout, Δahe was dramatically reduced in the ability of serum resistance. Our findings suggested that A. hydrophila escaped serum-killing by suppressing the complement pathways via the degradation of complement C3 in bony fish, which was related to secreted metalloproteases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan-Dan Chen
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, China
| | - Ji-Hong Li
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Yao
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-An Zhang
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
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34
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Virulence Factors of Meningitis-Causing Bacteria: Enabling Brain Entry across the Blood-Brain Barrier. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20215393. [PMID: 31671896 PMCID: PMC6862235 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are still a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Traversal of the barriers protecting the brain by pathogens is a prerequisite for the development of meningitis. Bacteria have developed a variety of different strategies to cross these barriers and reach the CNS. To this end, they use a variety of different virulence factors that enable them to attach to and traverse these barriers. These virulence factors mediate adhesion to and invasion into host cells, intracellular survival, induction of host cell signaling and inflammatory response, and affect barrier function. While some of these mechanisms differ, others are shared by multiple pathogens. Further understanding of these processes, with special emphasis on the difference between the blood-brain barrier and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, as well as virulence factors used by the pathogens, is still needed.
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35
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Virion Z, Doly S, Saha K, Lambert M, Guillonneau F, Bied C, Duke RM, Rudd PM, Robbe-Masselot C, Nassif X, Coureuil M, Marullo S. Sialic acid mediated mechanical activation of β 2 adrenergic receptors by bacterial pili. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4752. [PMID: 31628314 PMCID: PMC6800425 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12685-6] [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: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Meningococcus utilizes β-arrestin selective activation of endothelial cell β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) to cause meningitis in humans. Molecular mechanisms of receptor activation by the pathogen and of its species selectivity remained elusive. We report that β2AR activation requires two asparagine-branched glycan chains with terminally exposed N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (sialic acid, Neu5Ac) residues located at a specific distance in its N-terminus, while being independent of surrounding amino-acid residues. Meningococcus triggers receptor signaling by exerting direct and hemodynamic-promoted traction forces on β2AR glycans. Similar activation is recapitulated with beads coated with Neu5Ac-binding lectins, submitted to mechanical stimulation. This previously unknown glycan-dependent mode of allosteric mechanical activation of a G protein-coupled receptor contributes to meningococcal species selectivity, since Neu5Ac is only abundant in humans due to the loss of CMAH, the enzyme converting Neu5Ac into N-glycolyl-neuraminic acid in other mammals. It represents an additional mechanism of evolutionary adaptation of a pathogen to its host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Virion
- Inserm, U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Institut-Necker-Enfants-Malades, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Doly
- Inserm, U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Kusumika Saha
- Inserm, U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Mireille Lambert
- Inserm, U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Camille Bied
- Inserm, U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Rebecca M Duke
- NIBRT GlycoScience Group, NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Blackrock, Co., Mount Merrion, Fosters Avenue, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Pauline M Rudd
- NIBRT GlycoScience Group, NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Blackrock, Co., Mount Merrion, Fosters Avenue, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Catherine Robbe-Masselot
- CNRS, UMR 8576, Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle (UGSF), Université Lille, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Xavier Nassif
- Inserm, U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Institut-Necker-Enfants-Malades, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Coureuil
- Inserm, U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Institut-Necker-Enfants-Malades, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
| | - Stefano Marullo
- Inserm, U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
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36
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A novel enantioselective SGNH family esterase (NmSGNH1) from Neisseria meningitides: Characterization, mutational analysis, and ester synthesis. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2019; 1864:1438-1448. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2019.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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37
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Fleming BA, Mulvey MA. Commensal Strains of Neisseria Use DNA to Poison Their Pathogenic Rivals. Cell Host Microbe 2019; 26:156-158. [PMID: 31415746 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2019.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Commensal bacteria can interfere with colonization of the host by infiltrating pathogens. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Kim et al. (2019) describe an intriguing mechanism of colonization resistance driven by the mismatching of methylation patterns following uptake of commensal-derived DNA by pathogenic strains of Neisseria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A Fleming
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0565, USA
| | - Matthew A Mulvey
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0565, USA.
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38
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Jayasundara P, Regan DG, Seib KL, Jayasundara D, Wood JG. Modelling the in-host dynamics of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection. Pathog Dis 2019; 77:5320890. [PMID: 30770529 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftz008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial species Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) has evolved to replicate effectively and exclusively in human epithelia, with its survival dependent on complex interactions between bacteria, host cells and antimicrobial agents. A better understanding of these interactions is needed to inform development of new approaches to gonorrhoea treatment and prevention but empirical studies have proven difficult, suggesting a role for mathematical modelling. Here, we describe an in-host model of progression of untreated male symptomatic urethral infection, including NG growth and interactions with epithelial cells and neutrophils, informed by in vivo and in vitro studies. The model reproduces key observations on bacterial load and clearance and we use multivariate sensitivity analysis to refine plausible ranges for model parameters. Model variants are also shown to describe mouse infection dynamics with altered parameter ranges that correspond to observed differences between human and mouse infection. Our results highlight the importance of NG internalisation, particularly within neutrophils, in sustaining infection in the human model, with ∼80% of the total NG population internalised from day 25 on. This new mechanistic model of in-host NG infection dynamics should also provide a platform for future studies relating to antimicrobial treatment and resistance and infection at other anatomical sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavithra Jayasundara
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Samuels Avenue, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - David G Regan
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Kate L Seib
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast campus, Parklands Dr, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Duleepa Jayasundara
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Samuels Avenue, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - James G Wood
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Samuels Avenue, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
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Mitoma H, Manto M. Disruption of the Blood-Brain Barrier During Neuroinflammatory and Neuroinfectious Diseases. NEUROIMMUNE DISEASES 2019. [PMCID: PMC7121618 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-19515-1_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
As the organ of highest metabolic demand, utilizing over 25% of total body glucose utilization via an enormous vasculature with one capillary every 73 μm, the brain evolves a barrier at the capillary and postcapillary venules to prevent toxicity during serum fluctuations in metabolites and hormones, to limit brain swelling during inflammation, and to prevent pathogen invasion. Understanding of neuroprotective barriers has since evolved to incorporate the neurovascular unit (NVU), the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier, and the presence of CNS lymphatics that allow leukocyte egress. Identification of the cellular and molecular participants in BBB function at the NVU has allowed detailed analyses of mechanisms that contribute to BBB dysfunction in various disease states, which include both autoimmune and infectious etiologies. This chapter will introduce some of the cellular and molecular components that promote barrier function but may be manipulated by inflammatory mediators or pathogens during neuroinflammation or neuroinfectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Mitoma
- Medical Education Promotion Center, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mario Manto
- Department of Neurology, CHU-Charleroi, Charleroi, Belgium, Department of Neurosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
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Neisseria chenwenguii sp. nov. isolated from the rectal contents of a plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae). Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2019; 112:1001-1010. [PMID: 30798492 PMCID: PMC6546665 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-019-01234-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Two Gram-stain negative, catalase positive, coccus shaped bacteria, designated 10023T and 10010, were isolated from the rectal contents of a plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, phylogenetic trees showed that these two isolates (10023T, 10010) group with members of the genus Neisseria. Additionally, these two isolates exhibited high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Neisseria zalophi CSL 7565T (96.98%), Neisseria wadsworthii WC 05-9715T (96.92%) and Neisseria canis ATCC 14687T (96.79%). Further phylogenetic analysis based on the rplF gene showed that these two novel strains can be easily discriminated from phylogenetically closely related species. Optimal growth was found to occur on BHI agar with 5% defibrinated sheep blood at 37 °C and growth was also observed on nutrient agar, Columbia blood agar and chocolate agar plates; however, growth was not observed on MacConkey agar after 7 days. The major cellular fatty acids of these strains were identified as C16:0 and C16:1ω7c/C16:1ω6c. The complete genome size of the type strain 10023T is 2,496,444 bp, with DNA G+C content of 54.0 mol %. The average nucleotide identity values were 73.5–79.3% between isolate 10023T and reference Neisseria spp. Based on polyphasic analysis, these isolates (10023T and 10010) are considered to represent a novel species in the genus Neisseria, for which the name Neisseria chenwenguii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 10023T (= DSM 103440T = CGMCC 1.15736T).
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Landig CS, Hazel A, Kellman BP, Fong JJ, Schwarz F, Agarwal S, Varki N, Massari P, Lewis NE, Ram S, Varki A. Evolution of the exclusively human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Human-specific engagement of immunoregulatory Siglecs. Evol Appl 2019; 12:337-349. [PMID: 30697344 PMCID: PMC6346652 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea exclusively in humans and uses multiple strategies to infect, including acquisition of host sialic acids that cap and mask lipooligosaccharide termini, while restricting complement activation. We hypothesized that gonococci selectively target human anti-inflammatory sialic acid-recognizing Siglec receptors on innate immune cells to blunt host responses and that pro-inflammatory Siglecs and SIGLEC pseudogene polymorphisms represent host evolutionary adaptations to counteract this interaction. N. gonorrhoeae can indeed engage multiple human but not chimpanzee CD33rSiglecs expressed on innate immune cells and in the genitourinary tract--including Siglec-11 (inhibitory) and Siglec-16 (activating), which we detected for the first time on human cervical epithelium. Surprisingly, in addition to LOS sialic acid, we found that gonococcal porin (PorB) mediated binding to multiple Siglecs. PorB also bound preferentially to human Siglecs and not chimpanzee orthologs, modulating host immune reactions in a human-specific manner. Lastly, we studied the distribution of null SIGLEC polymorphisms in a Namibian cohort with a high prevalence of gonorrhea and found that uninfected women preferentially harbor functional SIGLEC16 alleles encoding an activating immune receptor. These results contribute to the understanding of the human specificity of N. gonorrhoeae and how it evolved to evade the human immune defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinna S. Landig
- Glycobiology Research and Training CenterUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
- Department of Cellular and Molecular MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
| | - Ashley Hazel
- Department of Earth System ScienceStanford UniversityStanfordCalifornia
| | - Benjamin P. Kellman
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate ProgramUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
| | - Jerry J. Fong
- Glycobiology Research and Training CenterUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
- Department of Cellular and Molecular MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
| | - Flavio Schwarz
- Glycobiology Research and Training CenterUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
- Department of Cellular and Molecular MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
| | - Sarika Agarwal
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusetts
| | - Nissi Varki
- Glycobiology Research and Training CenterUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
- Department of PathologyUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
| | - Paola Massari
- Department of ImmunologyTufts University School of MedicineBostonMassachusetts
| | - Nathan E. Lewis
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate ProgramUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for BiosustainabilityUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
| | - Sanjay Ram
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusetts
| | - Ajit Varki
- Glycobiology Research and Training CenterUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
- Department of Cellular and Molecular MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCalifornia
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Álamos-Musre AS, Escobar A, Tapia CV, Christodoulides M, Rodas PI. Use of Human Fallopian Tube Organ in Culture (FTOC) and Primary Fallopian Tube Epithelial Cells (FTEC) to Study the Biology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1997:377-402. [PMID: 31119635 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9496-0_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial cells represent one of the most important physical barriers to many bacterial pathogens. In the case of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the epithelial cell response is critical because they are the main target of the tissue damage triggered by the pathogen, particularly when the organism reaches the Fallopian tube (FT). Although the irreversible damage triggered by N. gonorrhoeae in the FT has been previously reported (ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility), the mechanisms of gonococcal-induced tissue damage are not fully understood. In addition, the lack of animal models that efficiently mimic the human disease and the complexity of gonococcus-host interactions make studying gonococcal pathogenesis particularly difficult. The use of human immortalized cells is also limited, since a variety of commercial FT cell lines is not yet available. Finally, the phase and antigenic variation of many gonococcal surface molecules involved in attachment and invasion of epithelial tissues leads to a failure to reproduce results using different human cells lines used in previous studies. The FT organ in culture (FTOC) and primary human fallopian tube epithelial cell (FTEC) represent the closest ex vivo cell models to explore the biology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae during infection of the FT, since it is a natural host target of the gonococcus. In this chapter, we describe protocols to process human FT samples to obtain FTOC and FTEC and assess their response to infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Said Álamos-Musre
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Pathogenesis, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Andres Bello, Concepción, Región del Bío-Bío, Chile
| | - Alejandro Escobar
- Laboratorio Biología celular y molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Odontológicas, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile
| | - Cecilia V Tapia
- Laboratorio de Especialidad, Clínica Dávila, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile
| | - Myron Christodoulides
- Molecular Microbiology Group, Academic Unit of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Paula I Rodas
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Pathogenesis, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Andres Bello, Concepción, Región del Bío-Bío, Chile.
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Abstract
The obligate human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae colonizes primarily the mucosal columnar epithelium of the male urethra and the female endocervix. In addition, gonococci can infect the anorectal, pharyngeal, and gingival mucosae and epithelial cells of the conjunctiva. More rarely, the organism can disseminate through the bloodstream, which can involve interactions with other host cell types, including blood vessel endothelial cells and innate immune cells such as dendritic cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. "Disseminated gonococcal infection" is a serious condition with various manifestations resulting from the seeding of organs and tissues with the pathogen. The host response to gonococcal infection is inflammatory. Knowledge of the biology of gonococcal interactions has been served well through the use of a wide variety of ex vivo models using host tissues and eukaryotic cell monocultures. These models have helped identify bacterial surface adhesins and invasins and the corresponding cell surface receptors that play roles in gonococcal pathogenesis. Furthermore, they have been useful for understanding virulence mechanisms as well as innate and adaptive immune responses. In this chapter, readers are provided with protocols for examining the basic interactions between gonococci and a representative human cell line.
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Escobar A, Rodas PI, Acuña-Castillo C. Macrophage- Neisseria gonorrhoeae Interactions: A Better Understanding of Pathogen Mechanisms of Immunomodulation. Front Immunol 2018; 9:3044. [PMID: 30627130 PMCID: PMC6309159 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.03044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a significant health problem worldwide due to multi-drug resistance issues and absence of an effective vaccine. Patients infected with N. gonorrhoeae have not shown a better immune response in successive infections. This might be explained by the fact that N. gonorrhoeae possesses several mechanisms to evade the innate and adaptative immune responses at different levels. Macrophages are a key cellular component in the innate immune response against microorganisms. The current information suggests that gonococcus can hijack the host response by mechanisms that involve the control of macrophages activity. In this mini review, we intend to condense the recent knowledge on the macrophage–N. gonorrhoeae interactions with a focus on strategies developed by gonococcus to evade or to exploit immune response to establish a successful infection. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of therapeutics for controlling immune manipulation by N. gonorrhoeae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Escobar
- Laboratorio Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Odontológicas, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paula I Rodas
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Médica y Patogénesis, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andrés Bello, Concepción, Chile
| | - Claudio Acuña-Castillo
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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The Meningococcal Cysteine Transport System Plays a Crucial Role in Neisseria meningitidis Survival in Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells. mBio 2018; 9:mBio.02332-18. [PMID: 30538184 PMCID: PMC6299482 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02332-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis colonizes at a nasopharynx of human as a unique host and has many strains that are auxotrophs for amino acids for their growth. To cause invasive meningococcal diseases (IMD) such as sepsis and meningitis, N. meningitidis passes through epithelial and endothelial barriers and infiltrates into blood and cerebrospinal fluid as well as epithelial and endothelial cells. However, meningococcal nutrients, including cysteine, become less abundant when it more deeply infiltrates the human body even during inflammation, such that N. meningitidis has to acquire nutrients in order to survive/persist, disseminate, and proliferate in humans. This was the first study to examine the relationship between meningococcal cysteine acquisition and the pathogenesis of meningococcal infections. The results of the present study provide insights into the mechanisms by which pathogens with auxotrophs acquire nutrients in hosts and may also contribute to the development of treatments and prevention strategies for IMD. While Neisseria meningitidis typically exists in an asymptomatic nasopharyngeal carriage state, it may cause potentially lethal diseases in humans, such as septicemia or meningitis, by invading deeper sites in the body. Since the nutrient compositions of human cells are not always conducive to meningococci, N. meningitidis needs to exploit nutrients from host environments. In the present study, the utilization of cysteine by the meningococcal cysteine transport system (CTS) was analyzed for the pathogenesis of meningococcal infections. A N. meningitidis strain deficient in one of the three cts genes annotated as encoding cysteine-binding protein (cbp) exhibited approximately 100-fold less internalization into human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) than the wild-type strain. This deficiency was restored by complementation with the three cts genes together, and the infectious phenotype of HBMEC internalization correlated with cysteine uptake activity. However, efficient accumulation of ezrin was observed beneath the cbp mutant. The intracellular survival of the cbp mutant in HBMEC was markedly reduced, whereas equivalent reductions of glutathione concentrations and of resistance to reactive oxygens species in the cbp mutant were not found. The cbp mutant grew well in complete medium but not in synthetic medium supplemented with less than 300 μM cysteine. Taking cysteine concentrations in human cells and other body fluids, including blood and cerebrospinal fluid, into consideration, the present results collectively suggest that the meningococcal CTS is crucial for the acquisition of cysteine from human cells and participates in meningococcal nutrient virulence.
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Kánová E, Jiménez-Munguía I, Majerová P, Tkáčová Z, Bhide K, Mertinková P, Pulzová L, Kováč A, Bhide M. Deciphering the Interactome of Neisseria meningitidis With Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2294. [PMID: 30319591 PMCID: PMC6168680 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis is able to translocate the blood-brain barrier and cause meningitis. Bacterial translocation is a crucial step in the onset of neuroinvasion that involves interactions between pathogen surface proteins and host cells receptors. In this study, we applied a systematic workflow to recover and identify proteins of N. meningitidis that may interact with human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs). Biotinylated proteome of N. meningitidis was incubated with hBMECs, interacting proteins were recovered by affinity purification and identified by SWATH-MS. Interactome of N. meningitidis comprised of 41 potentially surface exposed proteins. These were assigned into groups based on their probability to interact with hBMECs: high priority candidates (21 outer membrane proteins), medium priority candidates (14 inner membrane proteins) and low priority candidates (six secretory proteins). Ontology analysis provided information for 17 out of 41 surface proteins. Based on the series of bioinformatic analyses and literature review, five surface proteins (adhesin MafA1, major outer membrane protein P.IB, putative adhesin/invasion, putative lipoprotein and membrane lipoprotein) were selected and their recombinant forms were produced for experimental validation of interaction with hBMECs by ELISA and immunocytochemistry. All candidates showed interaction with hBMECs. In this study, we present a high-throughput approach to generate a dataset of plausible meningococcal ligands followed by systematic bioinformatic pipeline to categorize the proteins for experimental validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelína Kánová
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Irene Jiménez-Munguía
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Petra Majerová
- Institute of Neuroimmunology of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Tkáčová
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Bhide
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Patrícia Mertinková
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Lucia Pulzová
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Andrej Kováč
- Institute of Neuroimmunology of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Mangesh Bhide
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice, Kosice, Slovakia.,Institute of Neuroimmunology of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Al-Obaidi MMJ, Desa MNM. Mechanisms of Blood Brain Barrier Disruption by Different Types of Bacteria, and Bacterial-Host Interactions Facilitate the Bacterial Pathogen Invading the Brain. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2018; 38:1349-1368. [PMID: 30117097 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-018-0609-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This review aims to elucidate the different mechanisms of blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption that may occur due to invasion by different types of bacteria, as well as to show the bacteria-host interactions that assist the bacterial pathogen in invading the brain. For example, platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR) is responsible for brain invasion during the adhesion of pneumococci to brain endothelial cells, which might lead to brain invasion. Additionally, the major adhesin of the pneumococcal pilus-1, RrgA is able to bind the BBB endothelial receptors: polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM-1), thus leading to invasion of the brain. Moreover, Streptococcus pneumoniae choline binding protein A (CbpA) targets the common carboxy-terminal domain of the laminin receptor (LR) establishing initial contact with brain endothelium that might result in BBB invasion. Furthermore, BBB disruption may occur by S. pneumoniae penetration through increasing in pro-inflammatory markers and endothelial permeability. In contrast, adhesion, invasion, and translocation through or between endothelial cells can be done by S. pneumoniae without any disruption to the vascular endothelium, upon BBB penetration. Internalins (InlA and InlB) of Listeria monocytogenes interact with its cellular receptors E-cadherin and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) to facilitate invading the brain. L. monocytogenes species activate NF-κB in endothelial cells, encouraging the expression of P- and E-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), and Vascular cell adhesion protein 1 (VCAM-1), as well as IL-6 and IL-8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), all these markers assist in BBB disruption. Bacillus anthracis species interrupt both adherens junctions (AJs) and tight junctions (TJs), leading to BBB disruption. Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) permeability and BBB disruption are induced via interendothelial junction proteins reduction as well as up-regulation of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1, macrophage inflammatory proteins-1 alpha (MIP1α) markers in Staphylococcus aureus species. Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococcus toxins (GBS) enhance IL-8 and ICAM-1 as well as nitric oxide (NO) production from endothelial cells via the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) enhancement, resulting in BBB disruption. While Gram-negative bacteria, Haemophilus influenza OmpP2 is able to target the common carboxy-terminal domain of LR to start initial interaction with brain endothelium, then invade the brain. H. influenza type b (HiB), can induce BBB permeability through TJ disruption. LR and PAFR binding sites have been recognized as common routes of CNS entrance by Neisseria meningitidis. N. meningitidis species also initiate binding to BMECs and induces AJs deformation, as well as inducing specific cleavage of the TJ component occludin through the release of host MMP-8. Escherichia coli bind to BMECs through LR, resulting in IL-6 and IL-8 release and iNOS production, as well as resulting in disassembly of TJs between endothelial cells, facilitating BBB disruption. Therefore, obtaining knowledge of BBB disruption by different types of bacterial species will provide a picture of how the bacteria enter the central nervous system (CNS) which might support the discovery of therapeutic strategies for each bacteria to control and manage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mazen M Jamil Al-Obaidi
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Mohd Nasir Mohd Desa
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
- Halal Products Research Institute, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Rizvi SMD, Hussain T, Ahmed ABF, Alshammari TM, Moin A, Ahmed MQ, Barreto GE, Kamal MA, Ashraf GM. Gold nanoparticles: A plausible tool to combat neurological bacterial infections in humans. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 107:7-18. [PMID: 30075371 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.07.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Management of bacterial infections of central nervous system is a major challenge for the scientists all over the world. Despite the development of various potential drugs, the issue of central nervous system infections persists in the society. The main constraint is the delivery of drugs across the blood brain barrier and only a few drugs after meeting the stringent criteria could cross the blood brain barrier. On the other hand, certain bacterial pathogens could easily enter the brain by using several factors and mechanisms by crossing the blood brain barriers. Interestingly, in the recent past, gold nanoparticles have shown immense potential to overcome the issues associated with the treatment of central nervous system infections, especially due to their inherent ability to cross the blood brain barrier. Initially, the present review summarized the recent updates on the pathogenesis and factors involved in neurological bacterial infections, including the mechanism used by bacterial pathogens to cross the blood brain barriers. Thereafter, the emphasis of the review was on providing current information on gold nanoparticles pertinent to their applicability for the treatment of neurological infections. After discussing the background of neurological bacterial infections, the characteristic features, antibacterial properties, mechanisms of antibacterial action and ability to cross the blood brain barrier of gold nanoparticles have been summarized. Some of the features of gold nanoparticles that make them an ideal candidate for brain delivery are biocompatibity, stability, ability to get synthesized in different sizes with facile methods, surface affinity towards various functional groups, spontaneous crossing of blood brain barrier without applying any external field and most importantly, easy non-invasive tracing by CT imaging. The current updates on the development of gold nanoparticles based therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of central nervous system infections have been discussed in the present study. However, further investigation would be required to translate these preclinical outcomes into clinical applications. Nevertheless, we could safely state that the information gathered and discussed in the present review would benefit the scientists working in the field of neuro-nanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Mohd Danish Rizvi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Talib Hussain
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abo Bakr Fathy Ahmed
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Thamir M Alshammari
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Afrasim Moin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Qumani Ahmed
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine,University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | - George E Barreto
- Departamento de Nutrición y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C, Colombia; Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mohammad Ajmal Kamal
- Enzymoics, 7 Peterlee Place, Hebersham, NSW 2770, Sydney, Australia; Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Australia; King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ghulam Md Ashraf
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
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Heidrich N, Hagmann A, Bauriedl S, Vogel J, Schoen C. The CRISPR/Cas system in Neisseria meningitidis affects bacterial adhesion to human nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. RNA Biol 2018; 16:390-396. [PMID: 30059276 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2018.1486660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis, a commensal β-proteobacterium of the human nasopharynx, constitutes a worldwide leading cause of sepsis and epidemic meningitis. A recent genome-wide association study suggested an association of its type II-C CRISPR/Cas system with carriage and thus less invasive lineages. Here, we show that knock-out strains lacking the Cas9 protein are impaired in the adhesion to human nasopharyngeal cells which constitutes a central step in the pathogenesis of invasive meningococcal disease. Transcriptome sequencing data further suggest that meningococcal Cas9 does not affect the expression of surface adhesins but rather exerts its effect on cell adhesion in an indirect manner. Consequently, we speculate that the meningococcal CRISPR/Cas system exerts novel functions beyond its established role in defence against foreign DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Heidrich
- a Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB) , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Antony Hagmann
- b Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology (IHM) , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Saskia Bauriedl
- a Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB) , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany.,b Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology (IHM) , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Jörg Vogel
- a Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB) , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany.,c Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Biology (HIRI) , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Christoph Schoen
- b Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology (IHM) , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
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Biological Roles of Protein-Coding Tandem Repeats in the Yeast Candida Albicans. J Fungi (Basel) 2018; 4:jof4030078. [PMID: 29966250 PMCID: PMC6162428 DOI: 10.3390/jof4030078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tandem repeat (TR) DNA mutates faster than other DNA by insertion and deletion of repeats. Large parts of eukaryotic proteomes are encoded by ORFs containing protein-coding TRs (TR-ORFs, pcTRs) with largely unknown biological consequences. We explored these in the yeast Candida albicans, an opportunistic human pathogen. We found that almost half of C. albicans’ proteins are encoded by TR-ORFs. pcTR frequency differed only moderately between different gene (GO) categories. Bioinformatic predictions of genome-wide mutation rates and clade-specific differences in pcTR allele frequencies indicated that pcTRs (i) significantly increase the genome-wide mutation rate; (ii) significantly impact on fitness and (iii) allow the evolution of selectively advantageous clade-specific protein variants. Synonymous mutations reduced the repetitiveness of many amino acid repeat-encoding pcTRs. A survey, in 58 strains, revealed that in some pcTR regions in which repetitiveness was not significantly diminished by synonymous mutations the habitat predicted which alleles were present, suggesting roles of pcTR mutation in short-term adaptation and pathogenesis. In C. albicans pcTR mutation apparently is an important mechanism for mutational advance and possibly also rapid adaptation, with synonymous mutations providing a mechanism for adjusting mutation rates of individual pcTRs. Analyses of Arabidopsis and human pcTRs showed that the latter also occurs in other eukaryotes.
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