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Calles-Garcia D, Dube DH. Chemical biology tools to probe bacterial glycans. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2024; 80:102453. [PMID: 38582017 PMCID: PMC11164641 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.102453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial cells are covered by a complex carbohydrate coat of armor that allows bacteria to thrive in a range of environments. As a testament to the importance of bacterial glycans, effective and heavily utilized antibiotics including penicillin and vancomycin target and disrupt the bacterial glycocalyx. Despite their importance, the study of bacterial glycans lags far behind their eukaryotic counterparts. Bacterial cells use a large palette of monosaccharides to craft glycans, leading to molecules that are significantly more complex than eukaryotic glycans and that are refractory to study. Fortunately, chemical tools designed to probe bacterial glycans have yielded insights into these molecules, their structures, their biosynthesis, and their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Calles-Garcia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Bowdoin College, 6600 College Station, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
| | - Danielle H Dube
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Bowdoin College, 6600 College Station, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA.
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2
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Chen L, Li J, Xiao B. The role of sialidases in the pathogenesis of bacterial vaginosis and their use as a promising pharmacological target in bacterial vaginosis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1367233. [PMID: 38495652 PMCID: PMC10940449 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1367233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is an infection of the genital tract characterized by disturbance of the normally Lactobacilli-dominated vaginal flora due to the overgrowth of Gardnerella and other anaerobic bacteria. Gardnerella vaginalis, an anaerobic pathogen and the major pathogen of BV, produces sialidases that cleave terminal sialic acid residues off of human glycans. By desialylation, sialidases not only alter the function of sialic acid-containing glycoconjugates but also play a vital role in the attachment, colonization and spread of many other vaginal pathogens. With known pathogenic effects, excellent performance of sialidase-based diagnostic tests, and promising therapeutic potentials of sialidase inhibitors, sialidases could be used as a biomarker of BV. This review explores the sources of sialidases and their role in vaginal dysbiosis, in aims to better understand their participation in the pathogenesis of BV and their value in the diagnosis and treatment of BV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuyan Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jiayue Li
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Bingbing Xiao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
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Commensal Lactobacilli Metabolically Contribute to Cervical Epithelial Homeostasis in a Species-Specific Manner. mSphere 2023; 8:e0045222. [PMID: 36629413 PMCID: PMC9942568 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00452-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In reproductive-age women, the vaginal microbiome is typically dominated by one or a few Lactobacillus species, including Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus iners, Lactobacillus paragasseri, Lactobacillus mulieris, and Lactobaccillus crispatus, has been associated with optimal cervicovaginal health; however, much is still unknown about how other lactobacilli metabolically contribute to cervicovaginal health. We hypothesized that metabolites of each Lactobacillus species differ and uniquely contribute to health and homeostasis. To address this hypothesis, we utilized a human three-dimensional (3D) cervical epithelial cell model in conjunction with genomics analyses and untargeted metabolomics to determine the metabolic contributions of less-studied vaginal lactobacilli-L. iners, L. paragasseri, and L. mulieris. Our study validated that vaginal lactobacilli exhibit a close phylogenetic relationship. Genomic findings from publicly available strains and those used in our study indicated that L. iners is metabolically distinct from other species of lactobacilli, likely due to a reduced genome size. Lactobacilli and mock controls were distinguishable based on global metabolic profiles. We identified 95 significantly altered metabolites (P < 0.05) between individual lactobacilli and mock controls. Metabolites related to amino acid metabolism were shared among the lactobacilli. N-Acetylated amino acids with potential antimicrobial properties were significantly elevated in a species-specific manner. L. paragasseri and L. iners shared aromatic, but not carbohydrate-derived, lactic acid metabolites with potential antimicrobial properties that may contribute to homeostasis of the cervicovaginal environment. Additionally, L. iners uniquely altered lipid metabolism, which may be a sign of adaptation to the cervicovaginal niche. Overall, these findings further elucidate the metabolic contributions of three key vaginal Lactobacillus species in gynecological health. IMPORTANCE Lactobacillus species contribute to cervicovaginal health by their production of lactic acid and other antimicrobial compounds. Yet, much is still unknown regarding the metabolic potential of lesser-studied but common vaginal lactobacilli. Here, we used untargeted metabolomics coupled with our 3D cervical epithelial cell model to identify metabolic differences among vaginal Lactobacillus species (Lactobacillus iners, Lactobacillus paragasseri, and Lactobacillus mulieris) and how those differences related to maintaining homeostasis of the cervical epithelium. Human 3D cell models are essential tools for studying host-bacteria interactions and reducing confounding factors inherent in clinical studies. Therefore, these unique models allowed us to decipher the putative lactobacilli mechanisms that contribute to their roles in health or disease. Metabolic analyses revealed distinct profiles of each Lactobacillus species but also shared metabolic contributions associated with antimicrobial activity: amino acid metabolism, N-acetylated amino acids, and aromatic lactic acids. These patterns provided validation of metabolites associated with health in clinical studies and provided novel targets, including immunomodulatory and antimicrobial metabolites, for postbiotic therapies.
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N-glycosylation of cervicovaginal fluid reflects microbial community, immune activity, and pregnancy status. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16948. [PMID: 36216861 PMCID: PMC9551102 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20608-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) is a complex, functionally important and glycan rich biological fluid, fundamental in mediating physiological events associated with reproductive health. Using a comprehensive glycomic strategy we reveal an extremely rich and complex N-glycome in CVF of pregnant and non-pregnant women, abundant in paucimannose and high mannose glycans, complex glycans with 2-4 N-Acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) antennae, and Poly-LacNAc glycans decorated with fucosylation and sialylation. N-glycosylation profiles were observed to differ in relation to pregnancy status, microbial composition, immune activation, and pregnancy outcome. Compared to CVF from women experiencing term birth, CVF from women who subsequently experienced preterm birth showed lower sialylation, which correlated to the presence of a diverse microbiome, and higher fucosylation, which correlated positively to pro-inflammatory cytokine concentration. This study is the first step towards better understanding the role of cervicovaginal glycans in reproductive health, their contribution to the mechanism of microbial driven preterm birth, and their potential for preventative therapy.
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The choanoflagellate pore-forming lectin SaroL-1 punches holes in cancer cells by targeting the tumor-related glycosphingolipid Gb3. Commun Biol 2022; 5:954. [PMID: 36097056 PMCID: PMC9468336 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03869-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Choanoflagellates are primitive protozoa used as models for animal evolution. They express a large variety of multi-domain proteins contributing to adhesion and cell communication, thereby providing a rich repertoire of molecules for biotechnology. Adhesion often involves proteins adopting a β-trefoil fold with carbohydrate-binding properties therefore classified as lectins. Sequence database screening with a dedicated method resulted in TrefLec, a database of 44714 β-trefoil candidate lectins across 4497 species. TrefLec was searched for original domain combinations, which led to single out SaroL-1 in the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta, that contains both β-trefoil and aerolysin-like pore-forming domains. Recombinant SaroL-1 is shown to bind galactose and derivatives, with a stronger affinity for cancer-related α-galactosylated epitopes such as the glycosphingolipid Gb3, when embedded in giant unilamellar vesicles or cell membranes. Crystal structures of complexes with Gb3 trisaccharide and GalNAc provided the basis for building a model of the oligomeric pore. Finally, recognition of the αGal epitope on glycolipids required for hemolysis of rabbit erythrocytes suggests that toxicity on cancer cells is achieved through carbohydrate-dependent pore-formation. A curated lectin database, structural characterization, and in vitro assays show that choanoflagellate lectin SaroL-1 binds to cancer-related α-galactosylated epitopes and can be toxic to cancer cells through a carbohydrate-dependent pore-formation mechanism.
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Oinam L, Hayashi R, Hiemori K, Kiyoi K, Sage-Ono K, Miura K, Ono M, Tateno H. Quantitative evaluation of glycan-binding specificity of recombinant concanavalin A produced in lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Biotechnol Bioeng 2022; 119:1781-1791. [PMID: 35394653 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Concanavalin A (ConA), a mannose (Man)-specific leguminous lectin isolated from the jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) seed extracts, was discovered over a century ago. Although ConA has been extensively applied in various life science research, recombinant mature ConA expression has not been fully established. Here, we aimed to produce recombinant ConA (rConA) in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression system. rConA could be produced as a fully active form from soluble fractions of lettuce leaves and purified by affinity chromatography. From 12 g wet weight of lettuce leaves, 0.9 mg rConA could be purified. The glycan-binding properties of rConA were then compared with that of the native ConA isolated from jack bean using glycoconjugate microarray and frontal affinity chromatography. rConA demonstrated a glycan-binding specificity similar to nConA. Both molecules bound to N-glycans containing a terminal Man residue. Consistent with previous reports, terminal Manα1-6Man was found to be an essential unit for the high-affinity binding of rConA and nConA, while bisecting GlcNAc diminished the binding of rConA and nConA to Manα1-6Man-terminated N-glycans. These results demonstrate that the fully active rConA could be produced using the A. tumefaciens-mediated transient expression system and used as a recombinant substitute for nConA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lalhaba Oinam
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Ryoma Hayashi
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Keiko Hiemori
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kayo Kiyoi
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kimiyo Sage-Ono
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kenji Miura
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Michiyuki Ono
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Tateno
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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Sanozky-Dawes R, Barrangou R. Lactobacillus, glycans and drivers of health in the vaginal microbiome. MICROBIOME RESEARCH REPORTS 2022; 1:18. [PMID: 38046360 PMCID: PMC10688826 DOI: 10.20517/mrr.2022.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
A microbiome consists of microbes and their genomes, encompassing bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, archaea, and eukaryotes. These elements interact dynamically in the specific environment in which they reside and evolve. In the past decade, studies of various microbiomes have been prevalent in the scientific literature, accounting for the shift from culture-dependent to culture-independent identification of microbes using new high-throughput sequencing technologies that decipher their composition and sometimes provide insights into their functions. Despite tremendous advances in understanding the gut microbiome, relatively little attention has been devoted to the vaginal environment, notably regarding the ubiquity and diversity of glycans which denote the significant role they play in the maintenance of homeostasis. Hopefully, emerging technologies will aid in the determination of what is a healthy vaginal microbiome, and provide insights into the roles of Lactobacillus, glycans and microbiome-related drivers of health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rodolphe Barrangou
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
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Lundstrøm J, Bojar D. Structural insights into host-microbe glycointeractions. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 73:102337. [PMID: 35182928 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Despite their ubiquitous presence in biological systems, glycans have historically received less attention than they deserved. Investigations in recent years have featured important findings about the role of glycans in regulating the human gut microbiota. Here, we present a brief overview of current trends that shape future directions of computational and experimental research approaches and add to our understanding of host-microbe glycointeractions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Lundstrøm
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. https://twitter.com/jonlundstrm
| | - Daniel Bojar
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Lundstrøm J, Korhonen E, Lisacek F, Bojar D. LectinOracle: A Generalizable Deep Learning Model for Lectin-Glycan Binding Prediction. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2103807. [PMID: 34862760 PMCID: PMC8728848 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Ranging from bacterial cell adhesion over viral cell entry to human innate immunity, glycan-binding proteins or lectins are abound in nature. Widely used as staining and characterization reagents in cell biology and crucial for understanding the interactions in biological systems, lectins are a focal point of study in glycobiology. Yet the sheer breadth and depth of specificity for diverse oligosaccharide motifs has made studying lectins a largely piecemeal approach, with few options to generalize. Here, LectinOracle, a model combining transformer-based representations for proteins and graph convolutional neural networks for glycans to predict their interaction, is presented. Using a curated data set of 564,647 unique protein-glycan interactions, it is shown that LectinOracle predictions agree with literature-annotated specificities for a wide range of lectins. Using a range of specialized glycan arrays, it is shown that LectinOracle predictions generalize to new glycans and lectins, with qualitative and quantitative agreement with experimental data. It is further demonstrated that LectinOracle can be used to improve lectin classification, accelerate lectin directed evolution, predict epidemiological outcomes in the context of influenza virus, and analyze whole lectomes in host-microbe interactions. It is envisioned that the herein presented platform will advance both the study of lectins and their role in (glyco)biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Lundstrøm
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburg41390Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational MedicineUniversity of GothenburgGothenburg41390Sweden
| | - Emma Korhonen
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburg41390Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational MedicineUniversity of GothenburgGothenburg41390Sweden
| | - Frédérique Lisacek
- Swiss Institute of BioinformaticsGeneva1227Switzerland
- Computer Science DepartmentUniGeGeneva1227Switzerland
- Section of BiologyUniGeGeneva1205Switzerland
| | - Daniel Bojar
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburg41390Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational MedicineUniversity of GothenburgGothenburg41390Sweden
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Imberty A, Bonnardel F, Lisacek F. UniLectin, A One-Stop-Shop to Explore and Study Carbohydrate-Binding Proteins. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e305. [PMID: 34826352 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
All eukaryotic cells are covered with a dense layer of glycoconjugates, and the cell walls of bacteria are made of various polysaccharides, putting glycans in key locations for mediating protein-protein interactions at cell interfaces. Glycan function is therefore mainly defined as binding to other molecules, and lectins are proteins that specifically recognize and interact non-covalently with glycans. UniLectin was designed based on insight into the knowledge of lectins, their classification, and their biological role. This modular platform provides a curated and periodically updated classification of lectins along with a set of comparative and visualization tools, as well as structured results of screening comprehensive sequence datasets. UniLectin can be used to explore lectins, find precise information on glycan-protein interactions, and mine the results of predictive tools based on HMM profiles. This usage is illustrated here with two protocols. The first one highlights the fine-tuned role of the O blood group antigen in distinctive pathogen recognition, while the second compares the various bacterial lectin arsenals that clearly depend on living conditions of species even in the same genus. © 2021 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Searching for the structural details of lectins binding the O blood group antigen Basic Protocol 2: Comparing the lectomes of related organisms in different environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Imberty
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, Grenoble, France
| | - François Bonnardel
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, Grenoble, France.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland.,Computer Science Department, UniGe, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Frédérique Lisacek
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland.,Computer Science Department, UniGe, Geneva, Switzerland.,Section of Biology, UniGe, Geneva, Switzerland
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