1
|
Jones RA, Jerse AE, Tang CM. Gonococcal PorB: a multifaceted modulator of host immune responses. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:355-364. [PMID: 37891023 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.10.002] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a human-specific pathogen responsible for the sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhoea. N. gonorrhoeae promotes its survival by manipulating both innate and adaptive immune responses. The most abundant gonococcal outer-membrane protein is PorB, an essential porin that facilitates ion exchange. Importantly, gonococcal PorB has several immunomodulatory properties. To subvert the innate immune response, PorB suppresses killing mechanisms of macrophages and neutrophils, and recruits negative regulators of complement to the gonococcal cell surface. For manipulation of adaptive immune responses, gonococcal PorB suppresses the capability of dendritic cells to stimulate proliferation of T cells. As gonococcal PorB is highly abundant in outer-membrane vesicles, consideration of the immunomodulatory properties of this porin is critical when designing gonococcal vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah A Jones
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Ann E Jerse
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christoph M Tang
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cappelli L, Cinelli P, Perrotta A, Veggi D, Audagnotto M, Tuscano G, Pansegrau W, Bartolini E, Rinaudo D, Cozzi R. Computational structure-based approach to study chimeric antigens using a new protein scaffold displaying foreign epitopes. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23326. [PMID: 38019196 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202202130r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
The identification and recombinant production of functional antigens and/or epitopes of pathogens represent a crucial step for the development of an effective protein-based vaccine. Many vaccine targets are outer membrane proteins anchored into the lipidic bilayer through an extended hydrophobic portion making their recombinant production challenging. Moreover, only the extracellular loops, and not the hydrophobic regions, are naturally exposed to the immune system. In this work, the Domain 3 (D3) from Group B Streptococcus (GBS) pilus 2a backbone protein has been identified and engineered to be used as a scaffold for the display of extracellular loops of two Neisseria gonorrhoeae membrane proteins (PorB.1b and OpaB). A computational structure-based approach has been applied to the design of both the scaffold and the model antigens. Once identified the best D3 engineerable site, several different chimeric D3 displaying PorB.1b and OpaB extracellular loops were produced as soluble proteins. Each molecule has been characterized in terms of solubility, stability, and ability to correctly display the foreign epitope. This antigen dissection strategy allowed the identification of most immunogenic extracellular loops of both PorB.1b and OpaB gonococcal antigens. The crystal structure of chimeric D3 displaying PorB.1b immunodominant loop has been obtained confirming that the engineerization did not alter the predicted native structure of this epitope. Taken together, the reported data suggest that D3 is a novel protein scaffold for epitope insertion and display, and a valid alternative to the production of whole membrane protein antigens. Finally, this work describes a generalized computational structure-based approach for the identification, design, and dissection of epitopes in target antigens through chimeric proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luigia Cappelli
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie - FaBiT, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- GSK, Siena, Italy
| | - Paolo Cinelli
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie - FaBiT, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- GSK, Siena, Italy
| | - Andrea Perrotta
- GSK, Siena, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dhar R, Bowman AM, Hatungimana B, Sg Slusky J. Evolutionary Engineering a Larger Porin Using a Loop-to-Hairpin Mechanism. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168292. [PMID: 37769963 PMCID: PMC11215794 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168292] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
In protein evolution, diversification is generally driven by genetic duplication. The hallmarks of this mechanism are visible in the repeating topology of various proteins. In outer membrane β-barrels, duplication is visible with β-hairpins as the repeating unit of the barrel. In contrast to the overall use of duplication in diversification, a computational study hypothesized evolutionary mechanisms other than hairpin duplications leading to increases in the number of strands in outer membrane β-barrels. Specifically, the topology of some 16- and 18-stranded β-barrels appear to have evolved through a loop to β-hairpin transition. Here we test this novel evolutionary mechanism by creating a chimeric protein from an 18-stranded β-barrel and an evolutionarily related 16-stranded β-barrel. The chimeric combination of the two was created by replacing loop L3 of the 16-stranded barrel with the sequentially matched transmembrane β-hairpin region of the 18-stranded barrel. We find the resulting chimeric protein is stable and has characteristics of increased strand number. This study provides the first experimental evidence supporting the evolution through a loop to β-hairpin transition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rik Dhar
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA. https://twitter.com/Rik_Skywalker
| | - Alexander M Bowman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Brunojoel Hatungimana
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Joanna Sg Slusky
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; Computational Biology Program, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Li L, Liu Z, Meng D, Liu Y, Liu T, Jiang C, Yin H. Sequence similarity network and protein structure prediction offer insights into the evolution of microbial pathways for ferrous iron oxidation. mSystems 2023; 8:e0072023. [PMID: 37768051 PMCID: PMC10654088 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00720-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Microbial Fe(II) oxidation is a crucial process that harnesses and converts the energy available in Fe, contributing significantly to global element cycling. However, there are still many aspects of this process that remain unexplored. In this study, we utilized a combination of comparative genomics, sequence similarity network analysis, and artificial intelligence-driven structure modeling methods to address the lack of structural information on Fe(II) oxidation proteins and offer a comprehensive perspective on the evolution of Fe(II) oxidation pathways. Our findings suggest that several microbial Fe(II) oxidation pathways currently known may have originated within classes Gammaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liangzhi Li
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhenghua Liu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Delong Meng
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yongjun Liu
- Hunan Tobacco Science Institute, Changsha, China
| | - Tianbo Liu
- Hunan Tobacco Science Institute, Changsha, China
| | - Chengying Jiang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huaqun Yin
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Dhar R, Bowman AM, Hatungimana B, Slusky JS. Evolutionary engineering a larger porin using a loop-to-hairpin mechanism. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.14.544993. [PMID: 37398247 PMCID: PMC10312768 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.14.544993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
In protein evolution, diversification is generally driven by genetic duplication. The hallmarks of this mechanism are visible in the repeating topology of various proteins. In outer membrane β-barrels, duplication is visible with β-hairpins as the repeating unit of the barrel. In contrast to the overall use of duplication in diversification, a computational study hypothesized evolutionary mechanisms other than hairpin duplications leading to increases in the number of strands in outer membrane β-barrels. Specifically, the topology of some 16- and 18-stranded β-barrels appear to have evolved through a loop to β-hairpin transition. Here we test this novel evolutionary mechanism by creating a chimeric protein from an 18-stranded β-barrel and an evolutionarily related 16-stranded β-barrel. The chimeric combination of the two was created by replacing loop L3 of the 16-stranded barrel with the sequentially matched transmembrane β-hairpin region of the 18-stranded barrel. We find the resulting chimeric protein is stable and has characteristics of increased strand number. This study provides the first experimental evidence supporting the evolution through a loop to β-hairpin transition. Highlights We find evidence supporting a novel diversification mechanism in membrane β-barrelsThe mechanism is the conversion of an extracellular loop to transmembrane β-hairpinA chimeric protein modeling this mechanism folds stably in the membraneThe chimera has more β-structure and a larger pore, consistent with a loop-to-hairpin transition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rik Dhar
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence KS 66045
| | - Alexander M Bowman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence KS 66045
| | | | - Joanna Sg Slusky
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence KS 66045
- Computational Biology Program, The University of Kansas, Lawrence KS 66047
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are important human pathogens that have evolved to bind the major negative regulator of the complement system, complement factor H (CFH). However, little is known about the interaction of pathogens with CFH-related proteins (CFHRs) which are structurally similar to CFH but lack the main complement regulatory domains found in CFH. Insights into the role of CFHRs have been hampered by a lack of specific reagents. We generated a panel of CFHR-specific monoclonal antibodies and demonstrated that CFHR5 was bound by both pathogenic Neisseria spp. We showed that CFHR5 bound to PorB expressed by both pathogens in the presence of sialylated lipopolysaccharide and enhanced complement activation on the surface of N. gonorrhoeae. Our study furthered our understanding of the interactions of CFHRs with bacterial pathogens and revealed that CFHR5 bound the meningococcus and gonococcus via similar mechanisms.
Collapse
|
7
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abutaleb NS, Elhassanny AEM, Nocentini A, Hewitt CS, Elkashif A, Cooper BR, Supuran CT, Seleem MN, Flaherty DP. Repurposing FDA-approved sulphonamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitors for treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2021; 37:51-61. [PMID: 34894972 PMCID: PMC8667909 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2021.1991336] [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] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a high-priority pathogen of concern due to the growing prevalence of resistance development against approved antibiotics. Herein, we report the anti-gonococcal activity of ethoxzolamide, the FDA-approved human carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. Ethoxzolamide displayed an MIC50, against a panel of N. gonorrhoeae isolates, of 0.125 µg/mL, 16-fold more potent than acetazolamide, although both molecules exhibited almost similar potency against the gonococcal carbonic anhydrase enzyme (NgCA) in vitro. Acetazolamide displayed an inhibition constant (Ki) versus NgCA of 74 nM, while Ethoxzolamide’s Ki was estimated to 94 nM. Therefore, the increased anti-gonococcal potency of ethoxzolamide was attributed to its increased permeability in N. gonorrhoeae as compared to that of acetazolamide. Both drugs demonstrated bacteriostatic activity against N. gonorrhoeae, exhibited post-antibiotic effects up to 10 hours, and resistance was not observed against both. Taken together, these results indicate that acetazolamide and ethoxzolamide warrant further investigation for translation into effective anti-N. gonorrhoeae agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nader S Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VI, USA
| | - Ahmed E M Elhassanny
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VI, USA
| | - Alessio Nocentini
- Department of NEUROFARBA, Section of Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Sciences, University of Florence, Polo Scientifico, Firenze, Italy
| | - Chad S Hewitt
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Ahmed Elkashif
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Bruce R Cooper
- Metabolite Profiling Facility, Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
| | - Claudiu T Supuran
- Department of NEUROFARBA, Section of Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Sciences, University of Florence, Polo Scientifico, Firenze, Italy
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VI, USA.,Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VI, USA
| | - Daniel P Flaherty
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Rey M, Dhenin J, Kong Y, Nouchikian L, Filella I, Duchateau M, Dupré M, Pellarin R, Duménil G, Chamot-Rooke J. Advanced In Vivo Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry Platform to Characterize Proteome-Wide Protein Interactions. Anal Chem 2021; 93:4166-4174. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martial Rey
- Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, CNRS USR 2000, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jonathan Dhenin
- Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, CNRS USR 2000, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Youxin Kong
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections, Department of Cell Biology and Infection, Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1225, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris France
| | - Lucienne Nouchikian
- Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, CNRS USR 2000, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Isaac Filella
- Structural Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Magalie Duchateau
- Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, CNRS USR 2000, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Dupré
- Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, CNRS USR 2000, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Riccardo Pellarin
- Structural Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3528, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Duménil
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections, Department of Cell Biology and Infection, Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1225, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris France
| | - Julia Chamot-Rooke
- Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, CNRS USR 2000, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Comprehensive Bioinformatic Assessments of the Variability of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Vaccine Candidates. mSphere 2021; 6:6/1/e00977-20. [PMID: 33536323 PMCID: PMC7860988 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00977-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A protective vaccine is the only viable way to stop the spread of gonorrhea in the face of rising antibiotic resistance. However, the notorious phase and antigenic variation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae surface proteins remains one of the challenges in vaccine development. To facilitate vaccine advancement efforts, we carried out comprehensive bioinformatic analyses of sequence variation by comparing 34 gonorrhea antigen candidates among >5,000 clinical N. gonorrhoeae isolates deposited in the Neisseria PubMLST database. Eight protein antigens showed exceptional conservation by having a single allele variant distributed in >80% of isolates. An additional 18 vaccine candidates were represented by ≤3 alleles in >50% of N. gonorrhoeae isolates globally. Phylogenetic analyses highlighted closely related antigen variants and additionally showed that AniA and FetB were the closest between N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis Up to 44% of N. meningitidis alleles for both antigens have premature stop codons, suggesting differential expression. Mapping polymorphisms to the available three-dimensional structures of 12 antigens revealed low-frequency surface polymorphisms. PorB and TbpB possessed numerous high-prevalence polymorphic sites. While TbpA was also highly variable, conserved loops were nonetheless identified. A high degree of sequence conservation, the distribution of a single antigen variant among N. gonorrhoeae strains globally, or low-frequency sequence polymorphisms in surface loops make ACP, AniA, BamA, BamE, MtrE, NspA, NGO0778, NGO1251, NGO1985, OpcA, PldA, Slam2, and ZnuD promising candidates for a gonorrhea vaccine. Finally, the commonly used N. gonorrhoeae FA1090 strain emerges as a vaccine prototype, as it carries antigen sequence types identical to the most broadly distributed antigen variants.IMPORTANCE Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the Gram-negative bacterium responsible for the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea, is categorized as a high-priority pathogen for research and development efforts. N. gonorrhoeae's "superbug" status, its high morbidity, and the serious health impact associated with gonorrhea highlight the importance of vaccine development. One of the longstanding barriers to developing an effective vaccine against N. gonorrhoeae is the remarkable variability of surface-exposed antigens. In this report, we addressed this roadblock by applying extensive bioinformatic analyses to 34 gonorrhea antigen candidates among >5,000 clinical N. gonorrhoeae isolates. Our studies are important, as they reveal promising, conserved gonorrhea vaccine candidates and aid structural vaccinology. Moreover, these approaches are broadly applicable to other infectious diseases where surface antigen variability impedes successful vaccine design.
Collapse
|
11
|
Solger F, Kunz TC, Fink J, Paprotka K, Pfister P, Hagen F, Schumacher F, Kleuser B, Seibel J, Rudel T. A Role of Sphingosine in the Intracellular Survival of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:215. [PMID: 32477967 PMCID: PMC7235507 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Obligate human pathogenic Neisseria gonorrhoeae are the second most frequent bacterial cause of sexually transmitted diseases. These bacteria invade different mucosal tissues and occasionally disseminate into the bloodstream. Invasion into epithelial cells requires the activation of host cell receptors by the formation of ceramide-rich platforms. Here, we investigated the role of sphingosine in the invasion and intracellular survival of gonococci. Sphingosine exhibited an anti-gonococcal activity in vitro. We used specific sphingosine analogs and click chemistry to visualize sphingosine in infected cells. Sphingosine localized to the membrane of intracellular gonococci. Inhibitor studies and the application of a sphingosine derivative indicated that increased sphingosine levels reduced the intracellular survival of gonococci. We demonstrate here, that sphingosine can target intracellular bacteria and may therefore exert a direct bactericidal effect inside cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Solger
- Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg Biocenter, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tobias C Kunz
- Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg Biocenter, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Julian Fink
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Kerstin Paprotka
- Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg Biocenter, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Pauline Pfister
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Hagen
- Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg Biocenter, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Schumacher
- Department of Toxicology, University of Potsdam, Nuthetal, Germany.,Department of Molecular Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Burkhard Kleuser
- Department of Toxicology, University of Potsdam, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Jürgen Seibel
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Rudel
- Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg Biocenter, Würzburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Smith EL, Hodgetts KE, Ralph AP, Anstey NM. Case Report: Severe Disseminated Gonococcal Infection with Polyarticular Gout: Two Cases in Older Travelers. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2019; 100:209-212. [PMID: 30457099 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Two male travelers with histories of gout and hazardous alcohol consumption, presented with a triad of severe culture-positive disseminated gonococcal infection, crystal-positive polyarticular gout, and gonococcal soft tissue collections, following unprotected sexual contact in The Philippines. Both men initially attributed symptoms to gout, since their usual joints were affected, but clinical deterioration occurred with self-administration of anti-inflammatory agents alone. The clinical courses were severe and protracted, requiring aggressive management of infection with prolonged intravenous antimicrobials and repeated surgery, and prolonged anti-inflammatory agents for gout. Joint symptom onset in each case occurred within a week of sexual exposure in conjunction with hazardous alcohol ingestion. We speculate that acute dissemination of infection to previously damaged joints triggered polyarticular gout, with progressive infection, exacerbated by unopposed anti-inflammatory agents and delayed antibiotics. Disseminated gonococcal infection can occur with polyarticular gout and delays in recognition and treatment, including while traveling, can lead to severe disease from both.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Smith
- Division of Medicine, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Australia
| | - Kay E Hodgetts
- Division of Medicine, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Australia
| | - Anna P Ralph
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Australia.,Division of Medicine, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Australia
| | - Nicholas M Anstey
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Australia.,Division of Medicine, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Awanye AM, Chang CM, Wheeler JX, Chan H, Marsay L, Dold C, Rollier CS, Bird LE, Nettleship JE, Owens RJ, Pollard AJ, Derrick JP. Immunogenicity profiling of protein antigens from capsular group B Neisseria meningitidis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6843. [PMID: 31048732 PMCID: PMC6497663 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43139-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Outer membrane vesicle (OMV)- based vaccines have been used to provide strain-specific protection against capsular group B Neisseria meningitidis infections, but the full breadth of the immune response against the components of the OMV has not been established. Sera from adults vaccinated with an OMV vaccine were used to screen 91 outer membrane proteins (OMPs) incorporated in an antigen microarray panel. Antigen-specific IgG levels were quantified pre-vaccination, and after 12 and 18 weeks. These results were compared with IgG levels from mice vaccinated with the same OMV vaccine. The repertoires of highly responding antigens in humans and mice overlapped, but were not identical. The highest responding antigens to human IgG comprised four integral OMPs (PorA, PorB, OpcA and PilQ), a protein which promotes the stability of PorA and PorB (RmpM) and two lipoproteins (BamC and GNA1162). These observations will assist in evaluating the role of minor antigen components within OMVs in providing protection against meningococcal infection. In addition, the relative dominance of responses to integral OMPs in humans emphasizes the importance of this subclass and points to the value of maintaining conformational epitopes from integral membrane proteins in vaccine formulations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amaka M Awanye
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Chun-Mien Chang
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jun X Wheeler
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Hannah Chan
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Leanne Marsay
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Christina Dold
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Christine S Rollier
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Louise E Bird
- Oxford Protein Production Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Joanne E Nettleship
- Oxford Protein Production Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Raymond J Owens
- Oxford Protein Production Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Andrew J Pollard
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Jeremy P Derrick
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Schaub RE, Dillard JP. The Pathogenic Neisseria Use a Streamlined Set of Peptidoglycan Degradation Proteins for Peptidoglycan Remodeling, Recycling, and Toxic Fragment Release. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:73. [PMID: 30766523 PMCID: PMC6365954 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis release peptidoglycan (PG) fragments from the cell as the bacteria grow. For N. gonorrhoeae these PG fragments are known to cause damage to human Fallopian tube tissue in organ culture that mimics the damage seen in patients with pelvic inflammatory disease. N. meningitidis also releases pro-inflammatory PG fragments, but in smaller amounts than those from N. gonorrhoeae. It is not yet known if PG fragment release contributes to the highly inflammatory conditions of meningitis and meningococcemia caused by N. meningitidis. Examination of the mechanisms of PG degradation and recycling identified proteins required for these processes. In comparison to the model organism E. coli, the pathogenic Neisseria have far fewer PG degradation proteins, and some of these proteins show differences in subcellular localization compared to their E. coli homologs. In particular, some N. gonorrhoeae PG degradation proteins were demonstrated to be in the outer membrane while their homologs in E. coli were found free in the periplasm or in the cytoplasm. The localization of two of these proteins was demonstrated to affect PG fragment release. Another major factor for PG fragment release is the allele of ampG. Gonococcal AmpG was found to be slightly defective compared to related PG fragment permeases, thus leading to increased release of PG. A number of additional PG-related factors affect other virulence functions in Neisseria. Endopeptidases and carboxypeptidases were found to be required for type IV pilus production and resistance to hydrogen peroxide. Also, deacetylation of PG was required for virulence of N. meningitidis as well as normal cell size. Overall, we describe the processes involved in PG degradation and recycling and how certain characteristics of these proteins influence the interactions of these pathogens with their host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan E Schaub
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Joseph P Dillard
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Deo P, Chow SH, Hay ID, Kleifeld O, Costin A, Elgass KD, Jiang JH, Ramm G, Gabriel K, Dougan G, Lithgow T, Heinz E, Naderer T. Outer membrane vesicles from Neisseria gonorrhoeae target PorB to mitochondria and induce apoptosis. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1006945. [PMID: 29601598 PMCID: PMC5877877 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea by evading innate immunity. Colonizing the mucosa of the reproductive tract depends on the bacterial outer membrane porin, PorB, which is essential for ion and nutrient uptake. PorB is also targeted to host mitochondria and regulates apoptosis pathways to promote infections. How PorB traffics from the outer membrane of N. gonorrhoeae to mitochondria and whether it modulates innate immune cells, such as macrophages, remains unclear. Here, we show that N. gonorrhoeae secretes PorB via outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). Purified OMVs contained primarily outer membrane proteins including oligomeric PorB. The porin was targeted to mitochondria of macrophages after exposure to purified OMVs and wild type N. gonorrhoeae. This was associated with loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c, activation of apoptotic caspases and cell death in a time-dependent manner. Consistent with this, OMV-induced macrophage death was prevented with the pan-caspase inhibitor, Q-VD-PH. This shows that N. gonorrhoeae utilizes OMVs to target PorB to mitochondria and to induce apoptosis in macrophages, thus affecting innate immunity. Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea in more than 100 million people worldwide every year. The bacteria replicate in the reproductive tract by evading innate and adaptive immunity. In the absence of effective vaccines and the rise of antibiotic resistance, understanding the molecular interactions between innate immune cells and N. gonorrhoeae may lead to new strategies to combat bacterial growth and the symptoms of gonorrhoea. It has long been known that the N. gonorrhoeae porin, PorB, promotes bacterial survival but also targets host mitochondria in infections. The mechanism by which PorB traffics form the bacterial outer membrane to host mitochondria remains unclear. Here, we utilized proteomics and super-resolution microscopy to show that N. gonorrhoeae secretes PorB via outer membrane vesicles. These vesicles are taken up by macrophages and deliver PorB to mitochondria. Macrophages treated with N. gonorrhoeae vesicles contained damaged mitochondria and active caspase-3. A caspase inhibitor prevented apoptosis of macrophages treated with N. gonorrhoeae vesicles. This suggests that N. gonorrhoeae secretes membrane vesicles, which are readily detectable in gonorrhoea patients, to target macrophages and to promote infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Deo
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Seong H Chow
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Iain D Hay
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Oded Kleifeld
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adam Costin
- Monash Ramaciotti Centre for Cryo Electron Microscopy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kirstin D Elgass
- Monash Micro Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jhih-Hang Jiang
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Georg Ramm
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Monash Ramaciotti Centre for Cryo Electron Microscopy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kipros Gabriel
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gordon Dougan
- Infection Genomics Program, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor Lithgow
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eva Heinz
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Infection Genomics Program, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Naderer
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Toussi DN, Wetzler LM, Liu X, Massari P. Neisseriae internalization by epithelial cells is enhanced by TLR2 stimulation. Microbes Infect 2016; 18:627-638. [PMID: 27373686 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis (NM) is an opportunistic gram-negative human pathogen that colonizes the human nasopharyngeal epithelium. Asymptomatic carriage is common, but some meningococcal strains can invade nasopharyngeal epithelial cells and proceed to cause severe and often fatal infections. Invasion is predominantly driven by expression of bacterial virulence factors and host cell cognate receptors for bacterial recognition. Porins are among the Neisserial components involved in host cell activation and bacterial internalization processes. Similar to other virulence factors, porins present antigenic and structure variability among strains. Such sequence variability in the surface-exposed loop regions has been correlated to bacterial invasiveness and to variability in host cell responses via Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). Here, we examined whether TLR2 signaling by porins influences recovery of intracellular Neisseriae from epithelial cells in vitro. Our results show that TLR2 stimulation, either by the organism or exogenously, generally enhances Neisseriae internalization by epithelial cells. TLR2-driven intracellular signaling via ERK1/2, JNK and particularly NF-κB plays a role in this process. Based on these results, it is possible that expression of porin sequence variants that strongly induce TLR2 activation may be a mechanism to enhance the invasive features of pathogenic Neisseriae strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deana N Toussi
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, EBRC, 650 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Novartis Companion Diagnostics, 45 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Lee M Wetzler
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, EBRC, 650 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Xiuping Liu
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, EBRC, 650 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Paola Massari
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, EBRC, 650 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Jaharis 501b, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Shaskolskiy B, Dementieva E, Leinsoo A, Runina A, Vorobyev D, Plakhova X, Kubanov A, Deryabin D, Gryadunov D. Drug Resistance Mechanisms in Bacteria Causing Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Associated with Vaginosis. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:747. [PMID: 27242760 PMCID: PMC4870398 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we review sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) caused by pathogenic bacteria and vaginal infections which result from an overgrowth of opportunistic bacterial microflora. First, we describe the STDs, the corresponding pathogens and the antimicrobials used for their treatment. In addition to the well-known diseases caused by single pathogens (i.e., syphilis, gonococcal infections, and chlamydiosis), we consider polymicrobial reproductive tract infections (especially those that are difficult to effectively clinically manage). Then, we summarize the biochemical mechanisms that lead to antimicrobial resistance and the most recent data on the emergence of drug resistance in STD pathogens and bacteria associated with vaginosis. A large amount of research performed in the last 10-15 years has shed light on the enormous diversity of mechanisms of resistance developed by bacteria. A detailed understanding of the mechanisms of antimicrobials action and the emergence of resistance is necessary to modify existing drugs and to develop new ones directed against new targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Boris Shaskolskiy
- Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics Technologies, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Dementieva
- Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics Technologies, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow, Russia
| | - Arvo Leinsoo
- Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics Technologies, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastassia Runina
- State Research Center of Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology of the Russian Ministry of Health Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis Vorobyev
- State Research Center of Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology of the Russian Ministry of Health Moscow, Russia
| | - Xenia Plakhova
- State Research Center of Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology of the Russian Ministry of Health Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey Kubanov
- State Research Center of Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology of the Russian Ministry of Health Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitrii Deryabin
- State Research Center of Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology of the Russian Ministry of Health Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry Gryadunov
- Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics Technologies, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Stefanelli P, Neri A, Tanabe M, Fazio C, Massari P. Typing and surface charges of the variable loop regions of PorB from Neisseria meningitidis. IUBMB Life 2016; 68:488-95. [PMID: 27156582 DOI: 10.1002/iub.1508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PorB is a pan-Neisserial major outer membrane protein with a trimeric β-barrel structure. Each monomer presents eight periplasmic turns and eight surface exposed loop regions with sequence variability. PorB induces activation of host cell responses via a TLR2-dependent mechanism likely mediated by electrostatic interactions between TLR2 and PorB surface exposed loops. Variability in the loop amino acid sequence is known to influence cell responses to PorB in vitro, particularly for the residues in L5 and L7. In this work, the sequence of the porB gene and the electrostatic surface charges of PorB from 35 invasive meningococcal isolates belonging to the main clonal complexes identified in Italy and from five carriage genomes available on the website http://pubmlst.org/neisseria/ were examined. Analysis of the porB encoding regions from the invasive meningococci has identified four new alleles and a potential association between porB alleles, serogroup, and clonal complexes. Through computer-based modeling and analysis of the electrostatic surface charges of PorB from these strains, loop charge segregation between PorB from invasive serogroups B and C was observed. Specifically, loops 1, 4, and 7 were negatively charged and L2 and L8 were mostly neutral in serogroup B isolates, while an overall homogeneous positive surface charge was present in PorB from invasive serogroup C strains. A higher PorB sequence variability was observed among carriage genomes, and a general prevalence of negative loop surface charges. The surface charge differences in PorB from serogroups B and C invasive and carriage strains may, in part, influence the outcomes of Neisseriae interactions with host cells. © 2016 IUBMB Life, 68(6):488-495, 2016.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Stefanelli
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic & Immuno-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Arianna Neri
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic & Immuno-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Mikio Tanabe
- Structural Biology Research Center, Photon Factory, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Cecilia Fazio
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic & Immuno-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Massari
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Xia J, Gao J, Tang W. Nosocomial infection and its molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Biosci Trends 2016; 10:14-21. [PMID: 26877142 DOI: 10.5582/bst.2016.01020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Nosocomial infection is a kind of infection, which is spread in various hospital environments, and leads to many serious diseases (e.g. pneumonia, urinary tract infection, gastroenteritis, and puerperal fever), and causes higher mortality than community-acquired infection. Bacteria are predominant among all the nosocomial infection-associated pathogens, thus a large number of antibiotics, such as aminoglycosides, penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems, are adopted in clinical treatment. However, in recent years antibiotic resistance quickly spreads worldwide and causes a critical threat to public health. The predominant bacteria include Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Acinetobacter baumannii. In these bacteria, resistance emerged from antibiotic resistant genes and many of those can be exchanged between bacteria. With technical advances, molecular mechanisms of resistance have been gradually unveiled. In this review, recent advances in knowledge about mechanisms by which (i) bacteria hydrolyze antibiotics (e.g. extended spectrum β-lactamases, (ii) AmpC β-lactamases, carbapenemases), (iii) avoid antibiotic targeting (e.g. mutated vanA and mecA genes), (iv) prevent antibiotic permeation (e.g. porin deficiency), or (v) excrete intracellular antibiotics (e.g. active efflux pump) are summarized.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jufeng Xia
- Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery Division, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Maharjan S, Saleem M, Feavers IM, Wheeler JX, Care R, Derrick JP. Dissection of the function of the RmpM periplasmic protein from Neisseria meningitidis. Microbiology (Reading) 2016; 162:364-375. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Maharjan
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, EN6 3QGUK
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PTUK
| | - Muhammad Saleem
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PTUK
| | - Ian M. Feavers
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, EN6 3QGUK
| | - Jun X. Wheeler
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, EN6 3QGUK
| | - Rory Care
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, EN6 3QGUK
| | - Jeremy P. Derrick
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PTUK
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Biville F, Brézillon C, Giorgini D, Taha MK. Pyrophosphate-mediated iron acquisition from transferrin in Neisseria meningitidis does not require TonB activity. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107612. [PMID: 25290693 PMCID: PMC4189776 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 08/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to acquire iron from various sources has been demonstrated to be a major determinant
in the pathogenesis of Neisseria meningitidis. Outside the cells, iron is bound to
transferrin in serum, or to lactoferrin in mucosal secretions. Meningococci can extract iron from
iron-loaded human transferrin by the TbpA/TbpB outer membrane complex. Moreover, N.
meningitidis expresses the LbpA/LbpB outer membrane complex, which can extract iron from
iron-loaded human lactoferrin. Iron transport through the outer membrane requires energy provided by
the ExbB-ExbD-TonB complex. After transportation through the outer membrane, iron is bound by
periplasmic protein FbpA and is addressed to the FbpBC inner membrane transporter. Iron-complexing
compounds like citrate and pyrophosphate have been shown to support meningococcal growth ex
vivo. The use of iron pyrophosphate as an iron source by N. meningitidis
was previously described, but has not been investigated. Pyrophosphate was shown to participate in
iron transfer from transferrin to ferritin. In this report, we investigated the use of ferric
pyrophosphate as an iron source by N. meningitidis both ex vivo
and in a mouse model. We showed that pyrophosphate was able to sustain N.
meningitidis growth when desferal was used as an iron chelator. Addition of a pyrophosphate
analogue to bacterial suspension at millimolar concentrations supported N.
meningitidis survival in the mouse model. Finally, we show that pyrophosphate enabled
TonB-independent ex vivo use of iron-loaded human or bovine transferrin as an iron
source by N. meningitidis. Our data suggest that, in addition to acquiring iron
through sophisticated systems, N. meningitidis is able to use simple strategies to
acquire iron from a wide range of sources so as to sustain bacterial survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francis Biville
- Unité des Infections Bactériennes invasives, Département Infection et Epidémiologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Brézillon
- Unité des Infections Bactériennes invasives, Département Infection et Epidémiologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Dario Giorgini
- Unité des Infections Bactériennes invasives, Département Infection et Epidémiologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Muhamed-Kheir Taha
- Unité des Infections Bactériennes invasives, Département Infection et Epidémiologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Fox D, Larsson P, Lo RH, Kroncke BM, Kasson PM, Columbus L. Structure of the Neisserial outer membrane protein Opa₆₀: loop flexibility essential to receptor recognition and bacterial engulfment. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:9938-46. [PMID: 24813921 PMCID: PMC4105060 DOI: 10.1021/ja503093y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The structure and dynamics of Opa proteins, which we report herein, are responsible for the receptor-mediated engulfment of Neisseria gonorrheae or Neisseria meningitidis by human cells and can offer deep understanding into the molecular recognition of pathogen-host receptor interactions. Such interactions are vital to understanding bacterial pathogenesis as well as the mechanism of foreign body entry to a human cell, which may provide insights for the development of targeted pharmaceutical delivery systems. The size and dynamics of the extracellular loops of Opa60 required a hybrid refinement approach wherein membrane and distance restraints were used to generate an initial NMR structural ensemble, which was then further refined using molecular dynamics in a DMPC bilayer. The resulting ensemble revealed that the extracellular loops, which bind host receptors, occupy compact conformations, interact with each other weakly, and are dynamic on the nanosecond time scale. We predict that this conformational sampling is critical for enabling diverse Opa loop sequences to engage a common set of receptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel
A. Fox
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Per Larsson
- Center
for Membrane Biology and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological
Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
| | - Ryan H. Lo
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Brett M. Kroncke
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Peter M. Kasson
- Center
for Membrane Biology and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological
Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
| | - Linda Columbus
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
- Center
for Membrane Biology and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological
Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Albrecht R, Schütz M, Oberhettinger P, Faulstich M, Bermejo I, Rudel T, Diederichs K, Zeth K. Structure of BamA, an essential factor in outer membrane protein biogenesis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 70:1779-89. [PMID: 24914988 DOI: 10.1107/s1399004714007482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 04/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Outer membrane protein (OMP) biogenesis is an essential process for maintaining the bacterial cell envelope and involves the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) for OMP recognition, folding and assembly. In Escherichia coli this function is orchestrated by five proteins: the integral outer membrane protein BamA of the Omp85 superfamily and four associated lipoproteins. To unravel the mechanism underlying OMP folding and insertion, the structure of the E. coli BamA β-barrel and P5 domain was determined at 3 Å resolution. These data add information beyond that provided in the recently published crystal structures of BamA from Haemophilus ducreyi and Neisseria gonorrhoeae and are a valuable basis for the interpretation of pertinent functional studies. In an `open' conformation, E. coli BamA displays a significant degree of flexibility between P5 and the barrel domain, which is indicative of a multi-state function in substrate transfer. E. coli BamA is characterized by a discontinuous β-barrel with impaired β1-β16 strand interactions denoted by only two connecting hydrogen bonds and a disordered C-terminus. The 16-stranded barrel surrounds a large cavity which implies a function in OMP substrate binding and partial folding. These findings strongly support a mechanism of OMP biogenesis in which substrates are partially folded inside the barrel cavity and are subsequently released laterally into the lipid bilayer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reinhard Albrecht
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Monika Schütz
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Strasse 6, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Oberhettinger
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Strasse 6, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michaela Faulstich
- Department for Microbiology, Biocenter of the University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ivan Bermejo
- Unidad de Biofisica (CSIC-UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Vizcaya, Spain
| | - Thomas Rudel
- Department for Microbiology, Biocenter of the University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Kay Diederichs
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Kornelius Zeth
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Redgrave LS, Sutton SB, Webber MA, Piddock LJV. Fluoroquinolone resistance: mechanisms, impact on bacteria, and role in evolutionary success. Trends Microbiol 2014; 22:438-45. [PMID: 24842194 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2014.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 573] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Revised: 04/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Quinolone and fluoroquinolone antibiotics are potent, broad-spectrum agents commonly used to treat a range of infections. Resistance to these agents is multifactorial and can be via one or a combination of target-site gene mutations, increased production of multidrug-resistance (MDR) efflux pumps, modifying enzymes, and/or target-protection proteins. Fluoroquinolone-resistant clinical isolates of bacteria have emerged readily and recent data have shown that resistance to this class of antibiotics can have diverse, species-dependent impacts on host-strain fitness. Here we outline the impacts of quinolone-resistance mutations in relation to the fitness and evolutionary success of mutant strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liam S Redgrave
- School of Immunity and Infection, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, Biosciences Building, University Road West, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Sam B Sutton
- School of Immunity and Infection, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, Biosciences Building, University Road West, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Mark A Webber
- School of Immunity and Infection, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, Biosciences Building, University Road West, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Laura J V Piddock
- School of Immunity and Infection, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, Biosciences Building, University Road West, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Crystallographic analysis of Neisseria meningitidis PorB extracellular loops potentially implicated in TLR2 recognition. J Struct Biol 2014; 185:440-7. [PMID: 24361688 PMCID: PMC3943661 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Revised: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Among all Neisseriae species, Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are the only human pathogens, causative agents of bacterial meningitis and gonorrhoea, respectively. PorB, a pan-Neisseriae trimeric porin that mediates diffusive transport of essential molecules across the bacterial outer membrane, is also known to activate host innate immunity via Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-mediated signaling. The molecular mechanism of PorB binding to TLR2 is not known, but it has been hypothesized that electrostatic interactions contribute to ligand/receptor binding. Strain-specific sequence variability in the surface-exposed loops of PorB which are potentially implicated in TLR2 binding, may explain the difference in TLR2-mediated cell activation in vitro by PorB homologs from the commensal Neisseriae lactamica and the pathogen N. meningitidis. Here, we report a comparative structural analysis of PorB from N. meningitidis serogroup B strain 8765 (63% sequence homology with PorB from N. meningitidis serogroup W135) and a mutant in which amino acid substitutions in the extracellular loop 7 lead to significantly reduced TLR2-dependent activity in vitro. We observe that this mutation both alters the loop conformation and causes dramatic changes of electrostatic surface charge, both of which may affect TLR2 recognition and signaling.
Collapse
|
26
|
Hung MC, Christodoulides M. The biology of Neisseria adhesins. BIOLOGY 2013; 2:1054-109. [PMID: 24833056 PMCID: PMC3960869 DOI: 10.3390/biology2031054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Revised: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Members of the genus Neisseria include pathogens causing important human diseases such as meningitis, septicaemia, gonorrhoea and pelvic inflammatory disease syndrome. Neisseriae are found on the exposed epithelia of the upper respiratory tract and the urogenital tract. Colonisation of these exposed epithelia is dependent on a repertoire of diverse bacterial molecules, extending not only from the surface of the bacteria but also found within the outer membrane. During invasive disease, pathogenic Neisseriae also interact with immune effector cells, vascular endothelia and the meninges. Neisseria adhesion involves the interplay of these multiple surface factors and in this review we discuss the structure and function of these important molecules and the nature of the host cell receptors and mechanisms involved in their recognition. We also describe the current status for recently identified Neisseria adhesins. Understanding the biology of Neisseria adhesins has an impact not only on the development of new vaccines but also in revealing fundamental knowledge about human biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miao-Chiu Hung
- Neisseria Research, Molecular Microbiology, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Sir Henry Wellcome Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
| | - Myron Christodoulides
- Neisseria Research, Molecular Microbiology, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Sir Henry Wellcome Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Faulstich M, Böttcher JP, Meyer TF, Fraunholz M, Rudel T. Pilus phase variation switches gonococcal adherence to invasion by caveolin-1-dependent host cell signaling. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003373. [PMID: 23717204 PMCID: PMC3662692 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2012] [Accepted: 04/05/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many pathogenic bacteria cause local infections but occasionally invade into the blood stream, often with fatal outcome. Very little is known about the mechanism underlying the switch from local to invasive infection. In the case of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, phase variable type 4 pili (T4P) stabilize local infection by mediating microcolony formation and inducing anti-invasive signals. Outer membrane porin PorB(IA), in contrast, is associated with disseminated infection and facilitates the efficient invasion of gonococci into host cells. Here we demonstrate that loss of pili by natural pilus phase variation is a prerequisite for the transition from local to invasive infection. Unexpectedly, both T4P-mediated inhibition of invasion and PorB(IA)-triggered invasion utilize membrane rafts and signaling pathways that depend on caveolin-1-Y14 phosphorylation (Cav1-pY14). We identified p85 regulatory subunit of PI3 kinase (PI3K) and phospholipase Cγ1 as new, exclusive and essential interaction partners for Cav1-pY14 in the course of PorBIA-induced invasion. Active PI3K induces the uptake of gonococci via a new invasion pathway involving protein kinase D1. Our data describe a novel route of bacterial entry into epithelial cells and offer the first mechanistic insight into the switch from local to invasive gonococcal infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Faulstich
- Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg Biocenter, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jan-Peter Böttcher
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Dept. Molecular Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas F. Meyer
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Dept. Molecular Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Fraunholz
- Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg Biocenter, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Rudel
- Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg Biocenter, Würzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|