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Barrault M, Chabelskaya S, Coronel-Tellez RH, Toffano-Nioche C, Jacquet E, Bouloc P. Staphylococcal aconitase expression during iron deficiency is controlled by an sRNA-driven feedforward loop and moonlighting activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:8241-8253. [PMID: 38869061 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae506] [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: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria employ complex systems to cope with metal ion shortage conditions and propagate in the host. IsrR is a regulatory RNA (sRNA) whose activity is decisive for optimum Staphylococcus aureus fitness upon iron starvation and for full virulence. IsrR down-regulates several genes encoding iron-containing enzymes to spare iron for essential processes. Here, we report that IsrR regulates the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle by controlling aconitase (CitB), an iron-sulfur cluster-containing enzyme, and its transcriptional regulator, CcpE. This IsrR-dependent dual-regulatory mechanism provides an RNA-driven feedforward loop, underscoring the tight control required to prevent aconitase expression. Beyond its canonical enzymatic role, aconitase becomes an RNA-binding protein with regulatory activity in iron-deprived conditions, a feature that is conserved in S. aureus. Aconitase not only negatively regulates its own expression, but also impacts the enzymes involved in both its substrate supply and product utilization. This moonlighting activity concurrently upregulates pyruvate carboxylase expression, allowing it to compensate for the TCA cycle deficiency associated with iron scarcity. These results highlight the cascade of complex posttranscriptional regulations controlling S. aureus central metabolism in response to iron deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Barrault
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Svetlana Chabelskaya
- Université de Rennes 1, BRM (Bacterial regulatory RNAs and Medicine) UMR_S 1230, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Rodrigo H Coronel-Tellez
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Claire Toffano-Nioche
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Eric Jacquet
- Université Paris-Saclay, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS UPR2301, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Philippe Bouloc
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Ganske A, Busch LM, Hentschker C, Reder A, Michalik S, Surmann K, Völker U, Mäder U. Exploring the targetome of IsrR, an iron-regulated sRNA controlling the synthesis of iron-containing proteins in Staphylococcus aureus. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1439352. [PMID: 39035440 PMCID: PMC11257911 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1439352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a common colonizer of the skin and nares of healthy individuals, but also a major cause of severe human infections. During interaction with the host, pathogenic bacteria must adapt to a variety of adverse conditions including nutrient deprivation. In particular, they encounter severe iron limitation in the mammalian host through iron sequestration by haptoglobin and iron-binding proteins, a phenomenon called "nutritional immunity." In most bacteria, including S. aureus, the ferric uptake regulator (Fur) is the key regulator of iron homeostasis, which primarily acts as a transcriptional repressor of genes encoding iron acquisition systems. Moreover, Fur can control the expression of trans-acting small regulatory RNAs that play an important role in the cellular iron-sparing response involving major changes in cellular metabolism under iron-limiting conditions. In S. aureus, the sRNA IsrR is controlled by Fur, and most of its predicted targets are iron-containing proteins and other proteins related to iron metabolism and iron-dependent pathways. To characterize the IsrR targetome on a genome-wide scale, we combined proteomics-based identification of potential IsrR targets using S. aureus strains either lacking or constitutively expressing IsrR with an in silico target prediction approach, thereby suggesting 21 IsrR targets, of which 19 were negatively affected by IsrR based on the observed protein patterns. These included several Fe-S cluster- and heme-containing proteins, such as TCA cycle enzymes and catalase encoded by katA. IsrR affects multiple metabolic pathways connected to the TCA cycle as well as the oxidative stress response of S. aureus and links the iron limitation response to metabolic remodeling. In contrast to the majority of target mRNAs, the IsrR-katA mRNA interaction is predicted upstream of the ribosome binding site, and further experiments including mRNA half-life measurements demonstrated that IsrR, in addition to inhibiting translation initiation, can downregulate target protein levels by affecting mRNA stability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ulrike Mäder
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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Chen F, Zhao Q, Yang Z, Chen R, Pan H, Wang Y, Liu H, Cao Q, Gan J, Liu X, Zhang N, Yang CG, Liang H, Lan L. Citrate serves as a signal molecule to modulate carbon metabolism and iron homeostasis in Staphylococcus aureus. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012425. [PMID: 39078849 PMCID: PMC11315280 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012425] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria's metabolic adaptation for survival and proliferation within hosts is a crucial aspect of bacterial pathogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that citrate, the first intermediate of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, plays a key role as a regulator of gene expression in Staphylococcus aureus. We show that citrate activates the transcriptional regulator CcpE and thus modulates the expression of numerous genes involved in key cellular pathways such as central carbon metabolism, iron uptake and the synthesis and export of virulence factors. Citrate can also suppress the transcriptional regulatory activity of ferric uptake regulator. Moreover, we determined that accumulated intracellular citrate, partly through the activation of CcpE, decreases the pathogenic potential of S. aureus in animal infection models. Therefore, citrate plays a pivotal role in coordinating carbon metabolism, iron homeostasis, and bacterial pathogenicity at the transcriptional level in S. aureus, going beyond its established role as a TCA cycle intermediate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifei Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingmin Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ziqiong Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rongrong Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huiwen Pan
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanhui Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huan Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiao Cao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianhua Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Department of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine, Navy Medical Center, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Naixia Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cai-Guang Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haihua Liang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lefu Lan
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Zhao H, Shang L, Zhang Y, Liang Z, Wang N, Zhang Q, Gao C, Luo J. IL-17A inhibitors alleviate Psoriasis with concomitant restoration of intestinal/skin microbiota homeostasis and altered microbiota function. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1344963. [PMID: 38482003 PMCID: PMC10933079 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1344963] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Disturbed gut microbiota and associated metabolic dysfunction exist in Psoriasis. Despite the growing use of interleukin-17 inhibitor (anti-IL17) therapy, the effect of anti-IL17 on gut/skin microbiota function is not fully understood in patients with Psoriasis. Objective Therefore, we explored whether Psoriasis is associated with alterations in selected gut/skin microbiota in a study cohort, and a longitudinal cohort study to reveal the effects of IL-17A inhibitor treatment on gut microbiota in Psoriasis. Methods In a case-control study, 14 patients with Psoriasis and 10 age, sex and body mass index-matched Healthy Controls were recruited. Longitudinal mapping of the gut microbiome was performed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Mouse models were used to further study and validate the interrelationship between the skin microbiome and the gut microbiome in Psoriasis. PICRUST2 was applied to predict the function of the bacterial community. Results In Psoriasis patients, gut microbiota dysbiosis was present with increased heterogeneity: decreased Bacteroidota and increased Firmicutes as well as Actinobacteriota predominating in Psoriasis. Escherichia-Shigella enrichment was associated with reduction in serum levels of total bile acid and markers in Apoptotic pathways. After IL-17A inhibitor treatment in Psoriasis patients, longitudinal studies observed a trend toward a normal distribution of the gut microbiome and modulation of apoptosis-related metabolic pathways. Results from a mouse model showed dysregulation of the skin microbiota in Psoriasis characterized by Staphylococcus colonization. Conclusion The psoriatic gut/skin microbiota exhibits loss of community stability and pathogen enrichment. IL-17A inhibitors restore microbiota homeostasis and metabolic pathways, reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, and alleviate symptoms in patients with Psoriasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huixia Zhao
- Department of Dermatology, Heji Hospital of Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China
| | - Lili Shang
- Department of Rheumatology, The Second Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory for immunomicroecology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yuting Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Heji Hospital of Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China
| | - Zhaojun Liang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory for immunomicroecology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Department of Rheumatology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory for immunomicroecology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Department of Rheumatology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Heji Hospital of Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China
| | - Chong Gao
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jing Luo
- Shanxi Key Laboratory for immunomicroecology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Department of Rheumatology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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Patil RH, Luptáková D, Havlíček V. Infection metallomics for critical care in the post-COVID era. MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2023; 42:1221-1243. [PMID: 34854486 DOI: 10.1002/mas.21755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Infection metallomics is a mass spectrometry (MS) platform we established based on the central concept that microbial metallophores are specific, sensitive, noninvasive, and promising biomarkers of invasive infectious diseases. Here we review the in vitro, in vivo, and clinical applications of metallophores from historical and functional perspectives, and identify under-studied and emerging application areas with high diagnostic potential for the post-COVID era. MS with isotope data filtering is fundamental to infection metallomics; it has been used to study the interplay between "frenemies" in hosts and to monitor the dynamic response of the microbiome to antibiotic and antimycotic therapies. During infection in critically ill patients, the hostile environment of the host's body activates secondary bacterial, mycobacterial, and fungal metabolism, leading to the production of metallophores that increase the pathogen's chance of survival in the host. MS can reveal the structures, stability, and threshold concentrations of these metal-containing microbial biomarkers of infection in humans and model organisms, and can discriminate invasive disease from benign colonization based on well-defined thresholds distinguishing proliferation from the colonization steady state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rutuja H Patil
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czechia
| | - Dominika Luptáková
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Vladimír Havlíček
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czechia
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6
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Kim J, Kim GL, Norambuena J, Boyd JM, Parker D. Impact of the pentose phosphate pathway on metabolism and pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011531. [PMID: 37440594 PMCID: PMC10368262 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011531] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen that leads to significant disease through multiple routes of infection. We recently published a transposon sequencing (Tn-seq) screen in a mouse acute pneumonia model and identified a hypothetical gene (SAUSA300_1902, pgl) with similarity to a lactonase of Escherichia coli involved in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) that was conditionally essential. Limited studies have investigated the role of the PPP in physiology and pathogenesis of S. aureus. We show here that mutation of pgl significantly impacts ATP levels and respiration. RNA-seq analysis of the pgl mutant and parent strains identified compensatory changes in gene expression for glucose and gluconate as well as reductions in the pyrimidine biosynthesis locus. These differences were also evident through unbiased metabolomics studies and 13C labeling experiments that showed mutation of pgl led to reductions in pyrimidine metabolism including decreases in ribose-5P, UMP and GMP. These nucleotide reductions impacted the amount of extracellular DNA in biofilms and reduced biofilm formation. Mutation also limited the capacity of the strain to resist oxidant damage induced by hydrogen peroxide and paraquat and subsequent intracellular survival inside macrophages. Changes in wall teichoic acid impacted susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide. We demonstrated the importance of these changes on virulence in three different models of infection, covering respiratory, skin and septicemia, demonstrating the need for proper PPP function in all models. This work demonstrates the multifaceted role metabolism can play in multiple aspects of S. aureus pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jisun Kim
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Immunity and Inflammation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Gyu-Lee Kim
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Immunity and Inflammation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Javiera Norambuena
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey M. Boyd
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Dane Parker
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Immunity and Inflammation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
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7
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Lu Y, Chen F, Zhao Q, Cao Q, Chen R, Pan H, Wang Y, Huang H, Huang R, Liu Q, Li M, Bae T, Liang H, Lan L. Modulation of MRSA virulence gene expression by the wall teichoic acid enzyme TarO. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1594. [PMID: 36949052 PMCID: PMC10032271 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37310-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) and Staphylococcal protein A (SpA) are key virulence determinants for community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), an important human pathogen that causes a wide range of diseases. Here, using chemical and genetic approaches, we show that inhibition of TarO, the first enzyme in the wall teichoic acid (WTA) biosynthetic pathway, decreases the expression of genes encoding PSMs and SpA in the prototypical CA-MRSA strain USA300 LAC. Mechanistically, these effects are linked to the activation of VraRS two-component system that directly represses the expression of accessory gene regulator (agr) locus and spa. The activation of VraRS was due in part to the loss of the functional integrity of penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2) in a PBP2a-dependent manner. TarO inhibition can also activate VraRS in a manner independent of PBP2a. We provide multiple lines of evidence that accumulation of lipid-linked peptidoglycan precursors is a trigger for the activation of VraRS. In sum, our results reveal that WTA biosynthesis plays an important role in the regulation of virulence gene expression in CA-MRSA, underlining TarO as an attractive target for anti-virulence therapy. Our data also suggest that acquisition of PBP2a-encoding mecA gene can impart an additional regulatory layer for the modulation of key signaling pathways in S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfu Lu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Feifei Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Qingmin Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qiao Cao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Rongrong Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Huiwen Pan
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yanhui Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Haixin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Ruimin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Min Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Taeok Bae
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine-Northwest, Gary, IN, 46408, USA
| | - Haihua Liang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China.
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Lefu Lan
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China.
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Coordination of CcpA and CodY Regulators in Staphylococcus aureus USA300 Strains. mSystems 2022; 7:e0048022. [PMID: 36321827 PMCID: PMC9765215 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00480-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex cross talk between metabolism and gene regulatory networks makes it difficult to untangle individual constituents and study their precise roles and interactions. To address this issue, we modularized the transcriptional regulatory network (TRN) of the Staphylococcus aureus USA300 strain by applying independent component analysis (ICA) to 385 RNA sequencing samples. We then combined the modular TRN model with a metabolic model to study the regulation of carbon and amino acid metabolism. Our analysis showed that regulation of central carbon metabolism by CcpA and amino acid biosynthesis by CodY are closely coordinated. In general, S. aureus increases the expression of CodY-regulated genes in the presence of preferred carbon sources such as glucose. This transcriptional coordination was corroborated by metabolic model simulations that also showed increased amino acid biosynthesis in the presence of glucose. Further, we found that CodY and CcpA cooperatively regulate the expression of ribosome hibernation-promoting factor, thus linking metabolic cues with translation. In line with this hypothesis, expression of CodY-regulated genes is tightly correlated with expression of genes encoding ribosomal proteins. Together, we propose a coarse-grained model where expression of S. aureus genes encoding enzymes that control carbon flux and nitrogen flux through the system is coregulated with expression of translation machinery to modularly control protein synthesis. While this work focuses on three key regulators, the full TRN model we present contains 76 total independently modulated sets of genes, each with the potential to uncover other complex regulatory structures and interactions. IMPORTANCE Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen with an expanding antibiotic resistance profile. The biology underlying its clinical success emerges from an interplay of many systems such as metabolism and gene regulatory networks. This work brings together models for these two systems to establish fundamental principles governing the regulation of S. aureus central metabolism and protein synthesis. Studies of these fundamental biological principles are often confined to model organisms such as Escherichia coli. However, expanding these models to pathogens can provide a framework from which complex and clinically important phenotypes such as virulence and antibiotic resistance can be better understood. Additionally, the expanded gene regulatory network model presented here can deconvolute the biology underlying other important phenotypes in this pathogen.
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First Record of the Rare Species Aeromonas lusitana from Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum): Comparative Analysis with the Existing Strains. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11111299. [DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The species Aeromonas lusitana was first described in 2016 with five strains recovered from untreated water and vegetables from Portugal. Since then, no further records exist of this species. During a surveillance study on the presence of Aeromonas in fish farms in Mexico, a new strain (ESV-351) of the mentioned species isolated from a rainbow trout was recovered. It was identified because it clustered phylogenetically with the type strain of A. lusitana based on the analysis of the rpoD gene sequences. In the present study, phenotypic characteristics, antimicrobial resistance profiles, and the presence of putative virulence genes of this novel strain (ESV-351) were determined in parallel to the five isolates from the original species description. Phenotypic differential characteristics exhibited by A. lusitana ESV-351 depicted an evident similarity to the characteristics exhibited by the other evaluated strains. However, the novel strain was positive for the production of indole using conventional methods, while the rest of the strains, including the type strain, were negative for its production. Furthermore, intermediate resistance to ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cephalothin was detected in both the novel and the type strain. Five different virulence-related genes were detected in the novel strain and in the previously described strains, with the type strain exhibiting the highest number of virulence-related genes. In addition to this, the genome of the novel strain (ESV-351) was sequenced and compared with the genomes from the type strain (A. lusitana CECT 7828T) and other Aeromonas spp. The genomic analysis defined Aeromonas tecta as the closest species to A. lusitana with a highly similar number of predicted proteins. The genomic size, the number of protein-encoding genes and the number of different tRNAs, among other characteristics, make it possible to propose that the ESV-351 strain could potentially have the capacity to adapt to different environments. Genome comparison of the ESV-351 strain with the type strain revealed that both possess a similar sequence of the citrate synthase gene. In addition to this finding, the chromosomal region containing the citrate synthase locus of the novel strain exhibits some similarity to the chromosomal region in the genome of the A. hydrophila type strain and other known human pathogens, such as Vibrio cholerae. This could suggest a possible virulence role for the citrate synthase gene in A. lusitana (ESV-351).
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Regulation of Staphylococcal Capsule by SarZ is SigA-Dependent. J Bacteriol 2022; 204:e0015222. [PMID: 35862799 PMCID: PMC9380528 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00152-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Production of capsular polysaccharides in Staphylococcus aureus is transcriptionally regulated by a control region of the cap operon that consists of SigA- and SigB-dependent promoters. A large number of regulators have been shown to affect cap gene expression. However, regulation of capsule is only partially understood. Here we found that SarZ was another regulator that activated the cap genes through the SigA-dependent promoter. Gel electrophoresis mobility shift experiments revealed that SarZ is bound to a broad region of the cap promoter including the SigA-dependent promoter but mainly the downstream region. We demonstrated that activation of cap expression by SarZ was independent of MgrA, which also activated capsule through the SigA-dependent promoter. Our results further showed that oxidative stress with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatments enhanced SarZ activation of cap expression, indicating that SarZ is able to sense oxidative stress to regulate capsule production. IMPORTANCE Expression of virulence genes in Staphylococcus aureus is affected by environmental cues and is regulated by a surprisingly large number of regulators. Much is still unknown about how virulence factors are regulated by environment cues at the molecular level. Capsule is an antiphagocytic virulence factor that is highly regulated. In this study, we found SarZ was an activator of capsule and that the regulation of capsule by SarZ was affected by oxidative stress. These results provide an example of how a virulence factor could be regulated in response to an environmental cue. As the host oxidative defense system plays an important role against S. aureus, this study contributes to a better understanding of virulence gene regulation and staphylococcal pathogenesis.
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11
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McKellar SW, Ivanova I, Arede P, Zapf RL, Mercier N, Chu LC, Mediati DG, Pickering AC, Briaud P, Foster RG, Kudla G, Fitzgerald JR, Caldelari I, Carroll RK, Tree JJ, Granneman S. RNase III CLASH in MRSA uncovers sRNA regulatory networks coupling metabolism to toxin expression. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3560. [PMID: 35732654 PMCID: PMC9217828 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31173-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterial pathogen responsible for significant human morbidity and mortality. Post-transcriptional regulation by small RNAs (sRNAs) has emerged as an important mechanism for controlling virulence. However, the functionality of the majority of sRNAs during infection is unknown. To address this, we performed UV cross-linking, ligation, and sequencing of hybrids (CLASH) in MRSA to identify sRNA-RNA interactions under conditions that mimic the host environment. Using a double-stranded endoribonuclease III as bait, we uncovered hundreds of novel sRNA-RNA pairs. Strikingly, our results suggest that the production of small membrane-permeabilizing toxins is under extensive sRNA-mediated regulation and that their expression is intimately connected to metabolism. Additionally, we also uncover an sRNA sponging interaction between RsaE and RsaI. Taken together, we present a comprehensive analysis of sRNA-target interactions in MRSA and provide details on how these contribute to the control of virulence in response to changes in metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart W McKellar
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Ivayla Ivanova
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Pedro Arede
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Rachel L Zapf
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - Noémie Mercier
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR9002, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Liang-Cui Chu
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Daniel G Mediati
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia
| | - Amy C Pickering
- The Roslin Institute and Edinburgh Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Paul Briaud
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - Robert G Foster
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Grzegorz Kudla
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - J Ross Fitzgerald
- The Roslin Institute and Edinburgh Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Isabelle Caldelari
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR9002, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ronan K Carroll
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
- The Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - Jai J Tree
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia
| | - Sander Granneman
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK.
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12
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Zarrella TM, Khare A. Systematic identification of molecular mediators of interspecies sensing in a community of two frequently coinfecting bacterial pathogens. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001679. [PMID: 35727825 PMCID: PMC9249247 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria typically exist in dynamic, multispecies communities where polymicrobial interactions influence fitness. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions is critical for understanding and modulating bacterial behavior in natural environments. While bacterial responses to foreign species are frequently characterized at the molecular and phenotypic level, the exogenous molecules that elicit these responses are understudied. Here, we outline a systematic strategy based on transcriptomics combined with genetic and biochemical screens of promoter-reporters to identify the molecules from one species that are sensed by another. We utilized this method to study interactions between the pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus that are frequently found in coinfections. We discovered that P. aeruginosa senses diverse staphylococcal exoproducts including the metallophore staphylopine (StP), intermediate metabolites citrate and acetoin, and multiple molecules that modulate its iron starvation response. We observed that StP inhibits biofilm formation and that P. aeruginosa can utilize citrate and acetoin for growth, revealing that these interactions have both antagonistic and beneficial effects. Due to the unbiased nature of our approach, we also identified on a genome scale the genes in S. aureus that affect production of each sensed exoproduct, providing possible targets to modify multispecies community dynamics. Further, a combination of these identified S. aureus products recapitulated a majority of the transcriptional response of P. aeruginosa to S. aureus supernatant, validating our screening strategy. Cystic fibrosis (CF) clinical isolates of both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa also showed varying degrees of induction or responses, respectively, which suggests that these interactions are widespread among pathogenic strains. Our screening approach thus identified multiple S. aureus secreted molecules that are sensed by P. aeruginosa and affect its physiology, demonstrating the efficacy of this approach, and yielding new insight into the molecular basis of interactions between these two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany M. Zarrella
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Postdoctoral Research Associate Training Program, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Anupama Khare
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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13
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Elgrail MM, Chen E, Shaffer MG, Srinivasa V, Griffith MP, Mustapha MM, Shields RK, Van Tyne D, Culyba MJ. Convergent Evolution of Antibiotic Tolerance in Patients with Persistent Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0000122. [PMID: 35285704 PMCID: PMC9022596 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00001-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are often complicated by persistent bacteremia (PB) despite active antibiotic therapy. Antibiotic resistance rarely contributes to MRSA-PB, suggesting an important role for antibiotic tolerance pathways. To identify bacterial factors associated with PB, we sequenced the whole genomes of 206 MRSA isolates derived from 20 patients with PB and looked for genetic signatures of adaptive within-host evolution. We found that genes involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (citZ and odhA) and stringent response (rel) bore repeated, independent, protein-altering mutations across multiple infections, indicative of convergent evolution. Both pathways have been linked previously to antibiotic tolerance. Mutations in citZ were identified most frequently, and further study showed they caused antibiotic tolerance through the loss of citrate synthase activity. Isolates harboring mutant alleles (citZ, odhA, and rel) were sampled at a low frequency from each patient but were detected in 10 (50%) of the patients. These results suggest that subpopulations of antibiotic-tolerant mutants emerge commonly during MRSA-PB. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infection. In severe cases, bacteria invade the bloodstream and cause bacteremia, a condition associated with high mortality. We analyzed the genomes of serial MRSA isolates derived from patients with bacteremia that persisted through active antibiotic therapy and found a frequent evolution of pathways leading to antibiotic tolerance. Antibiotic tolerance is distinct from antibiotic resistance, and the role of tolerance in clinical failure of antibiotic therapy is defined poorly. Our results show genetic evidence that perturbation of specific metabolic pathways plays an important role in the ability of MRSA to evade antibiotics during severe infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitra M. Elgrail
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Edwin Chen
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Marla G. Shaffer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Vatsala Srinivasa
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Marissa P. Griffith
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mustapha M. Mustapha
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ryan K. Shields
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daria Van Tyne
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Matthew J. Culyba
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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14
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Staphyloxanthin as a Potential Novel Target for Deciphering Promising Anti-Staphylococcus aureus Agents. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11030298. [PMID: 35326762 PMCID: PMC8944557 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11030298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a fatal Gram-positive pathogen threatening numerous cases of hospital-admitted patients worldwide. The emerging resistance of the pathogen to several antimicrobial agents has pressurized research to propose new strategies for combating antimicrobial resistance. Novel strategies include targeting the virulence factors of S. aureus. One of the most prominent virulence factors of S. aureus is its eponymous antioxidant pigment staphyloxanthin (STX), which is an auspicious target for anti-virulence therapy. This review provides an updated outline on STX and multiple strategies to attenuate this virulence factor. The approaches discussed in this article focus on bioprospective and chemically synthesized inhibitors of STX, inter-species communication and genetic manipulation. Various inhibitor molecules were found to exhibit appreciable inhibitory effect against STX and hence would be able to serve as potential anti-virulence agents for clinical use.
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15
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Silva BC, Aguilar AP, Dutra L, Moon KM, Sébastien A, Foster LJ, Mendes TAO, de Oliveira Barros Ribon A. Proteomic Profiles of Staphylococcus aureus Strains Associated with Subclinical Bovine Mastitis. Curr Microbiol 2022; 79:101. [PMID: 35150342 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-02796-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is the main pathogen associated with bovine mastitis, an intramammary inflammation that leads to significant economic losses in dairy herds. Efforts have been made to identify the bacterial determinants important to the infective process but most of the studies are focused on surface and secreted proteins. Considering that virulence is affected by metabolism, in this study we contrasted the proteome of strains of S. aureus causing persistent subclinical (Sau302 and Sau340) and clinical bovine mastitis (RF122). Protein expressions from cytosolic fractions of bacteria grown under conditions mimicking the mastitic mammary glands are reported. A total of 342 proteins was identified, 52 of which were differentially expressed. Among those down-regulated in the subclinical strains were the two-component sensor histidine kinase SaeS and PurH, both involved in bacterial virulence. The ribosome hibernation promotion factor and the 50S ribosomal protein L13 were up-regulated suggesting that Sau302 and Sau340 modulate protein translation, a condition that may contribute to bacterial survival under stressful conditions. TRAP, a regulator possibly involved in pathogenesis, was expressed only in RF122 while proteins from the Isd system, involved in heme acquisition, were exclusive to Sau302 and Sau340. In summary, the metabolic differences suggest a reduced virulence of the strains causing subclinical mastitis which may contribute to the persistent infection seen in the animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Campos Silva
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36.570-900, Brazil
| | - Ananda Pereira Aguilar
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36.570-900, Brazil
| | - Luana Dutra
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36.570-900, Brazil
| | - Kyung-Mee Moon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Alexandra Sébastien
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Leonard J Foster
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Tiago Antônio Oliveira Mendes
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36.570-900, Brazil
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16
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Yu L, Cao Q, Chen W, Yang N, Yang CG, Ji Q, Wu M, Bae T, Lan L. A novel copper-sensing two-component system for inducing Dsb gene expression in bacteria. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2022; 67:198-212. [PMID: 36546013 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
In nature, bacteria must sense copper and tightly regulate gene expression to evade copper toxicity. Here, we identify a new copper-responsive two-component system named DsbRS in the important human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa; in this system, DsbS is a sensor histidine kinase, and DsbR, its cognate response regulator, directly induces the transcription of genes involved in protein disulfide bond formation (Dsb) (i.e., the dsbDEG operon and dsbB). In the absence of copper, DsbS acts as a phosphatase toward DsbR, thus blocking the transcription of Dsb genes. In the presence of copper, the metal ion directly binds to the sensor domain of DsbS, and the Cys82 residue plays a critical role in this process. The copper-binding behavior appears to inhibit the phosphatase activity of DsbS, leading to the activation of DsbR. The copper resistance of the dsbRS knock-out mutant is restored by the ectopic expression of the dsbDEG operon, which is a DsbRS major target. Strikingly, cognates of the dsbRS-dsbDEG pair are widely distributed across eubacteria. In addition, a DsbR-binding site, which contains the consensus sequence 5'-TTA-N8-TTAA-3', is detected in the promoter region of dsbDEG homologs in these species. These findings suggest that the regulation of Dsb genes by DsbRS represents a novel mechanism by which bacterial cells cope with copper stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Yu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qiao Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Weizhong Chen
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Nana Yang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Cai-Guang Yang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Quanjiang Ji
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks ND 58203-9037, USA
| | - Taeok Bae
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine-Northwest, Gary IN 46408, USA
| | - Lefu Lan
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Testing Technology of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Shanghai Institute for Food and Drug Control, Shanghai 201203, China.
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17
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Ou X, Lao Y, Xu J, Wutthinitikornkit Y, Shi R, Chen X, Li J. ATP Can Efficiently Stabilize Protein through a Unique Mechanism. JACS AU 2021; 1:1766-1777. [PMID: 34723279 PMCID: PMC8549052 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Recent experiments suggested that ATP can effectively stabilize protein structure and inhibit protein aggregation when its concentration is less than 10 mM, which is significantly lower than cosolvent concentrations required in conventional mechanisms. The ultrahigh efficiency of ATP suggests a unique mechanism that is fundamentally different from previous models of cosolvents. In this work, we used molecular dynamics simulation and experiments to study the interactions of ATPs with three proteins: lysozyme, ubiquitin, and malate dehydrogenase. ATP tends to bind to the surface regions with high flexibility and high degree of hydration. These regions are also vulnerable to thermal perturbations. The bound ATPs further assemble into ATP clusters mediated by Mg2+ and Na+ ions. More interestingly, in Mg2+-free ATP solution, Na+ at higher concentration (150 mM under physiological conditions) can similarly mediate the formation of the ATP cluster on protein. The ATP cluster can effectively reduce the fluctuations of the vulnerable region and thus stabilize the protein against thermal perturbations. Both ATP binding and the considerable improvement of thermal stability of ATP-bound protein were verified by experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinwen Ou
- Zhejiang
Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Device, Department
of Physics, Zhejiang University, Zheda Road 38, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Yichong Lao
- Zhejiang
Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Device, Department
of Physics, Zhejiang University, Zheda Road 38, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jingjie Xu
- Eye
Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Translational
Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Yanee Wutthinitikornkit
- Zhejiang
Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Device, Department
of Physics, Zhejiang University, Zheda Road 38, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Rui Shi
- Zhejiang
Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Device, Department
of Physics, Zhejiang University, Zheda Road 38, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Xiangjun Chen
- Eye
Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Translational
Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Jingyuan Li
- Zhejiang
Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Device, Department
of Physics, Zhejiang University, Zheda Road 38, Hangzhou 310027, China
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18
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Tools, Strains, and Strategies To Effectively Conduct Anaerobic and Aerobic Transcriptional Reporter Screens and Assays in Staphylococcus aureus. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0110821. [PMID: 34406831 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01108-21] [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: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional reporters are reliable and time-tested tools to study gene regulation. In Staphylococcus aureus, β-galactosidase (lacZ)-based genetic screens are not widely used because of the necessity of selectable markers for strain construction and the production of staphyloxanthin pigment, which obfuscates results. We describe a series of vectors that allow for markerless insertion of codon-optimized lacZ-based transcriptional reporters. The vectors code for different ribosomal binding sites, allowing for tailored lacZ expression. A ΔcrtM::kanR deletion insertion mutant was constructed that prevents the synthesis of staphyloxanthin, thereby permitting blue-white screening without the interference of carotenoid production. We demonstrate the utility of these vectors to monitor aerobic and anaerobic transcriptional activities. For the latter, we describe the use of a ferrocyanide-ferricyanide redox system [Fe(CN)63-/4-] permitting blue-white screening in the absence of oxygen. We also describe additional reporter systems and methods for monitoring transcriptional activity during anaerobic culture, including an FAD-binding fluorescent protein (EcFbFP), alpha-hemolysin (hla), or lipase (geh). The systems and methods described are compatible with vectors utilized to create and screen high-density transposon mutant libraries. IMPORTANCE Staphylococcus aureus is a human pathogen and a leading cause of infectious disease-related illness and death worldwide. For S. aureus to successfully colonize and invade host tissues, it must tightly control the expression of genes encoding virulence factors. Oxygen tension varies greatly at infection sites, and many abscesses are devoid of oxygen. In this study, we have developed novel tools and methods to study how and when S. aureus alters transcription of genes. A key advantage of these methods and tools is that they can be utilized in the presence and absence of oxygen. A better understanding of anaerobic gene expression in S. aureus will provide important insights into the regulation of genes in low-oxygen environments.
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19
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Functional and structural analysis of catabolite control protein C that responds to citrate. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20285. [PMID: 34645869 PMCID: PMC8514465 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99552-x] [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: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Catabolite control protein C (CcpC) belongs to the LysR-type transcriptional regulator (LTTR) family, which regulates the transcription of genes encoding the tricarboxylic acid branch enzymes of the TCA cycle by responding to a pathway-specific metabolite, citrate. The biological function of CcpC has been characterized several times, but the structural basis for the molecular function of CcpC remains elusive. Here, we report the characterization of a full-length CcpC from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BaCcpC-FL) and a crystal structure of the C-terminal inducer-binding domain (IBD) complexed with citrate. BaCcpC required both dyad symmetric regions I and II to recognize the citB promoter, and the presence of citrate reduced citB promoter binding. The crystal structure of CcpC-IBD shows two subdomains, IBD-I and IBD-II, and a citrate molecule buried between them. Ile100, two arginines (Arg147 and Arg260), and three serines (Ser129, Ser189, and Ser191) exhibit strong hydrogen-bond interactions with citrate molecules. A structural comparison of BaCcpC-IBD with its homologues showed that they share the same tail-to-tail dimer alignment, but the dimeric interface and the rotation between these molecules exhibit significant differences. Taken together, our results provide a framework for understanding the mechanism underlying the functional divergence of the CcpC protein.
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20
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Yuan X, McGhee GC, Slack SM, Sundin GW. A Novel Signaling Pathway Connects Thiamine Biosynthesis, Bacterial Respiration, and Production of the Exopolysaccharide Amylovoran in Erwinia amylovora. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2021; 34:1193-1208. [PMID: 34081536 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-04-21-0095-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Erwinia amylovora is a plant pathogen causing necrotrophic fire blight disease of apple, pear, and other rosaceous plants. This bacterium colonizes host vascular tissues via the production of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) including amylovoran. It is well-established that the nearly ubiquitous plasmid pEA29 of E. amylovora is an essential virulence factor, but the underlying mechanism remains uncharacterized. Here, we demonstrated that pEA29 was required for E. amylovora to produce amylovoran and to form a biofilm, and this regulation was dependent on the thiamine biosynthesis operon thiOSGF. We then conducted carbohydrate and genetic analyses demonstrating that the thiamine-mediated effect on amylovoran production was indirect, as cells lacking thiOSGF produced an EPS that did not contain glucuronic acid, one of the key components of amylovoran, whereas the transcriptional activity and RNA levels of the amylovoran biosynthesis genes were not altered. Alternatively, addition of exogenous thiamine restored amylovoran production in the pEA29-cured strain of E. amylovora and positively impacted amylovoran production in a dose-dependent manner. Individual deletion of several chromosomal thiamine biosynthesis genes also affected amylovoran production, implying that a complete thiamine biosynthesis pathway is required for the thiamine-mediated effect on amylovoran production in E. amylovora. Finally, we determined that an imbalanced tricarboxylic acid cycle negatively affected amylovoran production, which was restored by addition of exogenous thiamine or overexpression of the thiOSGF operon. In summary, our report revealed a novel signaling pathway that impacts E. amylovora virulence in which thiamine biosynthesis enhances bacterial respiration that provides energetic requirements for the biosynthesis of EPS amylovoran.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Yuan
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, U.S.A
| | - Gayle C McGhee
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory, Corvallis, OR 97330, U.S.A
| | - Suzanne M Slack
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, U.S.A
| | - George W Sundin
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, U.S.A
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21
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Naik P, Pandey S, Gagan S, Biswas S, Joseph J. Virulence factors in multidrug (MDR) and Pan-drug resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a cross-sectional study of isolates recovered from ocular infections in a high-incidence setting in southern India. J Ophthalmic Inflamm Infect 2021; 11:36. [PMID: 34585284 PMCID: PMC8479063 DOI: 10.1186/s12348-021-00268-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Global concerns have been raised due to upward trend of Multi-drug Resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa reports in ocular infections. Our aim was to characterize the virulence determinants of MDR P. aeruginosa causing ocular infections. Methods P. aeruginosa strains were isolated from 46 patients with conjunctivitis (2), endophthalmitis (11) and active keratitis (25) seen at our Institute, between 2016 and 2020. The isolates were identified by Vitek-2 and characterized based on growth kinetics, biofilm formation, motility, pyoverdine and pyocyanin production, phospholipase and catalase activity, urease production along with expression of exotoxins (exo-A, exo-U and exo-S) and correlated to its antibiotic profiles. Results Of the 46 P. aeruginosa isolates, 23 were MDR and were significantly (p = 0.03) associated with older (> 65) patients, along with higher production of pyoverdine (58.3%), pyocyanin (30.4%), phospholipase (91.6%) and protease (62.5%) activity, formed strong biofilms and exo-A (30.4%). No significant relation between motility, urease and catalase production with antibiotic susceptibility was observed. Heatmap and PCoA analysis confirmed this unique virulence profile associated with MDR-PA strains. Conclusion Phenotypic characteristics of P.aeruginosa might be responsible for increased colonization and antibiotic resistance observed in vivo and understanding these differences may lead to development of clinical guidelines for the management of MDR infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Naik
- Jhaveri Microbiology Centre, Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India.,Research Scholar, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Suchita Pandey
- Jhaveri Microbiology Centre, Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - Satyashree Gagan
- Jhaveri Microbiology Centre, Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - Sudeshna Biswas
- Jhaveri Microbiology Centre, Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - Joveeta Joseph
- Jhaveri Microbiology Centre, Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India.
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22
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Shin M, Mun D, Choi HJ, Kim S, Payne SM, Kim Y. Identification of a New Antimicrobial Agent against Bovine Mastitis-Causing Staphylococcus aureus. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:9968-9978. [PMID: 34406764 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c02738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus RF122 is a major pathogen that causes bovine mastitis, which is the most prevalent and costly disease in the milk and dairy industry. S. aureus expresses various virulence factors that are especially highly associated with iron metabolism, and the bacterial ferrous iron transport system Feo is important for bacterial growth or virulence in mammalian hosts. In this study, we evaluated a new antimicrobial agent, PHT-427, targeting the S. aureus RF122 Feo system for the prevention of bovine mastitis. Various analyses on in vitro enzymatic assays, growth inhibition, virulence expressions, and toxicity of animal model systems were conducted to characterize the inhibition properties of PHT-427. This small molecule efficiently inhibited enzyme activity of FeoB and bacterial growth. PHT-427 attenuated various virulence factors related to milk quality, including staphyloxanthin production, biofilm formation, and coagulation. Considering the high frequency of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus in bovine mastitis isolates, PHT-427 synergistically enhanced bacterial antibiotic susceptibility and further inhibited global Gram-positive bacterial growth. Unlike its effects on bacteria, the inhibitor did not show any toxicity on animal model systems. These results indicate that the S. aureus Feo system represents a good target for antimicrobial strategies, and this new antimicrobial agent may represent a promising biotechnological application for preventing S. aureus-induced bovine mastitis in the milk and dairy industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minhye Shin
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Daye Mun
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Jin Choi
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sooah Kim
- Department of Environment Science & Biotechnology, Jeonju University, Jeonju 55069, Republic of Korea
| | - Shelley M Payne
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Science, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Younghoon Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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23
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Five major two components systems of Staphylococcus aureus for adaptation in diverse hostile environment. Microb Pathog 2021; 159:105119. [PMID: 34339796 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is an eminent and opportunistic human pathogen that can colonize in the intestines, skin tissue and perineal regions of the host and cause severe infectious diseases. The presence of complex regulatory network and existence of virulent gene expression along with tuning metabolism enables the S. aureus to adopt the diversity of environments. Two component system (TCS) is a widely distributed mechanism in S. aureus that permit it for changing gene expression profile in response of environment stimuli. TCS usually consist of transmembrane histidine kinase (HK) and cytosolic response regulator. S. aureus contains totally 16 conserved pairs of two component systems, involving in different signaling mechanisms. There is a connection among these regulatory circuits and they can easily have effect on each other's expression. This review has discussed five major types of TCS in S. aureus and covers the recent knowledge of their virulence gene expression. We can get more understanding towards staphylococcal pathogenicity by getting insights about gene regulatory pathways via TCS, which can further provide implications in vaccine formation and new ways for drug design to combat serious infections caused by S. aureus in humans.
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24
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Long DR, Wolter DJ, Lee M, Precit M, McLean K, Holmes E, Penewit K, Waalkes A, Hoffman LR, Salipante SJ. Polyclonality, Shared Strains, and Convergent Evolution in Chronic Cystic Fibrosis Staphylococcus aureus Airway Infection. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2021; 203:1127-1137. [PMID: 33296290 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202003-0735oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Staphylococcus aureus is the most common respiratory pathogen isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the United States. Although modes of acquisition and genetic adaptation have been described for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, resulting in improved diagnosis and treatment, these features remain more poorly defined for S. aureus.Objectives: To characterize the molecular epidemiology and genetic adaptation of S. aureus during chronic CF airway infection and in response to antibiotic therapy.Methods: We performed whole-genome sequencing of 1,382 S. aureus isolates collected longitudinally over a mean 2.2 years from 246 children with CF at five U.S. centers between 2008 and 2017. Results were integrated with clinical and demographic data to characterize bacterial population dynamics and identify common genetic targets of in vivo adaptation.Measurements and Main Results: Results showed that 45.5% of patients carried multiple, coexisting S. aureus lineages, often having different antibiotic susceptibility profiles. Adaptation during the course of infection commonly occurred in a set of genes related to persistence and antimicrobial resistance. Individual sequence types demonstrated wide geographic distribution, and we identified limited strain-sharing among children linked by common household or clinical exposures. Unlike P. aeruginosa, S. aureus genetic diversity was unconstrained, with an ongoing flow of new genetic elements into the population of isolates from children with CF.Conclusions: CF airways are frequently coinfected by multiple, genetically distinct S. aureus lineages, indicating that current clinical procedures for sampling isolates and selecting antibiotics are likely inadequate. Strains can be shared by patients in close domestic or clinical contact and can undergo convergent evolution in key persistence and antimicrobial-resistance genes, suggesting novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin R Long
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
| | - Daniel J Wolter
- Department of Pediatrics.,Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington
| | | | | | - Kathryn McLean
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; and
| | - Elizabeth Holmes
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; and
| | - Kelsi Penewit
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; and
| | - Adam Waalkes
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; and
| | - Lucas R Hoffman
- Department of Pediatrics.,Department of Microbiology, and.,Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington
| | - Stephen J Salipante
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; and
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25
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Zhao Y, Lyu Y, Zhang Y, Li S, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Tang C, Zhang Z, Li D, Zhang H. The fungal-specific subunit i/j of F1FO-ATP synthase stimulates the pathogenicity of Candida albicans independent of oxidative phosphorylation. Med Mycol 2021; 59:639-652. [PMID: 33269392 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myaa094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Invasive fungal infections are a major cause of human mortality due in part to a very limited antifungal drug arsenal. The identification of fungal-specific pathogenic mechanisms is considered a crucial step to current antifungal drug development and represents a significant goal to increase the efficacy and reduce host toxicity. Although the overall architecture of F1FO-ATP synthase is largely conserved in both fungi and mammals, the subunit i/j (Su i/j, Atp18) and subunit k (Su k, Atp19) are proteins not found in mammals and specific to fungi. Here, the role of Su i/j and Su k in Candida albicans was characterized by an in vivo assessment of the virulence and in vitro growth and mitochondrial function. Strikingly, the atp18Δ/Δ mutant showed significantly reduced pathogenicity in systemic murine model. However, this substantial defect in infectivity exists without associated defects in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation or proliferation in vitro. Analysis of virulence-related traits reveals normal in both mutants, but shows cell wall defects in composition and architecture in the case of atp18Δ/Δ. We also find that the atp18Δ/Δ mutant is more susceptible to attack by macrophages than wild type, which may correlate well with the abnormal cell wall function and increased sensitivity to oxidative stress. In contrast, no significant changes were observed in any of these studies for the atp19Δ/Δ. These results demonstrate that the fungal-specific Su i/j, but not Su k of F1FO-ATP synthase may play a critical role in C. albicans infectivity and represent another opportunity for new therapeutic target investigation. LAY ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate biological functions of fungal-specific subunit i/j and subunit k of ATP synthase in C. albicans oxidative phosphorylation and virulence potential. Our results revealed that subunit i/j, and not subunit k, is critical for C. albicans pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajing Zhao
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Institute of Mycology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan Lyu
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Institute of Mycology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanli Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Institute of Mycology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shuixiu Li
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Institute of Mycology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yishan Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Institute of Mycology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuting Liu
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Institute of Mycology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chuanyan Tang
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Institute of Mycology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhanpeng Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Institute of Mycology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Dongmei Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Institute of Mycology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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26
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Wang Y, Cao Q, Cao Q, Gan J, Sun N, Yang CG, Bae T, Wu M, Lan L. Histamine activates HinK to promote the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2021; 66:1101-1118. [PMID: 36654344 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2021.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
During infections, bacteria stimulate host cells to produce and release histamine, which is a key mediator of vital cellular processes in animals. However, the mechanisms underlying the bacterial cell's ability to sense and respond to histamine are poorly understood. Herein, we show that HinK, a LysR-type transcriptional regulator, is required to evoke responses to histamine in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important human pathogen. HinK directly binds to and activates the promoter of genes involved in histamine uptake and metabolism, iron acquisition, and Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) biosynthesis. The transcriptional regulatory activity of HinK is induced when histamine is present, and it occurs when HinK binds with imidazole-4-acetic acid (ImAA), a histamine metabolite whose production in P. aeruginosa depends on the HinK-activated histamine uptake and utilization operon hinDAC-pa0222. Importantly, the inactivation of HinK inhibits diverse pathogenic phenotypes of P. aeruginosa. These results suggest that histamine acts as an interkingdom signal and provide insights into the mechanism used by pathogenic bacteria to exploit host regulatory signals to promote virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaya Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qiao Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Qin Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jianhua Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 201438, China
| | - Ning Sun
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Cai-Guang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Taeok Bae
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine-Northwest, Gary IN 46408, USA
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks ND 58203-9037, USA
| | - Lefu Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Testing Technology of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Shanghai Institute for Food and Drug Control, Shanghai 201203, China.
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27
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Staphylococcus aureus Responds to Physiologically Relevant Temperature Changes by Altering Its Global Transcript and Protein Profile. mSphere 2021; 6:6/2/e01303-20. [PMID: 33731473 PMCID: PMC8546721 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.01303-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that colonizes the anterior nares of 30 to 50% of the population. Colonization is most often asymptomatic; however, self-inoculation can give rise to potentially fatal infections of the deeper tissues and blood. Like all bacteria, S. aureus can sense and respond to environmental cues and modify gene expression to adapt to specific environmental conditions. The transition of S. aureus from the nares to the deeper tissues and blood is accompanied by changes in environmental conditions, such as nutrient availability, pH, and temperature. In this study, we perform transcriptomics and proteomics on S. aureus cultures growing at three physiologically relevant temperatures, 34°C (nares), 37°C (body), and 40°C (pyrexia), to determine if small scale, biologically meaningful alterations in temperature impact S. aureus gene expression. Results show that small but definite temperature changes elicit a large-scale restructuring of the S. aureus transcriptome and proteome in a manner that, most often, inversely correlates with increasing temperature. We also provide evidence that a large majority of these changes are modulated at the posttranscriptional level, possibly by sRNA regulatory elements. Phenotypic analyses were also performed to demonstrate that these changes have physiological relevance. Finally, we investigate the impact of temperature-dependent alterations in gene expression on S. aureus pathogenesis and demonstrate decreased intracellular invasion of S. aureus grown at 34°C. Collectively, our results demonstrate that small but biologically meaningful alterations in temperature influence S. aureus gene expression, a process that is likely a major contributor to the transition from a commensal to pathogen. IMPORTANCE Enteric bacterial pathogens, like Escherichia coli, are known to experience large temperature differences as they are transmitted through the fecal oral route. This change in temperature has been demonstrated to influence bacterial gene expression and facilitate infection. Staphylococcus aureus is a human-associated pathogen that can live as a commensal on the skin and nares or cause invasive infections of the deeper tissues and blood. Factors influencing S. aureus nasal colonization are not fully understood; however, individuals colonized with S. aureus are at increased risk of invasive infections through self-inoculation. The transition of S. aureus from the nose (colonization) to the body (infection) is accompanied by a modest but definite temperature increase, from 34°C to 37°C. In this study, we investigate whether these host-associated small temperature changes can influence S. aureus gene expression. Results show widespread changes in the bacterial transcriptome and proteome at three physiologically relevant temperatures (34°C, 37°C, and 40°C).
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28
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Fan K, Cao Q, Lan L. Genome-Wide Mapping Reveals Complex Regulatory Activities of BfmR in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microorganisms 2021; 9:485. [PMID: 33668961 PMCID: PMC8025907 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9030485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BfmR is a response regulator that modulates diverse pathogenic phenotypes and induces an acute-to-chronic virulence switch in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important human pathogen causing serious nosocomial infections. However, the mechanisms of action of BfmR remain largely unknown. Here, using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq), we showed that 174 chromosomal regions of P. aeruginosa MPAO1 genome were highly enriched by coimmunoprecipitation with a C-terminal Flag-tagged BfmR. Integration of these data with global transcriptome analyses revealed that 172 genes in 106 predicted transcription units are potential targets for BfmR. We determined that BfmR binds to and modulates the promoter activity of genes encoding transcriptional regulators CzcR, ExsA, and PhoB. Intriguingly, BfmR bound to the promoters of a number of genes belong to either CzcR or PhoB regulon, or both, indicating that CzcRS and PhoBR two-component systems (TCSs) deeply feed into the BfmR-mediated regulatory network. In addition, we demonstrated that phoB is required for BfmR to promote the biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa. These results delineate the direct BfmR regulon and exemplify the complexity of BfmR-mediated regulation of cellular functions in P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Fan
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China;
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China;
| | - Qiao Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China;
| | - Lefu Lan
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China;
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China;
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Testing Technology of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Shanghai Institute for Food and Drug Control, Shanghai 201203, China
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29
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Pätzold L, Brausch AC, Bielefeld EL, Zimmer L, Somerville GA, Bischoff M, Gaupp R. Impact of the Histidine-Containing Phosphocarrier Protein HPr on Carbon Metabolism and Virulence in Staphylococcus aureus. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9030466. [PMID: 33668335 PMCID: PMC7996215 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9030466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbon catabolite repression (CCR) is a common mechanism pathogenic bacteria use to link central metabolism with virulence factor synthesis. In gram-positive bacteria, catabolite control protein A (CcpA) and the histidine-containing phosphocarrier protein HPr (encoded by ptsH) are the predominant mediators of CCR. In addition to modulating CcpA activity, HPr is essential for glucose import via the phosphotransferase system. While the regulatory functions of CcpA in Staphylococcus aureus are largely known, little is known about the function of HPr in CCR and infectivity. To address this knowledge gap, ptsH mutants were created in S. aureus that either lack the open reading frame or harbor a ptsH variant carrying a thymidine to guanosine mutation at position 136, and the effects of these mutations on growth and metabolism were assessed. Inactivation of ptsH altered bacterial physiology and decreased the ability of S. aureus to form a biofilm and cause infections in mice. These data demonstrate that HPr affects central metabolism and virulence in S. aureus independent of its influence on CcpA regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Pätzold
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, D-66421 Homburg, Germany; (L.P.); (A.-C.B.); (E.-L.B.); (L.Z.); (R.G.)
| | - Anne-Christine Brausch
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, D-66421 Homburg, Germany; (L.P.); (A.-C.B.); (E.-L.B.); (L.Z.); (R.G.)
| | - Evelyn-Laura Bielefeld
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, D-66421 Homburg, Germany; (L.P.); (A.-C.B.); (E.-L.B.); (L.Z.); (R.G.)
| | - Lisa Zimmer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, D-66421 Homburg, Germany; (L.P.); (A.-C.B.); (E.-L.B.); (L.Z.); (R.G.)
| | - Greg A. Somerville
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA;
| | - Markus Bischoff
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, D-66421 Homburg, Germany; (L.P.); (A.-C.B.); (E.-L.B.); (L.Z.); (R.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-6841-162-39-63
| | - Rosmarie Gaupp
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, D-66421 Homburg, Germany; (L.P.); (A.-C.B.); (E.-L.B.); (L.Z.); (R.G.)
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30
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Xu C, Cao Q, Lan L. Glucose-Binding of Periplasmic Protein GltB Activates GtrS-GltR Two-Component System in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microorganisms 2021; 9:447. [PMID: 33670077 PMCID: PMC7927077 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A two-component system GtrS-GltR is required for glucose transport activity in P. aeruginosa and plays a key role during P. aeruginosa-host interactions. However, the mechanism of action of GtrS-GltR has not been definitively established. Here, we show that gltB, which encodes a periplasmic glucose binding protein, is essential for the glucose-induced activation of GtrS-GltR in P. aeruginosa. We determined that GltB is capable of binding to membrane regulatory proteins including GtrS, the sensor kinase of the GtrS-GltR TCS. We observed that alanine substitution of glucose-binding residues abolishes the ability of GltB to promote the activation of GtrS-GltR. Importantly, like the gtrS deletion mutant, gltB deletion mutant showed attenuated virulence in both Drosophila melanogaster and mouse models of infection. In addition, using CHIP-seq experiments, we showed that the promoter of gltB is the major in vivo target of GltR. Collectively, these data suggest that periplasmic binding protein GltB and GtrS-GltR TCS form a complex regulatory circuit that regulates the virulence of P. aeruginosa in response to glucose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Xu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China;
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China;
| | - Qiao Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China;
| | - Lefu Lan
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China;
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China;
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Testing Technology of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Shanghai Institute for Food and Drug Control, Shanghai 201203, China
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31
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Horn CM, Kielian T. Crosstalk Between Staphylococcus aureus and Innate Immunity: Focus on Immunometabolism. Front Immunol 2021; 11:621750. [PMID: 33613555 PMCID: PMC7892349 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.621750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of bacterial infections globally in both healthcare and community settings. The success of this bacterium is the product of an expansive repertoire of virulence factors in combination with acquired antibiotic resistance and propensity for biofilm formation. S. aureus leverages these factors to adapt to and subvert the host immune response. With the burgeoning field of immunometabolism, it has become clear that the metabolic program of leukocytes dictates their inflammatory status and overall effectiveness in clearing an infection. The metabolic flexibility of S. aureus offers an inherent means by which the pathogen could manipulate the infection milieu to promote its survival. The exact metabolic pathways that S. aureus influences in leukocytes are not entirely understood, and more work is needed to understand how S. aureus co-opts leukocyte metabolism to gain an advantage. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge concerning how metabolic biases dictate the pro- vs. anti-inflammatory attributes of various innate immune populations, how S. aureus metabolism influences leukocyte activation, and compare this with other bacterial pathogens. A better understanding of the metabolic crosstalk between S. aureus and leukocytes may unveil novel therapeutic strategies to combat these devastating infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Horn
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Tammy Kielian
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
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32
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Lei MG, Lee CY. MgrA Activates Staphylococcal Capsule via SigA-Dependent Promoter. J Bacteriol 2020; 203:e00495-20. [PMID: 33077637 PMCID: PMC7950413 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00495-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus capsule polysaccharide is an important antiphagocytic virulence factor. The cap genes are regulated at the promoter element (Pcap) upstream of the cap operon. Pcap, which consists of a dominant SigB-dependent promoter and a weaker upstream SigA-dependent promoter, is activated by global regulator MgrA. How MgrA activates capsule is unclear. Here, we showed that MgrA directly bound to the Pcap region and affected the SigA-dependent promoter. Interestingly, an electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that MgrA bound to a large region of Pcap, mainly downstream of the SigA-dependent promoter. We further showed that the ArlRS two-component system and the Agr quorum sensing system activated capsule primarily through MgrA in the early growth phases.IMPORTANCE The virulence of Staphylococcus aureus depends on the expression of various virulence factors, which is governed by a complex regulatory network. We have been using capsule as a model virulence factor to study virulence gene regulation in S. aureus MgrA is one of the regulators of capsule and has a major effect on capsule production. However, how MgrA regulates capsule genes is not understood. In this study, we were able to define the mechanism involving MgrA regulation of capsule. In addition, we also delineated the role of MgrA in capsule regulatory pathways involving the key virulence regulators Agr and Arl. This study further advances our understanding of virulence gene regulation in S. aureus, an important human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei G Lei
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Chia Y Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
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33
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Cao Q, Yang N, Wang Y, Xu C, Zhang X, Fan K, Chen F, Liang H, Zhang Y, Deng X, Feng Y, Yang CG, Wu M, Bae T, Lan L. Mutation-induced remodeling of the BfmRS two-component system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates. Sci Signal 2020; 13:13/656/eaaz1529. [PMID: 33144518 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aaz1529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Genetic mutations are a primary driving force behind the adaptive evolution of bacterial pathogens. Multiple clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important human pathogen, have naturally evolved one or more missense mutations in bfmS, which encodes the sensor histidine kinase of the BfmRS two-component system (TCS). A mutant BfmS protein containing both the L181P and E376Q substitutions increased the phosphorylation and thus the transcriptional regulatory activity of its cognate downstream response regulator, BfmR. This reduced acute virulence and enhanced biofilm formation, both of which are phenotypic changes associated with a chronic infection state. The increased phosphorylation of BfmR was due, at least in part, to the cross-phosphorylation of BfmR by GtrS, a noncognate sensor kinase. Other spontaneous missense mutations in bfmS, such as A42E/G347D, T242R, and R393H, also caused a similar remodeling of the BfmRS TCS in P. aeruginosa This study highlights the plasticity of TCSs mediated by spontaneous mutations and suggests that mutation-induced activation of BfmRS may contribute to host adaptation by P. aeruginosa during chronic infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Cao
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China.,State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Nana Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yanhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chenchen Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ke Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Feifei Chen
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China.,State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Haihua Liang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China
| | - Yingchao Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Xin Deng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Youjun Feng
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Cai-Guang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203-9037, USA
| | - Taeok Bae
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine-Northwest, Gary, IN 46408, USA
| | - Lefu Lan
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China.,NMPA Key Laboratory for Testing Technology of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Shanghai Institute for Food and Drug Control, Shanghai, China
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Revealing 29 sets of independently modulated genes in Staphylococcus aureus, their regulators, and role in key physiological response. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:17228-17239. [PMID: 32616573 PMCID: PMC7382225 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008413117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus infections impose an immense burden on the healthcare system. To establish a successful infection in a hostile host environment, S. aureus must coordinate its gene expression to respond to a wide array of challenges. This balancing act is largely orchestrated by the transcriptional regulatory network. Here, we present a model of 29 independently modulated sets of genes that form the basis for a segment of the transcriptional regulatory network in clinical USA300 strains of S. aureus. Using this model, we demonstrate the concerted role of various cellular systems (e.g., metabolism, virulence, and stress response) underlying key physiological responses, including response during blood infection. The ability of Staphylococcus aureus to infect many different tissue sites is enabled, in part, by its transcriptional regulatory network (TRN) that coordinates its gene expression to respond to different environments. We elucidated the organization and activity of this TRN by applying independent component analysis to a compendium of 108 RNA-sequencing expression profiles from two S. aureus clinical strains (TCH1516 and LAC). ICA decomposed the S. aureus transcriptome into 29 independently modulated sets of genes (i-modulons) that revealed: 1) High confidence associations between 21 i-modulons and known regulators; 2) an association between an i-modulon and σS, whose regulatory role was previously undefined; 3) the regulatory organization of 65 virulence factors in the form of three i-modulons associated with AgrR, SaeR, and Vim-3; 4) the roles of three key transcription factors (CodY, Fur, and CcpA) in coordinating the metabolic and regulatory networks; and 5) a low-dimensional representation, involving the function of few transcription factors of changes in gene expression between two laboratory media (RPMI, cation adjust Mueller Hinton broth) and two physiological media (blood and serum). This representation of the TRN covers 842 genes representing 76% of the variance in gene expression that provides a quantitative reconstruction of transcriptional modules in S. aureus, and a platform enabling its full elucidation.
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Tan X, Ramond E, Jamet A, Barnier JP, Decaux-Tramoni B, Dupuis M, Euphrasie D, Tros F, Nemazanyy I, Ziveri J, Nassif X, Charbit A, Coureuil M. Transketolase of Staphylococcus aureus in the Control of Master Regulators of Stress Response During Infection. J Infect Dis 2020; 220:1967-1976. [PMID: 31420648 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of both acute and chronic infections in humans. The importance of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) during S. aureus infection is currently largely unexplored. In the current study, we focused on one key PPP enzyme, transketolase (TKT). We showed that inactivation of the unique gene encoding TKT activity in S. aureus USA300 (∆tkt) led to drastic metabolomic changes. Using time-lapse video imaging and mice infection, we observed a major defect of the ∆tkt strain compared with wild-type strain in early intracellular proliferation and in the ability to colonize kidneys. Transcriptional activity of the 2 master regulators sigma B and RpiRc was drastically reduced in the ∆tkt mutant during host cells invasion. The concomitant increased RNAIII transcription suggests that TKT-or a functional PPP-strongly influences the ability of S. aureus to proliferate within host cells by modulating key transcriptional regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Tan
- Université de Paris.,INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris
| | - Elodie Ramond
- Université de Paris.,INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris
| | - Anne Jamet
- Université de Paris.,INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris
| | - Jean-Philippe Barnier
- Université de Paris.,INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris
| | | | - Marion Dupuis
- Université de Paris.,INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris
| | - Daniel Euphrasie
- Université de Paris.,INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris
| | - Fabiola Tros
- Université de Paris.,INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris
| | - Ivan Nemazanyy
- Université de Paris.,INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris.,Plateforme Métabolomique Institut Necker, Structure Fédérative de Recherche Necker, Université Paris Descartes, France
| | - Jason Ziveri
- Université de Paris.,INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris
| | - Xavier Nassif
- Université de Paris.,INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris
| | - Alain Charbit
- Université de Paris.,INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris
| | - Mathieu Coureuil
- Université de Paris.,INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris
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Yang N, Cao Q, Hu S, Xu C, Fan K, Chen F, Yang C, Liang H, Wu M, Bae T, Lan L. Alteration of protein homeostasis mediates the interaction of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
with
Staphylococcus aureus. Mol Microbiol 2020; 114:423-442. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nana Yang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China
| | - Qiao Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China
- College of Life Science Northwest University Xi'an China
| | - Shuyang Hu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China
| | - Chenchen Xu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China
| | - Ke Fan
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China
| | - Feifei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China
- College of Life Science Northwest University Xi'an China
| | - Cai‐Guang Yang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China
| | - Haihua Liang
- College of Life Science Northwest University Xi'an China
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences University of North Dakota Grand Forks ND USA
| | - Taeok Bae
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology Indiana University School of Medicine‐Northwest Gary IN USA
| | - Lefu Lan
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China
- College of Life Science Northwest University Xi'an China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Testing Technology of Pharmaceutical Microbiology Shanghai Institute for Food and Drug Control Shanghai China
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37
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Yuan X, Zeng Q, Xu J, Severin GB, Zhou X, Waters CM, Sundin GW, Ibekwe AM, Liu F, Yang CH. Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) Cycle Enzymes and Intermediates Modulate Intracellular Cyclic di-GMP Levels and the Production of Plant Cell Wall-Degrading Enzymes in Soft Rot Pathogen Dickeya dadantii. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2020; 33:296-307. [PMID: 31851880 PMCID: PMC9354473 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-07-19-0203-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Dickeya dadantii is a plant-pathogenic bacterium that causes soft-rot in a wide range of plants. Although we have previously demonstrated that cyclic bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP), a bacterial secondary messenger, plays a central role in virulence regulation in D. dadantii, the upstream signals that modulate c-di-GMP remain enigmatic. Using a genome-wide transposon mutagenesis approach of a Δhfq mutant strain that has high c-di-GMP and reduced motility, we uncovered transposon mutants that recovered the c-di-GMP-mediated repression on swimming motility. A number of these mutants harbored transposon insertions in genes encoding tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzymes. Two of these TCA transposon mutants were studied further by generating chromosomal deletions of the fumA gene (encoding fumarase) and the sdhCDAB operon (encoding succinate dehydrogenase). Disruption of the TCA cycle in these deletion mutants resulted in reduced intracellular c-di-GMP and enhanced production of pectate lyases (Pels), a major plant cell wall-degrading enzyme (PCWDE) known to be transcriptionally repressed by c-di-GMP. Consistent with this result, addition of TCA cycle intermediates such as citrate also resulted in increased c-di-GMP levels and decreased production of Pels. Additionally, we found that a diguanylate cyclase GcpA was solely responsible for the observed citrate-mediated modulation of c-di-GMP. Finally, we demonstrated that addition of citrate induced not only an overproduction of GcpA protein but also a concomitant repression of the c-di-GMP-degrading phosphodiesterase EGcpB which, together, resulted in an increase in the intracellular concentration of c-di-GMP. In summary, our report demonstrates that bacterial respiration and respiration metabolites serve as signals for the regulation of c-di-GMP signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Yuan
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210014, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, U.S.A
| | - Quan Zeng
- Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT 06511, U.S.A
| | - Jingsheng Xu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Geoffrey B. Severin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, U.S.A
| | - Xiang Zhou
- School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | | | - George W. Sundin
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University
| | - Abasiofiok M. Ibekwe
- Agricultural Research Service-US Salinity Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Riverside, CA 92507, U.S.A
| | - Fengquan Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Ching-Hong Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, U.S.A
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Reactive oxygen species induce antibiotic tolerance during systemic Staphylococcus aureus infection. Nat Microbiol 2019; 5:282-290. [PMID: 31819212 PMCID: PMC6992501 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0627-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen that causes an array of infections ranging from minor skin infections to more serious infections including osteomyelitis, endocarditis, necrotizing pneumonia and sepsis1. These more serious infections usually arise from an initial bloodstream infection and are frequently recalcitrant to antibiotic treatment 1. Phagocytosis by macrophages and neutrophils is the primary mechanism by which S. aureus infection is controlled by the immune system2. Macrophages have been shown to be a major reservoir of S. aureus in vivo3 but the role of macrophages in the induction of antibiotic tolerance has not been explored. Here we show that macrophages not only fail to efficiently kill phagocytosed S. aureus but also induce tolerance to multiple antibiotics. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by respiratory burst attack iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster containing proteins, including TCA cycle enzymes, resulting in decreased respiration, lower ATP and increased antibiotic tolerance. We further show that during a murine systemic infection, respiratory burst induces antibiotic tolerance in the spleen. These results suggest that a major component of the innate immune response is antagonistic to the bactericidal activities of antibiotics.
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A Mesophilic Aeromonas salmonicida Strain Isolated from an Unsuspected Host, the Migratory Bird Pied Avocet. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7120592. [PMID: 31757113 PMCID: PMC6955901 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7120592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aeromonas salmonicida is a Gram-negative bacterium, known as a fish pathogen since its discovery. Although the species was initially considered psychrophilic, a mesophilic subspecies (pectinolytica) and many other mesophilic strains still not attributed to subspecies have been described in the last two decades. These mesophilic strains were sampled from various sources, including humans, and some of them are known to be pathogenic. In this study, we describe a strain, JF2480, which was isolated from the spleen, and also found the kidney and liver of a dead pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), a type of migratory bird inhabiting aquatic environments. A core genome phylogenomic analysis suggests that JF2480 is taxonomically distant from other known A. salmonicida subspecies. The genome sequence confirms that the strain possesses key virulence genes that are present in the typical A. salmonicida psychrophilic subspecies, with the exception of the genes encoding the type three secretion system (T3SS). Bacterial virulence assays conducted on the surrogate host Dictyostelium discoideum amoeba confirmed that the strain is virulent despite the lack of T3SS. Bacterial growth curves showed that strain JF2480 grow well at 40 °C, the body temperature of the pied avocet, and even faster at 41 °C, compared to other mesophilic strains. Discovery of this strain further demonstrates the extent of the phylogenomic tree of this species. This study also suggests that A. salmonicida can infect a wider array of hosts than previously suspected and that we need to rethink the way we perceive A. salmonicida's natural environment.
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40
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Abstract
The complex regulatory role of the proteases necessitates very tight coordination and control of their expression. While this process has been well studied, a major oversight has been the consideration of proteases as a single entity rather than as 10 enzymes produced from four different promoters. As such, in this study, we comprehensively characterized the regulation of each protease promoter, discovering vast differences in the way each protease operon is controlled. Additionally, we broaden the picture of protease regulation using a global screen to identify novel loci controlling protease activity, uncovering a cadre of new effectors of protease expression. The impact of these elements on the activity of proteases and known regulators was characterized by producing a comprehensive regulatory circuit that emphasizes the complexity of protease regulation in Staphylococcus aureus. A primary function of the extracellular proteases of Staphylococcus aureus is to control the progression of infection by selectively modulating the stability of virulence factors. Consequently, a regulatory network exists to titrate protease abundance/activity to influence the accumulation, or lack thereof, of individual virulence factors. Herein, we comprehensively map this system, exploring the regulation of the four protease loci by known and novel factors. In so doing, we determined that seven major elements (SarS, SarR, Rot, MgrA, CodY, SaeR, and SarA) form the primary network of control, with the latter three being the most powerful. We note that expression of aureolysin is largely repressed by these factors, while the spl operon is subject to the strongest upregulation of any protease loci, particularly by SarR and SaeR. Furthermore, when exploring scpA expression, we find it to be profoundly influenced in opposing fashions by SarA (repressor) and SarR (activator). We also present the screening of >100 regulator mutants of S. aureus, identifying 7 additional factors (ArgR2, AtlR, MntR, Rex, XdrA, Rbf, and SarU) that form a secondary circuit of protease control. Primarily, these elements serve as activators, although we reveal XdrA as a new repressor of protease expression. With the exception or ArgR2, each of the new effectors appears to work through the primary network of regulation to influence protease production. Collectively, we present a comprehensive regulatory circuit that emphasizes the complexity of protease regulation and suggest that its existence speaks to the importance of these enzymes to S. aureus physiology and pathogenic potential. IMPORTANCE The complex regulatory role of the proteases necessitates very tight coordination and control of their expression. While this process has been well studied, a major oversight has been the consideration of proteases as a single entity rather than as 10 enzymes produced from four different promoters. As such, in this study, we comprehensively characterized the regulation of each protease promoter, discovering vast differences in the way each protease operon is controlled. Additionally, we broaden the picture of protease regulation using a global screen to identify novel loci controlling protease activity, uncovering a cadre of new effectors of protease expression. The impact of these elements on the activity of proteases and known regulators was characterized by producing a comprehensive regulatory circuit that emphasizes the complexity of protease regulation in Staphylococcus aureus.
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41
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Keinhörster D, George SE, Weidenmaier C, Wolz C. Function and regulation of Staphylococcus aureus wall teichoic acids and capsular polysaccharides. Int J Med Microbiol 2019; 309:151333. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2019.151333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
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42
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Ni S, Li B, Xu Y, Mao F, Li X, Lan L, Zhu J, Li J. Targeting virulence factors as an antimicrobial approach: Pigment inhibitors. Med Res Rev 2019; 40:293-338. [PMID: 31267561 DOI: 10.1002/med.21621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The fascinating and dangerous colored pathogens contain unique chemically pigmented molecules, which give varied and efficient assistance as virulence factors to the crucial reproduction and growth of microbes. Therefore, multiple novel strategies and inhibitors have been developed in recent years that target virulence factor pigments. However, despite the importance and significance of this topic, it has not yet been comprehensively reviewed. Moreover, research groups around the world have made successful progress against antibacterial infections by targeting pigment production, including our serial works on the discovery of CrtN inhibitors against staphyloxanthin production in Staphylococcus aureus. On the basis of the previous achievements and recent progress of our group in this field, this article will be the first comprehensive review of pigment inhibitors against colored pathogens, especially S. aureus infections, and this article includes design strategies, representative case studies, advantages, limitations, and perspectives to guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaishuai Ni
- Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Baoli Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yixiang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaokang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Lefu Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Material Medical, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
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43
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Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is clearly the most pathogenic member of the Staphylococcaceae. This is in large part due to the acquisition of an impressive arsenal of virulence factors that are coordinately regulated by a series of dedicated transcription factors. What is becoming more and more appreciated in the field is the influence of the metabolic state of S. aureus on the activity of these virulence regulators and their roles in modulating metabolic gene expression. Here I highlight recent advances in S. aureus metabolism as it pertains to virulence. Specifically, mechanisms of nutrient acquisition are outlined including carbohydrate and non-carbohydrate carbon/energy sources as well as micronutrient (Fe, Mn, Zn and S) acquisition. Additionally, energy producing strategies (respiration versus fermentation) are discussed and put in the context of pathogenesis. Finally, transcriptional regulators that coordinate metabolic gene expression are outlined, particularly those that affect the activities of major virulence factor regulators. This chapter essentially connects many recent observations that link the metabolism of S. aureus to its overall pathogenesis and hints that the mere presence of a plethora of virulence factors may not entirely explain the extraordinary pathogenic potential of S. aureus.
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Lu ZJ, Zhou CH, Yu HZ, Huang YL, Liu YX, Xie YX, Wang J, Hu W, Huang AJ, Su HN, Yang C. Potential roles of insect Tropomyosin1-X1 isoform in the process of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus infection of Diaphorina citri. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 114:125-135. [PMID: 30817914 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, is the transmitting vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), which causes citrus disease Huanglongbing (HLB). In recent years, control of HLB has been achieved by reducing the vector population. In the present study, we identified an isoform of D. citri tropomyosin (herein designated as DcTm1-X1). DcTm1-X1 was down-regulated in CLas-infected ACPs compared with uninfected ACPs. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the full-length DcTm1-X1 is 2955 bp and encodes a protein of 284 amino acids with a deduced molecular weight of 32.15 kDa. Phylogenetic tree analysis suggested that DcTm1-X1 shares a high amino acid identity with its homolog in Acyrthosiphon pisum. Higher DcTm1-X1 expression levels were found in the leg of the psyllid by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). According to Blue Native PAGE analysis and mass spectrometric analysis, DcTm1-X1 interacts with citrate synthase (CS) and V-type proton ATPase subunit B-like (VAT). In addition, knockdown of DcTm1-X1 by RNA interference (RNAi) significantly increased the mortality rate of nymphs and the infection rate of CLas at different time points. Taken together, our results show that DcTm1-X1 might play an important role in response to CLas, but also lay a foundation for further research on the functions of DcTm1-X1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan-Jun Lu
- National Navel Orange Engineering and Technology Research Center, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Cheng-Hua Zhou
- National Navel Orange Engineering and Technology Research Center, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Hai-Zhong Yu
- National Navel Orange Engineering and Technology Research Center, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China.
| | - Yu-Ling Huang
- National Navel Orange Engineering and Technology Research Center, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Ying-Xue Liu
- National Navel Orange Engineering and Technology Research Center, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China; Dayu Middle School, Ganzhou, China
| | - Yan-Xin Xie
- National Navel Orange Engineering and Technology Research Center, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Wei Hu
- National Navel Orange Engineering and Technology Research Center, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Ai-Jun Huang
- National Navel Orange Engineering and Technology Research Center, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Hua-Nan Su
- National Navel Orange Engineering and Technology Research Center, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Chao Yang
- National Navel Orange Engineering and Technology Research Center, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China
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Yuan F, Tian Y, Qin W, Li J, Yang D, Zhao B, Yin F, Li Z. Evaluation of topologically distinct constrained antimicrobial peptides with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Org Biomol Chem 2019; 16:5764-5770. [PMID: 30004546 DOI: 10.1039/c8ob00483h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short cationic peptides with a high affinity for membranes and emerged as a promising therapeutic approach with potential for treating infectious diseases. Chemical stabilization of short peptides proved to be a successful approach for enhancing their bio-physical properties. Herein, we designed and synthesized a panel of conformationally constrained antimicrobial peptides with either α-helical or β-hairpin conformation using templating strategies. These synthetic short constrained peptides possess different topological distributions of hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues and displayed distinct antimicrobial activity. Notably, the conformationally constrained α-helical peptides displayed a faster internalization into the bacteria cells compared to their β-hairpin analogues. These synthetic short constrained peptides showed killing effects on a broad spectrum of microorganisms mainly through pore formation and membrane damage which provided a potentially promising skeleton for the next generation of stabilized antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Yuan
- Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, Beijing, 100038, China
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Hayek I, Fischer F, Schulze-Luehrmann J, Dettmer K, Sobotta K, Schatz V, Kohl L, Boden K, Lang R, Oefner PJ, Wirtz S, Jantsch J, Lührmann A. Limitation of TCA Cycle Intermediates Represents an Oxygen-Independent Nutritional Antibacterial Effector Mechanism of Macrophages. Cell Rep 2019; 26:3502-3510.e6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.02.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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Horn J, Klepsch M, Manger M, Wolz C, Rudel T, Fraunholz M. Long Noncoding RNA SSR42 Controls Staphylococcus aureus Alpha-Toxin Transcription in Response to Environmental Stimuli. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:e00252-18. [PMID: 30150231 PMCID: PMC6199474 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00252-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a human pathogen causing a variety of diseases by versatile expression of a large set of virulence factors that most prominently features the cytotoxic and hemolytic pore-forming alpha-toxin. Expression of alpha-toxin is regulated by an intricate network of transcription factors. These include two-component systems sensing quorum and environmental signals as well as regulators reacting to the nutritional status of the pathogen. We previously identified the repressor of surface proteins (Rsp) as a virulence regulator. Acute cytotoxicity and hemolysis are strongly decreased in rsp mutants, which are characterized by decreased transcription of toxin genes as well as loss of transcription of a 1,232-nucleotide (nt)-long noncoding RNA (ncRNA), SSR42. Here, we show that SSR42 is the effector of Rsp in transcription regulation of the alpha-toxin gene, hla SSR42 transcription is enhanced after exposure of S. aureus to subinhibitory concentrations of oxacillin which thus leads to an SSR42-dependent increase in hemolysis. Aside from Rsp, SSR42 transcription is under the control of additional global regulators, such as CodY, AgrA, CcpE, and σB, but is positioned upstream of the two-component system SaeRS in the regulatory cascade leading to alpha-toxin production. Thus, alpha-toxin expression depends on two long ncRNAs, SSR42 and RNAIII, which control production of the cytolytic toxin on the transcriptional and translational levels, respectively, with SSR42 as an important regulator of SaeRS-dependent S. aureus toxin production in response to environmental and metabolic signals.IMPORTANCEStaphylococcus aureus is a major cause of life-threatening infections. The bacterium expresses alpha-toxin, a hemolysin and cytotoxin responsible for many of the pathologies of S. aureus Alpha-toxin production is enhanced by subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics. Here, we show that this process is dependent on the long noncoding RNA, SSR42. Further, SSR42 itself is regulated by several global regulators, thereby integrating environmental and nutritional signals that modulate hemolysis of the pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Horn
- Biocenter, Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Maximilian Klepsch
- Biocenter, Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Michelle Manger
- Biocenter, Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christiane Wolz
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Rudel
- Biocenter, Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Martin Fraunholz
- Biocenter, Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Chen J, Shang F, Wang L, Zou L, Bu T, Jin L, Dong Y, Ha NC, Quan C, Nam KH, Xu Y. Structural and Biochemical Analysis of the Citrate-Responsive Mechanism of the Regulatory Domain of Catabolite Control Protein E from Staphylococcus aureus. Biochemistry 2018; 57:6054-6060. [PMID: 30252448 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Catabolite control protein E (CcpE) is a LysR-type transcriptional regulator that positively regulates the transcription of the first two enzymes of the TCA cycle, namely, citZ and citB, by sensing accumulated intracellular citrate. CcpE comprises an N-terminal DNA-binding domain and a C-terminal regulatory domain (RD) and senses citrate with conserved arginine residues in the RD. Although the crystal structure of the apo SaCcpE-RD has been reported, the citrate-responsive and DNA-binding mechanisms by which CcpE regulates TCA activity remain unclear. Here, we report the crystal structure of the apo and citrate-bound SaCcpE-RDs. The SaCcpE-RD exhibits conformational changes between the two subdomains via hinge motion of the central β4 and β10 strands. The citrate molecule is located in a positively charged cavity between the two subdomains and interacts with the highly conserved Ser98, Leu100, Arg145, and Arg256 residues. Compared with that of the apo SaCcpE-RD, the distance between the two subdomains of the citrate-bound SaCcpE-RD is more than ∼3 Å due to the binding of the citrate molecule, and this form exhibits a closed structure. The SaCcpE-RD exhibits various citrate-binding-independent conformational changes at the contacting interface. The SaCcpE-RD prefers the dimeric state in solution, whereas the SaCcpE-FL prefers the tetrameric state. Our results provide insight into the molecular function of SaCcpE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinli Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Life Science , Dalian Minzu University , Dalian 116600 , Liaoning , China.,Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization (Dalian Minzu University) , Ministry of Education , China
| | - Fei Shang
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Life Science , Dalian Minzu University , Dalian 116600 , Liaoning , China.,Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization (Dalian Minzu University) , Ministry of Education , China
| | - Lulu Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Life Science , Dalian Minzu University , Dalian 116600 , Liaoning , China.,Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization (Dalian Minzu University) , Ministry of Education , China.,School of Life Science and Biotechnology , Dalian University of Technology , No. 2 Linggong Road , Dalian 116024 , Liaoning , China
| | - Linhai Zou
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Life Science , Dalian Minzu University , Dalian 116600 , Liaoning , China
| | - Tingting Bu
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Life Science , Dalian Minzu University , Dalian 116600 , Liaoning , China
| | - Liming Jin
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Life Science , Dalian Minzu University , Dalian 116600 , Liaoning , China.,Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization (Dalian Minzu University) , Ministry of Education , China
| | - Yuesheng Dong
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology , Dalian University of Technology , No. 2 Linggong Road , Dalian 116024 , Liaoning , China
| | - Nam-Chul Ha
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences , Seoul National University , Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826 , Republic of Korea
| | - Chunshan Quan
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Life Science , Dalian Minzu University , Dalian 116600 , Liaoning , China.,Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization (Dalian Minzu University) , Ministry of Education , China
| | - Ki Hyun Nam
- Division of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology , Korea University , Seoul 02841 , Republic of Korea.,Institute of Life Science and Natural Resources , Korea University , Seoul 02841 , Republic of Korea
| | - Yongbin Xu
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Life Science , Dalian Minzu University , Dalian 116600 , Liaoning , China.,Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization (Dalian Minzu University) , Ministry of Education , China
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Repression of Capsule Production by XdrA and CodY in Staphylococcus aureus. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:JB.00203-18. [PMID: 29967117 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00203-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Capsule is one of many virulence factors produced by Staphylococcus aureus, and its expression is highly regulated. Here, we report the repression of capsule by direct interaction of XdrA and CodY with the capsule promoter region. We found, by footprinting analyses, that XdrA repressed capsule by binding to a broad region that extended from upstream of the -35 region of the promoter to the coding region of capA, the first gene of the 16-gene cap operon. Footprinting analyses also revealed that CodY bound to a large region that overlapped extensively with that of XdrA. We found that repression of the cap genes in the xdrA mutant could be achieved by the overexpression of codY but not vice versa, suggesting codY is epistatic to xdrA However, we found XdrA had no effect on CodY expression. These results suggest that XdrA plays a secondary role in capsule regulation by promoting CodY repression of the cap genes. Oxacillin slightly induced xdrA expression and reduced cap promoter activity, but the effect of oxacillin on capsule was not mediated through XdrA.IMPORTANCEStaphylococcus aureus employs a complex regulatory network to coordinate the expression of various virulence genes to achieve successful infections. How virulence genes are coordinately regulated is still poorly understood. We have been studying capsule regulation as a model system to explore regulatory networking in S. aureus In this study, we found that XdrA and CodY have broad binding sites that overlap extensively in the capsule promoter region. Our results also suggest that XdrA assists CodY in the repression of capsule. As capsule gene regulation by DNA-binding regulators has not been fully investigated, the results presented here fill an important knowledge gap, thereby further advancing our understanding of the global virulence regulatory network in S. aureus.
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MsaB and CodY Interact To Regulate Staphylococcus aureus Capsule in a Nutrient-Dependent Manner. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:JB.00294-18. [PMID: 29941424 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00294-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus has a complex regulatory network for controlling the production of capsule polysaccharide. In S. aureus, capsule production is controlled by several regulators in response to various environmental stimuli. Previously, we described MsaB as a new regulator that specifically binds to the cap promoter in a growth phase- or nutrient-dependent manner. In addition to MsaB, several other regulators have also been shown to bind the same region. In this study, we examined the interactions between MsaB and other nutrient-sensing regulators (CodY and CcpE) with respect to binding to the cap promoter in a nutrient-dependent manner. We observed that msaABCR and ccpE interact in a complex fashion to regulate capsule production. However, we confirmed that ccpE does not bind cap directly. We also defined the regulatory relationship between msaABCR and CodY. When nutrients (branched-chain amino acids) are abundant, CodY binds to the promoter region of the cap operon and represses its transcription. However, when nutrient concentrations decrease, MsaB, rather than CodY, binds to the cap promoter. Binding of MsaB to the cap promoter activates transcription of the cap operon. We hypothesize that this same mechanism may be used by S. aureus to regulate other virulence factors.IMPORTANCE Findings from this study define the mechanism of regulation of capsule production in Staphylococcus aureus Specifically, we show that two key regulators, MsaB and CodY, coordinate their functions to control the expression of capsule in response to nutrients. S. aureus fine-tunes the production of capsule by coordinating the activity of several regulators and by sensing nutrient levels. This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating multiple inputs prior to the expression of costly virulence factors, such as capsule.
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