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Price SL, Oakes RS, Gonzalez RJ, Edwards C, Brady A, DeMarco JK, von Andrian UH, Jewell CM, Lawrenz MB. Microneedle array delivery of Yersinia pestis recapitulates bubonic plague. iScience 2024; 27:108600. [PMID: 38179062 PMCID: PMC10765063 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Fleas transmit Yersinia pestis directly within the dermis of mammals to cause bubonic plague. Syringe-mediated inoculation is widely used to recapitulate bubonic plague and study Y. pestis pathogenesis. However, intradermal needle inoculation is tedious, error prone, and poses a significant safety risk for laboratorians. Microneedle arrays (MNAs) are micron-scale polymeric structures that deliver materials to the dermis, while minimizing the risk of needle sticks. We demonstrated that MNA inoculation is a viable strategy to recapitulate bubonic plague and study bacterial virulence by defining the parameters needed to establish a lethal infection in the mouse model and characterizing the course of infection using live-animal optical imaging. Using MNAs, we also demonstrated that Y. pestis must overcome calprotectin-mediated zinc restriction within the dermis and dermal delivery of an attenuated mutant has vaccine potential. Together, these data demonstrate that MNAs are a safe alternative to study Y. pestis pathogenesis in the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Price
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Robert S. Oakes
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Rodrigo J. Gonzalez
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Camilla Edwards
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Amanda Brady
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Jennifer K. DeMarco
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Ulrich H. von Andrian
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Christopher M. Jewell
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Matthew B. Lawrenz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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Tasleem M, Hussein WM, El-Sayed AAAA, Alrehaily A. An In Silico Bioremediation Study to Identify Essential Residues of Metallothionein Enhancing the Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2262. [PMID: 37764106 PMCID: PMC10537150 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are ubiquitously present in the environment and exert significant influence on numerous natural phenomena. The soil and groundwater systems, precipitation, and effluent outfalls from factories, refineries, and waste treatment facilities are all sources of heavy metal contamination. For example, Madinah, Saudi Arabia, has alarmingly high levels of lead and cadmium. The non-essential minerals cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) have been linked to damage to vital organs. Bioremediation is an essential component in the process of cleaning up polluted soil and water where biological agents such as bacteria are used to remove the contaminants. It is demonstrated that Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) isolated from activated sludge was able to remove Cd and Pb from water. The protein sequence of metallothionein from P. aeruginosa was retrieved to explore it for physicoparameters, orthologs, domain, family, motifs, and conserved residues. The homology structure was generated, and models were validated. Docking of the best model with the heavy metals was carried out to inspect the intramolecular interactions. The target protein was found to belong to the "metallothionein_pro" family, containing six motifs, and showed a close orthologous relationship with other heavy metal-resistant bacteria. The best model was generated by Phyre2. In this study, three key residues of metallothionein were identified that participate in heavy metal (Pb and Cd) binding, viz., Ala33, Ser34, and Glu59. In addition, the study provides an essential basis to explore protein engineering for the optimum use of metallothionein protein to reduce/remove heavy metals from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munazzah Tasleem
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China;
| | - Wesam M. Hussein
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah 42351, Saudi Arabia;
| | | | - Abdulwahed Alrehaily
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah 42351, Saudi Arabia;
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Liu H, Wei Z, Li J, Liu X, Zhu L, Wang Y, Wang T, Li C, Shen X. A Yersinia T6SS Effector YezP Engages the Hemin Uptake Receptor HmuR and ZnuABC for Zn 2+ Acquisition. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0024023. [PMID: 37338394 PMCID: PMC10370319 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00240-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Metal ions are essential nutrients for all life forms, and restriction of metal ion availability is an effective host defense against bacterial infection. Meanwhile, bacterial pathogens have developed equally effective means to secure their metal ion supply. The enteric pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was found to uptake zinc using the T6SS4 effector YezP, which is essential for Zn2+ acquisition and bacterial survival under oxidative stress. However, the mechanism of this zinc uptake pathway has not been fully elucidated. Here, we identified the hemin uptake receptor HmuR for YezP, which can mediate import of Zn2+ into the periplasm by the YezP-Zn2+ complex and demonstrated that YezP functions extracellularly. This study also confirmed that the ZnuCB transporter is the inner membrane transporter for Zn2+ from the periplasm to cytoplasm. Overall, our results reveal the complete T6SS/YezP/HmuR/ZnuABC pathway, wherein multiple systems are coupled to support zinc uptake by Y. pseudotuberculosis under oxidative stress. IMPORTANCE Identifying the transporters involved in import of metal ions under normal physiological growth conditions in bacterial pathogens will clarify its pathogenic mechanism. Y. pseudotuberculosis YPIII, a common foodborne pathogen that infects animals and humans, uptake zinc via the T6SS4 effector YezP. However, the outer and inner transports involved in Zn2+ acquisition remain unknown. The important outcomes of this study are the identification of the hemin uptake receptor HmuR and inner membrane transporter ZnuCB that import Zn2+ into the cytoplasm via the YezP-Zn2+ complex, and elucidation of the complete Zn2+ acquisition pathway consisting of T6SS, HmuRSTUV, and ZnuABC, thereby providing a comprehensive view of T6SS-mediated ion transport and its functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Liu
- Qingyang Longfeng Sponge City Construction Management & Operation Co., Ltd, Qingyang, Gansu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhiyan Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jiali Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xingyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lingfang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tietao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Changfu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xihui Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
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Ribeiro CMP, Higgs MG, Muhlebach MS, Wolfgang MC, Borgatti M, Lampronti I, Cabrini G. Revisiting Host-Pathogen Interactions in Cystic Fibrosis Lungs in the Era of CFTR Modulators. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24055010. [PMID: 36902441 PMCID: PMC10003689 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24055010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators, a new series of therapeutics that correct and potentiate some classes of mutations of the CFTR, have provided a great therapeutic advantage to people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). The main hindrances of the present CFTR modulators are related to their limitations in reducing chronic lung bacterial infection and inflammation, the main causes of pulmonary tissue damage and progressive respiratory insufficiency, particularly in adults with CF. Here, the most debated issues of the pulmonary bacterial infection and inflammatory processes in pwCF are revisited. Special attention is given to the mechanisms favoring the bacterial infection of pwCF, the progressive adaptation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its interplay with Staphylococcus aureus, the cross-talk among bacteria, the bronchial epithelial cells and the phagocytes of the host immune defenses. The most recent findings of the effect of CFTR modulators on bacterial infection and the inflammatory process are also presented to provide critical hints towards the identification of relevant therapeutic targets to overcome the respiratory pathology of pwCF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla M. P. Ribeiro
- Marsico Lung Institute/Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Correspondence: (C.M.P.R.); (G.C.)
| | - Matthew G. Higgs
- Marsico Lung Institute/Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Marianne S. Muhlebach
- Marsico Lung Institute/Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Matthew C. Wolfgang
- Marsico Lung Institute/Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Monica Borgatti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Innthera4CF, Center on Innovative Therapies for Cystic Fibrosis, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Ilaria Lampronti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Innthera4CF, Center on Innovative Therapies for Cystic Fibrosis, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giulio Cabrini
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Innthera4CF, Center on Innovative Therapies for Cystic Fibrosis, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Correspondence: (C.M.P.R.); (G.C.)
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Secli V, Di Biagio C, Martini A, Michetti E, Pacello F, Ammendola S, Battistoni A. Localized Infections with P. aeruginosa Strains Defective in Zinc Uptake Reveal That Zebrafish Embryos Recapitulate Nutritional Immunity Responses of Higher Eukaryotes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24020944. [PMID: 36674459 PMCID: PMC9862628 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24020944] [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: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The innate immune responses of mammals to microbial infections include strategies based on manipulating the local concentration of metals such as iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), commonly described as nutritional immunity. To evaluate whether these strategies are also present in zebrafish embryos, we have conducted a series of heart cavity-localized infection experiments with Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains characterized by a different ability to acquire Zn. We have found that, 48 h after infection, the bacterial strains lacking critical components of the Zn importers ZnuABC and ZrmABCD have a reduced colonization capacity compared to the wild-type strain. This observation, together with the finding of a high level of expression of Zur-regulated genes, suggests the existence of antimicrobial mechanisms based on Zn sequestration. However, we have observed that strains lacking such Zn importers have a selective advantage over the wild-type strain in the early stages of infection. Analysis of the expression of the gene that encodes for a Zn efflux pump has revealed that at short times after infection, P. aeruginosa is exposed to high concentrations of Zn. At the same time, zebrafish respond to the infection by activating the expression of the Zn transporters Slc30a1 and Slc30a4, whose mammalian homologs mediate a redistribution of Zn in phagocytes aimed at intoxicating bacteria with a metal excess. These observations indicate that teleosts share similar nutritional immunity mechanisms with higher vertebrates, and confirm the usefulness of the zebrafish model for studying host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Secli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Di Biagio
- Laboratory of Experimental Ecology and Aquaculture, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Arianna Martini
- Laboratory of Experimental Ecology and Aquaculture, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research, Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Via Salaria 31, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Emma Michetti
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Pacello
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Ammendola
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Battistoni
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence:
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