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Liang Q, Chen N, Wang W, Zhang B, Luo J, Zhong Y, Zhang F, Zhang Z, Martín–Rodríguez AJ, Wang Y, Xiang L, Xiong X, Hu R, Zhou Y. Co-occurrence of ST412 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates with hypermucoviscous and non-mucoviscous phenotypes in a short-term hospitalized patient. mSystems 2024; 9:e0026224. [PMID: 38904378 PMCID: PMC11265266 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00262-24] [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: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypermucoviscosity (HMV) is a phenotype that is commonly associated with hypervirulence in Klebsiella pneumoniae. The factors that contribute to the emergence of HMV subpopulations remain unclear. In this study, eight K. pneumoniae strains were recovered from an inpatient who had been hospitalized for 20 days. Three of the isolates exhibited a non-HMV phenotype, which was concomitant with higher biofilm formation than the other five HMV isolates. All eight isolates were highly susceptible to serum killing, albeit HMV strains were remarkably more infective than non-HMV counterparts in a mouse model of infection. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) showed that the eight isolates belonged to the K57-ST412 lineage. Average nucleotide identity (FastANIb) analysis indicated that eight isolates share 99.96% to 99.99% similarity and were confirmed to be the same clone. Through comparative genomics analysis, 12 non-synonymous mutations were found among these isolates, eight of which in the non-HMV variants, including rmpA (c.285delG) and wbaP (c.1305T > A), which are assumed to be associated with the non-HMV phenotype. Mutations in manB (c.1318G > A), dmsB (c.577C > T) and tkt (c.1928C > A) occurred in HMV isolates only. RNA-Seq revealed transcripts of genes involved in energy metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and membrane transport, including cysP, cydA, narK, tktA, pduQ, aceB, metN, and lsrA, to be significantly dysregulated in the non-HMV strains, suggesting a contribution to HMV phenotype development. This study suggests that co-occurrence of HMV and non-HMV phenotypes in the same clonal population may be mediated by mutational mechanisms as well as by certain genes involved in membrane transport and central metabolism. IMPORTANCE K. pneumoniae with a hypermucoviscosity (HMV) phenotype is a community-acquired pathogen that is associated with increased invasiveness and pathogenicity, and underlying diseases are the most common comorbid risk factors inducing metastatic complications. HMV was earlier attributed to the overproduction of capsular polysaccharide, and more data point to the possibility of several causes contributing to this bacterial phenotype. Here, we describe a unique event in which the same clonal population showed both HMV and non-HMV characteristics. Studies have demonstrated that this process is influenced by mutational processes and genes related to transport and central metabolism. These findings provide fresh insight into the mechanisms behind co-occurrence of HMV and non-HMV phenotypes in monoclonal populations as well as potentially being critical in developing strategies to control the further spread of HMV K. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghua Liang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yilong County People’s Hospital, Nanchong, China
| | - Nan Chen
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Biying Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jinjing Luo
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Ying Zhong
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Feiyang Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zhikun Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Alberto J. Martín–Rodríguez
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Li Xiang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xia Xiong
- Department of Dermatology, The Affiliated Hospital,Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Renjing Hu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jiangnan University Medical Center, Wuxi, China
| | - Yingshun Zhou
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Public Center of Experimental Technology of Pathogen Biology Technology Platform, Southwest Medicine University, Luzhou, China
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Alves J, Vrieling M, Ring N, Yebra G, Pickering A, Prajsnar TK, Renshaw SA, Fitzgerald JR. Experimental evolution of Staphylococcus aureus in macrophages: dissection of a conditional adaptive trait promoting intracellular survival. mBio 2024; 15:e0034624. [PMID: 38682911 PMCID: PMC11237485 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00346-24] [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: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen associated with important diseases in humans and animals. Macrophages are a key component of the innate immune response to S. aureus infection and play a major role in disease outcomes. To investigate the adaptive evolution of S. aureus in response to macrophages, we developed an experimental infection assay. S. aureus strains representing major human epidemic clones were passaged many times in a macrophage cell line, accumulating mutations in an array of genomic loci. Phenotypic analysis revealed the emergence of a lineage exhibiting increased survival in macrophages and human blood, and resistance to vancomycin. The evolved lineage exhibited a previously undescribed small colony variant (SCV) phenotype characterized by hyper-pigmentation, which resulted from a missense mutation in rsbW. Notably, the novel SCV was a conditional adaptive trait that was unstable in nutrient-replete conditions in vitro, rapidly converting from hyper-pigmented SCV to a non-pigmented large colony variant via spontaneous sigB deletion events. Importantly, we identified similar deletions in the genome sequences of a limited number of clinical S. aureus isolates from public databases, indicating that related events may occur during clinical infection. Experimental infection of zebrafish did not reveal a difference in virulence between parent and novel SCV but demonstrated an in vivo fitness cost for the compensatory sigB deletion events. Taken together, we report an experimental evolutionary approach for investigating bacterial innate immune cell interactions, revealing a conditional adaptation that promotes S. aureus survival in macrophages and resistance to vancomycin. IMPORTANCE Staphylococcus aureus is an important human bacterial pathogen. The host response to S. aureus involves the production of innate immune cells such as macrophages which are important for fighting infection. Here we report a new model of experimental evolution for studying how S. aureus can evade killing by macrophages. We identified a novel adaptive phenotype that promotes survival in macrophages and blood and resistance to antibiotics. The phenotype is lost rapidly upon growth in nutrient-rich conditions via disruption of the alternative sigma factor sigB, revealing a conditional niche-specific fitness advantage. Genomic analysis of clinical isolates suggests similar adaptations may occur during human infections. Our model may be used broadly to identify adaptations of S. aureus to the innate immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Alves
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Manouk Vrieling
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Natalie Ring
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Gonzalo Yebra
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Pickering
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tomasz K. Prajsnar
- Florey Institute, Bateson Centre and Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen A. Renshaw
- Florey Institute, Bateson Centre and Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - J. Ross Fitzgerald
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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3
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Giulieri SG, Guérillot R, Holmes NE, Baines SL, Hachani A, Hayes AS, Daniel DS, Seemann T, Davis JS, Van Hal S, Tong SYC, Stinear TP, Howden BP. A statistical genomics framework to trace bacterial genomic predictors of clinical outcomes in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113069. [PMID: 37703880 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Outcomes of severe bacterial infections are determined by the interplay between host, pathogen, and treatments. While human genomics has provided insights into host factors impacting Staphylococcus aureus infections, comparatively little is known about S. aureus genotypes and disease severity. Building on the hypothesis that bacterial pathoadaptation is a key outcome driver, we developed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) framework to identify adaptive mutations associated with treatment failure and mortality in S. aureus bacteremia (1,358 episodes). Our research highlights the potential of vancomycin-selected mutations and vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) as key explanatory variables to predict infection severity. The contribution of bacterial variation was much lower for clinical outcomes (heritability <5%); however, GWASs allowed us to identify additional, MIC-independent candidate pathogenesis loci. Using supervised machine learning, we were able to quantify the predictive potential of these adaptive signatures. Our statistical genomics framework provides a powerful means to capture adaptive mutations impacting severe bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano G Giulieri
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Victorian Infectious Disease Service, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia.
| | - Romain Guérillot
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Natasha E Holmes
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
| | - Sarah L Baines
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Centre for Pathogen Genomics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Abderrahman Hachani
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Ashleigh S Hayes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Diane S Daniel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Torsten Seemann
- Centre for Pathogen Genomics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Joshua S Davis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia; Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia
| | - Sebastiaan Van Hal
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia; Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Steven Y C Tong
- Victorian Infectious Disease Service, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Timothy P Stinear
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Benjamin P Howden
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; Centre for Pathogen Genomics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
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Zhang H, Cao J, He Z, Zong X, Sun B. Molecular Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus in a Tertiary Hospital in Anhui, China: ST59 Remains a Serious Threat. Infect Drug Resist 2023; 16:961-976. [PMID: 36814828 PMCID: PMC9940498 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s395220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to investigate the molecular characteristics, antimicrobial resistance and hemolytic phenotype of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from Anhui, China. Results From August 2021 to January 2022, 214 S. aureus isolates were collected from the Anhui Provincial Hospital. This study identified 117 methicillin-resistant S. aureus and 97 methicillin-sensitive S. aureus isolates, and the detection rate of methicillin-resistant isolates was 1.8-fold higher than the average isolates reported in China (53.9% vs 30.5%). S. aureus isolates share identity at five or more of the seven MLST-based housekeeping loci, referred to as the clonal complex (CC). Forty ST types were found in 214 clinical S. aureus isolates, with the most extensive distribution of ST59 and ST6697 typing numbers and higher CC5 detection rates than any other clonal group. (The ST typing is the result of the MLST typing website query.) To detect the virulence of ST types of S. aureus, hemolysis experiments were performed on 214 clinical isolates, and it was concluded that ST59 had a relatively robust hemolytic capacity. Conclusion Anhui S. aureus isolates have unique molecular and antibiotic resistance profiles. The antibiotic resistance profile may be related to the random use of antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, Mudanjiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiaxin Cao
- College of Life Science and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, Mudanjiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhien He
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of China,School of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xianchun Zong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, Mudanjiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Baolin Sun
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of China,School of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of China,Correspondence: Baolin Sun, Email
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Zha J, Li J, Su Z, Akimbekov N, Wu X. Lysostaphin: Engineering and Potentiation toward Better Applications. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:11441-11457. [PMID: 36082619 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c03459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Lysostaphin is a potent bacteriolytic enzyme with endopeptidase activity against the common pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. By digesting the pentaglycine crossbridge in the cell wall peptidoglycan of S. aureus including the methicillin-resistant strains, lysostaphin initiates rapid lysis of planktonic and sessile cells (biofilms) and has great potential for use in agriculture, food industries, and pharmaceutical industries. In the past few decades, there have been tremendous efforts in potentiating lysostaphin for better applications in these fields, including engineering of the enzyme for higher potency and lower immunogenicity with longer-lasting effects, formulation and immobilization of the enzyme for higher stability and better durability, and recombinant expression for low-cost industrial production and in situ biocontrol. These achievements are extensively reviewed in this article focusing on applications in disease control, food preservation, surface decontamination, and pathogen detection. In addition, some basic properties of lysostaphin that have been controversial and only elucidated recently are summarized, including the substrate-binding properties, the number of zinc-binding sites, the substrate range, and the cleavage site in the pentaglycine crossbridge. Resistance to lysostaphin is also highlighted with a focus on various mechanisms. This article is concluded with a discussion on the limitations and future perspectives for the actual applications of lysostaphin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zha
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Jingyuan Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Zheng Su
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Nuraly Akimbekov
- Department of Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
| | - Xia Wu
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
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Song Y, Ke Y, Kang M, Bao R. Function, molecular mechanisms, and therapeutic potential of bacterial HtrA proteins: An evolving view. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:40-49. [PMID: 34976310 PMCID: PMC8671199 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the high temperature requirement A (HtrA) protein family are widely distributed amongst prokaryotic and eukaryotic species. HtrA proteins have ATP-independent dual chaperone-protease activity and mediate protein quality control. Emerging evidence indicates that HtrA family members are vital for establishing infections and bacterial survival under stress conditions. Bacterial HtrA proteins are increasingly thought of as important new targets for antibacterial drug development. Recent literature suggests that HtrA protein AlgW from Pseudomonas aeruginosa has distinct structural, functional, and regulatory characteristics. The novel dual-signal activation mechanism seen in AlgW is required to modulate stress and drug responses in bacteria, prompting us to review our understanding of the many HtrA proteins found in microorganisms. Here, we describe the distribution of HtrA gene orthologues in pathogenic bacteria, discuss their structure–function relationships, outline the molecular mechanisms exhibited by different bacterial HtrA proteins in bacteria under selective pressure, and review the significance of recently developed small molecule inhibitors targeting HtrA in pathogenic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjie Song
- Center of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Yitao Ke
- Center of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Mei Kang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Corresponding authors.
| | - Rui Bao
- Center of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, China
- Corresponding authors.
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