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Ho P, Dam LC, Koh WRR, Nai RS, Nah QH, Rajaie Fizla FBM, Chan CC, Aung TT, Goh SG, Fang Y, Lim Z, Koh MG, Demott M, Boucher YF, Malleret B, Gin KYH, Dedon P, Moreira W. Screening of the PA14NR Transposon Mutant Library Identifies Genes Involved in Resistance to Bacteriophage Infection in Pseudomomas aeruginosa. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7009. [PMID: 39000118 PMCID: PMC11241198 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa infections pose a serious public health threat due to the rise in antimicrobial resistance. Phage therapy has emerged as a promising alternative. However, P. aeruginosa has evolved various mechanisms to thwart phage attacks, making it crucial to decipher these resistance mechanisms to develop effective therapeutic strategies. In this study, we conducted a forward-genetic screen of the P. aeruginosa PA14 non-redundant transposon library (PA14NR) to identify dominant-negative mutants displaying phage-resistant phenotypes. Our screening process revealed 78 mutants capable of thriving in the presence of phages, with 23 of them carrying insertions in genes associated with membrane composition. Six mutants exhibited total resistance to phage infection. Transposon insertions were found in genes known to be linked to phage-resistance such as galU and a glycosyl transferase gene, as well as novel genes such as mexB, lasB, and two hypothetical proteins. Functional experiments demonstrated that these genes played pivotal roles in phage adsorption and biofilm formation, indicating that altering the bacterial membrane composition commonly leads to phage resistance in P. aeruginosa. Importantly, these mutants displayed phenotypic trade-offs, as their resistance to phages inversely affected antibiotic resistance and hindered biofilm formation, shedding light on the complex interplay between phage susceptibility and bacterial fitness. This study highlights the potential of transposon mutant libraries and forward-genetic screens in identifying key genes involved in phage-host interactions and resistance mechanisms. These findings support the development of innovative strategies for combating antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiying Ho
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, Singapore 117576, Singapore; (P.H.); (L.C.D.); (W.R.R.K.); (Q.H.N.); (F.B.M.R.F.); (C.C.C.); (P.D.)
| | - Linh Chi Dam
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, Singapore 117576, Singapore; (P.H.); (L.C.D.); (W.R.R.K.); (Q.H.N.); (F.B.M.R.F.); (C.C.C.); (P.D.)
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Wei Ren Ryanna Koh
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, Singapore 117576, Singapore; (P.H.); (L.C.D.); (W.R.R.K.); (Q.H.N.); (F.B.M.R.F.); (C.C.C.); (P.D.)
- Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore 119074, Singapore
| | - Rui Si Nai
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, Singapore 117576, Singapore; (P.H.); (L.C.D.); (W.R.R.K.); (Q.H.N.); (F.B.M.R.F.); (C.C.C.); (P.D.)
| | - Qian Hui Nah
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, Singapore 117576, Singapore; (P.H.); (L.C.D.); (W.R.R.K.); (Q.H.N.); (F.B.M.R.F.); (C.C.C.); (P.D.)
| | - Faeqa Binte Muhammad Rajaie Fizla
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, Singapore 117576, Singapore; (P.H.); (L.C.D.); (W.R.R.K.); (Q.H.N.); (F.B.M.R.F.); (C.C.C.); (P.D.)
| | - Chia Ching Chan
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, Singapore 117576, Singapore; (P.H.); (L.C.D.); (W.R.R.K.); (Q.H.N.); (F.B.M.R.F.); (C.C.C.); (P.D.)
- Thrixen Pte Ltd., Singapore 048619, Singapore
| | - Thet Tun Aung
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore; (T.T.A.); (Z.L.); (M.G.K.); (B.M.)
| | - Shin Giek Goh
- Energy & Environmental Sustainability Solutions for Megacities (E2S2) Program, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 117576, Singapore; (S.G.G.); (K.Y.-H.G.)
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - You Fang
- Energy & Environmental Sustainability Solutions for Megacities (E2S2) Program, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 117576, Singapore; (S.G.G.); (K.Y.-H.G.)
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - Zhining Lim
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore; (T.T.A.); (Z.L.); (M.G.K.); (B.M.)
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Science Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore 637551, Singapore;
| | - Ming Guang Koh
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore; (T.T.A.); (Z.L.); (M.G.K.); (B.M.)
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Science Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore 637551, Singapore;
| | - Michael Demott
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA;
| | - Yann Felix Boucher
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Science Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore 637551, Singapore;
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
| | - Benoit Malleret
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore; (T.T.A.); (Z.L.); (M.G.K.); (B.M.)
| | - Karina Yew-Hoong Gin
- Energy & Environmental Sustainability Solutions for Megacities (E2S2) Program, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 117576, Singapore; (S.G.G.); (K.Y.-H.G.)
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore
- Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - Peter Dedon
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, Singapore 117576, Singapore; (P.H.); (L.C.D.); (W.R.R.K.); (Q.H.N.); (F.B.M.R.F.); (C.C.C.); (P.D.)
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA;
| | - Wilfried Moreira
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, Singapore 117576, Singapore; (P.H.); (L.C.D.); (W.R.R.K.); (Q.H.N.); (F.B.M.R.F.); (C.C.C.); (P.D.)
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore; (T.T.A.); (Z.L.); (M.G.K.); (B.M.)
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Science Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore 637551, Singapore;
- Life Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
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2
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Torres M, Paszti S, Eberl L. Shedding light on bacteria-host interactions with the aid of TnSeq approaches. mBio 2024; 15:e0039024. [PMID: 38722161 PMCID: PMC11237515 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00390-24] [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] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria are highly adaptable and grow in diverse niches, where they often interact with eukaryotic organisms. These interactions with different hosts span the entire spectrum from symbiosis to pathogenicity and thus determine the lifestyle of the bacterium. Knowledge of the genetic determinants involved in animal and plant host colonization by pathogenic and mutualistic bacteria is not only crucial to discover new drug targets for disease management but also for developing novel biostimulant strategies. In the last decades, significant progress in genome-wide high-throughput technologies such as transposon insertion sequencing has led to the identification of pathways that enable efficient host colonization. However, the extent to which similar genes play a role in this process in different bacteria is yet unclear. This review highlights the commonalities and specificities of bacterial determinants important for bacteria-host interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Torres
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Paszti
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Leo Eberl
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
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3
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Desai SK, Zhou Y, Dilawari R, Routh AL, Popov V, Kenney LJ. RpoS activates formation of Salmonella Typhi biofilms and drives persistence in the gall bladder. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.26.564249. [PMID: 37961640 PMCID: PMC10634867 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.26.564249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The development of strategies for targeting the asymptomatic carriage of Salmonella Typhi in chronic typhoid patients has suffered owing to our basic lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms that enable the formation of S. Typhi biofilms. Traditionally, studies have relied on cholesterol-attached biofilms formed by a closely related serovar, Typhimurium, to mimic multicellular Typhi communities formed on human gallstones. In long-term infections, S. Typhi adopts the biofilm lifestyle to persist in vivo and survive in the carrier state, ultimately leading to the spread of infections via the fecal-oral route of transmission. In the present work, we studied S. Typhi biofilms directly, applied targeted as well as genome-wide genetic approaches to uncover unique biofilm components that do not conform to the CsgD-dependent pathway established in S. Typhimurium. We undertook a genome-wide Tn5 mutation screen in a highly successful parental lineage of S. Typhi, strain H58, in gallstone-mimicking conditions. We generated New Generation Sequencing libraries based on the ClickSeq technology to identify the key regulators, IraP and RpoS, and the matrix components as Sth fimbriae, Vi capsule and lipopolysaccharide. We discovered that the starvation sigma factor, RpoS, was required for the transcriptional activation of matrix-encoding genes in vitro, and for S. Typhi colonization in persistent infections in vivo, using a heterologous fish larval model. An rpoS null mutant failed to colonize the gall bladder in chronic zebrafish infections. Overall, our work uncovered a novel RpoS-driven paradigm for the formation of cholesterol-attached Typhi biofilms, and emphasized the role(s) of stress signaling pathways for adaptation in chronic infections. Our identification of the biofilm regulators in S. Typhi paves the way for the development of drugs against typhoid carriage, which will ultimately control the increased incidence of gall bladder cancer in typhoid carriers.
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Stromberg ZR, Phillips SMB, Omberg KM, Hess BM. High-throughput functional trait testing for bacterial pathogens. mSphere 2023; 8:e0031523. [PMID: 37702517 PMCID: PMC10597404 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00315-23] [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] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional traits are characteristics that affect the fitness and metabolic function of a microorganism. There is growing interest in using high-throughput methods to characterize bacterial pathogens based on functional virulence traits. Traditional methods that phenotype a single organism for a single virulence trait can be time consuming and labor intensive. Alternatively, machine learning of whole-genome sequences (WGS) has shown some success in predicting virulence. However, relying solely on WGS can miss functional traits, particularly for organisms lacking classical virulence factors. We propose that high-throughput assays for functional virulence trait identification should become a prominent method of characterizing bacterial pathogens on a population scale. This work is critical as we move from compiling lists of bacterial species associated with disease to pathogen-agnostic approaches capable of detecting novel microbes. We discuss six key areas of functional trait testing and how advancing high-throughput methods could provide a greater understanding of pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R. Stromberg
- Chemical and Biological Signatures Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Shelby M. B. Phillips
- Chemical and Biological Signatures Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Kristin M. Omberg
- Chemical and Biological Signatures Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Becky M. Hess
- Chemical and Biological Signatures Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
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5
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Pelicic V. Mechanism of assembly of type 4 filaments: everything you always wanted to know (but were afraid to ask). MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169. [PMID: 36947586 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Type 4 filaments (T4F) are a superfamily of filamentous nanomachines - virtually ubiquitous in prokaryotes and functionally versatile - of which type 4 pili (T4P) are the defining member. T4F are polymers of type 4 pilins, assembled by conserved multi-protein machineries. They have long been an important topic for research because they are key virulence factors in numerous bacterial pathogens. Our poor understanding of the molecular mechanisms of T4F assembly is a serious hindrance to the design of anti-T4F therapeutics. This review attempts to shed light on the fundamental mechanistic principles at play in T4F assembly by focusing on similarities rather than differences between several (mostly bacterial) T4F. This holistic approach, complemented by the revolutionary ability of artificial intelligence to predict protein structures, led to an intriguing mechanistic model of T4F assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Pelicic
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, UMR 7283 CNRS/Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France
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6
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Beg AZ, Rashid F, Talat A, Haseen MA, Raza N, Akhtar K, Dueholm MKD, Khan AU. Functional Amyloids in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Are Essential for the Proteome Modulation That Leads to Pathoadaptation in Pulmonary Niches. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0307122. [PMID: 36475836 PMCID: PMC9927170 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03071-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistence and survival of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in chronic lung infections is closely linked to the biofilm lifestyle. One biofilm component, functional amyloid of P. aeruginosa (Fap), imparts structural adaptations for biofilms; however, the role of Fap in pathogenesis is still unclear. Conservation of the fap operon encoding Fap and P. aeruginosa being an opportunistic pathogen of lung infections prompted us to explore its role in lung infection. We found that Fap is essential for establishment of lung infection in rats, as its genetic exclusion led to mild focal infection with quick resolution. Moreover, without an underlying cystic fibrosis (CF) genetic disorder, overexpression of Fap reproduced the CF pathotype. The molecular basis of Fap-mediated pulmonary adaptation was explored through surface-associated proteomics in vitro. Differential proteomics positively associated Fap expression with activation of known proteins related to pulmonary pathoadaptation, attachment, and biofilm fitness. The aggregative bacterial phenotype in the pulmonary niche correlated with Fap-influenced activation of biofilm sustainability regulators and stress response regulators that favored persistence-mediated establishment of pulmonary infection. Fap overexpression upregulated proteins that are abundant in the proteome of P. aeruginosa in colonizing CF lungs. Planktonic lifestyle, defects in anaerobic pathway, and neutrophilic evasion were key factors in the absence of Fap that impaired establishment of infection. We concluded that Fap is essential for cellular equilibration to establish pulmonary infection. Amyloid-induced bacterial aggregation subverted the immune response, leading to chronic infection by collaterally damaging tissue and reinforcing bacterial persistence. IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa is inextricably linked with chronic lung infections. In this study, the well-conserved Fap operon was found to be essential for pathoadaptation in pulmonary infection in a rat lung model. Moreover, the presence of Fap increased pathogenesis and biofilm sustainability by modulating bacterial physiology. Hence, a pathoadaptive role of Fap in pulmonary infections can be exploited for clinical application by targeting amyloids. Furthermore, genetic conservation and extracellular exposure of Fap make it a commendable target for such interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha Z. Beg
- Medical Microbiology Lab, Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | | | - Absar Talat
- Medical Microbiology Lab, Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mohd Azam Haseen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nadeem Raza
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Kafil Akhtar
- Pathology Department, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Morten Kam Dahl Dueholm
- Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Asad U. Khan
- Medical Microbiology Lab, Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
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7
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Rattanachak N, Weawsiangsang S, Daowtak K, Thongsri Y, Ross S, Ross G, Nilsri N, Baldock RA, Pongcharoen S, Jongjitvimol T, Jongjitwimol J. High-Throughput Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals the Inhibitory Effect of Hydroquinine on Virulence Factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11101436. [PMID: 36290094 PMCID: PMC9598861 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11101436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydroquinine is an organic alkaloid compound that exhibits antimicrobial activity against several bacterial strains including strains of both drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa. Despite this, the effects of hydroquinine on virulence factors in P. aeruginosa have not yet been characterized. We therefore aimed to uncover the mechanism of P. aeruginosa hydroquinine-sensitivity using high-throughput transcriptomic analysis. We further confirmed whether hydroquinine inhibits specific virulence factors using RT-qPCR and phenotypic analysis. At half the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of hydroquinine (1.250 mg/mL), 254 genes were differentially expressed (97 downregulated and 157 upregulated). We found that flagellar-related genes were downregulated by between −2.93 and −2.18 Log2-fold change. These genes were consistent with the analysis of gene ontology and KEGG pathway. Further validation by RT-qPCR showed that hydroquinine significantly suppressed expression of the flagellar-related genes. By analyzing cellular phenotypes, P. aeruginosa treated with ½MIC of hydroquinine exhibited inhibition of motility (30−54% reduction) and pyocyanin production (~25−27% reduction) and impaired biofilm formation (~57−87% reduction). These findings suggest that hydroquinine possesses anti-virulence factors, through diminishing flagellar, pyocyanin and biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nontaporn Rattanachak
- Biomedical Sciences Program, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
| | - Sattaporn Weawsiangsang
- Biomedical Sciences Program, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
| | - Krai Daowtak
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
- Cellular and Molecular Immunology Research Unit, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
| | - Yordhathai Thongsri
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
- Cellular and Molecular Immunology Research Unit, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
| | - Sukunya Ross
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
- Centre of Excellence in Biomaterials, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
| | - Gareth Ross
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
- Centre of Excellence in Biomaterials, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
| | - Nungruthai Nilsri
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
- Cellular and Molecular Immunology Research Unit, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
| | - Robert A. Baldock
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Health, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK
| | - Sutatip Pongcharoen
- Division of Immunology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
| | - Touchkanin Jongjitvimol
- Biology Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
- Correspondence: (T.J.); (J.J.)
| | - Jirapas Jongjitwimol
- Biomedical Sciences Program, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
- Centre of Excellence in Biomaterials, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
- Correspondence: (T.J.); (J.J.)
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8
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Genomic landscapes of bacterial transposons and their applications in strain improvement. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:6383-6396. [PMID: 36094654 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12170-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Transposons are mobile genetic elements that can give rise to gene mutation and genome rearrangement. Due to their mobility, transposons have been exploited as genetic tools for modification of plants, animals, and microbes. Although a plethora of reviews have summarized families of transposons, the transposons from fermentation bacteria have not been systematically documented, which thereby constrain the exploitation for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology purposes. In this review, we summarize the transposons from the most used fermentation bacteria including Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Lactococcus lactis, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Zymomonas mobilis by literature retrieval and data mining from GenBank and KEGG. We also outline the state-of-the-art advances in basic research and industrial applications especially when allied with other genetic tools. Overall, this review aims to provide valuable insights for transposon-mediated strain improvement. KEY POINTS: • The transposons from the most-used fermentation bacteria are systematically summarized. • The applications of transposons in strain improvement are comprehensively reviewed.
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9
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Ruiz-Roldán L, de Toro M, Sáenz Y. Whole Genome Analysis of Environmental Pseudomonas mendocina Strains: Virulence Mechanisms and Phylogeny. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:115. [PMID: 33477842 PMCID: PMC7832885 DOI: 10.3390/genes12010115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas mendocina is an environmental bacterium, rarely isolated in clinical specimens, although it has been described as producing endocarditis and sepsis. Little is known about its genome. Whole genome sequencing can be used to learn about the phylogeny, evolution, or pathogenicity of these isolates. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the resistome, virulome, and phylogenetic relationship of two P. mendocina strains, Ps542 and Ps799, isolated from a healthy Anas platyrhynchos fecal sample and a lettuce, respectively. Among all of the small number of P.mendocina genomes available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) repository, both strains were placed within one of two well-defined phylogenetic clusters. Both P. mendocina strains lacked antimicrobial resistance genes, but the Ps799 genome showed a MOBP3 family relaxase. Nevertheless, this study revealed that P. mendocina possesses an important number of virulence factors, including a leukotoxin, flagella, pili, and the Type 2 and Type 6 Secretion Systems, that could be responsible for their pathogenesis. More phenotypical and in vivo studies are needed to deepen the association with human infections and the potential P. mendocina pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Ruiz-Roldán
- Área de Microbiología Molecular, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja (CIBIR), C/Piqueras 98, 26006 Logroño, Spain;
| | - María de Toro
- Plataforma de Genómica y Bioinformática, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja (CIBIR), C/Piqueras 98, 26006 Logroño, Spain
| | - Yolanda Sáenz
- Área de Microbiología Molecular, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja (CIBIR), C/Piqueras 98, 26006 Logroño, Spain;
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10
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Cain AK, Barquist L, Goodman AL, Paulsen IT, Parkhill J, van Opijnen T. A decade of advances in transposon-insertion sequencing. Nat Rev Genet 2020; 21:526-540. [PMID: 32533119 PMCID: PMC7291929 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-020-0244-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
It has been 10 years since the introduction of modern transposon-insertion sequencing (TIS) methods, which combine genome-wide transposon mutagenesis with high-throughput sequencing to estimate the fitness contribution or essentiality of each genetic component in a bacterial genome. Four TIS variations were published in 2009: transposon sequencing (Tn-Seq), transposon-directed insertion site sequencing (TraDIS), insertion sequencing (INSeq) and high-throughput insertion tracking by deep sequencing (HITS). TIS has since become an important tool for molecular microbiologists, being one of the few genome-wide techniques that directly links phenotype to genotype and ultimately can assign gene function. In this Review, we discuss the recent applications of TIS to answer overarching biological questions. We explore emerging and multidisciplinary methods that build on TIS, with an eye towards future applications. In this Review, several experts discuss progress in the decade since the development of transposon-based approaches for bacterial genetic screens. They describe how advances in both experimental technologies and analytical strategies are resulting in insights into diverse biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy K Cain
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Lars Barquist
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andrew L Goodman
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ian T Paulsen
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Julian Parkhill
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Mutation of the Carboxy-Terminal Processing Protease in Acinetobacter baumannii Affects Motility, Leads to Loss of Membrane Integrity, and Reduces Virulence. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9050322. [PMID: 32357487 PMCID: PMC7281292 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9050322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Motility plays an essential role in the host–parasite relationship of pathogenic bacteria, and is often associated with virulence. While many pathogenic bacteria use flagella for locomotion, Acinetobacter baumannii strains do not have flagella, but have other features that aid in their motility. To study the genes involved in motility, transposon mutagenesis was performed to construct A. baumannii mutant strains. Mutant strain MR14 was found to have reduced motility, compared to wild-type ATCC 17978. NCBI BLAST analysis revealed that the Tn10 transposon in the MR14 genome is integrated into the gene that encodes for carboxy-terminal processing protease (Ctp). Additionally, MR14 exhibits a mucoidy, sticky phenotype as the result of increased extracellular DNA (eDNA) caused by bacterial autolysis. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy revealed cytoplasmic content leaving the cell and multiple cell membrane depressions, respectively. MR14 showed higher sensitivity to environmental stressors. Mutation of the ctp gene reduced invasion and adhesion of A. baumannii to airway epithelial cells, potentially due to increased hydrophobicity. In the zebrafish model of infection, MR14 increased the survival rate by 40% compared to the wild-type. Taken together, the ctp gene in A. baumannii has a pivotal role in maintaining membrane integrity, adaptation to environmental stress, and controlling virulence.
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12
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Schinner S, Engelhardt F, Preusse M, Thöming JG, Tomasch J, Häussler S. Genetic determinants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa fitness during biofilm growth. Biofilm 2020; 2:100023. [PMID: 33447809 PMCID: PMC7798452 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2020.100023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an environmental bacterium and an opportunistic human pathogen. It is also a well-established model organism to study bacterial adaptation to stressful conditions, such as those encountered during an infection process in the human host. Advancing knowledge on P. aeruginosa adaptation to biofilm growth conditions is bound to reveal novel strategies and targets for the treatment of chronic biofilm-associated infections. Here, we generated transposon insertion libraries in three P. aeruginosa strain backgrounds and determined the relative frequency of each insertion following biofilm growth using transposon sequencing. We demonstrate that in general the SOS response, several tRNA modifying enzymes as well as adaptation to microaerophilic growth conditions play a key role in bacterial survival under biofilm growth conditions. On the other hand, presence of genes involved in motility and PQS signaling were less important during biofilm growth. Several mutants exhibiting transposon insertions in genes detected in our screen were validated for their biofilm growth capabilities and biofilm specific transcriptional responses using independently generated transposon mutants. Our results provide new insights into P. aeruginosa adaptation to biofilm growth conditions. The detection of previously unknown determinants of biofilm survival supports the use of transposon insertion sequencing as a global genomic technology for understanding the establishment of difficult to treat biofilm-associated infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Schinner
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Florian Engelhardt
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Matthias Preusse
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Janne Gesine Thöming
- Institute of Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany.,Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jürgen Tomasch
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Susanne Häussler
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute of Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany.,Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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13
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Valli RXE, Lyng M, Kirkpatrick CL. There is no hiding if you Seq: recent breakthroughs in Pseudomonas aeruginosa research revealed by genomic and transcriptomic next-generation sequencing. J Med Microbiol 2020; 69:162-175. [PMID: 31935190 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The advent of next-generation sequencing technology has revolutionized the field of prokaryotic genetics and genomics by allowing interrogation of entire genomes, transcriptomes and global transcription factor binding profiles. As more studies employing these techniques have been performed, the state of the art regarding prokaryotic gene regulation has developed from the level of individual genes to genetic regulatory networks and systems biology. When applied to bacterial pathogens, particularly valuable insights have been gained into the regulation of virulence-associated genes, their relative importance to bacterial survival in planktonic, biofilm or host infection scenarios, antimicrobial resistance and the molecular details of host-pathogen interactions. This review outlines some of the latest developments and applications of next-generation sequencing techniques that have used primarily Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a model system. We focus particularly on insights into Pseudomonas virulence and infection that have been gained from these approaches and the future directions in which this field could develop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard X E Valli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Mark Lyng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Clare L Kirkpatrick
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
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