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Hudson J, Egan S. Marine diseases and the Anthropocene: Understanding microbial pathogenesis in a rapidly changing world. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14397. [PMID: 38217393 PMCID: PMC10832532 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14397] [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: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Healthy marine ecosystems are paramount for Earth's biodiversity and are key to sustaining the global economy and human health. The effects of anthropogenic activity represent a pervasive threat to the productivity of marine ecosystems, with intensifying environmental stressors such as climate change and pollution driving the occurrence and severity of microbial diseases that can devastate marine ecosystems and jeopardise food security. Despite the potentially catastrophic outcomes of marine diseases, our understanding of host-pathogen interactions remains an understudied aspect of both microbiology and environmental research, especially when compared to the depth of information available for human and agricultural systems. Here, we identify three avenues of research in which we can advance our understanding of marine disease in the context of global change, and make positive steps towards safeguarding marine communities for future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Hudson
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Suhelen Egan
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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Hu S, Li X, Yin X, Li R, Zhang R, Zang J, Liu Y. Species-specific identification of Pseudomonas based on 16S-23S rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and its combined application with next-generation sequencing. BMC Microbiol 2022; 22:188. [PMID: 35915434 PMCID: PMC9341087 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02607-w] [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: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pseudomonas species are widely distributed in the human body, animals, plants, soil, fresh water, seawater, etc. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the main pathogens involved in nosocomial infections. It can cause endocarditis, empyema, meningitis, septicaemia and even death. However, the Pseudomonas classification system is currently inadequate and not well established. Results In this study, the whole genomes of 103 Pseudomonas strains belonging to 62 species available in GenBank were collected and the specificity of the 16S–23S ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence was analysed. Secondary structures of ITS transcripts determining where the diversity bases were located were predicted. The alignment results using BLAST indicated that the ITS sequence is specific for most species in the genus. The remaining species were identified by additional frequency analyses based on BLAST results. A double-blind experiment where 200 ITS sequences were randomly selected indicated that this method could identify Pseudomonas species with 100% sensitivity and specificity. In addition, we applied a universal primer to amplify the Pseudomonas ITS of DNA extracts from fish samples with next-generation sequencing. The ITS analysis results were utilized to species-specifically identify the proportion of Pseudomonas species in the samples. Conclusions The present study developed a species-specific method identification and classification of Pseudomonas based on ITS sequences combined NGS. The method showed its potential application in other genera. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12866-022-02607-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqian Hu
- The school of medicine, Nankai University, No.94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xiang Li
- The school of medicine, Nankai University, No.94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xin Yin
- The school of medicine, Nankai University, No.94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Runmeng Li
- The school of medicine, Nankai University, No.94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Ruiyang Zhang
- The school of medicine, Nankai University, No.94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Junhao Zang
- The school of medicine, Nankai University, No.94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yin Liu
- The school of medicine, Nankai University, No.94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300071, China.
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Tümmler B. What Makes Pseudomonas aeruginosa a Pathogen? ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1386:283-301. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-08491-1_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Falchi FA, Borlotti G, Ferretti F, Pellegrino G, Raneri M, Schiavoni M, Caselli A, Briani F. Sanguinarine Inhibits the 2-Ketogluconate Pathway of Glucose Utilization in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:744458. [PMID: 34566945 PMCID: PMC8461315 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.744458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Interfering with the ability of pathogenic bacteria to import glucose may represent a new promising antibacterial strategy, especially for the treatment of infections occurring in diabetic and other hyperglycemic patients. Such patients are particularly susceptible to infections caused by a variety of bacteria, among which opportunistic pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In P. aeruginosa, glucose can be directly imported into the cytoplasm or after its periplasmic oxidation into gluconate and 2-ketogluconate (2-KG). We recently demonstrated that a P. aeruginosa mutant lacking the 2-KG transporter KguT is less virulent than its kguT+ parental strain in an insect infection model, pointing to 2-KG branch of glucose utilization as a possible target for anti-Pseudomonas drugs. In this work, we devised an experimental protocol to find specific inhibitors of the 2-KG pathway of P. aeruginosa glucose utilization and applied it to the screening of the Prestwick Chemical Library. By exploiting mutants lacking genes involved in the transport of glucose derivatives in the primary screening and in the secondary assays, we could identify sanguinarine as an inhibitor of 2-KG utilization. We also demonstrated that sanguinarine does not prevent 2-KG formation by gluconate oxidation or its transport, suggesting that either KguD or KguK is the target of sanguinarine in P. Aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica A Falchi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgia Borlotti
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Matteo Raneri
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Schiavoni
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Federica Briani
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Xu W, Zhang X, Wang L, Zeng W, Sun Y, Zhou C, Zhou T, Shen M. Effect of chlorogenic acid on the quorum-sensing system of clinically isolated multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Appl Microbiol 2021; 132:1008-1017. [PMID: 34464994 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Quorum sensing (QS) is the intercellular communication used by bacteria to regulate collective behaviour. QS regulates the production of virulence factors in many bacterial species and is considered to be an attractive target for reducing bacterial pathogenicity. Chlorogenic acid (CA) is abundant in vegetables, fruits, and traditional Chinese medicine, and has multiple activities. This study aimed to investigate the QS quenching activity of CA against clinically isolated multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. METHODS AND RESULTS The results showed that CA inhibited the mobility of bacteria, reduced the production of pyocyanin, and inhibited the activity of elastase. Furthermore, crystal violet staining and scanning electron microscope experiments showed that CA inhibited the formation of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa biofilm. CA at or below the concentration of 2560 µg/mL exerted negligible cytotoxicity to RAW264.7 cells. The study also examined the expression of QS-related genes, including lasI, lasR, rhlI, rhlR, pqsA, and pqsR in P. aeruginosa and found that the expression of these genes was down-regulated under CA treatment. CONCLUSIONS The study showed that CA could be used as an anti-virulence factor for treating clinical P. aeruginosa infection. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY For the first time, this study took clinically isolated multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa as the experimental object, and suggested that CA might be an effective antimicrobial compound targeting QS in treating P. aeruginosa infection, thus providing a new therapeutic direction for treating bacterial infection and effectively alleviating bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenya Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiucai Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lingbo Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Weiliang Zeng
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yao Sun
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Cui Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tieli Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mo Shen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Behzadi P, Baráth Z, Gajdács M. It's Not Easy Being Green: A Narrative Review on the Microbiology, Virulence and Therapeutic Prospects of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:42. [PMID: 33406652 PMCID: PMC7823828 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10010042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most frequent cause of infection among non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria, predominantly affecting immunocompromised patients, but its pathogenic role should not be disregarded in immunocompetent patients. These pathogens present a concerning therapeutic challenge to clinicians, both in community and in hospital settings, due to their increasing prevalence of resistance, and this may lead to prolonged therapy, sequelae, and excess mortality in the affected patient population. The resistance mechanisms of P. aeruginosa may be classified into intrinsic and acquired resistance mechanisms. These mechanisms lead to occurrence of resistant strains against important antibiotics-relevant in the treatment of P. aeruginosa infections-such as β-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, and colistin. The occurrence of a specific resistotype of P. aeruginosa, namely the emergence of carbapenem-resistant but cephalosporin-susceptible (Car-R/Ceph-S) strains, has received substantial attention from clinical microbiologists and infection control specialists; nevertheless, the available literature on this topic is still scarce. The aim of this present review paper is to provide a concise summary on the adaptability, virulence, and antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa to a readership of basic scientists and clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payam Behzadi
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Sciences, Shahr-e-Qods Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 37541-374, Iran;
| | - Zoltán Baráth
- Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Szeged, Tisza Lajos körút 62-64, 6720 Szeged, Hungary;
| | - Márió Gajdács
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1089 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Pharmacodynamics and Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
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Pan X, Luo J, Li S. Bacteria-Catalyzed Arginine Glycosylation in Pathogens and Host. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:185. [PMID: 32411621 PMCID: PMC7199390 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, protein glycosylation in pathogenic bacteria has attracted more and more attention, and accumulating evidence indicated that this type of posttranslational modification is involved in many physiological processes. The NleB from several enteropathogenic bacteria species as well as SseK from Salmonella enterica are type III secretion system effectors, which have an atypical N-acetylglucosamine (N-GlcNAc) transferase activity that specifically modified a conserved arginine in TRADD, FADD, and RIPK1. NleB/SseKs GlcNAcylation of death domain proteins abrogates homotypic and heterotypic death receptors/adaptors interactions, thereby blocking an important antimicrobial host response. Interestingly, NleB/SseKs could also GlcNAcylate themselves, and self-GlcNAcylation of NleB, SseK1, and SseK3 are crucial for their biological activity during infection. In addition, EarP (EF-P specific arginine rhamnosyl transferase for Posttranslational activation) catalyzes arginine rhamnosylation of translation elongation factor P (EF-P). Importantly, this kind of N-linked protein glycosylation is not only important for EF-P dependent rescue of polyproline stalled ribosomes but also for pathogenicity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other clinically relevant bacteria. Glycosylation of arginine is unique because the guanidine group of arginine has a high acid dissociation constant value and representing an extremely poor nucleophile. Recently, the crystal structures of NleB, SseKs, EarP, arginine GlcNAcylated death domain-containing proteins, NleB/FADD-DD, and EarP/EF-P/dTDP-β-L-rhamnose were solved by our group and other groups, revealing the unique catalytic mechanisms. In this review, we provide detailed information about the currently known arginine glycosyltransferases and their potential catalytic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Pan
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.,College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jie Luo
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Shan Li
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.,College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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Staunton PM, Miranda-CasoLuengo AA, Loftus BJ, Gormley IC. BINDER: computationally inferring a gene regulatory network for Mycobacterium abscessus. BMC Bioinformatics 2019; 20:466. [PMID: 31500560 PMCID: PMC6734328 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-019-3042-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although many of the genic features in Mycobacterium abscessus have been fully validated, a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory elements remains lacking. Moreover, there is little understanding of how the organism regulates its transcriptomic profile, enabling cells to survive in hostile environments. Here, to computationally infer the gene regulatory network for Mycobacterium abscessus we propose a novel statistical computational modelling approach: BayesIan gene regulatory Networks inferreD via gene coExpression and compaRative genomics (BINDER). In tandem with derived experimental coexpression data, the property of genomic conservation is exploited to probabilistically infer a gene regulatory network in Mycobacterium abscessus.Inference on regulatory interactions is conducted by combining 'primary' and 'auxiliary' data strata. The data forming the primary and auxiliary strata are derived from RNA-seq experiments and sequence information in the primary organism Mycobacterium abscessus as well as ChIP-seq data extracted from a related proxy organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The primary and auxiliary data are combined in a hierarchical Bayesian framework, informing the apposite bivariate likelihood function and prior distributions respectively. The inferred relationships provide insight to regulon groupings in Mycobacterium abscessus. RESULTS We implement BINDER on data relating to a collection of 167,280 regulator-target pairs resulting in the identification of 54 regulator-target pairs, across 5 transcription factors, for which there is strong probability of regulatory interaction. CONCLUSIONS The inferred regulatory interactions provide insight to, and a valuable resource for further studies of, transcriptional control in Mycobacterium abscessus, and in the family of Mycobacteriaceae more generally. Further, the developed BINDER framework has broad applicability, useable in settings where computational inference of a gene regulatory network requires integration of data sources derived from both the primary organism of interest and from related proxy organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M. Staunton
- School of Medicine, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Brendan J. Loftus
- School of Medicine, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Isobel Claire Gormley
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Insight Centre for Data Analytics, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Gonyar LA, Gelbach PE, McDuffie DG, Koeppel AF, Chen Q, Lee G, Temple LM, Stibitz S, Hewlett EL, Papin JA, Damron FH, Eby JC. In Vivo Gene Essentiality and Metabolism in Bordetella pertussis. mSphere 2019; 4:e00694-18. [PMID: 31118307 PMCID: PMC6531889 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00694-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bordetella pertussis is the causative agent of whooping cough, a serious respiratory illness affecting children and adults, associated with prolonged cough and potential mortality. Whooping cough has reemerged in recent years, emphasizing a need for increased knowledge of basic mechanisms of B. pertussis growth and pathogenicity. While previous studies have provided insight into in vitro gene essentiality of this organism, very little is known about in vivo gene essentiality, a critical gap in knowledge, since B. pertussis has no previously identified environmental reservoir and is isolated from human respiratory tract samples. We hypothesize that the metabolic capabilities of B. pertussis are especially tailored to the respiratory tract and that many of the genes involved in B. pertussis metabolism would be required to establish infection in vivo In this study, we generated a diverse library of transposon mutants and then used it to probe gene essentiality in vivo in a murine model of infection. Using the CON-ARTIST pipeline, 117 genes were identified as conditionally essential at 1 day postinfection, and 169 genes were identified as conditionally essential at 3 days postinfection. Most of the identified genes were associated with metabolism, and we utilized two existing genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions to probe the effects of individual essential genes on biomass synthesis. This analysis suggested a critical role for glucose metabolism and lipooligosaccharide biosynthesis in vivo This is the first genome-wide evaluation of in vivo gene essentiality in B. pertussis and provides tools for future exploration.IMPORTANCE Our study describes the first in vivo transposon sequencing (Tn-seq) analysis of B. pertussis and identifies genes predicted to be essential for in vivo growth in a murine model of intranasal infection, generating key resources for future investigations into B. pertussis pathogenesis and vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Gonyar
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Patrick E Gelbach
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Dennis G McDuffie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Alexander F Koeppel
- Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Qing Chen
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Gloria Lee
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Louise M Temple
- Department of Integrated Science and Technology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Scott Stibitz
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Erik L Hewlett
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Jason A Papin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - F Heath Damron
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
- Vaccine Development Center, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Joshua C Eby
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Pang M, Sun L, He T, Bao H, Zhang L, Zhou Y, Zhang H, Wei R, Liu Y, Wang R. Molecular and virulence characterization of highly prevalent Streptococcus agalactiae circulated in bovine dairy herds. Vet Res 2017; 48:65. [PMID: 29037262 PMCID: PMC5644065 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-017-0461-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine mastitis caused by Streptococcus agalactiae continues to be one of the major veterinary and economic issues in certain areas of the world. The more prevalent S. agalactiae strains that cause bovine mastitis in China dairy farms belong to a number of bovine-adapted sequence types (STs) ST67, ST103 and ST568. However, it is unknown why these STs can emerge as highly prevalent clones in bovine dairy farms. Here, to determine if a variety of virulence characteristics were associated with these highly prevalent STs, the molecular and virulence characterization of 116 strains isolated from bovine, human, fish and environment were analyzed. Our data showed that all bovine-adapted strains could be assigned to capsular genotype Ia or II, and carried pilus island 2b, and lactose operon. Importantly, we demonstrated that the growth ability in milk, biofilm formation ability and adhesion ability to bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) were significantly higher for all bovine-adapted strains compared to strains from other origins. Additionally, ST103 and ST568 strains exhibited significantly higher hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity than ST67 strains. In conclusion, our study provides substantial evidence for the hypothesis that the virulence characteristics including efficient growth in milk, elevated biofilm formation ability, together with strong adhesion ability might have favored the high prevalence of the STs in the bovine environment, whereas the hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity were not the crucial characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maoda Pang
- Key Laboratory of Control Technology and Standard for Agro-product Safety and Quality, Key Lab of Food Quality and Safety of Jiangsu Province-State Key Laboratory Breeding Base, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Lichang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Control Technology and Standard for Agro-product Safety and Quality, Key Lab of Food Quality and Safety of Jiangsu Province-State Key Laboratory Breeding Base, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Tao He
- Key Laboratory of Control Technology and Standard for Agro-product Safety and Quality, Key Lab of Food Quality and Safety of Jiangsu Province-State Key Laboratory Breeding Base, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Hongdu Bao
- Key Laboratory of Control Technology and Standard for Agro-product Safety and Quality, Key Lab of Food Quality and Safety of Jiangsu Province-State Key Laboratory Breeding Base, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Lili Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Control Technology and Standard for Agro-product Safety and Quality, Key Lab of Food Quality and Safety of Jiangsu Province-State Key Laboratory Breeding Base, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Control Technology and Standard for Agro-product Safety and Quality, Key Lab of Food Quality and Safety of Jiangsu Province-State Key Laboratory Breeding Base, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Control Technology and Standard for Agro-product Safety and Quality, Key Lab of Food Quality and Safety of Jiangsu Province-State Key Laboratory Breeding Base, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Ruicheng Wei
- Key Laboratory of Control Technology and Standard for Agro-product Safety and Quality, Key Lab of Food Quality and Safety of Jiangsu Province-State Key Laboratory Breeding Base, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Yongjie Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Ran Wang
- Key Laboratory of Control Technology and Standard for Agro-product Safety and Quality, Key Lab of Food Quality and Safety of Jiangsu Province-State Key Laboratory Breeding Base, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, China.
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Association of coral algal symbionts with a diverse viral community responsive to heat shock. BMC Microbiol 2017; 17:174. [PMID: 28818037 PMCID: PMC5561611 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-017-1084-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stony corals provide the structural foundation of coral reef ecosystems and are termed holobionts given they engage in symbioses, in particular with photosynthetic dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium. Besides Symbiodinium, corals also engage with bacteria affecting metabolism, immunity, and resilience of the coral holobiont, but the role of associated viruses is largely unknown. In this regard, the increase of studies using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to assess gene expression provides an opportunity to elucidate viral signatures encompassed within the data via careful delineation of sequence reads and their source of origin. RESULTS Here, we re-analyzed an RNA-Seq dataset from a cultured coral symbiont (Symbiodinium microadriaticum, Clade A1) across four experimental treatments (control, cold shock, heat shock, dark shock) to characterize associated viral diversity, abundance, and gene expression. Our approach comprised the filtering and removal of host sequence reads, subsequent phylogenetic assignment of sequence reads of putative viral origin, and the assembly and analysis of differentially expressed viral genes. About 15.46% (123 million) of all sequence reads were non-host-related, of which <1% could be classified as archaea, bacteria, or virus. Of these, 18.78% were annotated as virus and comprised a diverse community consistent across experimental treatments. Further, non-host related sequence reads assembled into 56,064 contigs, including 4856 contigs of putative viral origin that featured 43 differentially expressed genes during heat shock. The differentially expressed genes included viral kinases, ubiquitin, and ankyrin repeat proteins (amongst others), which are suggested to help the virus proliferate and inhibit the algal host's antiviral response. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that a diverse viral community is associated with coral algal endosymbionts of the genus Symbiodinium, which prompts further research on their ecological role in coral health and resilience.
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Bartell JA, Blazier AS, Yen P, Thøgersen JC, Jelsbak L, Goldberg JB, Papin JA. Reconstruction of the metabolic network of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to interrogate virulence factor synthesis. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14631. [PMID: 28266498 PMCID: PMC5344303 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Virulence-linked pathways in opportunistic pathogens are putative therapeutic targets that may be associated with less potential for resistance than targets in growth-essential pathways. However, efficacy of virulence-linked targets may be affected by the contribution of virulence-related genes to metabolism. We evaluate the complex interrelationships between growth and virulence-linked pathways using a genome-scale metabolic network reconstruction of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14 and an updated, expanded reconstruction of P. aeruginosa strain PAO1. The PA14 reconstruction accounts for the activity of 112 virulence-linked genes and virulence factor synthesis pathways that produce 17 unique compounds. We integrate eight published genome-scale mutant screens to validate gene essentiality predictions in rich media, contextualize intra-screen discrepancies and evaluate virulence-linked gene distribution across essentiality datasets. Computational screening further elucidates interconnectivity between inhibition of virulence factor synthesis and growth. Successful validation of selected gene perturbations using PA14 transposon mutants demonstrates the utility of model-driven screening of therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Bartell
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
| | - Anna S. Blazier
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
| | - Phillip Yen
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
| | - Juliane C. Thøgersen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Lars Jelsbak
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Joanna B. Goldberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, Allergy/Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis and Sleep, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Emory+Children's Center for Cystic Fibrosis Research, Emory University and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Jason A. Papin
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
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13
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Weigert M, Ross-Gillespie A, Leinweber A, Pessi G, Brown SP, Kümmerli R. Manipulating virulence factor availability can have complex consequences for infections. Evol Appl 2016; 10:91-101. [PMID: 28035238 PMCID: PMC5192820 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the rise of bacterial resistance against antibiotics, we urgently need alternative strategies to fight infections. Some propose we should disarm rather than kill bacteria, through targeted disruption of their virulence factors. It is assumed that this approach (i) induces weak selection for resistance because it should only minimally impact bacterial fitness, and (ii) is specific, only interfering with the virulence factor in question. Given that pathogenicity emerges from complex interactions between pathogens, hosts and their environment, such assumptions may be unrealistic. To address this issue in a test case, we conducted experiments with the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, where we manipulated the availability of a virulence factor, the iron‐scavenging pyoverdine, within the insect host Galleria mellonella. We observed that pyoverdine availability was not stringently predictive of virulence and affected bacterial fitness in nonlinear ways. We show that this complexity could partly arise because pyoverdine availability affects host responses and alters the expression of regulatorily linked virulence factors. Our results reveal that virulence factor manipulation feeds back on pathogen and host behaviour, which in turn affects virulence. Our findings highlight that realizing effective and evolutionarily robust antivirulence therapies will ultimately require deeper engagement with the intrinsic complexity of host–pathogen systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Weigert
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland; Microbiology Department of Biology I Ludwig Maximilians University Munich Martinsried Germany
| | - Adin Ross-Gillespie
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland; Bioinformatics Core Facility SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Anne Leinweber
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Gabriella Pessi
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Sam P Brown
- School of Biological Sciences Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta Georgia USA
| | - Rolf Kümmerli
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
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14
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Kumar V, Zozaya-Valdes E, Kjelleberg S, Thomas T, Egan S. Multiple opportunistic pathogens can cause a bleaching disease in the red seaweed Delisea pulchra. Environ Microbiol 2016; 18:3962-3975. [PMID: 27337296 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
While macroalgae (or seaweeds) are increasingly recognized to suffer from disease, in most cases the causative agents are unknown. The model macroalga Delisea pulchra is susceptible to a bleaching disease and previous work has identified two epiphytic bacteria, belonging to the Roseobacter clade, that cause bleaching under laboratory conditions. However, recent environmental surveys have shown that these in vitro pathogens are not abundant in naturally bleached D. pulchra, suggesting the presence of other pathogens capable of causing this algal disease. To test this hypothesis, we cultured bacteria that were abundant on bleached tissue across multiple disease events and assessed their ability to cause bleaching disease. We identified the new pathogens Alteromonas sp. BL110, Aquimarina sp. AD1 and BL5 and Agarivorans sp BL7 that are phylogenetically diverse, distinct from the previous two pathogens and can also be found in low abundance in healthy individuals. Moreover, we found that bacterial communities of diseased individuals that were infected with these pathogens were less diverse and more divergent from each other than those of healthy algae. This study demonstrates that multiple and opportunistic pathogens can cause the same disease outcome for D. pulchra and we postulate that such pathogens are more common in marine systems than previously anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipra Kumar
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation & School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Enrique Zozaya-Valdes
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation & School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Staffan Kjelleberg
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation & School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.,Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Torsten Thomas
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation & School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Suhelen Egan
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation & School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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15
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Egan S, Gardiner M. Microbial Dysbiosis: Rethinking Disease in Marine Ecosystems. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:991. [PMID: 27446031 PMCID: PMC4914501 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
With growing environmental pressures placed on our marine habitats there is concern that the prevalence and severity of diseases affecting marine organisms will increase. Yet relative to terrestrial systems, we know little about the underlying causes of many of these diseases. Moreover, factors such as saprophytic colonizers and a lack of baseline data on healthy individuals make it difficult to accurately assess the role of specific microbial pathogens in disease states. Emerging evidence in the field of medicine suggests that a growing number of human diseases result from a microbiome imbalance (or dysbiosis), questioning the traditional view of a singular pathogenic agent. Here we discuss the possibility that many diseases seen in marine systems are, similarly, the result of microbial dysbiosis and the rise of opportunistic or polymicrobial infections. Thus, understanding and managing disease in the future will require us to also rethink definitions of disease and pathogenesis for marine systems. We suggest that a targeted, multidisciplinary approach that addresses the questions of microbial symbiosis in both healthy and diseased states, and at that the level of the holobiont, will be key to progress in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhelen Egan
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, SydneyNSW, Australia
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16
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17
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Miguel PSB, de Oliveira MNV, Delvaux JC, de Jesus GL, Borges AC, Tótola MR, Neves JCL, Costa MD. Diversity and distribution of the endophytic bacterial community at different stages of Eucalyptus growth. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2016; 109:755-71. [PMID: 27010209 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-016-0676-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The relationships between plants and endophytic bacteria significantly contribute to plant health and yield. However, the microbial diversity in leaves of Eucalyptus spp. is still poorly characterized. Here, we investigated the endophytic diversity in leaves of hybrid Eucalyptus grandis x E. urophylla (Eucalyptus "urograndis") by using culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches, to better understand their ecology in leaves at different stages of Eucalyptus development, including bacteria with N2 fixation potential. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria (classes alpha-, beta- and gamma-) and Actinobacteria were identified in the Eucalyptus "urograndis" endophytic bacterial community. Within this community, the species Novosphingobium barchaimii, Rhizobium grahamii, Stenotrophomonas panacihumi, Paenibacillus terrigena, P. darwinianus and Terrabacter lapilli represent the first report these bacteria as endophytes. The diversity of the total endophytic bacteria was higher in the leaves from the 'field' (the Shannon-Wiener index, 2.99), followed by the indices obtained in the 'clonal garden' (2.78), the 'recently out from under shade (2.68), 'under shade' (2.63) and 'plants for dispatch' (2.51). In contrast, for diazotrophic bacteria, the highest means of these indices were obtained from the leaves of plants in the 'under shade' (2.56), 'recently out from under shade (2.52)' and 'field' stages (2.54). The distribution of the endophytic bacterial species in Eucalyptus was distinct and specific to the development stages under study, and many of the species had the potential for nitrogen fixation, raising the question of whether these bacteria could contribute to overall nitrogen metabolism of Eucalyptus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Sérgio Balbino Miguel
- Departamento de Microbiologia/Instituto de Biotecnologia Aplicada à Agropecuária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-000, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Nagem Valério de Oliveira
- Departamento de Ciências Básicas da Vida, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Governador Valadares, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36570-000, Brazil
| | - Júlio César Delvaux
- Coordenação geral de Ensino e Extensão, Instituto Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Ituiutaba, MG, 38035-200, Brazil
| | | | - Arnaldo Chaer Borges
- Departamento de Microbiologia/Instituto de Biotecnologia Aplicada à Agropecuária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-000, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério Tótola
- Departamento de Microbiologia/Instituto de Biotecnologia Aplicada à Agropecuária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-000, Brazil
| | | | - Maurício Dutra Costa
- Departamento de Microbiologia/Instituto de Biotecnologia Aplicada à Agropecuária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-000, Brazil.
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18
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Gardiner M, Fernandes ND, Nowakowski D, Raftery M, Kjelleberg S, Zhong L, Thomas T, Egan S. VarR controls colonization and virulence in the marine macroalgal pathogen Nautella italica R11. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1130. [PMID: 26528274 PMCID: PMC4602140 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence to suggest that macroalgae (seaweeds) are susceptible to infectious disease. However, to date, little is known about the mechanisms that facilitate the colonization and virulence of microbial seaweed pathogens. One well-described example of a seaweed disease is the bleaching of the red alga Delisea pulchra, which can be caused by the bacterium Nautella italica R11, a member of the Roseobacter clade. This pathogen contains a unique luxR-type gene, varR, which we hypothesize controls its colonization and virulence. We show here that a varR knock-out strain is deficient in its ability to cause disease in D. pulchra and is defective in biofilm formation and attachment to a common algal polysaccharide. Moreover complementation of the varR gene in trans can restore these functions to the wild type levels. Proteomic analysis of bacterial cells in planktonic and biofilm growth highlight the potential importance of nitrogen scavenging, mobilization of energy reserves, and stress resistance in the biofilm lifestyle of N. italica R11. Moreover, we show that VarR regulates the expression of a specific subset of biofilm-associated proteins. Taken together these data suggest that VarR controls colonization and persistence of N. italica R11 on the surface of a macroalgal host and that it is an important regulator of virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Gardiner
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Neil D Fernandes
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dennis Nowakowski
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mark Raftery
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Staffan Kjelleberg
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia ; Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Singapore
| | - Ling Zhong
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Torsten Thomas
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Suhelen Egan
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, The University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia
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19
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Dubern JF, Cigana C, De Simone M, Lazenby J, Juhas M, Schwager S, Bianconi I, Döring G, Eberl L, Williams P, Bragonzi A, Cámara M. Integrated whole-genome screening for Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence genes using multiple disease models reveals that pathogenicity is host specific. Environ Microbiol 2015; 17:4379-93. [PMID: 25845292 PMCID: PMC4676916 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a multi-host opportunistic pathogen causing a wide range of diseases because of the armoury of virulence factors it produces, and it is difficult to eradicate because of its intrinsic resistance to antibiotics. Using an integrated whole-genome approach, we searched for P. aeruginosa virulence genes with multi-host relevance. We constructed a random library of 57 360 Tn5 mutants in P. aeruginosa PAO1-L and screened it in vitro for those showing pleiotropic effects in virulence phenotypes (reduced swarming, exo-protease and pyocyanin production). A set of these pleiotropic mutants were assayed for reduced toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, human cell lines and mice. Surprisingly, the screening revealed that the virulence of the majority of P. aeruginosa mutants varied between disease models, suggesting that virulence is dependent on the disease model used and hence the host environment. Genomic analysis revealed that these virulence-related genes encoded proteins from almost all functional classes, which were conserved among P. aeruginosa strains. Thus, we provide strong evidence that although P. aeruginosa is capable of infecting a wide range of hosts, many of its virulence determinants are host specific. These findings have important implication when searching for novel anti-virulence targets to develop new treatments against P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Frédéric Dubern
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Cristina Cigana
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Maura De Simone
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - James Lazenby
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Mario Juhas
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Plant Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Schwager
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Plant Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Irene Bianconi
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Gerd Döring
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Leo Eberl
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Plant Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Paul Williams
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alessandra Bragonzi
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Miguel Cámara
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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