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Meireles D, Pombinho R, Cabanes D. Signals behind Listeria monocytogenes virulence mechanisms. Gut Microbes 2024; 16:2369564. [PMID: 38979800 PMCID: PMC11236296 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2369564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The tight and coordinated regulation of virulence gene expression is crucial to ensure the survival and persistence of bacterial pathogens in different contexts within their hosts. Considering this, bacteria do not express virulence factors homogenously in time and space, either due to their associated fitness cost or to their detrimental effect at specific infection stages. To efficiently infect and persist into their hosts, bacteria have thus to monitor environmental cues or chemical cell-to-cell signaling mechanisms that allow their transition from the external environment to the host, and therefore adjust gene expression levels, intrinsic biological activities, and appropriate behaviors. Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), a major Gram-positive facultative intracellular pathogen, stands out for its adaptability and capacity to thrive in a wide range of environments. Because of that, Lm presents itself as a significant concern in food safety and public health, that can lead to potentially life-threatening infections in humans. A deeper understanding of the intricate bacterial virulence mechanisms and the signals that control them provide valuable insights into the dynamic interplay between Lm and the host. Therefore, this review addresses the role of some crucial signals behind Lm pathogenic virulence mechanisms and explores how the ability to assimilate and interpret these signals is fundamental for pathogenesis, identifying potential targets for innovative antimicrobial strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Meireles
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, IBMC, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar – ICBAS, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rita Pombinho
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, IBMC, Porto, Portugal
| | - Didier Cabanes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, IBMC, Porto, Portugal
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2
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Liu D, Bai X, Helmick HDB, Samaddar M, Amalaradjou MAR, Li X, Tenguria S, Gallina NLF, Xu L, Drolia R, Aryal UK, Moreira GMSG, Hust M, Seleem MN, Kokini JL, Ostafe R, Cox A, Bhunia AK. Cell-surface anchoring of Listeria adhesion protein on L. monocytogenes is fastened by internalin B for pathogenesis. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112515. [PMID: 37171960 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112515] [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: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria adhesion protein (LAP) is a secreted acetaldehyde alcohol dehydrogenase (AdhE) that anchors to an unknown molecule on the Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) surface, which is critical for its intestinal epithelium crossing. In the present work, immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry identify internalin B (InlB) as the primary ligand of LAP (KD ∼ 42 nM). InlB-deleted and naturally InlB-deficient Lm strains show reduced LAP-InlB interaction and LAP-mediated pathology in the murine intestine and brain invasion. InlB-overexpressing non-pathogenic Listeria innocua also displays LAP-InlB interplay. In silico predictions reveal that a pocket region in the C-terminal domain of tetrameric LAP is the binding site for InlB. LAP variants containing mutations in negatively charged (E523S, E621S) amino acids in the C terminus confirm altered binding conformations and weaker affinity for InlB. InlB transforms the housekeeping enzyme, AdhE (LAP), into a moonlighting pathogenic factor by fastening on the cell surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongqi Liu
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Xingjian Bai
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | | | - Manalee Samaddar
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Mary Anne Roshni Amalaradjou
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Department of Animal Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Xilin Li
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Shivendra Tenguria
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Nicholas L F Gallina
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Luping Xu
- Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Rishi Drolia
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Department of Biological Science, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY, USA
| | - Uma K Aryal
- Bindley Bioscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Gustavo Marçal Schmidt Garcia Moreira
- Technische Universität Braunschweig University of Technology, Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology, and Bioinformatics, Spielmannstr. 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Hust
- Technische Universität Braunschweig University of Technology, Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology, and Bioinformatics, Spielmannstr. 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jozef L Kokini
- Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Raluca Ostafe
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Abigail Cox
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Arun K Bhunia
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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3
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Quereda JJ, Morón-García A, Palacios-Gorba C, Dessaux C, García-del Portillo F, Pucciarelli MG, Ortega AD. Pathogenicity and virulence of Listeria monocytogenes: A trip from environmental to medical microbiology. Virulence 2021; 12:2509-2545. [PMID: 34612177 PMCID: PMC8496543 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1975526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a saprophytic gram-positive bacterium, and an opportunistic foodborne pathogen that can produce listeriosis in humans and animals. It has evolved an exceptional ability to adapt to stress conditions encountered in different environments, resulting in a ubiquitous distribution. Because some food preservation methods and disinfection protocols in food-processing environments cannot efficiently prevent contaminations, L. monocytogenes constitutes a threat to human health and a challenge to food safety. In the host, Listeria colonizes the gastrointestinal tract, crosses the intestinal barrier, and disseminates through the blood to target organs. In immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, and pregnant women, the pathogen can cross the blood-brain and placental barriers, leading to neurolisteriosis and materno-fetal listeriosis. Molecular and cell biology studies of infection have proven L. monocytogenes to be a versatile pathogen that deploys unique strategies to invade different cell types, survive and move inside the eukaryotic host cell, and spread from cell to cell. Here, we present the multifaceted Listeria life cycle from a comprehensive perspective. We discuss genetic features of pathogenic Listeria species, analyze factors involved in food contamination, and review bacterial strategies to tolerate stresses encountered both during food processing and along the host's gastrointestinal tract. Then we dissect host-pathogen interactions underlying listerial pathogenesis in mammals from a cell biology and systemic point of view. Finally, we summarize the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical features of listeriosis in humans and animals. This work aims to gather information from different fields crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J. Quereda
- Departamento de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública Veterinaria y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities. Valencia, Spain
| | - Alvaro Morón-García
- Departamento de Biología Celular. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
| | - Carla Palacios-Gorba
- Departamento de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública Veterinaria y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities. Valencia, Spain
| | - Charlotte Dessaux
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco García-del Portillo
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Graciela Pucciarelli
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular ‘Severo Ochoa’. Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
| | - Alvaro D. Ortega
- Departamento de Biología Celular. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Felden B, Augagneur Y. Diversity and Versatility in Small RNA-Mediated Regulation in Bacterial Pathogens. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:719977. [PMID: 34447363 PMCID: PMC8383071 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.719977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial gene expression is under the control of a large set of molecules acting at multiple levels. In addition to the transcription factors (TFs) already known to be involved in global regulation of gene expression, small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) are emerging as major players in gene regulatory networks, where they allow environmental adaptation and fitness. Developments in high-throughput screening have enabled their detection in the entire bacterial kingdom. These sRNAs influence a plethora of biological processes, including but not limited to outer membrane synthesis, metabolism, TF regulation, transcription termination, virulence, and antibiotic resistance and persistence. Almost always noncoding, they regulate target genes at the post-transcriptional level, usually through base-pair interactions with mRNAs, alone or with the help of dedicated chaperones. There is growing evidence that sRNA-mediated mechanisms of actions are far more diverse than initially thought, and that they go beyond the so-called cis- and trans-encoded classifications. These molecules can be derived and processed from 5' untranslated regions (UTRs), coding or non-coding sequences, and even from 3' UTRs. They usually act within the bacterial cytoplasm, but recent studies showed sRNAs in extracellular vesicles, where they influence host cell interactions. In this review, we highlight the various functions of sRNAs in bacterial pathogens, and focus on the increasing examples of widely diverse regulatory mechanisms that might compel us to reconsider what constitute the sRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brice Felden
- Inserm, Bacterial Regulatory RNAs and Medicine (BRM) - UMR_S 1230, Rennes, France
| | - Yoann Augagneur
- Inserm, Bacterial Regulatory RNAs and Medicine (BRM) - UMR_S 1230, Rennes, France
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5
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Krawczyk-Balska A, Ładziak M, Burmistrz M, Ścibek K, Kallipolitis BH. RNA-Mediated Control in Listeria monocytogenes: Insights Into Regulatory Mechanisms and Roles in Metabolism and Virulence. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:622829. [PMID: 33935989 PMCID: PMC8079631 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.622829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is an intracellular pathogen that is well known for its adaptability to life in a broad spectrum of different niches. RNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms in L. monocytogenes play important roles in successful adaptation providing fast and versatile responses to a changing environment. Recent findings indicate that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) regulate a variety of processes in this bacterium, such as environmental sensing, metabolism and virulence, as well as immune responses in eukaryotic cells. In this review, the current knowledge on RNA-mediated regulation in L. monocytogenes is presented, with special focus on the roles and mechanisms underlying modulation of metabolism and virulence. Collectively, these findings point to ncRNAs as important gene regulatory elements in L. monocytogenes, both outside and inside an infected host. However, the involvement of regulatory ncRNAs in bacterial physiology and virulence is still underestimated and probably will be better assessed in the coming years, especially in relation to discovering the regulatory functions of 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions and excludons, and by exploring the role of ncRNAs in interaction with both bacterial and host proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Krawczyk-Balska
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Ładziak
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Burmistrz
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Ścibek
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Birgitte H Kallipolitis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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6
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Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex-enzyme 2, a new target for Listeria spp. detection identified using combined phage display technologies. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15267. [PMID: 32943681 PMCID: PMC7498459 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72159-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Listeria comprises ubiquitous bacteria, commonly present in foods and food production facilities. In this study, three different phage display technologies were employed to discover targets, and to generate and characterize novel antibodies against Listeria: antibody display for biomarker discovery and antibody generation; ORFeome display for target identification; and single-gene display for epitope characterization. With this approach, pyruvate dehydrogenase complex—enzyme 2 (PDC-E2) was defined as a new detection target for Listeria, as confirmed by immunomagnetic separation-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS). Immunoblot and fluorescence microscopy showed that this protein is accessible on the bacterial cell surface of living cells. Recombinant PDC-E2 was produced in E. coli and used to generate 16 additional antibodies. The resulting set of 20 monoclonal scFv-Fc was tested in indirect ELISA against 17 Listeria and 16 non-Listeria species. Two of them provided 100% sensitivity (CI 82.35–100.0%) and specificity (CI 78.20–100.0%), confirming PDC-E2 as a suitable target for the detection of Listeria. The binding region of 18 of these antibodies was analyzed, revealing that ≈ 90% (16/18) bind to the lipoyl domains (LD) of the target. The novel target PDC-E2 and highly specific antibodies against it offer new opportunities to improve the detection of Listeria.
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7
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Johansson J, Freitag NE. Regulation of Listeria monocytogenes Virulence. Microbiol Spectr 2019; 7:10.1128/microbiolspec.gpp3-0064-2019. [PMID: 31441398 PMCID: PMC10957223 DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.gpp3-0064-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Whereas obligate human and animal bacterial pathogens may be able to depend upon the warmth and relative stability of their chosen replication niche, environmental bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes that harbor the ability to replicate both within animal cells and in the outside environment must maintain the capability to manage life under a variety of disparate conditions. Bacterial life in the outside environment requires adaptation to wide ranges of temperature, available nutrients, and physical stresses such as changes in pH and osmolarity as well as desiccation. Following ingestion by a susceptible animal host, the bacterium must adapt to similar changes during transit through the gastrointestinal tract and overcome a variety of barriers associated with host innate immune responses. Rapid alteration of patterns of gene expression and protein synthesis represent one strategy for quickly adapting to a dynamic host landscape. Here, we provide an overview of the impressive variety of strategies employed by the soil-dwelling, foodborne, mammalian pathogen L. monocytogenes to straddle diverse environments and optimize bacterial fitness both inside and outside host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörgen Johansson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) and Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nancy E Freitag
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL
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Drolia R, Bhunia AK. Crossing the Intestinal Barrier via Listeria Adhesion Protein and Internalin A. Trends Microbiol 2019; 27:408-425. [PMID: 30661918 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2018.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The intestinal epithelial cell lining provides the first line of defense, yet foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes can overcome this barrier; however, the underlying mechanism is not well understood. Though the host M cells in Peyer's patch and the bacterial invasion protein internalin A (InlA) are involved, L. monocytogenes can cross the gut barrier in their absence. The interaction of Listeria adhesion protein (LAP) with the host cell receptor (heat shock protein 60) disrupts the epithelial barrier, promoting bacterial translocation. InlA aids L. monocytogenes transcytosis via interaction with the E-cadherin receptor, which is facilitated by epithelial cell extrusion and goblet cell exocytosis; however, LAP-induced cell junction opening may be an alternative bacterial strategy for InlA access to E-cadherin and its translocation. Here, we summarize the strategies that L. monocytogenes employs to circumvent the intestinal epithelial barrier and compare and contrast these strategies with other enteric bacterial pathogens. Additionally, we provide implications of recent findings for food safety regulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishi Drolia
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Arun K Bhunia
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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9
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Dos Santos PT, Larsen PT, Menendez-Gil P, Lillebæk EMS, Kallipolitis BH. Listeria monocytogenes Relies on the Heme-Regulated Transporter hrtAB to Resist Heme Toxicity and Uses Heme as a Signal to Induce Transcription of lmo1634, Encoding Listeria Adhesion Protein. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:3090. [PMID: 30619169 PMCID: PMC6305404 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
For pathogenic bacteria, host-derived heme represents an important metabolic cofactor and a source for iron. However, high levels of heme are toxic to bacteria. We have previously shown that excess heme has a growth-inhibitory effect on the Gram-positive foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, and we have learned that the LhrC1-5 family of small RNAs, together with the two-component system (TCS) LisRK, play a role in the adaptation of L. monocytogenes to heme stress conditions. However, a broader knowledge on how this pathogen responds to heme toxicity is still lacking. Here, we analyzed the global transcriptomic response of L. monocytogenes to heme stress. We found that the response of L. monocytogenes to excess heme is multifaceted, involving various strategies acting to minimize the toxic effects of heme. For example, heme exposure triggers the SOS response that deals with DNA damage. In parallel, L. monocytogenes shuts down the transcription of genes involved in heme/iron uptake and utilization. Furthermore, heme stress resulted in a massive increase in the transcription of a putative heme detoxification system, hrtAB, which is highly conserved in Gram-positive bacteria. As expected, we found that the TCS HssRS is required for heme-mediated induction of hrtAB and that a functional heme efflux system is essential for L. monocytogenes to resist heme toxicity. Curiously, the most highly up-regulated gene upon heme stress was lmo1634, encoding the Listeria adhesion protein, LAP, which acts to promote the translocation of L. monocytogenes across the intestinal barrier. Additionally, LAP is predicted to act as a bifunctional acetaldehyde-CoA/alcohol dehydrogenase. Surprisingly, a mutant lacking lmo1634 grows well under heme stress conditions, showing that LAP is not required for L. monocytogenes to resist heme toxicity. Likewise, a functional ResDE TCS, which contributes to heme-mediated expression of lmo1634, is not required for the adaptation of L. monocytogenes to heme stress conditions. Collectively, this study provides novel insights into the strategies employed by L. monocytogenes to resist heme toxicity. Our findings indicate that L. monocytogenes is using heme as a host-derived signaling molecule to control the expression of its virulence genes, as exemplified by lmo1634.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pernille Tholund Larsen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Pilar Menendez-Gil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Abstract
Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) regulating virulence have been identified in most pathogens. This review discusses RNA-mediated mechanisms exploited by bacterial pathogens to successfully infect and colonize their hosts. It discusses the most representative RNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms employed by two intracellular [Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium)] and two extracellular (Vibrio cholerae and Staphylococcus aureus) bacterial pathogens. We review the RNA-mediated regulators (e.g., thermosensors, riboswitches, cis- and trans-encoded RNAs) used for adaptation to the specific niches colonized by these bacteria (intestine, blood, or the intracellular environment, for example) in the framework of the specific pathophysiological aspects of the diseases caused by these microorganisms. A critical discussion of the newest findings in the field of bacterial ncRNAs shows how examples in model pathogens could pave the way for the discovery of new mechanisms in other medically important bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Quereda
- Institut Pasteur, Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, Paris F-75015, France; , .,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U604, Paris F-75015, France.,Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, USC2020, Paris F-75015, France
| | - Pascale Cossart
- Institut Pasteur, Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, Paris F-75015, France; , .,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U604, Paris F-75015, France.,Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, USC2020, Paris F-75015, France
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Listeriolysin S Is a Streptolysin S-Like Virulence Factor That Targets Exclusively Prokaryotic Cells In Vivo. mBio 2017; 8:mBio.00259-17. [PMID: 28377528 PMCID: PMC5380841 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00259-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptolysin S (SLS)-like virulence factors from clinically relevant Gram-positive pathogens have been proposed to behave as potent cytotoxins, playing key roles in tissue infection. Listeriolysin S (LLS) is an SLS-like hemolysin/bacteriocin present among Listeria monocytogenes strains responsible for human listeriosis outbreaks. As LLS cytotoxic activity has been associated with virulence, we investigated the LLS-specific contribution to host tissue infection. Surprisingly, we first show that LLS causes only weak red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis in vitro and neither confers resistance to phagocytic killing nor favors survival of L. monocytogenes within the blood cells or in the extracellular space (in the plasma). We reveal that LLS does not elicit specific immune responses, is not cytotoxic for eukaryotic cells, and does not impact cell infection by L. monocytogenes. Using in vitro cell infection systems and a murine intravenous infection model, we actually demonstrate that LLS expression is undetectable during infection of cells and murine inner organs. Importantly, upon intravenous animal inoculation, L. monocytogenes is found in the gastrointestinal system, and only in this environment LLS expression is detected in vivo. Finally, we confirm that LLS production is associated with destruction of target bacteria. Our results demonstrate therefore that LLS does not contribute to L. monocytogenes tissue injury and virulence in inner host organs as previously reported. Moreover, we describe that LlsB, a putative posttranslational modification enzyme encoded in the LLS operon, is necessary for murine inner organ colonization. Overall, we demonstrate that LLS is the first SLS-like virulence factor targeting exclusively prokaryotic cells during in vivo infections. The most severe human listeriosis outbreaks are caused by L. monocytogenes strains harboring listeriolysin S (LLS), previously described as a cytotoxin that plays a critical role in host inner tissue infection. Cytotoxic activities have been proposed as a general mode of action for streptolysin S (SLS)-like toxins, including clostridiolysin S and LLS. We now challenge this dogma by demonstrating that LLS does not contribute to virulence in vivo once the intestinal barrier has been crossed. Importantly, we show that intravenous L. monocytogenes inoculation leads to bacterial translocation to the gastrointestinal system, where LLS is specifically expressed, targeting the host gut microbiota. Our study highlights the heterogeneous modes of action of SLS-like toxins, and we demonstrate for the first time a further level of complexity for SLS-like biosynthetic clusters as we reveal that the putative posttranslational modification enzyme LlsB is actually required for inner organ colonization, independently of the LLS activity.
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Lebreton A, Stavru F, Brisse S, Cossart P. 1926-2016: 90 Years of listeriology. Microbes Infect 2016; 18:711-723. [PMID: 27876526 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2016.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
ISOPOL - for "International Symposium on Problems of Listeria and Listeriosis" - meetings gather every three years since 1957 participants from all over the world and allow exchange and update on a wide array of topics concerning Listeria and listeriosis, ranging from epidemiology, diagnostic and typing methods, to genomics, post-genomics, fundamental microbiology, cell biology and pathogenesis. The XIXth ISOPOL meeting took place in Paris from June 14th to 17th, 2016 at Institut Pasteur. We provide here a report of the talks that were given during the meeting, which represents an up-to-date overview of ongoing research on this important pathogen and biological model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Lebreton
- École normale supérieure, PSL Research University, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Équipe Infection et Devenir de l'ARN, 75005 Paris, France; INRA, IBENS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Fabrizia Stavru
- Institut Pasteur, Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, 75015 Paris, France; Inserm, U604, 75015 Paris, France; INRA, USC2020, 75015 Paris, France; CNRS, SNC5101, Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Brisse
- Institut Pasteur, Molecular Prevention and Therapy of Human Diseases, 75724 Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, 75724 Paris, France; CNRS, UMR 3525, Paris, France
| | - Pascale Cossart
- Institut Pasteur, Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, 75015 Paris, France; Inserm, U604, 75015 Paris, France; INRA, USC2020, 75015 Paris, France.
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