The yicJI metabolic operon of Escherichia coli is involved in bacterial fitness

Fructose-1-kinase has pleiotropic roles in Escherichia coli

In Escherichia coli, the master transcription regulator catabolite repressor activator (Cra) regulates >100 genes in central metabolism. Cra binding to DNA is allosterically regulated by binding to fructose-1-phosphate (F-1-P), but the only documented source of F-1-P is from the concurrent import and phosphorylation of exogenous fructose. Thus, many have proposed that fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (F-1,6-BP) is also a physiological regulatory ligand. However, the role of F-1,6-BP has been widely debated. Here, we report that the E. coli enzyme fructose-1-kinase (FruK) can carry out its "reverse" reaction under physiological substrate concentrations to generate F-1-P from F-1,6-BP. We further show that FruK directly binds Cra with nanomolar affinity and forms higher order, heterocomplexes. Growth assays with a ΔfruK strain and fruK complementation show that FruK has a broader role in metabolism than fructose catabolism. Since fruK itself is repressed by Cra, these newly-reported events add layers to the dynamic regulation of E. coli's central metabolism that occur in response to changing nutrients. These findings might have wide-spread relevance to other γ-proteobacteria, which conserve both Cra and FruK.

Designing phage cocktails to combat the emergence of bacteriophage-resistant mutants in multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

IMPORTANCE

In this study, we aimed to design a novel and effective bacteriophage cocktail that can target both wild-type bacteria and phage-resistant mutants. To achieve this goal, we isolated four phages (U2874, phi_KPN_H2, phi_KPN_S3, and phi_KPN_HS3) that recognized different bacterial surface molecules using phage-resistant bacteria. We constructed three phage cocktails and tested their phage resistance-suppressing ability against multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. We argue that the phage cocktail that induces resensitization of phage susceptibility exhibited superior phage resistance-suppressing ability. Moreover, we observed trade-off effects that manifested progressively in phage-resistant bacteria. We hypothesize that such trade-off effects can augment therapeutic efficacy. We also recommend collating phage host range data against phage-resistant mutants in addition to wild-type bacteria when establishing phage banks to improve the efficiency of phage therapy. Our study underscores the importance of phage host range data in constructing effective phage cocktails for clinical use.

Word-based GWAS harnesses the rich potential of genomic data for E. coli quinolone resistance

Quinolone resistance presents a growing global health threat. We employed word-based GWAS to explore genomic data, aiming to enhance our understanding of this phenomenon. Unlike traditional variant-based GWAS analyses, this approach simultaneously captures multiple genomic factors, including single and interacting resistance mutations and genes. Analyzing a dataset of 92 genomic E. coli samples from a wastewater treatment plant in Dresden, we identified 54 DNA unitigs significantly associated with quinolone resistance. Remarkably, our analysis not only validated known mutations in gyrA and parC genes and the results of our variant-based GWAS but also revealed new (mutated) genes such as mdfA, the AcrEF-TolC multidrug efflux system, ptrB, and hisI, implicated in antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, our study identified joint mutations in 14 genes including the known gyrA gene, providing insights into potential synergistic effects contributing to quinolone resistance. These findings showcase the exceptional capabilities of word-based GWAS in unraveling the intricate genomic foundations of quinolone resistance.

Emergence of Resistance Mutations in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi Against Fluoroquinolones

Background

Little is known about the evolutionary process and emergence time of resistance mutations to fluoroquinolone in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi.

Methods

We analyzed S. Typhi isolates collected from returned travelers between 2001 and 2016. Based on ciprofloxacin susceptibility, isolates were categorized as highly resistant (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] ≥ 4 μg/mL [CIP^HR]), resistant (MIC = 1–2 μg/mL [CIP^R]), intermediate susceptible (MIC = 0.12–0.5 μg/mL [CIP^I]), and susceptible (MIC ≤ 0.06 μg/mL [CIP^S]).

Results

A total of 107 isolates (33 CIP^HR, 14 CIP^R, 30 CIP^I, and 30 CIP^S) were analyzed by whole-genome sequencing; 2461 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. CIP^S had no mutations in the gyrA or parC genes, while each CIP^I had 1 of 3 single mutations in gyrA (encoding Ser83Phe [63.3%], Ser83Tyr [33.3%], or Asp87Asn [3.3%]). CIP^HR had the same 3 mutations: 2 SNPs in gyrA (encoding Ser83Phe and Asp87Asn) and a third in parC (encoding Ser80Ile). CIP^HR shared a common ancestor with CIP^R and CIP^I isolates harboring a single mutation in gyrA encoding Ser83Phe, suggesting that CIP^HR emerged 16 to 23 years ago.

Conclusions

Three SNPs—2 in gyrA and 1 in parC—are present in S. Typhi strains highly resistant to fluoroquinolone, which were found to have evolved in 1993–2000, approximately 10 years after the beginning of the ciprofloxacin era. Highly resistant strains with survival advantages arose from strains harboring a single mutation in gyrA encoding Ser83Phe. Judicious use of fluoroquinolones is warranted to prevent acceleration of such resistance mechanisms in the future.