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Liu S, Yang X, Li R, Wang S, Han Z, Yang M, Zhang Y. IS6 family insertion sequences promote optrA dissemination between plasmids varying in transfer abilities. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:132. [PMID: 38229329 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12858-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Plasmids are the primary vectors for intercellular transfer of the oxazolidinone and phenicol cross-resistance gene optrA, while insertion sequences (ISs) are mobile genetic elements that can mobilize plasmid-borne optrA intracellularly. However, little is known about how the IS-mediated intracellular mobility facilitates the dissemination of the optrA gene between plasmid categories that vary in transfer abilities, including non-mobilizable, mobilizable, and conjugative plasmids. Here, we performed a holistic genomic study of 52 optrA-carrying plasmids obtained from searches guided by the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database. Among the 132 ISs identified within 10 kbp from the optrA gene in the plasmids, IS6 family genes were the most prevalent (86/132). Homologous gene arrays containing IS6 family genes were shared between different plasmids, especially between mobilizable and conjugative plasmids. All these indicated the central role of IS6 family genes in disseminating plasmid-borne optrA. Thirty-three of the 52 plasmids were harbored by Enterococcus faecalis found mainly in humans and animals. By Nanopore sequencing and inverse PCR, the potential of the enterococcal optrA to be transmitted from a mobilizable plasmid to a conjugative plasmid mediated by IS6 family genes was further confirmed in Enterococcus faecalis strains recovered from the effluents of anaerobic digestion systems for treating chicken manure. Our findings highlight the increased intercellular transfer abilities and dissemination risk of plasmid-borne optrA gene caused by IS-mediated intracellular mobility, and underscore the importance of routinely monitoring the dynamic genetic contexts of clinically important antibiotic resistance genes to effectively control this critical public health threat. KEY POINTS: • IS6 was prevalent in optrA-plasmids varying in intercellular transfer abilities. • Enterococcal optrA-plasmids were widespread among human, animal, and the environment. • IS6 elevated the dissemination risk of enterococcal optrA-plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Detoxication and Resource Recovery, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Ruichao Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shaolin Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ziming Han
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Detoxication and Resource Recovery, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Min Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Detoxication and Resource Recovery, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
- National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Detoxication and Resource Recovery, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Rivard N, Humbert M, Huguet KT, Fauconnier A, Bucio CP, Quirion E, Burrus V. Surface exclusion of IncC conjugative plasmids and their relatives. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011442. [PMID: 39383195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 09/27/2024] [Indexed: 10/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon of exclusion allows conjugative plasmids to selectively impede the entry of identical or related elements into their host cell to prevent the resulting instability. Entry exclusion blocks DNA translocation into the recipient cell, whereas surface exclusion destabilizes the mating pair. IncC conjugative plasmids largely contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic-resistance genes in Gammaproteobacteria. IncC plasmids are known to exert exclusion against their relatives, including IncC and IncA plasmids, yet the entry exclusion factor eexC alone does not account for the totality of the exclusion phenotype. In this study, a transposon-directed insertion sequencing approach identified sfx as necessary and sufficient for the remaining exclusion phenotype. Sfx is an exclusion factor unrelated to the ones described to date. A cell fractionation assay localized Sfx in the outer membrane. Reverse transcription PCR and beta-galactosidase experiments showed that sfx is expressed constitutively at a higher level than eexC. A search in Gammaproteobacteria genomes identified Sfx homologs encoded by IncC, IncA and related, untyped conjugative plasmids and an uncharacterized family of integrative and mobilizable elements that likely rely on IncC plasmids for their mobility. Mating assays demonstrated that sfx is not required in the donor for exclusion, ruling out Sfx as the exclusion target. Instead, complementation assays revealed that the putative adhesin TraN in the donor mediates the specificity of surface exclusion. Mating assays with TraN homologs from related untyped plasmids from Aeromonas spp. and Photobacterium damselae identified two surface exclusion groups, with each Sfx being specific of TraN homologs from the same group. Together, these results allow us to better understand the apparent incompatibility between IncA and IncC plasmids and to propose a mechanistic model for surface exclusion mediated by Sfx in IncC plasmids and related elements, with implications for the rampant dissemination of antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Rivard
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Malika Humbert
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kévin T Huguet
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Aurélien Fauconnier
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - César Pérez Bucio
- Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, MonterreyNuevo León, Mexico
| | - Eve Quirion
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vincent Burrus
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
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Lee E, Priutt E, Woods S, Quick A, King S, McLellan LK, Shields RC. Genomic analysis of conjugative and chromosomally integrated mobile genetic elements in oral streptococci. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024:e0136024. [PMID: 39254330 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01360-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the diversity of conjugative and chromosomally integrated mobile genetic elements (cciMGEs) within six oral streptococci species. cciMGEs, including integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) and integrative and mobilizable elements (IMEs), are stably maintained on the host cell chromosome; however, under certain conditions, they are able to excise, form extrachromosomal circles, and transfer via a conjugation apparatus. Many cciMGEs encode "cargo" functions that aid survival in new niches and evolve new antimicrobial resistance or virulence properties, whereas others have been shown to influence host bacterial physiology. Here, using a workflow employing preexisting bioinformatics tools, we analyzed 551 genomes for the presence of cciMGEs across six common health- and disease-associated oral streptococci. We identified 486 cciMGEs, 173 of which were ICEs and 233 of which were IMEs. The cciMGEs were diverse in size, cargo genes, and relaxase types. We identified several novel relaxase proteins and a widespread IME carrying a small multidrug resistance transporter. Additionally, we provide evidence that several of the bioinformatically predicted cciMGEs encoded within various Streptococcus mutans strains are capable of excision and circularization, a critical step for cciMGE conjugative transfer. These findings highlight the significance and potential impact of MGEs in shaping the genetic landscape, pathogenicity, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of the oral microbiota.IMPORTANCEOral streptococci are important players in the oral microbiome, influencing both health and disease states within dental bacterial communities. Evolutionary adaptation, shaped in a major part by the horizontal transfer of genes, is essential for their survival in the oral cavity and within new environments. Conjugation is a significant driver of horizontal gene transfer; however, there is limited information regarding this process in oral bacteria. This study utilizes publicly available genome sequences to identify conjugative and chromosomally integrated mobile genetic elements (cciMGEs) across several species of oral streptococci and presents the preliminary characterization of these elements. Our findings significantly enhance our understanding of the mobile genomic landscape of oral streptococci critical for human health, with valuable insights into how cciMGEs might influence the survival and pathogenesis of these bacteria in the oral microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Lee
- New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Erin Priutt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Seth Woods
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Allison Quick
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Shawn King
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Lisa K McLellan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
| | - Robert C Shields
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
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Li YG, Breidenstein A, Berntsson RPA, Christie PJ. Conjugative transfer of the IncN plasmid pKM101 is mediated by dynamic interactions between the TraK accessory factor and TraI relaxase. FEBS Lett 2024. [PMID: 39245885 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.15011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
Conjugative dissemination of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) among bacteria is initiated by assembly of the relaxosome at the MGE's origin-of-transfer (oriT) sequence. A critical but poorly defined step of relaxosome assembly involves recruitment of the catalytic relaxase to its DNA strand-specific nicking site within oriT. Here, we present evidence by AlphaFold modeling, affinity pulldowns, and in vivo site-directed photocrosslinking that the TraK Ribbon-Helix-Helix DNA-binding protein recruits TraI to oriT through a dynamic interaction in which TraI's C-terminal unstructured domain (TraICTD) wraps around TraK's C-proximal tetramerization domain. Upon relaxosome assembly, conformational changes disrupt this contact, and TraICTD instead self-associates as a prerequisite for relaxase catalytic functions or substrate engagement with the transfer channel. These findings delineate key early-stage processing reactions required for conjugative dissemination of a model MGE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Grace Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, TX, USA
| | - Annika Breidenstein
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Ronnie P-A Berntsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Peter J Christie
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, TX, USA
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Yan Y, Lu H, Liang X, Xu T, Yan S, Yu Y, Wang Y. The virulence plasmid associated with AHPND in shrimp appears to have originated from Vibrio owensii through a process of homologous recombination of parental plasmids and the transposable insertion of two large fragments. J Invertebr Pathol 2024; 206:108173. [PMID: 39121985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2024.108173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) is a highly contagious and lethal disease of shrimp caused by Vibrio strains carrying the virulence plasmid (pAHPND) containing the pirAB virulence genes. Through analysis of plasmid sequence similarity, clustering, and phylogeny, a horizontal transfer element similar to IS91 was discovered within the pAHPND plasmid. Additionally, two distinct clades of plasmids related to pAHPND (designated as pAHPND-r1 and pAHPND-r2) were identified, which may serve as potential parental plasmids for pAHPND. The available evidence, including the difference in G+C content between the plasmid and its host, codon usage preference, and plasmid recombination event prediction, suggests that the formation of the pAHPND plasmid in the Vibrio owensii strain was likely due to the synergistic effect of the recombinase RecA and the associated proteins RecBCD on the pAHPND-r1 and pAHPND-r2, resulting in the recombination and formation of the precursor plasmid for pAHPND (pre-pAHPND). The emergence of pAHPND was found to be a result of successive insertions of the horizontal transfer elements of pirAB-Tn903 and IS91-like segment, which led to the deletion of one third of the pre-pAHPND. This plasmid was then able to spread horizontally to other Vibrio strains, contributing to the epidemics of AHPND. These findings shed light on previously unknown mechanisms involved in the emergence of pAHPND and improve our understanding of the disease's spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesheng Yan
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haojie Lu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaosha Liang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianqi Xu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuling Yan
- Entwicklungsgenetik und Zellbiologie der Tiere, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Yongxin Yu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongjie Wang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, China.
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Li B, Ni S, Liu Y, Lin J, Wang X. The histone-like nucleoid-structuring protein encoded by the plasmid pMBL6842 regulates both plasmid stability and host physiology of Pseudoalteromonas rubra SCSIO 6842. Microbiol Res 2024; 286:127817. [PMID: 38941922 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Plasmids orchestrate bacterial adaptation across diverse environments and facilitate lateral gene transfer within bacterial communities. Their presence can perturb host metabolism, creating a competitive advantage for plasmid-free cells. Plasmid stability hinges on efficient replication and partition mechanisms. While plasmids commonly encode histone-like nucleoid-structuring (H-NS) family proteins, the precise influence of plasmid-encoded H-NS proteins on stability remains elusive. In this study, we examined the conjugative plasmid pMBL6842, harboring the hns gene, and observed its positive regulation of parAB transcription, critical for plasmid segregation. Deletion of hns led to rapid plasmid loss, which was remedied by hns complementation. Further investigations unveiled adverse effects of hns overexpression on the bacterial host. Transcriptome analysis revealed hns's role in regulating numerous bacterial genes, impacting both host growth and swimming motility in the presence of the hns gene. Therefore, our study unveils the multifaceted roles of H-NS in both plasmid stability and host physiology, underscoring its biological significance and paving the way for future inquiries into the involvement of H-NS in horizontal gene transfer events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baiyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Utilization of Advantage Plants Resources in Hunan South, College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Hunan University of Science and Engineering, Yongzhou, Hunan, China
| | - Songwei Ni
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yabo Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jianzhong Lin
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoxue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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7
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Smiley AT, Babilonia-Díaz N, Krueger AJ, Aihara H, Tompkins KJ, Lemmex ACD, Gordon WR. Sequence-Directed Covalent Protein-RNA Linkages in a Single Step Using Engineered HUH-Tags. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.13.607811. [PMID: 39185166 PMCID: PMC11343116 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.13.607811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Replication-initiating HUH-endonucleases (Reps) are enzymes that form covalent bonds with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in a sequence specific manner to initiate rolling circle replication. These nucleases have been co-opted for use in biotechnology as sequence specific protein-ssDNA bioconjugation fusion partners dubbed 'HUH-tags'. Here, we describe the engineering and in vitro characterization of a series of laboratory evolved HUH-tags capable of forming robust sequence-directed covalent bonds with unmodified RNA substrates. We show that promiscuous Rep-RNA interaction can be enhanced through directed evolution from nearly undetectable levels in wildtype enzymes to robust reactivity in final engineered iterations. Taken together, these engineered HUH-tags represent a promising platform for enabling site-specific protein-RNA covalent bioconjugation in vitro, potentially mediating a host of new applications and offering a valuable addition to the HUH-tag repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam T Smiley
- University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
| | | | - August J Krueger
- University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
| | - Hideki Aihara
- University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
| | - Kassidy J Tompkins
- University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
| | - Andrew C D Lemmex
- University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
| | - Wendy R Gordon
- University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
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8
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Ares-Arroyo M, Coluzzi C, Moura de Sousa JA, Rocha EPC. Hijackers, hitchhikers, or co-drivers? The mysteries of mobilizable genetic elements. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002796. [PMID: 39208359 PMCID: PMC11389934 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements shape microbial gene repertoires and populations. Recent results reveal that many, possibly most, microbial mobile genetic elements require helpers to transfer between genomes, which we refer to as Hitcher Genetic Elements (hitchers or HGEs). They may be a large fraction of pathogenicity and resistance genomic islands, whose mechanisms of transfer have remained enigmatic for decades. Together with their helper elements and their bacterial hosts, hitchers form tripartite networks of interactions that evolve rapidly within a parasitism-mutualism continuum. In this emerging view of microbial genomes as communities of mobile genetic elements many questions arise. Which elements are being moved, by whom, and how? How often are hitchers costly hyper-parasites or beneficial mutualists? What is the evolutionary origin of hitchers? Are there key advantages associated with hitchers' lifestyle that justify their unexpected abundance? And why are hitchers systematically smaller than their helpers? In this essay, we start answering these questions and point ways ahead for understanding the principles, origin, mechanisms, and impact of hitchers in bacterial ecology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Ares-Arroyo
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Paris, France
| | - Charles Coluzzi
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Paris, France
| | - Jorge A Moura de Sousa
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Paris, France
| | - Eduardo P C Rocha
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Paris, France
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Gambino M, Kushwaha SK, Wu Y, van Haastrecht P, Klein-Sousa V, Lutz VT, Bejaoui S, Jensen CMC, Bojer MS, Song W, Xiao M, Taylor NMI, Nobrega FL, Brøndsted L. Diversity and phage sensitivity to phages of porcine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0080724. [PMID: 38940562 PMCID: PMC11267873 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00807-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a diverse and poorly characterized E. coli pathotype that causes diarrhea in humans and animals. Phages have been proposed for the veterinary biocontrol of ETEC, but effective solutions require understanding of porcine ETEC diversity that affects phage infection. Here, we sequenced and analyzed the genomes of the PHAGEBio ETEC collection, gathering 79 diverse ETEC strains isolated from European pigs with post-weaning diarrhea (PWD). We identified the virulence factors characterizing the pathotype and several antibiotic resistance genes on plasmids, while phage resistance genes and other virulence factors were mostly chromosome encoded. We experienced that ETEC strains were highly resistant to Enterobacteriaceae phage infection. It was only by enrichment of numerous diverse samples with different media and conditions, using the 41 ETEC strains of our collection as hosts, that we could isolate two lytic phages that could infect a large part of our diverse ETEC collection: vB_EcoP_ETEP21B and vB_EcoS_ETEP102. Based on genome and host range analyses, we discussed the infection strategies of the two phages and identified components of lipopolysaccharides ( LPS) as receptors for the two phages. Our detailed computational structural analysis highlights several loops and pockets in the tail fibers that may allow recognition and binding of ETEC strains, also in the presence of O-antigens. Despite the importance of receptor recognition, the diversity of the ETEC strains remains a significant challenge for isolating ETEC phages and developing sustainable phage-based products to address ETEC-induced PWD.IMPORTANCEEnterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)-induced post-weaning diarrhea is a severe disease in piglets that leads to weight loss and potentially death, with high economic and animal welfare costs worldwide. Phage-based approaches have been proposed, but available data are insufficient to ensure efficacy. Genome analysis of an extensive collection of ETEC strains revealed that phage defense mechanisms were mostly chromosome encoded, suggesting a lower chance of spread and selection by phage exposure. The difficulty in isolating lytic phages and the molecular and structural analyses of two ETEC phages point toward a multifactorial resistance of ETEC to phage infection and the importance of extensive phage screenings specifically against clinically relevant strains. The PHAGEBio ETEC collection and these two phages are valuable tools for the scientific community to expand our knowledge on the most studied, but still enigmatic, bacterial species-E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Gambino
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Institute of Conservation, The Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Simran Krishnakant Kushwaha
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental & Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India
| | - Yi Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India
| | - Pauline van Haastrecht
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental & Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Victor Klein-Sousa
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Veronika T. Lutz
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Semeh Bejaoui
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - Martin S. Bojer
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | | | - Nicholas M. I. Taylor
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Franklin L. Nobrega
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental & Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Lone Brøndsted
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
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10
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Guo H, Luo J, Chen S, Yu T, Mu X, Chen F, Lu X, He J, Zheng Y, Bao C, Wang P, Yin Z, Li B. Replicon-Based Typing About IncG Plasmids and Molecular Characterization of Five IncG Plasmids Carrying Carbapenem Resistance Gene bla KPC-2. Infect Drug Resist 2024; 17:2987-2999. [PMID: 39045111 PMCID: PMC11265224 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s461039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose To investigate the genetic diversity of IncG plasmids, we have proposed a typing scheme based on replicon repA and performed comparative genomic analysis of five IncG plasmids from China. Methods p30860-KPC, p116965-KPC, pA1705-KPC, pA1706-KPC and pNY5520-KPC total in five IncG plasmids from clinical isolates of Pseudomonas and Enterobacteriaceae, respectively, were fully sequenced and were compared with the previously collected reference plasmid p10265-KPC. Results Based on phylogeny, IncG-type plasmids are divided into IncG-I to IncG-VIII, the five plasmids belong to IncG-VIII. A detailed sequence comparison was then presented that the IncG plasmid involved accessory region I (Tn5563a/b/c/d/e), accessory region II (ISpa19), and accessory region III (bla KPC-2-region). Expect for the pNY5520-KPC, the rest of the plasmids had the same backbone structure as the reference one. Within the plasmids, insertion sequences Tn5563d and Tn5563e were identified, a novel unknown insertion region was found in Tn5563b/c/d/e. In addition, Tn6376b and Tn6376c were newly designated in the study. Conclusion The data presented here including a typing scheme and detailed genetic comparison which provide an insight into the diversification and evolution history of IncG plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiqian Guo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100039, People’s Republic of China
- School of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Luo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100039, People’s Republic of China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, People’s Republic of China
| | - Suming Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100039, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ting Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaofei Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fangzhou Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiuhui Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiaqi He
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yali Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chunmei Bao
- School of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People’s Republic of China
| | - Peng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhe Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Boan Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100039, People’s Republic of China
- School of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People’s Republic of China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, People’s Republic of China
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11
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Smiley AT, Babilonia-Díaz NS, Hughes AJ, Lemmex ACD, Anderson MJM, Tompkins KJ, Gordon WR. HUHgle: An Interactive Substrate Design Tool for Covalent Protein-ssDNA Labeling Using HUH-Tags. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1669-1678. [PMID: 38820192 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
HUH-tags have emerged as versatile fusion partners that mediate sequence specific protein-ssDNA bioconjugation through a simple and efficient reaction. Here we present HUHgle, a python-based interactive tool for the visualization, design, and optimization of substrates for HUH-tag mediated covalent labeling of proteins of interest with ssDNA substrates of interest. HUHgle streamlines design processes by integrating an intuitive plotting interface with a search function capable of predicting and displaying protein-ssDNA bioconjugate formation efficiency and specificity in proposed HUH-tag/ssDNA sequence combinations. Validation demonstrates that HUHgle accurately predicts product formation of HUH-tag mediated bioconjugation for single- and orthogonal-labeling reactions. In order to maximize the accessibility and utility of HUHgle, we have implemented it as a user-friendly Google Colab notebook which facilitates broad use of this tool, regardless of coding expertise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam T Smiley
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Natalia S Babilonia-Díaz
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Aspen J Hughes
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Andrew C D Lemmex
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Michael J M Anderson
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Kassidy J Tompkins
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Wendy R Gordon
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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12
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Elsen S, Simon V, Attrée I. Cross-regulation and cross-talk of conserved and accessory two-component regulatory systems orchestrate Pseudomonas copper resistance. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011325. [PMID: 38861577 PMCID: PMC11195947 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011325] [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: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria use diverse strategies and molecular machinery to maintain copper homeostasis and to cope with its toxic effects. Some genetic elements providing copper resistance are acquired by horizontal gene transfer; however, little is known about how they are controlled and integrated into the central regulatory network. Here, we studied two copper-responsive systems in a clinical isolate of Pseudomonas paraeruginosa and deciphered the regulatory and cross-regulation mechanisms. To do so, we combined mutagenesis, transcriptional fusion analyses and copper sensitivity phenotypes. Our results showed that the accessory CusRS two-component system (TCS) responds to copper and activates both its own expression and that of the adjacent nine-gene operon (the pcoA2 operon) to provide resistance to elevated levels of extracellular copper. The same locus was also found to be regulated by two core-genome-encoded TCSs-the copper-responsive CopRS and the zinc-responsive CzcRS. Although the target palindromic sequence-ATTCATnnATGTAAT-is the same for the three response regulators, transcriptional outcomes differ. Thus, depending on the operon/regulator pair, binding can result in different activation levels (from none to high), with the systems demonstrating considerable plasticity. Unexpectedly, although the classical CusRS and the noncanonical CopRS TCSs rely on distinct signaling mechanisms (kinase-based vs. phosphatase-based), we discovered cross-talk in the absence of the cognate sensory kinases. This cross-talk occurred between the proteins of these two otherwise independent systems. The cusRS-pcoA2 locus is part of an Integrative and Conjugative Element and was found in other Pseudomonas strains where its expression could provide copper resistance under appropriate conditions. The results presented here illustrate how acquired genetic elements can become part of endogenous regulatory networks, providing a physiological advantage. They also highlight the potential for broader effects of accessory regulatory proteins through interference with core regulatory proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Elsen
- University Grenoble Alpes, Institute of Structural Biology, UMR5075, Team Bacterial Pathogenesis and Cellular Responses, Grenoble, France
| | - Victor Simon
- University Grenoble Alpes, Institute of Structural Biology, UMR5075, Team Bacterial Pathogenesis and Cellular Responses, Grenoble, France
| | - Ina Attrée
- University Grenoble Alpes, Institute of Structural Biology, UMR5075, Team Bacterial Pathogenesis and Cellular Responses, Grenoble, France
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13
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Dec M, Zomer A, Webster J, Nowak T, Stępień-Pyśniak D, Urban-Chmiel R. Integrative and Conjugative Elements and Prophage DNA as Carriers of Resistance Genes in Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Strains from Domestic Geese in Poland. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4638. [PMID: 38731857 PMCID: PMC11083093 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Goose erysipelas is a serious problem in waterfowl breeding in Poland. However, knowledge of the characteristics of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae strains causing this disease is limited. In this study, the antimicrobial susceptibility and serotypes of four E. rhusiopathiae strains from domestic geese were determined, and their whole-genome sequences (WGSs) were analyzed to detect resistance genes, integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs), and prophage DNA. Sequence type and the presence of resistance genes and transposons were compared with 363 publicly available E. rhusiopathiae strains, as well as 13 strains of other Erysipelothrix species. Four strains tested represented serotypes 2 and 5 and the MLST groups ST 4, 32, 242, and 243. Their assembled circular genomes ranged from 1.8 to 1.9 kb with a GC content of 36-37%; a small plasmid was detected in strain 1023. Strains 1023 and 267 were multidrug-resistant. The resistance genes detected in the genome of strain 1023 were erm47, tetM, and lsaE-lnuB-ant(6)-Ia-spw cluster, while strain 267 contained the tetM and ermB genes. Mutations in the gyrA gene were detected in both strains. The tetM gene was embedded in a Tn916-like transposon, which in strain 1023, together with the other resistance genes, was located on a large integrative and conjugative-like element of 130 kb designated as ICEEr1023. A minor integrative element of 74 kb was identified in strain 1012 (ICEEr1012). This work contributes to knowledge about the characteristics of E. rhusiopathiae bacteria and, for the first time, reveals the occurrence of erm47 and ermB resistance genes in strains of this species. Phage infection appears to be responsible for the introduction of the ermB gene into the genome of strain 267, while ICEs most likely play a key role in the spread of the other resistance genes identified in E. rhusiopathiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Dec
- Department of Veterinary Prevention and Avian Diseases, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (D.S.-P.); (R.U.-C.)
| | - Aldert Zomer
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinaty Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands;
- WOAH Reference Laboratory for Campylobacteriosis, WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Campylobacter and Antimicrobial Resistance from a One Health Perspective, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - John Webster
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, PMB 4008, Narellan, NSW 2570, Australia;
| | - Tomasz Nowak
- Diagnostic Veterinary Laboratory “Vet-Lab Brudzew Dr. Piotr Kwieciński”, 62-720 Brudzew, Poland;
| | - Dagmara Stępień-Pyśniak
- Department of Veterinary Prevention and Avian Diseases, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (D.S.-P.); (R.U.-C.)
| | - Renata Urban-Chmiel
- Department of Veterinary Prevention and Avian Diseases, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; (D.S.-P.); (R.U.-C.)
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14
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Fraikin N, Couturier A, Lesterlin C. The winding journey of conjugative plasmids toward a novel host cell. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 78:102449. [PMID: 38432159 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Horizontal transfer of plasmids by conjugation is a fundamental mechanism driving the widespread dissemination of drug resistance among bacterial populations. The successful colonization of a new host cell necessitates the plasmid to navigate through a series of sequential steps, each dependent on specific plasmid or host factors. This review explores recent advancements in comprehending the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern plasmid transmission, establishment, and long-term maintenance. Adopting a plasmid-centric perspective, we describe the critical steps and bottlenecks in the plasmid's journey toward a new host cell, encompassing exploration and contact initiation, invasion, establishment and control, and assimilation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Fraikin
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Agathe Couturier
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Christian Lesterlin
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007 Lyon, France.
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15
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Tomeh R, Nemati A, Hashemi Tabar G, Tozzoli R, Badouei MA. Antimicrobial resistance, β-lactamase genotypes, and plasmid replicon types of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from different animal hosts. J Appl Microbiol 2024; 135:lxae059. [PMID: 38467395 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxae059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
AIMS The primary objective of this study was to analyze antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with a particular focus on β-lactamase genotypes and plasmid replicon types of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains originating from various animal hosts. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 84 STEC strains were isolated from cattle (n = 32), sheep/goats (n = 26), pigeons (n = 20), and wild animals (n = 6) between 2010 and 2018 in various regions of Iran. The Kirby-Bauer susceptibility test and multiple polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panels were employed to elucidate the correlation between AMR and plasmid replicon types in STEC isolates. The predominant replicon types were IncFIC and IncFIB in cattle (46.8%), IncFIC in sheep/goats (46.1%), IncA/C in pigeons (90%), and IncP in wild animals (50%). STEC of serogroups O113, O26, and O111 harbored the IncFIB (100%), IncI1 (80%), and IncFIC + IncA/C (100%) plasmids, respectively. A remarkable AMR association was found between ciprofloxacin (100%), neomycin (68.7%), and tetracycline (61.7%) resistance with IncFIC; amoxicillin + clavulanic acid (88.8%) and tetracycline (61.7%) with IncA/C; ciprofloxacin (100%) with IncFIB; fosfomycin (85.7%) and sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim (80%) with IncI1. IncI1 appeared in 83.3%, 50%, and 100% of the isolates harboring blaCTX-M, blaTEM, and blaOXA β-lactamase genes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The emergence of O26/IncI1/blaCTX-M STEC in cattle farms poses a potential risk to public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rwida Tomeh
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 9177948974, Iran
| | - Ali Nemati
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 9177948974, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Hashemi Tabar
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 9177948974, Iran
| | - Rosangela Tozzoli
- European Union Reference Laboratory for Escherichia coli, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Mahdi Askari Badouei
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 9177948974, Iran
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16
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Murányi G, Szabó M, Acsai K, Kiss J. Two birds with one stone: SGI1 can stabilize itself and expel the IncC helper by hijacking the plasmid parABS system. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:2498-2518. [PMID: 38300764 PMCID: PMC10954446 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae050] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The SGI1 family integrative mobilizable elements, which are efficient agents in distribution of multidrug resistance in Gammaproteobacteria, have a complex, parasitic relationship with their IncC conjugative helper plasmids. Besides exploiting the transfer apparatus, SGI1 also hijacks IncC plasmid control mechanisms to time its own excision, replication and expression of self-encoded T4SS components, which provides advantages for SGI1 over its helpers in conjugal transfer and stable maintenance. Furthermore, SGI1 destabilizes its helpers in an unknown, replication-dependent way when they are concomitantly present in the same host. Here we report how SGI1 exploits the helper plasmid partitioning system to displace the plasmid and simultaneously increase its own stability. We show that SGI1 carries two copies of sequences mimicking the parS sites of IncC plasmids. These parS-like elements bind the ParB protein encoded by the plasmid and increase SGI1 stability by utilizing the parABS system of the plasmid for its own partitioning, through which SGI1 also destabilizes the helper plasmid. Furthermore, SGI1 expresses a small protein, Sci, which significantly strengthens this plasmid-destabilizing effect, as well as SGI1 maintenance. The plasmid-induced replication of SGI1 results in an increased copy-number of parS-like sequences and Sci expression leading to strong incompatibility with the helper plasmid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Murányi
- Department of Microbiology and Applied Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, H2100 Hungary
| | - Mónika Szabó
- Department of Microbiology and Applied Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, H2100 Hungary
- Agribiotechnology and Precision Breeding for Food Security National Laboratory, Gödöllő, H2100 Hungary
| | - Károly Acsai
- Ceva Animal Health, Ceva-Phylaxia, Budapest, H1107 Hungary
| | - János Kiss
- Department of Microbiology and Applied Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, H2100 Hungary
- Agribiotechnology and Precision Breeding for Food Security National Laboratory, Gödöllő, H2100 Hungary
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17
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Yu MK, Fogarty EC, Eren AM. Diverse plasmid systems and their ecology across human gut metagenomes revealed by PlasX and MobMess. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:830-847. [PMID: 38443576 PMCID: PMC10914615 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01610-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Plasmids alter microbial evolution and lifestyles by mobilizing genes that often confer fitness in changing environments across clades. Yet our ecological and evolutionary understanding of naturally occurring plasmids is far from complete. Here we developed a machine-learning model, PlasX, which identified 68,350 non-redundant plasmids across human gut metagenomes and organized them into 1,169 evolutionarily cohesive 'plasmid systems' using our sequence containment-aware network-partitioning algorithm, MobMess. Individual plasmids were often country specific, yet most plasmid systems spanned across geographically distinct human populations. Cargo genes in plasmid systems included well-known determinants of fitness, such as antibiotic resistance, but also many others including enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of essential nutrients and modification of transfer RNAs, revealing a wide repertoire of likely fitness determinants in complex environments. Our study introduces computational tools to recognize and organize plasmids, and uncovers the ecological and evolutionary patterns of diverse plasmids in naturally occurring habitats through plasmid systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K Yu
- Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Emily C Fogarty
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Committee On Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - A Murat Eren
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA.
- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany.
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, Oldenburg, Germany.
- Marine 'Omics Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
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18
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Du J, Kong Y, Wen Y, Shen E, Xing H. HUH Endonuclease: A Sequence-specific Fusion Protein Tag for Precise DNA-Protein Conjugation. Bioorg Chem 2024; 144:107118. [PMID: 38330720 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic DNA-protein conjugates have found widespread applications in diagnostics and therapeutics, prompting a growing interest in developing chemical biology methodologies for the precise and site-specific preparation of covalent DNA-protein conjugates. In this review article, we concentrate on techniques to achieve precise control over the structural and site-specific aspects of DNA-protein conjugates. We summarize conventional methods involving unnatural amino acids and self-labeling proteins, accompanied by a discussion of their potential limitations. Our primary focus is on introducing HUH endonuclease as a novel generation of fusion protein tags for DNA-protein conjugate preparation. The detailed conjugation mechanisms and structures of representative endonucleases are surveyed, showcasing their advantages as fusion protein tag in sequence selectivity, biological orthogonality, and no requirement for DNA modification. Additionally, we present the burgeoning applications of HUH-tag-based DNA-protein conjugates in protein assembly, biosensing, and gene editing. Furthermore, we delve into the future research directions of the HUH-tag, highlighting its significant potential for applications in the biomedical and DNA nanotechnology fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajun Du
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, PR China
| | - Yuhan Kong
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, PR China
| | - Yujian Wen
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, PR China
| | - Enxi Shen
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, PR China
| | - Hang Xing
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Hunan University Changsha, Hunan 410082, PR China.
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19
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Fogarty EC, Schechter MS, Lolans K, Sheahan ML, Veseli I, Moore RM, Kiefl E, Moody T, Rice PA, Yu MK, Mimee M, Chang EB, Ruscheweyh HJ, Sunagawa S, Mclellan SL, Willis AD, Comstock LE, Eren AM. A cryptic plasmid is among the most numerous genetic elements in the human gut. Cell 2024; 187:1206-1222.e16. [PMID: 38428395 PMCID: PMC10973873 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Plasmids are extrachromosomal genetic elements that often encode fitness-enhancing features. However, many bacteria carry "cryptic" plasmids that do not confer clear beneficial functions. We identified one such cryptic plasmid, pBI143, which is ubiquitous across industrialized gut microbiomes and is 14 times as numerous as crAssphage, currently established as the most abundant extrachromosomal genetic element in the human gut. The majority of mutations in pBI143 accumulate in specific positions across thousands of metagenomes, indicating strong purifying selection. pBI143 is monoclonal in most individuals, likely due to the priority effect of the version first acquired, often from one's mother. pBI143 can transfer between Bacteroidales, and although it does not appear to impact bacterial host fitness in vivo, it can transiently acquire additional genetic content. We identified important practical applications of pBI143, including its use in identifying human fecal contamination and its potential as an alternative approach to track human colonic inflammatory states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Fogarty
- Committee on Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - Matthew S Schechter
- Committee on Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Karen Lolans
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Madeline L Sheahan
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Iva Veseli
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ryan M Moore
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Evan Kiefl
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Thomas Moody
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Phoebe A Rice
- Committee on Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Michael K Yu
- Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Mark Mimee
- Committee on Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Eugene B Chang
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hans-Joachim Ruscheweyh
- Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Shinichi Sunagawa
- Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Sandra L Mclellan
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USA
| | - Amy D Willis
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Laurie E Comstock
- Committee on Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - A Murat Eren
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA; Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany; Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany; Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany.
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20
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Murata T, Gotoh Y, Hayashi T. A comprehensive list of genes required for the efficient conjugation of plasmid Rts1 was determined by systematic deletion analysis. DNA Res 2024; 31:dsae002. [PMID: 38300630 PMCID: PMC10838148 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsae002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
While conjugation-related genes have been identified in many plasmids by genome sequencing, functional analyses have not yet been performed in most cases, and a full set of conjugation genes has been identified for only a few plasmids. Rts1, a prototype IncT plasmid, is a conjugative plasmid that was originally isolated from Proteus vulgaris. Here, we conducted a systematic deletion analysis of Rts1 to fully understand its conjugation system. Through this analysis along with complementation assays, we identified 32 genes that are required for the efficient conjugation of Rts1 from Escherichia coli to E. coli. In addition, the functions of the 28 genes were determined or predicted; 21 were involved in mating-pair formation, three were involved in DNA transfer and replication, including a relaxase gene belonging to the MOBH12 family, one was involved in coupling, and three were involved in transcriptional regulation. Among the functionally well-analysed conjugation systems, most of the 28 genes showed the highest similarity to those of the SXT element, which is an integrative conjugative element of Vibrio cholerae. The Rts1 conjugation gene set included all 23 genes required for the SXT system. Two groups of plasmids with conjugation systems nearly identical or very similar to that of Rts1 were also identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Murata
- Department of Pediatrics, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Mizonokuchi Hospital, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-8507, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Gotoh
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hayashi
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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21
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Feng T, Wu S, Zhou H, Fang Z. MOBFinder: a tool for mobilization typing of plasmid metagenomic fragments based on a language model. Gigascience 2024; 13:giae047. [PMID: 39101782 PMCID: PMC11299106 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giae047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mobilization typing (MOB) is a classification scheme for plasmid genomes based on their relaxase gene. The host ranges of plasmids of different MOB categories are diverse, and MOB is crucial for investigating plasmid mobilization, especially the transmission of resistance genes and virulence factors. However, MOB typing of plasmid metagenomic data is challenging due to the highly fragmented characteristics of metagenomic contigs. RESULTS We developed MOBFinder, an 11-class classifier, for categorizing plasmid fragments into 10 MOB types and a nonmobilizable category. We first performed MOB typing to classify complete plasmid genomes according to relaxase information and then constructed an artificial benchmark dataset of plasmid metagenomic fragments (PMFs) from those complete plasmid genomes whose MOB types are well annotated. Next, based on natural language models, we used word vectors to characterize the PMFs. Several random forest classification models were trained and integrated to predict fragments of different lengths. Evaluating the tool using the benchmark dataset, we found that MOBFinder outperforms previous tools such as MOBscan and MOB-suite, with an overall accuracy approximately 59% higher than that of MOB-suite. Moreover, the balanced accuracy, harmonic mean, and F1-score reached up to 99% for some MOB types. When applied to a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), MOBFinder offered insights suggesting that the MOBF type plasmid, which is widely present in Escherichia and Klebsiella, and the MOBQ type plasmid might accelerate antibiotic resistance transmission in patients with T2D. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, MOBFinder is the first tool for MOB typing of PMFs. The tool is freely available at https://github.com/FengTaoSMU/MOBFinder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Feng
- Microbiome Medicine Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
| | - Shufang Wu
- Microbiome Medicine Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
| | - Hongwei Zhou
- Microbiome Medicine Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
| | - Zhencheng Fang
- Microbiome Medicine Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
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22
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Tokuda M, Shintani M. Microbial evolution through horizontal gene transfer by mobile genetic elements. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14408. [PMID: 38226780 PMCID: PMC10832538 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14408] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are crucial for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in bacteria and facilitate their rapid evolution and adaptation. MGEs include plasmids, integrative and conjugative elements, transposons, insertion sequences and bacteriophages. Notably, the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), which poses a serious threat to public health, is primarily attributable to HGT through MGEs. This mini-review aims to provide an overview of the mechanisms by which MGEs mediate HGT in microbes. Specifically, the behaviour of conjugative plasmids in different environments and conditions was discussed, and recent methodologies for tracing the dynamics of MGEs were summarised. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying HGT and the role of MGEs in bacterial evolution and adaptation is important to develop strategies to combat the spread of ARGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maho Tokuda
- Department of Environment and Energy Systems, Graduate School of Science and TechnologyShizuoka UniversityHamamatsuJapan
| | - Masaki Shintani
- Department of Environment and Energy Systems, Graduate School of Science and TechnologyShizuoka UniversityHamamatsuJapan
- Research Institute of Green Science and TechnologyShizuoka UniversityHamamatsuJapan
- Japan Collection of MicroorganismsRIKEN BioResource Research CenterIbarakiJapan
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and TechnologyShizuoka UniversityHamamatsuJapan
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23
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Duran-Bedolla J, Rodríguez-Medina N, Dunn M, Mosqueda-García D, Barrios-Camacho H, Aguilar-Vera A, Aguilar-Vera E, Suárez-Rodríguez R, Ramírez-Trujillo JA, Garza-Ramos U. Plasmids of the incompatibility group FIB K occur in Klebsiella variicola from diverse ecological niches. Int Microbiol 2023; 26:917-927. [PMID: 36971854 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-023-00346-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Plasmids play a fundamental role in the evolution of bacteria by allowing them to adapt to different environments and acquire, through horizontal transfer, genes that confer resistance to different classes of antibiotics. Using the available in vitro and in silico plasmid typing systems, we analyzed a set of isolates and public genomes of K. variicola to study its plasmid diversity. The resistome, the plasmid multilocus sequence typing (pMLST), and molecular epidemiology using the MLST system were also studied. A high frequency of IncF plasmids from human isolates but lower frequency from plant isolates were found in our strain collection. In silico detection revealed 297 incompatibility (Inc) groups, but the IncFIBK (216/297) predominated in plasmids from human and environmental samples, followed by IncFIIK (89/297) and IncFIA/FIA(HI1) (75/297). These Inc groups were associated with clinically important ESBL (CTX-M-15), carbapenemases (KPC-2 and NDM-1), and colistin-resistant genes which were associated with major sequence types (ST): ST60, ST20, and ST10. In silico MOB typing showed 76% (311/404) of the genomes contained one or more of the six relaxase families with MOBF being most abundant. We identified untypeable plasmids carrying blaKPC-2, blaIMP-1, and blaSHV-187 but for which a relaxase was found; this may suggest that novel plasmid structures could be emerging in this bacterial species. The plasmid content in K. variicola has limited diversity, predominantly composed of IncFIBK plasmids dispersed in different STs. Plasmid detection using the replicon and MOB typing scheme provide a broader context of the plasmids in K. variicola. This study showed that whole-sequence-based typing provides current insights of the prevalence of plasmid types and their association with antimicrobial resistant genes in K. variicola obtained from humans and environmental niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefina Duran-Bedolla
- Laboratorio de Resistencia Bacteriana, Centro de InvestigaciónSobreEnfermedadesInfecciosas (CISEI), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán., C.P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Nadia Rodríguez-Medina
- Laboratorio de Resistencia Bacteriana, Centro de InvestigaciónSobreEnfermedadesInfecciosas (CISEI), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán., C.P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Michael Dunn
- Programa de Genómica Funcional de Procariotes, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Dalila Mosqueda-García
- Laboratorio de Resistencia Bacteriana, Centro de InvestigaciónSobreEnfermedadesInfecciosas (CISEI), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán., C.P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Humberto Barrios-Camacho
- Laboratorio de Resistencia Bacteriana, Centro de InvestigaciónSobreEnfermedadesInfecciosas (CISEI), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán., C.P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Alejandro Aguilar-Vera
- Programa de Genómica Funcional de Procariotes, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Edgar Aguilar-Vera
- Laboratorio de Resistencia Bacteriana, Centro de InvestigaciónSobreEnfermedadesInfecciosas (CISEI), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán., C.P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Ramón Suárez-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Molecular de Plantas, Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología (CEIB), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - José Augusto Ramírez-Trujillo
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Molecular de Plantas, Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología (CEIB), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Ulises Garza-Ramos
- Laboratorio de Resistencia Bacteriana, Centro de InvestigaciónSobreEnfermedadesInfecciosas (CISEI), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán., C.P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
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24
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Zhao J, Xi Y, Zhang J, Jin Y, Yang H, Duan G, Chen S, Long J. Characterization and diversity of CRISPR/Cas systems in Klebsiella oxytoca. Mol Genet Genomics 2023; 298:1407-1417. [PMID: 37684555 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-023-02065-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas (CRISPR-associated protein) system is a crucial adaptive immune system for bacteria to resist foreign DNA infection. In this study, we investigated the prevalence and diversity of CRISPR/Cas systems in 175 Klebsiella oxytoca (K. oxytoca) strains. Specifically, 58.86% (103/175) of these strains possessed at least one confirmed CRISPR locus. Two CRISPR/Cas system types, I-F and IV-A3, were identified in 69 strains. Type I-F system was the most prevalent in this species, which correlated well with MLST. Differently, type IV-A3 system was randomly distributed. Moreover, the type IV-A3 system was separated into two subgroups, with subgroup-specific cas genes and repeat sequences. In addition, spacer origin analysis revealed that approximately one-fifth of type I-F spacers and one-third of type IV-A3 spacers had a significant match to MGEs. The phage tail tape measure protein and conjunctive transfer system protein were important targets of type I-F and IV-A3 systems in K. oxytoca, respectively. PAM sequences were inferred to be 5'-NCC-3' for type I-F, 5'-AAG-3' for subgroup IV-A3-a, and 5'-AAN-3' for subgroup IV-A3-b. Collectively, our findings will shed light on the prevalence, diversity, and functional effects of the CRISPR/Cas system in K. oxytoca.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxue Zhao
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Yanyan Xi
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | | | - Yuefei Jin
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Haiyan Yang
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Guangcai Duan
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Shuaiyin Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.
| | - Jinzhao Long
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.
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25
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Chung The H, Pham P, Ha Thanh T, Phuong LVK, Yen NP, Le SNH, Vu Thuy D, Chau TTH, Le Phuc H, Ngoc NM, Vi LL, Mather AE, Thwaites GE, Thomson NR, Baker S, Pham DT. Multidrug resistance plasmids underlie clonal expansions and international spread of Salmonella enterica serotype 1,4,[5],12:i:- ST34 in Southeast Asia. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1007. [PMID: 37789208 PMCID: PMC10547704 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05365-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica serotype 1,4,[5],12:i:- (Typhimurium monophasic variant) of sequence type (ST) 34 has emerged as the predominant pandemic genotype in recent decades. Despite increasing reports of resistance to antimicrobials in Southeast Asia, Salmonella ST34 population structure and evolution remained understudied in the region. Here we performed detailed genomic investigations on 454 ST34 genomes collected from Vietnam and diverse geographical sources to elucidate the pathogen's epidemiology, evolution and antimicrobial resistance. We showed that ST34 has been introduced into Vietnam in at least nine occasions since 2000, forming five co-circulating major clones responsible for paediatric diarrhoea and bloodstream infection. Most expansion events were associated with acquisitions of large multidrug resistance plasmids of IncHI2 or IncA/C2. Particularly, the self-conjugative IncA/C2 pST34VN2 (co-transferring blaCTX-M-55, mcr-3.1, and qnrS1) underlies local expansion and intercontinental spread in two separate ST34 clones. At the global scale, Southeast Asia was identified as a potential hub for the emergence and dissemination of multidrug resistant Salmonella ST34, and mutation analysis suggests of selection in antimicrobial responses and key virulence factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chung The
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
| | - Phuong Pham
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Tuyen Ha Thanh
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | | | | | - Son-Nam H Le
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- School of Biotechnology, International University, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Duong Vu Thuy
- Children's Hospital No. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | | | - Hoang Le Phuc
- Children's Hospital No. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | | | - Lu Lan Vi
- The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Alison E Mather
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
- University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Guy E Thwaites
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicholas R Thomson
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- The Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stephen Baker
- Department of Medicine, Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Diseases (CITIID), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Duy Thanh Pham
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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26
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Arredondo-Alonso S, Gladstone R, Pöntinen A, Gama J, Schürch A, Lanza V, Johnsen P, Samuelsen Ø, Tonkin-Hill G, Corander J. Mge-cluster: a reference-free approach for typing bacterial plasmids. NAR Genom Bioinform 2023; 5:lqad066. [PMID: 37435357 PMCID: PMC10331934 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqad066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Extrachromosomal elements of bacterial cells such as plasmids are notorious for their importance in evolution and adaptation to changing ecology. However, high-resolution population-wide analysis of plasmids has only become accessible recently with the advent of scalable long-read sequencing technology. Current typing methods for the classification of plasmids remain limited in their scope which motivated us to develop a computationally efficient approach to simultaneously recognize novel types and classify plasmids into previously identified groups. Here, we introduce mge-cluster that can easily handle thousands of input sequences which are compressed using a unitig representation in a de Bruijn graph. Our approach offers a faster runtime than existing algorithms, with moderate memory usage, and enables an intuitive visualization, classification and clustering scheme that users can explore interactively within a single framework. Mge-cluster platform for plasmid analysis can be easily distributed and replicated, enabling a consistent labelling of plasmids across past, present, and future sequence collections. We underscore the advantages of our approach by analysing a population-wide plasmid data set obtained from the opportunistic pathogen Escherichia coli, studying the prevalence of the colistin resistance gene mcr-1.1 within the plasmid population, and describing an instance of resistance plasmid transmission within a hospital environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anna K Pöntinen
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - João A Gama
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Anita C Schürch
- Department of Medical Microbiology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Val F Lanza
- CIBERINFEC, Madrid, Spain
- Bioinformatics Unit, University Hospital Ramón y Cajal, IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pål Jarle Johnsen
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Ørjan Samuelsen
- Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Gerry Tonkin-Hill
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Parasites and Microbes, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jukka Corander
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Parasites and Microbes, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Helsinki Institute of Information Technology (HIIT), FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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27
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Decewicz P, Romaniuk K, Gorecki A, Radlinska M, Dabrowska M, Wyszynska A, Dziewit L. Structure and functions of a multireplicon genome of Antarctic Psychrobacter sp. ANT_H3: characterization of the genetic modules suitable for the construction of the plasmid-vectors for cold-active bacteria. J Appl Genet 2023; 64:545-557. [PMID: 37145222 PMCID: PMC10457243 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-023-00759-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Among Psychrobacter spp., there are several multireplicon strains, carrying more than two plasmids. Psychrobacter sp. ANT_H3 carries as many as 11 extrachromosomal replicons, which is the highest number in Psychrobacter spp. Plasmids of this strain were subjected to detailed genomic analysis, which enables an insight into the structure and functioning of this multireplicon genome. The replication and conjugal transfer modules of ANT_H3 plasmids were analyzed functionally to discover their potential for being used as building blocks for the construction of novel plasmid-vectors for cold-active bacteria. It was shown that two plasmids have a narrow host range as they were not able to replicate in species other than Psychrobacter, while remaining plasmids had a wider host range and were functional in various Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria. Moreover, it was confirmed that mobilization modules of seven plasmids were functional, i.e., could be mobilized for conjugal transfer by the RK2 conjugation system. Auxiliary genes were also distinguished in ANT_H3 plasmids, including these encoding putative DNA-protecting protein DprA, multidrug efflux SMR transporter of EmrE family, glycine cleavage system T protein, MscS small-conductance mechanosensitive channel protein, and two type II restriction-modification systems. Finally, all genome-retrieved plasmids of Psychrobacter spp. were subjected to complex genome- and proteome-based comparative analyses showing that Antarctic replicons are significantly different from plasmids from other locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Przemyslaw Decewicz
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Krzysztof Romaniuk
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Adrian Gorecki
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Warsaw, Poland
| | - Monika Radlinska
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maria Dabrowska
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Wyszynska
- Department of Bacterial Genetics, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lukasz Dziewit
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
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28
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Maslova O, Beletsky A, Mindlin S, Petrova N, Mardanov A, Petrova M. Conjugative Plasmid pPPUT-Tik1-1 from a Permafrost Pseudomonas putida Strain and Its Present-Day Counterparts Inhabiting Environments and Clinics. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13518. [PMID: 37686323 PMCID: PMC10488154 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel group of conjugative plasmids of Pseudomonas is characterized. The prototype plasmid pPPUT-Tik1-1 (153,663 bp), isolated from a permafrost strain of P. putida Tik1, carries a defective mercury transposon, Tn501, and a streptomycin resistance transposon, Tn5393. Ten plasmids and 34 contigs with backbone regions closely related to pPPUT-Tik1-1 have been found in GenBank. Two of these plasmids from clinical strains of P. putida and P. fulva are almost identical to the ancient plasmid. A characteristic feature of this group of plasmids is the presence of two genes encoding the initiators of replication (repA1 and repA2). None of these genes have high similarity with plasmid replication genes belonging to known incompatibility groups. It has been demonstrated that while pPPUT-Tik1-1-like plasmids have homologous backbone regions, they significantly differ by the molecular structure and the predicted functions of their accessory regions. Some of the pPPUT-Tik1-1-related plasmids carry determinants of antibiotic resistance and/or heavy metal salts. Some plasmids are characterized by the ability to degrade xenobiotics. Plasmids related to pPPUT-Tik1-1 are characterized by a narrow host range and are found in various species of the Pseudomonas genus. Interestingly, we also found shorter plasmid variants containing the same replication module, but lacking conjugation genes and containing other structural changes that strongly distinguish them from plasmids related to pPPUT-Tik1-1, indicating that the structure of the replication module cannot be used as the sole criterion for classifying plasmids. Overall, the results suggest that the plasmids of the novel group can be spread using conjugation in environmental and clinical strains of Pseudomonas and may play diverse adaptive functions due to the presence of various accessory regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Maslova
- National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, 123182 Moscow, Russia; (O.M.); (N.P.)
| | - Alexey Beletsky
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117312 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Sofia Mindlin
- National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, 123182 Moscow, Russia; (O.M.); (N.P.)
| | - Nika Petrova
- National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, 123182 Moscow, Russia; (O.M.); (N.P.)
| | - Andrey Mardanov
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117312 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Mayya Petrova
- National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, 123182 Moscow, Russia; (O.M.); (N.P.)
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29
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Yang J, Wu R, Xia Q, Yu J, Yi LX, Huang Y, Deng M, He WY, Bai Y, Lv L, Burrus V, Wang C, Liu JH. The evolution of infectious transmission promotes the persistence of mcr-1 plasmids. mBio 2023; 14:e0044223. [PMID: 37314200 PMCID: PMC10470590 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00442-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Conjugative plasmids play a vital role in bacterial evolution and promote the spread of antibiotic resistance. They usually cause fitness costs that diminish the growth rates of the host bacteria. Compensatory mutations are known as an effective evolutionary solution to reduce the fitness cost and improve plasmid persistence. However, whether the plasmid transmission by conjugation is sufficient to improve plasmid persistence is debated since it is an inherently costly process. Here, we experimentally evolved an unstable and costly mcr-1 plasmid pHNSHP24 under laboratory conditions and assessed the effects of plasmid cost and transmission on the plasmid maintenance by the plasmid population dynamics model and a plasmid invasion experiment designed to measure the plasmid's ability to invade a plasmid-free bacterial population. The persistence of pHNSHP24 improved after 36 days evolution due to the plasmid-borne mutation A51G in the 5'UTR of gene traJ. This mutation largely increased the infectious transmission of the evolved plasmid, presumably by impairing the inhibitory effect of FinP on the expression of traJ. We showed that increased conjugation rate of the evolved plasmid could compensate for the plasmid loss. Furthermore, we determined that the evolved high transmissibility had little effect on the mcr-1-deficient ancestral plasmid, implying that high conjugation transfer is vital for maintaining the mcr-1-bearing plasmid. Altogether, our findings emphasized that, besides compensatory evolution that reduces fitness costs, the evolution of infectious transmission can improve the persistence of antibiotic-resistant plasmids, indicating that inhibition of the conjugation process could be useful to combat the spread of antibiotic-resistant plasmids. IMPORTANCE Conjugative plasmids play a key role in the spread of antibiotic resistance, and they are well-adapted to the host bacteria. However, the evolutionary adaptation of plasmid-bacteria associations is not well understood. In this study, we experimentally evolved an unstable colistin resistance (mcr-1) plasmid under laboratory conditions and found that increased conjugation rate was crucial for the persistence of this plasmid. Interestingly, the evolved conjugation was caused by a single-base mutation, which could rescue the unstable plasmid from extinction in bacterial populations. Our findings imply that inhibition of the conjugation process could be necessary for combating the persistence of antibiotic-resistance plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Renjie Wu
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Xia
- College of Mathematics and Informatics, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Yu
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling-Xian Yi
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Huang
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meixin Deng
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wan-Yun He
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuman Bai
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Luchao Lv
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Vincent Burrus
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Chengzhen Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Hua Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
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30
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Whelan S, Lucey B, Finn K. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC)-Associated Urinary Tract Infections: The Molecular Basis for Challenges to Effective Treatment. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2169. [PMID: 37764013 PMCID: PMC10537683 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections, especially among women and older adults, leading to a significant global healthcare cost burden. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are the most common cause and accounts for the majority of community-acquired UTIs. Infection by UPEC can cause discomfort, polyuria, and fever. More serious clinical consequences can result in urosepsis, kidney damage, and death. UPEC is a highly adaptive pathogen which presents significant treatment challenges rooted in a complex interplay of molecular factors that allow UPEC to evade host defences, persist within the urinary tract, and resist antibiotic therapy. This review discusses these factors, which include the key genes responsible for adhesion, toxin production, and iron acquisition. Additionally, it addresses antibiotic resistance mechanisms, including chromosomal gene mutations, antibiotic deactivating enzymes, drug efflux, and the role of mobile genetic elements in their dissemination. Furthermore, we provide a forward-looking analysis of emerging alternative therapies, such as phage therapy, nano-formulations, and interventions based on nanomaterials, as well as vaccines and strategies for immunomodulation. This review underscores the continued need for research into the molecular basis of pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance in the treatment of UPEC, as well as the need for clinically guided treatment of UTIs, particularly in light of the rapid spread of multidrug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane Whelan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Bishopstown, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland;
| | - Brigid Lucey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Bishopstown, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland;
| | - Karen Finn
- Department of Analytical, Biopharmaceutical and Medical Sciences, Atlantic Technological University Galway City, Dublin Road, H91 T8NW Galway, Ireland
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31
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Kuzmanović N, Wolf J, Will SE, Smalla K, diCenzo GC, Neumann-Schaal M. Diversity and Evolutionary History of Ti Plasmids of "tumorigenes" Clade of Rhizobium spp. and Their Differentiation from Other Ti and Ri Plasmids. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad133. [PMID: 37463407 PMCID: PMC10410297 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Agrobacteria are important plant pathogens responsible for crown/cane gall and hairy root diseases. Crown/cane gall disease is associated with strains carrying tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmids, while hairy root disease is caused by strains harboring root-inducing (Ri) plasmids. In this study, we analyzed the sequences of Ti plasmids of the novel "tumorigenes" clade of the family Rhizobiaceae ("tumorigenes" Ti plasmids), which includes two species, Rhizobium tumorigenes and Rhizobium rhododendri. The sequences of reference Ti/Ri plasmids were also included, which was followed by a comparative analysis of their backbone and accessory regions. The "tumorigenes" Ti plasmids have novel opine signatures compared with other Ti/Ri plasmids characterized so far. The first group exemplified by pTi1078 is associated with production of agrocinopine, nopaline, and ridéopine in plant tumors, while the second group comprising pTi6.2 is responsible for synthesis of leucinopine. Bioinformatic and chemical analyses, including opine utilization assays, indicated that leucinopine associated with pTi6.2 most likely has D,L stereochemistry, unlike the L,L-leucinopine produced in tumors induced by reference strains Chry5 and Bo542. Most of the "tumorigenes" Ti plasmids have conjugative transfer system genes that are unusual for Ti plasmids, composed of avhD4/avhB and traA/mobC/parA regions. Next, our results suggested that "tumorigenes" Ti plasmids have a common origin, but they diverged through large-scale recombination events, through recombination with single or multiple distinct Ti/Ri plasmids. Lastly, we showed that Ti/Ri plasmids could be differentiated based on pairwise Mash or average amino-acid identity distance clustering, and we supply a script to facilitate application of the former approach by other researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nemanja Kuzmanović
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Urban Green, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jacqueline Wolf
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sabine Eva Will
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kornelia Smalla
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - George C diCenzo
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
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32
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Valenzuela-Gómez F, Arechaga I, Cabezón E. Nanopore sensing reveals a preferential pathway for the co-translocational unfolding of a conjugative relaxase-DNA complex. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:6857-6869. [PMID: 37264907 PMCID: PMC10359608 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial conjugation is the main mechanism for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes. A single DNA strand of the conjugative plasmid is transferred across bacterial membranes covalently bound to a large multi-domain protein, named relaxase, which must be unfolded to traverse the secretion channel. Two tyrosine residues of the relaxase (Y18 and Y26 in relaxase TrwC) play an important role in the processing of conjugative DNA. We have used nanopore technology to uncover the unfolding states that take place during translocation of the relaxase-DNA complex. We observed that the relaxase unfolding pathway depends on the tyrosine residue involved in conjugative DNA binding. Transfer of the nucleoprotein complex is faster when DNA is bound to residue Y18. This is the first time in which a protein-DNA complex that is naturally translocated through bacterial membranes has been analyzed by nanopore sensing, opening new horizons to apply this technology to study protein secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Valenzuela-Gómez
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria- CSIC, 39011 Santander, Spain
| | - Ignacio Arechaga
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria- CSIC, 39011 Santander, Spain
| | - Elena Cabezón
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria- CSIC, 39011 Santander, Spain
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33
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Ryan ME, Damke PP, Shaffer CL. DNA Transport through the Dynamic Type IV Secretion System. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0043622. [PMID: 37338415 PMCID: PMC10353360 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00436-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The versatile type IV secretion system (T4SS) nanomachine plays a pivotal role in bacterial pathogenesis and the propagation of antibiotic resistance determinants throughout microbial populations. In addition to paradigmatic DNA conjugation machineries, diverse T4SSs enable the delivery of multifarious effector proteins to target prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, mediate DNA export and uptake from the extracellular milieu, and in rare examples, facilitate transkingdom DNA translocation. Recent advances have identified new mechanisms underlying unilateral nucleic acid transport through the T4SS apparatus, highlighting both functional plasticity and evolutionary adaptations that enable novel capabilities. In this review, we describe the molecular mechanisms underscoring DNA translocation through diverse T4SS machineries, emphasizing the architectural features that implement DNA exchange across the bacterial membrane and license transverse DNA release across kingdom boundaries. We further detail how recent studies have addressed outstanding questions surrounding the mechanisms by which nanomachine architectures and substrate recruitment strategies contribute to T4SS functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie E. Ryan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Prashant P. Damke
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Carrie L. Shaffer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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34
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Dewan I, Uecker H. A mathematician's guide to plasmids: an introduction to plasmid biology for modellers. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169:001362. [PMID: 37505810 PMCID: PMC10433428 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Plasmids, extrachromosomal DNA molecules commonly found in bacterial and archaeal cells, play an important role in bacterial genetics and evolution. Our understanding of plasmid biology has been furthered greatly by the development of mathematical models, and there are many questions about plasmids that models would be useful in answering. In this review, we present an introductory, yet comprehensive, overview of the biology of plasmids suitable for modellers unfamiliar with plasmids who want to get up to speed and to begin working on plasmid-related models. In addition to reviewing the diversity of plasmids and the genes they carry, their key physiological functions, and interactions between plasmid and host, we also highlight selected plasmid topics that may be of particular interest to modellers and areas where there is a particular need for theoretical development. The world of plasmids holds a great variety of subjects that will interest mathematical biologists, and introducing new modellers to the subject will help to expand the existing body of plasmid theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Dewan
- Research Group Stochastic Evolutionary Dynamics, Department of Theoretical Biology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Hildegard Uecker
- Research Group Stochastic Evolutionary Dynamics, Department of Theoretical Biology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
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35
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Garcillán-Barcia MP, Redondo-Salvo S, de la Cruz F. Plasmid classifications. Plasmid 2023; 126:102684. [PMID: 37116631 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2023.102684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Plasmids are universally present in bacteria and play key roles in the dissemination of genes such as antibiotic resistance determinants. Major concepts in Plasmid Biology derive from the efforts to classify plasmids. Here, we review the main plasmid classification systems, starting by phenotype-based methods, such as fertility inhibition and incompatibility, followed by schemes based on a single gene (replicon type and MOB class), and finishing with recently developed approaches that use genetic distances between whole plasmid sequences. A comparison of the latter highlights significant differences between them. We further discuss the need for an operational definition of plasmid species that reveals their biological features, akin to plasmid taxonomic units (PTUs).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pilar Garcillán-Barcia
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Cantabria), Cantabria, Spain.
| | - Santiago Redondo-Salvo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Cantabria), Cantabria, Spain; Biomar Microbial Technologies, León, Spain
| | - Fernando de la Cruz
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Cantabria), Cantabria, Spain.
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36
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Breidenstein A, Ter Beek J, Berntsson RPA. Structural and functional characterization of TraI from pKM101 reveals basis for DNA processing. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201775. [PMID: 36669792 PMCID: PMC9868005 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Type 4 secretion systems are large and versatile protein machineries that facilitate the spread of antibiotic resistance and other virulence factors via horizontal gene transfer. Conjugative type 4 secretion systems depend on relaxases to process the DNA in preparation for transport. TraI from the well-studied conjugative plasmid pKM101 is one such relaxase. Here, we report the crystal structure of the trans-esterase domain of TraI in complex with its substrate oriT DNA, highlighting the conserved DNA-binding mechanism of conjugative relaxases. In addition, we present an apo structure of the trans-esterase domain of TraI that includes most of the flexible thumb region. This allows us for the first time to visualize the large conformational change of the thumb subdomain upon DNA binding. We also characterize the DNA binding, nicking, and religation activity of the trans-esterase domain, helicase domain, and full-length TraI. Unlike previous indications in the literature, our results reveal that the TraI trans-esterase domain from pKM101 behaves in a conserved manner with its homologs from the R388 and F plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Breidenstein
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Josy Ter Beek
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ronnie P-A Berntsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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37
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Fogarty EC, Schechter MS, Lolans K, Sheahan ML, Veseli I, Moore R, Kiefl E, Moody T, Rice PA, Yu MK, Mimee M, Chang EB, Mclellan SL, Willis AD, Comstock LE, Eren AM. A highly conserved and globally prevalent cryptic plasmid is among the most numerous mobile genetic elements in the human gut. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.25.534219. [PMID: 36993556 PMCID: PMC10055365 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.25.534219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Plasmids are extrachromosomal genetic elements that often encode fitness enhancing features. However, many bacteria carry 'cryptic' plasmids that do not confer clear beneficial functions. We identified one such cryptic plasmid, pBI143, which is ubiquitous across industrialized gut microbiomes, and is 14 times as numerous as crAssphage, currently established as the most abundant genetic element in the human gut. The majority of mutations in pBI143 accumulate in specific positions across thousands of metagenomes, indicating strong purifying selection. pBI143 is monoclonal in most individuals, likely due to the priority effect of the version first acquired, often from one's mother. pBI143 can transfer between Bacteroidales and although it does not appear to impact bacterial host fitness in vivo, can transiently acquire additional genetic content. We identified important practical applications of pBI143, including its use in identifying human fecal contamination and its potential as an inexpensive alternative for detecting human colonic inflammatory states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Fogarty
- Committee on Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Matthew S Schechter
- Committee on Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Karen Lolans
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Madeline L. Sheahan
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Iva Veseli
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ryan Moore
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Evan Kiefl
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Thomas Moody
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032 USA
| | - Phoebe A Rice
- Committee on Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | | | - Mark Mimee
- Committee on Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Eugene B Chang
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Sandra L Mclellan
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 53204, USA
| | - Amy D Willis
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Laurie E Comstock
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - A Murat Eren
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
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38
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Plasmid-Encoded Traits Vary across Environments. mBio 2023; 14:e0319122. [PMID: 36629415 PMCID: PMC9973032 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03191-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmids are key mobile genetic elements in bacterial evolution and ecology as they allow the rapid adaptation of bacteria under selective environmental changes. However, the genetic information associated with plasmids is usually considered separately from information about their environmental origin. To broadly understand what kinds of traits may become mobilized by plasmids in different environments, we analyzed the properties and accessory traits of 9,725 unique plasmid sequences from a publicly available database with known bacterial hosts and isolation sources. Although most plasmid research focuses on resistance traits, such genes made up <1% of the total genetic information carried by plasmids. Similar to traits encoded on the bacterial chromosome, plasmid accessory trait compositions (including general Clusters of Orthologous Genes [COG] functions, resistance genes, and carbon and nitrogen genes) varied across seven broadly defined environment types (human, animal, wastewater, plant, soil, marine, and freshwater). Despite their potential for horizontal gene transfer, plasmid traits strongly varied with their host's taxonomic assignment. However, the trait differences across environments of broad COG categories could not be entirely explained by plasmid host taxonomy, suggesting that environmental selection acts on the plasmid traits themselves. Finally, some plasmid traits and environments (e.g., resistance genes in human-related environments) were more often associated with mobilizable plasmids (those having at least one detected relaxase) than others. Overall, these findings underscore the high level of diversity of traits encoded by plasmids and provide a baseline to investigate the potential of plasmids to serve as reservoirs of adaptive traits for microbial communities. IMPORTANCE Plasmids are well known for their role in the transmission of antibiotic resistance-conferring genes. Beyond human and clinical settings, however, they disseminate many other types of genes, including those that contribute to microbially driven ecosystem processes. In this study, we identified the distribution of traits genetically encoded by plasmids isolated from seven broadly categorized environments. We find that plasmid trait content varied with both bacterial host taxonomy and environment and that, on average, half of the plasmids were potentially mobilizable. As anthropogenic activities impact ecosystems and the climate, investigating and identifying the mechanisms of how microbial communities can adapt will be imperative for predicting the impacts on ecosystem functioning.
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Multilayer networks of plasmid genetic similarity reveal potential pathways of gene transmission. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:649-659. [PMID: 36759552 PMCID: PMC10119158 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01373-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant threat to public health. Plasmids are principal vectors of AMR genes, significantly contributing to their spread and mobility across hosts. Nevertheless, little is known about the dynamics of plasmid genetic exchange across animal hosts. Here, we use theory and methodology from network and disease ecology to investigate the potential of gene transmission between plasmids using a data set of 21 plasmidomes from a single dairy cow population. We constructed a multilayer network based on pairwise plasmid genetic similarity. Genetic similarity is a signature of past genetic exchange that can aid in identifying potential routes and mechanisms of gene transmission within and between cows. Links between cows dominated the transmission network, and plasmids containing mobility genes were more connected. Modularity analysis revealed a network cluster where all plasmids contained a mobM gene, and one where all plasmids contained a beta-lactamase gene. Cows that contain both clusters also share transmission pathways with many other cows, making them candidates for super-spreading. In support, we found signatures of gene super-spreading in which a few plasmids and cows are responsible for most gene exchange. An agent-based transmission model showed that a new gene invading the cow population will likely reach all cows. Finally, we showed that edge weights contain a non-random signature for the mechanisms of gene transmission, allowing us to differentiate between dispersal and genetic exchange. These results provide insights into how genes, including those providing AMR, spread across animal hosts.
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Couturier A, Virolle C, Goldlust K, Berne-Dedieu A, Reuter A, Nolivos S, Yamaichi Y, Bigot S, Lesterlin C. Real-time visualisation of the intracellular dynamics of conjugative plasmid transfer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:294. [PMID: 36653393 PMCID: PMC9849209 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35978-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Conjugation is a contact-dependent mechanism for the transfer of plasmid DNA between bacterial cells, which contributes to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Here, we use live-cell microscopy to visualise the intracellular dynamics of conjugative transfer of F-plasmid in E. coli, in real time. We show that the transfer of plasmid in single-stranded form (ssDNA) and its subsequent conversion into double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) are fast and efficient processes that occur with specific timing and subcellular localisation. Notably, the ssDNA-to-dsDNA conversion determines the timing of plasmid-encoded protein production. The leading region that first enters the recipient cell carries single-stranded promoters that allow the early and transient synthesis of leading proteins immediately upon entry of the ssDNA plasmid. The subsequent conversion into dsDNA turns off leading gene expression, and activates the expression of other plasmid genes under the control of conventional double-stranded promoters. This molecular strategy allows for the timely production of factors sequentially involved in establishing, maintaining and disseminating the plasmid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agathe Couturier
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Chloé Virolle
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Kelly Goldlust
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Annick Berne-Dedieu
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Audrey Reuter
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Sophie Nolivos
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Yoshiharu Yamaichi
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Sarah Bigot
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France.
| | - Christian Lesterlin
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France.
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Tang B, Wang C, Sun D, Lin H, Ma J, Guo H, Yang H, Li X. In Silico Characterization of blaNDM-Harboring Conjugative Plasmids in Acinetobacter Species. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0210222. [PMID: 36301090 PMCID: PMC9769834 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02102-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producing clinical strains in Acinetobacter spp. have been recently reported in many countries and have received considerable attention. The vast majority of blaNDM cases occur on conjugative plasmids, which play a vital role in disseminating blaNDM. To characterize the conjugative plasmids bearing blaNDM genes in Acinetobacter spp., we analyzed the variants of blaNDM, conjugative transfer regions, genetic contexts of blaNDM, and the phylogenetic pattern of the 62 predicted blaNDM-positive plasmids, which were selected from 1,191 plasmids of Acinetobacter species from GenBank. We identified 30 conjugative plasmids from the 62 blaNDM-harboring plasmids in Acinetobacter species, with the oriT sites similar to plasmid pNDM-YR7 in our study, genes coding for relaxases of the MOBQ family, genes encoding type IV coupling proteins (T4CPs) of the TrwB/TraD subfamily, and VirB-like type IV secretion system (T4SS) gene clusters. The genome sizes of all 30 pNDM-YR7-like plasmids ranged from 39.36 kb to 49.65 kb, with a median size of 44.56 kb. The most common species of Acinetobacter containing the blaNDM-positive conjugative plasmids was A. baumannii, followed by Acinetobacter lwoffii and Acinetobacter indicus. Notably, pNDM-YR7 is the first report on a blaNDM-positive conjugative plasmid in Acinetobacter junii. Moreover, all 30 blaNDM-positive conjugative plasmids in Acinetobacter species were found to contain genetic contexts with the structure ISAba14-aph(3')-VI-ISAba125-blaNDM-ble. Our findings provide important insights into the phylogeny and evolution of blaNDM-positive plasmids of Acinetobacter species and further address their role in acquiring and spreading blaNDM genes in Acinetobacter species. IMPORTANCE Conjugative plasmids harboring the blaNDM gene play a vital role in disseminating carbapenem resistance. In this study, we first report a conjugative plasmid, pNDM-YR7, in Acinetobacter junii. Based on the genomic characteristics of the blaNDM-positive pNDM-YR7, we performed in silico typing and comparative analysis of blaNDM-positive plasmids using the 1,191 plasmids of Acinetobacter species available in the NCBI RefSeq database. We analyzed the characteristics of blaNDM-positive plasmids, including the variants of blaNDM, genetic features associated with blaNDM, conjugative transfer regions, and the phylogenetic pattern of the blaNDM-positive plasmids. All 30 blaNDM-positive conjugative plasmids were found to contain an ISAba14-aph(3')-VI-ISAba125-blaNDM-ble region. This study provides novel insights into the phylogeny and evolution of blaNDM-harboring conjugative plasmids and contributes to the repertoire of knowledge surrounding blaNDM-positive plasmids in the genus Acinetobacter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao Tang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products & Institute of Agro-product Safety and Nutrition, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chenyu Wang
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dongchang Sun
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hui Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products & Institute of Agro-product Safety and Nutrition, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiangang Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products & Institute of Agro-product Safety and Nutrition, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hengzhao Guo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhuhai People’s Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Hua Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products & Institute of Agro-product Safety and Nutrition, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaobin Li
- Zhuhai Precision Medical Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
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Robledo M, Álvarez B, Cuevas A, González S, Ruano-Gallego D, Fernández L, de la Cruz F. Targeted bacterial conjugation mediated by synthetic cell-to-cell adhesions. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:12938-12950. [PMID: 36511856 PMCID: PMC9825185 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic interventions on microbiomes, for clinical or biotechnological purposes, remain challenging. Conjugation-based delivery of genetic cargo is still unspecific and limited by low conjugation rates. Here we report an approach to overcome these problems, based on a synthetic bacterial adhesion system. Mating assemblers consist on a synthetic adhesion formed by the expression on the surface of donor and target cells of specific nanobodies (Nb) and their cognate antigen (Ag). The Nb-Ag bridge increased 1-3 logs transfer of a variety of plasmids, especially in liquid media, confirming that cell-cell docking is a main determinant limiting mating efficiency. Synthetic cell-to-cell adhesion allows efficient conjugation to targeted recipients, enhancing delivery of desired genes to a predefined subset of prey species, or even specific pathogenic strains such as enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), within a bacterial community. The synthetic conjugation enhancer presented here optimizes plasmid delivery by selecting the target hosts with high selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Robledo
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Marta Robledo.
| | - Beatriz Álvarez
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Cuevas
- Intergenomics Group, Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Sheila González
- Intergenomics Group, Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - David Ruano-Gallego
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Ángel Fernández
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CNB-CSIC), Campus UAM Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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Lo HY, Martínez-Lavanchy PM, Goris T, Heider J, Boll M, Kaster AK, Müller JA. IncP-type plasmids carrying genes for antibiotic resistance or for aromatic compound degradation are prevalent in sequenced Aromatoleum and Thauera strains. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:6411-6425. [PMID: 36306376 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Self-transferable plasmids of the incompatibility group P-1 (IncP-1) are considered important carriers of genes for antibiotic resistance and other adaptive functions. In the laboratory, these plasmids have a broad host range; however, little is known about their in situ host profile. In this study, we discovered that Thauera aromatica K172T , a facultative denitrifying microorganism capable of degrading various aromatic compounds, contains a plasmid highly similar to the IncP-1 ε archetype pKJK5. The plasmid harbours multiple antibiotic resistance genes and is maintained in strain K172T for at least 1000 generations without selection pressure from antibiotics. In a subsequent search, we found additional nine IncP-type plasmids in a total of 40 sequenced genomes of the closely related genera Aromatoleum and Thauera. Six of these plasmids form a novel IncP-1 subgroup designated θ, four of which carry genes for anaerobic or aerobic degradation of aromatic compounds. Pentanucleotide sequence analyses (k-mer profiling) indicated that Aromatoleum spp. and Thauera spp. are among the most suitable hosts for the θ plasmids. Our results highlight the importance of IncP-1 plasmids for the genetic adaptation of these common facultative denitrifying bacteria and provide novel insights into the in situ host profile of these plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Yu Lo
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG-5), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Paula M Martínez-Lavanchy
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Goris
- Department of Molecular Toxicology, Intestinal Microbiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Germany
| | - Johann Heider
- Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Boll
- Institute of Biology II, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anne-Kristin Kaster
- Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG-5), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Jochen A Müller
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG-5), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
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Zhang F, Ye X, Yin Z, Hu M, Wang B, Liu W, Li B, Ren H, Jin Y, Yue J. Comparative genomics reveals new insights into the evolution of the IncA and IncC family of plasmids. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1045314. [PMID: 36466664 PMCID: PMC9709138 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1045314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Incompatibility groups IncA and IncC plasmids are of great concern due to their ability to disseminate antibiotic resistance in bacteria via conjugative transfer. A deep understanding of their genomic structures and evolutionary characteristics is of great significance for improving our knowledge about its multidrug-resistance evolution and dissemination. However, current knowledge of their backbone structure, features of core functional modules and the characteristics of variable regions is based on a few plasmids, which highlights the need for a comprehensive systematic study. The present study thoroughly compared and analysed 678 IncA and IncC plasmid genomes. We found that their core functional genes were occasionally deficient and sometimes existed as multiple functional copies/multiple families, which resulted in much diversity. The phylogeny of 13 core functional genes corresponded well to the plasmid subtypes. The conjugative transfer system gained diverse complexity and exhibited many previously unnoticed types with multiple combinations. The insertion of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in plasmids varied between types and was present in 4 insertion spots in different types of plasmids with certain types of transposons, integrons and insertion sequences. The impact of gene duplication, deletion, the insertion of MGEs, genome rearrangement and recombination resulted in the complex dynamic variable backbone of IncA and IncC plasmids. And IncA and IncC plasmids were more complex than their closest relative SXT/R391 integrative conjugative elements (ICEs), which included nearly all of the diversity of SXT/R391 in key systems. Our work demonstrated a global and systematic view of the IncA and IncC plasmids and provides many new insights into their genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengwei Zhang
- Medical College of Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Xianwei Ye
- Medical College of Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhiqiu Yin
- National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China
| | - Mingda Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Boqian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Wenting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Beiping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Hongguang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Junjie Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
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Bragagnolo N, Audette GF. Solution characterization of the dynamic conjugative entry exclusion protein TraG. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2022; 9:064702. [PMID: 36590369 PMCID: PMC9797247 DOI: 10.1063/4.0000171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The R100 plasmid and the secretion system it encodes are representative of F-like conjugative type IV secretion systems for the transmission of mobile DNA elements in gram-negative bacteria, serving as a major contributor to the spread of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens. The TraG protein of F-like systems consists of a membrane-bound N-terminal domain and a periplasmic C-terminal domain, denoted TraG*. TraG* is essential in preventing redundant DNA transfer through a process termed entry exclusion. In the donor cell, it interacts with TraN to facilitate mating pair stabilization; however, if a mating pore forms between bacteria with identical plasmids, TraG* interacts with its cognate TraS in the inner membrane of the recipient bacterium to prevent redundant donor-donor conjugation. Structural studies of TraG* from the R100 plasmid have revealed the presence of a dynamic region between the N- and C-terminal domains of TraG. Thermofluor, circular dichroism, collision-induced unfolding-mass spectrometry, and size exclusion chromatography linked to multiangle light scattering and small angle x-ray scattering experiments indicated an N-terminal truncation mutant displayed higher stability and less disordered content relative to full-length TraG*. The 45 N-terminal residues of TraG* are hypothesized to serve as part of a flexible linker between the two independently functioning domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Bragagnolo
- Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, Department of Chemistry, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Gerald F. Audette
- Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, Department of Chemistry, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
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Lao J, Lacroix T, Guédon G, Coluzzi C, Payot S, Leblond-Bourget N, Chiapello H. ICEscreen: a tool to detect Firmicute ICEs and IMEs, isolated or enclosed in composite structures. NAR Genom Bioinform 2022; 4:lqac079. [PMID: 36285285 PMCID: PMC9585547 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqac079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mobile Genetic Elements (MGEs) are integrated in bacterial genomes and key elements that drive prokaryote genome evolution. Among them are Integrative and Conjugative Elements (ICEs) and Integrative Mobilizable Elements (IMEs) which are important for bacterial fitness since they frequently carry genes participating in important bacterial adaptation phenotypes such as antibiotic resistance, virulence or specialized metabolic pathways. Although ICEs and IMEs are widespread, they are as yet almost never annotated in public bacterial genomes. To address the need of dedicated strategies for the annotation of these elements, we developed ICEscreen, a tool that introduces two new features to detect ICEs and IMEs in Firmicute genomes. First, ICEscreen uses an efficient strategy to detect Signature Proteins of ICEs and IMEs based on a database dedicated to Firmicutes and composed of manually curated proteins and Hidden Markov Models (HMM) profiles. Second, ICEscreen includes a new original algorithm that detects composite structures of ICEs and IMEs that are frequent in genomes of Firmicutes but are currently not resolved by any other tool. We benchmarked ICEscreen on experimentally supported elements and on a public dataset of 246 manually annotated elements including the genomes of 40 Firmicutes and demonstrate its efficiency to detect ICEs and IMEs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gérard Guédon
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, DynAMic, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Charles Coluzzi
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, MaIAGE, F-78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France,Université de Lorraine, INRAE, DynAMic, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Sophie Payot
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, DynAMic, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | | | - Hélène Chiapello
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +33 1 34652884; Fax: +33 1 34652217;
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Varsaki A, Ortiz S, Santorum P, López P, López-Alonso V, Hernández M, Abad D, Rodríguez-Grande J, Ocampo-Sosa AA, Martínez-Suárez JV. Prevalence and Population Diversity of Listeria monocytogenes Isolated from Dairy Cattle Farms in the Cantabria Region of Spain. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12182477. [PMID: 36139336 PMCID: PMC9495194 DOI: 10.3390/ani12182477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The origin and prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes was studied in dairy cattle farms in order to examine its diversity and determine its possible persistence in manure. The utilization of manure for agricultural purposes is common in many countries. While properly treated and managed manure is an effective and safe fertilizer, foodborne illness outbreaks can occur, as many of the most prominent foodborne pathogens are carried by healthy livestock. It is, therefore, necessary to study the origin and persistence of zoonotic agents in general and of L. monocytogenes in particular, in order to avoid recirculation in farms and reduce risk for human populations. Abstract Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic pathogen that is widely distributed in the environment. Here we show the prevalence and transmission of L. monocytogenes in dairy farms in the Cantabria region, on the northern coast of Spain. A total of 424 samples was collected from 14 dairy farms (5 organic and 9 conventional) and 211 L. monocytogenes isolates were recovered following conventional microbiological methods. There were no statistically significant differences in antimicrobial resistance ratios between organic and conventional farms. A clonal relationship among the isolates was assessed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis and 64 different pulsotypes were obtained. Most isolates (89%, n = 187) were classified as PCR serogroup IVb by using a multiplex PCR assay. In this case, 45 isolates of PCR serogroup IVb were whole genome-sequenced to perform a further analysis at genomic level. In silico MLST analysis showed the presence of 12 sequence types (ST), of which ST1, ST54 and ST666 were the most common. Our data indicate that the environment of cattle farms retains a high incidence of L. monocytogenes, including subtypes involved in human listeriosis reports and outbreaks. This pathogen is shed in the feces and could easily colonize dairy products, as a result of fecal contamination. Effective herd and manure management are needed in order to prevent possible outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasia Varsaki
- Centro de Investigación y Formación Agrarias (CIFA), 39600 Muriedas, Spain
- Correspondence: (A.V.); (J.V.M.-S.)
| | - Sagrario Ortiz
- National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA)-Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Santorum
- Centro de Investigación y Formación Agrarias (CIFA), 39600 Muriedas, Spain
| | - Pilar López
- National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA)-Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Marta Hernández
- Instituto Tecnológico Agrario de Castilla y León (ITACyL), 47071 Valladolid, Spain
| | - David Abad
- Instituto Tecnológico Agrario de Castilla y León (ITACyL), 47071 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Jorge Rodríguez-Grande
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Instituto de Investigación Valdecilla (IDIVAL), 39008 Santander, Spain
| | - Alain A. Ocampo-Sosa
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Instituto de Investigación Valdecilla (IDIVAL), 39008 Santander, Spain
| | - Joaquín V. Martínez-Suárez
- National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA)-Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (A.V.); (J.V.M.-S.)
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Wardal E, Żabicka D, Hryniewicz W, Sadowy E. VanA-Enterococcus faecalis in Poland: hospital population clonal structure and vanA mobilome. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2022; 41:1245-1261. [PMID: 36057762 PMCID: PMC9489580 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-022-04479-4] [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: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The aim of our study was to characterize the epidemiological situation concerning nosocomial vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis of VanA-phenotype (VREfs-VanA) in Poland by investigating their clonal relationships and the vanA-associated mobilome. One-hundred twenty-five clinical isolates of VREfs-VanA collected between 2004 and 2016 were studied by phenotypic assays, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), PCR detection of plasmid-specific genes, and Tn1546 structure and localization mapping. Selected isolates were subjected to PFGE-S1, Southern hybridization, genomic sequencing and conjugation experiments. The majority of isolates (97.6%) belonged to clonal complexes CC2 and CC87 of E. faecalis. All isolates were resistant to vancomycin and teicoplanin, and resistance to ciprofloxacin and aminoglycosides (high level) was very prevalent in this group. VanA phenotype was associated with 16 types of Tn1546, carrying insertion sequences IS1216, ISEfa4, IS1251 and IS1542, located on repUS1pVEF1, rep1pIP501, rep2pRE25, rep9pAD1/pTEF2/pCF10 and rep6pS86 replicons. The most common Tn1546 B- and BB-type transposons, harbouring one or two copies of IS1216, were inserted between rep18ap200B and repUS1pVEF1 genes and located on ~ 20 kb and 150-200 kb plasmids. VREfs-VanA in Poland represent a polyclonal group, indicating a number of acquisitions of the vanA determinant. The repUS1pVEF1-vanA plasmids, unique for Poland, were the main factor beyond the acquisition of vancomycin resistance by E. faecalis, circulating in Polish hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Wardal
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, Chełmska 30/34, 00-725, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorota Żabicka
- Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, Chełmska 30/34, 00-725, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Waleria Hryniewicz
- Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, Chełmska 30/34, 00-725, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewa Sadowy
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, Chełmska 30/34, 00-725, Warsaw, Poland.
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Balbuena-Alonso MG, Cortés-Cortés G, Kim JW, Lozano-Zarain P, Camps M, Del Carmen Rocha-Gracia R. Genomic analysis of plasmid content in food isolates of E. coli strongly supports its role as a reservoir for the horizontal transfer of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes. Plasmid 2022; 123-124:102650. [PMID: 36130651 PMCID: PMC10896638 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2022.102650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The link between E. coli strains contaminating foods and human disease is unclear, with some reports supporting a direct transmission of pathogenic strains via food and others highlighting their role as reservoirs for resistance and virulence genes. Here we take a genomics approach, analyzing a large set of fully-assembled genomic sequences from E. coli available in GenBank. Most of the strains isolated in food are more closely related to each other than to clinical strains, arguing against a frequent direct transmission of pathogenic strains from food to the clinic. We also provide strong evidence of genetic exchanges between food and clinical strains that are facilitated by plasmids. This is based on an overlapped representation of virulence and resistance genes in plasmids isolated from these two sources. We identify clusters of phylogenetically-related plasmids that are largely responsible for the observed overlap and see evidence of specialization, with some food plasmid clusters preferentially transferring virulence factors over resistance genes. Consistent with these observations, food plasmids have a high mobilization potential based on their plasmid taxonomic unit classification and on an analysis of mobilization gene content. We report antibiotic resistance genes of high clinical relevance and their specific incompatibility group associations. Finally, we also report a striking enrichment for adhesins in food plasmids and their association with specific IncF replicon subtypes. The identification of food plasmids with specific markers (Inc and PTU combinations) as mediators of horizontal transfer between food and clinical strains opens new research avenues and should assist with the design of surveillance strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- María G Balbuena-Alonso
- Posgrado en Microbiología, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Ciudad Universitaria, San Manuel, Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - Gerardo Cortés-Cortés
- Posgrado en Microbiología, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Ciudad Universitaria, San Manuel, Puebla 72570, Mexico; Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Jay W Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Patricia Lozano-Zarain
- Posgrado en Microbiología, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Ciudad Universitaria, San Manuel, Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - Manel Camps
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
| | - Rosa Del Carmen Rocha-Gracia
- Posgrado en Microbiología, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Ciudad Universitaria, San Manuel, Puebla 72570, Mexico.
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50
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Identification and Characterisation of pST1023 A Mosaic, Multidrug-Resistant and Mobilisable IncR Plasmid. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10081592. [PMID: 36014010 PMCID: PMC9412624 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the identification and characterisation of a mosaic, multidrug-resistant and mobilisable IncR plasmid (pST1023) detected in Salmonella ST1023, a monophasic variant 4,[5],12:i: strain of widespread pandemic lineage, reported as a Southern European clone. pST1023 contains exogenous DNA regions, principally gained from pSLT-derivatives and IncI1 plasmids. Acquisition from IncI1 included oriT and nikAB and these conferred the ability to be mobilisable in the presence of a helper plasmid, as we demonstrated with the conjugative plasmids pST1007-1D (IncFII) or pVC1035 (IncC). A sul3-associated class 1 integron, conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol and trimethoprim-sulphonamides, was also embedded in the acquired IncI1 DNA segment. pST1023 also harboured an additional site-specific recombination system (rfsF/rsdB) and IS elements of the IS1, IS5 (IS903 group) and IS6 families. Four of the six IS26 elements present constituted two pseudo-compound-transposons, named PCT-sil and PCT-Tn10 (identified here for the first time). The study further highlighted the mosaic genetic architecture and the clinical importance of IncR plasmids. Moreover, it provides the first experimental data on the ability of IncR plasmids to be mobilised and their potential role in the horizontal spread of antimicrobial-resistant genes.
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