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Knapp K, Klasinc R, Koren A, Siller M, Dingelmaier-Hovorka R, Drach M, Sanchez J, Chromy D, Kranawetter M, Grimm C, Bergthaler A, Kubicek S, Stockinger H, Stary G. Combination of compound screening with an animal model identifies pentamidine to prevent Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101643. [PMID: 38981484 PMCID: PMC11293347 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101643] [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: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is the most common cause for bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide with a tremendous impact on public health. With the aim to unravel novel targets of the chlamydia life cycle, we screen a compound library and identify 28 agents to significantly reduce Ct growth. The known anti-infective agent pentamidine-one of the top candidates of the screen-shows anti-chlamydia activity in low concentrations by changing the metabolism of host cells impairing chlamydia growth. Furthermore, it effectively decreases the Ct burden upon local or systemic application in mice. Pentamidine also inhibits the growth of Neisseria gonorrhea (Ng), which is a common co-infection of Ct. The conducted compound screen is powerful in exploring antimicrobial compounds against Ct in a medium-throughput format. Following thorough in vitro and in vivo assessments, pentamidine emerges as a promising agent for topical prophylaxis or treatment against Ct and possibly other bacterial STIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Knapp
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria; CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Romana Klasinc
- Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Anna Koren
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Magdalena Siller
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria; Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | | | - Mathias Drach
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Juan Sanchez
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - David Chromy
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Marlene Kranawetter
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Christoph Grimm
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Andreas Bergthaler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria; Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Stefan Kubicek
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Hannes Stockinger
- Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Georg Stary
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria; CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria.
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Hou C, Jin Y, Wu H, Li P, Liu L, Zheng K, Wang C. Alternative strategies for Chlamydia treatment: Promising non-antibiotic approaches. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:987662. [PMID: 36504792 PMCID: PMC9727249 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.987662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia is an obligate intracellular bacterium where most species are pathogenic and infectious, causing various infectious diseases and complications in humans and animals. Antibiotics are often recommended for the clinical treatment of chlamydial infections. However, extensive research has shown that antibiotics may not be sufficient to eliminate or inhibit infection entirely and have some potential risks, including antibiotic resistance. The impact of chlamydial infection and antibiotic misuse should not be underestimated in public health. This study explores the possibility of new therapeutic techniques, including a review of recent studies on preventing and suppressing chlamydial infection by non-antibiotic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Hou
- School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical College, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Yingqi Jin
- School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical College, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Hua Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Hengyang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Hengyang Central Hospital, Hengyang, China
| | - Pengyi Li
- School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical College, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Longyun Liu
- School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical College, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Kang Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Hengyang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Hengyang Central Hospital, Hengyang, China,*Correspondence: Kang Zheng
| | - Chuan Wang
- School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical College, Institute of Pathogenic Biology, University of South China, Hengyang, China,Chuan Wang
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3
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Yu X, Xu Q, Chen W, Mai Z, Mo L, Su X, Ou J, Lan Y, Zheng H, Xue Y. Rhein inhibits Chlamydia trachomatis infection by regulating pathogen-host cell. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1002029. [PMID: 36238249 PMCID: PMC9552556 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1002029] [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: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The global incidence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection increased rapidly as the primary available treatment of C. trachomatis infection being the use of antibiotics. However, the development of antibiotics resistant stain and other treatment failures are often observed in patients. Consequently, novel therapeutics are urgently required. Rhein is a monomer derivative of anthraquinone compounds with an anti-infection activity. This study investigated the effects of rhein on treating C. trachomatis infection. Rhein showed significant inhibitory effects on the growth of C. trachomatis in multiple serovars of C. trachomatis, including D, E, F and L1, and in various host cells, including HeLa, McCoy and Vero. Rhein could not directly inactivate C. trachomatis but could inhibit the growth of C. trachomatis by regulating pathogen-host cell interactions. Combined with azithromycin, the inhibitory effect of rehin was synergistic both in vitro and in vivo. Together these findings suggest that rhein could be developed for the treatment of C. trachomatis infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingqing Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wentao Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China,Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhida Mai
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lijun Mo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Su
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiangli Ou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yinyuan Lan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Heping Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China,Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control, Guangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Heping Zheng
| | - Yaohua Xue
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China,Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control, Guangzhou, China,Yaohua Xue
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Li DK, Mu YT, Feng HH. The expression and purification of LpxA of Chlamydia trachomatis and preparation of its polyclonal antibody. Z NATURFORSCH C 2020; 75:313-317. [PMID: 32374296 DOI: 10.1515/znc-2020-0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to purify the LpxA protein of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) and prepare the polyclonal antibody against LpxA protein, so as to lay a foundation for studying the function of LpxA protein. The LpxA gene was amplified by PCR. The expression plasmid pET28a-LpxA was constructed by using pET28a as the vector. The fusion protein containing 6 histidine tag was induced by IPTG and purified by Ni2+ chromatography gel. The purified His-LpxA protein was used as an immunogen to immunize New Zealand rabbits subcutaneously through the back to prepare polyclonal antibody. Immunoblotting was used to detect the reaction between the antibody and His-LpxA. The determination of polyclonal antibody titer was detected by ELISA. The relative molecular weight of His-LpxA was 32.8 kDa, and it could be expressed in Escherichia coli. The purity of the purified protein was about 95%. After immunizing New Zealand rabbits, the antiserum was able to recognize the recombinant His-LpxA protein with a titer greater than 1:10240. In this study, LpxA protein was successfully purified and antiserum was prepared, which provided an experimental basis for studying the function of LpxA protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Kun Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, China
| | - Ying-Tao Mu
- Department of TCM, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Huan-Huan Feng
- Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, No. 15 Jiefang Road, Xiangyang, Hubei, 441000, PR China
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Gallegos KM, Taylor CR, Rabulinski DJ, Del Toro R, Girgis DE, Jourha D, Tiwari V, Desai UR, Ramsey KH. A Synthetic, Small, Sulfated Agent Is a Promising Inhibitor of Chlamydia spp. Infection in vivo. Front Microbiol 2019; 9:3269. [PMID: 30700982 PMCID: PMC6343517 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia is the most frequently reported sexually transmitted bacteria causing 2.9 million infections annually in the United States. Diagnosis, treatment, and sequelae of chlamydial disease cost billions of dollars each year in the United States alone. Considering that a heparin sulfate-like cell surface receptor is involved in Chlamydia infections, we reasoned that sulfated and sulfonated mimics of heparin sulfate would be useful in topical prophylactic prevention of Chlamydia. In this study, we tested a small, synthetic sulfated agent sulfated pentagalloyl glucoside (SPGG) and three synthetic sulfonated polymers PSS and SPS with average molecular weight in the range of 11 to 1000 kDa for inhibition against Chlamydia. Infection of HeLa cells with C. muridarum or C. trachomatis in the presence of increasing concentrations of SPGG or sulfonated polymers were quantified by immunofluorescence of Chlamydia inclusions. To determine whether in vitro pre-treatment of SPGG inhibits infection of C. muridarum, HeLa monolayers were incubated with SPGG-containing media, and then infected with Chlamydia. Our in vitro results show that SPGG pre-treatment inhibits Chlamydia infection in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we further determined if SPGG treatment has an inhibitory effect during infection, therefore cell monolayers were infected with C. muridarum in the concurrent presence of SPGG. Our results show that SPGG inhibits C. muridarum infection with an IC50 at 10 μg/ml levels. We also tested the inhibitory effect of synthetic polymers PSS and SPS against Chlamydia and found inhibition of C. muridarum and C. trachomatis infections with IC50 ranging from 0.3 to 0.8 μg/ml. SPGG, PSS, and SPS inhibit formation of Chlamydia inclusions in a concentration-dependent manner. For evaluation of in vivo efficacy of the most effective agent in blocking C. muridarum, SPGG, we intravaginally pre-treated mice with SPGG before infection with C. muridarum. Cervical swabs were collected post-infection to quantify Chlamydia inclusions in vitro. Our in vivo data show that the SPGG-treated group has a statistically significant reduction of infection compared to the no-treatment control. Overall, our results show that SPGG could serve as a promising topical inhibitor for preventing Chlamydia infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen M. Gallegos
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, United States
| | - Christopher R. Taylor
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, United States
- Department of Dermatology, Charles C. Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology, University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Daniel J. Rabulinski
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, United States
| | - Rosalinda Del Toro
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, United States
| | - Danielle E. Girgis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, United States
| | - Dapinder Jourha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, United States
| | - Vaibhav Tiwari
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, United States
| | - Umesh R. Desai
- Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Kyle H. Ramsey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, United States
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Li JL, Yang N, Huang L, Chen D, Zhao Y, Tang MM, Fan H, Bao X. Pyocyanin Inhibits Chlamydia Infection by Disabling Infectivity of the Elementary Body and Disrupting Intracellular Growth. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:e02260-17. [PMID: 29610203 PMCID: PMC5971585 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02260-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia is a widespread human pathogen that causes serious problems, including (but not limited to) infertility and blindness. Our search for novel antichlamydial metabolites from marine-derived microorganisms led to the isolation of pyocyanin, a small compound from Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pyocyanin is an effective antichlamydial for all three Chlamydia spp. tested. It has a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.019 to 0.028 μM, which is comparable to the IC50 of tetracycline. At concentrations as low as 0.0039 μM, pyocyanin disables infectivity of the chlamydial elementary body (EB). At 0.5 μM or higher concentrations, the continuous presence of pyocyanin also inhibits chlamydial growth in the inclusion during later stages of the developmental cycle. Oxidative stress, a major known antimicrobial mechanism of pyocyanin, appears to be responsible only for the inhibition of bacterial growth and not for the disinfection of EBs. Pyocyanin is well-tolerated by probiotic vaginal Lactobacillus spp. Our findings suggest that pyocyanin is of therapeutic value for chlamydial infections and can serve as a valuable chemical probe for studying chlamydial biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Lin Li
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Ningjing Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Lei Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Department of Pharmacy, The First People's Hospital of Yanchen, Yanchen, China
| | - Dandan Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second People's Hospital of Nantong, Nantong, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - M Matt Tang
- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Huizhou Fan
- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Bao
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
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Cram ED, Rockey DD, Dolan BP. Chlamydia spp. development is differentially altered by treatment with the LpxC inhibitor LPC-011. BMC Microbiol 2017; 17:98. [PMID: 28438125 PMCID: PMC5402638 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-017-0992-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chlamydia species are obligate intracellular bacteria that infect a broad range of mammalian hosts. Members of related genera are pathogens of a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate species. Despite the diversity of Chlamydia, all species contain an outer membrane lipooligosaccharide (LOS) that is comprised of a genus-conserved, and genus-defining, trisaccharide 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid Kdo region. Recent studies with lipopolysaccharide inhibitors demonstrate that LOS is important for the C. trachomatis developmental cycle during RB- > EB differentiation. Here, we explore the effects of one of these inhibitors, LPC-011, on the developmental cycle of five chlamydial species. RESULTS Sensitivity to the drug varied in some of the species and was conserved between others. We observed that inhibition of LOS biosynthesis in some chlamydial species induced formation of aberrant reticulate bodies, while in other species, no change was observed to the reticulate body. However, loss of LOS production prevented completion of the chlamydial reproductive cycle in all species tested. In previous studies we found that C. trachomatis and C. caviae infection enhances MHC class I antigen presentation of a model self-peptide. We find that treatment with LPC-011 prevents enhanced host-peptide presentation induced by infection with all chlamydial-species tested. CONCLUSIONS The data demonstrate that LOS synthesis is necessary for production of infectious progeny and inhibition of LOS synthesis induces aberrancy in certain chlamydial species, which has important implications for the use of LOS synthesis inhibitors as potential antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik D Cram
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, 105 Magruder Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
| | - Daniel D Rockey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, 105 Magruder Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Brian P Dolan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, 105 Magruder Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
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Radomski N, Einenkel R, Müller A, Knittler MR. Chlamydia-host cell interaction not only from a bird's eye view: some lessons fromChlamydia psittaci. FEBS Lett 2016; 590:3920-3940. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2016] [Revised: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Radomski
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut; Institute of Immunology; Isle of Riems Germany
| | - Rebekka Einenkel
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut; Institute of Immunology; Isle of Riems Germany
| | - Anne Müller
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut; Institute of Immunology; Isle of Riems Germany
| | - Michael R Knittler
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut; Institute of Immunology; Isle of Riems Germany
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Abstract
The lifestyle of Chlamydiae is unique: the bacteria alternate between two morphologically distinct forms, an infectious non-replicative elementary body (EB), and a replicative, non-infectious reticulate body (RB). This review focuses on recent advances in understanding the structure and function of the infectious form of the best-studied member of the phylum, the human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis. Once considered as an inert particle of little functional capacity, the EB is now perceived as a sophisticated entity that encounters at least three different environments during each infectious cycle. We review current knowledge on its composition and morphology, and emerging metabolic activities. These features confer resistance to the extracellular environment, the ability to penetrate a host cell and ultimately enable the EB to establish a niche enabling bacterial survival and growth. The bacterial and host molecules involved in these processes are beginning to emerge.
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