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Ashwath P, Somanath D, Sannejal AD. CRISPR and Antisense RNA Technology: Exploiting Nature's Tool to Restrain Virulence in Tenacious Pathogens. Mol Biotechnol 2023; 65:17-27. [PMID: 35980592 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-022-00539-4] [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: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria constitute a significant threat to mankind and at the same time represent a huge reservoir of abeyant therapeutics to prevent and treat various diseases. The concept of virulence determinants has been a compelling tool in driving research in the field of bacterial pathogenesis and infectious diseases. In this review, we highlight a few virulence elements forged by the pathogens from the viewpoint of the damage-response scaffold, vandalizing the susceptible host. Seeking an alternative to target the virulence determinants heads a road map toward the exemplary molecular approach. Hence, here we explore some of the exceptional applications of the clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)- based therapy and antisense RNA (asRNA) approach, which could be exploited to selectively dismantle adamant components of the pathogen's virulence machinery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review paper involving both CRISPR and antisense RNA technology, as an alternative strategy to evade virulence mechanisms in bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Ashwath
- Nitte (Deemed to be University), Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research, Deralakatte, Mangaluru, 575018, India
| | - Disha Somanath
- Nitte (Deemed to be University), Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research, Deralakatte, Mangaluru, 575018, India
| | - Akhila Dharnappa Sannejal
- Nitte (Deemed to be University), Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research, Deralakatte, Mangaluru, 575018, India.
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2
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Okaro U, George S, Valdes S, Macaluso K, Anderson B. A non-coding RNA controls transcription of a gene encoding a DNA binding protein that modulates biofilm development in Bartonella henselae. Microb Pathog 2020; 147:104272. [PMID: 32464301 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Bartonella henselae (Bh) is a Gram-negative zoonotic bacterium that can grow as large aggregates and form biofilms in vitro dependent upon the adhesin BadA. Previously, we reported that the Houston-1 strain of Bh has a family of nine small, highly-expressed intergenic transcripts called Bartonellaregulatory transcripts, Brt1-9. Each of the Brts bears a stem and loop structure on the 3' end followed by a gene encoding a DNA binding protein called the Transcriptional regulatory proteins, Trp1-9. RNA-seq analysis of laboratory-grown bacteria revealed the trps were poorly transcribed suggesting that the 3' stem and loop on the Brts results in transcript termination upstream of the trp genes under these conditions. Here we demonstrate that transcription of brt1 continues into trp1 when Bh is grown in a biofilm. Deletion of brt1, or just the 3' terminus of brt1 (containing the stem and loop structure), resulted in increased transcription of both trp1 and badA and increased biofilm formation. Trp1 was shown to directly bind the putative badA promoter region as demonstrated by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Our data suggest that the 3' end of brt1 responds to a stimulus generated by growth of Bh in an in vitro biofilm to allow increased trp1 transcription. We further show that transcription of trp1 increases under conditions consistent with the mammalian host but is not highly expressed in the cat flea vector until the bacterium is excreted into the flea feces. Based on these data, we hypothesize that the 3' end of Brt1 functions to control trp1 transcription and Trp1 in turn results in increased badA expression and enhanced biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udoka Okaro
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fl, 33612, USA
| | - Sierra George
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fl, 33612, USA
| | - Sabrina Valdes
- Department of Pathological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Kevin Macaluso
- Department of Pathological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Burt Anderson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fl, 33612, USA.
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3
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Gifford I, Vance S, Nguyen G, Berry AM. A Stable Genetic Transformation System and Implications of the Type IV Restriction System in the Nitrogen-Fixing Plant Endosymbiont Frankia alni ACN14a. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2230. [PMID: 31608043 PMCID: PMC6769113 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Genus Frankia is comprised primarily of nitrogen-fixing actinobacteria that form root nodule symbioses with a group of hosts known as the actinorhizal plants. These plants are evolutionarily closely related to the legumes that are nodulated by the rhizobia. Both host groups utilize homologs of nodulation genes for root-nodule symbiosis, derived from common plant ancestors. The corresponding endosymbionts, Frankia and the rhizobia, however, are distantly related groups of bacteria, leading to questions about their symbiotic mechanisms and evolutionary history. To date, a stable system of electrotransformation has been lacking in Frankia despite numerous attempts by research groups worldwide. We have identified type IV methyl-directed restriction systems, highly-expressed in a range of actinobacteria, as a likely barrier to Frankia transformation. Here we report the successful electrotransformation of the model strain F. alni ACN14a with an unmethylated, broad host-range replicating plasmid, expressing chloramphenicol-resistance for selection and GFP as a marker of gene expression. This system circumvented the type IV restriction barrier and allowed the stable maintenance of the plasmid. During nitrogen limitation, Frankia differentiates into two cell types: the vegetative hyphae and nitrogen-fixing vesicles. When the expression of egfp under the control of the nif gene cluster promoter was localized using fluorescence imaging, the expression of nitrogen fixation in nitrogen-limited culture was localized in Frankia vesicles but not in hyphae. The ability to separate gene expression patterns between Frankia hyphae and vesicles will enable deeper comparisons of molecular signaling and metabolic exchange between Frankia-actinorhizal and rhizobia-legume symbioses to be made, and may broaden potential applications in agriculture. Further downstream applications are possible, including gene knock-outs and complementation, to open up a range of experiments in Frankia and its symbioses. Additionally, in the transcriptome of F. alni ACN14a, type IV restriction enzymes were highly expressed in nitrogen-replete culture but their expression strongly decreased during symbiosis. The down-regulation of type IV restriction enzymes in symbiosis suggests that horizontal gene transfer may occur more frequently inside the nodule, with possible new implications for the evolution of Frankia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Gifford
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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4
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Okaro U, Green R, Mohapatra S, Anderson B. The trimeric autotransporter adhesin BadA is required for in vitro biofilm formation by Bartonella henselae. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2019; 5:10. [PMID: 30886729 PMCID: PMC6418236 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-019-0083-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Bartonella henselae (Bh) is a Gram-negative rod transmitted to humans by a scratch from the common house cat. Infection of humans with Bh can result in a range of clinical diseases including lymphadenopathy observed in cat-scratch disease and more serious disease from persistent bacteremia. It is a common cause of blood-culture negative endocarditis as the bacterium is capable of growing as aggregates, and forming biofilms on infected native and prosthetic heart valves. The aggregative growth requires a trimeric autotransporter adhesin (TAA) called Bartonella adhesin A (BadA). TAAs are found in all Bartonella species and many other Gram-negative bacteria. Using Bh Houston-1, Bh Houston-1 ∆badA and Bh Houston-1 ∆badA/pNS2PTrc badA (a partial complement of badA coding for a truncated protein of 741 amino acid residues), we analyze the role of BadA in adhesion and biofilm formation. We also investigate the role of environmental factors such as temperature on badA expression and biofilm formation. Real-time cell adhesion monitoring and electron microscopy show that Bh Houston-1 adheres and forms biofilm more efficiently than the Bh Houston-1 ∆badA. Deletion of the badA gene significantly decreases adhesion, the first step in biofilm formation in vitro, which is partially restored in Bh Houston-1 ∆badA/pNS2PTrc badA. The biofilm formed by Bh Houston-1 includes polysaccharides, proteins, and DNA components and is susceptible to enzymatic degradation of these components. Furthermore, both pH and temperature influence both badA expression and biofilm formation. We conclude that BadA is required for optimal adhesion, agglutination and biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udoka Okaro
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Ryan Green
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Subhra Mohapatra
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Burt Anderson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
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5
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Liu M, Wang M, Zhu D, Wang M, Jia R, Chen S, Sun K, Yang Q, Wu Y, Chen X, Biville F, Cheng A. Investigation of TbfA in Riemerella anatipestifer using plasmid-based methods for gene over-expression and knockdown. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37159. [PMID: 27845444 PMCID: PMC5109031 DOI: 10.1038/srep37159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Riemerella anatipestifer is a duck pathogen that has caused serious economic losses to the duck industry worldwide. Despite this, there are few reported studies of the physiological and pathogenic mechanisms of Riemerella anatipestifer infection. In previous study, we have shown that TonB1 and TonB2 were involved in hemin uptake. TonB family protein (TbfA) was not investigated, since knockout of this gene was not successful at that time. Here, we used a plasmid based gene over-expression and knockdown to investigate its function. First, we constructed three Escherichia-Riemerella anatipestifer shuttle vectors containing three different native Riemerella anatipestifer promoters. The shuttle plasmids were introduced into Riemerella anatipestifer ATCC11845 by conjugation at an efficiency of 5 × 10-5 antibiotic-resistant transconjugants per recipient cell. Based on the high-expression shuttle vector pLMF03, a method for gene knockdown was established. Knockdown of TbfA in Riemerella anatipestifer ATCC11845 decreased the organism's growth ability in TSB medium but did not affect its hemin utilization. In contrast, over-expression of TbfA in Riemerella anatipestifer ATCC11845ΔtonB1ΔtonB2. Significantly promoted the organism's growth in TSB medium but significantly inhibited its hemin utilization. Collectively, these findings suggest that TbfA is not involved in hemin utilization by Riemerella anatipestifer.
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Affiliation(s)
- MaFeng Liu
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China
| | - MengYi Wang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China
| | - DeKang Zhu
- Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China
| | - MingShu Wang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China
| | - RenYong Jia
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China
| | - Shun Chen
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China
| | - KunFeng Sun
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China
| | - Qiao Yang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China
| | - Ying Wu
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China
| | - XiaoYue Chen
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China
| | - Francis Biville
- Unité des Infections Bactériennes Invasives, Département Infection et Epidémiologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - AnChun Cheng
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, P. R. China
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6
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Tu N, Carroll RK, Weiss A, Shaw LN, Nicolas G, Thomas S, Lima A, Okaro U, Anderson B. A family of genus-specific RNAs in tandem with DNA-binding proteins control expression of the badA major virulence factor gene in Bartonella henselae. Microbiologyopen 2016; 6. [PMID: 27790856 PMCID: PMC5387305 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella henselae is a gram‐negative zoonotic bacterium that causes infections in humans including endocarditis and bacillary angiomatosis. B. henselae has been shown to grow as large aggregates and form biofilms in vitro. The aggregative growth and the angiogenic host response requires the trimeric autotransporter adhesin BadA. We examined the transcriptome of the Houston‐1 strain of B. henselae using RNA‐seq revealing nine novel, highly‐expressed intergenic transcripts (Bartonella regulatory transcript, Brt1‐9). The Brt family of RNAs is unique to the genus Bartonella and ranges from 194 to 203 nucleotides with high homology and stable predicted secondary structures. Immediately downstream of each of the nine RNA genes is a helix‐turn‐helix DNA‐binding protein (transcriptional regulatory protein, Trp1‐9) that is poorly transcribed under the growth conditions used for RNA‐seq. Using knockdown or overexpressing strains, we show a role of both the Brt1 and Trp1 in the regulation of badA and also in biofilm formation. Based on these data, we hypothesize that Brt1 is a trans‐acting sRNA that also serves as a cis‐acting riboswitch to control the expression of badA. This family of RNAs together with the downstream Trp DNA‐binding proteins represents a novel coordinated regulatory circuit controlling expression of virulence‐associated genes in the bartonellae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nhan Tu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Ronan K Carroll
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | - Andy Weiss
- Department of Cellular, Molecular and Microbiology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Lindsey N Shaw
- Department of Cellular, Molecular and Microbiology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Gael Nicolas
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Sarah Thomas
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Amorce Lima
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Udoka Okaro
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Burt Anderson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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7
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Characterization of the general stress response in Bartonella henselae. Microb Pathog 2015; 92:1-10. [PMID: 26724735 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2015.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria utilize a general stress response system to combat stresses from their surrounding environments. In alpha-proteobacteria, the general stress response uses an alternate sigma factor as the main regulator and incorporates it with a two-component system into a unique regulatory circuit. This system has been described in several alpha-proteobacterial species, including the pathogens Bartonella quintana and Brucella abortus. Most of the studies have focused on characterizing the PhyR anti-anti-sigma factor, the NepR anti-sigma factor, and the alternate sigma factor. However, not enough attention is directed toward studying the role of histidine kinases in the general stress response. Our study identifies the general stress response system in Bartonella henselae, where the gene synteny is conserved and both the PhyR and alternate sigma factor have similar sequence and domain structures with other alpha-proteobacteria. Our data showed that the general stress response genes are up-regulated under conditions that mimic the cat flea vector. Furthermore, we showed that both RpoE and PhyR positively regulate this system and that RpoE also affects transcription of genes encoding heme-binding proteins and the gene encoding the BadA adhesin. Finally, we identified a histidine kinase, annotated as BH13820 that can potentially phosphorylate PhyR.
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8
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Lima A, Cha BJ, Amin J, Smith LK, Anderson B. Zebrafish embryo model of Bartonella henselae infection. Zebrafish 2014; 11:434-46. [PMID: 25026365 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2014.1001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella henselae (Bh) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that has been associated with a variety of human diseases, including bacillary angiomatosis that is characterized by vasoproliferative tumor-like lesions on the skin of some immunosuppressed individuals. The study of Bh pathogenesis has been limited to in vitro cell culture systems due to the lack of an animal model. Therefore, we wanted to investigate whether the zebrafish embryo could be used to model human infection with Bh. Our data showed that Tg(fli1:egfp)(y1) zebrafish embryos supported a sustained Bh infection for 7 days with >10-fold bacterial replication when inoculated in the yolk sac. We showed that Bh recruited phagocytes to the site of infection in the Tg(mpx:GFP)uwm1 embryos. Infected embryos showed evidence of a Bh-induced angiogenic phenotype and an increase in the expression of genes encoding pro-inflammatory factors and pro-angiogenic markers. However, infection of zebrafish embryos with a deletion mutant in the major adhesin (BadA) resulted in little or no bacterial replication and a diminished host response, providing the first evidence that BadA is critical for in vivo infection. Thus, the zebrafish embryo provides the first practical model of Bh infection that will facilitate efforts to identify virulence factors and define molecular mechanisms of Bh pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amorce Lima
- 1 Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine , Tampa, Florida
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9
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Liu M, Bouhsira E, Boulouis HJ, Biville F. The Bartonella henselae SitABCD transporter is required for confronting oxidative stress during cell and flea invasion. Res Microbiol 2013; 164:827-37. [PMID: 23811032 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2013.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Accepted: 06/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Bartonella henselae is a zoonotic pathogen that possesses a flea-cat-flea transmission cycle and causes cat scratch disease in humans via cat scratches and bites. In order to establish infection, B. henselae must overcome oxidative stress damage produced by the mammalian host and arthropod vector. B. henselae encodes for putative Fe²⁺ and Mn²⁺ transporter SitABCD. In B. henselae, SitAB knockdown increases sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide. We consistently show that SitAB knockdown decreases the ability of B. henselae to survive in both human endothelial cells and cat fleas, thus demonstrating that the SitABCD transporter plays an important role during the B. henselae infection cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- MaFeng Liu
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Avian Disease Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu-611130/Ya'an-625014, Sichuan, PR China; Université Paris-Est, Ecole nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR INRA-Anses-UPEC-ENVA, F-94700 Maisons-Alfort, France.
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10
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Abromaitis S, Nelson CS, Previte D, Yoon KS, Clark JM, DeRisi JL, Koehler JE. Bartonella quintana deploys host and vector temperature-specific transcriptomes. PLoS One 2013; 8:e58773. [PMID: 23554923 PMCID: PMC3595295 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2012] [Accepted: 02/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial pathogen Bartonella quintana is passed between humans by body lice. B. quintana has adapted to both the human host and body louse vector niches, producing persistent infection with high titer bacterial loads in both the host (up to 105 colony-forming units [CFU]/ml) and vector (more than 108 CFU/ml). Using a novel custom microarray platform, we analyzed bacterial transcription at temperatures corresponding to the host (37°C) and vector (28°C), to probe for temperature-specific and growth phase-specific transcriptomes. We observed that transcription of 7% (93 genes) of the B. quintana genome is modified in response to change in growth phase, and that 5% (68 genes) of the genome is temperature-responsive. Among these transcriptional changes in response to temperature shift and growth phase was the induction of known B. quintana virulence genes and several previously unannotated genes. Hemin binding proteins, secretion systems, response regulators, and genes for invasion and cell attachment were prominent among the differentially-regulated B. quintana genes. This study represents the first analysis of global transcriptional responses by B. quintana. In addition, the in vivo experiments provide novel insight into the B. quintana transcriptional program within the body louse environment. These data and approaches will facilitate study of the adaptation mechanisms employed by Bartonella during the transition between human host and arthropod vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Abromaitis
- Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Defense Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Christopher S. Nelson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Domenic Previte
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Kyong S. Yoon
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - J. Marshall Clark
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Joseph L. DeRisi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jane E. Koehler
- Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Defense Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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11
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Liu M, Ferrandez Y, Bouhsira E, Monteil M, Franc M, Boulouis HJ, Biville F. Heme binding proteins of Bartonella henselae are required when undergoing oxidative stress during cell and flea invasion. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48408. [PMID: 23144761 PMCID: PMC3483173 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella are hemotropic bacteria responsible for emerging zoonoses. These heme auxotroph alphaproteobacteria must import heme for their growth, since they cannot synthesize it. To import exogenous heme, Bartonella genomes encode for a complete heme uptake system enabling transportation of this compound into the cytoplasm and degrading it to release iron. In addition, these bacteria encode for four or five outer membrane heme binding proteins (Hbps). The structural genes of these highly homologous proteins are expressed differently depending on oxygen, temperature and heme concentrations. These proteins were hypothesized as being involved in various cellular processes according to their ability to bind heme and their regulation profile. In this report, we investigated the roles of the four Hbps of Bartonella henselae, responsible for cat scratch disease. We show that Hbps can bind heme in vitro. They are able to enhance the efficiency of heme uptake when co-expressed with a heme transporter in Escherichia coli. Using B. henselae Hbp knockdown mutants, we show that these proteins are involved in defense against the oxidative stress, colonization of human endothelial cell and survival in the flea.
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Affiliation(s)
- MaFeng Liu
- UMR BIPAR Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, INRA-Anses-UPEC-ENVA, Maisons-Alfort, France.
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Liu M, Boulouis HJ, Biville F. Heme degrading protein HemS is involved in oxidative stress response of Bartonella henselae. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37630. [PMID: 22701524 PMCID: PMC3365110 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2012] [Accepted: 04/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Bartonellae are hemotropic bacteria, agents of emerging zoonoses. These bacteria are heme auxotroph Alphaproteobacteria which must import heme for supporting their growth, as they cannot synthesize it. Therefore, Bartonella genome encodes for a complete heme uptake system allowing the transportation of this compound across the outer membrane, the periplasm and the inner membranes. Heme has been proposed to be used as an iron source for Bartonella since these bacteria do not synthesize a complete system required for iron Fe3+uptake. Similarly to other bacteria which use heme as an iron source, Bartonellae must transport this compound into the cytoplasm and degrade it to allow the release of iron from the tetrapyrrole ring. For Bartonella, the gene cluster devoted to the synthesis of the complete heme uptake system also contains a gene encoding for a polypeptide that shares homologies with heme trafficking or degrading enzymes. Using complementation of an E. coli mutant strain impaired in heme degradation, we demonstrated that HemS from Bartonella henselae expressed in E. coli allows the release of iron from heme. Purified HemS from B. henselae binds heme and can degrade it in the presence of a suitable electron donor, ascorbate or NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase. Knocking down the expression of HemS in B. henselae reduces its ability to face H2O2 induced oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- MaFeng Liu
- Université Paris-Est, Ecole nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR INRA-Anses-UPEC-ENVA, Maisons-Alfort, France
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Henri-Jean Boulouis
- Université Paris-Est, Ecole nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR INRA-Anses-UPEC-ENVA, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Francis Biville
- Université Paris-Est, Ecole nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR INRA-Anses-UPEC-ENVA, Maisons-Alfort, France
- Département de Microbiologie, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
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Liu MF, Cescau S, Mechold U, Wang J, Cohen D, Danchin A, Boulouis HJ, Biville F. Identification of a novel nanoRNase in Bartonella. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2012; 158:886-895. [PMID: 22262096 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.054619-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In Escherichia coli, only one essential oligoribonuclease (Orn) can degrade oligoribonucleotides of five residues and shorter in length (nanoRNA). In Bacillus subtilis, NrnA and NrnB, which do not show any sequence similarity to Orn, have been identified as functional analogues of Orn. Sequence comparisons did not identify orn, nrnA or nrnB homologues in the genomes of the Chlamydia/Cyanobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria family members. Screening a genomic library from Bartonella birtlesii, a member of the Alphaproteobacteria, for genes that can complement a conditional orn mutant in E. coli, we identified BA0969 (NrnC) as a functional analogue of Orn. NrnC is highly conserved (more than 80 % identity) in the Bartonella genomes sequenced to date. Biochemical characterization showed that this protein exhibits oligo RNA degradation activity (nanoRNase activity). Like Orn from E. coli, NrnC is inhibited by micromolar amounts of 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphate in vitro. NrnC homologues are widely present in genomes of Alphaproteobacteria. Knock down of nrnC decreases the growth ability of Bartonella henselae, demonstrating the importance of nanoRNase activity in this bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ma Feng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, 5333 Xi an Road, Changchun 130062, PR China
- UMR BIPAR INRA-AFSSA-ENVA, 23 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sandra Cescau
- Pasteur Institute, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Undine Mechold
- Pasteur Institute, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jing Wang
- Key Lab of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Dorit Cohen
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel
| | - Antoine Danchin
- AMAbiotics SAS, Bldg G1, 2 rue Gaston Crémieux, 91000 Evry, France
| | - Henri-Jean Boulouis
- UMR BIPAR INRA-AFSSA-ENVA, 23 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Francis Biville
- Pasteur Institute, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
- UMR BIPAR INRA-AFSSA-ENVA, 23 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
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Pugh S, McKenna R, Moolick R, Nielsen DR. Advances and opportunities at the interface between microbial bioenergy and nanotechnology. CAN J CHEM ENG 2010. [DOI: 10.1002/cjce.20434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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The BatR/BatS two-component regulatory system controls the adaptive response of Bartonella henselae during human endothelial cell infection. J Bacteriol 2010; 192:3352-67. [PMID: 20418395 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01676-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we report the first comprehensive study of Bartonella henselae gene expression during infection of human endothelial cells. Expression of the main cluster of upregulated genes, comprising the VirB type IV secretion system and its secreted protein substrates, is shown to be under the positive control of the transcriptional regulator BatR. We demonstrate binding of BatR to the promoters of the virB operon and a substrate-encoding gene and provide biochemical evidence that BatR and BatS constitute a functional two-component regulatory system. Moreover, in contrast to the acid-inducible (pH 5.5) homologs ChvG/ChvI of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, BatR/BatS are optimally activated at the physiological pH of blood (pH 7.4). By conservation analysis of the BatR regulon, we show that BatR/BatS are uniquely adapted to upregulate a genus-specific virulence regulon during hemotropic infection in mammals. Thus, we propose that BatR/BatS two-component system homologs represent vertically inherited pH sensors that control the expression of horizontally transmitted gene sets critical for the diverse host-associated life styles of the alphaproteobacteria.
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