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He J, Lin X, Zhang D, Hu H, Chen X, Xu F, Zhou M. Wake biofilm up to enhance suicidal uptake of gallium for chronic lung infection treatment. Biomaterials 2024; 310:122619. [PMID: 38805955 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.122619] [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: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
The hypometabolic and nutrient-limiting condition of dormant bacteria inside biofilms reduces their susceptibility to antibacterial agents, making the treatment of biofilm-dominating chronic infections difficult. Herein, we demonstrate an intratracheal aerosolized maltohexaose-modified catalase-gallium integrated nanosystem that can 'wake up' dormant Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm to increase the metabolism and nutritional iron demand by reconciling the oxygen gradient. The activated bacteria then enhance suicidal gallium uptake since gallium acts as a 'Trojan horse' to mimic iron. The internalized gallium ions disrupt biofilms by interfering with the physiological processes of iron ion acquisition and utilization, biofilm formation, and quorum sensing. Furthermore, aerosol microsprayer administration and bacteria-specific maltohexaose modification enable accumulation at biofilm-infected lung and targeted release of gallium into bacteria to improve the therapeutic effect. This work provides a potential strategy for treating infection by reversing the dormant biofilm's resistance condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian He
- Eye Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China; Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Xiuhui Lin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China
| | - Dongxiao Zhang
- Eye Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China; Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining, 314400, China
| | - Huiqun Hu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Chen
- Departments of Diagnostic Radiology, Surgery, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119074, Singapore; Clinical Imaging Research Centre, Centre for Translational Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore; Nanomedicine Translational Research Program, NUS Center for Nanomedicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore.
| | - Feng Xu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
| | - Min Zhou
- Eye Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China; The National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China; Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining, 314400, China; Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, China.
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2
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Costabile G, Baldassi D, Müller C, Groß B, Ungaro F, Schubert S, Firestine SM, Merkel OM. Antibiotic-loaded nanoparticles for the treatment of intracellular methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus infections: In vitro and in vivo efficacy of a novel antibiotic. J Control Release 2024; 374:454-465. [PMID: 39181163 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.08.029] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is considered one of the biggest threats to public health worldwide. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus is the causative agent of a number of infections and lung colonization in people suffering from cystic fibrosis. Moreover, a growing body of evidence links the microbiome to the development of cancer, as well as to the success of the treatment. In this view, the development of novel antibiotics is of critical importance, and SV7, a novel antibiotic active against MRSA at low concentrations, represents a promising candidate. However, the low aqueous solubility of SV7 hampers its therapeutic translation. In this study, SV7 was encapsulated in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) to improve the solubility profile, to ensure sustained release and eventually support deposition in the airways. Furthermore, PLGA NPs were formulated as dry powder to extend their shelf-life and were shown to efficiently target intracellular infections. After identifying a formulation with suitable physico-chemical characteristics, SV7-loaded NPs were investigated in vitro in terms of inhibitory activity against MRSA, and their safety profile in lung epithelial cells. Subsequently, the activity against MRSA intracellular infections was investigated in a co-culture model of MRSA and macrophages. To test the translatability of our findings, SV7-loaded NPs were tested in vivo in a Galleria mellonella infection model. In conclusion, SV7-loaded NPs showed a safe profile and efficient inhibitory activity against MRSA at low concentrations. Furthermore, their activity against intracellular infections was confirmed, and was retained in vivo, rendering them a promising candidate for treatment of MRSA lung infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Costabile
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology & Biopharmaceutics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 Munich, DE, Germany; Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, IT, Italy
| | - Domizia Baldassi
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology & Biopharmaceutics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 Munich, DE, Germany
| | - Christoph Müller
- Department of Pharmacy, Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 Munich, DE, Germany
| | - Birgit Groß
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institut Munich für Hygiene und Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Elisabeth-Winterhalter-Weg 6, 81377 Munich, DE, Germany
| | - Francesca Ungaro
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, IT, Italy
| | - Sören Schubert
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institut Munich für Hygiene und Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Elisabeth-Winterhalter-Weg 6, 81377 Munich, DE, Germany
| | - Steven M Firestine
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 259 Mack Ave, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Olivia M Merkel
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology & Biopharmaceutics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 Munich, DE, Germany.
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Paul AA, Kadosh YS, Kushmaro A, Marks RS. Microbead-Encapsulated Luminescent Bioreporter Screening of P. aeruginosa via Its Secreted Quorum-Sensing Molecules. BIOSENSORS 2024; 14:383. [PMID: 39194612 DOI: 10.3390/bios14080383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2024] [Revised: 08/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic Gram-negative bacterium that remains a prevalent clinical and environmental challenge. Quorum-sensing (QS) molecules are effective biomarkers in pinpointing the presence of P. aeruginosa. This study aimed to develop a convenient-to-use, whole-cell biosensor using P. aeruginosa reporters individually encapsulated within alginate-poly-L-lysine (alginate-PLL) microbeads to specifically detect the presence of bacterial autoinducers. The PLL-reinforced microbeads were prepared using a two-step method involving ionic cross-linking and subsequent coating with thin layers of PLL. The alginate-PLL beads showed good stability in the presence of a known cation scavenger (sodium citrate), which typically limits the widespread applications of calcium alginate. In media containing synthetic autoinducers-such as N-(3-oxo dodecanoyl) homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C12-HSL) and N-butanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL), or the cell-free supernatants of planktonic or the flow-cell biofilm effluent of wild P. aeruginosa (PAO1)-the encapsulated bacteria enabled a dose-dependent detection of the presence of these QS molecules. The prepared bioreporter beads remained stable during prolonged storage at 4 and -80 °C and were ready for on-the-spot sensing without the need for recovery. The proof-of-concept, optical fiber-based, and whole-cell biosensor developed here demonstrates the practicality of the encapsulated bioreporter for bacterial detection based on specific QS molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Abbey Paul
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Yael Schlichter Kadosh
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Ariel Kushmaro
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel
- The Ilse Katz Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel
- School of Sustainability and Climate Change, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Robert S Marks
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel
- The Ilse Katz Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel
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4
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de Oliveira TJ, Altoé ID, Arpini LDSB, Liberato FMG, Melotti RDCNC, Wittmer VL, Duarte H, Barbalho-Moulim MC, Paro FM. Clinical and anthropometric evolution of individuals with cystic fibrosis during COVID-19 pandemic: A 24-month cohort study. Pediatr Pulmonol 2024; 59:1962-1969. [PMID: 38712790 DOI: 10.1002/ppul.27027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To analyze the evolution of clinical and anthropometric characteristics of children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) over 24 months, including the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A longitudinal study with data collection from May 2018 to November 2020 in physical and electronic records from a pediatric reference center, including individuals with CF aged up to 18 years. RESULTS The sample encompassed 72 individuals. Weight (p < 0.01), height (p < 0.01), and body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.043) were higher in 2020 than in 2018. There were no significant changes in BMI-Z (p = 0.977) and in percentiles of weight (p = 0.540), height (p = 0.458), and BMI percentile (p = 0.454) between both periods. Pancreatic insufficiency was observed in 91.7% of patients in 2020, and there were twice as many confirmed cases of diabetes compared to 2018. There was a 9.7% increase in individuals colonized by the oxacillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (OSSA) (p = 0.039) and an 11.1% reduction in non-colonized individuals (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION Although there was an increase in weight, height, and BMI from 2018 to 2020, there were no significant changes in BMI-Z and in percentiles of weight, height, and BMI percentile, suggesting that the anthropometric aspects of nutritional status did not change in this period of 2 years. Moreover, there was an increase in the prevalence of individuals colonized by OSSA and a reduction in the prevalence of individuals non-colonized with any bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taynara Júlia de Oliveira
- Department of Integrated Education on Health, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Izabela Dondoni Altoé
- Department of Integrated Education on Health, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Veronica Lourenço Wittmer
- Department of Integrated Education on Health, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Halina Duarte
- Department of Integrated Education on Health, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | | | - Flavia Marini Paro
- Department of Integrated Education on Health, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
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Liu X, Shi D, Cheng S, Chen X, Ma C, Jiang Y, Wang T, Chen T, Shaw C, Wang L, Zhou M. Modification and Synergistic Studies of a Novel Frog Antimicrobial Peptide against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:574. [PMID: 39061256 PMCID: PMC11274128 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13070574] [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: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The overuse of traditional antibiotics has resulted in bacterial resistance and seriously compromised the therapeutic efficacy of traditional antibiotics, making the exploration of new antimicrobials particularly important. Several studies have shown that bioactive peptides have become an important source of new antimicrobial drugs due to their broad-spectrum antibacterial action and lack of susceptibility to resistance. In this study, a novel bioactive peptide Nigrosin-6VL was characterised from the skin secretion of the golden cross band frog, Odorrana andersonii, by using the 'shotgun' cloning strategy. Modifications on the Rana Box of Nigrosin-6VL revealed its critical role in antimicrobial functions. The peptide analogue, 2170-2R, designed to preserve the Rana Box structure while enhancing cationicity, exhibited improved therapeutic efficacy, particularly against Gram-negative bacteria, with a therapeutic value of 45.27. Synergistic studies demonstrated that 2170-2R inherits the synergistic antimicrobial activities of the parent peptides and effectively enhances the antimicrobial capacity of cefepime and gentamicin against both planktonic cells and biofilms. Specifically, 2170-2R can synergise effectively with cefepime and gentamicin against different strains of P. aeruginosa biofilms. Consequently, 2170-2R holds promise as a potent antimicrobial agent developed to combat infections induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinze Liu
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Daning Shi
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China;
| | - Shiya Cheng
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Yangyang Jiang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Tao Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Chris Shaw
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (X.L.); (S.C.); (X.C.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (C.S.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
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6
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Kim J, Oh S, Yang DS, Rugg L, Mathur R, Kwak SS, Yoo S, Li S, Kanatzidis EE, Lee G, Yoon HJ, Huang Y, Ghaffari R, McColley SA, Rogers JA. A skin-interfaced, miniaturized platform for triggered induction, capture and colorimetric multicomponent analysis of microliter volumes of sweat. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 253:116166. [PMID: 38428069 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116166] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Eccrine sweat can serve as a source of biomarkers for assessing physiological health and nutritional balance, for tracking loss of essential species from the body and for evaluating exposure to hazardous substances. The growing interest in this relatively underexplored class of biofluid arises in part from its non-invasive ability for capture and analysis. The simplest devices, and the only ones that are commercially available, exploit soft microfluidic constructs and colorimetric assays with purely passive modes of operation. The most sophisticated platforms exploit batteries, electronic components and radio hardware for inducing sweat, for electrochemical evaluation of its content and for wireless transmission of this information. The work reported here introduces a technology that combines the advantages of these two different approaches, in the form of a cost-effective, easy-to-use device that supports on-demand evaluation of multiple biomarkers in sweat. This flexible, skin-interfaced, miniaturized system incorporates a hydrogel that contains an approved drug to activate eccrine sweat glands, electrodes and a simple circuit and battery to delivery this drug by iontophoresis through the surface of the skin, microfluidic channels and microreservoirs to capture the induced sweat, and multiple colorimetric assays to evaluate the concentrations of chloride, zinc, and iron. As demonstrated in healthy human participants monitored before and after a meal, such devices yield results that match those of traditional laboratory analysis techniques. Clinical studies that involve cystic fibrosis pediatric patients illustrate the use of this technology as a simple, painless, and reliable alternative to traditional hospital systems for measurements of sweat chloride.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joohee Kim
- Center for Bionics of Biomedical Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea; Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Precision Biology Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Seyong Oh
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Division of Electrical Engineering, Hanyang University ERICA, Ansan, 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Da Som Yang
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Larissa Rugg
- Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Radhika Mathur
- Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Sung Soo Kwak
- Center for Bionics of Biomedical Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea; Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Seonggwang Yoo
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Shupeng Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Evangelos E Kanatzidis
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Geumbee Lee
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Hong-Joon Yoon
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Department of Electronic Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Yonggang Huang
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Roozbeh Ghaffari
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Epicore Biosystems Inc., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Susanna A McColley
- Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
| | - John A Rogers
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Epicore Biosystems Inc., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
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7
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Islam MM, Kolling GL, Glass EM, Goldberg JB, Papin JA. Model-driven characterization of functional diversity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates with broadly representative phenotypes. Microb Genom 2024; 10:001259. [PMID: 38836744 PMCID: PMC11261902 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001259] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of infections in immunocompromised individuals and in healthcare settings. This study aims to understand the relationships between phenotypic diversity and the functional metabolic landscape of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. To better understand the metabolic repertoire of P. aeruginosa in infection, we deeply profiled a representative set from a library of 971 clinical P. aeruginosa isolates with corresponding patient metadata and bacterial phenotypes. The genotypic clustering based on whole-genome sequencing of the isolates, multilocus sequence types, and the phenotypic clustering generated from a multi-parametric analysis were compared to each other to assess the genotype-phenotype correlation. Genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions were developed for each isolate through amendments to an existing PA14 network reconstruction. These network reconstructions show diverse metabolic functionalities and enhance the collective P. aeruginosa pangenome metabolic repertoire. Characterizing this rich set of clinical P. aeruginosa isolates allows for a deeper understanding of the genotypic and metabolic diversity of the pathogen in a clinical setting and lays a foundation for further investigation of the metabolic landscape of this pathogen and host-associated metabolic differences during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mazharul Islam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Glynis L. Kolling
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Emma M. Glass
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | | | - Jason A. Papin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
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8
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Chen Q, Cai P, Chang THW, Burgener E, Kratochvil MJ, Gupta A, Hargill A, Secor PR, Nielsen JE, Barron AE, Milla C, Heilshorn SC, Spakowitz A, Bollyky PL. Pf bacteriophages hinder sputum antibiotic diffusion via electrostatic binding. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl5576. [PMID: 38820163 PMCID: PMC11141622 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl5576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Despite great progress in the field, chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) infections remain a major cause of mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis (pwCF), necessitating treatment with antibiotics. Pf is a filamentous bacteriophage produced by Pa and acts as a structural element in Pa biofilms. Pf presence has been associated with antibiotic resistance and poor outcomes in pwCF, although the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We have investigated how Pf and sputum biopolymers impede antibiotic diffusion using pwCF sputum and fluorescent recovery after photobleaching. We demonstrate that tobramycin interacts with Pf and sputum polymers through electrostatic interactions. We also developed a set of mathematical models to analyze the complex observations. Our analysis suggests that Pf in sputum reduces the diffusion of charged antibiotics due to a greater binding constant associated with organized liquid crystalline structures formed between Pf and sputum polymers. This study provides insights into antibiotic tolerance mechanisms in chronic Pa infections and may offer potential strategies for novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingquan Chen
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Pam Cai
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Tony Hong Wei Chang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Elizabeth Burgener
- Center for Excellence in Pulmonary Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Michael J Kratochvil
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 476 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Aditi Gupta
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Aviv Hargill
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Patrick R Secor
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Josefine Eilsø Nielsen
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Medicine & School of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Annelise E Barron
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Medicine & School of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Carlos Milla
- Center for Excellence in Pulmonary Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sarah C Heilshorn
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 476 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Andy Spakowitz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 476 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Paul L Bollyky
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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9
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Simcox BS, Rohde KH. Orphan response regulator NnaR is critical for nitrate and nitrite assimilation in Mycobacterium abscessus. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1411333. [PMID: 38854658 PMCID: PMC11162112 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1411333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) is an opportunistic pathogen afflicting individuals with underlying lung disease such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF) or immunodeficiencies. Current treatment strategies for Mab infections are limited by its inherent antibiotic resistance and limited drug access to Mab in its in vivo niches resulting in poor cure rates of 30-50%. Mab's ability to survive within macrophages, granulomas and the mucus laden airways of the CF lung requires adaptation via transcriptional remodeling to counteract stresses like hypoxia, increased levels of nitrate, nitrite, and reactive nitrogen intermediates. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is known to coordinate hypoxic adaptation via induction of respiratory nitrate assimilation through the nitrate reductase narGHJI. Mab, on the other hand, does not encode a respiratory nitrate reductase. In addition, our recent study of the transcriptional responses of Mab to hypoxia revealed marked down-regulation of a locus containing putative nitrate assimilation genes, including the orphan response regulator nnaR (nitrate/nitrite assimilation regulator). These putative nitrate assimilation genes, narK3 (nitrate/nitrite transporter), nirBD (nitrite reductase), nnaR, and sirB (ferrochelatase) are arranged contiguously while nasN (assimilatory nitrate reductase identified in this work) is encoded in a different locus. Absence of a respiratory nitrate reductase in Mab and down-regulation of nitrogen metabolism genes in hypoxia suggest interplay between hypoxia adaptation and nitrate assimilation are distinct from what was previously documented in Mtb. The mechanisms used by Mab to fine-tune the transcriptional regulation of nitrogen metabolism in the context of stresses e.g. hypoxia, particularly the role of NnaR, remain poorly understood. To evaluate the role of NnaR in nitrate metabolism we constructed a Mab nnaR knockout strain (MabΔnnaR ) and complement (MabΔnnaR+C ) to investigate transcriptional regulation and phenotypes. qRT-PCR revealed NnaR is necessary for regulating nitrate and nitrite reductases along with a putative nitrate transporter. Loss of NnaR compromised the ability of Mab to assimilate nitrate or nitrite as sole nitrogen sources highlighting its necessity. This work provides the first insights into the role of Mab NnaR setting a foundation for future work investigating NnaR's contribution to pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyle H. Rohde
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
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10
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Rapsinski GJ, Michaels LA, Hill M, Yarrington KD, Haas AL, D’Amico EJ, Armbruster CR, Zemke A, Limoli D, Bomberger JM. Pseudomonas aeruginosa senses and responds to epithelial potassium flux via Kdp operon to promote biofilm. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011453. [PMID: 38820569 PMCID: PMC11168685 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011453] [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: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Mucosa-associated biofilms are associated with many human disease states, but the host mechanisms promoting biofilm remain unclear. In chronic respiratory diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF), Pseudomonas aeruginosa establishes chronic infection through biofilm formation. P. aeruginosa can be attracted to interspecies biofilms through potassium currents emanating from the biofilms. We hypothesized that P. aeruginosa could, similarly, sense and respond to the potassium efflux from human airway epithelial cells (AECs) to promote biofilm. Using respiratory epithelial co-culture biofilm imaging assays of P. aeruginosa grown in association with CF bronchial epithelial cells (CFBE41o-), we found that P. aeruginosa biofilm was increased by potassium efflux from AECs, as examined by potentiating large conductance potassium channel, BKCa (NS19504) potassium efflux. This phenotype is driven by increased bacterial attachment and increased coalescence of bacteria into aggregates. Conversely, biofilm formation was reduced when AECs were treated with a BKCa blocker (paxilline). Using an agar-based macroscopic chemotaxis assay, we determined that P. aeruginosa chemotaxes toward potassium and screened transposon mutants to discover that disruption of the high-sensitivity potassium transporter, KdpFABC, and the two-component potassium sensing system, KdpDE, reduces P. aeruginosa potassium chemotaxis. In respiratory epithelial co-culture biofilm imaging assays, a KdpFABCDE deficient P. aeruginosa strain demonstrated reduced biofilm growth in association with AECs while maintaining biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces. Furthermore, we determined that the Kdp operon is expressed in vivo in people with CF and the genes are conserved in CF isolates. Collectively, these data suggest that P. aeruginosa biofilm formation can be increased by attracting bacteria to the mucosal surface and enhancing coalescence into microcolonies through aberrant AEC potassium efflux sensed by the KdpFABCDE system. These findings suggest host electrochemical signaling can enhance biofilm, a novel host-pathogen interaction, and potassium flux could be a therapeutic target to prevent chronic infections in diseases with mucosa-associated biofilms, like CF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn J. Rapsinski
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Lia A. Michaels
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Madison Hill
- Department of Biology, Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kaitlin D. Yarrington
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Allison L. Haas
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
| | - Emily J. D’Amico
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
| | - Catherine R. Armbruster
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
| | - Anna Zemke
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Dominique Limoli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Jennifer M. Bomberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
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11
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Pan S, Underhill SAM, Hamm CW, Stover MA, Butler DR, Shults CA, Manjarrez JR, Cabeen MT. Glycerol metabolism impacts biofilm phenotypes and virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa via the Entner-Doudoroff pathway. mSphere 2024; 9:e0078623. [PMID: 38501832 PMCID: PMC11036800 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00786-23] [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: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous bacterium and a notorious opportunistic pathogen that forms biofilm structures in response to many environmental cues. Biofilm formation includes attachment to surfaces and the production of the exopolysaccharide Pel, which is present in both the PAO1 and PA14 laboratory strains of P. aeruginosa. Biofilms help protect bacterial cells from host defenses and antibiotics and abet infection. The carbon source used by the cells also influences biofilm, but these effects have not been deeply studied. We show here that glycerol, which can be liberated from host surfactants during infection, encourages surface attachment and magnifies colony morphology differences. We find that glycerol kinase is important but not essential for glycerol utilization and relatively unimportant for biofilm behaviors. Among downstream enzymes predicted to take part in glycerol utilization, Edd stood out as being important for glycerol utilization and for enhanced biofilm phenotypes in the presence of glycerol. Thus, gluconeogenesis and catabolism of anabolically produced glucose appear to impact not only the utilization of glycerol but also glycerol-stimulated biofilm phenotypes. Finally, waxworm moth larvae and nematode infection models reveal that interruption of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway, but not abrogation of glycerol phosphorylation, unexpectedly increases P. aeruginosa lethality in both acute and chronic infections, even while stimulating a stronger immune response by Caenorhabditis elegans.IMPORTANCEPseudomonas aeruginosa, the ubiquitous environmental bacterium and human pathogen, forms multicellular communities known as biofilms in response to various stimuli. We find that glycerol, a common carbon source that bacteria can use for energy and biosynthesis, encourages biofilm behaviors such as surface attachment and colony wrinkling by P. aeruginosa. Glycerol can be derived from surfactants that are present in the human lungs, a common infection site. Glycerol-stimulated biofilm phenotypes do not depend on phosphorylation of glycerol but are surprisingly impacted by a glucose breakdown pathway, suggesting that it is glycerol utilization, and not its mere presence or cellular import, that stimulates biofilm phenotypes. Moreover, the same mutations that block glycerol-stimulated biofilm phenotypes also impact P. aeruginosa virulence in both acute and chronic animal models. Notably, a glucose-breakdown mutant (Δedd) counteracts biofilm phenotypes but shows enhanced virulence and stimulates a stronger immune response in Caenorhabditis elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somalisa Pan
- Department of Microbiology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | | | - Christopher W. Hamm
- Department of Microbiology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Mylissa A. Stover
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, OSU Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Daxton R. Butler
- Department of Microbiology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Crystal A. Shults
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, OSU Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Jacob R. Manjarrez
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, OSU Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Matthew T. Cabeen
- Department of Microbiology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
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Singh J, Hunt S, Simonds S, Boyton C, Middleton A, Elias M, Towns S, Pandit C, Robinson P, Fitzgerald DA, Selvadurai H. The changing epidemiology of pulmonary infection in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis: an 18-year experience. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9056. [PMID: 38643191 PMCID: PMC11032396 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59658-4] [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: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The impact of evolving treatment regimens, airway clearance strategies, and antibiotic combinations on the incidence and prevalence of respiratory infection in cystic fibrosis (CF) in children and adolescents remains unclear. The incidence, prevalence, and prescription trends from 2002 to 2019 with 18,339 airway samples were analysed. Staphylococcus aureus [- 3.86% (95% CI - 5.28-2.43)] showed the largest annual decline in incidence, followed by Haemophilus influenzae [- 3.46% (95% CI - 4.95-1.96)] and Pseudomonas aeruginosa [- 2.80%95% CI (- 4.26-1.34)]. Non-tuberculous mycobacteria and Burkholderia cepacia showed a non-significant increase in incidence. A similar pattern of change in prevalence was observed. No change in trend was observed in infants < 2 years of age. The mean age of the first isolation of S. aureus (p < 0.001), P. aeruginosa (p < 0.001), H. influenza (p < 0.001), Serratia marcescens (p = 0.006) and Aspergillus fumigatus (p = 0.02) have increased. Nebulised amikacin (+ 3.09 ± 2.24 prescription/year, p = 0.003) and colistin (+ 1.95 ± 0.3 prescriptions/year, p = 0.032) were increasingly prescribed, while tobramycin (- 8.46 ± 4.7 prescriptions/year, p < 0.001) showed a decrease in prescription. Dornase alfa and hypertonic saline nebulisation prescription increased by 16.74 ± 4.1 prescriptions/year and 24 ± 4.6 prescriptions/year (p < 0.001). There is a shift in CF among respiratory pathogens and prescriptions which reflects the evolution of cystic fibrosis treatment strategies over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagdev Singh
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Department of Pharmacy, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Sharon Hunt
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sharon Simonds
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christie Boyton
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anna Middleton
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthew Elias
- Department of Pharmacy, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Susan Towns
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Chetan Pandit
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Paul Robinson
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dominic A Fitzgerald
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hiran Selvadurai
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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13
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Seixas AMM, Silva C, Marques JMM, Mateus P, Rodríguez-Ortega MJ, Feliciano JR, Leitão JH, Sousa SA. Surface-Exposed Protein Moieties of Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315 in Microaerophilic and Aerobic Conditions. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:398. [PMID: 38675780 PMCID: PMC11054960 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12040398] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia cepacia complex infections remain life-threatening to cystic fibrosis patients, and due to the limited eradication efficiency of current treatments, novel antimicrobial therapies are urgently needed. Surface proteins are among the best targets to develop new therapeutic strategies since they are exposed to the host's immune system. A surface-shaving approach was performed using Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315 to quantitatively compare the relative abundance of surface-exposed proteins (SEPs) expressed by the bacterium when grown under aerobic and microaerophilic conditions. After trypsin incubation of live bacteria and identification of resulting peptides by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, a total of 461 proteins with ≥2 unique peptides were identified. Bioinformatics analyses revealed a total of 53 proteins predicted as localized at the outer membrane (OM) or extracellularly (E). Additionally, 37 proteins were predicted as moonlight proteins with OM or E secondary localization. B-cell linear epitope bioinformatics analysis of the proteins predicted to be OM and E-localized revealed 71 SEP moieties with predicted immunogenic epitopes. The protegenicity higher scores of proteins BCAM2761, BCAS0104, BCAL0151, and BCAL0849 point out these proteins as the best antigens for vaccine development. Additionally, 10 of the OM proteins also presented a high probability of playing important roles in adhesion to host cells, making them potential targets for passive immunotherapeutic approaches. The immunoreactivity of three of the OM proteins identified was experimentally demonstrated using serum samples from cystic fibrosis patients, validating our strategy for identifying immunoreactive moieties from surface-exposed proteins of potential interest for future immunotherapies development.
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Affiliation(s)
- António M. M. Seixas
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (J.M.M.M.); (P.M.); (J.R.F.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carolina Silva
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (J.M.M.M.); (P.M.); (J.R.F.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joana M. M. Marques
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (J.M.M.M.); (P.M.); (J.R.F.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Mateus
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (J.M.M.M.); (P.M.); (J.R.F.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Manuel J. Rodríguez-Ortega
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Excelencia Internacional CeiA3, 14071 Córdoba, Spain;
| | - Joana R. Feliciano
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (J.M.M.M.); (P.M.); (J.R.F.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jorge H. Leitão
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (J.M.M.M.); (P.M.); (J.R.F.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sílvia A. Sousa
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (J.M.M.M.); (P.M.); (J.R.F.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
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14
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David A, Tahrioui A, Duchesne R, Tareau AS, Maillot O, Barreau M, Feuilloley MGJ, Lesouhaitier O, Cornelis P, Bouffartigues E, Chevalier S. Membrane fluidity homeostasis is required for tobramycin-enhanced biofilm in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0230323. [PMID: 38411953 PMCID: PMC10986583 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02303-23] [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: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen, which causes chronic infections, especially in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients where it colonizes the lungs via the build-up of biofilms. Tobramycin, an aminoglycoside, is often used to treat P. aeruginosa infections in CF patients. Tobramycin at sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations enhances both biofilm biomass and thickness in vitro; however, the mechanism(s) involved are still unknown. Herein, we show that tobramycin increases the expression and activity of SigX, an extracytoplasmic sigma factor known to be involved in the biosynthesis of membrane lipids and membrane fluidity homeostasis. The biofilm enhancement by tobramycin is not observed in a sigX mutant, and the sigX mutant displays increased membrane stiffness. Remarkably, the addition of polysorbate 80 increases membrane fluidity of sigX-mutant cells in biofilm, restoring the tobramycin-enhanced biofilm formation. Our results suggest the involvement of membrane fluidity homeostasis in biofilm development upon tobramycin exposure.IMPORTANCEPrevious studies have shown that sub-lethal concentrations of tobramycin led to an increase biofilm formation in the case of infections with the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We show that the mechanism involved in this phenotype relies on the cell envelope stress response, triggered by the extracytoplasmic sigma factor SigX. This phenotype was abolished in a sigX-mutant strain. Remarkably, we show that increasing the membrane fluidity of the mutant strain is sufficient to restore the effect of tobramycin. Altogether, our data suggest the involvement of membrane fluidity homeostasis in biofilm development upon tobramycin exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey David
- Unité de recherche Communication Bactérienne et Stratégies Anti-infectieuses, CBSA UR4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Université, Evreux, France
- Fédération de Recherche Normande Sécurité Sanitaire, bien être, Aliment Durable (SéSAD), Evreux, France
| | - Ali Tahrioui
- Unité de recherche Communication Bactérienne et Stratégies Anti-infectieuses, CBSA UR4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Université, Evreux, France
- Fédération de Recherche Normande Sécurité Sanitaire, bien être, Aliment Durable (SéSAD), Evreux, France
| | - Rachel Duchesne
- Unité de recherche Communication Bactérienne et Stratégies Anti-infectieuses, CBSA UR4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Université, Evreux, France
- Fédération de Recherche Normande Sécurité Sanitaire, bien être, Aliment Durable (SéSAD), Evreux, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Tareau
- Unité de recherche Communication Bactérienne et Stratégies Anti-infectieuses, CBSA UR4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Université, Evreux, France
- Fédération de Recherche Normande Sécurité Sanitaire, bien être, Aliment Durable (SéSAD), Evreux, France
| | - Olivier Maillot
- Unité de recherche Communication Bactérienne et Stratégies Anti-infectieuses, CBSA UR4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Université, Evreux, France
- Fédération de Recherche Normande Sécurité Sanitaire, bien être, Aliment Durable (SéSAD), Evreux, France
| | - Magalie Barreau
- Unité de recherche Communication Bactérienne et Stratégies Anti-infectieuses, CBSA UR4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Université, Evreux, France
- Fédération de Recherche Normande Sécurité Sanitaire, bien être, Aliment Durable (SéSAD), Evreux, France
| | - Marc G. J. Feuilloley
- Unité de recherche Communication Bactérienne et Stratégies Anti-infectieuses, CBSA UR4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Université, Evreux, France
- Fédération de Recherche Normande Sécurité Sanitaire, bien être, Aliment Durable (SéSAD), Evreux, France
| | - Olivier Lesouhaitier
- Unité de recherche Communication Bactérienne et Stratégies Anti-infectieuses, CBSA UR4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Université, Evreux, France
- Fédération de Recherche Normande Sécurité Sanitaire, bien être, Aliment Durable (SéSAD), Evreux, France
| | - Pierre Cornelis
- Unité de recherche Communication Bactérienne et Stratégies Anti-infectieuses, CBSA UR4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Université, Evreux, France
- Fédération de Recherche Normande Sécurité Sanitaire, bien être, Aliment Durable (SéSAD), Evreux, France
| | - Emeline Bouffartigues
- Unité de recherche Communication Bactérienne et Stratégies Anti-infectieuses, CBSA UR4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Université, Evreux, France
- Fédération de Recherche Normande Sécurité Sanitaire, bien être, Aliment Durable (SéSAD), Evreux, France
| | - Sylvie Chevalier
- Unité de recherche Communication Bactérienne et Stratégies Anti-infectieuses, CBSA UR4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Université, Evreux, France
- Fédération de Recherche Normande Sécurité Sanitaire, bien être, Aliment Durable (SéSAD), Evreux, France
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15
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Perdijk O, Azzoni R, Marsland BJ. The microbiome: an integral player in immune homeostasis and inflammation in the respiratory tract. Physiol Rev 2024; 104:835-879. [PMID: 38059886 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00020.2023] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The last decade of microbiome research has highlighted its fundamental role in systemic immune and metabolic homeostasis. The microbiome plays a prominent role during gestation and into early life, when maternal lifestyle factors shape immune development of the newborn. Breast milk further shapes gut colonization, supporting the development of tolerance to commensal bacteria and harmless antigens while preventing outgrowth of pathogens. Environmental microbial and lifestyle factors that disrupt this process can dysregulate immune homeostasis, predisposing infants to atopic disease and childhood asthma. In health, the low-biomass lung microbiome, together with inhaled environmental microbial constituents, establishes the immunological set point that is necessary to maintain pulmonary immune defense. However, in disease perturbations to immunological and physiological processes allow the upper respiratory tract to act as a reservoir of pathogenic bacteria, which can colonize the diseased lung and cause severe inflammation. Studying these host-microbe interactions in respiratory diseases holds great promise to stratify patients for suitable treatment regimens and biomarker discovery to predict disease progression. Preclinical studies show that commensal gut microbes are in a constant flux of cell division and death, releasing microbial constituents, metabolic by-products, and vesicles that shape the immune system and can protect against respiratory diseases. The next major advances may come from testing and utilizing these microbial factors for clinical benefit and exploiting the predictive power of the microbiome by employing multiomics analysis approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaf Perdijk
- Department of Immunology, School of Translational Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rossana Azzoni
- Department of Immunology, School of Translational Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Benjamin J Marsland
- Department of Immunology, School of Translational Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Yun S, Huang J, Zhang M, Wang X, Wang X, Zhou Y. Preliminary identification and semi-quantitative characterization of a multi-faceted high-stability alginate lyase from marine microbe Seonamhaeicola algicola with anti-biofilm effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Enzyme Microb Technol 2024; 175:110408. [PMID: 38309052 DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2024.110408] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Alginate lyases with unique characteristics for degrading alginate into size-defined oligosaccharide fractions, were considered as the potential agents for disrupting Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. In our study, a novel endolytic PL-7 alginate lyase, named AlyG2, was cloned and expressed through Escherichia coli. This enzyme exhibited excellent properties: it maintained more than 85% activity at low temperatures of 4 °C and high temperatures of 70 °C. After 1 h of incubation at 4 °C, it still retained over 95% activity, demonstrating the ability to withstand low temperature. The acid-base and salt tolerance properties shown it preserves more than 50% activity in the pH range of 5.0 to 11.0 and in a high salt environment at 3000 mM NacCl, indicating its high stability in several aspects. More importantly, AlyG2 in our research was revealed to be effective at removing mature biofilms and inhibiting biofilm formation produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the inhibition and disruption rates were 47.25 ± 4.52% and 26.5 ± 6.72%, respectively. Additionally, the enzyme AlyG2 promoted biofilm disruption in combination with antibiotics, particularly manifesting the synergistic effect with erythromycin (FIC=0.5). In all, these results offered that AlyG2 with unique characteristics may be an effective technique for the clearance or disruption of biofilm produced by P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaiting Yun
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Jinping Huang
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Mingjing Zhang
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Xueting Wang
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Xiaochen Wang
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Yanxia Zhou
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China.
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17
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Li L, Guo B, Dai L, Liu C, Lin Z. Ebselen and TPI-1, as RecG helicase inhibitors, potently enhance the susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to DNA damage agents. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 222:116051. [PMID: 38354956 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116051] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Holliday junction (HJ) is a four-way structured DNA intermediate in processes of homologous recombination and DNA double-stranded break (DSB) repair. In bacteria, HJs are processed via either the RuvABC or RecG-dependent pathways. In addition, RecG also plays a critical role in the reactivation of stalled replication forks, making it an attractive target for antibacterial drug development. Here, we conducted a high-throughput screening targeting the RecG helicase from a common opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa). From a library containing 7920 compounds, we identified Ebselen and TPI-1 (2',5'-Dichloro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2,5-dione) as two potent PaRecG inhibitors, with IC50 values of 0.31 ± 0.02 μM and 1.16 ± 0.06 μM, respectively. Further biochemical analyses suggested that both Ebselen and TPI-1 inhibited the ATPase activity of PaRecG, and hindered its binding to HJ DNA with high selectivity. These compounds, when combined with our previously reported RuvAB inhibitors, resulted in more severe DNA repair defects than the individual treatment, and potently enhanced the susceptibility of P. aeruginosa to the DNA damage agents. This work reports novel small molecule inhibitors of RecG, offering valuable chemical tools for advancing our understanding of RecG's function and mechanism. Additionally, these inhibitors might be further developed as promising antibacterial agents in the fight against P. aeruginosa infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longheng Li
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Binbin Guo
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Lin Dai
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Chun Liu
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China.
| | - Zhonghui Lin
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China.
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18
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Fashina B, Deng Y, Cagin T, Cygan R. Insights on adsorption of pyocyanin in montmorillonite using molecular dynamics simulation. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:10310-10322. [PMID: 38498351 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05762c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Pyocyanin is an important virulence factor in the resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to antibiotics. Pyocyanin is a planar three ring aromatic molecule that occurs as zwitterionic (PYO) or protonated species (PYOH+). Our earlier studies have shown that montmorillonite, through adsorption and transformation, can inactivate both PYO and PYOH+ in the interlayer space. The objective of this study was to elucidate the interaction mechanisms between montmorillonite and the adsorbed pyocyanin and to characterize the structure of the pyocyanin-montmorillonite complex via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The MD simulations were performed for the complexes of hydrated Na-montmorillonite (HM) with (i) neutral pyocyanin (HMP) and (ii) protonated pyocyanin (HMPH); and dehydrated Na-montmorillonite (DM) with (iii) neutral pyocyanin (DMP) and (iv) protonated pyocyanin (DMPH). The simulations indicated that in dry conditions, both PYO and PYOH+ were well-ordered in the midplane of the interlayer of montmorillonite, with the three aromatic rings almost parallel to the basal surface and sandwiched in-between basal surface-adsorbed Na+ planes. In humid conditions, the pyocyanin and Na+ were solvated in the interlayer space and the pyocyanin was less ordered compared to dehydrated models. Ion-dipole interaction (Na-O) was the dominant interaction for the dehydrated complexes DMPH and DMP but the interaction was stronger in the latter. The Na-O ion-dipole interaction remained the dominant interaction in hydrated HMP while in HMPH, water outcompeted PYOH+ for Na+ resulting in water-Na interaction being the dominant interaction. These results revealed the arrangement of the two species of pyocyanin in the interlayer spaces of montmorillonite and the mechanism of interaction between the pyocyanin and montmorillonite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bidemi Fashina
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2474, USA.
- Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories, P. O. Box 5800-0754, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87123, USA
| | - Youjun Deng
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2474, USA.
| | - Tahir Cagin
- Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, TX 77843-2474, USA
| | - Randall Cygan
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2474, USA.
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19
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Chen Q, Cai P, Chang THW, Burgener E, Kratochvil MJ, Gupta A, Hargil A, Secor PR, Nielsen JE, Barron AE, Milla C, Heilshorn SC, Spakowitz A, Bollyky PL. Pf bacteriophages hinder sputum antibiotic diffusion via electrostatic binding. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.10.584330. [PMID: 38496625 PMCID: PMC10942440 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.10.584330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Despite great progress in the field, chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis, necessitating treatment with inhaled antibiotics. Pf phage is a filamentous bacteriophage produced by Pa that has been reported to act as a structural element in Pa biofilms. Pf presence has been associated with resistance to antibiotics and poor outcomes in cystic fibrosis, though the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, we have investigated how Pf phages and sputum biopolymers impede antibiotic diffusion using human sputum samples and fluorescent recovery after photobleaching. We demonstrate that tobramycin interacts with Pf phages and sputum polymers through electrostatic interactions. We also developed a set of mathematical models to analyze the complex observations. Our analysis suggests that Pf phages in sputum reduce the diffusion of charged antibiotics due to a greater binding constant associated with organized liquid crystalline structures formed between Pf phages and sputum polymers. This study provides insights into antibiotic tolerance mechanisms in chronic Pa infections and may offer potential strategies for novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingquan Chen
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Pam Cai
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305
| | - Tony Hong Wei Chang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Elizabeth Burgener
- Center for Excellence in Pulmonary Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90027
| | - Michael J. Kratochvil
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 476 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Aditi Gupta
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Aviv Hargil
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Patrick R. Secor
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, United States
| | - Josefine Eilsø Nielsen
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Medicine & School of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Annelise E. Barron
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Medicine & School of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Carlos Milla
- Center for Excellence in Pulmonary Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Sarah C. Heilshorn
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 476 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Andy Spakowitz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 476 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Paul L. Bollyky
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
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20
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Kang D, Xu Q, Kirienko NV. In vitro lung epithelial cell model reveals novel roles for Pseudomonas aeruginosa siderophores. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0369323. [PMID: 38311809 PMCID: PMC10913452 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03693-23] [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: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The multidrug-resistant pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common nosocomial respiratory pathogen that continues to threaten the lives of patients with mechanical ventilation in intensive care units and those with underlying comorbidities such as cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For over 20 years, studies have repeatedly demonstrated that the major siderophore pyoverdine is an important virulence factor for P. aeruginosa in invertebrate and mammalian hosts in vivo. Despite its physiological significance, an in vitro, mammalian cell culture model that can be used to characterize the impact and molecular mechanisms of pyoverdine-mediated virulence has only been developed very recently. In this study, we adapt a previously-established, murine macrophage-based model to use human bronchial epithelial (16HBE) cells. We demonstrate that conditioned medium from P. aeruginosa induced rapid 16HBE cell death through the pyoverdine-dependent secretion of cytotoxic rhamnolipids. Genetic or chemical disruption of pyoverdine biosynthesis decreased rhamnolipid production and mitigated cell death. Consistent with these observations, chemical depletion of lipids or genetic disruption of rhamnolipid biosynthesis abrogated the toxicity of the conditioned medium. Furthermore, we also examine the effects of exposure to purified pyoverdine on 16HBE cells. While pyoverdine accumulated within cells, it was largely sequestered within early endosomes, resulting in minimal cytotoxicity. More membrane-permeable iron chelators, such as the siderophore pyochelin, decreased epithelial cell viability and upregulated several pro-inflammatory genes. However, pyoverdine potentiated these iron chelators in activating pro-inflammatory pathways. Altogether, these findings suggest that the siderophores pyoverdine and pyochelin play distinct roles in virulence during acute P. aeruginosa lung infection. IMPORTANCE Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a versatile bacterium that frequently causes lung infections. This pathogen is life-threatening to mechanically-ventilated patients in intensive care units and is a debilitating burden for individuals with cystic fibrosis. However, the role of P. aeruginosa virulence factors and their regulation during infection are not fully understood. Previous murine lung infection studies have demonstrated that the production of siderophores (e.g., pyoverdine and pyochelin) is necessary for full P. aeruginosa virulence. In this report, we provide further mechanistic insight into this phenomenon. We characterize distinct and novel ways these siderophores contribute to virulence using an in vitro human lung epithelial cell culture model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghoon Kang
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Qi Xu
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
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21
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Waterlow NR, Cooper BS, Robotham JV, Knight GM. Antimicrobial resistance prevalence in bloodstream infection in 29 European countries by age and sex: An observational study. PLoS Med 2024; 21:e1004301. [PMID: 38484006 PMCID: PMC10939247 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antibiotic usage, contact with high transmission healthcare settings as well as changes in immune system function all vary by a patient's age and sex. Yet, most analyses of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) ignore demographic indicators and provide only country-level resistance prevalence values. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by quantifying how resistance prevalence and incidence of bloodstream infection (BSI) varied by age and sex across bacteria and antibiotics in Europe. METHODS AND FINDINGS We used patient-level data collected as part of routine surveillance between 2015 and 2019 on BSIs in 29 European countries from the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net). A total of 6,862,577 susceptibility results from isolates with age, sex, and spatial information from 944,520 individuals were used to characterise resistance prevalence patterns for 38 different bacterial species and antibiotic combinations, and 47% of these susceptibility results were from females, with a similar age distribution in both sexes (mean of 66 years old). A total of 349,448 isolates from 2019 with age and sex metadata were used to calculate incidence. We fit Bayesian multilevel regression models by country, laboratory code, sex, age, and year of sample to quantify resistant prevalence and provide estimates of country-, bacteria-, and drug-family effect variation. We explore our results in greater depths for 2 of the most clinically important bacteria-antibiotic combinations (aminopenicillin resistance in Escherichia coli and methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus) and present a simplifying indicative index of the difference in predicted resistance between old (aged 100) and young (aged 1). At the European level, we find distinct patterns in resistance prevalence by age. Trends often vary more within an antibiotic family, such as fluroquinolones, than within a bacterial species, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Clear resistance increases by age for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) contrast with a peak in resistance to several antibiotics at approximately 30 years of age for P. aeruginosa. For most bacterial species, there was a u-shaped pattern of infection incidence with age, which was higher in males. An important exception was E. coli, for which there was an elevated incidence in females between the ages of 15 and 40. At the country-level, subnational differences account for a large amount of resistance variation (approximately 38%), and there are a range of functional forms for the associations between age and resistance prevalence. For MRSA, age trends were mostly positive, with 72% (n = 21) of countries seeing an increased resistance between males aged 1 and 100 years and a greater change in resistance in males. This compares to age trends for aminopenicillin resistance in E. coli which were mostly negative (males: 93% (n = 27) of countries see decreased resistance between those aged 1 and 100 years) with a smaller change in resistance in females. A change in resistance prevalence between those aged 1 and 100 years ranged up to 0.51 (median, 95% quantile of model simulated prevalence using posterior parameter ranges 0.48, 0.55 in males) for MRSA in one country but varied between 0.16 (95% quantile 0.12, 0.21 in females) to -0.27 (95% quantile -0.4, -0.15 in males) across individual countries for aminopenicillin resistance in E. coli. Limitations include potential bias due to the nature of routine surveillance and dependency of results on model structure. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we found that the prevalence of resistance in BSIs in Europe varies substantially by bacteria and antibiotic over the age and sex of the patient shedding new light on gaps in our understanding of AMR epidemiology. Future work is needed to determine the drivers of these associations in order to more effectively target transmission and antibiotic stewardship interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi R. Waterlow
- Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, EPH, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ben S. Cooper
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Julie V. Robotham
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in Partnership with the UK Health Security Agency, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gwenan Mary Knight
- Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, EPH, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- AMR Centre, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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22
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Thakur S, Ankita, Dash S, Verma R, Kaur C, Kumar R, Mazumder A, Singh G. Understanding CFTR Functionality: A Comprehensive Review of Tests and Modulator Therapy in Cystic Fibrosis. Cell Biochem Biophys 2024; 82:15-34. [PMID: 38048024 DOI: 10.1007/s12013-023-01200-w] [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: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. It is caused by a mutation in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene on chromosome 7, which leads to abnormal regulation of chloride and bicarbonate ions in cells that line organs like the lungs and pancreas. The CFTR protein plays a crucial role in regulating chloride ion flow, and its absence or malfunction causes the production of thick mucus that affects several organs. There are more than 2000 identified mutations that are classified into seven categories based on their dysfunction mechanisms. In this article, we have conducted a thorough examination and consolidation of the diverse array of tests essential for the quantification of CFTR functionality. Furthermore, we have engaged in a comprehensive discourse regarding the recent advancements in CFTR modulator therapy, a pivotal approach utilized for the management of cystic fibrosis, alongside its concomitant relevance in evaluating CFTR functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shorya Thakur
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Panjab, India
| | - Ankita
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Panjab, India
| | - Shubham Dash
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Panjab, India
| | - Rupali Verma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Panjab, India
| | - Charanjit Kaur
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Panjab, India
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Panjab, India
| | - Avijit Mazumder
- Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology (Pharmacy Institute), Greater Noida, UP, India
| | - Gurvinder Singh
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Panjab, India.
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23
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Seixas AMM, Gomes SC, Silva C, Moreira LM, Leitão JH, Sousa SA. A Polyclonal Antibody against a Burkholderia cenocepacia OmpA-like Protein Strongly Impairs Pseudomonas aeruginosa and B. multivorans Virulence. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:207. [PMID: 38400190 PMCID: PMC10892634 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12020207] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in therapies, bacterial chronic respiratory infections persist as life-threatening to patients suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF). Pseudomonas aeruginosa and bacteria of the Burkholderia cepacia complex are among the most difficult of these infections to treat, due to factors like their resistance to multiple antibiotics and ability to form biofilms. The lack of effective antimicrobial strategies prompted our search for alternative immunotherapies that can effectively control and reduce those infections among CF patients. Previous work from our group showed that the anti-BCAL2645 goat polyclonal antibody strongly inhibited Burkholderia cenocepacia to adhere and invade cultured epithelial cells. In this work, we showed that the polyclonal antibody anti-BCAL2645 also strongly inhibited the ability of P. aeruginosa to form biofilms, and to adhere and invade the human bronchial epithelial cell line CFBE41o-. The polyclonal antibody also inhibited, to a lesser extent, the ability of B. multivorans to adhere and invade the human bronchial epithelial cell line CFBE41o. We also show that the ability of B. cenocepacia, P. aeruginosa and B. multivorans to kill larvae of the Galleria mellonella model of infection was impaired when bacteria were incubated with the anti-BCAL2645 antibody prior to the infection. Our findings show that an antibody against BCAL2645 possesses a significant potential for the development of new immunotherapies against these three important bacterial species capable of causing devastating and often lethal infections among CF patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- António M. M. Seixas
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (S.C.G.); (C.S.); (L.M.M.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sara C. Gomes
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (S.C.G.); (C.S.); (L.M.M.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carolina Silva
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (S.C.G.); (C.S.); (L.M.M.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Leonilde M. Moreira
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (S.C.G.); (C.S.); (L.M.M.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jorge H. Leitão
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (S.C.G.); (C.S.); (L.M.M.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sílvia A. Sousa
- Department of Bioengineering, IBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.M.M.S.); (S.C.G.); (C.S.); (L.M.M.)
- Associate Laboratory, i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
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24
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Seidl E, Licht JC, de Vries R, Ratjen F, Grasemann H. Exhaled Breath Analysis Detects the Clearance of Staphylococcus aureus from the Airways of Children with Cystic Fibrosis. Biomedicines 2024; 12:431. [PMID: 38398033 PMCID: PMC10887307 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12020431] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electronic nose (eNose) technology can be used to characterize volatile organic compound (VOC) mixes in breath. While previous reports have shown that eNose can detect lung infections with pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus (SA) in people with cystic fibrosis (CF), the clinical utility of eNose for longitudinally monitoring SA infection status is unknown. METHODS In this longitudinal study, a cloud-connected eNose, the SpiroNose, was used for the breath profile analysis of children with CF at two stable visits and compared based on changes in SA infection status between visits. Data analysis involved advanced sensor signal processing, ambient correction, and statistics based on the comparison of breath profiles between baseline and follow-up visits. RESULTS Seventy-two children with CF, with a mean (IQR) age of 13.8 (9.8-16.4) years, were studied. In those with SA-positive airway cultures at baseline but SA-negative cultures at follow-up (n = 19), significant signal differences were detected between Baseline and Follow-up at three distinct eNose sensors, i.e., S4 (p = 0.047), S6 (p = 0.014), and S7 (p = 0.014). Sensor signal changes with the clearance of SA from airways were unrelated to antibiotic treatment. No changes in sensor signals were seen in patients with unchanged infection status between visits. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate the potential applicability of the eNose as a non-invasive clinical tool to longitudinally monitor pulmonary SA infection status in children with CF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Seidl
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; (E.S.); (J.-C.L.); (F.R.)
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johann-Christoph Licht
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; (E.S.); (J.-C.L.); (F.R.)
| | - Rianne de Vries
- Breathomix BV, Bargelaan 200, 2333 CW Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Felix Ratjen
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; (E.S.); (J.-C.L.); (F.R.)
- Translational Medicine Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Hartmut Grasemann
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; (E.S.); (J.-C.L.); (F.R.)
- Translational Medicine Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
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Peet JJY, Phan AD, Oglesby AG, Nolan EM. Iron Sequestration by Murine Calprotectin Induces Starvation Responses in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:688-700. [PMID: 38261753 PMCID: PMC11273327 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00539] [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: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Pathogen sensing by the mammalian host induces a pro-inflammatory response that involves release of the antimicrobial metal-sequestering protein calprotectin (CP, S100A8/S100A9 heterooligomer, MRP8/MRP14 heterooligomer) from neutrophils. Biochemical investigations on human CP (hCP) have informed the molecular basis of how this protein sequesters metal ions. Murine models of infection have provided invaluable insights into the ability of murine CP (mCP) to compete with bacterial pathogens for essential metal nutrients. Despite this extensive work, our knowledge of how mCP sequesters metals from bacterial pathogens and its impacts on bacterial physiology is limited. Moreover, whether mCP sequesters iron and induces iron-starvation responses in bacterial pathogens has not been evaluated. Here, we examine the ability of mCP to withhold iron from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that causes severe infections in immunocompromised individuals and cystic fibrosis patients. We demonstrate that mCP prevents iron uptake and induces iron-starvation responses in P. aeruginosa laboratory strains PA14 and PAO1 and the JSRI-1 clinical isolate from a cystic fibrosis patient. We also show that mCP prevents iron uptake and induces an iron-starvation response in the Gram-positive bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. The His6 site of mCP is the iron-sequestering site; it exhibits Ca(II)-dependent Fe(II) affinity and binds Fe(II) with subpicomolar affinity in the presence of excess Ca(II) ions. This work is important for understanding the structure, function, and physiological consequences of mCP and how the mammalian host and bacterial pathogens compete for essential metal nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet J. Y. Peet
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Angelica D. Phan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Amanda G. Oglesby
- School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21021, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Nolan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Cao L, Wu Y, Gong Y, Zhou Q. Small molecule modulators of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR): Structure, classification, and mechanisms. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 265:116120. [PMID: 38194776 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.116120] [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: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
The advent of small molecule modulators targeting the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has revolutionized the treatment of persons with cystic fibrosis (CF) (pwCF). Presently, these small molecule CFTR modulators have gained approval for usage in approximately 90 % of adult pwCF. Ongoing drug development endeavors are focused on optimizing the therapeutic benefits while mitigating potential adverse effects associated with this treatment approach. Based on their mode of interaction with CFTR, these drugs can be classified into two distinct categories: specific CFTR modulators and non-specific CFTR modulators. Specific CFTR modulators encompass potentiators and correctors, whereas non-specific CFTR modulators encompass activators, proteostasis modulators, stabilizers, reader-through agents, and amplifiers. Currently, four small molecule modulators, all classified as potentiators and correctors, have obtained marketing approval. Furthermore, numerous novel small molecule modulators, exhibiting diverse mechanisms of action, are currently undergoing development. This review aims to explore the classification, mechanisms of action, molecular structures, developmental processes, and interrelationships among small molecule CFTR modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyang Cao
- China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China
| | - Yong Wu
- Jiangsu Vcare PharmaTech Co., Ltd., Huakang Road 136, Biotech and Pharmaceutical Valley, Jiangbei New Area, Nanjing, 211800, PR China
| | - Yanchun Gong
- Jiangsu Vcare PharmaTech Co., Ltd., Huakang Road 136, Biotech and Pharmaceutical Valley, Jiangbei New Area, Nanjing, 211800, PR China.
| | - Qingfa Zhou
- China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
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Sawicki GS, Wicha WW, Hiley TS, Close NC, Gelone SP, Guico-Pabia CJ. Safety and Pharmacokinetics Following Oral or Intravenous Lefamulin in Adults With Cystic Fibrosis. Clin Ther 2024; 46:96-103. [PMID: 38195348 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2023.12.002] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections are increasing in prevalence in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and are associated with worsening lung function and increased mortality. Lefamulin is a pleuromutilin antimicrobial approved to treat community-acquired bacterial pneumonia based on potent in vitro activity and clinical efficacy. This Phase I, open-label, randomized crossover study assessed the safety and pharmacokinetic profile of oral and intravenous (IV) lefamulin in adults with CF. METHODS The study comprised 2 dosing periods in which adults with CF (N = 13) received a single dose of lefamulin via a 150-mg IV infusion or 600-mg immediate-release orally administered tablet, separated by a 4- to 7-day washout period. Pharmacokinetic and safety parameters were assessed after lefamulin treatment. FINDINGS Single doses of lefamulin administered via oral tablet or IV infusion resulted in comparable drug exposure, and sputum analysis suggested rapid penetration of lefamulin into the lung. Comparison of the present results with those obtained from prior single-dose studies of healthy volunteers indicate no meaningful difference in the pharmacokinetic properties of lefamulin in patients with CF. Treatment-emergent adverse events were consistent with previous reports, and the majority were mild in severity. IMPLICATIONS These results show similar lefamulin pharmacokinetic and safety profiles between patients with CF and healthy volunteers receiving the same oral and IV doses, suggesting no need for lefamulin dose adjustment in patients with CF and indicating the potential of lefamulin as therapy for lung infections in patients with CF. CLINICALTRIALS gov identifier: NCT05225805.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tara S Hiley
- Nabriva Therapeutics US, Inc, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Steven P Gelone
- Nabriva Therapeutics US, Inc, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, USA
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Rano S, Bhaduri A, Singh M. Nanoparticle-based platforms for targeted drug delivery to the pulmonary system as therapeutics to curb cystic fibrosis: A review. J Microbiol Methods 2024; 217-218:106876. [PMID: 38135160 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2023.106876] [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: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder of the respiratory system caused by mutation of the Cystic Fibrosis Trans-Membrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene that affects a huge number of people worldwide. It results in difficulty breathing due to a large accumulation of mucus in the respiratory tract, resulting in serious bacterial infections, and subsequent death. Traditional drug-based treatments face hindered penetration at the site of action due to the thick mucus layer. Nanotechnology offers possibilities for developing advanced and effective treatment platforms by focusing on drugs that can penetrate the dense mucus layer, fighting against the underlying bacterial infections, and targeting the genetic cause of the disease. In this review, current nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery platforms for CF, challenges in therapeutics, and future prospects have been highlighted. The effectiveness of the different types of nano-based systems conjugated with various drugs to combat the symptoms and the challenges of treating CF are brought into focus. The toxic effects of these nano-medicines and the various factors that are responsible for their effectiveness are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujoy Rano
- Department of Biotechnology, Haldia Institute of Technology, HIT Campus, Purba Medinipur, Haldia 721657, West Bengal, India; In-vitro Biology, Aragen Life Sciences, Hyderabad 500076, Telangana, India
| | - Ahana Bhaduri
- Department of Biotechnology, Haldia Institute of Technology, HIT Campus, Purba Medinipur, Haldia 721657, West Bengal, India
| | - Mukesh Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Haldia Institute of Technology, HIT Campus, Purba Medinipur, Haldia 721657, West Bengal, India; Department of Botany, Kabi Nazrul College, Murarai, Birbhum 731219 (West Bengal), India.
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29
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Ambreetha S, Zincke D, Balachandar D, Mathee K. Genomic and metabolic versatility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa contributes to its inter-kingdom transmission and survival. J Med Microbiol 2024; 73. [PMID: 38362900 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001791] [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: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most versatile bacteria with renowned pathogenicity and extensive drug resistance. The diverse habitats of this bacterium include fresh, saline and drainage waters, soil, moist surfaces, taps, showerheads, pipelines, medical implants, nematodes, insects, plants, animals, birds and humans. The arsenal of virulence factors produced by P. aeruginosa includes pyocyanin, rhamnolipids, siderophores, lytic enzymes, toxins and polysaccharides. All these virulent elements coupled with intrinsic, adaptive and acquired antibiotic resistance facilitate persistent colonization and lethal infections in different hosts. To date, treating pulmonary diseases remains complicated due to the chronic secondary infections triggered by hospital-acquired P. aeruginosa. On the contrary, this bacterium can improve plant growth by suppressing phytopathogens and insects. Notably, P. aeruginosa is one of the very few bacteria capable of trans-kingdom transmission and infection. Transfer of P. aeruginosa strains from plant materials to hospital wards, animals to humans, and humans to their pets occurs relatively often. Recently, we have identified that plant-associated P. aeruginosa strains could be pathologically similar to clinical isolates. In this review, we have highlighted the genomic and metabolic factors that facilitate the dominance of P. aeruginosa across different biological kingdoms and the varying roles of this bacterium in plant and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakthivel Ambreetha
- Developmental Biology and Genetics, Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Diansy Zincke
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Dananjeyan Balachandar
- Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Kalai Mathee
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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Guan C, Huang Y, Zhou Y, Han Y, Liu S, Liu S, Kong W, Wang T, Zhang Y. FlhF affects the subcellular clustering of WspR through HsbR in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0154823. [PMID: 38112425 PMCID: PMC10807432 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01548-23] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In bacteria, the second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is synthesized and degraded by multiple diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) and phosphodiesterases. A high level of c-di-GMP induces biofilm formation and represses motility. WspR, a hybrid response regulator DGC, produces c-di-GMP when it is phosphorylated. FlhF, a signal recognition particle-type GTPase, is initially localized to the cell poles and is indispensable for polar flagellar localization in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In this study, we report that deletion of flhF affected biofilm formation and the c-di-GMP level in P. aeruginosa. Phenotypic analysis of a flhF knockout mutant revealed increased biofilm formation, wrinkled colonies on Congo red agar, and an elevated c-di-GMP level compared to the wild-type strain, PAO1. Yeast and bacterial two-hybrid systems showed that FlhF binds to the response regulator HsbR, and HsbR binds to WspR. Deletion of hsbR or wspR in the ΔflhF background abolished the phenotype of ΔflhF. In addition, confocal microscopy demonstrated that WspR-GFP was distributed throughout the cytoplasm and formed a visible cluster at one cell pole in PAO1 and ΔhsbR, but it was mainly distributed as visible clusters at the lateral side of the periplasm and with visible clusters at both cell poles in ΔflhF. These findings suggest that FlhF influences the subcellular cluster and localization of WspR and negatively modulates WspR DGC activity in a manner dependent on HsbR. Together, our findings demonstrate a novel mechanism for FlhF modulating the lifestyle transition between motility and biofilm via HsbR to regulate the DGC activity of WspR.IMPORTANCECyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is a second messenger that controls flagellum biosynthesis, adhesion, virulence, motility, exopolysaccharide production, and biofilm formation in bacteria. Recent research has shown that distinct diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) or phosphodiesterases (PDEs) produce highly specific outputs. Some DGCs and PDEs contribute to the total global c-di-GMP concentration, but others only affect local c-di-GMP in a microenvironment. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, we report that FlhF affects the localization and DGC activity of WspR via HsbR and is implicated in local c-di-GMP signaling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study establishes the link between the c-di-GMP signaling system and the flagellar localization and provides insight for understanding the complex regulatory network of c-di-GMP signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Guan
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuqian Han
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shuhui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shimin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Weina Kong
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tietao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yani Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
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31
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Sagar PK, Sharma P, Singh R. Anti-Quorum Sensing and Anti-Biofilm Activity of Ginger ( Zingiber officinale) Rhizomes against Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Avicenna J Med Biotechnol 2024; 16:49-56. [PMID: 38605736 PMCID: PMC11005393 DOI: 10.18502/ajmb.v16i1.14171] [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: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of this study was to determination of Anti-Quorum Sensing (AQS) and anti-biofilm potential of the methanol extract of ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizomes against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Methods The AQS activity of ginger was determined against Chromobacterium violaceum (C. violaceum) ATCC 12472 (CV12472), a biosensor strain, in qualitative manner using the agar well diffusion method. The violacein pigment inhibition was assessed to confirm AQS activity of ginger. The AQS potential of sub-minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (sub-MICs) of the ginger extract was determined by targeting different QS regulated virulence factors, including swarming motility (using swarm diameter measurement method), pyocyanin pigment (using chloroform extraction method), Exopolysaccharide (EPS) (using phenol-sulphuric acid method), and biofilm formation (using microtiter plate assay), against clinical isolates (CIs 2, 3, and 4) and standard reference strain of P. aeruginosa (PA01). Results The AQS activity of methanol extract of ginger was confirmed against C. violaceum (CV12472) as inhibition of violacein pigment formation without effecting the growth of CIs and PA01 of P. aeruginosa. The ginger extract exhibited concentration-dependent inhibition of virulence factors and biofilm formation. The maximum reduction was found in swarming motility, pyocyanin, EPS and biofilm formation against PA01 (51.38%), CI3 (57.91%), PA01 (63.29%) and CI2 (64.37%), respectively at 1/2 MIC of ginger extract. Conclusion The results of present study revealed the effective AQS and anti-biofilm potential of Zingiber officinale rhizome methanol extract at a reduced dose (sub-MICs). The extract may be explored as an agent of antimicrobial compounds having AQS and anti-biofilm activity for controlling microbial infection and also for reducing the chances of emergence of resistance in P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Kumar Sagar
- Department of Microbiology, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi-284128, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Poonam Sharma
- Department of Zoology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (A Central University), Amarkantak-484886, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Rambir Singh
- Department of Horticulture, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Mizoram University (A Central University), Aizawl-796004, Mizoram, India
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32
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Fischer AJ, Planet PJ. A birth cohort approach to understanding cystic fibrosis lung infections. J Cyst Fibros 2024; 23:8-11. [PMID: 37949746 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcf.2023.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Fischer
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, 6314 PBDB, Iowa, IA 52242, United States.
| | - Paul J Planet
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
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De R, Whiteley M, Azad RK. A gene network-driven approach to infer novel pathogenicity-associated genes: application to Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. mSystems 2023; 8:e0047323. [PMID: 37921470 PMCID: PMC10734507 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00473-23] [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: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE We present here a new systems-level approach to decipher genetic factors and biological pathways associated with virulence and/or antibiotic treatment of bacterial pathogens. The power of this approach was demonstrated by application to a well-studied pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Our gene co-expression network-based approach unraveled known and unknown genes and their networks associated with pathogenicity in P. aeruginosa PAO1. The systems-level investigation of P. aeruginosa PAO1 helped identify putative pathogenicity and resistance-associated genetic factors that could not otherwise be detected by conventional approaches of differential gene expression analysis. The network-based analysis uncovered modules that harbor genes not previously reported by several original studies on P. aeruginosa virulence and resistance. These could potentially act as molecular determinants of P. aeruginosa PAO1 pathogenicity and responses to antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronika De
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
- BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
| | - Marvin Whiteley
- Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rajeev K. Azad
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
- BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
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Billiot CE, Novak L, McDaniel MS, Lindgren NR, Swords WE. Pathogenesis of Achromobacter xylosoxidans respiratory infections: colonization, persistence, and transcriptome profiling in synthetic cystic fibrosis sputum medium. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0041623. [PMID: 37909751 PMCID: PMC10715085 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00416-23] [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: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease affecting epithelial ion transport, resulting in thickened mucus and impaired mucociliary clearance. Persons with CF (pwCF) experience life-long infections of the respiratory mucosa caused by a diverse array of opportunists, which are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. In recent years, there has been increased appreciation for the range and diversity of microbes causing CF-related respiratory infections. The introduction of new therapeutics and improved detection methodology has revealed CF-related opportunists such as Achromobacter xylosoxidans (Ax). Ax is a Gram-negative bacterial species which is widely distributed in environmental sources and has been increasingly observed in sputa and other samples from pwCF, typically in patients in later stages of CF disease. In this study, we characterized CF clinical isolates of Ax and tested colonization and persistence of Ax in respiratory infection using immortalized human CF respiratory epithelial cells and BALB/c mice. Genomic analyses of clinical Ax isolates showed homologs for factors including flagellar synthesis, antibiotic resistance, and toxin secretion systems. Ax isolates adhered to polarized cultures of CFBE41o- human immortalized CF bronchial epithelial cells and caused significant cytotoxicity and depolarization of cell layers. Ax colonized and persisted in mouse lungs for up to 72 h post infection, with inflammatory consequences that include increased neutrophil influx in the lung, lung damage, cytokine production, and mortality. We also identified genes that are differentially expressed in synthetic CF sputum media. Based on these results, we conclude that Ax is an opportunistic pathogen of significance in CF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin E. Billiot
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Gregory Fleming James Center for Cystic Fibrosis Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Lea Novak
- Department of Pathology, Division of Anatomic Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Melissa S. McDaniel
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Gregory Fleming James Center for Cystic Fibrosis Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Natalie R. Lindgren
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Gregory Fleming James Center for Cystic Fibrosis Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - W. Edward Swords
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Gregory Fleming James Center for Cystic Fibrosis Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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Genova R, Gil-Gil T, Cuesta T, Martínez JL, Sanz-García F. The Inactivation of the Putative Two-Component System Sensor PA14_27940 Increases the Susceptibility to Several Antibiotics and Reduces the Motility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17355. [PMID: 38139182 PMCID: PMC10743758 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417355] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification of targets whose inactivation increases the activity of antibiotics helps to fight antibiotic resistance. Previous work showed that a transposon-insertion mutant in the gene PA14_27940 increases Pseudomonas aeruginosa susceptibility to aminoglycosides. Since polar effects may affect the phenotype, in the present work, we generated an in-frame PA14_27940 deletion mutant. A PA14_27940 deletion increased the susceptibility to aminoglycosides, tetracycline, tigecycline, erythromycin and fosfomycin. Excepting fosfomycin, the other antibiotics are inducers of the MexXY efflux pump. MexXY induction is required for P. aeruginosa resistance to these antibiotics, which is post-transcriptionally regulated by the anti-repressor ArmZ. Although mexXY is inducible by tobramycin in ΔPA14_27940, the induction level is lower than in the parental PA14 strain. Additionally, armZ is induced by tobramycin in PA14 and not in ΔPA14_27940, supporting that ΔPA14_27940 presents an ArmZ-mediated defect in mexXY induction. For its part, hypersusceptibility to fosfomycin may be due to a reduced expression of nagZ and agmK, which encode enzymes of the peptidoglycan recycling pathway. ΔPA14_27940 also presents defects in motility, an element with relevance in P. aeruginosa's virulence. Overall, our results support that PA14_27940 is a good target for the search of adjuvants that will increase the activity of antibiotics and reduce the virulence of P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Genova
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.); (T.G.-G.); (T.C.)
- Department of Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Teresa Gil-Gil
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.); (T.G.-G.); (T.C.)
- EcLF Laboratory, Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Trinidad Cuesta
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.); (T.G.-G.); (T.C.)
| | - José Luis Martínez
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.); (T.G.-G.); (T.C.)
| | - Fernando Sanz-García
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.); (T.G.-G.); (T.C.)
- Departamento de Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de Zaragoza, Domingo Miral sn, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
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Zuo W, Tian M, Qi J, Zhang G, Hu J, Wang S, Bao Y. The functions of EF-hand proteins from host and zoonotic pathogens. Microbes Infect 2023:105276. [PMID: 38072184 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2023.105276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
EF-hand proteins not only regulate biological processes, but also influence immunity and infection. In this review, we summarize EF-hand proteins' functions in host and zoonotic pathogens, with details in structures, Ca2+ affinity, downstream targets and functional mechanisms. Studies entitled as EF-hand-related but with less solid features were also discussed. We believe it could raise cautions and facilitate proper research strategy for researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zuo
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Mingxing Tian
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jingjing Qi
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Guangdong Zhang
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jiangang Hu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Shaohui Wang
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China; Engineering Research Center for the Prevention and Control of Animal Original Zoonosis of Fujian Province University, College of Life Science, Longyan University, Longyan, 364012, Fujian, China.
| | - Yanqing Bao
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China; Engineering Research Center for the Prevention and Control of Animal Original Zoonosis of Fujian Province University, College of Life Science, Longyan University, Longyan, 364012, Fujian, China.
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Katsipis G, Avgoulas DI, Geromichalos GD, Petala M, Pantazaki AA. In vitro and in silico evaluation of the serrapeptase effect on biofilm and amyloids of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:7269-7285. [PMID: 37741938 PMCID: PMC10638192 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12772-1] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an emerging threat for hospitalized and cystic fibrosis patients. Biofilm, a microbial community embedded in extracellular polymeric substance, fortifies bacteria against the immune system. In biofilms, the expression of functional amyloids is linked with highly aggregative, multi-resistant strains, and chronic infections. Serrapeptase (SPT), a protease possessing similar or superior anti-microbial properties with many antibiotics, presents anti-amyloid potential. However, studies on the employment of SPT against Pseudomonas biofilms and Fap amyloid, or the possible mechanisms of action are scarce. Here, SPT inhibited biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 on both plastic and glass surfaces, with an IC50 of 11.26 µg/mL and 0.27 µg/mL, respectively. The inhibitory effect of SPT on biofilm was also verified with optical microscopy of crystal violet-stained biofilms and with confocal microscopy. Additionally, SPT caused a dose-dependent decrease of bacterial viability (IC50 of 3.07 µg/mL) as demonstrated by MTT assay. Reduction of bacterial functional amyloids was also demonstrated, employing both fluorescence microscopy with thioflavin T and photometrical determination of Congo-red-positive compounds. Both viability and functional amyloids correlated significantly with biofilm inhibition. Finally, in silico molecular docking studies provided a mechanistic insight into the interaction of SPT with FapC or FapD, proving that both peptides are possible targets of SPT. These results offer new insights into the biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa and potentiate the involvement of SPT in the prevention and eradication of Pseudomonas biofilms. KEY POINTS: • Serrapeptase inhibits biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa on plastic and glass. • Biofilm inhibition correlated with reduced viability and functional amyloid levels. • In silico studies indicated that serrapeptase may target FapC and FapD peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Katsipis
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (LND), Thermi, 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Dimitrios I Avgoulas
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (LND), Thermi, 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Deparment of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54 124, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - George D Geromichalos
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (LND), Thermi, 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Petala
- Laboratory of Environmental Engineering & Planning, Department of Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anastasia A Pantazaki
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases (LND), Thermi, 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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38
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Fernández-Billón M, Llambías-Cabot AE, Jordana-Lluch E, Oliver A, Macià MD. Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Biofilm 2023; 5:100129. [PMID: 37205903 PMCID: PMC10189392 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2023.100129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of life-threatening acute infections and life-long lasting chronic infections. The characteristic biofilm mode of life in P. aeruginosa chronic infections severely limits the efficacy of antimicrobial therapies, as it leads to intrinsic tolerance, involving physical and physiological factors in addition to biofilm-specific genes that can confer a transient protection against antibiotics promoting the development of resistance. Indeed, a striking feature of this pathogen is the extraordinary capacity to develop resistance to nearly all available antibiotics through the selection of chromosomal mutations, evidenced by its outstanding and versatile mutational resistome. This threat is dramatically amplified in chronic infections, driven by the frequent emergence of mutator variants with enhanced spontaneous mutation rates. Thus, this mini review is focused on describing the complex interplay of antibiotic resistance mechanisms in P. aeruginosa biofilms, to provide potentially useful information for the design of effective therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Fernández-Billón
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitario Son Espases, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), 07120, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERINFEC), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Aina E. Llambías-Cabot
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitario Son Espases, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), 07120, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERINFEC), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Jordana-Lluch
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitario Son Espases, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), 07120, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERINFEC), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Oliver
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitario Son Espases, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), 07120, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERINFEC), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - María D. Macià
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitario Son Espases, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), 07120, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERINFEC), 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Corresponding author. Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitario Son Espases, Crta. Vallemossa 79, 07120, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
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Skłodowski K, Suprewicz Ł, Chmielewska-Deptuła SJ, Kaliniak S, Okła S, Zakrzewska M, Minarowski Ł, Mróz R, Daniluk T, Savage PB, Fiedoruk K, Bucki R. Ceragenins exhibit bactericidal properties that are independent of the ionic strength in the environment mimicking cystic fibrosis sputum. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1290952. [PMID: 38045035 PMCID: PMC10693459 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1290952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of the work was to investigate the impact of sodium chloride (NaCl) on the antimicrobial efficacy of ceragenins (CSAs) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against bacterial and fungal pathogens associated with cystic fibrosis (CF) lung infections. CF-associated bacterial (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Ochrobactrum spp., and Staphylococcus aureus), and fungal pathogens (Candida albicans, and Candida tropicalis) were used as target organisms for ceragenins (CSA-13 and CSA-131) and AMPs (LL-37 and omiganan). Susceptibility to the tested compounds was assessed using minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and bactericidal concentrations (MBCs), as well as by colony counting assays in CF sputum samples supplemented with various concentrations of NaCl. Our results demonstrated that ceragenins exhibit potent antimicrobial activity in CF sputum regardless of the NaCl concentration when compared to LL-37 and omiganan. Given the broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of ceragenins in the microenvironments mimicking the airways of CF patients, ceragenins might be promising agents in managing CF disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karol Skłodowski
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
| | - Łukasz Suprewicz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
| | | | | | - Sławomir Okła
- Holy Cross Cancer Center, Kielce, Poland
- Institute of Health Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce, Kielce, Poland
| | - Magdalena Zakrzewska
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
| | - Łukasz Minarowski
- 2nd Department of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Robert Mróz
- 2nd Department of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Tamara Daniluk
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
| | - Paul B. Savage
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Krzysztof Fiedoruk
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
| | - Robert Bucki
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
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40
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Wellems D, Hu Y, Jennings S, Wang G. Loss of CFTR function in macrophages alters the cell transcriptional program and delays lung resolution of inflammation. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1242381. [PMID: 38035088 PMCID: PMC10687418 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1242381] [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: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by mutations in the CF Transmembrane-conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene. The most severe pathologies of CF occur in the lung, manifesting as chronic bacterial infection, persistent neutrophilic inflammation, and mucopurulent airway obstruction. Despite increasing knowledge of the CF primary defect and the resulting clinical sequelae, the relationship between the CFTR loss of function and the neutrophilic inflammation remains incompletely understood. Here, we report that loss of CFTR function in macrophages causes extended lung inflammation. After intratracheal inoculation with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, mice with a macrophage-specific Cftr-knockout (Mac-CF) were able to mount an effective host defense to clear the bacterial infection. However, three days post-inoculation, Mac-CF lungs demonstrated significantly more neutrophil infiltration and higher levels of inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that Mac-CF mice had a slower resolution of inflammation. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that absence of CFTR in the macrophages altered the cell transcriptional program, affecting the cell inflammatory and immune responses, antioxidant system, and mitochondrial respiration. Thus, loss of CFTR function in macrophages influences cell homeostasis, leading to a dysregulated cellular response to infection that may exacerbate CF lung disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Guoshun Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
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Cholon DM, Greenwald MA, Higgs MG, Quinney NL, Boyles SE, Meinig SL, Minges JT, Chaubal A, Tarran R, Ribeiro CMP, Wolfgang MC, Gentzsch M. A Novel Co-Culture Model Reveals Enhanced CFTR Rescue in Primary Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelial Cultures with Persistent Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection. Cells 2023; 12:2618. [PMID: 37998353 PMCID: PMC10670530 DOI: 10.3390/cells12222618] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
People with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) suffer from chronic and recurring bacterial lung infections that begin very early in life and contribute to progressive lung failure. CF is caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which encodes an ion channel important for maintaining the proper hydration of pulmonary surfaces. When CFTR function is ablated or impaired, airways develop thickened, adherent mucus that contributes to a vicious cycle of infection and inflammation. Therapeutics for pwCF, called CFTR modulators, target the CFTR defect directly, restoring airway surface hydration and mucociliary clearance. However, even with CFTR modulator therapy, bacterial infections persist. To develop a relevant model of diseased airway epithelium, we established a primary human airway epithelium culture system with persistent Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. We used this model to examine the effects of CFTR modulators on CFTR maturation, CFTR function, and bacterial persistence. We found that the presence of P. aeruginosa increased CFTR mRNA, protein, and function. We also found that CFTR modulators caused a decrease in P. aeruginosa burden. These results demonstrate the importance of including live bacteria to accurately model the CF lung, and that understanding the effects of infection on CFTR rescue by CFTR modulators is critical to evaluating and optimizing drug therapies for all pwCF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah M. Cholon
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Matthew A. Greenwald
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Matthew G. Higgs
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Nancy L. Quinney
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Susan E. Boyles
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Suzanne L. Meinig
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Morrisville, NC 27560, USA
| | - John T. Minges
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Ashlesha Chaubal
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Robert Tarran
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Division of Genetic, Department of Internal Medicine, Environmental and Inhalational Disease, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Carla M. P. Ribeiro
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Matthew C. Wolfgang
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Martina Gentzsch
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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42
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Bayat M, Nahand JS, Farsad-Akhatr N, Memar MY. Bile effects on the Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenesis in cystic fibrosis patients with gastroesophageal reflux. Heliyon 2023; 9:e22111. [PMID: 38034726 PMCID: PMC10685303 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22111] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) occurs in most cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and is the primary source of bile aspiration in the airway tract of CF individuals. Aspirated bile is associated with the severity of lung diseases and chronic inflammation caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa as the most common pathogen of CF respiratory tract infections. P. aeruginosa is equipped with several mechanisms to facilitate the infection process, including but not limited to the expression of virulence factors, biofilm formation, and antimicrobial resistance, all of which are under the strong regulation of quorum sensing (QS) mechanism. By increasing the expression of lasI, rhlI, and pqsA-E, bile exposure directly impacts the QS network. An increase in psl expression and pyocyanin production can promote biofilm formation. Along with the loss of flagella and reduced swarming motility, GER-derived bile can repress the expression of genes involved in creating an acute infection, such as expression of Type Three Secretion (T3SS), hydrogen cyanide (hcnABC), amidase (amiR), and phenazine (phzA-E). Inversely, to cause persistent infection, bile exposure can increase the Type Six Secretion System (T6SS) and efflux pump expression, which can trigger resistance to antibiotics such as colistin, polymyxin B, and erythromycin. This review will discuss the influence of aspirated bile on the pathogenesis, resistance, and persistence of P. aeruginosa in CF patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mobina Bayat
- Department of Plant, Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Javid Sadri Nahand
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Nader Farsad-Akhatr
- Department of Plant, Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Yousef Memar
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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43
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Chen Q, Ilanga M, Simbassa SB, Chirra B, Shah KN, Cannon CL. Synergistic Antimicrobial Effects of Ibuprofen Combined with Standard-of-Care Antibiotics against Cystic Fibrosis Pathogens. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2936. [PMID: 38001937 PMCID: PMC10669699 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11112936] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a common life-shortening genetic disease caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Lungs of CF patients are often colonized or infected with microorganisms requiring frequent courses of antibiotics. Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections have been a growing concern in CF patients. Chronic bacterial infections and concomitant airway inflammation damage the lungs, ultimately leading to respiratory failure. Several clinical trials have demonstrated that high-dose ibuprofen reduces the rate of pulmonary function decline in CF patients. This beneficial effect has been attributed to the anti-inflammatory properties of ibuprofen. Previously, we have confirmed that high-dose ibuprofen demonstrates antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa both in vitro and in vivo. However, no study has examined the antimicrobial effect of combining ibuprofen with standard-of-care antimicrobials. Here, we evaluated the possible synergistic activity of combinations of common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), namely, ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin, with commonly used antibiotics for CF patients. The drug combinations were screened against different CF clinical isolates. Antibiotics that demonstrated increased efficacy in the presence of ibuprofen were further tested for potential synergistic effects between these NSAIDS and antimicrobials. Finally, a survival analysis of a P. aeruginosa murine infection model was used to demonstrate the efficacy of the most potent combination identified in in vitro screening. Our results suggest that combinations of ibuprofen with commonly used antibiotics demonstrate synergistic antimicrobial activity against drug-resistant, clinical bacterial strains in vitro. The efficacy of the combination of ceftazidime and ibuprofen against resistant P. aeruginosa was demonstrated in an in vivo pneumonia model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Carolyn L. Cannon
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA; (Q.C.)
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Ferguson DL, Gloag ES, Parsek MR, Wozniak DJ. Extracellular DNA enhances biofilm integrity and mechanical properties of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0023823. [PMID: 37791754 PMCID: PMC10601617 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00238-23] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most common biofilm-forming pathogens responsible for lung infections of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). P. aeruginosa becomes tolerant to antimicrobials in the biofilm state and is difficult to treat. Production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), such as alginate and extracellular DNA (eDNA), can allow adherence to abiotic and biotic surfaces, antimicrobial evasion, and resilience to environmental pressures. Alginate-producing mucoid variants of P. aeruginosa are frequently isolated from CF airway samples and are associated with worsening patient outcomes. While eDNA is a major structural component of nonmucoid P. aeruginosa biofilms, the potential role of eDNA in mucoid biofilms is unclear. Here, we investigate how eDNA contributes to clinical mucoid biofilm physiology and integrity. We predicted that eDNA plays a structural and mechanical role in mucoid biofilms. To test this, we quantified biofilm eDNA in mucoid biofilms and used microscopy and rheology to visualize eDNA and detect changes in biofilm structure and mechanics upon DNaseI treatment. We showed that biofilm eDNA abundance is diverse across clinical mucoid strains and observed a temporal increase in foci of eDNA within intact mucoid biofilms. Increased cell dispersal and reduced biomass were also observed following DNaseI treatment of mucoid biofilms. Degradation of eDNA also impacted the mechanical integrity of mucoid biofilms by increasing the stiffness and decreasing the cohesion of the biofilm. These findings advance our understanding of clinical mucoid P. aeruginosa biofilms and facilitate the development of new approaches to target biofilms by exploiting the functions of EPS components. IMPORTANCE Understanding the role of eDNA in mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms will lead to therapeutic strategies that combat the biophysical and structural function of EPS for the eradication of bacteria in mucoid biofilms during chronic infections. This knowledge can be used to further identify unknown matrix component interactions within pathogenic biofilm-forming clinical isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle L. Ferguson
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Erin S. Gloag
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Matthew R. Parsek
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Daniel J. Wozniak
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Pan S, Erdmann M, Terrell J, Cabeen MT. A putative lipase affects Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm matrix production. mSphere 2023; 8:e0037423. [PMID: 37754547 PMCID: PMC10597414 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00374-23] [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: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that is widely known for infecting patients with underlying conditions. This species often survives antibiotic therapy by forming biofilms, in which the cells produce a protective extracellular matrix. P. aeruginosa also produces virulence factors that enhance its ability to cause disease. One signaling pathway that influences virulence is the nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system (Nitro-PTS), which consists of an initial phosphotransferase, PtsP, a phosphocarrier, PtsO, and a terminal phosphate receptor, PtsN. The physiological role of the Nitro-PTS in P. aeruginosa is poorly understood. However, PtsN, when deprived of its upstream phosphotransfer proteins, has an antagonistic effect on biofilm formation. We thus conducted a transposon mutagenesis screen in an unphosphorylated-PtsN (i.e., ∆ptsP) background to identify downstream proteins with unacknowledged roles in PtsN-mediated biofilm suppression. We found an unstudied gene, PA14_04030, whose disruption restored biofilm production. This gene encodes a predicted phospholipase with signature alpha/beta hydrolase folds and a lipase signature motif with an active-site Ser residue. Hence, we renamed the gene bipL, for biofilm-impacting phospholipase. Deletion of bipL in a ∆ptsP background increased biofilm formation, supporting the idea that BipL is responsible for reducing biofilm formation in strains with unphosphorylated PtsN. Moreover, substituting the putative catalytic Ser for Ala phenocopied bipL deletion, indicating that this residue is important for the biofilm-suppressive activity of BipL in vivo. As our preliminary data suggest that BipL is a lipase, we performed lipidomics to detect changes in the lipid profile due to bipL deletion and found changes in some lipid species. IMPORTANCE Biofilm formation by bacteria occurs when cells secrete an extracellular matrix that holds them together and shields them from environmental insults. Biofilms of bacterial opportunistic human pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa pose a substantial challenge to clinical antimicrobial therapy. Hence, a more complete knowledge about the bacterial factors that influence and regulate production of the biofilm matrix is one key to formulate more effective therapeutic strategies. In this study, we screen for factors that are important for reducing biofilm matrix production in certain genetic backgrounds. We unexpectedly found a gene encoding a putative lipase enzyme and showed that its predicted catalytic site is important for its ability to reduce biofilm formation. Our findings suggest that lipase enzymes have previously uncharacterized functions in biofilm matrix regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somalisa Pan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Mary Erdmann
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Julia Terrell
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Matthew T. Cabeen
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
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46
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Satlin MJ, van Duin D, Tamma PD, Lodise TP, Van Tyne D, Rodvold KA, Rouphael N, Evans SR, Fowler VG, Hamasaki T, Patel R, Komarow L, Baum K, Souli M, Schwager N, Bonomo RA, Doi Y. Priorities and Progress in Gram-negative Bacterial Infection Research by the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 77:S305-S313. [PMID: 37843118 PMCID: PMC10578049 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad547] [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] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Addressing the treatment and prevention of antibacterial-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections is a priority area of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG). The ARLG has conducted a series of observational studies to define the clinical and molecular global epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant and ceftriaxone-resistant Enterobacterales, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, with the goal of optimizing the design and execution of interventional studies. One ongoing ARLG study aims to better understand the impact of fluoroquinolone-resistant gram-negative gut bacteria in neutropenic patients, which threatens to undermine the effectiveness of fluoroquinolone prophylaxis in these vulnerable patients. The ARLG has conducted pharmacokinetic studies to inform the optimal dosing of antibiotics that are important in the treatment of drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria, including oral fosfomycin, intravenous minocycline, and a combination of intravenous ceftazidime-avibactam and aztreonam. In addition, randomized clinical trials have assessed the safety and efficacy of step-down oral fosfomycin for complicated urinary tract infections and single-dose intravenous phage therapy for adult patients with cystic fibrosis who are chronically colonized with P. aeruginosa in their respiratory tract. Thus, the focus of investigation in the ARLG has evolved from improving understanding of drug-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections to positively affecting clinical care for affected patients through a combination of interventional pharmacokinetic and clinical studies, a focus that will be maintained moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Satlin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - David van Duin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Pranita D Tamma
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas P Lodise
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Daria Van Tyne
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Keith A Rodvold
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Nadine Rouphael
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Scott R Evans
- Department of Biostatistics, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Vance G Fowler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Robin Patel
- Division of Clinical Microbiology and Division of Public Health, Infectious Diseases, and Occupational Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Lauren Komarow
- George Washington University Biostatistics Center, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Keri Baum
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maria Souli
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nyssa Schwager
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Robert A Bonomo
- Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Yohei Doi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Departments of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan
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47
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Kang D, Xu Q, Kirienko NV. In vitro Lung Epithelial Cell Model Reveals Novel Roles for Pseudomonas aeruginosa Siderophores. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.26.525796. [PMID: 36747656 PMCID: PMC9901015 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.26.525796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common nosocomial respiratory pathogen that continues to threaten the lives of patients with mechanical ventilation in intensive care units and those with underlying comorbidities such as cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For over 20 years, studies have repeatedly demonstrated that the major siderophore pyoverdine is an important virulence factor for P. aeruginosa in invertebrate and mammalian hosts in vivo. Despite its physiological significance, an in vitro, mammalian cell culture model to characterize the impact and molecular mechanism of pyoverdine-mediated virulence has only been developed very recently. In this study, we adapt a previously-established, murine macrophage-based model for human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE). We demonstrate that conditioned medium from P. aeruginosa induced rapid 16HBE cell death through the pyoverdine-dependent secretion of cytotoxic rhamnolipids. Genetic or chemical disruption of pyoverdine biosynthesis decreased rhamnolipid production and mitigated cell death. Consistent with these observations, chemical depletion of lipid factors or genetic disruption of rhamnolipid biosynthesis was sufficient to abrogate conditioned medium toxicity. Furthermore, we also examine the effects of purified pyoverdine exposure on 16HBE cells. While pyoverdine accumulated within cells, the siderophore was largely sequestered within early endosomes, showing minimal cytotoxicity. More membrane-permeable iron chelators, such as the siderophore pyochelin, decreased epithelial cell viability and upregulated several proinflammatory genes. However, pyoverdine potentiated these iron chelators in activating proinflammatory pathways. Altogether, these findings suggest that the siderophores pyoverdine and pyochelin play distinct roles in virulence during acute P. aeruginosa lung infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghoon Kang
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qi Xu
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
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48
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Islam MM, Kolling GL, Glass EM, Goldberg JB, Papin JA. Model-driven characterization of functional diversity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates with broadly representative phenotypes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.08.561426. [PMID: 37873245 PMCID: PMC10592701 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.08.561426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of infections in immunocompromised individuals and in healthcare settings. This study aims to understand the relationships between phenotypic diversity and the functional metabolic landscape of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. To better understand the metabolic repertoire of P. aeruginosa in infection, we deeply profiled a representative set from a library of 971 clinical P. aeruginosa isolates with corresponding patient metadata and bacterial phenotypes. The genotypic clustering based on whole-genome sequencing of the isolates, multi-locus sequence types, and the phenotypic clustering generated from a multi-parametric analysis were compared to each other to assess the genotype-phenotype correlation. Genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions were developed for each isolate through amendments to an existing PA14 network reconstruction. These network reconstructions show diverse metabolic functionalities and enhance the collective P. aeruginosa pangenome metabolic repertoire. Characterizing this rich set of clinical P. aeruginosa isolates allows for a deeper understanding of the genotypic and metabolic diversity of the pathogen in a clinical setting and lays a foundation for further investigation of the metabolic landscape of this pathogen and host-associated metabolic differences during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mazharul Islam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903
| | - Glynis L. Kolling
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903
| | - Emma M. Glass
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903
| | | | - Jason A. Papin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903
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49
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Di Trani JM, Gheorghita AA, Turner M, Brzezinski P, Ädelroth P, Vahidi S, Howell PL, Rubinstein JL. Structure of the bc1- cbb3 respiratory supercomplex from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2307093120. [PMID: 37751552 PMCID: PMC10556555 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307093120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Energy conversion by electron transport chains occurs through the sequential transfer of electrons between protein complexes and intermediate electron carriers, creating the proton motive force that enables ATP synthesis and membrane transport. These protein complexes can also form higher order assemblies known as respiratory supercomplexes (SCs). The electron transport chain of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is closely linked with its ability to invade host tissue, tolerate harsh conditions, and resist antibiotics but is poorly characterized. Here, we determine the structure of a P. aeruginosa SC that forms between the quinol:cytochrome c oxidoreductase (cytochrome bc1) and one of the organism's terminal oxidases, cytochrome cbb3, which is found only in some bacteria. Remarkably, the SC structure also includes two intermediate electron carriers: a diheme cytochrome c4 and a single heme cytochrome c5. Together, these proteins allow electron transfer from ubiquinol in cytochrome bc1 to oxygen in cytochrome cbb3. We also present evidence that different isoforms of cytochrome cbb3 can participate in formation of this SC without changing the overall SC architecture. Incorporating these different subunit isoforms into the SC would allow the bacterium to adapt to different environmental conditions. Bioinformatic analysis focusing on structural motifs in the SC suggests that cytochrome bc1-cbb3 SCs also exist in other bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M. Di Trani
- Molecular Medicine program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ONM5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Andreea A. Gheorghita
- Molecular Medicine program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ONM5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Madison Turner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ONN1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Peter Brzezinski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, StockholmSE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Pia Ädelroth
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, StockholmSE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Siavash Vahidi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ONN1G 2W1, Canada
| | - P. Lynne Howell
- Molecular Medicine program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ONM5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 1A8, Canada
| | - John L. Rubinstein
- Molecular Medicine program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ONM5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
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50
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Kesthely CA, Rogers RR, El Hafi B, Jean-Pierre F, O’Toole GA. Transcriptional profiling and genetic analysis of a cystic fibrosis airway-relevant model shows asymmetric responses to growth in a polymicrobial community. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0220123. [PMID: 37772884 PMCID: PMC10580927 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02201-23] [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: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial infections in the lungs of persons with cystic fibrosis are typically composed of multispecies biofilm-like communities, which modulate clinically relevant phenotypes that cannot be explained in the context of a single species culture. Most analyses to date provide a picture of the transcriptional responses of individual pathogens; however, there is relatively little data describing the transcriptional landscape of clinically relevant multispecies communities. Harnessing a previously described cystic fibrosis-relevant, polymicrobial community model consisting of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Prevotella melaninogenica, we performed an RNA-Seq analysis on the biofilm population to elucidate the transcriptional profiles of the community grown in artificial sputum medium (ASM) as compared to growth in monoculture, without mucin, and in fresh medium supplemented with tobramycin. We provide evidence that, although the transcriptional profile of P. aeruginosa is community agnostic, the transcriptomes of S. aureus and S. sanguinis are community aware. Furthermore, P. aeruginosa and P. melaninogenica are transcriptionally sensitive to the presence of mucin in ASM, whereas S. aureus and S. sanguinis largely do not alter their transcriptional profiles in the presence of mucin when grown in a community. Only P. aeruginosa shows a robust response to tobramycin. Genetic studies of mutants altered in community-specific growth provide complementary data regarding how these microbes adapt to a community context. IMPORTANCE Polymicrobial infections constitute the majority of infections in the cystic fibrosis (CF) airway, but their study has largely been neglected in a laboratory setting. Our lab previously reported a polymicrobial community that can help explain clinical outcomes in the lungs of persons with CF. Here, we obtained transcriptional profiles of the community versus monocultures to provide transcriptional information about how this model community responds to CF-related growth conditions and perturbations. Genetic studies provide complementary functional outputs to assess how the microbes adapt to life in a community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A. Kesthely
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Rendi R. Rogers
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Bassam El Hafi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Fabrice Jean-Pierre
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - George A. O’Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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