Complete Genome Sequence of Serotype III Streptococcus agalactiae Sequence Type 17 Strain 874391

Alterations in cell arrangements of group B streptococcus due to virulence factor expression can bias estimates of bacterial populations based on colony count measures

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a chain-forming commensal bacterium and opportunistic pathogen that resides in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract of healthy adults. GBS can cause various infections and related complications in pregnant and nonpregnant women, adults, and newborns. Investigations of the mechanisms by which GBS causes disease pathogenesis often utilize colony count assays to estimate bacterial population size in experimental models. In other streptococci, such as group A streptococcus and pneumococcus, variation in the chain length of the bacteria that can occur naturally or due to mutation can affect facets of pathogenesis, such as adherence to or colonization of a host. No studies have reported a relationship between GBS chain length and pathogenicity. Here, we used GBS strain 874391 and several derivative strains displaying longer chain-forming phenotypes (874391pgapC, 874391ΔcovR, 874391Δstp1) to assess the impact of chain length on bacterial population estimates based on the colony-forming unit (c.f.u.) assay. Disruption of GBS chains via bead beating or sonication in conjunction with fluorescence microscopy was used to compare chaining phenotypes pre- and post-disruption to detect long- and short-chain forms, respectively. We used a murine model of GBS colonization of the female reproductive tract to assess whether chaining may affect bacterial colonization dynamics in the host during chronic infection in vivo. Overall, we found that GBS exhibiting long-chain form can significantly affect population size estimates based on the colony count assay. Additionally, we found that the length of chaining of GBS can affect virulence in the reproductive tract colonization model. Collectively, these findings have implications for studies of GBS that utilize colony count assays to measure GBS populations and establish that chain length can affect infection dynamics and disease pathogenesis for this important opportunistic pathogen.

Dual RNA sequencing of group B Streptococcus-infected human monocytes reveals new insights into host-pathogen interactions and bacterial evasion of phagocytosis

Streptococcus agalactiae, also known as Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a frequent cause of infections, including bacteraemia and other acute diseases in adults and immunocompromised individuals. We developed a novel system to study GBS within human monocytes to define the co-transcriptome of intracellular GBS (iGBS) and host cells simultaneously using dual RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to better define how this pathogen responds to host cells. Using human U937 monocytes and genome-sequenced GBS reference strain 874,391 in antibiotic protection assays we validated a system for dual-RNA seq based on measures of GBS and monocyte viability to ensure that the bacterial and host cell co-transcriptome reflected mainly intracellular (iGBS) rather than extracellular GBS. Elucidation of the co-transcriptome revealed 1119 dysregulated transcripts in iGBS with most genes, including several that encode virulence factors (e.g., scpB, hvgA, ribD, pil2b) exhibiting activation by upregulated expression. Infection with iGBS resulted in significant remodelling of the monocyte transcriptome, with 7587 transcripts differentially expressed including 7040 up-regulated and 547 down-regulated. qPCR confirmed that the most strongly activated genes included sht, encoding Streptococcal Histidine Triad Protein. An isogenic GBS mutant strain deficient in sht revealed a significant effect of this gene on phagocytosis of GBS and survival of the bacteria during systemic infection in mice. Identification of a novel contribution of sht to GBS virulence shows the co-transcriptome responses elucidated in GBS-infected monocytes help to shape the host-pathogen interaction and establish a role for sht in the response of the bacteria to phagocytic uptake. This study provides comprehension of concurrent transcriptional responses that occur in GBS and human monocytes that shape the host-pathogen interaction.

Regulatory cross-talk supports resistance to Zn intoxication in Streptococcus

Metals such as copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are important trace elements that can affect bacterial cell physiology but can also intoxicate bacteria at high concentrations. Discrete genetic systems for management of Cu and Zn efflux have been described in several bacterial pathogens, including streptococci. However, insight into molecular cross-talk between systems for Cu and Zn management in bacteria that drive metal detoxification, is limited. Here, we describe a biologically consequential cross-system effect of metal management in group B Streptococcus (GBS) governed by the Cu-responsive copY regulator in response to Zn. RNAseq analysis of wild-type (WT) and copY-deficient GBS subjected to metal stress revealed unique transcriptional links between the systems for Cu and Zn detoxification. We show that the Cu-sensing role of CopY extends beyond Cu and enables CopY to regulate Cu and Zn stress responses that effect changes in gene function for central cellular processes, including riboflavin synthesis. CopY also supported GBS intracellular survival in human macrophages and virulence during disseminated infection in mice. In addition, we show a novel role for CovR in modulating GBS resistance to Zn intoxication. Identification of the Zn resistome of GBS using TraDIS revealed a suite of genes essential for GBS growth in metal stress. Several of the genes identified are novel to systems that support bacterial survival in metal stress and represent a diverse set of mechanisms that underpin microbial metal homeostasis during cell stress. Overall, this study reveals a new and important mechanism of cross-system complexity driven by CopY in bacteria to regulate cellular management of metal stress and survival.

Metals, such as Cu and Zn, can be used by the mammalian immune system to target bacterial pathogens for destruction, and consequently, bacteria have evolved discrete genetic systems to enable subversion of this host antimicrobial response. Systems for Cu and Zn homeostasis are well characterized, including transcriptional control elements that sense and respond to metal stress. Here, we discover novel features of metal response systems in Streptococcus, which have broad implications for bacterial pathogenesis and virulence. We show that Streptococcus resists Zn intoxication by utilizing a bona fide Cu regulator, CopY, to manage cellular metal homeostasis, and enable the bacteria to survive stressful conditions. We identify several new genes that confer resistance to Zn intoxication in Streptococcus, including some that have hitherto not been linked to metal ion homeostasis in any bacterial pathogen. Identification of a novel cross-system metal management mechanism exploited by Streptococcus to co-ordinate and achieve metal resistance enhances our understanding of metal ion homeostasis in bacteria and its effect on pathogenesis.

Streptococcus agalactiae Infects Glial Cells and Invades the Central Nervous System via the Olfactory and Trigeminal Nerves

Streptococcus agalactiae causes neonatal meningitis and can also infect the adult central nervous system (CNS). S. agalactiae can cross the blood-brain barrier but may also reach the CNS via other paths. Several species of bacteria can directly invade the CNS via the olfactory and trigeminal nerves, which extend between the nasal cavity and brain and injury to the nasal epithelium can increase the risk/severity of infection. Preterm birth is associated with increased risk of S. agalactiae infection and with nasogastric tube feeding. The tubes, also used in adults, can cause nasal injuries and may be contaminated with bacteria, including S. agalactiae. We here investigated whether S. agalactiae could invade the CNS after intranasal inoculation in mice. S. agalactiae rapidly infected the olfactory nerve and brain. Methimazole-mediated model of nasal epithelial injury led to increased bacterial load in these tissues, as well as trigeminal nerve infection. S. agalactiae infected and survived intracellularly in cultured olfactory/trigeminal nerve- and brain-derived glia, resulting in cytokine production, with some differences between glial types. Furthermore, a non-capsulated S. agalactiae was used to understand the role of capsule on glial cells interaction. Interestingly, we found that the S. agalactiae capsule significantly altered cytokine and chemokine responses and affected intracellular survival in trigeminal glia. In summary, this study shows that S. agalactiae can infect the CNS via the nose-to-brain path with increased load after epithelial injury, and that the bacteria can survive in glia.

Streptococcus agalactiae glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) elicits multiple cytokines from human cells and has a minor effect on bacterial persistence in the murine female reproductive tract

Streptococcus agalactiae glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), encoded by gapC, is a glycolytic enzyme that is associated with virulence and immune-mediated protection. However, the role of GAPDH in cellular cytokine responses to S. agalactiae, bacterial phagocytosis and colonization of the female reproductive tract, a central host niche, is unknown. We expressed and studied purified recombinant GAPDH (rGAPDH) of S. agalactiae in cytokine elicitation assays with human monocyte-derived macrophage, epithelial cell, and polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) co-culture infection models. We also generated a S. agalactiae mutant that over-expresses GAPDH (oeGAPDH) from gapC using a constitutively active promoter, and analysed the mutant in murine macrophage antibiotic protection assays and in virulence assays in vivo, using a colonization model that is based on experimental infection of the reproductive tract in female mice. Human cell co-cultures produced interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-10 within 24 h of exposure to rGAPDH. PMNs were required for several of these cytokine responses. However, over-expression of GAPDH in S. agalactiae did not significantly affect measures of phagocytic uptake compared to an empty vector control. In contrast, oeGAPDH-S. agalactiae showed a small but statistically significant attenuation for persistence in the reproductive tract of female mice during the chronic phase of infection (10-28 days post-inoculation), relative to the vector control. We conclude that S. agalactiae GAPDH elicits production of multiple cytokines from human cells, and over-expression of GAPDH renders the bacterium more susceptible to host clearance in the female reproductive tract.

Copper intoxication in group B Streptococcus triggers transcriptional activation of the cop operon that contributes to enhanced virulence during acute infection

Bacteria can utilize Copper (Cu) as a trace element to support cellular processes; however, excess Cu can intoxicate bacteria. Here, we characterize the cop operon in group B streptococcus (GBS), and establish its role in evasion of Cu intoxication and the response to Cu stress on virulence. Growth of GBS mutants deficient in either the copA Cu exporter, or the copY repressor, were severely compromised in Cu-stress conditions. GBS survival of Cu stress reflected a mechanism of CopY de-repression of the CopA efflux system. However, neither mutant was attenuated for intracellular survival in macrophages. Analysis of global transcriptional responses to Cu by RNA-sequencing revealed a stress signature encompassing homeostasis of multiple metals. Genes induced by Cu stress included putative metal transporters for manganese import, whereas a system for iron export was repressed. In addition, copA promoted the ability of GBS to colonize the blood, liver and spleen of mice following disseminated infection. Together, these findings show that GBS copA mediates resistance to Cu intoxication, via regulation by the Cu-sensing transcriptional repressor, copY. Cu stress responses in GBS reflect a transcriptional signature that heightens virulence and represents an important part of the bacteria's ability to survive in different environments. Importance Understanding how bacteria manage cellular levels of metal ions, such as copper, helps to explain how microbial cells can survive in different stressful environments. We show how the opportunistic pathogen group B Streptococcus (GBS) achieves homeostasis of intracellular copper through the activities of the genes that comprise the cop operon, and describe how this helps GBS survive in stressful environments, including in the mammalian host during systemic disseminated infection.

Cellular Management of Zinc in Group B Streptococcus Supports Bacterial Resistance against Metal Intoxication and Promotes Disseminated Infection

Zinc is an essential trace element for normal bacterial physiology but, divergently, can intoxicate bacteria at high concentrations. Here, we define the molecular systems for Zn detoxification in Streptococcus agalactiae, also known as group B streptococcus, and examine the effects of resistance to Zn stress on virulence. We compared the growth of wild-type bacteria and mutants deleted for the Zn exporter, czcD, and the response regulator, sczA, using Zn-stress conditions in vitro Macrophage antibiotic protection assays and a mouse model of disseminated infection were used to assess virulence. Global bacterial transcriptional responses to Zn stress were defined by RNA sequencing and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. czcD and sczA enabled S. agalactiae to survive Zn stress, with the putative CzcD efflux system activated by SczA. Additional genes activated in response to Zn stress encompassed divalent cation transporters that contribute to regulation of Mn and Fe homeostasis. In vivo, the czcD-sczA Zn management axis supported virulence in the blood, heart, liver, and bladder. Additionally, several genes not previously linked to Zn stress in any bacterium, including, most notably, arcA for arginine deamination, also mediated resistance to Zn stress, representing a novel molecular mechanism of bacterial resistance to metal intoxication. Taken together, these findings show that S. agalactiae responds to Zn stress by sczA regulation of czcD, with additional novel mechanisms of resistance supported by arcA, encoding arginine deaminase. Cellular management of Zn stress in S. agalactiae supports virulence by facilitating bacterial survival in the host during systemic infection.IMPORTANCE Streptococcus agalactiae, also known as group B streptococcus, is an opportunistic pathogen that causes various diseases in humans and animals. This bacterium has genetic systems that enable zinc detoxification in environments of metal stress, but these systems remain largely undefined. Using a combination of genomic, genetic, and cellular assays, we show that this pathogen controls Zn export through CzcD to manage Zn stress and utilizes a system of arginine deamination never previously linked to metal stress responses in bacteria to survive metal intoxication. We show that these systems are crucial for survival of S. agalactiae in vitro during Zn stress and also enhance virulence during systemic infection in mice. These discoveries establish new molecular mechanisms of resistance to metal intoxication in bacteria; we suggest these mechanisms operate in other bacteria as a way to sustain microbial survival under conditions of metal stress, including in host environments.

Evaluation of hematogenous spread and ascending infection in the pathogenesis of acute pyelonephritis due to group B streptococcus in mice

Group B streptococcus (GBS) causes pyelonephritis in adults but the mechanisms of infection by which GBS infects the kidneys in vivo are unknown. We investigated GBS infection of the kidneys in mice following experimental challenge via the hematogenous route (transient bacteremia model) or transurethral route (bladder infection and cystitis model). Adult female mice were examined for bacterial dissemination to the kidneys and other organ systems at 24-72 h and tissue samples were assessed for histopathological changes. Comparisons included analysis of different challenge inoculum doses ranging between 10⁷-10⁹ CFU and investigation of several GBS serotypes, including representative strains of serotype V (NEM316), III (BM110, 874391) and Ia (807). Mice with transient, low-level GBS bacteremia routinely developed acute pyelonephritis secondary to high-level kidney infection; infection progressed with high GBS burdens that were sustained in the tissue for days in contrast to bacterial clearance in other organs, including spleen, liver and heart. The histopathological changes of acute pyelonephritis due to GBS were characterized using hematoxylin and eosin, and stains for bacteria, neutrophils, macrophages, mast cells and T lymphocytes; this revealed recruitment of a mixed inflammatory cell population that infiltrated the renal medulla of infected mice in focal areas of discrete micro-abscesses. In contrast, bladder infection leading to cystitis in mice did not result in ascending spread of GBS to the kidneys. We conclude that transient bacteremia, rather than preceding infection of the lower urinary tract, is the predominant condition that leads to GBS kidney infection and subsequent development of acute pyelonephritis.

Genomic Insights Into the Distribution and Evolution of Group B Streptococcus

Streptococcus agalactiae, also known as Group B Streptococcus (GBS), is a bacteria with truly protean biology. It infects a variety of hosts, among which the most commonly studied are humans, cattle, and fish. GBS holds a singular position in the history of bacterial genomics, as it was the substrate used to describe one of the first major conceptual advances of comparative genomics, the idea of the pan-genome. In this review, I describe a brief history of GBS and the major contributions of genomics to understanding its genome plasticity and evolution as well as its molecular epidemiology, focusing on the three hosts mentioned above. I also discuss one of the major recent paradigm shifts in our understanding of GBS evolution and disease burden: foodborne GBS can cause invasive infections in humans.

Stable Expression of Modified Green Fluorescent Protein in Group B Streptococci To Enable Visualization in Experimental Systems

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a Gram-positive bacterium associated with various diseases in humans and animals. Many studies have examined GBS physiology, virulence, and microbe-host interactions using diverse imaging approaches, including fluorescence microscopy. Strategies to label and visualize GBS using fluorescence biomarkers have been limited to antibody-based methods or nonspecific stains that bind DNA or protein; an effective plasmid-based system to label GBS with a fluorescence biomarker would represent a useful visualization tool. In this study, we developed and validated a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-variant-expressing plasmid, pGU2664, which can be applied as a marker to visualize GBS in experimental studies. The synthetic constitutively active CP25 promoter drives strong and stable expression of the GFPmut3 biomarker in GBS strains carrying pGU2664. GBS maintains GFPmut3 activity at different phases of growth. The application of fluorescence polarization enables easy discrimination of GBS GFPmut3 activity from the autofluorescence of culture media commonly used to grow GBS. Differential interference contrast microscopy, in combination with epifluorescence microscopy to detect GFPmut3 in GBS, enabled visualization of bacterial attachment to live human epithelial cells in real time. Plasmid pGU2664 was also used to visualize phenotypic differences in the adherence of wild-type GBS and an isogenic gene-deficient mutant strain lacking CovR (the control of virulence regulator) in adhesion assays. The system for GFPmut3 expression in GBS described in this study provides a new tool for the visualization of this organism in diverse research applications. We discuss the advantages and consider the limitations of this fluorescent biomarker system developed for GBS.IMPORTANCE Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a bacterium associated with various diseases in humans and animals. This study describes the development of a strategy to label and visualize GBS using a fluorescence biomarker, termed GFPmut3. We show that this biomarker can be successfully applied to track the growth of bacteria in liquid medium, and it enables the detailed visualization of GBS in the context of live human cells in real-time microscopic analysis. The system for GFPmut3 expression in GBS described in this study provides a new tool for the visualization of this organism in diverse research applications.