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Wu G, Zhou Y, Cao S, Wu Y, Wang T, Zhang Y, Wang X, Song Y, Yang R, Du Z. Unveiling the dance of evolution: Pla-mediated cleavage of Ymt modulates the virulence dynamics of Yersinia pestis. mBio 2024; 15:e0107524. [PMID: 38958447 PMCID: PMC11323527 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01075-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis has recently evolved into a highly lethal flea-borne pathogen through the pseudogenization of extensive genes and the acquisition of exogenous plasmids. Particularly noteworthy are the newly acquired pPCP1 and pMT1 plasmids, which encode the virulence determinants Pla and Yersinia murine toxin (Ymt), crucial for subcutaneous infection and survival within flea vector of Y. pestis, respectively. This study reveals that Pla can cleave Ymt at K299 both in vivo and in vitro. Y. pestis expressing YmtK299A displays enhanced in vitro biofilm formation and increased blood survival, indicating significant roles of Pla-mediated Ymt cleavage in these phenotypes. Intriguingly, although both the ancestral form of Pla and the prevalent Pla-I259T variant in modern Y. pestis strains are capable of cleaving Ymt at K299, the cleavage efficiency of Pla-I259T is only half that of the ancestral variant. In subcutaneous infection, mice infected with Δymt::ymt-K299A show significantly prolonged survival compared to those infected with Δymt::ymt. Similarly, infection with Δpla::pla-I259T also results in extended survival compared to Δpla::pla infection. These data demonstrate that the I259T substitution of Pla mitigates the enhanced virulence of Y. pestis in mice caused by Pla-mediated Ymt cleavage, thereby prolonging the survival period of infected animals and potentially conferring advantages on the transmission of Y. pestis to the next host. These findings deepen our understanding of the intricate interplay between two newly acquired plasmids and shed light on the positive selection of the Pla-I259T mutation, providing new insights into the virulence dynamics and transmission mechanisms of Y. pestis. IMPORTANCE The emergence of Y. pestis as a highly lethal pathogen is driven by extensive gene pseudogenization and acquisition of exogenous plasmids pPCP1 and pMT1. However, the interplay between these two plasmids during evolution remains largely unexplored. Our study reveals intricate interactions between Ymt and Pla, two crucial virulence determinants encoded on these plasmids. Pla-mediated cleavage of Ymt significantly decreases Y. pestis survival in mouse blood and enhances its virulence in mice. The prevalent Pla-I259T variant in modern strains displays reduced Ymt cleavage, thereby extending the survival of infected animals and potentially increasing strain transmissibility. Our findings shed light on the nuanced evolution of Y. pestis, wherein reduced cleavage efficiency is a positive selection force, shaping the pathogen's natural trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengshan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yazhou Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Shiyang Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yarong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Tong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yajun Song
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Ruifu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Zongmin Du
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
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2
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Stepien TA, Singletary LA, Guerra FE, Karlinsey JE, Libby SJ, Jaslow SL, Gaggioli MR, Gibbs KD, Ko DC, Brehm MA, Greiner DL, Shultz LD, Fang FC. Nuclear factor kappa B-dependent persistence of Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi in human macrophages. mBio 2024; 15:e0045424. [PMID: 38497655 PMCID: PMC11005419 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00454-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Salmonella serovars Typhi and Paratyphi cause a prolonged illness known as enteric fever, whereas other serovars cause acute gastroenteritis. Mechanisms responsible for the divergent clinical manifestations of nontyphoidal and enteric fever Salmonella infections have remained elusive. Here, we show that S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A can persist within human macrophages, whereas S. Typhimurium rapidly induces apoptotic macrophage cell death that is dependent on Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 (SPI2). S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A lack 12 specific SPI2 effectors with pro-apoptotic functions, including nine that target nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). Pharmacologic inhibition of NF-κB or heterologous expression of the SPI2 effectors GogA or GtgA restores apoptosis of S. Typhi-infected macrophages. In addition, the absence of the SPI2 effector SarA results in deficient signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) activation and interleukin 12 production, leading to impaired TH1 responses in macrophages and humanized mice. The absence of specific nontyphoidal SPI2 effectors may allow S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A to cause chronic infections. IMPORTANCE Salmonella enterica is a common cause of gastrointestinal infections worldwide. The serovars Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi A cause a distinctive systemic illness called enteric fever, whose pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Here, we show that enteric fever Salmonella serovars lack 12 specific virulence factors possessed by nontyphoidal Salmonella serovars, which allow the enteric fever serovars to persist within human macrophages. We propose that this fundamental difference in the interaction of Salmonella with human macrophages is responsible for the chronicity of typhoid and paratyphoid fever, suggesting that targeting the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) complex responsible for macrophage survival could facilitate the clearance of persistent bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor A. Stepien
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Fermin E. Guerra
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Joyce E. Karlinsey
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Stephen J. Libby
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sarah L. Jaslow
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Margaret R. Gaggioli
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kyle D. Gibbs
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dennis C. Ko
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael A. Brehm
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dale L. Greiner
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Ferric C. Fang
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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3
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Bennasar-Figueras A. The Natural and Clinical History of Plague: From the Ancient Pandemics to Modern Insights. Microorganisms 2024; 12:146. [PMID: 38257973 PMCID: PMC10818976 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010146] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The human pathogen Yersinia pestis is responsible for bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. A deeply comprehensive overview of its historical context, bacteriological characteristics, genomic analysis based on ancient DNA (aDNA) and modern strains, and its impact on historical and actual human populations, is explored. The results from multiple studies have been synthesized to investigate the origins of plague, its transmission, and effects on different populations. Additionally, molecular interactions of Y. pestis, from its evolutionary origins to its adaptation to flea-born transmission, and its impact on human and wild populations are considered. The characteristic combinations of aDNA patterns, which plays a decisive role in the reconstruction and analysis of ancient genomes, are reviewed. Bioinformatics is fundamental in identifying specific Y. pestis lineages, and automated pipelines are among the valuable tools in implementing such studies. Plague, which remains among human history's most lethal infectious diseases, but also other zoonotic diseases, requires the continuous investigation of plague topics. This can be achieved by improving molecular and genetic screening of animal populations, identifying ecological and social determinants of outbreaks, increasing interdisciplinary collaborations among scientists and public healthcare providers, and continued research into the characterization, diagnosis, and treatment of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoni Bennasar-Figueras
- Microbiologia—Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), Campus UIB, Carretera de Valldemossa, Km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain; ; Tel.: +34-971172778
- Facultat de Medicina, Hospital Universitari Son Espases (HUSE), Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), Carretera de Valldemossa, 79, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
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4
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Suntsov VV. Molecular phylogenies of the plague microbe Yersinia pestis: an environmental assessment. AIMS Microbiol 2023; 9:712-723. [PMID: 38173967 PMCID: PMC10758575 DOI: 10.3934/microbiol.2023036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Two approaches are applied to studies of the phylogeny of the plague microbe Yersinia pestis, i.e., the reconstruction of its history: Molecular genetic (MG) and ecological (ECO). The MG approach dominates. Phylogenies created with MG and ECO methods are not congruent. MG conclusions contradict the known facts and patterns of ecology, biogeography, paleontology, etc. We discuss some obvious contradictions and inconsistencies and suggest that real phylogenies of the plague microbe can be constructed only on the basis of the integration of MG and ECO approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor V. Suntsov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia
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Garrido-Sanz D, Vesga P, Heiman CM, Altenried A, Keel C, Vacheron J. Relation of pest insect-killing and soilborne pathogen-inhibition abilities to species diversification in environmental Pseudomonas protegens. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:1369-1381. [PMID: 37311938 PMCID: PMC10432460 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01451-8] [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: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Strains belonging to the Pseudomonas protegens phylogenomic subgroup have long been known for their beneficial association with plant roots, notably antagonising soilborne phytopathogens. Interestingly, they can also infect and kill pest insects, emphasising their interest as biocontrol agents. In the present study, we used all available Pseudomonas genomes to reassess the phylogeny of this subgroup. Clustering analysis revealed the presence of 12 distinct species, many of which were previously unknown. The differences between these species also extend to the phenotypic level. Most of the species were able to antagonise two soilborne phytopathogens, Fusarium graminearum and Pythium ultimum, and to kill the plant pest insect Pieris brassicae in feeding and systemic infection assays. However, four strains failed to do so, likely as a consequence of adaptation to particular niches. The absence of the insecticidal Fit toxin explained the non-pathogenic behaviour of the four strains towards Pieris brassicae. Further analyses of the Fit toxin genomic island evidence that the loss of this toxin is related to non-insecticidal niche specialisation. This work expands the knowledge on the growing Pseudomonas protegens subgroup and suggests that loss of phytopathogen inhibition and pest insect killing abilities in some of these bacteria may be linked to species diversification processes involving adaptation to particular niches. Our work sheds light on the important ecological consequences of gain and loss dynamics for functions involved in pathogenic host interactions of environmental bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Garrido-Sanz
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Pilar Vesga
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP, UPM-INIA), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)-Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Clara M Heiman
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aline Altenried
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Keel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Jordan Vacheron
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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6
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Dewitte A, Werkmeister E, Pierre F, Sebbane F, Bontemps-Gallo S. A Widefield Light Microscopy-Based Approach Provides Further Insights into the Colonization of the Flea Proventriculus by Yersinia pestis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0209122. [PMID: 36939324 PMCID: PMC10132112 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02091-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis (the agent of flea-borne plague) must obstruct the flea's proventriculus to maintain transmission to a mammalian host. To this end, Y. pestis must consolidate a mass that entrapped Y. pestis within the proventriculus very early after its ingestion. We developed a semiautomated fluorescent image analysis method and used it to monitor and compare colonization of the flea proventriculus by a fully competent flea-blocking Y. pestis strain, a partially competent strain, and a noncompetent strain. Our data suggested that flea blockage results primarily from the replication of Y. pestis trapped in the anterior half of the proventriculus. However, consolidation of the bacteria-entrapping mass and colonization of the entire proventricular lumen increased the likelihood of flea blockage. The data also showed that consolidation of the bacterial mass is not a prerequisite for colonization of the proventriculus but allowed Y. pestis to maintain itself in a large flea population for an extended period of time. Taken as the whole, the data suggest that a strategy targeting bacterial mass consolidation could significantly reduce the likelihood of Y. pestis being transmitted by fleas (due to gut blockage), but also the possibility of using fleas as a long-term reservoir. IMPORTANCE Yersinia pestis (the causative agent of plague) is one of the deadliest bacterial pathogens. It circulates primarily among rodent populations and their fleas. Better knowledge of the mechanisms leading to the flea-borne transmission of Y. pestis is likely to generate strategies for controlling or even eradicating this bacillus. It is known that Y. pestis obstructs the flea's foregut so that the insect starves, frantically bites its mammalian host, and regurgitates Y. pestis at the bite site. Here, we developed a semiautomated fluorescent image analysis method and used it to document and compare foregut colonization and disease progression in fleas infected with a fully competent flea-blocking Y. pestis strain, a partially competent strain, and a noncompetent strain. Overall, our data provided new insights into Y. pestis' obstruction of the proventriculus for transmission but also the ecology of plague.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Dewitte
- University Lille, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR9017-CIIL-Centre d’Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Elisabeth Werkmeister
- University Lille, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR9017-CIIL-Centre d’Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Lille, France
- University Lille, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, US41-UMS2014 - PLBS, Lille, France
| | - François Pierre
- University Lille, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR9017-CIIL-Centre d’Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Florent Sebbane
- University Lille, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR9017-CIIL-Centre d’Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Sébastien Bontemps-Gallo
- University Lille, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR9017-CIIL-Centre d’Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Lille, France
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7
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Suntsov VV. Climate Changes in Central Asia as a Prerequisite and Trigger of Plague Microbe ( Yersinia pestis) Speciation. CONTEMP PROBL ECOL+ 2022; 15:373-382. [PMID: 35990805 PMCID: PMC9376127 DOI: 10.1134/s1995425522040102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Two physical and climatic factors that were distant and recent prerequisites and a transformation trigger for a clone of the ancestral pseudotuberculous microbe Yersinia pseudotuberculosis O:1b (the causative agent of the Far East scarlet-like fever (FESLF)) into a population of the plague microbe derivative Y. pestis are considered. One remote prerequisite was the aridification of the Central Asian landscapes in the second half of the Cenozoic period and the formation of the Gobi Arid Zone. The arid conditions of Central Asia determined the formation of adaptive species-specific protective behavior in the Tarbagan marmot (Marmota sibirica) when installing the plug of a wintering hole, which later contributed to the massive infection of the animals with FESLF by the aberrant (traumatic, not alimentary) method during hibernation. A recent prerequisite and a real trigger of Y. pestis speciation was the onset of the last maximum (Sartan) ice age in Central Asia at the turn of the Pleistocene and Holocene, 22 000-15 000 years ago. Freezing of the cooling burrows of the Tarbagan marmot caused a behavioral shift in the larval population of the marmot flea Oropsylla silantiewi and the transition to the cold winter-spring months of the year from saprophagy in the nesting litter to hematophagy on the bodies of sleeping animals. Larval scarifications in the oral cavity of sleeping marmots have become the entrance gate for a unique traumatic FESLF infection. The constellation of climatic changes, the heterothermal (and, accordingly, heteroimmune) condition of the family groups of sleeping marmots, and the year-round propagation of marmot fleas in wintering burrows, combined with behavioral shifts in marmots and fleas caused by climatic changes, led to the formation of conditions in the parasitic system M. sibirica-O. silantiewi in which the transformation of the FESLF microbe into the causative agent of the plague occurred according to peripatric speciation. Thus, the climatic changes that happened at different times in the Cenozoic initially led to a shift in behavior of the Tarbagan marmot and, subsequently, to a shift in the behavior of the fleas parasitizing it. Ultimately, the change in the behavior of marmots and fleas caused the transition of the clone(s) of the FESLF causative agent into a new ecological niche and adaptive zone, as well as the transformation into a population(s) of the plague microbe.
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Affiliation(s)
- V. V. Suntsov
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, 119071 Moscow, Russia
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8
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Ilinsky Y, Lapshina V, Verzhutsky D, Fedorova Y, Medvedev S. Genetic Evidence of an Isolation Barrier between Flea Subspecies of Citellophilus tesquorum (Wagner, 1898) (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae). INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13020126. [PMID: 35206699 PMCID: PMC8879408 DOI: 10.3390/insects13020126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary We studied field collections of two flea subspecies that are plague vectors on the vast Palearctic territory. Analysing the molecular–genetic, geographical, morphological, and reproductive isolation criteria, we conclude that these subspecies could be considered different species. Abstract This study investigated the relationship between two subspecies of the Citellophilus tesquorum flea, C. t. altaicus and C. t. sungaris, which are vectors of the bacterium Yersinia pestis that causes human plague across the vast territories of the Palearctic. Adult fleas were collected from 16 localities and 11 populations in 2019 and 2020. Specimens were morphologically verified for subspecies status and analysed for mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) DNA, nuclear ribosomal cluster internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and ITS2, and Wolbachia-infection status. Our results demonstrated a genetic difference between C. t. altaicus and C. t. sungaris. According to mitochondrial data, the genetic distance between clades of C. t. altaicus and C. t. sungaris was comparable with the species divergence of the genus Callopsylla, which is closely related to Citellophilus. All studied populations of C. t. altaicus were Wolbachia-infected, whereas all studied populations of C. t. sungaris were symbiont-free. Data for ITS1 and ITS2 had much lower phylogenetic signals than mitochondrial data; however, diagnostic substitutions for C. t. altaicus and C. t. sungaris delimitation were also revealed. Analysis of a hardly accessible report on cross experiments allowed us to conclude the partial postzygotic isolation between these subspecies. Taken together, the molecular-genetic, geographical, morphological, and reproductive isolation findings verified that C. t. altaicus and C. t. sungaris subspecies could be considered as different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yury Ilinsky
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Insects, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (V.L.); (Y.F.)
- Center for Mitochondrial Functional Genomics, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, 236041 Kaliningrad, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Vasilina Lapshina
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Insects, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (V.L.); (Y.F.)
| | | | - Yulia Fedorova
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Insects, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (V.L.); (Y.F.)
| | - Sergey Medvedev
- Parasitology Department, Zoological Institute RAS, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia;
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Rodríguez-Frías F, Quer J, Tabernero D, Cortese MF, Garcia-Garcia S, Rando-Segura A, Pumarola T. Microorganisms as Shapers of Human Civilization, from Pandemics to Even Our Genomes: Villains or Friends? A Historical Approach. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2518. [PMID: 34946123 PMCID: PMC8708650 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Universal history is characterized by continuous evolution, in which civilizations are born and die. This evolution is associated with multiple factors, among which the role of microorganisms is often overlooked. Viruses and bacteria have written or decisively contributed to terrible episodes of history, such as the Black Death in 14th century Europe, the annihilation of pre-Columbian American civilizations, and pandemics such as the 1918 Spanish flu or the current COVID-19 pandemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Nevertheless, it is clear that we could not live in a world without these tiny beings. Endogenous retroviruses have been key to our evolution and for the regulation of gene expression, and the gut microbiota helps us digest compounds that we could not otherwise process. In addition, we have used microorganisms to preserve or prepare food for millennia and more recently to obtain drugs such as antibiotics or to develop recombinant DNA technologies. Due to the enormous importance of microorganisms for our survival, they have significantly influenced the population genetics of different human groups. This paper will review the role of microorganisms as "villains" who have been responsible for tremendous mortality throughout history but also as "friends" who help us survive and evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Rodríguez-Frías
- Clinical Biochemistry Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Vall d’Hebron Institut Recerca-Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (M.F.C.); (S.G.-G.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Liver Pathology Unit, Departments of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Josep Quer
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Liver Unit, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Vall d’Hebron Institut Recerca, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Tabernero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Maria Francesca Cortese
- Clinical Biochemistry Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Vall d’Hebron Institut Recerca-Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (M.F.C.); (S.G.-G.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Selene Garcia-Garcia
- Clinical Biochemistry Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Vall d’Hebron Institut Recerca-Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (M.F.C.); (S.G.-G.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Ariadna Rando-Segura
- Liver Pathology Unit, Departments of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Tomas Pumarola
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain;
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Acquisition of yersinia murine toxin enabled Yersinia pestis to expand the range of mammalian hosts that sustain flea-borne plague. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009995. [PMID: 34648607 PMCID: PMC8547695 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia murine toxin (Ymt) is a phospholipase D encoded on a plasmid acquired by Yersinia pestis after its recent divergence from a Yersinia pseudotuberculosis progenitor. Despite its name, Ymt is not required for virulence but acts to enhance bacterial survival in the flea digestive tract. Certain Y. pestis strains circulating in the Bronze Age lacked Ymt, suggesting that they were not transmitted by fleas. However, we show that the importance of Ymt varies with host blood source. In accordance with the original description, Ymt greatly enhanced Y. pestis survival in fleas infected with bacteremic mouse, human, or black rat blood. In contrast, Ymt was much less important when fleas were infected using brown rat blood. A Y. pestis Ymt- mutant infected fleas nearly as well as the Ymt+ parent strain after feeding on bacteremic brown rat blood, and the mutant was transmitted efficiently by flea bite during the first weeks after infection. The protective function of Ymt correlated with red blood cell digestion kinetics in the flea gut. Thus, early Y. pestis strains that lacked Ymt could have been maintained in flea-brown rat transmission cycles, and perhaps in other hosts with similar blood characteristics. Acquisition of Ymt, however, served to greatly expand the range of hosts that could support flea-borne plague.
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CsrA Enhances Cyclic-di-GMP Biosynthesis and Yersinia pestis Biofilm Blockage of the Flea Foregut by Alleviating Hfq-Dependent Repression of the hmsT mRNA. mBio 2021; 12:e0135821. [PMID: 34340543 PMCID: PMC8406273 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01358-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Plague-causing Yersinia pestis is transmitted through regurgitation when it forms a biofilm-mediated blockage in the foregut of its flea vector. This biofilm is composed of an extracellular polysaccharide substance (EPS) produced when cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) levels are elevated. The Y. pestis diguanylate cyclase enzymes HmsD and HmsT synthesize c-di-GMP. HmsD is required for biofilm blockage formation but contributes minimally to in vitro biofilms. HmsT, however, is necessary for in vitro biofilms and contributes to intermediate rates of biofilm blockage. C-di-GMP synthesis is regulated at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. In this, the global RNA chaperone, Hfq, posttranscriptionally represses hmsT mRNA translation. How c-di-GMP levels and biofilm blockage formation is modulated by nutritional stimuli encountered in the flea gut is unknown. Here, the RNA-binding regulator protein CsrA, which controls c-di-GMP-mediated biofilm formation and central carbon metabolism responses in many Gammaproteobacteria, was assessed for its role in Y. pestis biofilm formation. We determined that CsrA was required for markedly greater c-di-GMP and EPS levels when Y. pestis was cultivated on alternative sugars implicated in flea biofilm blockage metabolism. Our assays, composed of mobility shifts, quantification of mRNA translation, stability, and abundance, and epistasis analyses of a csrA hfq double mutant strain substantiated that CsrA represses hfq mRNA translation, thereby alleviating Hfq-dependent repression of hmsT mRNA translation. Additionally, a csrA mutant exhibited intermediately reduced biofilm blockage rates, resembling an hmsT mutant. Hence, we reveal CsrA-mediated control of c-di-GMP synthesis in Y. pestis as a tiered, posttranscriptional regulatory process that enhances biofilm blockage-mediated transmission from fleas.
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12
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Suntsov VV. Genomogenesis of the Plague Bacteria Yersinia pestis as a Process of Mosaic Evolution. RUSS J GENET+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795421020113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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13
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Cote CK, Biryukov SS, Klimko CP, Shoe JL, Hunter M, Rosario-Acevedo R, Fetterer DP, Moody KL, Meyer JR, Rill NO, Dankmeyer JL, Worsham PL, Bozue JA, Welkos SL. Protection Elicited by Attenuated Live Yersinia pestis Vaccine Strains against Lethal Infection with Virulent Y. pestis. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9020161. [PMID: 33669472 PMCID: PMC7920443 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9020161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The etiologic agent of plague, Yersinia pestis, is a globally distributed pathogen which poses both a natural and adversarial threat. Due largely to the rapid course and high mortality of pneumonic plague, vaccines are greatly needed. Two-component protein vaccines have been unreliable and potentially vulnerable to vaccine resistance. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of eight live Y. pestis strains derived from virulent strains CO92 or KIM6+ and mutated in one or more virulence-associated gene(s) or cured of plasmid pPst. Stringent, single-dose vaccination allowed down-selection of the two safest and most protective vaccine candidates, CO92 mutants pgm- pPst- and ΔyscN. Both completely protected BALB/c mice against subcutaneous and aerosol challenge with Y. pestis. Strain CD-1 outbred mice were more resistant to bubonic (but not pneumonic) plague than BALB/c mice, but the vaccines elicited partial protection of CD-1 mice against aerosol challenge, while providing full protection against subcutaneous challenge. A ΔyscN mutant of the nonencapsulated C12 strain was expected to display antigens previously concealed by the capsule. C12 ΔyscN elicited negligible titers to F1 but comparable antibody levels to whole killed bacteria, as did CO92 ΔyscN. Although one dose of C12 ΔyscN was not protective, vaccination with two doses of either CO92 ΔyscN, or a combination of the ΔyscN mutants of C12 and CO92, protected optimally against lethal bubonic or pneumonic plague. Protection against encapsulated Y. pestis required inclusion of F1 in the vaccine and was associated with high anti-F1 titers.
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14
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Barbieri R, Drancourt M, Raoult D. The role of louse-transmitted diseases in historical plague pandemics. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2020; 21:e17-e25. [PMID: 33035476 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(20)30487-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The rodent-murine ectoparasite-human model of plague transmission does not correspond with historical details around plague pandemics in Europe. New analysis of ancient genomes reveal that Yersinia pestis was unable to be transmitted by rat fleas until around 4000 Before Present, which challenges the rodent-murine ectoparasite-human model of plague transmission and historical details around plague pandemics in Europe. In this Review, we summarise data regarding Y pestis transmission by human lice in the context of genomic evolution and co-transmission of other major epidemic deadly pathogens throughout human history, with the aim of broadening our view of plague transmission. Experimental models support the efficiency of human lice as plague vectors through infected faeces, which suggest that Y pestis could be a louse-borne disease, similar to Borrelia recurrentis, Rickettsia prowazekii, and Bartonella quintana. Studies have shown that louse-borne outbreaks often involve multiple pathogens, and several cases of co-transmission of Y pestis and B quintana have been reported. Furthermore, an exclusive louse-borne bacterium, namely B recurrentis, was found to be circulating in northern Europe during the second plague pandemic (14th-18th century). Current data make it possible to attribute large historical pandemics to multiple bacteria, and suggests that human lice probably played a preponderant role in the interhuman transmission of plague and pathogen co-transmission during previous large epidemics, including plague pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Barbieri
- Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France; Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Établissement Français du Sang, Anthropologie Bio-culturelle, Droit, Éthique et Santé, Marseille, France; Fondation Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Michel Drancourt
- Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France; Fondation Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.
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15
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Lemon A, Sagawa J, Gravelle K, Vadyvaloo V. Biovar-related differences apparent in the flea foregut colonization phenotype of distinct Yersinia pestis strains do not impact transmission efficiency. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:335. [PMID: 32611387 PMCID: PMC7329463 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04207-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Yersinia pestis is the flea-transmitted etiological agent of bubonic plague. Sylvatic plague consists of complex tripartite interactions between diverse flea and wild rodent species, and pathogen strains. Transmission by flea bite occurs primarily by the Y. pestis biofilm-mediated foregut blockage and regurgitation mechanism, which has been largely detailed by studies in the model interaction between Y. pestis KIM6+ and Xenopsylla cheopis. Here, we test if pathogen-specific traits influence this interaction by determining the dynamics of foregut blockage development in X. cheopis fleas among extant avirulent pCD1-Y. pestis strains, KIM6+ and CO92, belonging to distinct biovars, and a non-circulating mutant CO92 strain (CO92gly), restored for glycerol fermentation; a key biochemical difference between the two biovars. Methods Separate flea cohorts infected with distinct strains were evaluated for (i) blockage development, bacterial burdens and flea foregut blockage pathology, and (ii) for the number of bacteria transmitted by regurgitation during membrane feeding. Strain burdens per flea was determined for fleas co-infected with CO92 and KIM6+ strains at a ratio of 1:1. Results Strains KIM6+ and CO92 developed foregut blockage at similar rates and peak temporal incidences, but the CO92gly strain showed significantly greater blockage rates that peak earlier post-infection. The KIM6+ strain, however, exhibited a distinctive foregut pathology wherein bacterial colonization extended the length of the esophagus up to the feeding mouthparts in ~65% of blocked fleas; in contrast to 32% and 26%, respectively, in fleas blocked with CO92 and CO92gly. The proximity of KIM6+ to the flea mouthparts in blocked fleas did not result in higher regurgitative transmission efficiencies as all strains transmitted variable numbers of Y. pestis, albeit slightly lower for CO92gly. During competitive co-infection, strains KIM6+ and CO92 were equally fit maintaining equivalent infection proportions in fleas over time. Conclusions We demonstrate that disparate foregut blockage pathologies exhibited by distinct extant Y. pestis strain genotypes do not influence transmission efficiency from X. cheopis fleas. In fact, distinct extant Y. pestis genotypes maintain equivalently effective blockage and transmission efficiencies which is likely advantageous to maintaining continued successful plague spread and establishment of new plague foci.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Athena Lemon
- Paul G Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Washington, 99164, USA
| | - Janelle Sagawa
- Paul G Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Washington, 99164, USA
| | - Kameron Gravelle
- Paul G Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Washington, 99164, USA
| | - Viveka Vadyvaloo
- Paul G Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Washington, 99164, USA.
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16
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Benedictow OJ. Epidemiology of Plague: Problems with the Use of Mathematical Epidemiological Models in Plague Research and the Question of Transmission by Human Fleas and Lice. THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY = JOURNAL CANADIEN DES MALADIES INFECTIEUSES ET DE LA MICROBIOLOGIE MEDICALE 2019; 2019:1542024. [PMID: 31531149 PMCID: PMC6720821 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1542024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
This article addresses the recent use of mathematical epidemiological SIR or SEIR models in plague research. This use of S(E)IR models is highly problematic, but the problems are not presented and considered. Serious problems show in that such models are used to "prove" that historical plague was a (1) Filoviridae disease and (2) a bacterial disease caused by Yersinia pestis which was transmitted by human fleas and lice. (3) They also support early-phase transmission (by fleas). They purportedly consistently disprove (4) the conventional view that plague is/was a rat-and-rat-flea-borne disease. For these reasons, the focus is on methodological problems and on empirical testing by modern medical, entomological, and historical epidemiological data. An important or predominant vectorial role in plague epidemics for human fleas and lice requires that several necessary conditions are satisfied, which are generally not considered by advocates of the human ectoparasite hypothesis of plague transmission: (1) the prevalence and levels of human plague bacteraemia (human plague cases as sources of infection of feeding human ectoparasites); (2) the general size of blood meals ingested by human fleas and lice; (3) the consequent number of ingested plague bacteria; (4) the lethal dose of bacteria for 50% of a normal sample of infected human beings, LD50; and (5) efficient mechanism of transmission by lice and by fleas. The factual answers to these crucial questions can be ascertained and shown to invalidate the human ectoparasite hypothesis. The view of the standard works on plague has been corroborated, that bubonic plague, historical and modern, is/was a rat-and-rat-flea-borne disease caused by Yersinia pestis. These conclusions are concordant with and corroborate recent studies which, by laboratory experiments, invalidated the early-transmission hypothesis as a mechanism of transmission of LDs to humans in plague epidemics and removed this solution to the problem of transmission by human fleas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole J. Benedictow
- University of Oslo, Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History, Section of History, Oslo, Norway
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17
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Abstract
Over the past decade, a genomics revolution, made possible through the development of high-throughput sequencing, has triggered considerable progress in the study of ancient DNA, enabling complete genomes of past organisms to be reconstructed. A newly established branch of this field, ancient pathogen genomics, affords an in-depth view of microbial evolution by providing a molecular fossil record for a number of human-associated pathogens. Recent accomplishments include the confident identification of causative agents from past pandemics, the discovery of microbial lineages that are now extinct, the extrapolation of past emergence events on a chronological scale and the characterization of long-term evolutionary history of microorganisms that remain relevant to public health today. In this Review, we discuss methodological advancements, persistent challenges and novel revelations gained through the study of ancient pathogen genomes.
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18
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Hiyoshi H, Wangdi T, Lock G, Saechao C, Raffatellu M, Cobb BA, Bäumler AJ. Mechanisms to Evade the Phagocyte Respiratory Burst Arose by Convergent Evolution in Typhoidal Salmonella Serovars. Cell Rep 2019; 22:1787-1797. [PMID: 29444431 PMCID: PMC5826628 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Typhoid fever caused by Salmonella enterica serovar (S.) Typhi differs in its clinical presentation from gastroenteritis caused by S. Typhimurium and other non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars. The different clinical presentations are attributed in part to the virulence-associated capsular polysaccharide (Vi antigen) of S. Typhi, which prevents phagocytes from triggering a respiratory burst by preventing antibody-mediated complement activation. Paradoxically, the Vi antigen is absent from S. Paratyphi A, which causes a disease that is indistinguishable from typhoid fever. Here, we show that evasion of the phagocyte respiratory burst by S. Paratyphi A required very long O antigen chains containing the O2 antigen to inhibit antibody binding. We conclude that the ability to avoid the phagocyte respiratory burst is a property distinguishing typhoidal from non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars that was acquired by S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A independently through convergent evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotaka Hiyoshi
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Tamding Wangdi
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Gabriel Lock
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Cheng Saechao
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Manuela Raffatellu
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Brian A Cobb
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Andreas J Bäumler
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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19
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Gandon S, Heitzmann L, Sebbane F. To block or not to block: The adaptive manipulation of plague transmission. Evol Lett 2019; 3:152-161. [PMID: 31161047 PMCID: PMC6541909 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of the agent of plague, Yersinia pestis, to form a biofilm blocking the gut of the flea has been considered to be a key evolutionary step in maintaining flea‐borne transmission. However, blockage decreases dramatically the life expectancy of fleas, challenging the adaptive nature of blockage. Here, we develop an epidemiological model of plague that accounts for its different transmission routes, as well as the within‐host competition taking place between bacteria within the flea vector. We use this theoretical framework to identify the environmental conditions promoting the evolution of blockage. We also show that blockage is favored at the onset of an epidemic, and that the frequencies of bacterial strains exhibiting different strategies of blockage can fluctuate in seasonal environments. This analysis quantifies the contribution of different transmission routes in plague and makes testable predictions on the adaptive nature of blockage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Gandon
- CEFE UMR 5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE 1919 route de Mende 34293 Montpellier France
| | - Louise Heitzmann
- CEFE UMR 5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE 1919 route de Mende 34293 Montpellier France
| | - Florent Sebbane
- Inserm, Univ. of Lille, CNRS, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR8204-CIIL-Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille F-59000 Lille France
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20
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Genesis of Flea-Born Transmission of Plague Microbe, Yersinia pestis: Two Approachs – Molecular-Genetic and Ecological Ones. PROBLEMS OF PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS INFECTIONS 2018. [DOI: 10.21055/0370-1069-2018-2-37-44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Two approaches to studying the origin and transmission mechanism of the flea-borne plague pathogen, Yersinia pestis: molecular-genetic and ecological ones – are considered in this review. The molecular genetic approach is based on saltation evolutionary ideology and relies upon the phenomenon of horizontal gene transfer of pla and ymt as critical evolutionary events. Further deletion of some structural and regulatory genes optimized “blockage” mechanism of transmission. The Ecological approach is based on the modern synthetic theory of evolution. It posits a gradual population-genetic transformation in the Marmot – Flea (Marmota sibirica – Oropsylla silantiewi) transitional (heterothermal, heteroimmune) host-parasite system in Late Pleistocene – Holocene epochs. The best prospects for disclosing the mechanisms of evolutionary formation of flea-borne Y. pestis transmission consist in the synthesis of molecular-genetic and ecological approaches.
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21
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Spyrou MA, Tukhbatova RI, Wang CC, Valtueña AA, Lankapalli AK, Kondrashin VV, Tsybin VA, Khokhlov A, Kühnert D, Herbig A, Bos KI, Krause J. Analysis of 3800-year-old Yersinia pestis genomes suggests Bronze Age origin for bubonic plague. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2234. [PMID: 29884871 PMCID: PMC5993720 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04550-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of Yersinia pestis and the early stages of its evolution are fundamental subjects of investigation given its high virulence and mortality that resulted from past pandemics. Although the earliest evidence of Y. pestis infections in humans has been identified in Late Neolithic/Bronze Age Eurasia (LNBA 5000–3500y BP), these strains lack key genetic components required for flea adaptation, thus making their mode of transmission and disease presentation in humans unclear. Here, we reconstruct ancient Y. pestis genomes from individuals associated with the Late Bronze Age period (~3800 BP) in the Samara region of modern-day Russia. We show clear distinctions between our new strains and the LNBA lineage, and suggest that the full ability for flea-mediated transmission causing bubonic plague evolved more than 1000 years earlier than previously suggested. Finally, we propose that several Y. pestis lineages were established during the Bronze Age, some of which persist to the present day. Yersinia pestis has caused infections (plague) in humans since the Early Bronze Age (5000 years ago). Here, Spyrou et al. reconstruct Y. pestis genomes from Late Bronze Age individuals, and find genomic evidence compatible with flea-mediated transmission causing bubonic plague.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Spyrou
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany. .,Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstrasse 23, 72070, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Rezeda I Tukhbatova
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.,Center of Excellence "Archaeometry", Kazan Federal University, Kazan, 420008, Russian Federation
| | - Chuan-Chao Wang
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.,Department of Anthropology and Ethnology, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, China
| | - Aida Andrades Valtueña
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Aditya K Lankapalli
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Victor A Tsybin
- State Institute of Culture, Agency for Preservation of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Samara Region, Samara, 443010, Russia
| | - Aleksandr Khokhlov
- Samara State University of Social Sciences and Education, Maxim Gorky Str., Samara, 443090, Russia
| | - Denise Kühnert
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.,Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Herbig
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Kirsten I Bos
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.
| | - Johannes Krause
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany. .,Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstrasse 23, 72070, Tübingen, Germany.
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22
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Willcocks SJ, Stabler RA, Atkins HS, Oyston PF, Wren BW. High-throughput analysis of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis gene essentiality in optimised in vitro conditions, and implications for the speciation of Yersinia pestis. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:46. [PMID: 29855259 PMCID: PMC5984423 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1189-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is a zoonotic pathogen, causing mild gastrointestinal infection in humans. From this comparatively benign pathogenic species emerged the highly virulent plague bacillus, Yersinia pestis, which has experienced significant genetic divergence in a relatively short time span. Much of our knowledge of Yersinia spp. evolution stems from genomic comparison and gene expression studies. Here we apply transposon-directed insertion site sequencing (TraDIS) to describe the essential gene set of Y. pseudotuberculosis IP32953 in optimised in vitro growth conditions, and contrast these with the published essential genes of Y. pestis. Results The essential genes of an organism are the core genetic elements required for basic survival processes in a given growth condition, and are therefore attractive targets for antimicrobials. One such gene we identified is yptb3665, which encodes a peptide deformylase, and here we report for the first time, the sensitivity of Y. pseudotuberculosis to actinonin, a deformylase inhibitor. Comparison of the essential genes of Y. pseudotuberculosis with those of Y. pestis revealed the genes whose importance are shared by both species, as well as genes that were differentially required for growth. In particular, we find that the two species uniquely rely upon different iron acquisition and respiratory metabolic pathways under similar in vitro conditions. Conclusions The discovery of uniquely essential genes between the closely related Yersinia spp. represent some of the fundamental, species-defining points of divergence that arose during the evolution of Y. pestis from its ancestor. Furthermore, the shared essential genes represent ideal candidates for the development of novel antimicrobials against both species. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-018-1189-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Willcocks
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Richard A Stabler
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Helen S Atkins
- Microbiology, CBR Division, DSTL Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - Petra F Oyston
- Microbiology, CBR Division, DSTL Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - Brendan W Wren
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
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23
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Hinnebusch BJ, Jarrett CO, Bland DM. "Fleaing" the Plague: Adaptations of Yersinia pestis to Its Insect Vector That Lead to Transmission. Annu Rev Microbiol 2018; 71:215-232. [PMID: 28886687 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-090816-093521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Interest in arthropod-borne pathogens focuses primarily on how they cause disease in humans. How they produce a transmissible infection in their arthropod host is just as critical to their life cycle, however. Yersinia pestis adopts a unique life stage in the digestive tract of its flea vector, characterized by rapid formation of a bacterial biofilm that is enveloped in a complex extracellular polymeric substance. Localization and adherence of the biofilm to the flea foregut is essential for transmission. Here, we review the molecular and genetic mechanisms of these processes and present a comparative evaluation and updated model of two related transmission mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Joseph Hinnebusch
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840;
| | - Clayton O Jarrett
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840;
| | - David M Bland
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840;
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Algaze G. Entropic Cities: The Paradox of Urbanism in Ancient Mesopotamia. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1086/695983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Luhmann N, Doerr D, Chauve C. Comparative scaffolding and gap filling of ancient bacterial genomes applied to two ancient Yersinia pestis genomes. Microb Genom 2017; 3:e000123. [PMID: 29114402 PMCID: PMC5643016 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of the bubonic plague, a disease responsible for several dramatic historical pandemics. Progress in ancient DNA (aDNA) sequencing rendered possible the sequencing of whole genomes of important human pathogens, including the ancient Y. pestis strains responsible for outbreaks of the bubonic plague in London in the 14th century and in Marseille in the 18th century, among others. However, aDNA sequencing data are still characterized by short reads and non-uniform coverage, so assembling ancient pathogen genomes remains challenging and often prevents a detailed study of genome rearrangements. It has recently been shown that comparative scaffolding approaches can improve the assembly of ancient Y. pestis genomes at a chromosome level. In the present work, we address the last step of genome assembly, the gap-filling stage. We describe an optimization-based method AGapEs (ancestral gap estimation) to fill in inter-contig gaps using a combination of a template obtained from related extant genomes and aDNA reads. We show how this approach can be used to refine comparative scaffolding by selecting contig adjacencies supported by a mix of unassembled aDNA reads and comparative signal. We applied our method to two Y. pestis data sets from the London and Marseilles outbreaks, for which we obtained highly improved genome assemblies for both genomes, comprised of, respectively, five and six scaffolds with 95 % of the assemblies supported by ancient reads. We analysed the genome evolution between both ancient genomes in terms of genome rearrangements, and observed a high level of synteny conservation between these strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Luhmann
- 2Genome Informatics, Faculty of Technology and Center for Biotechnology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,1International Research Training Group "Computational Methods for the Analysis of the Diversity and Dynamics of Genomes", Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Daniel Doerr
- 2Genome Informatics, Faculty of Technology and Center for Biotechnology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,3School of Computer and Communication Sciences, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cedric Chauve
- 4Department of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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Yersinia pestis Resists Predation by Acanthamoeba castellanii and Exhibits Prolonged Intracellular Survival. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:AEM.00593-17. [PMID: 28455335 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00593-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plague is a flea-borne rodent-associated zoonotic disease caused by Yersinia pestis The disease is characterized by epizootics with high rodent mortalities, punctuated by interepizootic periods when the bacterium persists in an unknown reservoir. This study investigates the interaction between Y. pestis and the ubiquitous soil free-living amoeba (FLA) Acanthamoeba castellanii to assess if the bacterium can survive within soil amoebae and whether intracellular mechanisms are conserved between infection of mammalian macrophages and soil amoebae. The results demonstrate that during coculture with amoebae, representative Y. pestis strains of epidemic biovars Medievalis, Orientalis, and Antiqua are phagocytized and able to survive within amoebae for at least 5 days. Key Y. pestis determinants of the intracellular interaction of Y. pestis and phagocytic macrophages, PhoP and the type three secretion system (T3SS), were then tested for their roles in the Y. pestis-amoeba interaction. Consistent with a requirement for the PhoP transcriptional activator in the intracellular survival of Y. pestis in macrophages, a PhoP mutant is unable to survive when cocultured with amoebae. Additionally, induction of the T3SS blocks phagocytic uptake of Y. pestis by amoebae, similar to that which occurs during macrophage infection. Electron microscopy revealed that in A. castellanii, Y. pestis resides intact within spacious vacuoles which were characterized using lysosomal trackers as being separated from the lysosomal compartment. This evidence for prolonged survival and subversion of intracellular digestion of Y. pestis within FLA suggests that protozoa may serve as a protective soil reservoir for Y. pestisIMPORTANCEYersinia pestis is a reemerging flea-borne zoonotic disease. Sylvatic plague cycles are characterized by an epizootic period during which the disease spreads rapidly, causing high rodent mortality, and an interepizootic period when the bacterium quiescently persists in an unknown reservoir. An understanding of the ecology of Y. pestis in the context of its persistence in the environment and its reactivation to initiate a new epizootic cycle is key to implementing novel surveillance strategies to more effectively predict and prevent new disease outbreaks. Here, we demonstrate prolonged survival and subversion of intracellular digestion of Y. pestis within a soil free-living amoeba. This suggests the potential role for protozoa as a protective soil reservoir for Y. pestis, which may help explain the recrudescence of plague epizootics.
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Howarth M. Smart superglue in streptococci? The proof is in the pulling. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:8998-8999. [PMID: 28550142 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.h117.777466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Gram-positive bacteria use reactive thioester-containing proteins to form covalent bonds, which may enable strong adhesion to host surfaces, but how these proteins selectively adhere to different surfaces is not clear. The Editors' Pick by Echelman et al. applied single-molecule force spectroscopy to show that an adhesin protein can regenerate its thioester in the absence of pulling. This selective interaction would represent a new principle of mechanical proof-reading, whereby only reactions supporting anchorage of the bacterium are maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Howarth
- From the Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
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Eads DA, Hoogland JL. Precipitation, Climate Change, and Parasitism of Prairie Dogs by Fleas that Transmit Plague. J Parasitol 2017; 103:309-319. [PMID: 28359175 DOI: 10.1645/16-195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) are hematophagous ectoparasites that can reduce the fitness of vertebrate hosts. Laboratory populations of fleas decline under dry conditions, implying that populations of fleas will also decline when precipitation is scarce under natural conditions. If precipitation and hence vegetative production are reduced, however, then herbivorous hosts might suffer declines in body condition and have weakened defenses against fleas, so that fleas will increase in abundance. We tested these competing hypotheses using information from 23 yr of research on 3 species of colonial prairie dogs in the western United States: Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni, 1989-1994), Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens, 1996-2005), and white-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus, 2006-2012). For all 3 species, flea-counts per individual varied inversely with the number of days in the prior growing season with >10 mm of precipitation, an index of the number of precipitation events that might have caused a substantial, prolonged increase in soil moisture and vegetative production. Flea-counts per Utah prairie dog also varied inversely with cumulative precipitation of the prior growing season. Furthermore, flea-counts per Gunnison's and white-tailed prairie dog varied inversely with cumulative precipitation of the just-completed January and February. These results complement research on black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) and might have important ramifications for plague, a bacterial disease transmitted by fleas that devastates populations of prairie dogs. In particular, our results might help to explain why, at some colonies, epizootics of plague, which can kill >95% of prairie dogs, are more likely to occur during or shortly after periods of reduced precipitation. Climate change is projected to increase the frequency of droughts in the grasslands of western North America. If so, then climate change might affect the occurrence of plague epizootics among prairie dogs and other mammalian species that associate with them.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Eads
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523. Correspondence should be sent to David A. Eads at:
| | - John L Hoogland
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523. Correspondence should be sent to David A. Eads at:
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