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Tram G, Jen FEC, Phillips ZN, Lancashire JF, Timms J, Poole J, Jennings MP, Atack JM. Phasevarions in Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius control expression of multiple proteins. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0260123. [PMID: 38054719 PMCID: PMC10783040 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02601-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius is a human-adapted pathogen and the causative agent of Brazilian purpuric fever (BPF), an invasive disease with high mortality, that sporadically manifests in children previously suffering conjunctivitis. Phase variation is a rapid and reversible switching of gene expression found in many bacterial species, and typically associated with outer-membrane proteins. Phase variation of cytoplasmic DNA methyltransferases has been shown to play important roles in bacterial gene regulation and can act as epigenetic switches, regulating the expression of multiple genes as part of systems called phasevarions (phase-variable regulons). This study characterized two alleles of the ModA phasevarion present in H. influenzae biogroup aegyptius, ModA13, found in non-BPF causing strains and ModA16, unique to BPF causing isolates. Phase variation of ModA13 and ModA16 led to genome-wide changes to DNA methylation resulting in altered protein expression. These changes did not affect serum resistance in H. influenzae biogroup aegyptius strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg Tram
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Freda E.-C. Jen
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Zachary N. Phillips
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - John F. Lancashire
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jamie Timms
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jessica Poole
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael P. Jennings
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - John M. Atack
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
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Fluit AC, Bayjanov JR, Benaissa-Trouw BJ, Rogers MRC, Díez-Aguilar M, Cantón R, Tunney MM, Elborn JS, Ekkelenkamp MB. Whole-genome analysis of Haemophilus influenzae strains isolated from persons with cystic fibrosis. J Med Microbiol 2022; 71. [PMID: 36006824 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Haemophilus influenzae is a commensal of the respiratory tract that is frequently present in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and may cause infection. Antibiotic resistance is well described for CF strains, and virulence factors have been proposed.Hypothesis/Gap. The genetic diversity of H. influenzae strains present in the lungs of persons with CF is largely unknown despite the fact that this organism is considered to be a pathogen in this condition. The aim was to establish the genetic diversity and susceptibility of H. influenzae strains from persons with CF, and to screen the whole genomes of these strains for the presence of antibiotic resistance determinants and proposed virulence factors.Methods. A total of 67 strains, recovered from respiratory samples from persons with CF from the UK (n=1), Poland (n=2), Spain (n=24) and the Netherlands (n=40), were subjected to whole-genome sequencing using Illumina technology and tested for antibiotic susceptibility. Forty-nine of these strains (one per different sequence type) were analysed for encoded virulence factors and resistance determinants.Results. The 67 strains represented 49 different sequence types. Susceptibility testing showed that all strains were susceptible to aztreonam, ciprofloxacin, imipenem and tetracycline. Susceptibility to ampicillin, ampicillin/sulbactam, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefuroxime, cefixime, ceftriaxone, cefepime, meropenem, clarithromycin, co-trimoxazole and levofloxacin ranged from 70.2-98.5%. Only 6/49 strains (12.2%) harboured acquired resistance genes. Mutations associated with a ß-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant phenotype were present in four strains (8.2 %). The potential virulence factors, urease, haemoglobin- and haptoglobin-binding protein/carbamate kinase, and OmpP5 (OmpA), were encoded in more than half of the strains. The genes for HMW1, HMW2, H. influenzae adhesin, a IgA-specific serine endopeptidase autotransporter precursor, a TonB-dependent siderophore, an ABC-transporter ATP-binding protein, a methyltransferase, a BolA-family transcriptional regulator, glycosyltransferase Lic2B, a helix-turn-helix protein, an aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase and another glycosyltransferase were present in less than half of the strains.Conclusion. The H. influenzae strains showed limited levels of resistance, with the highest being against co-trimoxazole. Sequences encoding a carbamate kinase and a haemoglobin- and haemoglobin-haptoglobin-binding-like protein, a glycosyl transferase and an urease may aid the colonization of the CF lung. The adhesins and other identified putative virulence factors did not seem to be necessary for colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ad C Fluit
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jumamurat R Bayjanov
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Barry J Benaissa-Trouw
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Malbert R C Rogers
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - María Díez-Aguilar
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Red Española de Investigación en Patología Infecciosa (REIPI), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Cantón
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Red Española de Investigación en Patología Infecciosa (REIPI), Madrid, Spain
| | - Michael M Tunney
- Department of Pulmonology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - J Stuart Elborn
- Department of Pulmonology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Miquel B Ekkelenkamp
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Phillips ZN, Jennison AV, Whitby PW, Stull TL, Staples M, Atack JM. Examination of phase-variable haemoglobin-haptoglobin binding proteins in Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae reveals a diverse distribution of multiple variants. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2022; 369:6648706. [PMID: 35867873 PMCID: PMC9341677 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnac064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a major human pathogen for which there is no globally licensed vaccine. NTHi has a strict growth requirement for iron and encodes several systems to scavenge elemental iron and heme from the host. An effective NTHi vaccine would target conserved, essential surface factors, such as those involved in iron acquisition. Haemoglobin–haptoglobin binding proteins (Hgps) are iron-uptake proteins localized on the outer-membrane of NTHi. If the Hgps are to be included as components of a rationally designed subunit vaccine against NTHi, it is important to understand their prevalence and diversity. Following analysis of all available Hgp sequences, we propose a standardized grouping method for Hgps, and demonstrate increased diversity of these proteins than previously determined. This analysis demonstrated that genes encoding variants HgpB and HgpC are present in all strains examined, and almost 40% of strains had a duplicate, nonidentical hgpB gene. Hgps are also phase-variably expressed; the encoding genes contain a CCAA(n) simple DNA sequence repeat tract, resulting in biphasic ON–OFF switching of expression. Examination of the ON–OFF state of hgpB and hgpC genes in a collection of invasive NTHi isolates demonstrated that 58% of isolates had at least one of hgpB or hgpC expressed (ON). Varying expression of a diverse repertoire of hgp genes would provide strains a method of evading an immune response while maintaining the ability to acquire iron via heme. Structural analysis of Hgps also revealed high sequence variability at the sites predicted to be surface exposed, demonstrating a further mechanism to evade the immune system—through varying the surface, immune-exposed regions of the membrane anchored protein. This information will direct and inform the choice of candidates to include in a vaccine against NTHi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary N Phillips
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Amy V Jennison
- Queensland Department of Health, Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | | | - Megan Staples
- Queensland Department of Health, Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - John M Atack
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.,School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
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Gautreaux MA, Tucker LJ, Person XJ, Zetterholm HK, Priddy LB. Review of immunological plasma markers for longitudinal analysis of inflammation and infection in rat models. J Orthop Res 2022; 40:1251-1262. [PMID: 35315119 PMCID: PMC9106877 DOI: 10.1002/jor.25330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Disease or trauma of orthopedic tissues, including osteomyelitis, osteoporosis, arthritis, and fracture, results in a complex immune response, leading to a change in the concentration and milieu of immunological cells and proteins in the blood. While C-reactive protein levels and white blood cell counts are used to track inflammation and infection clinically, controlled longitudinal studies of disease/injury progression are limited. Thus, the use of clinically-relevant animal models can enable a more in-depth understanding of disease/injury progression and treatment efficacy. Though longitudinal tracking of immunological markers has been performed in rat models of various inflammatory and infectious diseases, currently there is no consensus on which markers are sensitive and reliable for tracking levels of inflammation and/or infection. Here, we discuss the blood markers that are most consistent with other outcome measures of the immune response in the rat, by reviewing their utility for longitudinal tracking of infection and/or inflammation in the following types of models: localized inflammation/arthritis, injury, infection, and injury + infection. While cytokines and acute phase proteins such as haptoglobin, fibrinogen, and α2 -macroglobulin demonstrate utility for tracking immunological response in many inflammation and infection models, there is likely not a singular superior marker for all rat models. Instead, longitudinal characterization of these models may benefit from evaluation of a collection of cytokines and/or acute phase proteins. Identification of immunological plasma markers indicative of the progression of a pathology will allow for the refinement of animal models for understanding, diagnosing, and treating inflammatory and infectious diseases of orthopedic tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malley A. Gautreaux
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS USA
| | - Luke J. Tucker
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS USA
| | - Xavier J. Person
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS USA
| | - Haley K. Zetterholm
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS USA
| | - Lauren B. Priddy
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS USA.,corresponding author, Contact: , (662) 325-5988, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, 130 Creelman Street, Mississippi State, MS, USA 39762
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Ramayo-Caldas Y, Zingaretti LM, Pérez-Pascual D, Alexandre PA, Reverter A, Dalmau A, Quintanilla R, Ballester M. Leveraging host-genetics and gut microbiota to determine immunocompetence in pigs. Anim Microbiome 2021; 3:74. [PMID: 34689834 PMCID: PMC8543910 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00138-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gut microbiota influences host performance playing a relevant role in homeostasis and function of the immune system. The aim of the present work was to identify microbial signatures linked to immunity traits and to characterize the contribution of host-genome and gut microbiota to the immunocompetence in healthy pigs. RESULTS To achieve this goal, we undertook a combination of network, mixed model and microbial-wide association studies (MWAS) for 21 immunity traits and the relative abundance of gut bacterial communities in 389 pigs genotyped for 70K SNPs. The heritability (h2; proportion of phenotypic variance explained by the host genetics) and microbiability (m2; proportion of variance explained by the microbial composition) showed similar values for most of the analyzed immunity traits, except for both IgM and IgG in plasma that was dominated by the host genetics, and the haptoglobin in serum which was the trait with larger m2 (0.275) compared to h2 (0.138). Results from the MWAS suggested a polymicrobial nature of the immunocompetence in pigs and revealed associations between pigs gut microbiota composition and 15 of the analyzed traits. The lymphocytes phagocytic capacity (quantified as mean fluorescence) and the total number of monocytes in blood were the traits associated with the largest number of taxa (6 taxa). Among the associations identified by MWAS, 30% were confirmed by an information theory network approach. The strongest confirmed associations were between Fibrobacter and phagocytic capacity of lymphocytes (r = 0.37), followed by correlations between Streptococcus and the percentage of phagocytic lymphocytes (r = -0.34) and between Megasphaera and serum concentration of haptoglobin (r = 0.26). In the interaction network, Streptococcus and percentage of phagocytic lymphocytes were the keystone bacterial and immune-trait, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings reveal an important connection between gut microbiota composition and immunity traits in pigs, and highlight the need to consider both sources of information, host genome and microbial levels, to accurately characterize immunocompetence in pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliaxis Ramayo-Caldas
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Program, IRTA, Torre Marimón, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona Spain
| | - Laura M. Zingaretti
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - David Pérez-Pascual
- Unité de Génétique des Biofilms, Institut Pasteur, UMR CNRS2001, Paris, France
| | | | - Antonio Reverter
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4067 Australia
| | - Antoni Dalmau
- Animal Welfare Subprogram, IRTA, 17121 Monells, Girona Spain
| | - Raquel Quintanilla
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Program, IRTA, Torre Marimón, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona Spain
| | - Maria Ballester
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Program, IRTA, Torre Marimón, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona Spain
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Atto B, Gell D, Tristram S. Exploiting the struggle for haem: a novel therapeutic approach against Haemophilus influenzae. MICROBIOLOGY AUSTRALIA 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/ma21032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) has gained recognition as a major opportunistic pathogen of the respiratory tract that imposes a substantial global burden of disease, owing to a high rate of morbidity and ensuing complications. Further amplifying the global impact of NTHi infections is the increasing spectrum and prevalence of antibiotic resistance, leading to higher rates of treatment failure with first- and second-line antibiotics regimes. The threat of antibiotic resistance was recognised by the World Health Organization in 2017, listing NTHi as a priority pathogen for which new therapies are urgently needed. Despite significant efforts, there are currently no effective vaccine strategies available that can slow the growing burden of NTHi disease. Consequently, alternative preventative or therapeutic approaches that do not rely on antibiotic susceptibility or stable vaccine targets are becoming more attractive. The nutritional dependency for haem at all stages of NTHi pathogenesis exposes a vulnerability that may be exploited for the development of such therapies. This article will discuss the therapeutic potential of strategies that limit NTHi access to this vital nutrient, with particular focus on a novel bacteriotherapeutic approach under development.
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Haemophilin-Producing Strains of Haemophilus haemolyticus Protect Respiratory Epithelia from NTHi Colonisation and Internalisation. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10010029. [PMID: 33401487 PMCID: PMC7823694 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a significant respiratory tract pathogen responsible for infections that collectively pose a substantial health and socioeconomic burden. The clinical course of these infections is largely dictated by NTHi interactions with host respiratory epithelia, and thus, approaches that disrupt colonisation and invasion may have significant therapeutic potential. Survival, successful host–cell interactions, and pathogenesis are reliant on NTHi’s ability to sequester host-derived haem. Previously, we demonstrated the therapeutic potential of exploiting this haem-dependence using a closely related competitor bacterium, Haemophilus haemolyticus (Hh). Hh strains capable of producing the novel haem-binding protein haemophilin (Hpl) possessed potent inhibitory activity by restricting NTHi access to haem in a broth co-culture environment. Here, we extend this work to cell culture models that more closely represent the human respiratory epithelium and show that Hh strains with high levels of hpl expression protect epithelial cell line monolayers against adhesion and invasion by NTHi. Inhibitory activity was dependent on the level of Hpl production, which was stimulated by NTHi challenge and nasopharyngeal cell exposure. Provided these protective benefits translate to in vivo applications, Hpl-producing Hh may have probiotic utility against NTHi infections by inhibiting requisite nasopharyngeal colonisation.
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In Vitro Anti-NTHi Activity of Haemophilin-Producing Strains of Haemophilus haemolyticus. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9040243. [PMID: 32218184 PMCID: PMC7238096 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9040243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a leading causative organism of opportunistic respiratory tract infections. However, there are currently no effective vaccination strategies, and existing treatments are compromised by antibiotic resistance. We previously characterized Haemophilus haemolyticus (Hh) strains capable of producing haemophilin (HPL), a heme-binding protein that restricts NTHi growth by limiting its access to an essential growth factor, heme. Thus, these strains may have utility as a probiotic therapy against NTHi infection by limiting colonization, migration and subsequent infection in susceptible individuals. Here, we assess the preliminary feasibility of this approach by direct in vitro competition assays between NTHi and Hh strains with varying capacity to produce HPL. Subsequent changes in NTHi growth rate and fitness, in conjunction with HPL expression analysis, were employed to assess the NTHi-inhibitory capacity of Hh strains. HPL-producing strains of Hh not only outcompeted NTHi during short-term and extended co-culture, but also demonstrated a growth advantage compared with Hh strains unable to produce the protein. Additionally, HPL expression levels during competition correlated with the NTHi-inhibitory phenotype. HPL-producing strains of Hh demonstrate significant probiotic potential against NTHi colonization in the upper respiratory tract, however, further investigations are warranted to demonstrate a range of other characteristics that would support the eventual development of a probiotic.
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Rodríguez-Arce I, Al-Jubair T, Euba B, Fernández-Calvet A, Gil-Campillo C, Martí S, Törnroth-Horsefield S, Riesbeck K, Garmendia J. Moonlighting of Haemophilus influenzae heme acquisition systems contributes to the host airway-pathogen interplay in a coordinated manner. Virulence 2019; 10:315-333. [PMID: 30973092 PMCID: PMC6550540 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2019.1596506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Nutrient iron sequestration is the most significant form of nutritional immunity and causes bacterial pathogens to evolve strategies of host iron scavenging. Cigarette smoking contains iron particulates altering lung and systemic iron homeostasis, which may enhance colonization in the lungs of patients suffering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by opportunistic pathogens such as nontypeable. NTHi is a heme auxotroph, and the NTHi genome contains multiple heme acquisition systems whose role in pulmonary infection requires a global understanding. In this study, we determined the relative contribution to NTHi airway infection of the four heme-acquisition systems HxuCBA, PE, SapABCDFZ, and HbpA-DppBCDF that are located at the bacterial outer membrane or the periplasm. Our computational studies provided plausible 3D models for HbpA, SapA, PE, and HxuA interactions with heme. Generation and characterization of single mutants in the hxuCBA, hpe, sapA, and hbpA genes provided evidence for participation in heme binding-storage and inter-bacterial donation. The hxuA, sapA, hbpA, and hpe genes showed differential expression and responded to heme. Moreover, HxuCBA, PE, SapABCDFZ, and HbpA-DppBCDF presented moonlighting properties related to resistance to antimicrobial peptides or glutathione import, together likely contributing to the NTHi-host airway interplay, as observed upon cultured airway epithelia and in vivo lung infection. The observed multi-functionality was shown to be system-specific, thus limiting redundancy. Together, we provide evidence for heme uptake systems as bacterial factors that act in a coordinated and multi-functional manner to subvert nutritional- and other sources of host innate immunity during NTHi airway infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tamim Al-Jubair
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Begoña Euba
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, CSIC-Gobierno, Navarra, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Sara Martí
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain
- Departamento Microbiología, Hospital Universitari Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susanna Törnroth-Horsefield
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kristian Riesbeck
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Junkal Garmendia
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, CSIC-Gobierno, Navarra, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain
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New therapeutic targets for the prevention of infectious acute exacerbations of COPD: role of epithelial adhesion molecules and inflammatory pathways. Clin Sci (Lond) 2019; 133:1663-1703. [PMID: 31346069 DOI: 10.1042/cs20181009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Chronic respiratory diseases are among the leading causes of mortality worldwide, with the major contributor, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) accounting for approximately 3 million deaths annually. Frequent acute exacerbations (AEs) of COPD (AECOPD) drive clinical and functional decline in COPD and are associated with accelerated loss of lung function, increased mortality, decreased health-related quality of life and significant economic costs. Infections with a small subgroup of pathogens precipitate the majority of AEs and consequently constitute a significant comorbidity in COPD. However, current pharmacological interventions are ineffective in preventing infectious exacerbations and their treatment is compromised by the rapid development of antibiotic resistance. Thus, alternative preventative therapies need to be considered. Pathogen adherence to the pulmonary epithelium through host receptors is the prerequisite step for invasion and subsequent infection of surrounding structures. Thus, disruption of bacterial-host cell interactions with receptor antagonists or modulation of the ensuing inflammatory profile present attractive avenues for therapeutic development. This review explores key mediators of pathogen-host interactions that may offer new therapeutic targets with the potential to prevent viral/bacterial-mediated AECOPD. There are several conceptual and methodological hurdles hampering the development of new therapies that require further research and resolution.
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11
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Phase-variable bacterial loci: how bacteria gamble to maximise fitness in changing environments. Biochem Soc Trans 2019; 47:1131-1141. [PMID: 31341035 DOI: 10.1042/bst20180633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Phase-variation of genes is defined as the rapid and reversible switching of expression - either ON-OFF switching or the expression of multiple allelic variants. Switching of expression can be achieved by a number of different mechanisms. Phase-variable genes typically encode bacterial surface structures, such as adhesins, pili, and lipooligosaccharide, and provide an extra contingency strategy in small-genome pathogens that may lack the plethora of 'sense-and-respond' gene regulation systems found in other organisms. Many bacterial pathogens also encode phase-variable DNA methyltransferases that control the expression of multiple genes in systems called phasevarions (phase-variable regulons). The presence of phase-variable genes allows a population of bacteria to generate a number of phenotypic variants, some of which may be better suited to either colonising certain host niches, surviving a particular environmental condition and/or evading an immune response. The presence of phase-variable genes complicates the determination of an organism's stably expressed antigenic repertoire; many phase-variable genes are highly immunogenic, and so would be ideal vaccine candidates, but unstable expression due to phase-variation may allow vaccine escape. This review will summarise our current understanding of phase-variable genes that switch expression by a variety of mechanisms, and describe their role in disease and pathobiology.
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12
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Laloo AE, Wei J, Wang D, Narayanasamy S, Vanwonterghem I, Waite D, Steen J, Kaysen A, Heintz-Buschart A, Wang Q, Schulz B, Nouwens A, Wilmes P, Hugenholtz P, Yuan Z, Bond PL. Mechanisms of Persistence of the Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria Nitrosomonas to the Biocide Free Nitrous Acid. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:5386-5397. [PMID: 29620869 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b04273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Free nitrous acid (FNA) exerts a broad range of antimicrobial effects on bacteria, although susceptibility varies considerably among microorganisms. Among nitrifiers found in activated sludge of wastewater treatment processes (WWTPs), nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) are more susceptible to FNA compared to ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). This selective inhibition of NOB over AOB in WWTPs bypasses nitrate production and improves the efficiency and costs of the nitrogen removal process in both the activated sludge and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) system. However, the molecular mechanisms governing this atypical tolerance of AOB to FNA have yet to be understood. Herein we investigate the varying effects of the antimicrobial FNA on activated sludge containing AOB and NOB using an integrated metagenomics and label-free quantitative sequential windowed acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion mass spectra (SWATH-MS) metaproteomic approach. The Nitrosomonas genus of AOB, on exposure to FNA, maintains internal homeostasis by upregulating a number of known oxidative stress enzymes, such as pteridine reductase and dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase. Denitrifying enzymes were upregulated on exposure to FNA, suggesting the detoxification of nitrite to nitric oxide. Interestingly, proteins involved in stress response mechanisms, such as DNA and protein repair enzymes, phage prevention proteins, and iron transport proteins, were upregulated on exposure to FNA. In addition enzymes involved in energy generation were also upregulated on exposure to FNA. The total proteins specifically derived from the NOB genus Nitrobacter was low and, as such, did not allow for the elucidation of the response mechanism to FNA exposure. These findings give us an understanding of the adaptive mechanisms of tolerance within the AOB Nitrosomonas to the biocidal agent FNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E Laloo
- Advanced Water Management Centre , The University of Queensland , St. Lucia , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Justin Wei
- Advanced Water Management Centre , The University of Queensland , St. Lucia , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Dongbo Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education , Hunan University , Changsa 410082 , China
| | - Shaman Narayanasamy
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine , Université du Luxembourg , L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette , Luxembourg
| | - Inka Vanwonterghem
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics (ACE), School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , St. Lucia , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - David Waite
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics (ACE), School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , St. Lucia , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Jason Steen
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics (ACE), School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , St. Lucia , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Anne Kaysen
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine , Université du Luxembourg , L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette , Luxembourg
| | - Anna Heintz-Buschart
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine , Université du Luxembourg , L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette , Luxembourg
| | - Qilin Wang
- Griffith School of Engineering & Centre for Clean Environment and Energy , Griffith University , Nathan , QLD 4111 , Australia
| | - Benjamin Schulz
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences , The University of Queensland , St. Lucia , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Amanda Nouwens
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences , The University of Queensland , St. Lucia , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Paul Wilmes
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine , Université du Luxembourg , L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette , Luxembourg
| | - Philip Hugenholtz
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics (ACE), School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , St. Lucia , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Advanced Water Management Centre , The University of Queensland , St. Lucia , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Philip L Bond
- Advanced Water Management Centre , The University of Queensland , St. Lucia , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
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13
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Choby JE, Skaar EP. Heme Synthesis and Acquisition in Bacterial Pathogens. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:3408-28. [PMID: 27019298 PMCID: PMC5125930 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial pathogens require the iron-containing cofactor heme to cause disease. Heme is essential to the function of hemoproteins, which are involved in energy generation by the electron transport chain, detoxification of host immune effectors, and other processes. During infection, bacterial pathogens must synthesize heme or acquire heme from the host; however, host heme is sequestered in high-affinity hemoproteins. Pathogens have evolved elaborate strategies to acquire heme from host sources, particularly hemoglobin, and both heme acquisition and synthesis are important for pathogenesis. Paradoxically, excess heme is toxic to bacteria and pathogens must rely on heme detoxification strategies. Heme is a key nutrient in the struggle for survival between host and pathogen, and its study has offered significant insight into the molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob E Choby
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, & Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Eric P Skaar
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, & Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA.
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14
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Structural basis for haem piracy from host haemopexin by Haemophilus influenzae. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11590. [PMID: 27188378 PMCID: PMC4873976 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Haemophilus influenzae is an obligate human commensal/pathogen that requires haem for survival and can acquire it from several host haemoproteins, including haemopexin. The haem transport system from haem-haemopexin consists of HxuC, a haem receptor, and the two-partner-secretion system HxuB/HxuA. HxuA, which is exposed at the cell surface, is strictly required for haem acquisition from haemopexin. HxuA forms complexes with haem-haemopexin, leading to haem release and its capture by HxuC. The key question is how HxuA liberates haem from haemopexin. Here, we solve crystal structures of HxuA alone, and HxuA in complex with the N-terminal domain of haemopexin. A rational basis for the release of haem from haem-haemopexin is derived from both in vivo and in vitro studies. HxuA acts as a wedge that destabilizes the two-domains structure of haemopexin with a mobile loop on HxuA that favours haem ejection by redirecting key residues in the haem-binding pocket of haemopexin. Haemophilus influenzae requires haem, and acquires it from host haemoproteins including haemopexin. Here, the authors examine the haem transport system consisting of HxuA, HxuB and HxuC via the structures of HxuA in complex with haemopexin.
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15
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Draft Genome Sequences of Six Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Strains That Establish Bacteremia in the Infant Rat Model of Invasive Disease. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2015; 3:3/5/e00899-15. [PMID: 26404588 PMCID: PMC4582564 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00899-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Haemophilus influenzae is an important cause of invasive disease. The infant rat is the accepted model of invasive H. influenzae disease. Here, we report the genome sequences of six nontypeable H. influenzae strains that establish bacteremia in the infant rat.
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16
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Whitby PW, Seale TW, Morton DJ, Stull TL. Antisera Against Certain Conserved Surface-Exposed Peptides of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Are Protective. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136867. [PMID: 26390432 PMCID: PMC4577129 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) cause significant disease, including otitis media in children, exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and invasive disease in susceptible populations. No vaccine is currently available to prevent NTHi disease. The interactions of NTHi and the human host are primarily mediated by lipooligosaccharide and a complex array of surface-exposed proteins (SEPs) that act as receptors, sensors and secretion systems. We hypothesized that certain SEPs are present in all NTHi strains and that a subset of these may be antibody accessible and represent protective epitopes. Initially we used 15 genomic sequences available in the GenBank database along with an additional 11 genomic sequences generated by ourselves to identify the core set of putative SEPs present in all strains. Using bioinformatics, 56 core SEPs were identified. Molecular modeling generated putative structures of the SEPs from which potential surface exposed regions were defined. Synthetic peptides corresponding to ten of these highly conserved surface-exposed regions were used to raise antisera in rats. These antisera were used to assess passive protection in the infant rat model of invasive NTHi infection. Five of the antisera were protective, thus demonstrating their in vivo antibody accessibility. These five peptide regions represent potential targets for peptide vaccine candidates to protect against NTHi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W. Whitby
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Thomas W. Seale
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Daniel J. Morton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Terrence L. Stull
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
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17
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A biphasic epigenetic switch controls immunoevasion, virulence and niche adaptation in non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae. Nat Commun 2015. [PMID: 26215614 PMCID: PMC4525171 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae contains an N6-adenine DNA-methyltransferase (ModA) that is subject to phase-variable expression (random ON/OFF switching). Five modA alleles, modA2, modA4, modA5, modA9 and modA10, account for over two-thirds of clinical otitis media isolates surveyed. Here, we use single molecule, real-time (SMRT) methylome analysis to identify the DNA-recognition motifs for all five of these modA alleles. Phase variation of these alleles regulates multiple proteins including vaccine candidates, and key virulence phenotypes such as antibiotic resistance (modA2, modA5, modA10), biofilm formation (modA2) and immunoevasion (modA4). Analyses of a modA2 strain in the chinchilla model of otitis media show a clear selection for ON switching of modA2 in the middle ear. Our results indicate that a biphasic epigenetic switch can control bacterial virulence, immunoevasion and niche adaptation in an animal model system. Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae, which causes ear and lung infections, has a DNA methyltransferase encoded by alternative alleles that are subject to random ON/OFF switching. Here, Atack et al. show that this epigenetic switch controls the expression of key proteins involved in virulence.
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18
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Caza M, Kronstad JW. Shared and distinct mechanisms of iron acquisition by bacterial and fungal pathogens of humans. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2013; 3:80. [PMID: 24312900 PMCID: PMC3832793 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2013.00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron is the most abundant transition metal in the human body and its bioavailability is stringently controlled. In particular, iron is tightly bound to host proteins such as transferrin to maintain homeostasis, to limit potential damage caused by iron toxicity under physiological conditions and to restrict access by pathogens. Therefore, iron acquisition during infection of a human host is a challenge that must be surmounted by every successful pathogenic microorganism. Iron is essential for bacterial and fungal physiological processes such as DNA replication, transcription, metabolism, and energy generation via respiration. Hence, pathogenic bacteria and fungi have developed sophisticated strategies to gain access to iron from host sources. Indeed, siderophore production and transport, iron acquisition from heme and host iron-containing proteins such as hemoglobin and transferrin, and reduction of ferric to ferrous iron with subsequent transport are all strategies found in bacterial and fungal pathogens of humans. This review focuses on a comparison of these strategies between bacterial and fungal pathogens in the context of virulence and the iron limitation that occurs in the human body as a mechanism of innate nutritional defense.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James W. Kronstad
- The Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC, Canada
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19
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Zhou K, Aertsen A, Michiels CW. The role of variable DNA tandem repeats in bacterial adaptation. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2013; 38:119-41. [PMID: 23927439 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6976.12036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2013] [Revised: 07/13/2013] [Accepted: 07/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA tandem repeats (TRs), also designated as satellite DNA, are inter- or intragenic nucleotide sequences that are repeated two or more times in a head-to-tail manner. Because TR tracts are prone to strand-slippage replication and recombination events that cause the TR copy number to increase or decrease, loci containing TRs are hypermutable. An increasing number of examples illustrate that bacteria can exploit this instability of TRs to reversibly shut down or modulate the function of specific genes, allowing them to adapt to changing environments on short evolutionary time scales without an increased overall mutation rate. In this review, we discuss the prevalence and distribution of inter- and intragenic TRs in bacteria and the mechanisms of their instability. In addition, we review evidence demonstrating a role of TR variations in bacterial adaptation strategies, ranging from immune evasion and tissue tropism to the modulation of environmental stress tolerance. Nevertheless, while bioinformatic analysis reveals that most bacterial genomes contain a few up to several dozens of intra- and intergenic TRs, only a small fraction of these have been functionally studied to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zhou
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M²S), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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20
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Hempel RJ, Morton DJ, Seale TW, Whitby PW, Stull TL. The role of the RNA chaperone Hfq in Haemophilus influenzae pathogenesis. BMC Microbiol 2013; 13:134. [PMID: 23767779 PMCID: PMC3691723 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The RNA binding protein Hfq of Haemophilus influenzae is highly homologous to Hfq from other bacterial species. In many of these other bacteria, Hfq affects the expression of a broad range of genes and enhances the ability to respond to stressful environments. However, the role of Hfq in H. influenzae is unknown. Results Deletion mutants of hfq were generated in the nontypeable H. influenzae strains R2866 and 86-028NP to assess the role of Hfq in these well characterized but genotypically and phenotypically divergent clinical isolates. A deletion mutation of hfq had no effect on growth of H. influenzae in nutrient rich media and had no effect on survival in several stressful conditions in vitro. However, the mutation resulted in a reduced ability to utilize heme from hemoglobin. The mutant and wild type strains were assessed for virulence and competitive fitness in models of invasive disease and otitis media. In the chinchilla model of otitis media, the hfq mutant of 86-028NP exhibited impaired competitive fitness when compared to its wild type progenitor but exhibited no apparent defect in virulence. In the infant rat model, deletion of hfq in R2866 resulted in reduced bacterial titers in blood and a shorter duration of infection when compared to the wild type strain in the competitive fitness study. Conclusion We conclude that Hfq is involved in the utilization of essential nutrients and facilitates infection by H. influenzae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randy J Hempel
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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21
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Gruss A, Borezée-Durant E, Lechardeur D. Environmental heme utilization by heme-auxotrophic bacteria. Adv Microb Physiol 2013; 61:69-124. [PMID: 23046952 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394423-8.00003-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Heme, an iron-containing porphyrin, is the prosthetic group for numerous key cellular enzymatic and regulatory processes. Many bacteria encode the biosynthetic enzymes needed for autonomous heme production. Remarkably, however, numerous other bacteria lack a complete heme biosynthesis pathway, yet encode heme-requiring functions. For such heme-auxotrophic bacteria (HAB), heme or porphyrins must be captured from the environment. Functional studies, aided by genomic analyses, provide insight into the HAB lifestyle, how they acquire and manage heme, and the uses of heme that make it worthwhile, and sometimes necessary, to capture this bioactive molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Gruss
- INRA, UMR1319 Micalis and AgroParisTech, UMR Micalis, Jouy-en-Josas, France
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22
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Whitby PW, VanWagoner TM, Morton DJ, Seale TW, Springer JM, Hempel RJ, Stull TL. Signature-tagging of a bacterial isolate demonstrates phenotypic variability of the progeny in vivo in the absence of defined mutations. J Microbiol Methods 2012; 91:336-40. [PMID: 23085534 PMCID: PMC3506178 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2012.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2012] [Revised: 10/03/2012] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Awareness of the high degree of redundancy that occurs in several nutrient uptake pathways of Haemophilus influenzae led us to attempt to develop a quantitative STM method that could identify both null mutants and mutants with decreased fitness that remain viable in vivo. To accomplish this task we designed a modified STM approach that utilized a set of signature tagged wild-type (STWT) strains (in a single genetic background) as carriers for mutations in genes of interest located elsewhere in the genome. Each STWT strain differed from the others by insertion of a unique, Q-PCR-detectable, seven base pair tag into the same redundant gene locus. Initially ten STWTs were created and characterized in vitro and in vivo. As anticipated, the STWT strains were not significantly different in their in vitro growth. However, in the chinchilla model of otitis media, certain STWTs outgrew others by several orders of magnitude in mixed infections. Removal of the predominant STWT resulted in its replacement by a different predominant STWT on retesting. Unexpectedly we observed that the STWT exhibiting the greatest proliferation was animal dependent. These findings identify an inherent inability of the signature tag methodologies to accurately elucidate fitness in this animal model of infection and underscore the subtleties of H. influenzae gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W Whitby
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
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23
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Haemophilus influenzae OxyR: characterization of its regulation, regulon and role in fitness. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50588. [PMID: 23226321 PMCID: PMC3511568 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
To prevent damage by reactive oxygen species, many bacteria have evolved rapid detection and response systems, including the OxyR regulon. The OxyR system detects reactive oxygen and coordinates the expression of numerous defensive antioxidants. In many bacterial species the coordinated OxyR-regulated response is crucial for in vivo survival. Regulation of the OxyR regulon of Haemophilus influenzae was examined in vitro, and significant variation in the regulated genes of the OxyR regulon among strains of H. influenzae was observed. Quantitative PCR studies demonstrated a role for the OxyR-regulated peroxiredoxin/glutaredoxin as a mediator of the OxyR response, and also indicated OxyR self-regulation through a negative feedback loop. Analysis of transcript levels in H. influenzae samples derived from an animal model of otitis media demonstrated that the members of the OxyR regulon were actively upregulated within the chinchilla middle ear. H. influenzae mutants lacking the oxyR gene exhibited increased sensitivity to challenge with various peroxides. The impact of mutations in oxyR was assessed in various animal models of H. influenzae disease. In paired comparisons with the corresponding wild-type strains, the oxyR mutants were unaffected in both the chinchilla model of otitis media and an infant model of bacteremia. However, in weanling rats the oxyR mutant was significantly impaired compared to the wild-type strain. In contrast, in all three animal models when infected with a mixture of equal numbers of both wild-type and mutant strains the mutant strain was significantly out competed by the wild-type strain. These findings clearly establish a crucial role for OxyR in bacterial fitness.
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Zhang L, Xie J, Patel M, Bakhtyar A, Ehrlich GD, Ahmed A, Earl J, Marrs CF, Clemans D, Murphy TF, Gilsdorf JR. Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae genetic islands associated with chronic pulmonary infection. PLoS One 2012; 7:e44730. [PMID: 22970300 PMCID: PMC3435294 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2012] [Accepted: 08/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) colonizes the human respiratory tract and is an important pathogen associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Bacterial factors that interact with the human host may be important in the pathogenesis of COPD. These factors, however, have not been well defined. The overall goal of this study was to identify bacterial genetic elements with increased prevalence among H. influenzae strains isolated from patients with COPD compared to those isolated from the pharynges of healthy individuals. Methodology/Principal Findings Four nontypeable H. influenzae (NTHi) strains, two isolated from the airways of patients with COPD and two from a healthy individual, were subjected to whole genome sequencing using 454 FLX Titanium technology. COPD strain-specific genetic islands greater than 500 bp in size were identified by in silico subtraction. Open reading frames residing within these islands include known Hi virulence genes such as lic2b, hgbA, iga, hmw1 and hmw2, as well as genes encoding urease and other enzymes involving metabolic pathways. The distributions of seven selected genetic islands were assessed among a panel of 421 NTHi strains of both disease and commensal origins using a Library-on-a-Slide high throughput dot blot DNA hybridization procedure. Four of the seven islands screened, containing genes that encode a methyltransferase, a dehydrogenase, a urease synthesis enzyme, and a set of unknown short ORFs, respectively, were more prevalent in COPD strains than in colonizing strains with prevalence ratios ranging from 1.21 to 2.85 (p≤0.0002). Surprisingly, none of these sequences show increased prevalence among NTHi isolated from the airways of patients with cystic fibrosis. Conclusions/Significance Our data suggest that specific bacterial genes, many involved in metabolic functions, are associated with the ability of NTHi strains to survive in the lower airways of patients with COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America.
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25
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Morton DJ, Hempel RJ, Seale TW, Whitby PW, Stull TL. A functional tonB gene is required for both virulence and competitive fitness in a chinchilla model of Haemophilus influenzae otitis media. BMC Res Notes 2012; 5:327. [PMID: 22731867 PMCID: PMC3425130 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-5-327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2011] [Accepted: 06/25/2012] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Haemophilus influenzae requires heme for aerobic growth and possesses multiple mechanisms to obtain this essential nutrient. Methods An insertional mutation in tonB was constructed and the impact of the mutation on virulence and fitness in a chinchilla model of otitis media was determined. The tonB insertion mutant strain was significantly impacted in both virulence and fitness as compared to the wildtype strain in this model. Conclusions The tonB gene of H. influenzae is required for the establishment and maintenance of middle ear infection in this chinchilla model of bacterial disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Morton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, 73104, USA.
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26
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Das D, Grishin NV, Kumar A, Carlton D, Bakolitsa C, Miller MD, Abdubek P, Astakhova T, Axelrod HL, Burra P, Chen C, Chiu HJ, Chiu M, Clayton T, Deller MC, Duan L, Ellrott K, Ernst D, Farr CL, Feuerhelm J, Grzechnik A, Grzechnik SK, Grant JC, Han GW, Jaroszewski L, Jin KK, Johnson HA, Klock HE, Knuth MW, Kozbial P, Krishna SS, Marciano D, McMullan D, Morse AT, Nigoghossian E, Nopakun A, Okach L, Oommachen S, Paulsen J, Puckett C, Reyes R, Rife CL, Sefcovic N, Tien HJ, Trame CB, van den Bedem H, Weekes D, Wooten T, Xu Q, Hodgson KO, Wooley J, Elsliger MA, Deacon AM, Godzik A, Lesley SA, Wilson IA. The structure of the first representative of Pfam family PF09836 reveals a two-domain organization and suggests involvement in transcriptional regulation. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 2010; 66:1174-81. [PMID: 20944208 PMCID: PMC2954202 DOI: 10.1107/s1744309109022672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2009] [Accepted: 06/12/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Proteins with the DUF2063 domain constitute a new Pfam family, PF09836. The crystal structure of a member of this family, NGO1945 from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, has been determined and reveals that the N-terminal DUF2063 domain is likely to be a DNA-binding domain. In conjunction with the rest of the protein, NGO1945 is likely to be involved in transcriptional regulation, which is consistent with genomic neighborhood analysis. Of the 216 currently known proteins that contain a DUF2063 domain, the most significant sequence homologs of NGO1945 (∼40-99% sequence identity) are from various Neisseria and Haemophilus species. As these are important human pathogens, NGO1945 represents an interesting candidate for further exploration via biochemical studies and possible therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debanu Das
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Nick V. Grishin
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Abhinav Kumar
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Dennis Carlton
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Constantina Bakolitsa
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Program on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mitchell D. Miller
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Polat Abdubek
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Tamara Astakhova
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Herbert L. Axelrod
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Prasad Burra
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Program on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Connie Chen
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Hsiu-Ju Chiu
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Chiu
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Thomas Clayton
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marc C. Deller
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lian Duan
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kyle Ellrott
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Dustin Ernst
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Carol L. Farr
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Julie Feuerhelm
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Anna Grzechnik
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Slawomir K. Grzechnik
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joanna C. Grant
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Gye Won Han
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lukasz Jaroszewski
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Program on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kevin K. Jin
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Hope A. Johnson
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Heath E. Klock
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Mark W. Knuth
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Piotr Kozbial
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Program on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - S. Sri Krishna
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Program on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - David Marciano
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniel McMullan
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andrew T. Morse
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Edward Nigoghossian
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Amanda Nopakun
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Linda Okach
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Silvya Oommachen
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Jessica Paulsen
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Christina Puckett
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ron Reyes
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Christopher L. Rife
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Natasha Sefcovic
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Program on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Henry J. Tien
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christine B. Trame
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Henry van den Bedem
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Dana Weekes
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Program on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tiffany Wooten
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Qingping Xu
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Keith O. Hodgson
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Photon Science, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - John Wooley
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marc-André Elsliger
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ashley M. Deacon
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Adam Godzik
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Program on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Scott A. Lesley
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Protein Sciences Department, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ian A. Wilson
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, http://www.jcsg.org, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Immune suppression by cyclosporin A inhibits phytohemagglutinin-induced precocious gut maturation in suckling rats. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2010; 50:473-80. [PMID: 20639703 DOI: 10.1097/mpg.0b013e3181b47787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Enteral exposure to the lectin phytohemagglutinin (PHA) provokes precocious gut maturation in suckling rats coinciding with an early expansion of intestinal mucosal T and B lymphocytes. Here, the role of the immune system in neonatal gut growth and maturation was further studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS The effects of immunosuppression by cyclosporine A (CyA), 7.5 microg/g of body weight, injected 12 hours before and then daily after the intragastric gavage of PHA, 100 microg/g body weight, to 14-day-old suckling rats were studied after 4 and 12 hours and later after 72 hours. RESULTS At 4 hours after PHA feeding, an early rapid increase in the intestinal levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6, interleukin-1beta, and tumor necrosis factor was obtained, and the CyA treatment did not prevent the temporary PHA-induced intestinal disturbance seen at 12 hours. Later, at 72 hours after PHA gavage the CyA treatment significantly counteracted the PHA-induced gut changes with a decrease in small intestinal growth, a delay in the appearance of adult-phenotype enterocytes in the distal small intestinal, and total inhibition of the PHA-induced pancreas development. Additionally, the increase in plasma level of the acute phase protein, haptoglobin, after PHA feeding was dampened by CyA. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that proinflammatory cytokines are involved in the early recruitment of lymphocytes to the gut after PHA challenge, and that the ensuing precocious gut maturation is dependent on activation of the immune system, presumably T cells, in suckling rats.
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Morton DJ, Turman EJ, Hensley PD, VanWagoner TM, Seale TW, Whitby PW, Stull TL. Identification of a siderophore utilization locus in nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae. BMC Microbiol 2010; 10:113. [PMID: 20398325 PMCID: PMC2859871 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-10-113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2009] [Accepted: 04/15/2010] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Haemophilus influenzae has an absolute aerobic growth requirement for either heme, or iron in the presence of protoporphyrin IX. Both iron and heme in the mammalian host are strictly limited in their availability to invading microorganisms. Many bacterial species overcome iron limitation in their environment by the synthesis and secretion of small iron binding molecules termed siderophores, which bind iron and deliver it into the bacterial cell via specific siderophore receptor proteins on the bacterial cell surface. There are currently no reports of siderophore production or utilization by H. influenzae. RESULTS Comparative genomics revealed a putative four gene operon in the recently sequenced nontypeable H. influenzae strain R2846 that encodes predicted proteins exhibiting significant identity at the amino acid level to proteins involved in the utilization of the siderophore ferrichrome in other bacterial species. No siderophore biosynthesis genes were identified in the R2846 genome. Both comparative genomics and a PCR based analysis identified several additional H. influenzae strains possessing this operon. In growth curve assays strains containing the genes were able to utilize ferrichrome as an iron source. H. influenzae strains lacking the operon were unable to obtain iron from ferrichrome. An insertional mutation in one gene of the operon abrogated the ability of strains to utilize ferrichrome. In addition transcription of genes in the identified operon were repressible by high iron/heme levels in the growth media. CONCLUSIONS We have identified an iron/heme-repressible siderophore utilization locus present in several nontypeable H. influenzae strains. The same strains do not possess genes encoding proteins associated with siderophore synthesis. The siderophore utilization locus may enable the utilization of siderophores produced by other microorganisms in the polymicrobial environmental niche of the human nasopharynx colonized by H. influenzae. This is the first report of siderophore utilization by H. influenzae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Morton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Turman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Patrick D Hensley
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Timothy M VanWagoner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Department of Biology, Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma City, OK 73136, USA
| | - Thomas W Seale
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Paul W Whitby
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Terrence L Stull
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
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Whitby PW, Seale TW, Morton DJ, VanWagoner TM, Stull TL. Characterization of the Haemophilus influenzae tehB gene and its role in virulence. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2010; 156:1188-1200. [PMID: 20075041 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.036400-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The Haemophilus influenzae ORF designated HI1275 in the Rd KW20 genomic sequence encodes a putative S-adenosyl methyltransferase with significant similarity to tellurite-resistance determinants (tehB) in other species. While the H. influenzae tehB can complement an Escherichia coli tehB mutation, thus restoring tellurite resistance, its role in H. influenzae is unknown. In a previous study defining the iron and haem modulon of H. influenzae, we showed that transcription of this gene in H. influenzae Rd KW20 increases during growth in iron- and haem-restricted media. Since iron and haem uptake genes, and other known virulence factors, constitute the majority of the iron- and haem-regulated gene set, we postulated that tehB may play a role in nutrient acquisition and/or the virulence of H. influenzae. A tehB mutant was constructed in the H. influenzae type b strain 10810 and was evaluated for growth defects in various supplemented media, as well as for its ability to cause infection in rat models of infection. Deletion of tehB leads to an increase in sensitivity both to tellurite and to the oxidizing agents cumene hydroperoxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide and hydrogen peroxide. The tehB mutant additionally showed a significantly reduced ability to utilize free haem as well as several haem-containing moieties including haem-human serum albumin, haemoglobin and haemoglobin-haptoglobin. Examination of the regulation kinetics indicated that transcription of tehB was independent of both tellurite exposure and oxidative stress. Paired comparisons of the tehB mutant and the wild-type H. influenzae strain 10810 showed that tehB is required for wild-type levels of infection in rat models of H. influenzae invasive disease. To our knowledge this is the first report of a role for tehB in virulence in any bacterial species. These data demonstrate that H. influenzae tehB plays a role in both resistance to oxidative damage and haem uptake/utilization, protects H. influenzae from tellurite exposure, and is important for virulence of this organism in an animal model of invasive disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W Whitby
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Thomas W Seale
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Daniel J Morton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Timothy M VanWagoner
- Department of Biology, Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma City, OK 73136, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Terrence L Stull
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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Morton DJ, Seale TW, Bakaletz LO, Jurcisek JA, Smith A, VanWagoner TM, Whitby PW, Stull TL. The heme-binding protein (HbpA) of Haemophilus influenzae as a virulence determinant. Int J Med Microbiol 2009; 299:479-88. [PMID: 19451029 PMCID: PMC2749905 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2009.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2009] [Revised: 03/09/2009] [Accepted: 03/27/2009] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Haemophilus influenzae has an absolute growth requirement for heme and the heme-binding lipoprotein (HbpA) and has been implicated in the utilization of this essential nutrient. We constructed an insertional mutation of hbpA in a type b and a nontypeable H. influenzae strain. In the type b strain, the hbpA mutant was impaired in utilization of heme complexed to either hemopexin or to albumin and in the utilization of low levels of heme but not in the utilization of heme at high levels or of hemoglobin or hemoglobin-haptoglobin complexes. In contrast, the hbpA mutant derivative of the nontypeable strain was impaired in utilization of all tested heme sources. We further examined the impact of the hbpA mutation in animal models of H. influenzae disease. The hbpA mutant of the nontypeable strain was indistinguishable from the wild-type strain in the chinchilla model of otitis media. The hbpA mutant derivative of the type b strain caused bacteremia as well as the wild-type strain in 5-day old infant rats. However, in 30-day old rats the hbpA caused significantly lower rates of bacteremia than the wild-type strain indicating a role for hbpA and heme acquisition in virulence in this model of H. influenzae disease. In conclusion, HbpA is important for heme utilization by multiple H. influenzae strains and is a virulence determinant in a model of H. influenzae invasive disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Morton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
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Whitby PW, Seale TW, VanWagoner TM, Morton DJ, Stull TL. The iron/heme regulated genes of Haemophilus influenzae: comparative transcriptional profiling as a tool to define the species core modulon. BMC Genomics 2009; 10:6. [PMID: 19128474 PMCID: PMC2627913 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-10-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2008] [Accepted: 01/07/2009] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Haemophilus influenzae requires heme for aerobic growth and possesses multiple mechanisms to obtain this essential nutrient. Although an understanding of the heme acquisition mechanisms of H. influenzae is emerging, significant gaps in our knowledge remain. Unresolved issues include the identities of all genes exhibiting altered transcription in response to iron and heme availability, the fraction of such genes functioning in iron/heme acquisition, and the heterogeneity of this gene set among clinical isolates. Previously we utilized H. influenzae strain Rd KW20 to demonstrate the utility of transcriptional profiling in defining the genes exhibiting altered transcription in response to environmental iron and heme levels. The current study expands upon those observations by determining the iron/heme modulons of two clinical isolates, the type b isolate 10810 and the nontypeable isolate R2866. These data are used to begin to define the core iron/heme modulon of the species. RESULTS Microarray studies were performed to compare gene expression on transition from iron/heme-restricted to iron/heme-replete conditions for each isolate. Of 1820 ORFs on the array corresponding to R2866 genes, 363 were significantly differentially expressed: 233 were maximally transcribed under iron/heme-replete conditions and 130 under iron/heme-restricted conditions. Of the 1883 ORFs representing genes of strain 10810, 353 were significantly differentially transcribed: 150 were preferentially transcribed under iron/heme-replete conditions and 203 under iron/heme-restricted conditions. Comparison of the data sets indicated that 163 genes exhibited similar regulation in both isolates and that 74 of these exhibited similar patterns of regulation in Rd KW20. These comprise the putative core iron/heme modulon. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence for a conserved core of H. influenzae genes the transcription of which is altered by the availability of iron and/or heme in the growth environment. Elucidation of this modulon provides a means to identify genes with unrecognized roles in iron/heme acquisition or homeostasis, unanticipated responsiveness to environmental levels of the micronutrients or potential roles in virulence. Defining these core genes is also of potential importance in identifying targets for therapeutic and vaccine designs since products of these genes are likely to be preferentially expressed during growth in iron/heme restricted sites of the human body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W Whitby
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Thomas W Seale
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Timothy M VanWagoner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Department of Biology, Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma City, OK 73136, USA
| | - Daniel J Morton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Terrence L Stull
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
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The periplasmic disulfide oxidoreductase DsbA contributes to Haemophilus influenzae pathogenesis. Infect Immun 2008; 76:1498-508. [PMID: 18212083 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01378-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Haemophilus influenzae is an obligate human pathogen that persistently colonizes the nasopharynx and causes disease when it invades the bloodstream, lungs, or middle ear. Proteins that mediate critical interactions with the host during invasive disease are likely to be secreted. Many secreted proteins require addition of disulfide bonds by the DsbA disulfide oxidoreductase for activity or stability. In this study, we evaluated the role in H. influenzae pathogenesis of DsbA, as well as HbpA, a substrate of DsbA. Mutants of H. influenzae Rd and type b strain Eagan having nonpolar deletions of dsbA were attenuated for bacteremia in animal models, and complemented strains exhibited virulence equivalent to that of the parental strains. Comparison of predicted secreted proteins in H. influenzae to known DsbA substrates in other species revealed several proteins that could contribute to the role of dsbA in virulence. One candidate, the heme transport protein, HbpA, was examined because of the importance of exogenous heme for aerobic growth of H. influenzae. The presence of a dsbA-dependent disulfide bond in HbpA was verified by an alkylation protection assay, and HbpA was less abundant in a dsbA mutant. The hbpA mutant exhibited reduced bacteremia in the mouse model, and complementation restored its in vivo phenotype to that of the parental strain. These results indicate that dsbA is required in vivo and that HbpA and additional DsbA-dependent factors are likely to participate in H. influenzae pathogenesis.
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33
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Morton DJ, VanWagoner TM, Seale TW, Whitby PW, Stull TL. Catalase as a source of both X- and V-factor for Haemophilus influenzae. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2007; 279:157-61. [PMID: 18093136 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2007.01020.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Haemophilus influenzae requires two growth factors, designated factor X (porphyrin) and factor V (NAD). Mammalian catalases contain both bound heme and NADPH. This study shows that catalase can supply both factors X and V to H. influenzae in vitro, thus representing a potential in vivo source of these essential growth factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Morton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 NE 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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34
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Paulley JT, Anderson ES, Roop RM. Brucella abortus requires the heme transporter BhuA for maintenance of chronic infection in BALB/c mice. Infect Immun 2007; 75:5248-54. [PMID: 17709407 PMCID: PMC2168305 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00460-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The gene annotated BAB2_1150 in the Brucella abortus 2308 genome sequence is predicted to encode a homolog of the well-characterized heme transporter ShuA of Shigella dysenteriae and accordingly has been given the designation bhuA (Brucella heme utilization). Phenotypic analysis of an isogenic bhuA mutant derived from B. abortus 2308 verified that there is a link between BhuA and the ability of the parent strain to use heme as an iron source in in vitro assays. Maximum expression of bhuA in B. abortus 2308 is observed during stationary phase when this strain in cultivated in low-iron minimal medium, and a comparison of the growth characteristics of the B. abortus bhuA mutant and 2308 in this medium suggested that heme serves as an important iron source for the parent strain during stationary phase. The B. abortus bhuA mutant HR1703 exhibits significant attenuation in cultured murine macrophages compared to strain 2308, and unlike its parent strain, the B. abortus bhuA mutant is unable to maintain a chronic spleen infection in experimentally infected BALB/c mice. These experimental findings suggest that heme and/or heme-containing proteins represent important iron sources for B. abortus 2308 during its residence in the mammalian host and that BhuA is required for efficient utilization of these iron sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- James T Paulley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, East Carolina University School of Medicine, 600 Moye Boulevard, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
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35
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Mocny JC, Olson JS, Connell TD. Passively released heme from hemoglobin and myoglobin is a potential source of nutrient iron for Bordetella bronchiseptica. Infect Immun 2007; 75:4857-66. [PMID: 17664260 PMCID: PMC2044545 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00407-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Colonization by Bordetella bronchiseptica results in a variety of inflammatory respiratory infections, including canine kennel cough, porcine atrophic rhinitis, and a whooping cough-like disease in humans. For successful colonization, B. bronchiseptica must acquire iron (Fe) from the infected host. A vast amount of Fe within the host is sequestered within heme, a metalloporphyrin which is coordinately bound in hemoglobin and myoglobin. Utilization of hemoglobin and myoglobin as sources of nutrient Fe by B. bronchiseptica requires expression of BhuR, an outer membrane protein. We hypothesize that hemin is acquired by B. bronchiseptica in a BhuR-dependent manner after spontaneous loss of the metalloporphyrin from hemoglobin and/or myoglobin. Sequestration experiments demonstrated that direct contact with hemoglobin or myoglobin was not required to support growth of B. bronchiseptica in an Fe-limiting environment. Mutant myoglobins, each exhibiting a different affinity for heme, were employed to demonstrate that the rate of growth of B. bronchiseptica was directly correlated with the rate at which heme was lost from the hemoprotein. Finally, Escherichia coli cells expressing recombinant BhuR had the capacity to remove hemin from solution. Collectively, these experiments provided strong experimental support for the model that BhuR is a hemin receptor and B. bronchiseptica likely acquires heme during infection after passive loss of the metalloporphyrin from hemoglobin and/or myoglobin. These results also suggest that spontaneous hemin loss by hemoglobin and myoglobin may be a common mechanism by which many pathogenic bacteria acquire heme and heme-bound Fe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C Mocny
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University at Buffalo, NY 14221, USA
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Morton DJ, Smith A, VanWagoner TM, Seale TW, Whitby PW, Stull TL. Lipoprotein e (P4) of Haemophilus influenzae: role in heme utilization and pathogenesis. Microbes Infect 2007; 9:932-9. [PMID: 17548224 PMCID: PMC1975679 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2007.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2007] [Accepted: 03/28/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Lipoprotein e (P4) of Haemophilus influenzae is a phosphomonoesterase, encoded by the hel gene, that has been implicated in the acquisition of heme by this fastidious organism. However, lipoprotein e (P4) is also involved in the utilization of NAD and NMN. Some reports have concluded that the reported heme-related growth defect actually reflects a growth defect for NAD. In the current study, hel insertion mutants were constructed and a role for e (P4) in heme acquisition was demonstrated independent of its role in NAD or NMN acquisition. In addition, a rat model of infection demonstrated a role for e (P4) in the pathogenesis of invasive disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Morton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
| | - Ann Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri 64110
| | - Timothy M. VanWagoner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
| | - Thomas W. Seale
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
| | - Paul W. Whitby
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
| | - Terrence L. Stull
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
- Department of Microbiology/Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
- * Corresponding author Mailing address: Department of Pediatrics, CHO 2308, 940 NE 13 St, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, Phone: (405)271-4401, Fax: (405)271-8710, E-mail:
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Morton DJ, Seale TW, Madore LL, VanWagoner TM, Whitby PW, Stull TL. The haem–haemopexin utilization gene cluster (hxuCBA) as a virulence factor of Haemophilus influenzae. Microbiology (Reading) 2007; 153:215-224. [PMID: 17185550 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.2006/000190-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Haemophilus influenzae has an absolute growth requirement for a porphyrin source, which can be supplied in vitro by haem, haemoglobin, or the haemoglobin-haptoglobin, haem-haemopexin and haem-albumin complexes. Utilization of the haem-haemopexin complex is known to be mediated by the products of the hxuCBA gene cluster. It was demonstrated that hxuC, but not hxuA or hxuB, is also essential for the utilization of haem from haem-albumin complexes. Mutants of the type b strain E1a lacking genes in the hxuCBA gene cluster were examined for their ability to cause bacteraemia in rat models of invasive disease. In 5-day-old rats, mutants in the hxuCBA genes yielded a significantly reduced bacteraemic titre compared to the wild-type strain. In addition, 5-day-old rats infected with the hxuCBA mutant strains exhibited significantly improved survival rates compared to those infected with the wild-type strain. Mutations in the haemoglobin/haemoglobin-haptoglobin-binding protein genes (hgps), either alone or in combination with the hxuCBA mutations, had no impact on virulence in 5-day-old rats. In 30-day-old rats infected with either the hxuCBA mutants or the wild-type strains, there was no significant difference in the ability to establish bacteraemia although bacterial titres were lower in rats infected with the hxuCBA mutants than in those infected with the wild-type strain. These age-related differences in the impact of mutations in the hxuCBA gene cluster may be related to changes in levels of host haem-binding proteins during development of the rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Morton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Thomas W Seale
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Larissa L Madore
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Timothy M VanWagoner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Paul W Whitby
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Terrence L Stull
- Department of Microbiology/Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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