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Hu B, Wang J, Li L, Wang Q, Qin J, Chi Y, Yan J, Sun W, Cao B, Guo X. Functional Identification and Genetic Analysis of O-Antigen Gene Clusters of Food-Borne Pathogen Yersinia enterocolitica O:10 and Other Uncommon Serotypes, Further Revealing Their Virulence Profiles. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 34:1599-1608. [PMID: 39081257 PMCID: PMC11380512 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2402.02044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica is a globally distributed food-borne gastrointestinal pathogen. The O-antigen variation-determined serotype is an important characteristic of Y. enterocolitica, allowing intraspecies classification for diagnosis and epidemiology purposes. Among the 11 serotypes associated with human yersiniosis, O:3, O:5,27, O:8, and O:9 are the most prevalent, and their O-antigen gene clusters have been well defined. In addition to the O-antigen, several virulence factors are involved in infection and pathogenesis of Y. enterocolitica strains, and these are closely related to their biotypes, reflecting pathogenic properties. In this study, we identified the O-AGC of a Y. enterocolitica strain WL-21 of serotype O:10, and confirmed its functionality in O-antigen synthesis. Furthermore, we analyzed in silico the putative O-AGCs of uncommon serotypes, and found that the O-AGCs of Y. enterocolitica were divided into two genetic patterns: (1) O-AGC within the hemH-gsk locus, possibly synthesizing the O-antigen via the Wzx/Wzy dependent pathway, and (2) O-AGC within the dcuC-galU-galF locus, very likely assembling the O-antigen via the ABC transporter dependent pathway. By screening the virulence genes against genomes from GenBank, we discovered that strains representing different serotypes were grouped according to different virulence gene profiles, indicating strong links between serotypes and virulence markers and implying an interaction between them and the synergistic effect in pathogenicity. Our study provides a framework for further research on the origin and evolution of O-AGCs from Y. enterocolitica, as well as on differences in virulent mechanisms among distinct serotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Hu
- Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 16992 City Ten Road, Jinan 250014, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Jing Wang
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, 23 Hongda Street, TEDA, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Linxing Li
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, 23 Hongda Street, TEDA, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Qin Wang
- Disease Prevention and Control Center of Ganzhou District, 27 Xianfu Street, Ganzhou District, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, P.R. China
| | - Jingliang Qin
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, 23 Hongda Street, TEDA, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Yingxin Chi
- Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 16992 City Ten Road, Jinan 250014, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Junxiang Yan
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, 23 Hongda Street, TEDA, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Wenkui Sun
- Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 16992 City Ten Road, Jinan 250014, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Boyang Cao
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, 23 Hongda Street, TEDA, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Xi Guo
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, 23 Hongda Street, TEDA, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
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Fang X, Kang L, Qiu YF, Li ZS, Bai Y. Yersinia enterocolitica in Crohn’s disease. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1129996. [PMID: 36968108 PMCID: PMC10031030 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1129996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing attention is being paid to the unique roles gut microbes play in both physiological and pathological processes. Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract with unknown etiology. Currently, gastrointestinal infection has been proposed as one initiating factor of CD. Yersinia enterocolitica, a zoonotic pathogen that exists widely in nature, is one of the most common bacteria causing acute infectious gastroenteritis, which displays clinical manifestations similar to CD. However, the specific role of Y. enterocolitica in CD is controversial. In this Review, we discuss the current knowledge on how Y. enterocolitica and derived microbial compounds may link to the pathogenesis of CD. We highlight examples of Y. enterocolitica-targeted interventions in the diagnosis and treatment of CD, and provide perspectives for future basic and translational investigations on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Yu Bai
- *Correspondence: Zhao-Shen Li, ; Yu Bai,
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Yang R, Atkinson S, Chen Z, Cui Y, Du Z, Han Y, Sebbane F, Slavin P, Song Y, Yan Y, Wu Y, Xu L, Zhang C, Zhang Y, Hinnebusch BJ, Stenseth NC, Motin VL. Yersinia pestis and Plague: some knowns and unknowns. ZOONOSES (BURLINGTON, MASS.) 2023; 3:5. [PMID: 37602146 PMCID: PMC10438918 DOI: 10.15212/zoonoses-2022-0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Since its first identification in 1894 during the third pandemic in Hong Kong, there has been significant progress of understanding the lifestyle of Yersinia pestis, the pathogen that is responsible for plague. Although we now have some understanding of the pathogen's physiology, genetics, genomics, evolution, gene regulation, pathogenesis and immunity, there are many unknown aspects of the pathogen and its disease development. Here, we focus on some of the knowns and unknowns relating to Y. pestis and plague. We notably focus on some key Y. pestis physiological and virulence traits that are important for its mammal-flea-mammal life cycle but also its emergence from the enteropathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Some aspects of the genetic diversity of Y. pestis, the distribution and ecology of plague as well as the medical countermeasures to protect our population are also provided. Lastly, we present some biosafety and biosecurity information related to Y. pestis and plague.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruifu Yang
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Steve Atkinson
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ziqi Chen
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yujun Cui
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Zongmin Du
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Yanping Han
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Florent Sebbane
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Philip Slavin
- Division of History and Politics, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LJ, UK
| | - Yajun Song
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Yanfeng Yan
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Yarong Wu
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chutian Zhang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yun Zhang
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - B. Joseph Hinnebusch
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Nils Chr. Stenseth
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Vladimir L. Motin
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
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Konyshev IV, Ivanov SA, Kopylov PH, Anisimov AP, Dentovskaya SV, Byvalov AA. The Role of Yersinia pestis Antigens in Adhesion to J774 Macrophages: Optical Trapping Study. APPL BIOCHEM MICRO+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s0003683822040081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Kolodziejek AM, Hovde CJ, Minnich SA. Contributions of Yersinia pestis outer membrane protein Ail to plague pathogenesis. Curr Opin Infect Dis 2022; 35:188-195. [PMID: 35665712 PMCID: PMC9186061 DOI: 10.1097/qco.0000000000000830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Pathogenic Yersinia have been a productive model system for studying bacterial pathogenesis. Hallmark contributions of Yersinia research to medical microbiology are legion and include: (i) the first identification of the role of plasmids in virulence, (ii) the important mechanism of iron acquisition from the host, (iii) the first identification of bacterial surface proteins required for host cell invasion, (iv) the archetypical type III secretion system, and (v) elucidation of the role of genomic reduction in the evolutionary trajectory from a fairly innocuous pathogen to a highly virulent species. RECENT FINDINGS The outer membrane (OM) protein Ail (attachment invasion locus) was identified over 30 years ago as an invasin-like protein. Recent work on Ail continues to provide insights into Gram-negative pathogenesis. This review is a synopsis of the role of Ail in invasion, serum resistance, OM stability, thermosensing, and vaccine development. SUMMARY Ail is shown to be an essential virulence factor with multiple roles in pathogenesis. The recent adaptation of Yersinia pestis to high virulence, which included genomic reduction to eliminate redundant protein functions, is a model to understand the emergence of new bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Kolodziejek
- Department of Animal, Veterinary, and Food Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Carolyn J. Hovde
- Department of Animal, Veterinary, and Food Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Scott A. Minnich
- Department of Animal, Veterinary, and Food Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
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Terentjeva M, Ķibilds J, Meistere I, Gradovska S, Alksne L, Streikiša M, Ošmjana J, Valciņa O. Virulence Determinants and Genetic Diversity of Yersinia Species Isolated from Retail Meat. Pathogens 2021; 11:37. [PMID: 35055985 PMCID: PMC8778217 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11010037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica is an important foodborne pathogen, and the determination of its virulence factors and genetic diversity within the food chain could help understand the epidemiology of yersiniosis. The aim of the present study was to detect the prevalence, and characterize the virulence determinants and genetic diversity, of Yersinia species isolated from meat. A total of 330 samples of retailed beef (n = 150) and pork (n = 180) in Latvia were investigated with culture and molecular methods. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was applied for the detection of virulence and genetic diversity. The antimicrobial resistance of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica isolates was detected in accordance with EUCAST. Yersinia species were isolated from 24% (79/330) of meats, and the prevalence of Y. enterocolitica in pork (24%, 44/180) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in beef (13%, 19/150). Y. enterocolitica pathogenic bioserovars 2/O:9 and 4/O:3 were isolated from pork samples (3%, 6/180). Only resistance to ampicillin was confirmed in Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 and 2/O:9 isolates, but not in other antimicrobials. Major virulence determinants, including ail, inv, virF, ystA and myfA, were confirmed with WGS in Y. enterocolitica 2/O:9 and 4/O:3. MLST typing revealed 15 STs (sequence types) of Y. enterocolitica with ST12 and ST18, which were associated with pathogenic bioserovars. For Y. enterocolitica 1A, Y. kristensenii, Y. intermedia and Y. frederiksenii, novel STs were registered (ST680-688). The presence of virulence genes and genetic characteristics of certain Y. enterocolitica STs confirm the common knowledge that pork could be an important source of pathogenic Yersinia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Terentjeva
- Institute of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, LV-3004 Jelgava, Latvia
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia; (J.Ķ.); (I.M.); (S.G.); (L.A.); (M.S.); (J.O.); (O.V.)
| | - Juris Ķibilds
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia; (J.Ķ.); (I.M.); (S.G.); (L.A.); (M.S.); (J.O.); (O.V.)
| | - Irēna Meistere
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia; (J.Ķ.); (I.M.); (S.G.); (L.A.); (M.S.); (J.O.); (O.V.)
| | - Silva Gradovska
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia; (J.Ķ.); (I.M.); (S.G.); (L.A.); (M.S.); (J.O.); (O.V.)
| | - Laura Alksne
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia; (J.Ķ.); (I.M.); (S.G.); (L.A.); (M.S.); (J.O.); (O.V.)
| | - Madara Streikiša
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia; (J.Ķ.); (I.M.); (S.G.); (L.A.); (M.S.); (J.O.); (O.V.)
| | - Jevgēnija Ošmjana
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia; (J.Ķ.); (I.M.); (S.G.); (L.A.); (M.S.); (J.O.); (O.V.)
| | - Olga Valciņa
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia; (J.Ķ.); (I.M.); (S.G.); (L.A.); (M.S.); (J.O.); (O.V.)
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Wang J, Liu M, Wang H, Wu Q, Ding Y, Xu T, Ma G, Zhong Y, Zhang J, Chen M, Xue L, Ye Q, Zeng H, Yang X, Yang R. Occurrence, molecular characterization, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from retail food samples in China. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2021.111876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Deletion of Yersinia pestis ail causes temperature sensitive pleiotropic effects including cell lysis that are suppressed by carbon source, cations, or loss of phospholipase A activity. J Bacteriol 2021; 203:e0036121. [PMID: 34398663 PMCID: PMC8508112 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00361-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintenance of phospholipid (PL) and lipopoly- or lipooligo-saccharide (LPS or LOS) asymmetry in the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is essential but poorly understood. The Yersinia pestis OM Ail protein was required to maintain lipid homeostasis and cell integrity at elevated temperature (37° C). Loss of this protein had pleiotropic effects. A Y. pestis Δail mutant and KIM6+ wild- type were systematically compared for (i) growth requirements at 37° C, (ii) cell structure, (iii) antibiotic and detergent sensitivity, (iv) proteins released into supernates, (v) induction of the heat shock response, and (vi) physiological and genetic suppressors that restored the wild- type phenotype. The Δail mutant grew normally at 28° C but lysed at 37° C when it entered stationary phase as shown by cell count, SDS-PAGE of cell supernatants, and electron microscopy. Immuno-fluorescent microscopy showed that the Δail mutant did not assemble Caf1 capsule. Expression of heat shock promoters rpoE or rpoH fused to a lux operon reporter were not induced when the Δail mutant was shifted from the 28° C to 37° C (p<0.001 and p<0.01 respectively). Mutant lysis was suppressed by addition of 11 mM glucose, 22 or 44 mM glycerol, 2.5 mM Ca2+, or 2.5 mM Mg2+ to the growth medium, or by a mutation in the phospholipase A gene (pldA::miniTn5, ΔpldA, or PldAS164A). A model, accounting for the temperature-sensitive lysis of the Δail mutant and the Ail-dependent stabilization of the OM tetraacylated LOS at 37°C is presented. IMPORTANCE The Gram-negative pathogen, Yersinia pestis, transitions between a flea vector (ambient temperature) and a mammalian host (37° C). In response to 37° C, Y. pestis modifies its outer membrane (OM) by reducing the fatty acid content in lipid A, changing the outer leaflet from being predominantly hexaacylated to being predominantly tetraacylated. It also increases the Ail concentration, so it becomes the most prominent OM protein. Both measures are needed for Y. pestis to evade the host innate immune response. Deletion of ail destabilizes the OM at 37° C causing the cells to lyse. These results show that a protein is essential for maintaining lipid asymmetry and lipid homeostasis in the bacterial OM.
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Increased Production of Outer Membrane Vesicles by Salmonella Interferes with Complement-Mediated Innate Immune Attack. mBio 2021; 12:e0086921. [PMID: 34061589 PMCID: PMC8262969 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00869-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) enriched with bioactive proteins, toxins, and virulence factors play a critical role in host-pathogen and microbial interactions. The two-component system PhoP-PhoQ (PhoPQ) of Salmonella enterica orchestrates the remodeling of outer membrane lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecules and concomitantly upregulates OMV production. In this study, we document a novel use of nanoparticle tracking analysis to determine bacterial OMV size and number. Among the PhoPQ-activated genes tested, pagC expression had the most significant effect on the upregulation of OMV production. We provide the first evidence that PhoPQ-mediated upregulation of OMV production contributes to bacterial survival by interfering with complement activation. OMVs protected bacteria in a dose-dependent manner, and bacteria were highly susceptible to complement-mediated killing in their absence. OMVs from bacteria expressing PagC bound to complement component C3b in a dose-dependent manner and inactivated it by recruiting complement inhibitor Factor H. As we also found that Factor H binds to PagC, we propose that PagC interferes with complement-mediated killing of Salmonella in the following two steps: first by engaging Factor H, and second, through the production of PagC-enriched OMVs that divert and inactivate the complement away from the bacteria. Since PhoPQ activation occurs intracellularly, the resultant increase in PagC expression and OMV production is suggested to contribute to the local and systemic spread of Salmonella released from dying host cells that supports the infection of new cells. IMPORTANCE Bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) mediate critical bacterium-bacterium and host-microbial interactions that influence pathogenesis through multiple mechanisms, including the elicitation of inflammatory responses, delivery of virulence factors, and enhancement of biofilm formation. As such, there is a growing interest in understanding the underlying mechanisms of OMV production. Recent studies have revealed that OMV biogenesis is a finely tuned physiological process that requires structural organization and selective sorting of outer membrane components into the vesicles. In Salmonella, outer membrane remodeling and OMV production are tightly regulated by its PhoPQ system. In this study, we demonstrate that PhoPQ-regulated OMV production plays a significant role in defense against host innate immune attack. PhoPQ-activated PagC expression recruits the complement inhibitor Factor H and degrades the active C3 component of complement. Our results provide valuable insight into the combination of tools and environmental signals that Salmonella employs to evade complement-mediated lysis, thereby suggesting a strong evolutionary adaptation of this facultative intracellular pathogen to protect itself during its extracellular stage in the host.
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The Yersinia pestis GTPase BipA Promotes Pathogenesis of Primary Pneumonic Plague. Infect Immun 2021; 89:IAI.00673-20. [PMID: 33257531 PMCID: PMC7822129 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00673-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis is a highly virulent pathogen and the causative agent of bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. Primary pneumonic plague caused by inhalation of respiratory droplets contaminated with Y. pestis is nearly 100% lethal within 4 to 7 days without antibiotic intervention. Pneumonic plague progresses in two phases, beginning with extensive bacterial replication in the lung with minimal host responsiveness, followed by the abrupt onset of a lethal proinflammatory response. The precise mechanisms by which Y. pestis is able to colonize the lung and survive two very distinct disease phases remain largely unknown. To date, a few bacterial virulence factors, including the Ysc type 3 secretion system, are known to contribute to the pathogenesis of primary pneumonic plague. The bacterial GTPase BipA has been shown to regulate expression of virulence factors in a number of Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. However, the role of BipA in Y. pestis has yet to be investigated. Here, we show that BipA is a Y. pestis virulence factor that promotes defense against early neutrophil-mediated bacterial killing in the lung. This work identifies a novel Y. pestis virulence factor and highlights the importance of early bacterial/neutrophil interactions in the lung during primary pneumonic plague.
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Kent JE, Fujimoto LM, Shin K, Singh C, Yao Y, Park SH, Opella SJ, Plano GV, Marassi FM. Correlating the Structure and Activity of Y. pestis Ail in a Bacterial Cell Envelope. Biophys J 2020; 120:453-462. [PMID: 33359463 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding microbe-host interactions at the molecular level is a major goal of fundamental biology and therapeutic drug development. Structural biology strives to capture biomolecular structures in action, but the samples are often highly simplified versions of the complex native environment. Here, we present an Escherichia coli model system that allows us to probe the structure and function of Ail, the major surface protein of the deadly pathogen Yersinia pestis. We show that cell surface expression of Ail produces Y. pestis virulence phenotypes in E. coli, including resistance to human serum, cosedimentation of human vitronectin, and pellicle formation. Moreover, isolated bacterial cell envelopes, encompassing inner and outer membranes, yield high-resolution solid-state NMR spectra that reflect the structure of Ail and reveal Ail sites that are sensitive to the bacterial membrane environment and involved in the interactions with human serum components. The data capture the structure and function of Ail in a bacterial outer membrane and set the stage for probing its interactions with the complex milieu of immune response proteins present in human serum.
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Affiliation(s)
- James E Kent
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Lynn M Fujimoto
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Kyungsoo Shin
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Chandan Singh
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Yong Yao
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Sang Ho Park
- Department Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Stanley J Opella
- Department Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Gregory V Plano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Francesca M Marassi
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California.
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Tn-Seq Analysis Identifies Genes Important for Yersinia pestis Adherence during Primary Pneumonic Plague. mSphere 2020; 5:5/4/e00715-20. [PMID: 32759339 PMCID: PMC7407073 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00715-20] [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] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Colonization of the lung by Yersinia pestis is a critical first step in establishing infection during primary pneumonic plague, a disease characterized by high lethality. However, the mechanisms by which Y. pestis adheres in the lung after inhalation remain elusive. Here, we used Tn-seq to identify Y. pestis genes important for adherence early during primary pneumonic plague. Our mutant enrichment strategy resulted in the identification of genes important for regulation and assembly of genes and proteins rather than adhesin genes themselves. These results reveal that there may be multiple Y. pestis adhesins or redundancy among adhesins. Identifying the adhesins regulated by the genes identified in our enrichment screen may reveal novel therapeutic targets for preventing Y. pestis adherence and the subsequent development of pneumonic plague. Following inhalation, Yersinia pestis rapidly colonizes the lung to establish infection during primary pneumonic plague. Although several adhesins have been identified in Yersinia spp., the factors mediating early Y. pestis adherence in the lung remain unknown. To identify genes important for Y. pestis adherence during primary pneumonic plague, we used transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-seq). Wild-type and capsule mutant (Δcaf1) Y. pestis transposon mutant libraries were serially passaged in vivo to enrich for nonadherent mutants in the lung using a mouse model of primary pneumonic plague. Sequencing of the passaged libraries revealed six mutants that were significantly enriched in both the wild-type and Δcaf1Y. pestis backgrounds. The enriched mutants had insertions in genes that encode transcriptional regulators, chaperones, an endoribonuclease, and YPO3903, a hypothetical protein. Using single-strain infections and a transcriptional analysis, we identified a significant role for YPO3903 in Y. pestis adherence in the lung and showed that YPO3903 regulated transcript levels of psaA, which encodes a fimbria previously implicated in Y. pestis adherence in vitro. Deletion of psaA had a minor effect on Y. pestis adherence in the lung, suggesting that YPO3903 regulates other adhesins in addition to psaA. By enriching for mutations in genes that regulate the expression or assembly of multiple genes or proteins, we obtained screen results indicating that there may be not just one dominant adhesin but rather several factors that contribute to early Y. pestis adherence during primary pneumonic plague. IMPORTANCE Colonization of the lung by Yersinia pestis is a critical first step in establishing infection during primary pneumonic plague, a disease characterized by high lethality. However, the mechanisms by which Y. pestis adheres in the lung after inhalation remain elusive. Here, we used Tn-seq to identify Y. pestis genes important for adherence early during primary pneumonic plague. Our mutant enrichment strategy resulted in the identification of genes important for regulation and assembly of genes and proteins rather than adhesin genes themselves. These results reveal that there may be multiple Y. pestis adhesins or redundancy among adhesins. Identifying the adhesins regulated by the genes identified in our enrichment screen may reveal novel therapeutic targets for preventing Y. pestis adherence and the subsequent development of pneumonic plague.
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13
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Singh C, Lee H, Tian Y, Schesser Bartra S, Hower S, Fujimoto LM, Yao Y, Ivanov SA, Shaikhutdinova RZ, Anisimov AP, Plano GV, Im W, Marassi FM. Mutually constructive roles of Ail and LPS in Yersinia pestis serum survival. Mol Microbiol 2020; 114:510-520. [PMID: 32462782 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The outer membrane is a key virulence determinant of gram-negative bacteria. In Yersinia pestis, the deadly agent that causes plague, the protein Ail and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)6 enhance lethality by promoting resistance to human innate immunity and antibiotics, enabling bacteria to proliferate in the human host. Their functions are highly coordinated. Here we describe how they cooperate to promote pathogenesis. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we identify mutually constructive interactions between Ail and LPS that produce an extended conformation of Ail at the membrane surface, cause thickening and rigidification of the LPS membrane, and collectively promote Y. pestis survival in human serum, antibiotic resistance, and cell envelope integrity. The results highlight the importance of the Ail-LPS assembly as an organized whole, rather than its individual components, and provide a handle for targeting Y. pestis pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandan Singh
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hwayoung Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Ye Tian
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sara Schesser Bartra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Suzanne Hower
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Lynn M Fujimoto
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yong Yao
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sergey A Ivanov
- State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Obolensk, Moscow Region, Russian Federation
| | - Rima Z Shaikhutdinova
- State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Obolensk, Moscow Region, Russian Federation
| | - Andrey P Anisimov
- State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Obolensk, Moscow Region, Russian Federation
| | - Gregory V Plano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Wonpil Im
- Department of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Francesca M Marassi
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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14
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Whelan R, McVicker G, Leo JC. Staying out or Going in? The Interplay between Type 3 and Type 5 Secretion Systems in Adhesion and Invasion of Enterobacterial Pathogens. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4102. [PMID: 32521829 PMCID: PMC7312957 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteric pathogens rely on a variety of toxins, adhesins and other virulence factors to cause infections. Some of the best studied pathogens belong to the Enterobacterales order; these include enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., and the enteropathogenic Yersiniae. The pathogenesis of these organisms involves two different secretion systems, a type 3 secretion system (T3SS) and type 5 secretion systems (T5SSs). The T3SS forms a syringe-like structure spanning both bacterial membranes and the host cell plasma membrane that translocates toxic effector proteins into the cytoplasm of the host cell. T5SSs are also known as autotransporters, and they export part of their own polypeptide to the bacterial cell surface where it exerts its function, such as adhesion to host cell receptors. During infection with these enteropathogens, the T3SS and T5SS act in concert to bring about rearrangements of the host cell cytoskeleton, either to invade the cell, confer intracellular motility, evade phagocytosis or produce novel structures to shelter the bacteria. Thus, in these bacteria, not only the T3SS effectors but also T5SS proteins could be considered "cytoskeletoxins" that bring about profound alterations in host cell cytoskeletal dynamics and lead to pathogenic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jack C. Leo
- Antimicrobial Resistance, Omics and Microbiota Group, Department of Biosciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK; (R.W.); (G.M.)
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15
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Krukonis ES, Thomson JJ. Complement evasion mechanisms of the systemic pathogens Yersiniae and Salmonellae. FEBS Lett 2020; 594:2598-2620. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric S. Krukonis
- Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry Detroit MI USA
| | - Joshua J. Thomson
- Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry Detroit MI USA
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16
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Zhang Y, Ying X, He Y, Jiang L, Zhang S, Bartra SS, Plano GV, Klena JD, Skurnik M, Chen H, Cai H, Chen T. Invasiveness of the Yersinia pestis ail protein contributes to host dissemination in pneumonic and oral plague. Microb Pathog 2020; 141:103993. [PMID: 31988008 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.103993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, a Gram-negative bacterium, is the etiologic agent of plague. A hallmark of Y. pestis infection is the organism's ability to rapidly disseminate through an animal host. Y. pestis expresses the outer membrane protein, Ail (Attachment invasion locus), which is associated with host invasion and serum resistance. However, whether Ail plays a role in host dissemination remains unclear. In this study, C57BL/6J mice were challenged with a defined Y. pestis strain, KimD27, or an isogenic ail-deleted mutant derived from KimD27 via metacarpal paw pad inoculation, nasal drops, orogastric infection, or tail vein injection to mimic bubonic, pneumonic, oral, or septicemic plague, respectively. Our results showed that ail-deleted Y. pestis KimD27 lost the ability to invade host cells, leading to failed host dissemination in the pneumonic and oral plague models but not in the bubonic or septicemic plague models, which do not require invasiveness. Therefore, this study demonstrated that whether Ail plays a role in Y. pestis pathogenesis depends on the infection route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingmiao Zhang
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Sciences and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoling Ying
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Sciences and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China; Translational Medicine Conter, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510000, Guangdong, China
| | - Yingxia He
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Sciences and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Lingyu Jiang
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Sciences and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Song Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Sara Schesser Bartra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33101, USA
| | - Gregory V Plano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33101, USA
| | - John D Klena
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mikael Skurnik
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Division of Clinical Microbiology, Helsinki University Hospital, HUSLAB, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hongxiang Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huahua Cai
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Sciences and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
| | - Tie Chen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Sciences and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
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17
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Abstract
The human and animal pathogens Yersinia pestis, which causes bubonic and pneumonic plague, and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia enterocolitica, which cause gastroenteritis, share a type 3 secretion system which injects effector proteins, Yops, into host cells. This system is critical for virulence of all three pathogens in tissue infection. Neutrophils are rapidly recruited to infected sites and all three pathogens frequently interact with and inject Yops into these cells during tissue infection. Host receptors, serum factors, and bacterial adhesins appear to collaborate to promote neutrophil- Yersinia interactions in tissues. The ability of neutrophils to control infection is mixed depending on the stage of infection and points to the efficiency of Yops and other bacterial factors to mitigate bactericidal effects of neutrophils. Yersinia in close proximity to neutrophils has higher levels of expression from yop promoters, and neutrophils in close proximity to Yersinia express higher levels of pro-survival genes than migrating neutrophils. In infected tissues, YopM increases neutrophil survival and YopH targets a SKAP2/SLP-76 signal transduction pathway. Yet the full impact of these and other Yops and other Yersinia factors on neutrophils in infected tissues has yet to be understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Mecsas
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, 136 Harrison Ave, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02111, USA
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18
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Bohn E, Sonnabend M, Klein K, Autenrieth IB. Bacterial adhesion and host cell factors leading to effector protein injection by type III secretion system. Int J Med Microbiol 2019; 309:344-350. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2019.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
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19
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Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Exploits CD209 Receptors for Promoting Host Dissemination and Infection. Infect Immun 2018; 87:IAI.00654-18. [PMID: 30348825 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00654-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is a Gram-negative enteropathogen and causes gastrointestinal infections. It disseminates from gut to mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs), spleen, and liver of infected humans and animals. Although the molecular mechanisms for dissemination and infection are unclear, many Gram-negative enteropathogens presumably invade the small intestine via Peyer's patches to initiate dissemination. In this study, we demonstrate that Y. pseudotuberculosis utilizes its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core to interact with CD209 receptors, leading to invasion of human dendritic cells (DCs) and murine macrophages. These Y. pseudotuberculosis-CD209 interactions result in bacterial dissemination to MLNs, spleens, and livers of both wild-type and Peyer's patch-deficient mice. The blocking of the Y. pseudotuberculosis-CD209 interactions by expression of O-antigen and with oligosaccharides reduces infectivity. Based on the well-documented studies in which HIV-CD209 interaction leads to viral dissemination, we therefore propose an infection route for Y. pseudotuberculosis where this pathogen, after penetrating the intestinal mucosal membrane, hijacks the Y. pseudotuberculosis-CD209 interaction antigen-presenting cells to reach their target destinations, MLNs, spleens, and livers.
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20
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Thomson JJ, Plecha SC, Krukonis ES. Ail provides multiple mechanisms of serum resistance to Yersinia pestis. Mol Microbiol 2018; 111:82-95. [PMID: 30260060 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Ail, a multifunctional outer membrane protein of Yersinia pestis, confers cell binding, Yop delivery and serum resistance activities. Resistance to complement proteins in serum is critical for the survival of Y. pestis during the septicemic stage of plague infections. Bacteria employ a variety of tactics to evade the complement system, including recruitment of complement regulatory factors, such as factor H, C4b-binding protein (C4BP) and vitronectin (Vn). Y. pestis Ail interacts with the regulatory factors Vn and C4BP, and Ail homologs from Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis recruit factor H. Using co-sedimentation assays, we demonstrate that two surface-exposed amino acids, F80 and F130, are required for the interaction of Y. pestis Ail with Vn, factor H and C4BP. However, although Ail-F80A/F130A fails to interact with these complement regulatory proteins, it still confers 10,000-fold more serum resistance than a Δail strain and prevents C9 polymerization, potentially by directly interfering with MAC assembly. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we further defined this additional mechanism of complement evasion conferred by Ail. Finally, we find that at Y. pestis concentrations reflective of early-stage septicemic plague, Ail weakly recruits Vn and fails to recruit factor H, suggesting that this alternative mechanism of serum resistance may be essential during plague infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J Thomson
- Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sarah C Plecha
- Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Eric S Krukonis
- Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Immunology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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21
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Davis KM. All Yersinia Are Not Created Equal: Phenotypic Adaptation to Distinct Niches Within Mammalian Tissues. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:261. [PMID: 30128305 PMCID: PMC6088192 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis replicates within mammalian tissues to form clustered bacterial replication centers, called microcolonies. A subset of bacterial cells within microcolonies interact directly with host immune cells, and other subsets of bacteria only interact with other bacteria. This establishes a system where subsets of Yersinia have distinct gene expression profiles, which are driven by their unique microenvironments and cellular interactions. When this leads to alterations in virulence gene expression, small subsets of bacteria can play a critical role in supporting the replication of the bacterial population, and can drive the overall disease outcome. Based on the pathology of infections with each of the three Yersinia species that are pathogenic to humans, it is likely that this specialization of bacterial subsets occurs during all Yersiniae infections. This review will describe the pathology that occurs during infection with each of the three human pathogenic Yersinia, in terms of the structure of bacterial replication centers and the specific immune cell subsets that bacteria interact with, and will also describe the outcome these interactions have or may have on bacterial gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly M Davis
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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22
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Houston S, Lithgow KV, Osbak KK, Kenyon CR, Cameron CE. Functional insights from proteome-wide structural modeling of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis. BMC STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2018; 18:7. [PMID: 29769048 PMCID: PMC5956850 DOI: 10.1186/s12900-018-0086-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background Syphilis continues to be a major global health threat with 11 million new infections each year, and a global burden of 36 million cases. The causative agent of syphilis, Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum, is a highly virulent bacterium, however the molecular mechanisms underlying T. pallidum pathogenesis remain to be definitively identified. This is due to the fact that T. pallidum is currently uncultivatable, inherently fragile and thus difficult to work with, and phylogenetically distinct with no conventional virulence factor homologs found in other pathogens. In fact, approximately 30% of its predicted protein-coding genes have no known orthologs or assigned functions. Here we employed a structural bioinformatics approach using Phyre2-based tertiary structure modeling to improve our understanding of T. pallidum protein function on a proteome-wide scale. Results Phyre2-based tertiary structure modeling generated high-confidence predictions for 80% of the T. pallidum proteome (780/978 predicted proteins). Tertiary structure modeling also inferred the same function as primary structure-based annotations from genome sequencing pipelines for 525/605 proteins (87%), which represents 54% (525/978) of all T. pallidum proteins. Of the 175 T. pallidum proteins modeled with high confidence that were not assigned functions in the previously annotated published proteome, 167 (95%) were able to be assigned predicted functions. Twenty-one of the 175 hypothetical proteins modeled with high confidence were also predicted to exhibit significant structural similarity with proteins experimentally confirmed to be required for virulence in other pathogens. Conclusions Phyre2-based structural modeling is a powerful bioinformatics tool that has provided insight into the potential structure and function of the majority of T. pallidum proteins and helped validate the primary structure-based annotation of more than 50% of all T. pallidum proteins with high confidence. This work represents the first T. pallidum proteome-wide structural modeling study and is one of few studies to apply this approach for the functional annotation of a whole proteome. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12900-018-0086-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Houston
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Karen Vivien Lithgow
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Chris Richard Kenyon
- HIV/STI Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Caroline E Cameron
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
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23
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Bancerz-Kisiel A, Pieczywek M, Łada P, Szweda W. The Most Important Virulence Markers of Yersinia enterocolitica and Their Role during Infection. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:E235. [PMID: 29751540 PMCID: PMC5977175 DOI: 10.3390/genes9050235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica is the causative agent of yersiniosis, a zoonotic disease of growing epidemiological importance with significant consequences for public health. This pathogenic species has been intensively studied for many years. Six biotypes (1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4, 5) and more than 70 serotypes of Y. enterocolitica have been identified to date. The biotypes of Y. enterocolitica are divided according to their pathogenic properties: the non-pathogenic biotype 1A, weakly pathogenic biotypes 2⁻5, and the highly pathogenic biotype 1B. Due to the complex pathogenesis of yersiniosis, further research is needed to expand our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in the infection process and the clinical course of the disease. Many factors, both plasmid and chromosomal, significantly influence these processes. The aim of this study was to present the most important virulence markers of Y. enterocolitica and their role during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Bancerz-Kisiel
- Department of Epizootiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 2 Str., 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Marta Pieczywek
- Department of Epizootiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 2 Str., 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Piotr Łada
- Department of Epizootiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 2 Str., 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Wojciech Szweda
- Department of Epizootiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 2 Str., 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
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24
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Sadana P, Geyer R, Pezoldt J, Helmsing S, Huehn J, Hust M, Dersch P, Scrima A. The invasin D protein from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis selectively binds the Fab region of host antibodies and affects colonization of the intestine. J Biol Chem 2018. [PMID: 29535184 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is a Gram-negative bacterium and zoonotic pathogen responsible for a wide range of diseases, ranging from mild diarrhea, enterocolitis, lymphatic adenitis to persistent local inflammation. The Y. pseudotuberculosis invasin D (InvD) molecule belongs to the invasin (InvA)-type autotransporter proteins, but its structure and function remain unknown. In this study, we present the first crystal structure of InvD, analyzed its expression and function in a murine infection model, and identified its target molecule in the host. We found that InvD is induced at 37 °C and expressed in vivo 2-4 days after infection, indicating that InvD is a virulence factor. During infection, InvD was expressed in all parts of the intestinal tract, but not in deeper lymphoid tissues. The crystal structure of the C-terminal adhesion domain of InvD revealed a distinct Ig-related fold that, apart from the canonical β-sheets, comprises various modifications of and insertions into the Ig-core structure. We identified the Fab fragment of host-derived IgG/IgA antibodies as the target of the adhesion domain. Phage display panning and flow cytometry data further revealed that InvD exhibits a preferential binding specificity toward antibodies with VH3/VK1 variable domains and that it is specifically recruited to a subset of B cells. This finding suggests that InvD modulates Ig functions in the intestine and affects direct interactions with a subset of cell surface-exposed B-cell receptors. In summary, our results provide extensive insights into the structure of InvD and its specific interaction with the target molecule in the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Sadana
- From the Young Investigator Group Structural Biology of Autophagy, Department of Structure and Function of Proteins
| | | | - Joern Pezoldt
- Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig and
| | - Saskia Helmsing
- the Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technische Universität, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jochen Huehn
- Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig and
| | - Michael Hust
- the Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technische Universität, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Petra Dersch
- the Departments of Molecular Infection Biology and
| | - Andrea Scrima
- From the Young Investigator Group Structural Biology of Autophagy, Department of Structure and Function of Proteins,
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25
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Dutta SK, Yao Y, Marassi FM. Structural Insights into the Yersinia pestis Outer Membrane Protein Ail in Lipid Bilayers. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:7561-7570. [PMID: 28726410 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b03941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis the causative agent of plague, is highly pathogenic and poses very high risk to public health. The outer membrane protein Ail (Adhesion invasion locus) is one of the most highly expressed proteins on the cell surface of Y. pestis, and a major target for the development of medical countermeasures. Ail is essential for microbial virulence and is critical for promoting the survival of Y. pestis in serum. Structures of Ail have been determined by X-ray diffraction and solution NMR spectroscopy, but the protein's activity is influenced by the detergents in these samples, underscoring the importance of the surrounding environment for structure-activity studies. Here we describe the backbone structure of Ail, determined in lipid bilayer nanodiscs, using solution NMR spectroscopy. We also present solid-state NMR data obtained for Ail in membranes containing lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major component of the bacterial outer membranes. The protein in lipid bilayers, adopts the same eight-stranded β-barrel fold observed in the crystalline and micellar states. The membrane composition, however, appears to have a marked effect on protein dynamics, with LPS enhancing conformational order and slowing down the 15N transverse relaxation rate. The results provide information about the way in which an outer membrane protein inserts and functions in the bacterial membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samit Kumar Dutta
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute , 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Yong Yao
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute , 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Francesca M Marassi
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute , 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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26
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Yersinia pestis YopK Inhibits Bacterial Adhesion to Host Cells by Binding to the Extracellular Matrix Adaptor Protein Matrilin-2. Infect Immun 2017; 85:IAI.01069-16. [PMID: 28533472 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01069-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic yersiniae harbor a type III secretion system (T3SS) that injects Yersinia outer protein (Yop) into host cells. YopK has been shown to control Yop translocation and prevent inflammasome recognition of the T3SS by the innate immune system. Here, we demonstrate that YopK inhibits bacterial adherence to host cells by binding to the extracellular matrix adaptor protein matrilin-2 (MATN2). YopK binds to MATN2, and deleting amino acids 91 to 124 disrupts binding of YopK to MATN2. A yopK null mutant exhibits a hyperadhesive phenotype, which could be responsible for the established Yop hypertranslocation phenotype of yopK mutants. Expression of YopK, but not YopKΔ91-124, in a yopK mutant restored the wild-type phenotypes of adhesion and Yop translocation, suggesting that binding to MATN2 might be essential for YopK to inhibit bacterial adhesion and negatively regulate Yop translocation. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-YopK fusion specifically binds to the endogenous MATN2 on the surface of HeLa cells, whereas GFP-YopKΔ91-124 cannot. Addition of purified YopK protein during infection decreased adhesion of Y. pestis to HeLa cells, while YopKΔ91-124 protein showed no effect. Taking these results together, we propose a model that the T3SS-secreted YopK hinders bacterial adhesion to HeLa cells by binding to MATN2, which is ubiquitously exposed on eukaryotic cells.
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27
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Defining the Ail Ligand-Binding Surface: Hydrophobic Residues in Two Extracellular Loops Mediate Cell and Extracellular Matrix Binding To Facilitate Yop Delivery. Infect Immun 2017; 85:IAI.01047-15. [PMID: 28167671 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01047-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, binds host cells to deliver cytotoxic Yop proteins into the cytoplasm that prevent phagocytosis and generation of proinflammatory cytokines. Ail is an eight-stranded β-barrel outer membrane protein with four extracellular loops that mediates cell binding and resistance to human serum. Following the deletion of each of the four extracellular loops that potentially interact with host cells, the Ail-Δloop 2 and Ail-Δloop 3 mutant proteins had no cell-binding activity while Ail-Δloop 4 maintained cell binding (the Ail-Δloop 1 protein was unstable). Using the codon mutagenesis scheme SWIM (selection without isolation of mutants), we identified individual residues in loops 1, 2, and 3 that contribute to host cell binding. While several residues contributed to the binding of host cells and purified fibronectin and laminin, as well as Yop delivery, three mutations, F80A (loop 2), S128A (loop 3), and F130A (loop 3), produced particularly severe defects in cell binding. Combining these mutations led to an even greater reduction in cell binding and severely impaired Yop delivery with only a slight defect in serum resistance. These findings demonstrate that Y. pestis Ail uses multiple extracellular loops to interact with substrates important for adhesion via polyvalent hydrophobic interactions.
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Immunisation of two rodent species with new live-attenuated mutants of Yersinia pestis CO92 induces protective long-term humoral- and cell-mediated immunity against pneumonic plague. NPJ Vaccines 2016; 1:16020. [PMID: 29263858 PMCID: PMC5707884 DOI: 10.1038/npjvaccines.2016.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
We showed recently that the live-attenuated Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail and Δlpp ΔmsbB::ailL2 mutants of Yersinia pestis CO92 provided short-term protection to mice against developing subsequent lethal pneumonic plague. These mutants were either deleted for genes encoding Braun lipoprotein (Lpp), an acetyltransferase (MsbB) and the attachment invasion locus (Ail) (Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail) or contained a modified version of the ail gene with diminished virulence (Δlpp ΔmsbB::ailL2). Here, long-term immune responses were first examined after intramuscular immunisation of mice with the above-mentioned mutants, as well as the newly constructed Δlpp ΔmsbB Δpla mutant, deleted for the plasminogen-activator protease (pla) gene instead of ail. Y. pestis-specific IgG levels peaked between day 35 and 56 in the mutant-immunised mice and were sustained until the last tested day 112. Splenic memory B cells peaked earlier (day 42) before declining in the Δlpp ΔmsbB::ailL2 mutant-immunised mice while being sustained for 63 days in the Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail and Δlpp ΔmsbB Δpla mutant-immunised mice. Splenic CD4+ T cells increased in all immunised mice by day 42 with differential cytokine production among the immunised groups. On day 120, immunised mice were exposed intranasally to wild-type (WT) CO92, and 80–100% survived pneumonic challenge. Mice immunised with the above-mentioned three mutants had increased innate as well as CD4+ responses immediately after WT CO92 exposure, and coupled with sustained antibody production, indicated the role of both arms of the immune response in protection. Likewise, rats vaccinated with either Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail or the Δlpp ΔmsbB Δpla mutant also developed long-term humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to provide 100% protection against developing pneumonic plague. On the basis of the attenuated phenotype, the Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail mutant was recently excluded from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention select agent list.
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Du Z, Wang X. Pathology and Pathogenesis of Yersinia pestis. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 918:193-222. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-024-0890-4_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Temperature-responsive in vitro RNA structurome of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:7237-42. [PMID: 27298343 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1523004113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA structures are fundamentally important for RNA function. Dynamic, condition-dependent structural changes are able to modulate gene expression as shown for riboswitches and RNA thermometers. By parallel analysis of RNA structures, we mapped the RNA structurome of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis at three different temperatures. This human pathogen is exquisitely responsive to host body temperature (37 °C), which induces a major metabolic transition. Our analysis profiles the structure of more than 1,750 RNAs at 25 °C, 37 °C, and 42 °C. Average mRNAs tend to be unstructured around the ribosome binding site. We searched for 5'-UTRs that are folded at low temperature and identified novel thermoresponsive RNA structures from diverse gene categories. The regulatory potential of 16 candidates was validated. In summary, we present a dynamic bacterial RNA structurome and find that the expression of virulence-relevant functions in Y. pseudotuberculosis and reprogramming of its metabolism in response to temperature is associated with a restructuring of numerous mRNAs.
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Chauhan N, Wrobel A, Skurnik M, Leo JC. Yersinia adhesins: An arsenal for infection. Proteomics Clin Appl 2016; 10:949-963. [PMID: 27068449 DOI: 10.1002/prca.201600012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Yersiniae are a group of Gram-negative coccobacilli inhabiting a wide range of habitats. The genus harbors three recognized human pathogens: Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis, which both cause gastrointestinal disease, and Y. pestis, the causative agent of plague. These three organisms have served as models for a number of aspects of infection biology, including adhesion, immune evasion, evolution of pathogenic traits, and retracing the course of ancient pandemics. The virulence of the pathogenic Yersiniae is heavily dependent on a number of adhesin molecules. Some of these, such as the Yersinia adhesin A and invasin of the enteropathogenic species, and the pH 6 antigen of Y. pestis, have been extensively studied. However, genomic sequencing has uncovered a host of other adhesins present in these organisms, the functions of which are only starting to be investigated. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the adhesin molecules present in the Yersiniae, and their functions and putative roles in the infection process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandini Chauhan
- Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Agnieszka Wrobel
- Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mikael Skurnik
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Central Hospital Laboratory Diagnostics, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jack C Leo
- Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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Oyston PCF, Williamson ED. Modern Advances against Plague. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2016; 81:209-41. [PMID: 22958531 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394382-8.00006-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Plague has been a scourge of humanity, responsible for the deaths of millions. The etiological agent, Yersinia pestis, has evolved relatively recently from an enteropathogen, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The evolution of the plague pathogen has involved a complex series of genetic acquisitions, deletions, and rearrangements in its transition from an enteric niche to becoming a systemic, flea-vectored pathogen. With the advent of modern molecular biology techniques, we are starting to understand how the organism adapts to the diverse niches it encounters and how to combat the threat it poses.
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Role of β1 integrins and bacterial adhesins for Yop injection into leukocytes in Yersinia enterocolitica systemic mouse infection. Int J Med Microbiol 2015; 306:77-88. [PMID: 26718660 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Revised: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Injection of Yersinia outer proteins (Yops) into host cells by a type III secretion system is an important immune evasion mechanism of Yersinia enterocolitica (Ye). In this process Ye invasin (Inv) binds directly while Yersinia adhesin A (YadA) binds indirectly via extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins to β1 integrins on host cells. Although leukocytes turned out to be an important target of Yop injection by Ye, it was unclear which Ye adhesins and which leukocyte receptors are required for Yop injection. To explain this, we investigated the role of YadA, Inv and β1 integrins for Yop injection into leukocytes and their impact on the course of systemic Ye infection in mice. Ex vivo infection experiments revealed that adhesion of Ye via Inv or YadA is sufficient to promote Yop injection into leukocytes as revealed by a β-lactamase reporter assay. Serum factors inhibit YadA- but not Inv-mediated Yop injection into B and T cells, shifting YadA-mediated Yop injection in the direction of neutrophils and other myeloid cells. Systemic Ye mouse infection experiments demonstrated that YadA is essential for Ye virulence and Yop injection into leukocytes, while Inv is dispensable for virulence and plays only a transient and minor role for Yop injection in the early phase of infection. Ye infection of mice with β1 integrin-depleted leukocytes demonstrated that β1 integrins are dispensable for YadA-mediated Yop injection into leukocytes, but contribute to Inv-mediated Yop injection. Despite reduced Yop injection into leukocytes, β1 integrin-deficient mice exhibited an increased susceptibility for Ye infection, suggesting an important role of β1 integrins in immune defense against Ye. This study demonstrates that Yop injection into leukocytes by Ye is largely mediated by YadA exploiting, as yet unknown, leukocyte receptors.
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Bartra SS, Ding Y, Miya Fujimoto L, Ring JG, Jain V, Ram S, Marassi FM, Plano GV. Yersinia pestis uses the Ail outer membrane protein to recruit vitronectin. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2015; 161:2174-2183. [PMID: 26377177 PMCID: PMC4806588 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the agent of plague, requires the Ail (attachment invasion locus) outer membrane protein to survive in the blood and tissues of its mammalian hosts. Ail is important for both attachment to host cells and for resistance to complement-dependent bacteriolysis. Previous studies have shown that Ail interacts with components of the extracellular matrix, including fibronectin, laminin and heparan sulfate proteoglycans, and with the complement inhibitor C4b-binding protein. Here, we demonstrate that Ail-expressing Y. pestis strains bind vitronectin - a host protein with functions in cell attachment, fibrinolysis and inhibition of the complement system. The Ail-dependent recruitment of vitronectin resulted in efficient cleavage of vitronectin by the outer membrane Pla (plasminogen activator protease). Escherichia coli DH5α expressing Y. pestis Ail bound vitronectin, but not heat-treated vitronectin. The ability of Ail to directly bind vitronectin was demonstrated by ELISA using purified refolded Ail in nanodiscs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Schesser Bartra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA
| | - Yi Ding
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - L. Miya Fujimoto
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Joshua G. Ring
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA
| | - Vishal Jain
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Sanjay Ram
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | | | - Gregory V. Plano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA
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Intramuscular Immunization of Mice with a Live-Attenuated Triple Mutant of Yersinia pestis CO92 Induces Robust Humoral and Cell-Mediated Immunity To Completely Protect Animals against Pneumonic Plague. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2015; 22:1255-68. [PMID: 26446423 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00499-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Earlier, we showed that the Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail triple mutant of Yersinia pestis CO92 with deleted genes encoding Braun lipoprotein (Lpp), an acyltransferase (MsbB), and the attachment invasion locus (Ail), respectively, was avirulent in a mouse model of pneumonic plague. In this study, we further evaluated the immunogenic potential of the Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail triple mutant and its derivative by different routes of vaccination. Mice were immunized via the subcutaneous (s.c.) or the intramuscular (i.m.) route with two doses (2 × 10(6) CFU/dose) of the above-mentioned triple mutant with 100% survivability of the animals. Upon subsequent pneumonic challenge with 70 to 92 50% lethal doses (LD(50)) of wild-type (WT) strain CO92, all of the mice survived when immunization occurred by the i.m. route. Since Ail has virulence and immunogenic potential, a mutated version of Ail devoid of its virulence properties was created, and the genetically modified ail replaced the native ail gene on the chromosome of the Δlpp ΔmsbB double mutant, creating a Δlpp ΔmsbB::ailL2 vaccine strain. This newly generated mutant was attenuated similarly to the Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail triple mutant when administered by the i.m. route and provided 100% protection to animals against subsequent pneumonic challenge. Not only were the two above-mentioned mutants cleared rapidly from the initial i.m. site of injection in animals with no histopathological lesions, the immunized mice did not exhibit any disease symptoms during immunization or after subsequent exposure to WT CO92. These two mutants triggered balanced Th1- and Th2-based antibody responses and cell-mediated immunity. A substantial increase in interleukin-17 (IL-17) from the T cells of vaccinated mice, a cytokine of the Th17 cells, further augmented their vaccine potential. Thus, the Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail and Δlpp ΔmsbB::ailL2 mutants represent excellent vaccine candidates for plague, with the latter mutant still retaining Ail immunogenicity but with a much diminished virulence potential.
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Katayama S, Tagomori M, Morita N, Yamasaki T, Nariya H, Okada M, Watanabe M, Hitsumoto Y. Determination of the Clostridium perfringens-binding site on fibronectin. Anaerobe 2015; 34:174-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2014.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2014] [Revised: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Keller B, Mühlenkamp M, Deuschle E, Siegfried A, Mössner S, Schade J, Griesinger T, Katava N, Braunsdorf C, Fehrenbacher B, Jiménez‐Soto LF, Schaller M, Haas R, Genth H, Retta SF, Meyer H, Böttcher RT, Zent R, Schütz M, Autenrieth IB, Bohn E. Yersinia enterocolitica
exploits different pathways to accomplish adhesion and toxin injection into host cells. Cell Microbiol 2015; 17:1179-204. [DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2014] [Revised: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Keller
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany
| | - Melanie Mühlenkamp
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany
| | - Eva Deuschle
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany
| | - Alexandra Siegfried
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany
| | - Sara Mössner
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany
| | - Jessica Schade
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany
| | - Tanja Griesinger
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany
| | - Nenad Katava
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany
| | | | | | | | - Martin Schaller
- Department of Dermatology Eberhard Karls University Tübingen Germany
| | - Rainer Haas
- Max von Pettenkofer‐Institut Ludwig‐Maximilians University Munich Germany
| | - Harald Genth
- Institute of Toxicology Medical School Hannover Hannover Germany
| | - Saverio F. Retta
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences University of Torino Orbassano Italy
| | - Hannelore Meyer
- Max Planck Institut für Biochemie Martinsried Germany
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene Technische Universität München Germany
| | | | - Roy Zent
- Department of Medicine (Division of Nephrology) Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville TN USA
| | - Monika Schütz
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany
- Department of Medicine (Division of Nephrology) Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville TN USA
| | - Ingo B. Autenrieth
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany
- German Centre of Infection Research (DZIF) Partner Site Tübingen Germany
| | - Erwin Bohn
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany
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Adhesive properties of YapV and paralogous autotransporter proteins of Yersinia pestis. Infect Immun 2015; 83:1809-19. [PMID: 25690102 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00094-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of plague. This bacterium evolved from an ancestral enteroinvasive Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strain by gene loss and acquisition of new genes, allowing it to use fleas as transmission vectors. Infection frequently leads to a rapidly lethal outcome in humans, a variety of rodents, and cats. This study focuses on the Y. pestis KIM yapV gene and its product, recognized as an autotransporter protein by its typical sequence, outer membrane localization, and amino-terminal surface exposure. Comparison of Yersinia genomes revealed that DNA encoding YapV or each of three individual paralogous proteins (YapK, YapJ, and YapX) was present as a gene or pseudogene in a strain-specific manner and only in Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis. YapV acted as an adhesin for alveolar epithelial cells and specific extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, as shown with recombinant Escherichia coli, Y. pestis, or purified passenger domains. Like YapV, YapK and YapJ demonstrated adhesive properties, suggesting that their previously related in vivo activity is due to their capacity to modulate binding properties of Y. pestis in its hosts, in conjunction with other adhesins. A differential host-specific type of binding to ECM proteins by YapV, YapK, and YapJ suggested that these proteins participate in broadening the host range of Y. pestis. A phylogenic tree including 36 Y. pestis strains highlighted an association between the gene profile for the four paralogous proteins and the geographic location of the corresponding isolated strains, suggesting an evolutionary adaption of Y. pestis to specific local animal hosts or reservoirs.
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Leskinen K, Varjosalo M, Skurnik M. Absence of YbeY RNase compromises the growth and enhances the virulence plasmid gene expression of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3. Microbiology (Reading) 2015; 161:285-299. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.083097-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Leskinen
- Haartman Institute, Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markku Varjosalo
- Biocentrum Helsinki, Finland: Finnish Institute of Molecular Medicine, Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikael Skurnik
- Helsinki University Central Hospital Laboratory Diagnostics, Helsinki, Finland
- Haartman Institute, Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, University of Helsinki, Finland
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Fatal attraction: how bacterial adhesins affect host signaling and what we can learn from them. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:2626-40. [PMID: 25625516 PMCID: PMC4346855 DOI: 10.3390/ijms16022626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2014] [Revised: 12/25/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of bacterial species to colonize and infect host organisms is critically dependent upon their capacity to adhere to cellular surfaces of the host. Adherence to cell surfaces is known to be essential for the activation and delivery of certain virulence factors, but can also directly affect host cell signaling to aid bacterial spread and survival. In this review we will discuss the recent advances in the field of bacterial adhesion, how we are beginning to unravel the effects adhesins have on host cell signaling, and how these changes aid the bacteria in terms of their survival and evasion of immune responses. Finally, we will highlight how the exploitation of bacterial adhesins may provide new therapeutic avenues for the treatment of a wide range of bacterial infections.
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Combinational deletion of three membrane protein-encoding genes highly attenuates yersinia pestis while retaining immunogenicity in a mouse model of pneumonic plague. Infect Immun 2015; 83:1318-38. [PMID: 25605764 DOI: 10.1128/iai.02778-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Previously, we showed that deletion of genes encoding Braun lipoprotein (Lpp) and MsbB attenuated Yersinia pestis CO92 in mouse and rat models of bubonic and pneumonic plague. While Lpp activates Toll-like receptor 2, the MsbB acyltransferase modifies lipopolysaccharide. Here, we deleted the ail gene (encoding the attachment-invasion locus) from wild-type (WT) strain CO92 or its lpp single and Δlpp ΔmsbB double mutants. While the Δail single mutant was minimally attenuated compared to the WT bacterium in a mouse model of pneumonic plague, the Δlpp Δail double mutant and the Δlpp ΔmsbB Δail triple mutant were increasingly attenuated, with the latter being unable to kill mice at a 50% lethal dose (LD50) equivalent to 6,800 LD50s of WT CO92. The mutant-infected animals developed balanced TH1- and TH2-based immune responses based on antibody isotyping. The triple mutant was cleared from mouse organs rapidly, with concurrent decreases in the production of various cytokines and histopathological lesions. When surviving animals infected with increasing doses of the triple mutant were subsequently challenged on day 24 with the bioluminescent WT CO92 strain (20 to 28 LD50s), 40 to 70% of the mice survived, with efficient clearing of the invading pathogen, as visualized in real time by in vivo imaging. The rapid clearance of the triple mutant, compared to that of WT CO92, from animals was related to the decreased adherence and invasion of human-derived HeLa and A549 alveolar epithelial cells and to its inability to survive intracellularly in these cells as well as in MH-S murine alveolar and primary human macrophages. An early burst of cytokine production in macrophages elicited by the triple mutant compared to WT CO92 and the mutant's sensitivity to the bactericidal effect of human serum would further augment bacterial clearance. Together, deletion of the ail gene from the Δlpp ΔmsbB double mutant severely attenuated Y. pestis CO92 to evoke pneumonic plague in a mouse model while retaining the required immunogenicity needed for subsequent protection against infection.
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Influence of the lipid membrane environment on structure and activity of the outer membrane protein Ail from Yersinia pestis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2014; 1848:712-20. [PMID: 25433311 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2014.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Revised: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The surrounding environment has significant consequences for the structural and functional properties of membrane proteins. While native structure and function can be reconstituted in lipid bilayer membranes, the detergents used for protein solubilization are not always compatible with biological activity and, hence, not always appropriate for direct detection of ligand binding by NMR spectroscopy. Here we describe how the sample environment affects the activity of the outer membrane protein Ail (attachment invasion locus) from Yersinia pestis. Although Ail adopts the correct β-barrel fold in micelles, the high detergent concentrations required for NMR structural studies are not compatible with the ligand binding functionality of the protein. We also describe preparations of Ail embedded in phospholipid bilayer nanodiscs, optimized for NMR studies and ligand binding activity assays. Ail in nanodiscs is capable of binding its human ligand fibronectin and also yields high quality NMR spectra that reflect the proper fold. Binding activity assays, developed to be performed directly with the NMR samples, show that ligand binding involves the extracellular loops of Ail. The data show that even when detergent micelles support the protein fold, detergents can interfere with activity in subtle ways.
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Merritt PM, Nero T, Bohman L, Felek S, Krukonis ES, Marketon MM. Yersinia pestis targets neutrophils via complement receptor 3. Cell Microbiol 2014; 17:666-87. [PMID: 25359083 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2014] [Revised: 10/18/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Yersinia species display a tropism for lymphoid tissues during infection, and the bacteria select innate immune cells for delivery of cytotoxic effectors by the type III secretion system. Yet, the mechanism for target cell selection remains a mystery. Here we investigate the interaction of Yersinia pestis with murine splenocytes to identify factors that participate in the targeting process. We find that interactions with primary immune cells rely on multiple factors. First, the bacterial adhesin Ail is required for efficient targeting of neutrophils in vivo. However, Ail does not appear to directly mediate binding to a specific cell type. Instead, we find that host serum factors direct Y. pestis to specific innate immune cells, particularly neutrophils. Importantly, specificity towards neutrophils was increased in the absence of bacterial adhesins because of reduced targeting of other cell types, but this phenotype was only visible in the presence of mouse serum. Addition of antibodies against complement receptor 3 and CD14 blocked target cell selection, suggesting that a combination of host factors participate in steering bacteria towards neutrophils during plague infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Merritt
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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Differential contribution of tryptophans to the folding and stability of the attachment invasion locus transmembrane β-barrel from Yersinia pestis. Sci Rep 2014; 4:6508. [PMID: 25266561 PMCID: PMC4179465 DOI: 10.1038/srep06508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Attachment invasion locus (Ail) protein of Yersinia pestis is a crucial outer membrane protein for host invasion and determines bacterial survival within the host. Despite its importance in pathogenicity, surprisingly little is known on Ail biophysical properties. We investigate the contribution of micelle concentrations and interface tryptophans on the Ail β-barrel refolding and unfolding processes. Our results reveal that barrel folding is surprisingly independent of micelle amounts, but proceeds through an on-pathway intermediate that requires the interface W42 for cooperative barrel refolding. On the contrary, the unfolding event is strongly controlled by absolute micelle concentrations. We find that upon Trp → Phe substitution, protein stabilities follow the order W149F>WT>W42F for the refolding, and W42F>WT>W149F for unfolding. W42 confers cooperativity in barrel folding, and W149 clamps the post-folded barrel structure to its micelle environment. Our analyses reveal, for the first time, that interface tryptophan mutation can indeed render greater β-barrel stability. Furthermore, hysteresis in Ail stems from differential barrel-detergent interaction strengths in a micelle concentration-dependent manner, largely mediated by W149. The kinetically stabilized Ail β-barrel has strategically positioned tryptophans to balance efficient refolding and subsequent β-barrel stability, and may be evolutionarily chosen for optimal functioning of Ail during Yersinia pathogenesis.
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Tsang TM, Wiese JS, Felek S, Kronshage M, Krukonis ES. Ail proteins of Yersinia pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis have different cell binding and invasion activities. PLoS One 2013; 8:e83621. [PMID: 24386237 PMCID: PMC3873954 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2010] [Accepted: 11/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Yersinia pestis adhesin Ail mediates host cell binding and facilitates delivery of cytotoxic Yop proteins. Ail from Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis is identical except for one or two amino acids at positions 43 and 126 depending on the Y. pseudotuberculosis strain. Ail from Y. pseudotuberculosis strain YPIII has been reported to lack host cell binding ability, thus we sought to determine which amino acid difference(s) are responsible for the difference in cell adhesion. Y. pseudotuberculosis YPIII Ail expressed in Escherichia coli bound host cells, albeit at ~50% the capacity of Y. pestis Ail. Y. pestis Ail single mutants, Ail-E43D and Ail-F126V, both have decreased adhesion and invasion in E. coli when compared to wild-type Y. pestis Ail. Y. pseudotuberculosis YPIII Ail also had decreased binding to the Ail substrate fibronectin, relative to Y. pestis Ail in E. coli. When expressed in Y. pestis, there was a 30-50% decrease in adhesion and invasion depending on the substitution. Ail-mediated Yop delivery by both Y. pestis Ail and Y. pseudotuberculosis Ail were similar when expressed in Y. pestis, with only Ail-F126V giving a statistically significant reduction in Yop delivery of 25%. In contrast to results in E. coli and Y. pestis, expression of Ail in Y. pseudotuberculosis led to no measurable adhesion or invasion, suggesting the longer LPS of Y. pseudotuberculosis interferes with Ail cell-binding activity. Thus, host context affects the binding activities of Ail and both Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis Ail can mediate cell binding, cell invasion and facilitate Yop delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany M. Tsang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan School of Medicine Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey S. Wiese
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Suleyman Felek
- Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Malte Kronshage
- Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Eric S. Krukonis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan School of Medicine Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Ke Y, Chen Z, Yang R. Yersinia pestis: mechanisms of entry into and resistance to the host cell. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2013; 3:106. [PMID: 24400226 PMCID: PMC3871965 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2013.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
During infection, Yersinia, a facultative intracellular bacterial species, exhibits the ability to first invade host cells and then counteract phagocytosis by the host cells. During these two distinct stages, invasion or antiphagocytic factors assist bacteria in manipulating host cells to accomplish each of these functions; however, the mechanism through which Yersinia regulates these functions during each step remains unclear. Here, we discuss those factors that seem to function reversely and give some hypothesis about how bacteria switch between the two distinct status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehua Ke
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences Beijing, China ; Laboratory of Analytical Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Zeliang Chen
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Ruifu Yang
- Laboratory of Analytical Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences Beijing, China
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Paczosa MK, Fisher ML, Maldonado-Arocho FJ, Mecsas J. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis uses Ail and YadA to circumvent neutrophils by directing Yop translocation during lung infection. Cell Microbiol 2013; 16:247-68. [PMID: 24119087 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Revised: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Yptb) murine model of lung infection was previously developed using the serotype III IP2666NdeI strain, which robustly colonized lungs but only sporadically disseminated to the spleen and liver. We demonstrate here that a serotype Ib Yptb strain, IP32953, colonizes the lungs at higher levels and disseminates more efficiently to the spleen and liver compared with IP2666NdeI . The role of adhesins was investigated during IP32953 lung infection by constructing isogenic Δail, Δinv, ΔpsaE and ΔyadA mutants. An IP32953ΔailΔyadA mutant initially colonized but failed to persist in the lungs and disseminate to the spleen and liver. Yptb expressing these adhesins selectively bound to and targeted neutrophils for translocation of Yops. This selective targeting was critical for virulence because persistence of the ΔailΔyadA mutant was restored following intranasal infection of neutropenic mice. Furthermore, Ail and YadA prevented killing by complement-mediated mechanisms during dissemination to and/or growth in the spleen and liver, but not in the lungs. Combined, these results demonstratethat Ail and YadA are critical, redundant virulence factors during lung infection, because they thwart neutrophils by directing Yop-translocation specifically into these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle K Paczosa
- Graduate Program in Immunology, MERGE-ID Track, Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
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Maldonado-Arocho FJ, Green C, Fisher ML, Paczosa MK, Mecsas J. Adhesins and host serum factors drive Yop translocation by yersinia into professional phagocytes during animal infection. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003415. [PMID: 23818844 PMCID: PMC3688556 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2012] [Accepted: 04/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia delivers Yops into numerous types of cultured cells, but predominantly into professional phagocytes and B cells during animal infection. The basis for this cellular tropism during animal infection is not understood. This work demonstrates that efficient and specific Yop translocation into phagocytes by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Yptb) is a multi-factorial process requiring several adhesins and host complement. When WT Yptb or a multiple adhesin mutant strain, ΔailΔinvΔyadA, colonized tissues to comparable levels, ΔailΔinvΔyadA translocated Yops into significantly fewer cells, demonstrating that these adhesins are critical for translocation into high numbers of cells. However, phagocytes were still selectively targeted for translocation, indicating that other bacterial and/or host factors contribute to this function. Complement depletion showed that complement-restricted infection by ΔailΔinvΔyadA but not WT, indicating that adhesins disarm complement in mice either by prevention of opsonophagocytosis or by suppressing production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, in the absence of the three adhesins and complement, the spectrum of cells targeted for translocation was significantly altered, indicating that Yersinia adhesins and complement direct Yop translocation into neutrophils during animal infection. In summary, these findings demonstrate that in infected tissues, Yersinia uses adhesins both to disarm complement-dependent killing and to efficiently translocate Yops into phagocytes. Many bacterial pathogens use a needle-like structure to deliver proteins into host cells to cause disease. Yersinia species use one such structure, called a type III secretion system, to deliver a set of 6–7 proteins, called Yops, into host cells. These Yops act to dismantle host defenses and establish infection. Bacterial adhesins and host factors have been suggested to promote proper delivery of Yops into specific mammalian cells. We identify three Yersinia pseudotuberculosis adhesins that significantly contribute to bacterial survival and efficient Yop delivery into host cells during animal infection. We also demonstrate that host serum factors in combination with Yersinia adhesins contribute to the number of cells that are injected with Yops and to the specific cell types targeted for injection. Our study illustrates that bacterial adhesins and host factors contribute to efficient delivery of effector proteins into targeted host cells during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos Green
- Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Michael L. Fisher
- Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Michelle K. Paczosa
- Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Joan Mecsas
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Williamson ED, Oyston PCF. Protecting against plague: towards a next-generation vaccine. Clin Exp Immunol 2013; 172:1-8. [PMID: 23480179 PMCID: PMC3719925 DOI: 10.1111/cei.12044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/19/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The causative organism of plague is the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Advances in understanding the complex pathogenesis of plague infection have led to the identification of the F1- and V-antigens as key components of a next-generation vaccine for plague, which have the potential to be effective against all forms of the disease. Here we review the roles of F1- and V-antigens in the context of the range of virulence mechanisms deployed by Y. pestis, in order to develop a greater understanding of the protective immune responses required to protect against plague.
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Affiliation(s)
- E D Williamson
- Biomedical Sciences Department, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, Wilts, UK.
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Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, uses a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject cytotoxic Yop proteins directly into the cytosol of mammalian host cells. The T3SS can also be activated in vitro at 37°C in the absence of calcium. The chromosomal gene rfaL (waaL) was recently identified as a virulence factor required for proper function of the T3SS. RfaL functions as a ligase that adds the terminal N-acetylglucosamine to the lipooligosaccharide core of Y. pestis. We previously showed that deletion of rfaL prevents secretion of Yops in vitro. Here we show that the divalent cations calcium, strontium, and magnesium can partially or fully rescue Yop secretion in vitro, indicating that the secretion phenotype of the rfaL mutant may be due to structural changes in the outer membrane and the corresponding feedback inhibition on the T3SS. In support of this, we found that the defect can be overcome by deleting the regulatory gene lcrQ. Consistent with a defective T3SS, the rfaL mutant is less virulent than the wild type. We show here that the virulence defect of the mutant correlates with a decrease in both T3SS gene expression and ability to inject innate immune cells, combined with an increased sensitivity to cationic antimicrobial peptides.
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