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Lux J, Sánchez García L, Chaparro Fernández P, Laloli L, Licheri MF, Gallay C, Hermans PWM, Croucher NJ, Veening JW, Dijkman R, Straume D, Hathaway LJ. AmiA and AliA peptide ligands, found in Klebsiella pneumoniae, are imported into pneumococci and alter the transcriptome. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12416. [PMID: 38816440 PMCID: PMC11139975 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63217-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae releases the peptides AKTIKITQTR and FNEMQPIVDRQ, which bind the pneumococcal proteins AmiA and AliA respectively, two substrate-binding proteins of the ABC transporter Ami-AliA/AliB oligopeptide permease. Exposure to these peptides alters pneumococcal phenotypes such as growth. Using a mutant in which a permease domain of the transporter was disrupted, by growth analysis and epifluorescence microscopy, we confirmed peptide uptake via the Ami permease and intracellular location in the pneumococcus. By RNA-sequencing we found that the peptides modulated expression of genes involved in metabolism, as pathways affected were mostly associated with energy or synthesis and transport of amino acids. Both peptides downregulated expression of genes involved in branched-chain amino acid metabolism and the Ami permease; and upregulated fatty acid biosynthesis genes but differed in their regulation of genes involved in purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis. The transcriptomic changes are consistent with growth suppression by peptide treatment. The peptides inhibited growth of pneumococcal isolates of serotypes 3, 8, 9N, 12F and 19A, currently prevalent in Switzerland, and caused no detectable toxic effect to primary human airway epithelial cells. We conclude that pneumococci take up K. pneumoniae peptides from the environment via binding and transport through the Ami permease. This changes gene expression resulting in altered phenotypes, particularly reduced growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Lux
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 25, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lucía Sánchez García
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 25, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Patricia Chaparro Fernández
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 25, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Laura Laloli
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 25, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Manon F Licheri
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 25, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Clement Gallay
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Peter W M Hermans
- Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas J Croucher
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, White City Campus, Imperial College London, Sir Michael Uren Hub, London, UK
| | - Jan-Willem Veening
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ronald Dijkman
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 25, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland
- Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Microscopy Imaging Centre (MIC), Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- European Virus Bioinformatics Center, Jena, Germany
| | - Daniel Straume
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1430, Ås, Norway
| | - Lucy J Hathaway
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 25, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland.
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2
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Chan JM, Ramos-Sevillano E, Betts M, Wilson HU, Weight CM, Houhou-Ousalah A, Pollara G, Brown JS, Heyderman RS. Bacterial surface lipoproteins mediate epithelial microinvasion by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Infect Immun 2024; 92:e0044723. [PMID: 38629841 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00447-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae, a common colonizer of the upper respiratory tract, invades nasopharyngeal epithelial cells without causing disease in healthy participants of controlled human infection studies. We hypothesized that surface expression of pneumococcal lipoproteins, recognized by the innate immune receptor TLR2, mediates epithelial microinvasion. Mutation of lgt in serotype 4 (TIGR4) and serotype 6B (BHN418) pneumococcal strains abolishes the ability of the mutants to activate TLR2 signaling. Loss of lgt also led to the concomitant decrease in interferon signaling triggered by the bacterium. However, only BHN418 lgt::cm but not TIGR4 lgt::cm was significantly attenuated in epithelial adherence and microinvasion compared to their respective wild-type strains. To test the hypothesis that differential lipoprotein repertoires in TIGR4 and BHN418 lead to the intraspecies variation in epithelial microinvasion, we employed a motif-based genome analysis and identified an additional 525 a.a. lipoprotein (pneumococcal accessory lipoprotein A; palA) encoded by BHN418 that is absent in TIGR4. The gene encoding palA sits within a putative genetic island present in ~10% of global pneumococcal isolates. While palA was enriched in the carriage and otitis media pneumococcal strains, neither mutation nor overexpression of the gene encoding this lipoprotein significantly changed microinvasion patterns. In conclusion, mutation of lgt attenuates epithelial inflammatory responses during pneumococcal-epithelial interactions, with intraspecies variation in the effect on microinvasion. Differential lipoprotein repertoires encoded by the different strains do not explain these differences in microinvasion. Rather, we postulate that post-translational modifications of lipoproteins may account for the differences in microinvasion.IMPORTANCEStreptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an important mucosal pathogen, estimated to cause over 500,000 deaths annually. Nasopharyngeal colonization is considered a necessary prerequisite for disease, yet many people are transiently and asymptomatically colonized by pneumococci without becoming unwell. It is therefore important to better understand how the colonization process is controlled at the epithelial surface. Controlled human infection studies revealed the presence of pneumococci within the epithelium of healthy volunteers (microinvasion). In this study, we focused on the regulation of epithelial microinvasion by pneumococcal lipoproteins. We found that pneumococcal lipoproteins induce epithelial inflammation but that differing lipoprotein repertoires do not significantly impact the magnitude of microinvasion. Targeting mucosal innate immunity and epithelial microinvasion alongside the induction of an adaptive immune response may be effective in preventing pneumococcal colonization and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Mun Chan
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elisa Ramos-Sevillano
- UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Modupeh Betts
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Holly U Wilson
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline M Weight
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ambrine Houhou-Ousalah
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriele Pollara
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy S Brown
- UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert S Heyderman
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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3
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Shea AE, Forsyth VS, Stocki JA, Mitchell TJ, Frick-Cheng AE, Smith SN, Hardy SL, Mobley HLT. Emerging roles for ABC transporters as virulence factors in uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2310693121. [PMID: 38607934 PMCID: PMC11032443 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310693121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTI) account for a substantial financial burden globally. Over 75% of UTIs are caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), which have demonstrated an extraordinarily rapid growth rate in vivo. This rapid growth rate appears paradoxical given that urine and the human urinary tract are relatively nutrient-restricted. Thus, we lack a fundamental understanding of how uropathogens propel growth in the host to fuel pathogenesis. Here, we used large in silico, in vivo, and in vitro screens to better understand the role of UPEC transport mechanisms and their contributions to uropathogenesis. In silico analysis of annotated transport systems indicated that the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family of transporters was most conserved among uropathogenic bacterial species, suggesting their importance. Consistent with in silico predictions, we determined that the ABC family contributed significantly to fitness and virulence in the urinary tract: these were overrepresented as fitness factors in vivo (37.2%), liquid media (52.3%), and organ agar (66.2%). We characterized 12 transport systems that were most frequently defective in screening experiments by generating in-frame deletions. These mutant constructs were tested in urovirulence phenotypic assays and produced differences in motility and growth rate. However, deletion of multiple transport systems was required to achieve substantial fitness defects in the cochallenge murine model. This is likely due to genetic compensation among transport systems, highlighting the centrality of ABC transporters in these organisms. Therefore, these nutrient uptake systems play a concerted, critical role in pathogenesis and are broadly applicable candidate targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allyson E. Shea
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Valerie S. Forsyth
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Jolie A. Stocki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Taylor J. Mitchell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Arwen E. Frick-Cheng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Sara N. Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Sicily L. Hardy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL36688
| | - Harry L. T. Mobley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
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Li XY, Zeng ZX, Cheng ZX, Wang YL, Yuan LJ, Zhai ZY, Gong W. Common pathogenic bacteria-induced reprogramming of the host proteinogenic amino acids metabolism. Amino Acids 2023; 55:1487-1499. [PMID: 37814028 PMCID: PMC10689525 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-023-03334-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Apart from cancer, metabolic reprogramming is also prevalent in other diseases, such as bacterial infections. Bacterial infections can affect a variety of cells, tissues, organs, and bodies, leading to a series of clinical diseases. Common Pathogenic bacteria include Helicobacter pylori, Salmonella enterica, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Staphylococcus aureus, and so on. Amino acids are important and essential nutrients in bacterial physiology and support not only their proliferation but also their evasion of host immune defenses. Many pathogenic bacteria or opportunistic pathogens infect the host and lead to significant changes in metabolites, especially the proteinogenic amino acids, to inhibit the host's immune mechanism to achieve its immune evasion and pathogenicity. Here, we review the regulation of host metabolism, while host cells are infected by some common pathogenic bacteria, and discuss how amino acids of metabolic reprogramming affect bacterial infections, revealing the potential adjunctive application of amino acids alongside antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yue Li
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Zi-Xin Zeng
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Zhi-Xing Cheng
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Yi-Lin Wang
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Liang-Jun Yuan
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Zhi-Yong Zhai
- Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, 518101, China.
| | - Wei Gong
- Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, 518101, China.
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5
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Green AE, Pottenger S, Monshi MS, Barton TE, Phelan M, Neill DR. Airway metabolic profiling during Streptococcus pneumoniae infection identifies branched chain amino acids as signatures of upper airway colonisation. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011630. [PMID: 37669280 PMCID: PMC10503754 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia and bacteraemia and is capable of remarkable phenotypic plasticity, responding rapidly to environmental change. Pneumococcus is a nasopharyngeal commensal, but is responsible for severe, acute infections following dissemination within-host. Pneumococcus is adept at utilising host resources, but the airways are compartmentalised and those resources are not evenly distributed. Challenges and opportunities in metabolite acquisition within different airway niches may contribute to the commensal-pathogen switch when pneumococcus moves from nasopharynx into lungs. We used NMR to characterise the metabolic landscape of the mouse airways, in health and during infection. Using paired nasopharynx and lung samples from naïve animals, we identified fundamental differences in metabolite bioavailability between airway niches. Pneumococcal pneumonia was associated with rapid and dramatic shifts in the lung metabolic environment, whilst nasopharyngeal carriage led to only modest change in upper airway metabolite profiles. NMR spectra derived from the nasopharynx of mice infected with closely-related pneumococcal strains that differ in their colonisation potential could be distinguished from one another using multivariate dimensionality reduction methods. The resulting models highlighted that increased branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) bioavailability in nasopharynx is a feature of infection with the high colonisation potential strain. Subsequent analysis revealed increased expression of BCAA transport genes and increased intracellular concentrations of BCAA in that same strain. Movement from upper to lower airway environments is associated with shifting challenges in metabolic resource allocation for pneumococci. Efficient biosynthesis, liberation or acquisition of BCAA is a feature of adaptation to nasopharyngeal colonisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angharad E. Green
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Sian Pottenger
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Manal S. Monshi
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas E. Barton
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Marie Phelan
- Highfield NMR Facility, Liverpool Shared Research Facilities (LIV-SRF), University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Molecular, Systems and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel R. Neill
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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6
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Akhtar AA, Turner DP. The role of bacterial ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in pathogenesis and virulence: Therapeutic and vaccine potential. Microb Pathog 2022; 171:105734. [PMID: 36007845 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily is found in all domains of life, facilitating critical biological processes through the translocation of a wide variety of substrates from, ions to proteins, across cellular membranes in an ATP-coupled process. The role of ABC transporters in eukaryotes has been well established: the facilitation of genetic diseases and multi-drug resistance (MDR) in cancer patients. In contrast, the role of ABC transporters in prokaryotes has been ambiguous due to their diverse functions and the sheer number of organisms in which they reside. This review examines the role of bacterial ABC transporters in pathogenesis and virulence, and their potential for therapeutic and vaccine application. We demonstrate how ABC transporters play a vital role in the virulence and pathogenesis of several pathogenic bacteria through the import of essential molecules, such as metal ions, amino acids, peptides, vitamins and osmoprotectants, as well as, the export of virulent determinants involved in glycoconjugate biosynthesis and Type I secretion. Furthermore, ABC exporters facilitate the persistence of pathogenic bacteria through the export of toxic xenobiotic substances, thus, contributing to the development of antimicrobial resistance. We also show that ABC transporters display considerable potential for therapeutic application through immunisation and resistance reversal. In conclusion, bacterial ABC transporters play an immense role in virulence and pathogenesis and display desirable traits for clinical use, therefore, potentially aiding in the battle against MDR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armaan A Akhtar
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.
| | - David Pj Turner
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
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7
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Rojas Converso T, Goulart C, Rodriguez D, Guerra MES, Darrieux M, Leite LCC. Immune response induced in mice by a hybrid rPotD-PdT pneumococcal protein. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273017. [PMID: 35994444 PMCID: PMC9394809 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a human pathogen that colonizes the naso and/or oropharynx and can cause otitis, pneumonia, bacteremia and meningitis. To broaden the protection against pneumococcus, several pneumococcal proteins have been investigated as vaccine candidates. In this study we analyzed the immunological response induced by mouse subcutaneous immunization with a fusion of the Polyamine transport protein D (PotD) and a pneumolysin derivative (PdT), resulting in a hybrid rPotD-PdT protein. Immunization of mice with rPotD-PdT induced increased production of nitric oxide, indicating a higher innate immune response. In agreement, immunization of mice with the hybrid protein was more immunogenic than the individual proteins or their combination, eliciting higher antibody levels. The anti-rPotD-PdT IgG displayed increased binding onto the pneumococcal surface. Furthermore, the anti-rPotD-PdT antisera promoted superior opsonophagocytosis as compared with the other tested formulations. However, despite that the encouraging results in vitro, immunization with the hybrid was not sufficient to induce protection against sepsis with a highly virulent pneumococcal strain. taken together, the results suggest that hybrid proteins are an interesting strategy, able to promote improved immune responses, but the inclusion of other antigens may be necessary to promote protection against invasive infections caused by this bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Rojas Converso
- Programa de Pós Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia USP-IPT-IB, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Cibelly Goulart
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dunia Rodriguez
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Eduarda Souza Guerra
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Michelle Darrieux
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Luciana C. C. Leite
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
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8
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Deletion of lacD gene affected stress tolerance and virulence of Streptococcus suis serotype 2. J Microbiol 2022; 60:948-959. [DOI: 10.1007/s12275-022-2146-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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9
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Begmatov S, Beletsky AV, Dedysh SN, Mardanov AV, Ravin NV. Genome analysis of the candidate phylum MBNT15 bacterium from a boreal peatland predicted its respiratory versatility and dissimilatory iron metabolism. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:951761. [PMID: 35992725 PMCID: PMC9386147 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.951761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncultured bacteria of the candidate phylum MBNT15, distantly related to Desulfobacterota, have been identified in a broad range of mostly organic-rich aquatic environments. We assembled a near-complete genome of a member of MBNT15 from a boreal peatland metagenome and used genomic data to analyze the metabolic pathways of this bacterium and its ecological role. This bacterium, designated SHF-111, was predicted to be rod shaped, it lacks flagellar machinery but twitching motility is encoded. Genome-based phylogenetic analysis supported the phylum-level classification of the MBNT15 lineage. Genome annotation and metabolic reconstruction revealed the presence of the Embden-Meyerhof, Entner-Doudoroff and pentose phosphate pathways, as well as the complete tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and suggested a facultatively anaerobic chemoheterotrophic lifestyle with the ability to ferment peptides, amino acids, fatty acids and simple sugars, and completely oxidize these substrates through aerobic and anaerobic respiration. The SHF-111 genome encodes multiple multiheme c-type cytochromes that probably enable dissimilatory iron reduction. Consistently, the relative abundance of MBNT15 in peatlands positively correlated with iron concentration. Apparently, in the wetland ecosystem, MBNT15 representatives play the role of scavengers, carrying out the complete mineralization of low molecular weight organic substances formed as a result of microbial degradation of complex polymeric substrates. Comparative genome analysis of the MBNT15 phylum revealed that vast majority of its members are capable of aerobic respiration and dissimilatory iron reduction and some species also can reduce sulfur and nitrogen compounds, but not sulfate. Based on phylogenetic and genomic analyses, the novel bacterium is proposed to be classified as Candidatus Deferrimicrobium borealis, within a candidate phylum Deferrimicrobiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahjahon Begmatov
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey V. Beletsky
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Svetlana N. Dedysh
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey V. Mardanov
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikolai V. Ravin
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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10
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Cao L, Li N, Dong Y, Yang XY, Liu J, He QY, Ge R, Sun X. SPD_0090 Negatively Contributes to Virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:896896. [PMID: 35770170 PMCID: PMC9234739 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.896896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In most bacteria, iron plays an important role in the survival of bacteria and the process of infection to the host. Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) evolved three iron transporters (i.e., PiaABC, PiuABC, and PitABC) responsible for the transportation of three kinds of iron (i.e., ferrichrome, hemin, and ferric ion). Our previous study showed that both mRNA and protein levels of SPD_0090 were significantly upregulated in the ΔpiuA/ΔpiaA/ΔpitA triple mutant, but its detailed biological function is unknown. In this study, we constructed spd_0090 knockout and complement strain and found that the deletion of spd_0090 hinders bacterial growth. SPD_0090 is located on the cell membrane and affects the hemin utilization ability of S. pneumoniae. The cell infection model showed that the knockout strain had stronger invasion and adhesion ability. Notably, knockout of the spd_0090 gene resulted in an enhanced infection ability of S. pneumoniae in mice by increasing the expression of virulence factors. Furthermore, iTRAQ quantitative proteomics studies showed that the knockout of spd_0090 inhibited carbon metabolism and thus suppressed bacterial growth. Our study showed that SPD_0090 negatively regulates the virulence of S. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Cao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nan Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingshan Dong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiajia Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing-Yu He
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Qing-Yu He,
| | - Ruiguang Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Ruiguang Ge,
| | - Xuesong Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Xuesong Sun,
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11
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Temporal Transcriptional Responses of a Vibrio alginolyticus Strain to
Podoviridae
Phage HH109 Revealed by RNA-Seq. mSystems 2022; 7:e0010622. [PMID: 35400200 PMCID: PMC9040624 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00106-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio alginolyticus
is a common opportunistic pathogen that causes mass mortality in cultured marine animals. Phage HH109 lyses pathogenic
V. alginolyticus
strain E110 with high efficiency and thus serves as a useful model to understand the dynamic interplay of a phage and its host.
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Abstract
Bacillus anthracis, the anthrax agent, exhibits robust proliferation in diverse niches of mammalian hosts. The metabolic attributes of B. anthracis that permit rapid growth in multiple mammalian tissues have not been established. We posit that branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) (isoleucine, leucine, and valine) metabolism is key to B. anthracis pathogenesis. Increasing evidence indicates the relationships between B. anthracis virulence and the expression of BCAA-related genes. The expression of some BCAA-related genes is altered during culture in bovine blood in vitro, and the bacterium exhibits valine auxotrophy in a blood serum mimic medium. Transcriptome analyses have revealed that the virulence regulator AtxA, which positively affects the expression of the anthrax toxin and capsule genes, negatively regulates genes predicted to be associated with BCAA biosynthesis and transport. Here, we show that B. anthracis growth in defined medium is severely restricted in the absence of exogenous BCAAs, indicating that BCAA transport is required for optimal growth in vitro. We demonstrate functional redundancy among multiple BrnQ-type BCAA transporters. Three transporters are associated with isoleucine and valine transport, and the deletion of one, BrnQ3, attenuates virulence in a murine model for anthrax. Interestingly, an ilvD-null mutant lacking dihydroxy acid dehydratase, an enzyme essential for BCAA synthesis, exhibits unperturbed growth when cultured in medium containing BCAAs but is highly attenuated in the murine model. Finally, our data show that BCAAs enhance AtxA activity in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting a model in which BCAAs serve as a signal for virulence gene expression. IMPORTANCE Infection with B. anthracis can result in systemic disease with large numbers of the bacterium in multiple tissues. We found that branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) synthesis is insufficient for the robust growth of B. anthracis; access to BCAAs is necessary for the proliferation of the pathogen during culture and during infection in a murine model for anthrax. B. anthracis produces an unusually large repertoire of BCAA-related transporters. We identified three isoleucine/valine transporters with partial functional redundancy during culture. The deletion of one of these transporters, BrnQ3, resulted in attenuated virulence. Interestingly, a BCAA biosynthesis mutant grew well in medium containing BCAAs but, like BrnQ3, was attenuated for virulence. These results suggest that BCAAs are limiting in multiple niches during infection and further our understanding of the nutritional requirements of this important pathogen.
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13
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Zafar H, Saier MH. Comparative Analyses of the Transport Proteins Encoded within the Genomes of nine Bifidobacterium Species. Microb Physiol 2022; 32:30-44. [PMID: 34555832 PMCID: PMC8940750 DOI: 10.1159/000518954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The human microbiome influences human health in both negative and positive ways. Studies on the transportomes of these organisms yield information that may be utilized for various purposes, including the identification of novel drug targets and the manufacture of improved probiotic strains. Moreover, these genomic analyses help to improve our understanding of the physiology and metabolic capabilities of these organisms. The present study is a continuation of our studies on the transport proteins of the major gut microbes. Bifidobacterium species are essential members of the human gut microbiome, and they initiate colonization of the gut at birth, providing health benefits that last a lifetime. In this study we analyze the transportomes of nine bifidobacterial species: B. adolescentis, B. animalis, B. bifidum, B. breve, B. catenulatum, B. dentium, B. longum subsp. infantis, B. longum subsp. longum, and B. pseudocatenulatum. All of these species have proven probiotic characteristics and exert beneficial effects on human health. Surprisingly, we found that all nine of these species have similar pore-forming toxins and drug exporters that may play roles in pathogenesis. These species have transporters for amino acids, carbohydrates, and proteins, essential for their organismal lifestyles and adaption to their respective ecological niches. The strictly probiotic species, B. bifidum, however, contains fewer such transporters, thus indicative of limited interactions with host cells and other gut microbial counterparts. The results of this study were compared with those of our previous studies on the transportomes of multiple species of Bacteroides, Escherichia coli/Salmonella, and Lactobacillus. Overall, bifidobacteria have larger transportomes (based on percentages of total proteins) than the previously examined groups of bacterial species, with a preference for primary active transport systems over secondary carriers. Taken together, these results provide useful information about the physiologies and pathogenic potentials of these probiotic organisms as reflected by their transportomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Zafar
- Department of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0116.,Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic.,Corresponding Authors HZ: Tel: +420773283624, ; MS: Tel: +1 858 534 4084, Fax: +1 858 534 7108,
| | - Milton H. Saier
- Department of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0116.,Corresponding Authors HZ: Tel: +420773283624, ; MS: Tel: +1 858 534 4084, Fax: +1 858 534 7108,
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14
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Chaiden C, Jaresitthikunchai J, Phaonakrop N, Roytrakul S, Kerdsin A, Nuanualsuwan S. Peptidomics Analysis of Virulent Peptides Involved in Streptococcus suis Pathogenesis. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11092480. [PMID: 34573446 PMCID: PMC8468194 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The virulence factors and pathogenesis of S. suis are inconclusive. Here, the associated proteins, or their derived peptides, involved in the survival of S. suis when simulated with a blood environment are demonstrated. The results reveal the derived peptides or proteins of S. suis potentially serving as the putative virulence factors. Further studies based on our findings could be used to fulfill the knowledge gap of S. suis pathogenesis. Abstract Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a zoonotic pathogen causing severe streptococcal disease worldwide. S. suis infections in pigs and humans are frequently associated with the virulent S. suis serotype 2 (SS2). Though various virulence factors of S. suis have been proposed, most of them were not essentially accounted for in the experimental infections. In the present study, we compared the peptidomes of highly virulent SS2 and SS14 in humans, the swine causative serotypes SS7 and SS9, and the rarely reported serotypes SS25 and SS27, and they were cultured in a specified culture medium containing whole blood to simulate their natural host environment. LC-MS/MS could identify 22 unique peptides expressed in the six S. suis serotypes. Under the host-simulated environment, peptides from the ABC-type phosphate transport system (SSU05_1106) and 30S ribosomal protein S2 (rpsB) were detected in the peptidome of virulent SS2 and SS14. Therefore, we suggest that these two proteins or their derived peptides might be involved in the survival of S. suis when simulated with a blood environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chadaporn Chaiden
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
| | - Janthima Jaresitthikunchai
- Functional Proteomics Technology Laboratory, Functional Ingredients and Food Innovation Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology for Development Agency, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand; (J.J.); (N.P.)
| | - Narumon Phaonakrop
- Functional Proteomics Technology Laboratory, Functional Ingredients and Food Innovation Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology for Development Agency, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand; (J.J.); (N.P.)
| | - Sittiruk Roytrakul
- Functional Proteomics Technology Laboratory, Functional Ingredients and Food Innovation Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology for Development Agency, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand; (J.J.); (N.P.)
- Correspondence: (S.R.); (S.N.)
| | - Anusak Kerdsin
- Faculty of Public Health, Kasetsart University Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Province Campus, Sakon Nakhon 47000, Thailand;
| | - Suphachai Nuanualsuwan
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
- Food Risk Hub, Research Unit of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Correspondence: (S.R.); (S.N.)
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15
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Herruzo-Ruiz AM, Fuentes-Almagro CA, Jiménez-Pastor JM, Pérez-Rosa VM, Blasco J, Michán C, Alhama J. Meta-omic evaluation of bacterial microbial community structure and activity for the environmental assessment of soils: overcoming protein extraction pitfalls. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:4706-4725. [PMID: 34258847 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Microorganisms play unique, essential and integral roles in the biosphere. This work aims to assess the utility of soil's metaomics for environmental diagnosis. Doñana National Park (DNP) was selected as a natural lab since it contains a strictly protected core that is surrounded by numerous threats of pollution. Culture-independent high-throughput molecular tools were used to evaluate the alterations of the global structure and metabolic activities of the microbiome. 16S rRNA sequencing shows lower bacterial abundance and diversity in areas historically exposed to contamination that surround DNP. For metaproteomics, an innovative post-alkaline protein extraction protocol was developed. After NaOH treatment, successive washing with Tris-HCl buffer supplemented with glycerol was essential to eliminate interferences. Starting from soils with different physicochemical characteristics, the method renders proteins with a remarkable resolution on SDS-PAGE gels. The proteins extracted were analysed by using an in-house database constructed from the rRNA data. LC-MS/MS analysis identified 2182 non-redundant proteins with 135 showing significant differences in relative abundance in the soils around DNP. Relevant global biological processes were altered in response to the environmental changes, such as protective and antioxidant mechanisms, translation, folding and homeostasis of proteins, membrane transport and aerobic respiratory metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Herruzo-Ruiz
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario CeiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Severo Ochoa, Córdoba, E-14071, Spain
| | | | - José M Jiménez-Pastor
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario CeiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Severo Ochoa, Córdoba, E-14071, Spain
| | - Víctor M Pérez-Rosa
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario CeiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Severo Ochoa, Córdoba, E-14071, Spain
| | - Julián Blasco
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, ICMAN-CSIC, Campus Rio San Pedro, Puerto Real, E-11510, Spain
| | - Carmen Michán
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario CeiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Severo Ochoa, Córdoba, E-14071, Spain
| | - José Alhama
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario CeiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Severo Ochoa, Córdoba, E-14071, Spain
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16
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van Beek LF, Surmann K, van den Berg van Saparoea HB, Houben D, Jong WSP, Hentschker C, Ederveen THA, Mitsi E, Ferreira DM, van Opzeeland F, van der Gaast-de Jongh CE, Joosten I, Völker U, Schmidt F, Luirink J, Diavatopoulos DA, de Jonge MI. Exploring metal availability in the natural niche of Streptococcus pneumoniae to discover potential vaccine antigens. Virulence 2021; 11:1310-1328. [PMID: 33017224 PMCID: PMC7550026 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1825908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Nasopharyngeal colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae is a prerequisite for pneumococcal transmission and disease. Current vaccines protect only against disease and colonization caused by a limited number of serotypes, consequently allowing serotype replacement and transmission. Therefore, the development of a broadly protective vaccine against colonization, transmission and disease is desired but requires a better understanding of pneumococcal adaptation to its natural niche. Hence, we measured the levels of free and protein-bound transition metals in human nasal fluid, to determine the effect of metal concentrations on the growth and proteome of S. pneumoniae. Pneumococci cultured in medium containing metal levels comparable to nasal fluid showed a highly distinct proteomic profile compared to standard culture conditions, including the increased abundance of nine conserved, putative surface-exposed proteins. AliA, an oligopeptide binding protein, was identified as the strongest protective antigen, demonstrated by the significantly reduced bacterial load in a murine colonization and a lethal mouse pneumonia model, highlighting its potential as vaccine antigen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucille F van Beek
- Section Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences , Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases , Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kristin Surmann
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald , Greifswald, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Christian Hentschker
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald , Greifswald, Germany
| | - Thomas H A Ederveen
- Center for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Elena Mitsi
- Liverpool School of Tropical medicine, Respiratory Infection Group , Liverpool, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Daniela M Ferreira
- Liverpool School of Tropical medicine, Respiratory Infection Group , Liverpool, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Fred van Opzeeland
- Section Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences , Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases , Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Christa E van der Gaast-de Jongh
- Section Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences , Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases , Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Irma Joosten
- Section Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences , Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Uwe Völker
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald , Greifswald, Germany
| | - Frank Schmidt
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald , Greifswald, Germany.,Proteomics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar , Doha, Qatar
| | - Joen Luirink
- Abera Bioscience AB , Solna, Sweden.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitri A Diavatopoulos
- Section Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences , Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases , Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marien I de Jonge
- Section Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences , Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases , Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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17
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Pei X, Liu M, Zhou H, Fan H. Screening for phagocytosis resistance-related genes via a transposon mutant library of Streptococcus suis serotype 2. Virulence 2021; 11:825-838. [PMID: 32614642 PMCID: PMC7567436 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1782088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2) is a serious zoonotic pathogen which causes symptoms of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) and septicemia; these symptoms suggest that SS2 may have evade innate immunity. Phagocytosis is an important innate immunity process where phagocytosed pathogens are killed by lysosome enzymes, reactive oxygen, and nitrogen species, and acidic environments in macrophages following engulfment. A previously constructed mutant SS2 library was screened, revealing 13 mutant strains with decreased phagocytic resistance. Through inverse PCR, the transposon insertion sites were determined. Through bioinformatic analysis, the 13 disrupted genes were identified as Cps2F, 3 genes belonging to ABC transporters, WalR, TehB, rpiA, S-transferase encoding gene, prs, HsdM, GNAT family N-acetyltransferase encoding gene, proB, and upstream region of DnaK. Except for the capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis associated Cps2F, the other genes had not been linked to a role in anti-phagocytosis. The survival ability in macrophages and whole blood of randomly picked mutant strains were significantly impaired compared with wild-type ZY05719. The virulence of the mutant strains was also attenuated in a mouse infection model. In the WalR mutant, the transcription of HP1065 decreased significantly compared with wild-type strain, indicating WalR might regulated HP1065 expression and contribute to the anti-phagocytosis of SS2. In conclusion, we identified 13 genes that influenced the phagocytosis resistant ability of SS2, and many of these genes have not been reported to be associated with resistance to phagocytosis. Our work provides novel insight into resistance to phagocytosis, and furthers our understanding of the pathogenesis mechanism of SS2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomeng Pei
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University , Nanjing, China
| | - Mingxing Liu
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University , Nanjing, China
| | - Hong Zhou
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University , Nanjing, China
| | - Hongjie Fan
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University , Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University , Yangzhou, China
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18
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Zhang C, An H, Hu J, Li J, Zhang W, Lan X, Deng H, Zhang JR. MetR is a molecular adaptor for pneumococcal carriage in the healthy upper airway. Mol Microbiol 2021; 116:438-458. [PMID: 33811693 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae resides in the human upper airway as a commensal but also causes pneumonia, bacteremia, meningitis, and otitis media. It remains unclear how pneumococci adapt to nutritional conditions of various host niches. We here show that MetR, a LysR family transcriptional regulator, serves as a molecular adaptor for pneumococcal fitness, particularly in the upper airway. The metR mutant of strain D39 rapidly disappeared from the nasopharynx but was marginally attenuated in the lungs and bloodstream of mice. RNA-seq and ChIP-seq analyses showed that MetR broadly regulates transcription of the genes involved in methionine synthesis and other functions under methionine starvation. Genetic and biochemical analyses confirmed that MetR is essential for the activation of methionine synthesis but not uptake. Co-infection of influenza virus partially restored the colonization defect of the metR mutant. These results strongly suggest that MetR is particularly evolved for pneumococcal carriage in the upper airway of healthy individuals where free methionine is severely limited, but it becomes dispensable where environmental methionine is relatively more abundant (e.g., inflamed upper airway and sterile sites). To the best of our knowledge, MetR represents the first known regulator particularly for pneumococcal carriage in healthy individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengwang Zhang
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Haoran An
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiao Hu
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Li
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenhao Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xun Lan
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Haiteng Deng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing-Ren Zhang
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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19
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Zeng Y, Charkowski AO. The Role of ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters in Bacterial Phytopathogenesis. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2021; 111:600-610. [PMID: 33225831 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-06-20-0212-rvw] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria use selective membrane transporting strategies to support cell survival in different environments. Of the membrane transport systems, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, which utilize the energy of ATP hydrolysis to deliver substrate across the cytoplasmic membrane, are the largest and most diverse superfamily. These transporters import nutrients, export molecules, and are required for diverse cell functions, including cell division and morphology, gene regulation, surface motility, chemotaxis, and interspecies competition. Phytobacterial pathogens encode numerous ABC transporter homologs compared with related nonphytopathogens, with up to 160 transporters per genome, suggesting that plant pathogens must be able to import or respond to a greater number of molecules compared with saprophytes or animal pathogens. Despite their importance, ABC transporters have been little examined in plant pathogens. To understand bacterial phytopathogenesis and evolution, we need to understand the roles that ABC transporters play in plant-microbe interactions. In this review, we outline a multitude of roles that bacterial ABC transporters play, using both plant and animal pathogens as examples, to emphasize the importance of exploring these transporters in phytobacteriology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zeng
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523
| | - Amy O Charkowski
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523
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20
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Zafar H, Saier MH. Comparative Genomics of the Transport Proteins of Ten Lactobacillus Strains. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11101234. [PMID: 33096690 PMCID: PMC7593918 DOI: 10.3390/genes11101234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Lactobacillus includes species that may inhabit different anatomical locations in the human body, but the greatest percentage of its species are inhabitants of the gut. Lactobacilli are well known for their probiotic characteristics, although some species may become pathogenic and exert negative effects on human health. The transportome of an organism consists of the sum of the transport proteins encoded within its genome, and studies on the transportome help in the understanding of the various physiological processes taking place in the cell. In this communication we analyze the transport proteins and predict probable substrate specificities of ten Lactobacillus strains. Six of these strains (L. brevis, L. bulgaricus, L. crispatus, L. gasseri, L. reuteri, and L. ruminis) are currently believed to be only probiotic (OP). The remaining four strains (L. acidophilus, L. paracasei, L. planatarum, and L. rhamnosus) can play dual roles, being both probiotic and pathogenic (PAP). The characteristics of the transport systems found in these bacteria were compared with strains (E. coli, Salmonella, and Bacteroides) from our previous studies. Overall, the ten lactobacilli contain high numbers of amino acid transporters, but the PAP strains contain higher number of sugar, amino acid and peptide transporters as well as drug exporters than their OP counterparts. Moreover, some of the OP strains contain pore-forming toxins and drug exporters similar to those of the PAP strains, thus indicative of yet unrecognized pathogenic potential. The transportomes of the lactobacilli seem to be finely tuned according to the extracellular and probiotic lifestyles of these organisms. Taken together, the results of this study help to reveal the physiological and pathogenic potential of common prokaryotic residents in the human body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Zafar
- Department of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0116, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, Punjab 56300, Pakistan
- Correspondence: (H.Z.); (M.H.S.J.); Tel.: +1-858-534-4084 (M.H.S.J.); Fax: +1-858-534-7108 (M.H.S.J.)
| | - Milton H. Saier
- Department of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0116, USA
- Correspondence: (H.Z.); (M.H.S.J.); Tel.: +1-858-534-4084 (M.H.S.J.); Fax: +1-858-534-7108 (M.H.S.J.)
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21
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Ahmad A, Majaz S, Nouroz F. Two-component systems regulate ABC transporters in antimicrobial peptide production, immunity and resistance. Microbiology (Reading) 2020; 166:4-20. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria offer resistance to a broad range of antibiotics by activating their export channels of ATP-binding cassette transporters. These transporters perform a central role in vital processes of self-immunity, antibiotic transport and resistance. The majority of ATP-binding cassette transporters are capable of detecting the presence of antibiotics in an external vicinity and are tightly regulated by two-component systems. The presence of an extracellular loop and an adjacent location of both the transporter and two-component system offers serious assistance to induce a quick and specific response against antibiotics. Both systems have demonstrated their ability of sensing such agents, however, the exact mechanism is not yet fully established. This review highlighted the three key functions of antibiotic resistance, transport and self-immunity of ATP-binding cassette transporters and an adjacent two-component regulatory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashfaq Ahmad
- Department of Bioinformatics, Hazara University, Mansehra, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Sidra Majaz
- Department of Bioinformatics, Hazara University, Mansehra, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Faisal Nouroz
- Department of Bioinformatics, Hazara University, Mansehra, KPK, Pakistan
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22
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Ayoola MB, Shack LA, Nakamya MF, Thornton JA, Swiatlo E, Nanduri B. Polyamine Synthesis Effects Capsule Expression by Reduction of Precursors in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1996. [PMID: 31555234 PMCID: PMC6727871 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus, Spn) colonizes the human nasopharynx asymptomatically but can cause infections such as otitis media, and invasive pneumococcal disease such as community-acquired pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis. Although the success of Spn as a pathogen can be attributed to its ability to synthesize and regulate capsular polysaccharide (CPS) for survival in the host, the mechanisms of CPS regulation are not well-described. Recent studies from our lab demonstrate that deletion of a putative polyamine biosynthesis gene (ΔcadA) in Spn TIGR4 results in the loss of the capsule. In this study, we characterized the transcriptome and metabolome of ΔcadA and identified specific mechanisms that could explain the regulatory role of polyamines in pneumococcal CPS biosynthesis. Our data indicate that impaired polyamine synthesis impacts galactose to glucose interconversion via the Leloir pathway which limits the availability of UDP-galactose, a precursor of serotype 4 CPS, and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc), a nucleotide sugar precursor that is at the intersection of CPS and peptidoglycan repeat unit biosynthesis. Reduced carbon flux through glycolysis, coupled with altered fate of glycolytic intermediates further supports impaired synthesis of UDP-GlcNAc. A significant increase in the expression of transketolases indicates a potential shift in carbon flow toward the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). Higher PPP activity could constitute oxidative stress responses in ΔcadA which warrants further investigation. The results from this study clearly demonstrate the potential of polyamine synthesis, targeted for cancer therapy in human medicine, for the development of novel prophylactic and therapeutic strategies for treating bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moses B Ayoola
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - Leslie A Shack
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - Mary F Nakamya
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - Justin A Thornton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - Edwin Swiatlo
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Bindu Nanduri
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States.,Institute for Genomics, Biocomputing and Biotechnology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
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23
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Aprianto R, Slager J, Holsappel S, Veening JW. High-resolution analysis of the pneumococcal transcriptome under a wide range of infection-relevant conditions. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:9990-10006. [PMID: 30165663 PMCID: PMC6212715 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is an opportunistic human pathogen that typically colonizes the nasopharyngeal passage and causes lethal disease in other host niches, such as the lung or the meninges. The expression and regulation of pneumococcal genes at different life-cycle stages, such as commensal or pathogenic, are not entirely understood. To chart the transcriptional responses of S. pneumoniae, we used RNA-seq to quantify the relative abundance of the transcriptome under 22 different infection-relevant conditions. The data demonstrated a high level of dynamic expression and, strikingly, all annotated pneumococcal genomic features were expressed in at least one of the studied conditions. By computing the correlation values of every pair of genes across all studied conditions, we created a co-expression matrix that provides valuable information on both operon structure and regulatory processes. The co-expression data are highly consistent with well-characterized operons and regulons, such as the PyrR, ComE and ComX regulons, and have allowed us to identify a new member of the competence regulon. Lastly, we created an interactive data center named PneumoExpress (https://veeninglab.com/pneumoexpress) that enables users to access the expression data as well as the co-expression matrix in an intuitive and efficient manner, providing a valuable resource to the pneumococcal research community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rieza Aprianto
- Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Centre for Synthetic Biology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jelle Slager
- Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Centre for Synthetic Biology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Siger Holsappel
- Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Centre for Synthetic Biology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan-Willem Veening
- Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Centre for Synthetic Biology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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24
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Identification of Pneumococcal Factors Affecting Pneumococcal Shedding Shows that the dlt Locus Promotes Inflammation and Transmission. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.01032-19. [PMID: 31213554 PMCID: PMC6581856 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01032-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a common cause of respiratory tract and invasive infection. The overall effectiveness of immunization with the organism’s capsular polysaccharide depends on its ability to block colonization of the upper respiratory tract and thereby prevent host-to-host transmission. Because of the limited coverage of current pneumococcal vaccines, we carried out an unbiased in vivo transposon mutagenesis screen to identify pneumococcal factors other than its capsular polysaccharide that affect transmission. One such candidate was expressed by the dlt locus, previously shown to add d-alanine onto the pneumococcal lipoteichoic acid present on the bacterial cell surface. This modification protects against host antimicrobials and augments host inflammatory responses. The latter increases secretions and bacterial shedding from the upper respiratory tract to allow for transmission. Thus, this study provides insight into a mechanism employed by the pneumococcus to successfully transit from one host to another. Host-to-host transmission is a necessary but poorly understood aspect of microbial pathogenesis. Herein, we screened a genomic library of mutants of the leading respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae generated by mariner transposon mutagenesis (Tn-Seq) to identify genes contributing to its exit or shedding from the upper respiratory tract (URT), the limiting step in the organism’s transmission in an infant mouse model. Our analysis focused on genes affecting the bacterial surface that directly impact interactions with the host. Among the multiple factors identified was the dlt locus, which adds d-alanine onto lipoteichoic acids (LTA) and thereby increases Toll-like receptor 2-mediated inflammation and resistance to antimicrobial peptides. The more robust proinflammatory response in the presence of d-alanylation promotes secretions that facilitate pneumococcal shedding and allows for transmission. Expression of the dlt locus is controlled by the CiaRH system, which senses cell wall stress in response to antimicrobial activity, including in response to lysozyme, the most abundant antimicrobial along the URT mucosa. Accordingly, in a lysM−/− host, there was no longer an effect of the dlt locus on pneumococcal shedding. Thus, our findings demonstrate how a pathogen senses the URT milieu and then modifies its surface characteristics to take advantage of the host response for transit to another host.
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25
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Yang M, Wang X. Interactions between Microcystis aeruginosa and coexisting bisphenol A at different nitrogen levels. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2019; 369:132-141. [PMID: 30776596 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Microcystis aeruginosa is known as a main contributor of cyanobacterial bloom. However, factors that drive its formation and dispersion remain poorly understood. The cellular-level responses to nutrient drivers of eutrophication were investigated. The results showed that growth rate of M. aeruginosa was significantly enhanced with the increasing bisphenol A (BPA) and nitrogen (N) level. Stress of BPA significantly inhibited cellular density, chlorophyll-a content across all the nutrient conditions, while Fv/Fm and rETRmax value were promoted by BPA. Responses of reactive oxygen species (ROS) value, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malodialdehyde (MDA) content indicated that nitrogen deficiency and BPA caused oxidative stress to M. aeruginosa. Besides, nitrogen and BPA regulated the production and release of microcystins (MCs). M. aeruginosa exposed to BPA caused 95 up-regulated proteins, which was primarily associated with photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, glycolysis/glyconeogenesis and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms. The 91 down-regulated proteins were related to quorum sensing, longevity regulating and cell cycle-caulobacter, confirming that the driving force of regulating the change of cellular density and genes expression weakened. These findings provide important clues to elucidate the combined regulatory mechanisms of cyanobacterial blooms triggered by endocrine-disrupting compounds and environmental factors and help to effectively prevent and reduce cyanobacterial blooms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Yang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xiangrong Wang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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26
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Huang J, Luo S, Huang M, Zhang T, Min Z, Liu C, Zhang Q, Yang J, Min X. Protection against fatal pneumonia through mucosal and subcutaneous immunization with the pneumococcal SP0148 protein. Microb Pathog 2019; 129:206-212. [PMID: 30772476 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae infection is associated with very high morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Vaccines are an effective measure for the reduction of S. pneumoniae infection. In particular, protein vaccines are attracting increasing attention because of their good immunogenicity and wide coverage of serotypes. Therefore, identifying effective protein vaccine targets is important for protein vaccine development. SP0148 is a promising protein vaccine target for S. pneumoniae and is capable of reducing S. pneumoniae colonization in the nasopharynx of mice through the IL-17A pathway. However, the protective effects of SP0148 in fatal pneumococcal infection have not been evaluated. This study used subcutaneous and nasal immunization routes to systematically evaluate the protective effects of the SP0148 protein in fatal pneumococcal infection. Subcutaneous and nasal mucosal immunization with recombinant SP0148 protein produced effective immune protection against infection with a lethal dose of S. pneumoniae and significantly prolonged survival time and increased the survival rate of mice. Furthermore, nasal immunization with SP0148 induced mouse splenocytes to secrete high levels of the cytokines IFN-γ and IL-17A. Both recombinant SP0148 protein and its antiserum inhibited the adhesion of S.pneumoniae D39 to A549 human lung epithelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. In summary, SP0148 induced mice to produce protective immune responses to fatal S. pneumoniae infection, and our results could contribute to the accumulating data on the use of SP0148 protein vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563003, China
| | - Shilu Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563003, China
| | - Meirong Huang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563003, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563003, China
| | - Zongsu Min
- Zunyi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Zunyi, 563000, China
| | - Changjin Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563003, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563003, China
| | - Jianru Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563003, China
| | - Xun Min
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563003, China.
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27
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Leonard A, Lalk M. Infection and metabolism – Streptococcus pneumoniae metabolism facing the host environment. Cytokine 2018; 112:75-86. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2018.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 07/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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28
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Voß F, Kohler TP, Meyer T, Abdullah MR, van Opzeeland FJ, Saleh M, Michalik S, van Selm S, Schmidt F, de Jonge MI, Hammerschmidt S. Intranasal Vaccination With Lipoproteins Confers Protection Against Pneumococcal Colonisation. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2405. [PMID: 30405609 PMCID: PMC6202950 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is endowed with a variety of surface-exposed proteins representing putative vaccine candidates. Lipoproteins are covalently anchored to the cell membrane and highly conserved among pneumococcal serotypes. Here, we evaluated these lipoproteins for their immunogenicity and protective potential against pneumococcal colonisation. A multiplex-based immunoproteomics approach revealed the immunogenicity of selected lipoproteins. High antibody titres were measured in sera from mice immunised with the lipoproteins MetQ, PnrA, PsaA, and DacB. An analysis of convalescent patient sera confirmed the immunogenicity of these lipoproteins. Examining the surface localisation and accessibility of the lipoproteins using flow cytometry indicated that PnrA and DacB were highly abundant on the surface of the bacteria. Mice were immunised intranasally with PnrA, DacB, and MetQ using cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) as an adjuvant, followed by an intranasal challenge with S. pneumoniae D39. PnrA protected the mice from pneumococcal colonisation. For the immunisation with DacB and MetQ, a trend in reducing the bacterial load could be observed, although this effect was not statistically significant. The reduction in bacterial colonisation was correlated with the increased production of antigen-specific IL-17A in the nasal cavity. Immunisation induced high systemic IgG levels with a predominance for the IgG1 isotype, except for DacB, where IgG levels were substantially lower compared to MetQ and PnrA. Our results indicate that lipoproteins are interesting targets for future vaccine strategies as they are highly conserved, abundant, and immunogenic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Voß
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Thomas P Kohler
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Tanja Meyer
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Mohammed R Abdullah
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Fred J van Opzeeland
- Section Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Malek Saleh
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stephan Michalik
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Saskia van Selm
- Section Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Frank Schmidt
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,ZIK-FunGene, Department of Functional Genomics, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Marien I de Jonge
- Section Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Sven Hammerschmidt
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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29
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Branching Out: Alterations in Bacterial Physiology and Virulence Due to Branched-Chain Amino Acid Deprivation. mBio 2018; 9:mBio.01188-18. [PMID: 30181248 PMCID: PMC6123439 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01188-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs [Ile, Leu, and Val]) represent important nutrients in bacterial physiology, with roles that range from supporting protein synthesis to signaling and fine-tuning the adaptation to amino acid starvation. In some pathogenic bacteria, the adaptation to amino acid starvation includes induction of virulence gene expression: thus, BCAAs support not only proliferation during infection, but also the evasion of host defenses. The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs [Ile, Leu, and Val]) represent important nutrients in bacterial physiology, with roles that range from supporting protein synthesis to signaling and fine-tuning the adaptation to amino acid starvation. In some pathogenic bacteria, the adaptation to amino acid starvation includes induction of virulence gene expression: thus, BCAAs support not only proliferation during infection, but also the evasion of host defenses. A body of research has accumulated over the years to describe the multifaceted physiological roles of BCAAs and the mechanisms bacteria use to maintain their intracellular levels. More recent studies have focused on understanding how fluctuations in their intracellular levels impact global regulatory pathways that coordinate the adaptation to nutrient limitation, especially in pathogenic bacteria. In this minireview, we discuss how these studies have refined the individual roles of BCAAs, shed light on how BCAA auxotrophy might promote higher sensitivity to exogenous BCAA levels, and revealed pathogen-specific responses to BCAA deprivation. These advancements improve our understanding of how bacteria meet their nutritional requirements for growth while simultaneously remaining responsive to changes in environmental nutrient availability to promote their survival in a range of environments.
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30
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Bartual SG, Alcorlo M, Martínez-Caballero S, Molina R, Hermoso JA. Three-dimensional structures of Lipoproteins from Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. Int J Med Microbiol 2018; 308:692-704. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2017.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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31
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Leonard A, Gierok P, Methling K, Gómez-Mejia A, Hammerschmidt S, Lalk M. Metabolic inventory of Streptococcus pneumoniae growing in a chemical defined environment. Int J Med Microbiol 2018; 308:705-712. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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32
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Tanaka KJ, Song S, Mason K, Pinkett HW. Selective substrate uptake: The role of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) importers in pathogenesis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2018; 1860:868-877. [PMID: 28847505 PMCID: PMC5807212 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The uptake of nutrients, including metals, amino acids and peptides are required for many biological processes. Pathogenic bacteria scavenge these essential nutrients from microenvironments to survive within the host. Pathogens must utilize a myriad of mechanisms to acquire these essential nutrients from the host while mediating the effects of toxicity. Bacteria utilize several transport proteins, including ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters to import and expel substrates. ABC transporters, conserved across all organisms, are powered by the energy from ATP to move substrates across cellular membranes. In this review, we will focus on nutrient uptake, the role of ABC importers at the host-pathogen interface, and explore emerging therapies to combat pathogenesis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Beyond the Structure-Function Horizon of Membrane Proteins edited by Ute Hellmich, Rupak Doshi and Benjamin McIlwain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari J Tanaka
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Saemee Song
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Kevin Mason
- The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Heather W Pinkett
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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33
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Nasher F, Förster S, Yildirim EC, Grandgirard D, Leib SL, Heller M, Hathaway LJ. Foreign peptide triggers boost in pneumococcal metabolism and growth. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:23. [PMID: 29580217 PMCID: PMC5870813 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1167-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Nonencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria are successful colonizers of the human nasopharynx and often possess genes aliB-like ORF 1 and 2 in place of capsule genes. AliB-like ORF 2 binds peptide FPPQSV, found in Prevotella species, resulting in enhanced colonization. How this response is mediated is so far unknown. Results Here we show that the peptide increases expression of genes involved in release of host carbohydrates, carbohydrate uptake and carbohydrate metabolism. In particular, the peptide increased expression of 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose reductase, a metabolic enzyme of an alternative starch and glycogen degrading pathway found in many organisms, in both transcriptomic and proteomic data. The peptide enhanced pneumococcal growth giving a competitive advantage to a strain with aliB-like ORF 2, over its mutant lacking the gene. Possession of aliB-like ORF 2 did not affect release of inflammatory cytokine CXCL8 from epithelial cells in culture and the nonencapsulated wild type strain was not able to establish disease or inflammation in an infant rat model of meningitis. Conclusions We propose that AliB-like ORF 2 confers an advantage in colonization by enhancing carbohydrate metabolism resulting in a boost in growth. This may explain the widespread presence of aliB-like ORF 2 in the nonencapsulated pneumococcal population in the human nasopharynx. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-018-1167-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fauzy Nasher
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland.,Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sunniva Förster
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland.,Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Efe C Yildirim
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Denis Grandgirard
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stephen L Leib
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Manfred Heller
- Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, CH-3010, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lucy J Hathaway
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland.
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34
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Kaiser JC, King AN, Grigg JC, Sheldon JR, Edgell DR, Murphy MEP, Brinsmade SR, Heinrichs DE. Repression of branched-chain amino acid synthesis in Staphylococcus aureus is mediated by isoleucine via CodY, and by a leucine-rich attenuator peptide. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007159. [PMID: 29357354 PMCID: PMC5794164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus requires branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; isoleucine, leucine, valine) for protein synthesis, branched-chain fatty acid synthesis, and environmental adaptation by responding to their availability via the global transcriptional regulator CodY. The importance of BCAAs for S. aureus physiology necessitates that it either synthesize them or scavenge them from the environment. Indeed S. aureus uses specialized transporters to scavenge BCAAs, however, its ability to synthesize them has remained conflicted by reports that it is auxotrophic for leucine and valine despite carrying an intact BCAA biosynthetic operon. In revisiting these findings, we have observed that S. aureus can engage in leucine and valine synthesis, but the level of BCAA synthesis is dependent on the BCAA it is deprived of, leading us to hypothesize that each BCAA differentially regulates the biosynthetic operon. Here we show that two mechanisms of transcriptional repression regulate the level of endogenous BCAA biosynthesis in response to specific BCAA availability. We identify a trans-acting mechanism involving isoleucine-dependent repression by the global transcriptional regulator CodY and a cis-acting leucine-responsive attenuator, uncovering how S. aureus regulates endogenous biosynthesis in response to exogenous BCAA availability. Moreover, given that isoleucine can dominate CodY-dependent regulation of BCAA biosynthesis, and that CodY is a global regulator of metabolism and virulence in S. aureus, we extend the importance of isoleucine availability for CodY-dependent regulation of other metabolic and virulence genes. These data resolve the previous conflicting observations regarding BCAA biosynthesis, and reveal the environmental signals that not only induce BCAA biosynthesis, but that could also have broader consequences on S. aureus environmental adaptation and virulence via CodY.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julienne C. Kaiser
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alyssa N. King
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Jason C. Grigg
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jessica R. Sheldon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - David R. Edgell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael E. P. Murphy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shaun R. Brinsmade
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - David E. Heinrichs
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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35
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Nasher F, Heller M, Hathaway LJ. Streptococcus pneumoniae Proteins AmiA, AliA, and AliB Bind Peptides Found in Ribosomal Proteins of Other Bacterial Species. Front Microbiol 2018; 8:2688. [PMID: 29379482 PMCID: PMC5775242 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The nasopharynx is frequently colonized by both commensal and pathogenic bacteria including Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). Pneumococcus is an important pathogen responsible for bacterial meningitis and community acquired pneumonia but is also commonly an asymptomatic colonizer of the nasopharynx. Understanding interactions between microbes may provide insights into pathogenesis. Here, we investigated the ability of the three oligopeptide-binding proteins AmiA, AliA, and AliB of an ATP-binding cassette transporter of pneumococcus to detect short peptides found in other bacterial species. We found three possible peptide ligands for AmiA and four each for AliA and AliB of which two for each protein matched ribosomal proteins of other bacterial species. Using synthetic peptides we confirmed the following binding: AmiA binds peptide AKTIKITQTR, matching 50S ribosomal subunit protein L30, AliA binds peptide FNEMQPIVDRQ, matching 30S ribosomal protein S20, and AliB binds peptide AIQSEKARKHN, matching 30S ribosomal protein S20, without excluding the possibility of binding of the other peptides. These Ami-AliA/AliB peptide ligands are found in multiple species in the class of Gammaproteobacteria which includes common colonizers of the nostrils and nasopharynx. Binding such peptides may enable pneumococcus to detect and respond to neighboring species in its environment and is a potential mechanism for interspecies communication and environmental surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fauzy Nasher
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Manfred Heller
- Department of Clinical Research, Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lucy J Hathaway
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Popowicz ND, Lansley SM, Cheah HM, Kay ID, Carson CF, Waterer GW, Paton JC, Brown JS, Lee YCG. Human pleural fluid is a potent growth medium for Streptococcus pneumoniae. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188833. [PMID: 29190798 PMCID: PMC5708656 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Empyema is defined by the presence of bacteria and/or pus in pleural effusions. However, the biology of bacteria within human pleural fluid has not been studied. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of pediatric and frequent cause of adult empyema. We investigated whether S. pneumoniae can proliferate within human pleural fluid and if growth is affected by the cellular content of the fluid and/or characteristics of pneumococcal surface proteins. Invasive S. pneumoniae isolates (n = 24) and reference strain recovered from human blood or empyema were inoculated (1.5×106CFU/mL) into sterile human malignant pleural fluid samples (n = 11). All S. pneumoniae (n = 25) strains proliferated rapidly, increasing by a median of 3009 (IQR 1063–9846) from baseline at 24hrs in all pleural effusions tested. Proliferation was greater than in commercial pneumococcal culture media and concentrations were maintained for 48hrs without autolysis. A similar magnitude of proliferation was observed in pleural fluid before and after removal of its cellular content, p = 0.728. S. pneumoniae (D39 strain) wild-type, and derivatives (n = 12), each with mutation(s) in a different gene required for full virulence were inoculated into human pleural fluid (n = 8). S. pneumoniae with pneumococcal surface antigen A (ΔpsaA) mutation failed to grow (2207-fold lower than wild-type), p<0.001, however growth was restored with manganese supplementation. Growth of other common respiratory pathogens (n = 14) across pleural fluid samples (n = 7) was variable and inconsistent, with some strains failing to grow. We establish for the first time that pleural fluid is a potent growth medium for S. pneumoniae and proliferation is dependent on the PsaA surface protein and manganese.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia D. Popowicz
- Pharmacy Department, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Division of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Institute for Respiratory Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Sally M. Lansley
- Institute for Respiratory Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Hui M. Cheah
- Institute for Respiratory Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ian D. Kay
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Christine F. Carson
- Division of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Grant W. Waterer
- Division of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Respiratory Department, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - James C. Paton
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jeremy S. Brown
- Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Repair, Respiratory Medicine, University College London, London, England
| | - Y. C. Gary Lee
- Division of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Institute for Respiratory Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Respiratory Department, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Streptococcus pneumoniae TIGR4 Phase-Locked Opacity Variants Differ in Virulence Phenotypes. mSphere 2017; 2:mSphere00386-17. [PMID: 29152579 PMCID: PMC5687919 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00386-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a leading human pathogen that can cause serious localized and invasive diseases. Pneumococci can undergo a spontaneous and reversible phase variation that is reflected in colony opacity and which allows the population to adapt to different host environments. Generally, transparent variants are adapted for nasopharyngeal colonization, whereas opaque variants are associated with invasive disease. In recent work, colony phase variation was shown to occur by means of recombination events to generate multiple alleles of the hsdS targeting domain of a DNA methylase complex, which mediates epigenetic changes in gene expression. A panel of isogenic strains were created in the well-studied S. pneumoniae TIGR4 background that are "locked" in the transparent (n = 4) or opaque (n = 2) colony phenotype. The strains had significant differences in colony size which were stable over multiple passages in vitro and in vivo. While there were no significant differences in adherence for the phase-locked mutant strains to immortalized epithelial cells, biofilm formation and viability were reduced for the opaque variants in static assays. Nasopharyngeal colonization was stable for all strains, but the mortality rates differed between them. Transcript profiling by transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses revealed that the expression levels of certain virulence factors were increased in a phase-specific manner. As epigenetic regulation of phase variation (often referred to as "phasevarion") is emerging as a common theme for mucosal pathogens, these results serve as a model for future studies of host-pathogen interactions. IMPORTANCE A growing number of bacterial species undergo epigenetic phase variation due to variable expression or specificity of DNA-modifying enzymes. For pneumococci, this phase variation has long been appreciated as being revealed by changes in colony opacity, which are reflected in changes in expression or accessibility of factors on the bacterial surface. Recent work showed that recombination-generated variation in alleles of the HsdS DNA methylase specificity subunit mediated pneumococcal phase variation. We generated phase-locked populations of S. pneumoniae TIGR4 expressing a single nonvariant hsdS allele and observed significant differences in gene expression and virulence. These results highlight the importance of focused pathogenesis studies within specific phase types. Moreover, the generation of single-allele hsdS constructs will greatly facilitate such studies.
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Effect of decreased BCAA synthesis through disruption of ilvC gene on the virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Arch Pharm Res 2017; 40:921-932. [PMID: 28735462 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-017-0931-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. It causes a variety of life-threatening infections such as pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis. In bacterial physiology, the metabolic pathway of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) plays an important role in virulence. Nonetheless, the function of IlvC, one of the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of BCAAs, in S. pneumoniae remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that downregulation of BCAA biosynthesis by ilvC ablation can diminish BCAA concentration and expression of pneumolysin (Ply) and LytA, and subsequently attenuate virulence. Infection with an ilvC mutant showed significantly reduced mortality and colonization in comparison with strain D39 (serotype 2, wild type), suggesting that ilvC can potentiate S. pneumoniae virulence due to adequate BCAA synthesis. Taken together, these results suggest that the function of ilvC in BCAA synthesis is essential for virulence factor and could play an important role in the pathogenesis of respiratory infections.
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MetQ of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Is a Surface-Expressed Antigen That Elicits Bactericidal and Functional Blocking Antibodies. Infect Immun 2017; 85:IAI.00898-16. [PMID: 27895130 PMCID: PMC5278169 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00898-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) gonorrhea, is a growing public health threat for which a vaccine is urgently needed. We characterized the functional role of the gonococcal MetQ protein, which is the methionine binding component of an ABC transporter system, and assessed its potential as a candidate antigen for inclusion in a gonococcal vaccine. MetQ has been found to be highly conserved in all strains investigated to date, it is localized on the bacterial surface, and it binds l-methionine with a high affinity. MetQ is also involved in gonococcal adherence to cervical epithelial cells. Mutants lacking MetQ have impaired survival in human monocytes, macrophages, and serum. Furthermore, antibodies raised against MetQ are bactericidal and are able to block gonococcal adherence to epithelial cells. These data suggest that MetQ elicits both bactericidal and functional blocking antibodies and is a valid candidate antigen for additional investigation and possible inclusion in a vaccine for prevention of gonorrhea.
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Wang L, Wu ZW, Li Y, Dong JG, Zhang LY, Liang PS, Liu YL, Zhao YH, Song CX. Profiling and Identification of Novel Immunogenic Proteins of Staphylococcus hyicus ZC-4 by Immunoproteomic Assay. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167686. [PMID: 27930728 PMCID: PMC5145190 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus hyicus has caused great losses in the swine industry by inducing piglet exudative epidermitis (EE), sow mastitis, metritis, and other diseases and is a threat to human health. The pathogenesis of EE, sow mastitis, and metritis involves the interaction between the host and virulent protein factors of S. hyicus, however, the proteins that interact with the host, especially the host immune system, are unclear. In the present study, immunoproteomics was used to screen the immunogenic proteins of S. hyicus strain ZC-4. The cellular and secreted proteins of S. hyicus strain ZC-4 were obtained, separated by 2D gel electrophoresis, and further analyzed by western blot with S. hyicus strain ZC-4-infected swine serum. Finally, 28 specific immunogenic proteins including 15 cellular proteins and 13 secreted proteins, 26 of which were novel immunogenic proteins from S. hyicus, were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. To further verify their immunogenicity, two representative proteins (acetate kinase [cellular] and enolase [secreted]) were chosen for expression, and the resultant recombinant proteins could react with S. hyicus ZC-4-infected swine serum. In mice, both acetate kinase and enolase activated the immune response by increasing G-CSF and MCP-5 expression, and acetate kinase further activated the immune response by increasing IL-12 expression. Enolase can confer better protection against S.hycius than acetate kinase in mice. For the first time to our knowledge, our results provide detailed descriptions of the cellular and secreted proteins of S. hyicus strain ZC-4. These immunogenic proteins may contribute to investigation and elucidation of the pathogenesis of S. hyicus and provide new candidates for subunit vaccines in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- College of Animal Science & National Engineering Center for Swine Breeding Industry, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-wei Wu
- College of Animal Science & National Engineering Center for Swine Breeding Industry, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Li
- Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian-guo Dong
- College of Animal Science & National Engineering Center for Swine Breeding Industry, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, China
- Xinyang Animal Disease Prevention and Control Engineering Research Center, Xinyang College of Agriculture and Forestry, Xinyang, China
| | - Le-yi Zhang
- College of Animal Science & National Engineering Center for Swine Breeding Industry, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng-shuai Liang
- College of Animal Science & National Engineering Center for Swine Breeding Industry, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan-ling Liu
- College of Animal Science & National Engineering Center for Swine Breeding Industry, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ya-hua Zhao
- College of Animal Science & National Engineering Center for Swine Breeding Industry, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: , (CXS); (YHZ)
| | - Chang-xu Song
- College of Animal Science & National Engineering Center for Swine Breeding Industry, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: , (CXS); (YHZ)
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Kohler S, Voß F, Gómez Mejia A, Brown JS, Hammerschmidt S. Pneumococcal lipoproteins involved in bacterial fitness, virulence, and immune evasion. FEBS Lett 2016; 590:3820-3839. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Kohler
- Department Genetics of Microorganisms; Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics; University of Greifswald; Germany
| | - Franziska Voß
- Department Genetics of Microorganisms; Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics; University of Greifswald; Germany
| | - Alejandro Gómez Mejia
- Department Genetics of Microorganisms; Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics; University of Greifswald; Germany
| | - Jeremy S. Brown
- Department of Medicine; Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Repair; University College Medical School; London UK
| | - Sven Hammerschmidt
- Department Genetics of Microorganisms; Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics; University of Greifswald; Germany
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Comparative Genomic Analysis of Meningitis- and Bacteremia-Causing Pneumococci Identifies a Common Core Genome. Infect Immun 2015; 83:4165-73. [PMID: 26259813 PMCID: PMC4567637 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00814-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a nasopharyngeal commensal that occasionally invades normally sterile sites to cause bloodstream infection and meningitis. Although the pneumococcal population structure and evolutionary genetics are well defined, it is not clear whether pneumococci that cause meningitis are genetically distinct from those that do not. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing of 140 isolates of S. pneumoniae recovered from bloodstream infection (n = 70) and meningitis (n = 70) to compare their genetic contents. By fitting a double-exponential decaying-function model, we show that these isolates share a core of 1,427 genes (95% confidence interval [CI], 1,425 to 1,435 genes) and that there is no difference in the core genome or accessory gene content from these disease manifestations. Gene presence/absence alone therefore does not explain the virulence behavior of pneumococci that reach the meninges. Our analysis, however, supports the requirement of a range of previously described virulence factors and vaccine candidates for both meningitis- and bacteremia-causing pneumococci. This high-resolution view suggests that, despite considerable competency for genetic exchange, all pneumococci are under considerable pressure to retain key components advantageous for colonization and transmission and that these components are essential for access to and survival in sterile sites.
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43
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Saxena S, Khan N, Dehinwal R, Kumar A, Sehgal D. Conserved surface accessible nucleoside ABC transporter component SP0845 is essential for pneumococcal virulence and confers protection in vivo. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118154. [PMID: 25689507 PMCID: PMC4331430 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis. Surface accessible proteins of S. pneumoniae are being explored for the development of a protein-based vaccine in order to overcome the limitations of existing polysaccharide-based pneumococcal vaccines. To identify a potential vaccine candidate, we resolved surface-associated proteins of S. pneumoniae TIGR4 strain using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by immunoblotting with antisera generated against whole heat-killed TIGR4. Ten immunoreactive spots were identified by mass spectrometric analysis that included a putative lipoprotein SP0845. Analysis of the inferred amino acid sequence of sp0845 homologues from 36 pneumococcal strains indicated that SP0845 was highly conserved (>98% identity) and showed less than 11% identity with any human protein. Our bioinformatic and functional analyses demonstrated that SP0845 is the substrate-binding protein of an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter that is involved in nucleoside uptake with cytidine, uridine, guanosine and inosine as the preferred substrates. Deletion of the gene encoding SP0845 renders pneumococci avirulent suggesting that it is essential for virulence. Immunoblot analysis suggested that SP0845 is expressed in in vitro grown pneumococci and during mice infection. Immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry data indicated that SP0845 is surface exposed in encapsulated strains and accessible to antibodies. Subcutaneous immunization with recombinant SP0845 induced high titer antibodies in mice. Hyperimmune sera raised against SP0845 promoted killing of encapsulated pneumococcal strains in a blood bactericidal assay. Immunization with SP0845 protected mice from intraperitoneal challenge with heterologous pneumococcal serotypes. Based on its surface accessibility, role in virulence and ability to elicit protective immunity, we propose that SP0845 may be a potential candidate for a protein-based pneumococcal vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Saxena
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Naeem Khan
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Ruchika Dehinwal
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Ajay Kumar
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Devinder Sehgal
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
- * E-mail:
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Role of BrnQ1 and BrnQ2 in branched-chain amino acid transport and virulence in Staphylococcus aureus. Infect Immun 2014; 83:1019-29. [PMID: 25547798 DOI: 10.1128/iai.02542-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; Ile, Leu, and Val) not only are important nutrients for the growth of Staphylococcus aureus but also are corepressors for CodY, which regulates virulence gene expression, implicating BCAAs as an important link between the metabolic state of the cell and virulence. BCAAs are either synthesized intracellularly or acquired from the environment. S. aureus encodes three putative BCAA transporters, designated BrnQ1, BrnQ2, and BrnQ3; their functions have not yet been formally tested. In this study, we mutated all three brnQ paralogs so as to characterize their substrate specificities and their roles in growth in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that in the community-associated, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) strain USA300, BrnQ1 is involved in uptake of all three BCAAs, BrnQ2 transports Ile, and BrnQ3 does not have a significant role in BCAA transport under the conditions tested. Of the three, only BrnQ1 is essential for USA300 to grow in a chemically defined medium that is limited for Leu or Val. Interestingly, we observed that a brnQ2 mutant grew better than USA300 in media limited for Leu and Val, owing to the fact that this mutation leads to overexpression of brnQ1. In a murine infection model, the brnQ1 mutant was attenuated, but in contrast, brnQ2 mutants had significantly increased virulence compared to that of USA300, a phenotype we suggest is at least partially linked to enhanced in vivo scavenging of Leu and Val through BrnQ1. These data uncover a hitherto-undiscovered connection between nutrient acquisition and virulence in CA-MRSA.
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Abstract
The diverse Fusobacterium genus contains species implicated in multiple clinical pathologies, including periodontal disease, preterm birth, and colorectal cancer. The lack of genetic tools for manipulating these organisms leaves us with little understanding of the genes responsible for adherence to and invasion of host cells. Actively invading Fusobacterium species can enter host cells independently, whereas passively invading species need additional factors, such as compromise of mucosal integrity or coinfection with other microbes. We applied whole-genome sequencing and comparative analysis to study the evolution of active and passive invasion strategies and to infer factors associated with active forms of host cell invasion. The evolution of active invasion appears to have followed an adaptive radiation in which two of the three fusobacterial lineages acquired new genes and underwent expansions of ancestral genes that enable active forms of host cell invasion. Compared to passive invaders, active invaders have much larger genomes, encode FadA-related adhesins, and possess twice as many genes encoding membrane-related proteins, including a large expansion of surface-associated proteins containing the MORN2 domain of unknown function. We predict a role for proteins containing MORN2 domains in adhesion and active invasion. In the largest and most comprehensive comparison of sequenced Fusobacterium species to date, we have generated a testable model for the molecular pathogenesis of Fusobacterium infection and illuminate new therapeutic or diagnostic strategies. Fusobacterium species have recently been implicated in a broad spectrum of human pathologies, including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, preterm birth, and colorectal cancer. Largely due to the genetic intractability of member species, the mechanisms by which Fusobacterium causes these pathologies are not well understood, although adherence to and active invasion of host cells appear important. We examined whole-genome sequence data from a diverse set of Fusobacterium species to identify genetic determinants of active forms of host cell invasion. Our analyses revealed that actively invading Fusobacterium species have larger genomes than passively invading species and possess a specific complement of genes—including a class of genes of unknown function that we predict evolved to enable host cell adherence and invasion. This study provides an important framework for future studies on the role of Fusobacterium in pathologies such as colorectal cancer.
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Tomlinson G, Chimalapati S, Pollard T, Lapp T, Cohen J, Camberlein E, Stafford S, Periselneris J, Aldridge C, Vollmer W, Picard C, Casanova JL, Noursadeghi M, Brown J. TLR-mediated inflammatory responses to Streptococcus pneumoniae are highly dependent on surface expression of bacterial lipoproteins. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 193:3736-45. [PMID: 25172490 PMCID: PMC4170674 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1401413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae infections induce inflammatory responses that contribute toward both disease pathogenesis and immunity, but the host–pathogen interactions that mediate these effects are poorly defined. We used the surface lipoprotein-deficient ∆lgt pneumococcal mutant strain to test the hypothesis that lipoproteins are key determinants of TLR-mediated immune responses to S. pneumoniae. We show using reporter assays that TLR2 signaling is dependent on pneumococcal lipoproteins, and that macrophage NF-κB activation and TNF-α release were reduced in response to the ∆lgt strain. Differences in TNF-α responses between Δlgt and wild-type bacteria were abrogated for macrophages from TLR2- but not TLR4-deficient mice. Transcriptional profiling of human macrophages revealed attenuated TLR2-associated responses to ∆lgt S. pneumoniae, comprising many NF-κB–regulated proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine genes. Importantly, non-TLR2–associated responses were preserved. Experiments using leukocytes from IL-1R–associated kinase-4–deficient patients and a mouse pneumonia model confirmed that proinflammatory responses were lipoprotein dependent. Our data suggest that leukocyte responses to bacterial lipoproteins are required for TLR2- and IL-1R–associated kinase-4–mediated inflammatory responses to S. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian Tomlinson
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Suneeta Chimalapati
- Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Repair, Division of Medicine, University College Medical School, Rayne Institute, London WC1E 6JF, United Kingdom
| | - Tracey Pollard
- Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Repair, Division of Medicine, University College Medical School, Rayne Institute, London WC1E 6JF, United Kingdom
| | - Thabo Lapp
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Cohen
- Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Repair, Division of Medicine, University College Medical School, Rayne Institute, London WC1E 6JF, United Kingdom; Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Unit, University College London Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1Eh, United Kingdom
| | - Emilie Camberlein
- Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Repair, Division of Medicine, University College Medical School, Rayne Institute, London WC1E 6JF, United Kingdom
| | - Sian Stafford
- Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Repair, Division of Medicine, University College Medical School, Rayne Institute, London WC1E 6JF, United Kingdom
| | - Jimstan Periselneris
- Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Repair, Division of Medicine, University College Medical School, Rayne Institute, London WC1E 6JF, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Aldridge
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AX, United Kingdom
| | - Waldemar Vollmer
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AX, United Kingdom
| | - Capucine Picard
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM U980, Necker Medical School, University Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75015, France; Study Center for Primary Immunodeficiencies, Public Assistance-Paris Hospitals, Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris 75743, France; and
| | - Jean-Laurent Casanova
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM U980, Necker Medical School, University Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75015, France; St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Mahdad Noursadeghi
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy Brown
- Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Repair, Division of Medicine, University College Medical School, Rayne Institute, London WC1E 6JF, United Kingdom;
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Kunii M, Arimoto T, Hasegawa T, Kuwata H, Igarashi T. Role of protease maturation lipoprotein in osmoadaptation of Streptococcus mutans. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2014; 356:45-52. [PMID: 24863612 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6968.12477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2014] [Revised: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Osmoadaptation may be an important trait for the pathogenicity of Streptococcus mutans. However, how this organism adapts to changes in osmolality in the oral cavity remains unclear. In this study, we showed that S. mutans utilizes K(+) for osmoadaptation, in which protease maturation lipoprotein (PrtM) plays an important role. Although growth of the wild-type strain was impaired in a hyperosmotic medium [brain heart infusion (BHI) containing 0.3 M NaCl] compared with that in an unmodified BHI, the prtM mutant grew much more poorly in 0.3 M NaCl BHI. Comparison of growth behavior in the hyperosmotic medium supplemented with different osmoprotectants revealed that only the addition of K(+) allowed the bacteria to overcome the impairment of growth caused by the high osmolality. These results suggest that K(+) is an important compatible solute for S. mutans. Moreover, K(+) -associated recovery of growth was not observed for the prtM mutant, indicating that PrtM plays a critical role in the utilization of K(+) . Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that prtM was induced by osmotic stress, implying that prtM is an osmoresponsive gene. These findings suggest that K(+) is an important compatible solute for S. mutans, and that the osmoresponsive lipoprotein PrtM is involved in K(+) utilization, contributing to osmoadaptation of S. mutans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maiko Kunii
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Showa University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan; Division of Comprehensive Dentistry, Department of Conservative Dentistry, Showa University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan
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Hathaway LJ, Bättig P, Reber S, Rotzetter JU, Aebi S, Hauser C, Heller M, Kadioglu A, Mühlemann K. Streptococcus pneumoniae detects and responds to foreign bacterial peptide fragments in its environment. Open Biol 2014; 4:130224. [PMID: 24718598 PMCID: PMC4043112 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.130224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of bacterial meningitis and pneumonia but usually colonizes the human nasopharynx harmlessly. As this niche is simultaneously populated by other bacterial species, we looked for a role and pathway of communication between pneumococci and other species. This paper shows that two proteins of non-encapsulated S. pneumoniae, AliB-like ORF 1 and ORF 2, bind specifically to peptides matching other species resulting in changes in the pneumococci. AliB-like ORF 1 binds specifically peptide SETTFGRDFN, matching 50S ribosomal subunit protein L4 of Enterobacteriaceae, and facilitates upregulation of competence for genetic transformation. AliB-like ORF 2 binds specifically peptides containing sequence FPPQS, matching proteins of Prevotella species common in healthy human nasopharyngeal microbiota. We found that AliB-like ORF 2 mediates the early phase of nasopharyngeal colonization in vivo. The ability of S. pneumoniae to bind and respond to peptides of other bacterial species occupying the same host niche may play a key role in adaptation to its environment and in interspecies communication. These findings reveal a completely new concept of pneumococcal interspecies communication which may have implications for communication between other bacterial species and for future interventional therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy J Hathaway
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Pribyl T, Moche M, Dreisbach A, Bijlsma JJE, Saleh M, Abdullah MR, Hecker M, van Dijl JM, Becher D, Hammerschmidt S. Influence of impaired lipoprotein biogenesis on surface and exoproteome of Streptococcus pneumoniae. J Proteome Res 2014; 13:650-67. [PMID: 24387739 DOI: 10.1021/pr400768v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Surface proteins are important for the fitness and virulence of the Gram-positive pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. They are crucial for interaction of the pathogen with its human host during infection. Therefore, the analysis of the pneumococcal surface proteome is an important task that requires powerful tools. In this study, two different methods, an optimized biotinylation approach and shaving with trypsin beads, were applied to study the pneumococcal surface proteome and to identify surface-exposed protein domains, respectively. The identification of nearly 95% of the predicted lipoproteins and 75% of the predicted sortase substrates reflects the high coverage of the two classical surface protein classes accomplished in this study. Furthermore, the biotinylation approach was applied to study the impact of an impaired lipoprotein maturation pathway on the cell envelope proteome and exoproteome. Loss of the lipoprotein diacylglyceryl transferase Lgt leads to striking changes in the lipoprotein distribution. Many lipoproteins disappear from the surface proteome and accumulate in the exoproteome. Further insights into lipoprotein processing in pneumococci are provided by immunoblot analyses of bacterial lysates and corresponding supernatant fractions. Taken together, the first comprehensive overview of the pneumococcal surface and exoproteome is presented, and a model for lipoprotein processing in S. pneumoniae is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pribyl
- Department Genetics of Microorganisms, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald , Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Str. 15a, Greifswald D-17487, Germany
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GET_HOMOLOGUES, a versatile software package for scalable and robust microbial pangenome analysis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 79:7696-701. [PMID: 24096415 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02411-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 585] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
GET_HOMOLOGUES is an open-source software package that builds on popular orthology-calling approaches making highly customizable and detailed pangenome analyses of microorganisms accessible to nonbioinformaticians. It can cluster homologous gene families using the bidirectional best-hit, COGtriangles, or OrthoMCL clustering algorithms. Clustering stringency can be adjusted by scanning the domain composition of proteins using the HMMER3 package, by imposing desired pairwise alignment coverage cutoffs, or by selecting only syntenic genes. The resulting homologous gene families can be made even more robust by computing consensus clusters from those generated by any combination of the clustering algorithms and filtering criteria. Auxiliary scripts make the construction, interrogation, and graphical display of core genome and pangenome sets easy to perform. Exponential and binomial mixture models can be fitted to the data to estimate theoretical core genome and pangenome sizes, and high-quality graphics can be generated. Furthermore, pangenome trees can be easily computed and basic comparative genomics performed to identify lineage-specific genes or gene family expansions. The software is designed to take advantage of modern multiprocessor personal computers as well as computer clusters to parallelize time-consuming tasks. To demonstrate some of these capabilities, we survey a set of 50 Streptococcus genomes annotated in the Orthologous Matrix (OMA) browser as a benchmark case. The package can be downloaded at http://www.eead.csic.es/compbio/soft/gethoms.php and http://maya.ccg.unam.mx/soft/gethoms.php.
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