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Veerapandian R, Gadad SS, Jagannath C, Dhandayuthapani S. Live Attenuated Vaccines against Tuberculosis: Targeting the Disruption of Genes Encoding the Secretory Proteins of Mycobacteria. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:530. [PMID: 38793781 PMCID: PMC11126151 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12050530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), a chronic infectious disease affecting humans, causes over 1.3 million deaths per year throughout the world. The current preventive vaccine BCG provides protection against childhood TB, but it fails to protect against pulmonary TB. Multiple candidates have been evaluated to either replace or boost the efficacy of the BCG vaccine, including subunit protein, DNA, virus vector-based vaccines, etc., most of which provide only short-term immunity. Several live attenuated vaccines derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and BCG have also been developed to induce long-term immunity. Since Mtb mediates its virulence through multiple secreted proteins, these proteins have been targeted to produce attenuated but immunogenic vaccines. In this review, we discuss the characteristics and prospects of live attenuated vaccines generated by targeting the disruption of the genes encoding secretory mycobacterial proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raja Veerapandian
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX 79905, USA
| | - Shrikanth S. Gadad
- Center of Emphasis in Cancer, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX 79905, USA
| | - Chinnaswamy Jagannath
- Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute & Weill Cornell Medical College, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Subramanian Dhandayuthapani
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX 79905, USA
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2
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Savková K, Danchenko M, Fabianová V, Bellová J, Bencúrová M, Huszár S, Korduláková J, Siváková B, Baráth P, Mikušová K. Compartmentalization of galactan biosynthesis in mycobacteria. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105768. [PMID: 38367664 PMCID: PMC10951656 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105768] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Galactan polymer is a prominent component of the mycobacterial cell wall core. Its biogenesis starts at the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane by a build-up of the linker disaccharide [rhamnosyl (Rha) - N-acetyl-glucosaminyl (GlcNAc) phosphate] on the decaprenyl-phosphate carrier. This decaprenyl-P-P-GlcNAc-Rha intermediate is extended by two bifunctional galactosyl transferases, GlfT1 and GlfT2, and then it is translocated to the periplasmic space by an ABC transporter Wzm-Wzt. The cell wall core synthesis is finalized by the action of an array of arabinosyl transferases, mycolyl transferases, and ligases that catalyze an attachment of the arabinogalactan polymer to peptidoglycan through the linker region. Based on visualization of the GlfT2 enzyme fused with fluorescent tags it was proposed that galactan polymerization takes place in a specific compartment of the mycobacterial cell envelope, the intracellular membrane domain, representing pure plasma membrane free of cell wall components (previously denoted as the "PMf" domain), which localizes to the polar region of mycobacteria. In this work, we examined the activity of the galactan-producing cellular machine in the cell-wall containing cell envelope fraction and in the cell wall-free plasma membrane fraction prepared from Mycobacterium smegmatis by the enzyme assays using radioactively labeled substrate UDP-[14C]-galactose as a tracer. We found that despite a high abundance of GlfT2 in both of these fractions as confirmed by their thorough proteomic analyses, galactan is produced only in the reaction mixtures containing the cell wall components. Our findings open the discussion about the distribution of GlfT2 and the regulation of its activity in mycobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Savková
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Maksym Danchenko
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Viktória Fabianová
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Bellová
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Mária Bencúrová
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Stanislav Huszár
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Korduláková
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Barbara Siváková
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Baráth
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Mikušová
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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3
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Wen D, Meng C, Feng Y, Shen L, Liu Y, Sun W, Chen G, Wu C. Syringaldehyde Exhibits Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities against Mycobacterium marinum Infection. Microorganisms 2024; 12:348. [PMID: 38399751 PMCID: PMC10893232 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which has a unique resistance to many antimicrobial agents. TB has emerged as a significant worldwide health issue because of the rise of multidrug-resistant strains causing drug-resistant TB (DR-TB). As a result, the development of new drugs or effective strategies is crucial for patients with TB. Mycobacterium marinum (Mm) and Mtb are both species of mycobacteria. In zebrafish, Mm proliferates and forms chronic granulomatous infections, which are similar to Mtb infections in lung tissue. Syringaldehyde (SA) is a member of the phenolic aldehyde family found in various plants. Here, we investigated its antioxidative and antibacterial properties in Mm-infected cells and zebrafish. Our results demonstrated that SA inhibits Mm-infected pulmonary epithelial cells and inhibits the proliferation of Mm in Mm-infected zebrafish, suggesting that SA provides an antibacterial effect during Mm infection. Further study demonstrated that supplementation with SA inhibits the production of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increases the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) in Mm-infection-induced macrophages. SA inhibits the levels of MDA in Mm-infected zebrafish, suggesting that SA exerts antioxidative effects in vivo. Additionally, we found that SA promotes the expression of NRF2/HO-1/NQO-1 and the activation of the AMPK-α1/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway. In summary, our data demonstrated that SA exerts antioxidative and antibacterial effects during Mm infection both in vivo and in vitro and that the antioxidative effects of SA may be due to the regulation of NRF2/HO-1/NQO-1 and the AMPK-α1/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Wen
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Chaoqun Meng
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Yazhi Feng
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Lin Shen
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Yiyao Liu
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Guangxin Chen
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Changxin Wu
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Major Infectious Diseases, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
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4
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Malakar B, Chauhan K, Sanyal P, Naz S, Kalam H, Vivek-Ananth RP, Singh LV, Samal A, Kumar D, Nandicoori VK. Phosphorylation of CFP10 modulates Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence. mBio 2023; 14:e0123223. [PMID: 37791794 PMCID: PMC10653824 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01232-23] [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: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Secreted virulence factors play a critical role in bacterial pathogenesis. Virulence effectors not only help bacteria to overcome the host immune system but also aid in establishing infection. Mtb, which causes tuberculosis in humans, encodes various virulence effectors. Triggers that modulate the secretion of virulence effectors in Mtb are yet to be fully understood. To gain mechanistic insight into the secretion of virulence effectors, we performed high-throughput proteomic studies. With the help of system-level protein-protein interaction network analysis and empirical validations, we unravelled a link between phosphorylation and secretion. Taking the example of the well-known virulence factor of CFP10, we show that the dynamics of CFP10 phosphorylation strongly influenced bacterial virulence and survival ex vivo and in vivo. This study presents the role of phosphorylation in modulating the secretion of virulence factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basanti Malakar
- National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Komal Chauhan
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Priyadarshini Sanyal
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology Campus, Hyderabad, India
| | - Saba Naz
- National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Haroon Kalam
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - R. P. Vivek-Ananth
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Chennai, India
| | - Lakshya Veer Singh
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Areejit Samal
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Chennai, India
| | - Dhiraj Kumar
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Vinay Kumar Nandicoori
- National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology Campus, Hyderabad, India
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5
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Chen G, Yang Z, Wen D, Li P, Xiong Q, Wu C. Oridonin Inhibits Mycobacterium marinum Infection-Induced Oxidative Stress In Vitro and In Vivo. Pathogens 2023; 12:799. [PMID: 37375489 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12060799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, tuberculosis (TB) was the leading cause of death globally attributable to a single infectious agent, ranking higher than HIV/AIDS. Consequently, TB remains an urgent public health crisis worldwide. Oridonin (7a,20-Epoxy-1a,6b,7,14-tetrahydroxy-Kaur-16-en-15-one Isodonol, C20H28O6, Ori), derived from the Rabdosia Rrubescens plant, is a natural compound that exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Our objective was to investigate whether Ori's antioxidant and antibacterial effects could be effective against the infection Mycobacterium marinum (Mm)-infected cells and zebrafish. We observed that Ori treatment significantly impeded Mm infection in lung epithelial cells, while also suppressing inflammatory response and oxidative stress in Mm-infected macrophages. Further investigation revealed that Ori supplementation inhibited the proliferation of Mm in zebrafish, as well as reducing oxidative stress levels in infected zebrafish. Additionally, Ori promoted the expression of NRF2/HO-1/NQO-1 and activated the AKT/AMPK-α1/GSK-3β signaling pathway, which are both associated with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In summary, our results demonstrate that Ori exerts inhibitory effects on Mm infection and proliferation in cells and zebrafish, respectively. Additionally, Ori regulates oxidative stress by modulating the NRF2/HO-1/NQO-1 and AKT/AMPK-α1/GSK-3β signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangxin Chen
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Ziyue Yang
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Da Wen
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Ping Li
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Qiuhong Xiong
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Changxin Wu
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Cell Biology, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Major Infectious Diseases, Taiyuan 030006, China
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6
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Pagán AJ, Lee LJ, Edwards-Hicks J, Moens CB, Tobin DM, Busch-Nentwich EM, Pearce EL, Ramakrishnan L. mTOR-regulated mitochondrial metabolism limits mycobacterium-induced cytotoxicity. Cell 2022; 185:3720-3738.e13. [PMID: 36103894 PMCID: PMC9596383 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Necrosis of macrophages in the granuloma, the hallmark immunological structure of tuberculosis, is a major pathogenic event that increases host susceptibility. Through a zebrafish forward genetic screen, we identified the mTOR kinase, a master regulator of metabolism, as an early host resistance factor in tuberculosis. We found that mTOR complex 1 protects macrophages from mycobacterium-induced death by enabling infection-induced increases in mitochondrial energy metabolism fueled by glycolysis. These metabolic adaptations are required to prevent mitochondrial damage and death caused by the secreted mycobacterial virulence determinant ESAT-6. Thus, the host can effectively counter this early critical mycobacterial virulence mechanism simply by regulating energy metabolism, thereby allowing pathogen-specific immune mechanisms time to develop. Our findings may explain why Mycobacterium tuberculosis, albeit humanity's most lethal pathogen, is successful in only a minority of infected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio J. Pagán
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK,MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK,Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA,Corresponding author
| | - Lauren J. Lee
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK,MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Joy Edwards-Hicks
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Cecilia B. Moens
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - David M. Tobin
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Elisabeth M. Busch-Nentwich
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Erika L. Pearce
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Lalita Ramakrishnan
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK,MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK,Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA,Corresponding author
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7
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Novel In Silico Insights into Rv1417 and Rv2617c as Potential Protein Targets: The Importance of the Medium on the Structural Interactions with Exported Repetitive Protein (Erp) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14132577. [PMID: 35808623 PMCID: PMC9269478 DOI: 10.3390/polym14132577] [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: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, tuberculosis is the second leading cause of death from a monopathogenic transmitted disease, only ahead of COVID-19. The role of exported repetitive protein (Erp) in the virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been extensively demonstrated. In vitro and in vivo assays have identified that Erp interacts with Rv1417 and Rv2617c proteins, forming putative transient molecular complexes prior to localization to the cell envelope. Although new insights into the interactions and functions of Erp have emerged over the years, knowledge about its structure and protein–protein interactions at the atomistic level has not been sufficiently explored. In this work, we have combined several in silico methodologies to gain new insights into the structural relationship between these proteins. Two system conditions were evaluated by MD simulations: Rv1417 and Rv2617c embedded in a lipid membrane and another with a semi-polar solvent to mimic the electrostatic conditions on the membrane surface. The Erp protein was simulated as an unanchored structure. Stabilized structures were docked, and complexes were evaluated to recognize the main residues involved in protein–protein interactions. Our results show the influence of the medium on the structural conformation of proteins. Globular conformations were favored under high polarity conditions and showed a higher energetic affinity in complex formation. Meanwhile, disordered conformations were favored under semi-polar conditions and an increase in the number of contacts between residues was observed. In addition, the electrostatic potential analysis showed remarkable changes in protein interactions due to the polarity of the medium, demonstrating the relevance of Erp protein in heterodimer formation. On the other hand, contact analysis showed that several C-terminal residues of Erp were involved in the protein interactions, which seems to contradict experimental observations; however, these complexes could be transient forms. The findings presented in this work are intended to open new perspectives in the studies of Erp protein molecular interactions and to improve the knowledge about its function and role in the virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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8
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Kevorkian YL, MacGilvary NJ, Giacalone D, Johnson C, Tan S. Rv0500A is a transcription factor that links Mycobacterium tuberculosis environmental response with division and impacts host colonization. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:1048-1062. [PMID: 35167150 PMCID: PMC9382876 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
For Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) to successfully infect a host, it must be able to adapt to changes in its microenvironment, including to variations in ionic signals such as pH and chloride (Cl- ), and link these responses to its growth. Transcriptional changes are a key mechanism for Mtb environmental adaptation, and we identify here Rv0500A as a novel transcriptional regulator that links Mtb environmental response and division processes. Global transcriptional profiling revealed that Rv0500A acts as a repressor and influences the expression of genes related to division, with the magnitude of its effect modulated by pH and Cl- . Rv0500A can directly bind the promoters of several of these target genes, and we identify key residues required for its DNA-binding ability and biological effect. Overexpression of rv0500A disrupted Mtb growth morphology, resulting in filamentation that was exacerbated by high environmental Cl- levels and acidic pH. Finally, we show that perturbation of rv0500A leads to attenuation of the ability of Mtb to colonize its host in vivo. Our work highlights the important link between Mtb environmental response and growth characteristics, and uncovers a new transcription factor involved in this critical facet of Mtb biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzo L Kevorkian
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Graduate Program in Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nathan J MacGilvary
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David Giacalone
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Graduate Program in Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Calvin Johnson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shumin Tan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Graduate Program in Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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9
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Savaryn BP, Chen JZ. Nonresolving Nodular Rash. Clin Infect Dis 2022; 74:541-543. [PMID: 35148387 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bohdan P Savaryn
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,Canada
| | - Justin Z Chen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,Canada
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10
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Xie Y, Xie J, Meijer AH, Schaaf MJM. Glucocorticoid-Induced Exacerbation of Mycobacterial Infection Is Associated With a Reduced Phagocytic Capacity of Macrophages. Front Immunol 2021; 12:618569. [PMID: 34046029 PMCID: PMC8148013 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.618569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are effective drugs for treating immune-related diseases, but prolonged therapy is associated with an increased risk of various infectious diseases, including tuberculosis. In this study, we have used a larval zebrafish model for tuberculosis, based on Mycobacterium marinum (Mm) infection, to study the effect of glucocorticoids. Our results show that the synthetic glucocorticoid beclomethasone increases the bacterial burden and the dissemination of a systemic Mm infection. The exacerbated Mm infection was associated with a decreased phagocytic activity of macrophages, higher percentages of extracellular bacteria, and a reduced rate of infected cell death, whereas the bactericidal capacity of the macrophages was not affected. The inhibited phagocytic capacity of macrophages was associated with suppression of the transcription of genes involved in phagocytosis in these cells. The decreased bacterial phagocytosis by macrophages was not specific for Mm, since it was also observed upon infection with Salmonella Typhimurium. In conclusion, our results show that glucocorticoids inhibit the phagocytic activity of macrophages, which may increase the severity of bacterial infections like tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Xie
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jiajun Xie
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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11
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Sommer F, Torraca V, Xie Y, In 't Veld AE, Willemse J, Meijer AH. Disruption of Cxcr3 chemotactic signaling alters lysosomal function and renders macrophages more microbicidal. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109000. [PMID: 33852860 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotaxis and lysosomal function are closely intertwined processes essential for the inflammatory response and clearance of intracellular bacteria. We used the zebrafish model to examine the link between chemotactic signaling and lysosome physiology in macrophages during mycobacterial infection and wound-induced inflammation in vivo. Macrophages from zebrafish larvae carrying a mutation in a chemokine receptor of the Cxcr3 family display upregulated expression of vesicle trafficking and lysosomal genes and possess enlarged lysosomes that enhance intracellular bacterial clearance. This increased microbicidal capacity is phenocopied by inhibiting the lysosomal transcription factor EC, while its overexpression counteracts the protective effect of chemokine receptor mutation. Tracking macrophage migration in zebrafish revealed that lysosomes of chemokine receptor mutants accumulate in the front half of cells, preventing macrophage polarization during chemotaxis and reaching sites of inflammation. Our work shows that chemotactic signaling affects the bactericidal properties and localization during chemotaxis, key aspects of the inflammatory response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frida Sommer
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Vincenzo Torraca
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Yufei Xie
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Joost Willemse
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Annemarie H Meijer
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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12
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Pierson E, Wouters J. Biochemical characterization of phosphoserine phosphatase SerB2 from Mycobacterium marinum. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 530:739-744. [PMID: 32782143 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
SerB2 is an essential phosphoserine phosphatase (PSP) that has been shown to be involved in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) immune evasion mechanisms, and a drug target for the development of new antitubercular agents. A highly similar (91.0%) orthologous enzyme exists in the surrogate organism Mycobacterium marinum (Mma) and could have acquired similar properties. By homology modeling, we show that the two PSPs are expected to exhibit almost identical architectures. MmaSerB2 folds into a homodimer formed by two intertwined subunits including two ACT regulatory domains followed by a catalytic core typical of HAD (haloacid dehalogenase) phosphatases. Their in vitro catalytic properties are closely related as MmaSerB2 also depends on Mg2+ for the dephosphorylation of its substrate, O-phospho-l-serine (PS), and is most active at neutral pH and temperatures around 40 °C. Moreover, an enzyme kinetics study revealed that the enzyme is inhibited by PS as well, but at lower concentrations than MtbSerB2. Substrate inhibition could occur through the binding of PS in the second active site and/or at the ACT domains interface. Finally, previously described beta-carboline MtbSerB2 inhibitors also decrease the phosphatase activity of MmaSerB2. Altogether, these results provide useful information when M.marinum is used as a model to study immune evasion in tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Pierson
- Laboratoire de Chimie Biologique Structurale (CBS), Namur Medicine and Drug Innovation Center (NAMEDIC), Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur (UNamur), B-5000, Namur, Belgium.
| | - Johan Wouters
- Laboratoire de Chimie Biologique Structurale (CBS), Namur Medicine and Drug Innovation Center (NAMEDIC), Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur (UNamur), B-5000, Namur, Belgium
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13
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Krishnamoorthy G, Kaiser P, Abu Abed U, Weiner J, Moura-Alves P, Brinkmann V, Kaufmann SHE. FX11 limits Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth and potentiates bactericidal activity of isoniazid through host-directed activity. Dis Model Mech 2020; 13:dmm041954. [PMID: 32034005 PMCID: PMC7132771 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.041954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) mediates interconversion of pyruvate and lactate, and increased lactate turnover is exhibited by malignant and infected immune cells. Hypoxic lung granuloma in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected animals present elevated levels of Ldha and lactate. Such alterations in the metabolic milieu could influence the outcome of host-M. tuberculosis interactions. Given the central role of LDHA for tumorigenicity, targeting lactate metabolism is a promising approach for cancer therapy. Here, we sought to determine the importance of LDHA for tuberculosis (TB) disease progression and its potential as a target for host-directed therapy. To this end, we orally administered FX11, a known small-molecule NADH-competitive LDHA inhibitor, to M. tuberculosis-infected C57BL/6J mice and Nos2-/- mice with hypoxic necrotizing lung TB lesions. FX11 did not inhibit M. tuberculosis growth in aerobic/hypoxic liquid culture, but modestly reduced the pulmonary bacterial burden in C57BL/6J mice. Intriguingly, FX11 administration limited M. tuberculosis replication and onset of necrotic lung lesions in Nos2-/- mice. In this model, isoniazid (INH) monotherapy has been known to exhibit biphasic killing kinetics owing to the probable selection of an INH-tolerant bacterial subpopulation. However, adjunct FX11 treatment corrected this adverse effect and resulted in sustained bactericidal activity of INH against M. tuberculosis As a limitation, LDHA inhibition as an underlying cause of FX11-mediated effect could not be established as the on-target effect of FX11 in vivo was unconfirmed. Nevertheless, this proof-of-concept study encourages further investigation on the underlying mechanisms of LDHA inhibition and its significance in TB pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peggy Kaiser
- Department of Immunology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Ulrike Abu Abed
- Core Facility Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - January Weiner
- Department of Immunology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Pedro Moura-Alves
- Department of Immunology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin 10117, Germany
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Volker Brinkmann
- Core Facility Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Stefan H E Kaufmann
- Department of Immunology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin 10117, Germany
- Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3572, USA
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14
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Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenicity viewed through the lens of molecular Koch's postulates. Curr Opin Microbiol 2020; 54:103-110. [PMID: 32062573 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2020.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Thirty years ago Stanley Falkow formulated molecular Koch's postulates as a framework to help dissect the contribution of microbial genes to their pathogenicity (Box 1). Three years later, his advice led me to develop Mycobacterium marinum, a close genetic relative of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as a model for tuberculosis pathogenesis. Here, I discuss insights into M. tuberculosis pathogenicity from studying M. marinum in the zebrafish, and frame them in terms of molecular Koch's postulates. The highly orchestrated life cycle of M. tuberculosis is achieved in substantial measure not by "traditional" pathogen-exclusive virulence genes acquired along its evolutionary history, but rather by genes that are shared with its environmental ancestors. Together, these genes support its tactics of subterfuge and exploitation to overcome host immunity so as to produce the transmissible disease that ensures the evolutionary survival of this obligate human pathogen.
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15
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Knobloch P, Koliwer-Brandl H, Arnold FM, Hanna N, Gonda I, Adenau S, Personnic N, Barisch C, Seeger MA, Soldati T, Hilbi H. Mycobacterium marinum produces distinct mycobactin and carboxymycobactin siderophores to promote growth in broth and phagocytes. Cell Microbiol 2020; 22:e13163. [PMID: 31945239 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium marinum is a model organism for pathogenic Mycobacterium species, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis. These pathogens enter phagocytes and replicate within the Mycobacterium-containing vacuole, possibly followed by vacuole exit and growth in the host cell cytosol. Mycobacteria release siderophores called mycobactins to scavenge iron, an essential yet poorly soluble and available micronutrient. To investigate the role of M. marinum mycobactins, we purified by organic solvent extraction and identified by mass spectrometry the lipid-bound mycobactin (MBT) and the water-soluble variant carboxymycobactin (cMBT). Moreover, we generated by specialised phage transduction a defined M. marinum ΔmbtB deletion mutant predicted to be defective for mycobactin production. The M. marinum ΔmbtB mutant strain showed a severe growth defect in broth and phagocytes, which was partially complemented by supplying the mbtB gene on a plasmid. Furthermore, purified Fe-MBT or Fe-cMBT improved the growth of wild type as well as ΔmbtB mutant bacteria on minimal plates, but only Fe-cMBT promoted the growth of wild-type M. marinum during phagocyte infection. Finally, the intracellular growth of M. marinum ΔmbtB in Acanthamoeba castellanii amoebae was restored by coinfection with wild-type bacteria. Our study identifies and characterises the M. marinum MBT and cMBT siderophores and reveals the requirement of mycobactins for extra- and intracellular growth of the pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Knobloch
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Fabian M Arnold
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nabil Hanna
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Imre Gonda
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sophia Adenau
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Personnic
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Barisch
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Markus A Seeger
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Thierry Soldati
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hubert Hilbi
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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16
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Matsumoto M, Kubota T, Fujita S, Shiozaki K, Kishida S, Yamamoto A. Elucidation of the Interleukin 12 Production Mechanism during Intracellular Bacterial Infection in Amberjack, Seriola dumerili. Infect Immun 2019; 87:e00459-19. [PMID: 31501250 PMCID: PMC6803335 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00459-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular bacterial infections affect all vertebrates. Cultured fish are particularly vulnerable because no effective protection measures have been established since such infections emerged approximately 50 years ago. As in other vertebrates, the induction of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) plays an important role in protecting fish against infection. However, details of the mechanism of CMI induction in fish have not been clarified. In the present study, we focused on the production of interleukin 12 (IL-12), an important factor in CMI induction in fish. Using several different approaches, we investigated IL-12 regulation in amberjack (Seriola dumerili), the species most vulnerable to intracellular bacterial disease. The results of promoter assays and transcription factor gene expression analyses showed that the expression of interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) and activator protein-1 (AP-1) is necessary for IL-12 production. Phagocytosis of living cells (LCs) of Nocardia seriolae bacteria induced IL-12 production in neutrophils, accompanied by IRF-1 and AP-1 gene expression. Bacteria in which the exported repetitive protein (Erp)-like gene was deleted (Δerp-L) could not establish intracellular parasitism or induce IRF-1 and AP-1 expression or IL-12 production, despite being phagocytosed by neutrophils. These data suggest that IL-12 production is regulated by (i) two transcription factors, IRF-1 and AP-1, (ii) phagocytosis of LCs by neutrophils, and (iii) one or more cell components of LCs. Our results enhance the understanding of the immune response to intracellular bacterial infections in vertebrates and could facilitate the discovery of new agents to prevent intracellular bacterial disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megumi Matsumoto
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Taisei Kubota
- Faculty of Fisheries, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Sinsuke Fujita
- Faculty of Fisheries, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Shiozaki
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
- Faculty of Fisheries, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Shosei Kishida
- Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Atsushi Yamamoto
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
- Faculty of Fisheries, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
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17
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Koliwer‐Brandl H, Knobloch P, Barisch C, Welin A, Hanna N, Soldati T, Hilbi H. DistinctMycobacterium marinumphosphatases determine pathogen vacuole phosphoinositide pattern, phagosome maturation, and escape to the cytosol. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13008. [DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Koliwer‐Brandl
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical MicrobiologyUniversity of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Paulina Knobloch
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical MicrobiologyUniversity of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Caroline Barisch
- Faculty of Science, Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
| | - Amanda Welin
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical MicrobiologyUniversity of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Nabil Hanna
- Faculty of Science, Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
| | - Thierry Soldati
- Faculty of Science, Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
| | - Hubert Hilbi
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical MicrobiologyUniversity of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
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18
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Price RL, Bugeon L, Mostowy S, Makendi C, Wren BW, Williams HD, Willcocks SJ. In vitro and in vivo properties of the bovine antimicrobial peptide, Bactenecin 5. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210508. [PMID: 30625198 PMCID: PMC6326515 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMP), part of the innate immune system, are well studied for their ability to kill pathogenic microorganisms. However, many also possess important immunomodulatory effects, and this area has potential for the development of novel therapies to supplement traditional methods such as the use of antibiotics. Here, we characterise the microbicidal and immunomodulatory potential of the proline-rich bovine AMP, Bactenecin 5 (Bac5). We demonstrate broad antimicrobial activity, including against some mycobacterial species, which are important pathogens of fish, cattle and humans. Bac5 is able to activate macrophage-like THP-1 cells and can synergistically trigger the upregulation of tnf-α when co-stimulated with M. marinum. Furthermore, Bac5 sensitises A549 epithelial cells to stimulation with TNF-α. For the first time, we characterise the activity of Bac5 in vivo, and show it to be a potent chemokine for macrophages in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo model of infection. Bac5 also supports the early recruitment of neutrophils in the presence of M. marinum. In the absence of host adaptive immunity, exogenous injected Bac5 is able to slow, although not prevent, infection of zebrafish with M. marinum.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. L. Price
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - L. Bugeon
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - S. Mostowy
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - C. Makendi
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - B. W. Wren
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - H. D. Williams
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - S. J. Willcocks
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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19
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Basu Roy R, Sambou B, Uhía I, Roetynck S, Robertson BD, Kampmann B. An Auto-luminescent Fluorescent BCG Whole Blood Assay to Enable Evaluation of Paediatric Mycobacterial Responses Using Minimal Blood Volumes. Front Pediatr 2019; 7:151. [PMID: 31114771 PMCID: PMC6503113 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2019.00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Understanding protective human immunity against mycobacteria is critical to developing and evaluating new vaccines against tuberculosis. Children are the most susceptible population to infection, disease, and death from tuberculosis, but also have the strongest evidence of BCG-inducible protection. Limited amounts of blood can be obtained for research purposes in paediatrics and therefore there is a need for high-yield, low-volume, human immunology assays. Methods: We transformed BCG Danish with plasmids encoding luciferase full operon derived from Photorhabdus luminescens together with Green Fluorescent Protein and antibiotic selection markers. We characterised the luminescent and fluorescent properties of this recombinant BCG strain (BCG-GFP-LuxFO) using a luminometer and flow cytometry and developed a paediatric whole blood in vitro infection model. Results: Luminescence of BCG-GFP-LuxFO correlated with optical density (Spearman Rank Correlation coefficient r = 0.985, p < 0.0001) and colony forming units (CFUs) in liquid culture medium (r = 0.971, p < 0.0001). Fluorescence of BCG-GFP-LuxFO in paediatric whole blood was confirmed by flow cytometry in granulocytes and monocytes 1 h following infection. Luminescence of BCG-GFP-LuxFO in whole blood corresponded with CFUs (r = 0.7123, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The BCG-GFP-LuxFO assay requires 225 μL whole blood per sample, from which serial luminescence measurements can be obtained, together with biochemical analysis of supernatants and cellular assay applications using its fluorescent properties. This offers the opportunity to study human-mycobacterial interactions using multiple experimental modalities with only minimal blood volumes. It is therefore a valuable method for investigating paediatric immunity to tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robindra Basu Roy
- Department of Paediatrics, Centre for International Child Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Vaccines & Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Basil Sambou
- Vaccines & Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Iria Uhía
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Roetynck
- Vaccines & Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Brian D Robertson
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Beate Kampmann
- Department of Paediatrics, Centre for International Child Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Vaccines & Immunity Theme, MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Banjul, The Gambia.,Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, The Vaccine Centre, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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20
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An explant technique for high-resolution imaging and manipulation of mycobacterial granulomas. Nat Methods 2018; 15:1098-1107. [PMID: 30504889 PMCID: PMC6312189 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-018-0215-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A central and critical structure in tuberculosis, the mycobacterial granuloma consists of highly organized immune cells, including macrophages that drive granuloma formation through a characteristic epithelioid transformation. Difficulties in imaging within intact animals as well as the inherent caveats of in vitro assembly models have severely limited the study and experimental manipulation of mature granulomas. Here we describe a new ex vivo granuloma culture technique, wherein mature, fully organized granulomas are microdissected and maintained in three-dimensional culture. This approach, in which granulomas retain key bacterial and host characteristics, enables high-resolution microscopy of granuloma macrophage dynamics, including epithelioid macrophage motility and granuloma consolidation. Through mass spectrometry, we find active production of key phosphotidylinositol species identified previously in human granulomas. We describe a method to transfect isolated granulomas, enabling genetic manipulation. In addition, we provide proof-of-concept for host-directed small molecule screens, identifying PKC signaling as an important regulator of granuloma macrophage organization.
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21
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Abstract
The granuloma is the hallmark of tuberculosis and simultaneously signifies acquisition of an infection and induction of a host immune response. But who benefits more from the development of the granuloma, the host or the pathogen? Is microbe or man dictating disease course and progression? Mycobacterial diseases affect humans and animals alike, and the concepts presented in this review reflect host-pathogen interactions that influence not only mycobacterial granulomas in humans and animals but also other infectious granulomatous diseases that are encountered in veterinary medicine. Current dogma supports that an organized granuloma is a mark of an adequate and “restrictive” host immune response. However, the formation of a granuloma also provides a niche for the maturation, growth, and persistence of numerous infectious agents, and these pathogens devote some portion of their genetic machinery to ensuring these structures’ form. An understanding of pathogens’ contributions to granuloma formation can aid the development of host-directed therapies and other antimicrobial and antiparasitic therapies that can tip this balance in favor of a restrictive host response and elimination—not just containment—of the infectious organism. This review discusses animal models that have aided our understanding of pathogens’ contribution to the host response and how mycobacterial virulence genes direct host pathology in ways that may aid disease transmission and/or persistence in the form of latent infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J. Martinot
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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22
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Abstract
All bacteria utilize pathways to export proteins from the cytoplasm to the bacterial cell envelope or extracellular space. Many exported proteins function in essential physiological processes or in virulence. Consequently, the responsible protein export pathways are commonly essential and/or are important for pathogenesis. The general Sec protein export pathway is conserved and essential in all bacteria, and it is responsible for most protein export. The energy for Sec export is provided by the SecA ATPase. Mycobacteria and some Gram-positive bacteria have two SecA paralogs: SecA1 and SecA2. SecA1 is essential and works with the canonical Sec pathway to perform the bulk of protein export. The nonessential SecA2 exports a smaller subset of proteins and is required for the virulence of pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this article, we review our current understanding of the mechanism of the SecA1 and SecA2 export pathways and discuss some of their better-studied exported substrates. We focus on proteins with established functions in M. tuberculosis pathogenesis and proteins that suggest potential roles for SecA1 and SecA2 in M. tuberculosis dormancy.
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23
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Sullivan C, Matty MA, Jurczyszak D, Gabor KA, Millard PJ, Tobin DM, Kim CH. Infectious disease models in zebrafish. Methods Cell Biol 2016; 138:101-136. [PMID: 28129840 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2016.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has developed as an important alternative to mammalian models for the study of hostpathogen interactions. Because they lack a functional adaptive immune response during the first 4-6weeks of development, zebrafish rely upon innate immune responses to protect against injuries and infections. During this early period of development, it is possible to isolate and study mechanisms of infection and inflammation arising from the innate immune response without the complications presented by the adaptive immune response. Zebrafish possess several inherent characteristics that make them an attractive option to study hostpathogen interactions, including extensive sequence and functional conservation with the human genome, optical clarity in larvae that facilitates the high-resolution visualization of host cell-microbe interactions, a fully sequenced and annotated genome, robust forward and reverse genetic tools and techniques (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9 and TALENs), and amenability to chemical studies and screens. Here, we describe methods for studying hostpathogen interactions both through systemic infections and through localized infections that allow analysis of host cell response, migration patterns, and behavior. Each of the methods described can be modified for use in downstream applications that include ecotoxicant studies and chemical screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Sullivan
- University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States
| | - M A Matty
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | | | - K A Gabor
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, United States
| | - P J Millard
- University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States
| | - D M Tobin
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - C H Kim
- University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States
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24
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Interaction of Erp Protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with Rv2212 Enhances Intracellular Survival of Mycobacterium smegmatis. J Bacteriol 2016; 198:2841-52. [PMID: 27481930 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00120-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The Mycobacterium tuberculosis exported repetitive protein (RvErp) is a crucial virulence-associated factor as determined by its role in the survival and multiplication of mycobacteria in cultured macrophages and in vivo Although attempts have been made to understand the function of Erp protein, its exact role in Mycobacterium pathogenesis is still elusive. One way to determine this is by searching for novel interactions of RvErp. Using a yeast two-hybrid assay, an adenylyl cyclase (AC), Rv2212, was found to interact with RvErp. The interaction between RvErp and Rv2212 is direct and occurs at the endogenous level. The Erp protein of Mycobacterium smegmatis (MSMEG_6405, or MsErp) interacts neither with Rv2212 nor with Ms_4279, the M. smegmatis homologue of Rv2212. Deletion mutants of Rv2212 revealed its adenylyl cyclase domain to be responsible for the interaction. RvErp enhances Rv2212-mediated cyclic AMP (cAMP) production. Also, the biological significance of the interaction between RvErp and Rv2212 was demonstrated by the enhanced survival of M. smegmatis within THP-1 macrophages. Taken together, these studies address a novel mechanism by which Erp executes its function. IMPORTANCE RvErp is one of the important virulence factors of M. tuberculosis This study describes a novel function of RvErp protein of M. tuberculosis by identifying Rv2212 as its interacting protein. Rv2212 is an adenylyl cyclase (AC) and produces cAMP, one of the prime second messengers that regulate the intracellular survival of mycobacteria. Therefore, the significance of investigating novel interactions of RvErp is paramount in unraveling the mechanisms governing the intracellular survival of mycobacteria.
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25
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Pagán AJ, Yang CT, Cameron J, Swaim LE, Ellett F, Lieschke GJ, Ramakrishnan L. Myeloid Growth Factors Promote Resistance to Mycobacterial Infection by Curtailing Granuloma Necrosis through Macrophage Replenishment. Cell Host Microbe 2016; 18:15-26. [PMID: 26159717 PMCID: PMC4509513 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2015.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The mycobacterial ESX-1 virulence locus accelerates macrophage recruitment to the forming tuberculous granuloma. Newly recruited macrophages phagocytose previously infected apoptotic macrophages to become new bacterial growth niches. Granuloma macrophages can then necrose, releasing mycobacteria into the extracellular milieu, which potentiates their growth even further. Using zebrafish with genetic or pharmacologically induced macrophage deficiencies, we find that global macrophage deficits increase susceptibility to mycobacterial infection by accelerating granuloma necrosis. This is because reduction in the macrophage supply below a critical threshold decreases granuloma macrophage replenishment to the point where apoptotic infected macrophages, failing to get engulfed, necrose. Reducing macrophage demand by removing bacterial ESX-1 offsets the susceptibility of macrophage deficits. Conversely, increasing macrophage supply in wild-type fish by overexpressing myeloid growth factors induces resistance by curtailing necrosis. These findings may explain the susceptibility of humans with mononuclear cytopenias to mycobacterial infections and highlight the therapeutic potential of myeloid growth factors in tuberculosis. Myeloid deficiencies increase innate immune susceptibility to mycobacterial infection Depletion of macrophage supply below a critical threshold hastens granuloma necrosis Increasing macrophage supply to the granuloma delays granuloma necrosis
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio J Pagán
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK; Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Chao-Tsung Yang
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - James Cameron
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Laura E Swaim
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Felix Ellett
- Cancer and Haematology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Graham J Lieschke
- Cancer and Haematology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Lalita Ramakrishnan
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK; Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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26
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Abstract
Zebrafish larvae are a powerful platform for studying the innate immune response to infection. The small size and optical transparency of larval zebrafish allow for multiple subject, multidimensional, and longitudinal imaging experiments. This chapter describes protocols for infecting zebrafish larvae with their natural pathogen Mycobacterium marinum, rapid short-term imaging, long-term extended imaging, and drug treatment assays. These protocols can be easily adapted to image and manipulate host interactions with other pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly A Matty
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for Host-Microbial Interactions, Duke University Medical Center, 219 Jones Building, Box 3020 DUMC, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- University Program in Genetics and Genomics, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Stefan H Oehlers
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for Host-Microbial Interactions, Duke University Medical Center, 219 Jones Building, Box 3020 DUMC, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - David M Tobin
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for Host-Microbial Interactions, Duke University Medical Center, 219 Jones Building, Box 3020 DUMC, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
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27
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Hodgkinson JW, Ge JQ, Katzenback BA, Havixbeck JJ, Barreda DR, Stafford JL, Belosevic M. Development of an in vitro model system to study the interactions between Mycobacterium marinum and teleost neutrophils. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 53:349-357. [PMID: 26231477 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2015.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The lack of a reliable mammalian neutrophil in vitro culture system has restricted our ability to examine their precise roles in mycobacterial infections. Previously, we developed the procedures for the isolation and culture of primary kidney-derived neutrophil-like cells from goldfish that are functionally and morphologically similar to mammalian neutrophils. The cultured primary goldfish neutrophils exhibited prolonged viability and functional effector responses. In this study, we demonstrate that when exposed to live or heat-killed Mycobacterium marinum, goldfish neutrophils increased their mRNA levels for several pro-inflammatory cytokines (il-1β1, il-1β2, tnfα-1, tnfα-2) and the cytokine receptors (ifngr1-1, tnfr1, tnfr2). These neutrophils also exhibited chemotaxis toward live mycobacteria, internalized the bacilli, and produced reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) in response to pathogen exposure. The survival of intracellular mycobacteria was significantly reduced in activated neutrophils, indicating a robust killing response by these teleost granulocytes. We suggest that this goldfish primary neutrophil in vitro model system will provide important information regarding neutrophil-mediated host defense mechanisms against mycobacteria in teleosts as well as in higher vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan W Hodgkinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jun-Qing Ge
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Barbara A Katzenback
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jeffrey J Havixbeck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Daniel R Barreda
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Department of Agricultural Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - James L Stafford
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Miodrag Belosevic
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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28
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Harvie EA, Huttenlocher A. Neutrophils in host defense: new insights from zebrafish. J Leukoc Biol 2015; 98:523-37. [PMID: 25717145 PMCID: PMC4569048 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.4mr1114-524r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are highly motile phagocytic cells that play a critical role in the immune response to infection. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are increasingly used to study neutrophil function and host-pathogen interactions. The generation of transgenic zebrafish lines with fluorescently labeled leukocytes has made it possible to visualize the neutrophil response to infection in real time by use of optically transparent zebrafish larvae. In addition, the genetic tractability of zebrafish has allowed for the generation of models of inherited neutrophil disorders. In this review, we discuss several zebrafish models of infectious disease, both in the context of immunocompetent, as well as neutrophil-deficient hosts and how these models have shed light on neutrophil behavior during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Harvie
- *Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, Departments of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Anna Huttenlocher
- *Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, Departments of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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29
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Abstract
Despite efforts to generate new vaccines and antibiotics for tuberculosis, the disease remains a public health problem worldwide. The zebrafish Danio rerio has emerged as a useful model to investigate mycobacterial pathogenesis and treatment. Infection of zebrafish with Mycobacterium marinum, the closest relative of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, recapitulates many aspects of human tuberculosis. The zebrafish model affords optical transparency, abundant genetic tools and in vivo imaging of the progression of infection. Here, we review how the zebrafish–M. marinum system has been deployed to make novel observations about the role of innate immunity, the tuberculous granuloma, and crucial host and bacterial genes. Finally, we assess how these findings relate to human disease and provide a framework for novel strategies to treat tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Cronan
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - David M Tobin
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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30
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López Hernández Y, Yero D, Pinos-Rodríguez JM, Gibert I. Animals devoid of pulmonary system as infection models in the study of lung bacterial pathogens. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:38. [PMID: 25699030 PMCID: PMC4316775 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological disease models can be difficult and costly to develop and use on a routine basis. Particularly, in vivo lung infection models performed to study lung pathologies use to be laborious, demand a great time and commonly are associated with ethical issues. When infections in experimental animals are used, they need to be refined, defined, and validated for their intended purpose. Therefore, alternative and easy to handle models of experimental infections are still needed to test the virulence of bacterial lung pathogens. Because non-mammalian models have less ethical and cost constraints as a subjects for experimentation, in some cases would be appropriated to include these models as valuable tools to explore host-pathogen interactions. Numerous scientific data have been argued to the more extensive use of several kinds of alternative models, such as, the vertebrate zebrafish (Danio rerio), and non-vertebrate insects and nematodes (e.g., Caenorhabditis elegans) in the study of diverse infectious agents that affect humans. Here, we review the use of these vertebrate and non-vertebrate models in the study of bacterial agents, which are considered the principal causes of lung injury. Curiously none of these animals have a respiratory system as in air-breathing vertebrates, where respiration takes place in lungs. Despite this fact, with the present review we sought to provide elements in favor of the use of these alternative animal models of infection to reveal the molecular signatures of host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamilé López Hernández
- Centro de Biociencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí San Luis de Potosí, Mexico
| | - Daniel Yero
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain ; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan M Pinos-Rodríguez
- Centro de Biociencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí San Luis de Potosí, Mexico
| | - Isidre Gibert
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain ; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
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31
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van Leeuwen LM, van der Sar AM, Bitter W. Animal models of tuberculosis: zebrafish. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2014; 5:a018580. [PMID: 25414379 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a018580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become an attractive new vertebrate model organism for studying mycobacterial pathogenesis. The combination of medium-throughput screening and real-time in vivo visualization has allowed new ways to dissect host pathogenic interaction in a vertebrate host. Furthermore, genetic screens on the host and bacterial sides have elucidated new mechanisms involved in the initiation of granuloma formation and the importance of a balanced immune response for control of mycobacterial pathogens. This article will highlight the unique features of the zebrafish-Mycobacterium marinum infection model and its added value for tuberculosis research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisanne M van Leeuwen
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection control, VU University Medical Center, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid M van der Sar
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wilbert Bitter
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands Department of Molecular Microbiology, VU University, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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32
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Pagán AJ, Ramakrishnan L. Immunity and Immunopathology in the Tuberculous Granuloma. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2014; 5:cshperspect.a018499. [PMID: 25377142 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a018499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Granulomas, organized aggregates of immune cells, are a defining feature of tuberculosis (TB). Granuloma formation is implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of inflammatory disorders. However, the tuberculous granuloma has been assigned the role of a host protective structure which "walls-off" mycobacteria. Work conducted over the past decade has provided a more nuanced view of its role in pathogenesis. On the one hand, pathogenic mycobacteria accelerate and exploit granuloma formation for their expansion and dissemination by manipulating host immune responses to turn leukocyte recruitment and cell death pathways in their favor. On the other hand, granuloma macrophages can preserve granuloma integrity by exerting a microbicidal immune response, thus preventing an even more rampant expansion of infection in the extracellular milieu. Even this host-beneficial immune response required to maintain the bacteria intracellular must be tempered, as an overly vigorous immune response can also cause granuloma breakdown, thereby directly supporting bacterial growth extracellularly. This review will discuss how mycobacteria manipulate inflammatory responses to drive granuloma formation and will consider the roles of the granuloma in pathogenesis and protective immunity, drawing from clinical studies of TB in humans and from animal models--rodents, zebrafish, and nonhuman primates. A deeper understanding of TB pathogenesis and immunity in the granuloma could suggest therapeutic approaches to abrogate the host-detrimental aspects of granuloma formation to convert it into the host-beneficial structure that it has been thought to be for nearly a century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio J Pagán
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Lalita Ramakrishnan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
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33
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Hyper-attenuated MTBVAC erp mutant protects against tuberculosis in mice. Vaccine 2014; 32:5192-7. [PMID: 25066740 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.07.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Revised: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Safety of individuals at risk of immune suppression is an important concern for live vaccines. The new-generation tuberculosis vaccine candidate MTBVAC, a genetically engineered doubly attenuated Mycobacterium tuberculosis mutant with deletions in phoP and fadD26 virulence genes has demonstrated comparable safety in different relevant animal models and superior protection in mice as compared to the only currently licensed tuberculosis vaccine Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Here we describe the construction of a highly attenuated MTBVAC-based live vaccine by an additional gene inactivation generated in erp of MTBVAC. The gene product of erp is an exported repeated protein (Erp), a virulence factor described to be involved in intracellular replication of M. tuberculosis. The resultant strain, MTBVAC erp(-), was tested in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mouse model showing to be severely attenuated when compared to BCG and MTBVAC. Experiments conducted in immunocompetent mice revealed that the hyper-attenuated profile observed with MTBVAC erp(-) strain did not compromise its protective efficacy profile in comparison with BCG. These results postulate MTBVAC erp(-) as a potential tuberculosis vaccine candidate for use in high-risk populations of immune suppression (e.g., due to HIV infection), where the use of BCG is not recommended.
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34
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Jayachandran R, BoseDasgupta S, Pieters J. Surviving the macrophage: tools and tricks employed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2014; 374:189-209. [PMID: 23154833 DOI: 10.1007/82_2012_273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis has evolved to withstand one of the most inhospitable cells within the human body, namely the macrophage, a cell that is normally geared toward the destruction of any invading microbe. How M. tuberculosis achieves this is still incompletely understood; however, a number of mechanisms are now known that provide advantages to M. tuberculosis for its survival and proliferation inside the macrophage. While some of these mechanisms are mediated by factors released by M. tuberculosis, others rely on host components that are being hijacked to benefit survival of M. tuberculosis within the macrophage as well to avoid the generation of an effective immune response. Here, we describe several of these mechanisms, also pointing out the potential usage of this knowledge toward the development of novel strategies to treat tuberculosis. Furthermore, we attempt to put the 'macrophage niche' into context with other intracellular pathogens and discuss some of the generalities as well as specializations that M. tuberculosis employs to survive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh Jayachandran
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
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35
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Slany M. A new cultivation-independent tool for fast and reliable detection of Mycobacterium marinum. JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES 2014; 37:363-369. [PMID: 23634824 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 03/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The Mycobacterium marinum group (MMG) is a class of mycobacteria that includes M. marinum, the cause of chronic systemic infections in fish. This species occasionally causes granulomatous skin lesions in humans. Other members of MMG are mycolactone-producing mycobacteria (MPM; M. ulcerans, M. shottsii and M. pseudoshottsii). The cultivation-independent approach presented in this study brings a fast and reliable alternative to classically used cultivation methods. The developed triplex erp/IS2404 qPCR assay is based on a primary species-specific erp detection, which allows enumeration of MMG in analysed samples, and secondary IS2404 detection is suitable for the differentiation of M. marinum from MPM. The detection of M. marinum in clinical specimens and in artificially contaminated tissue samples has proven its applicability for diagnostic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Slany
- Mycobacteriology Unit, O.I.E. Reference laboratories for Paratuberculosis and Avian Tuberculosis, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
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36
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Grayfer L, Hodgkinson JW, Belosevic M. Antimicrobial responses of teleost phagocytes and innate immune evasion strategies of intracellular bacteria. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 43:223-42. [PMID: 23954721 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2013.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2013] [Revised: 08/02/2013] [Accepted: 08/03/2013] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
During infection, macrophage lineage cells eliminate infiltrating pathogens through a battery of antimicrobial responses, where the efficacy of these innate immune responses is pivotal to immunological outcomes. Not surprisingly, many intracellular pathogens have evolved mechanisms to overcome macrophage defenses, using these immune cells as residences and dissemination strategies. With pathogenic infections causing increasing detriments to both aquacultural and wild fish populations, it is imperative to garner greater understanding of fish phagocyte antimicrobial responses and the mechanisms by which aquatic pathogens are able to overcome these teleost macrophage barriers. Insights into the regulation of macrophage immunity of bony fish species will lend to the development of more effective aquacultural prophylaxis as well as broadening our understanding of the evolution of these immune processes. Accordingly, this review focuses on recent advances in the understanding of teleost macrophage antimicrobial responses and the strategies by which intracellular fish pathogens are able to avoid being killed by phagocytes, with a focus on Mycobacterium marinum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Grayfer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Miodrag Belosevic
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada; School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
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37
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Mycobacterium abscessus cording prevents phagocytosis and promotes abscess formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:E943-52. [PMID: 24567393 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1321390111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium abscessus is a rapidly growing Mycobacterium causing a wide spectrum of clinical syndromes. It now is recognized as a pulmonary pathogen to which cystic fibrosis patients have a particular susceptibility. The M. abscessus rough (R) variant, devoid of cell-surface glycopeptidolipids (GPLs), causes more severe clinical disease than the smooth (S) variant, but the underlying mechanisms of R-variant virulence remain obscure. Exploiting the optical transparency of zebrafish embryos, we observed that the increased virulence of the M. abscessus R variant compared with the S variant correlated with the loss of GPL production. The virulence of the R variant involved the massive production of serpentine cords, absent during S-variant infection, and the cords initiated abscess formation leading to rapid larval death. Cording occurred within the vasculature and was highly pronounced in the central nervous system (CNS). It appears that M. abscessus is transported to the CNS within macrophages. The release of M. abscessus from apoptotic macrophages initiated the formation of cords that grew too large to be phagocytized by macrophages or neutrophils. This study is a description of the crucial role of cording in the in vivo physiopathology of M. abscessus infection and emphasizes cording as a mechanism of immune evasion.
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38
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Hingley-Wilson SM, Connell D, Pollock K, Hsu T, Tchilian E, Sykes A, Grass L, Potiphar L, Bremang S, Kon OM, Jacobs WR, Lalvani A. ESX1-dependent fractalkine mediates chemotaxis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in humans. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2014; 94:262-70. [PMID: 24631198 PMCID: PMC4066952 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2014.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Revised: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis-induced cellular aggregation is essential for granuloma formation and may assist establishment and early spread of M. tuberculosis infection. The M. tuberculosis ESX1 mutant, which has a non-functional type VII secretion system, induced significantly less production of the host macrophage-derived chemokine fractalkine (CX3CL1). Upon infection of human macrophages ESX1-dependent fractalkine production mediated selective recruitment of CD11b+ monocytic cells and increased infection of neighbouring cells consistent with early local spread of infection. Fractalkine levels were raised in vivo at tuberculous disease sites in humans and were significantly associated with increased CD11b+ monocytic cellular recruitment and extent of granulomatous disease. These findings suggest a novel fractalkine-dependent ESX1-mediated mechanism in early tuberculous disease pathogenesis in humans. Modulation of M. tuberculosis-mediated fractalkine induction may represent a potential treatment option in the future, perhaps allowing us to switch off a key mechanism required by the pathogen to spread between cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne M Hingley-Wilson
- Tuberculosis Research Centre, Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom.
| | - David Connell
- Tuberculosis Research Centre, Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
| | - Katrina Pollock
- Tuberculosis Research Centre, Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
| | - Tsungda Hsu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Elma Tchilian
- University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3SY, United Kingdom
| | - Anny Sykes
- Tuberculosis Service, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare, National Health Service Trust, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Grass
- Tuberculosis Research Centre, Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
| | - Lee Potiphar
- Tuberculosis Research Centre, Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Bremang
- Tuberculosis Research Centre, Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
| | - Onn Min Kon
- Tuberculosis Service, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare, National Health Service Trust, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
| | - William R Jacobs
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ajit Lalvani
- Tuberculosis Research Centre, Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
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Kicka S, Trofimov V, Harrison C, Ouertatani-Sakouhi H, McKinney J, Scapozza L, Hilbi H, Cosson P, Soldati T. Establishment and validation of whole-cell based fluorescence assays to identify anti-mycobacterial compounds using the Acanthamoeba castellanii-Mycobacterium marinum host-pathogen system. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87834. [PMID: 24498207 PMCID: PMC3909256 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2013] [Accepted: 12/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis is considered to be one of the world’s deadliest disease with 2 million deaths each year. The need for new antitubercular drugs is further exacerbated by the emergence of drug-resistance strains. Despite multiple recent efforts, the majority of the hits discovered by traditional target-based screening showed low efficiency in vivo. Therefore, there is heightened demand for whole-cell based approaches directly using host-pathogen systems. The phenotypic host-pathogen assay described here is based on the monitoring of GFP-expressing Mycobacterium marinum during infection of the amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii. The assay showed straight-forward medium-throughput scalability, robustness and ease of manipulation, demonstrating its qualities as an efficient compound screening system. Validation with a series of known antitubercular compounds highlighted the advantages of the assay in comparison to previously published macrophage-Mycobacterium tuberculosis-based screening systems. Combination with secondary growth assays based on either GFP-expressing D. discoideum or M. marinum allowed us to further fine-tune compound characterization by distinguishing and quantifying growth inhibition, cytotoxic properties and antibiotic activities of the compounds. The simple and relatively low cost system described here is most suitable to detect anti-infective compounds, whether they present antibiotic activities or not, in which case they might exert anti-virulence or host defense boosting activities, both of which are largely overlooked by classical screening approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Kicka
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Valentin Trofimov
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Hajer Ouertatani-Sakouhi
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - John McKinney
- Global Health Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Scapozza
- Pharmaceutical Biochemistry Group, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, EPGL, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hubert Hilbi
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Pierre Cosson
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Thierry Soldati
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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40
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Cambier CJ, Takaki KK, Larson RP, Hernandez RE, Tobin DM, Urdahl KB, Cosma CL, Ramakrishnan L. Mycobacteria manipulate macrophage recruitment through coordinated use of membrane lipids. Nature 2013; 505:218-22. [PMID: 24336213 PMCID: PMC3961847 DOI: 10.1038/nature12799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the cause of human tuberculosis (TB), depends on its ability to invade the host, replicate, and transmit infection. At its initial peripheral infection site in the distal lung airways, M. tuberculosis infects macrophages which transport it to deeper tissues1. How mycobacteria survive in these broadly microbicidal cells is an important question. Here we show that M. tuberculosis, and its close pathogenic relative Mycobacterium marinum, preferentially recruit and infect permissive macrophages while evading microbicidal ones. This immune evasion is accomplished by using cell surface associated phthiocerol dimycoceroserate (PDIM) lipids2 to mask underlying pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). In the absence of PDIM, these PAMPs signal a toll-like receptor (TLR)-dependent recruitment of macrophages that produce microbicidal reactive nitrogen species. Concordantly, the related phenolic glycolipids (PGL)2, promote recruitment of permissive macrophages via a host chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2)-mediated pathway. Thus, we have identified coordinated roles for PDIM, known to be essential for mycobacterial virulence3 and PGL, which (along with CCR2) is known to be associated with human TB4,5. Our findings also suggest an explanation for the longstanding observation that M. tuberculosis initiates infection in the relatively sterile environment of the lower respiratory tract, rather than in the upper respiratory tract, where resident microflora and inhaled environmental microbes may continually recruit microbicidal macrophages through TLR-dependent signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Cambier
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Kevin K Takaki
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Ryan P Larson
- 1] Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA [2] Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Rafael E Hernandez
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - David M Tobin
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Kevin B Urdahl
- 1] Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA [2] Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA [3] Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Christine L Cosma
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Lalita Ramakrishnan
- 1] Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA [2] Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA [3] Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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Tobin DM, Roca FJ, Ray JP, Ko DC, Ramakrishnan L. An enzyme that inactivates the inflammatory mediator leukotriene b4 restricts mycobacterial infection. PLoS One 2013; 8:e67828. [PMID: 23874453 PMCID: PMC3708926 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
While tuberculosis susceptibility has historically been ascribed to failed inflammation, it is now known that an excess of leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H), which catalyzes the final step in leukotriene B4 (LTB4) synthesis, produces a hyperinflammatory state and tuberculosis susceptibility. Here we show that the LTB4-inactivating enzyme leukotriene B4 dehydrogenase/prostaglandin reductase 1 (LTB4DH/PTGR1) restricts inflammation and independently confers resistance to tuberculous infection. LTB4DH overexpression counters the susceptibility resulting from LTA4H excess while ltb4dh-deficient animals can be rescued pharmacologically by LTB4 receptor antagonists. These data place LTB4DH as a key modulator of TB susceptibility and suggest new tuberculosis therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Tobin
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Center for AIDS Research, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DT); (LR)
| | - Francisco J. Roca
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - John P. Ray
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Dennis C. Ko
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Center for AIDS Research, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Lalita Ramakrishnan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DT); (LR)
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Takaki K, Davis JM, Winglee K, Ramakrishnan L. Evaluation of the pathogenesis and treatment of Mycobacterium marinum infection in zebrafish. Nat Protoc 2013; 8:1114-24. [PMID: 23680983 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2013.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterium marinum-infected zebrafish are used to study tuberculosis pathogenesis, as well as for antitubercular drug discovery. The small size of zebrafish larvae coupled with their optical transparency allows for rapid analysis of bacterial burdens and host survival in response to genetic and pharmacological manipulations of both mycobacteria and host. Automated fluorescence microscopy and automated plate fluorimetry (APF) are coupled with facile husbandry to facilitate large-scale, repeated analysis of individual infected fish. Both methods allow for in vivo screening of chemical libraries, requiring only 0.1 μmol of drug per fish to assess efficacy; they also permit a more detailed evaluation of the individual stages of tuberculosis pathogenesis. Here we describe a 16-h protocol spanning 22 d, in which zebrafish larvae are infected via the two primary injection sites, the hindbrain ventricle and caudal vein; this is followed by the high-throughput evaluation of pathogenesis and antimicrobial efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Takaki
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Yang CT, Cambier CJ, Davis JM, Hall CJ, Crosier PS, Ramakrishnan L. Neutrophils exert protection in the early tuberculous granuloma by oxidative killing of mycobacteria phagocytosed from infected macrophages. Cell Host Microbe 2013; 12:301-12. [PMID: 22980327 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2012.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2012] [Revised: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 07/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Neutrophils are typically the first responders in host defense against invading pathogens, which they destroy by both oxidative and nonoxidative mechanisms. However, despite a longstanding recognition of neutrophil presence at disease sites in tuberculosis, their role in defense against mycobacteria is unclear. Here we exploit the genetic tractability and optical transparency of zebrafish to monitor neutrophil behavior and its consequences during infection with Mycobacterium marinum, a natural fish pathogen. In contrast to macrophages, neutrophils do not interact with mycobacteria at initial infection sites. Neutrophils are subsequently recruited to the nascent granuloma in response to signals from dying infected macrophages within the granuloma, which they phagocytose. Some neutrophils then rapidly kill the internalized mycobacteria through NADPH oxidase-dependent mechanisms. Our results provide a mechanistic link to the observed patterns of neutrophils in human tuberculous granulomas and the susceptibility of humans with chronic granulomatous disease to mycobacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Tsung Yang
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Takaki K, Cosma CL, Troll MA, Ramakrishnan L. An in vivo platform for rapid high-throughput antitubercular drug discovery. Cell Rep 2012; 2:175-84. [PMID: 22840407 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2012.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2012] [Revised: 05/18/2012] [Accepted: 06/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment of tuberculosis, like other infectious diseases, is increasingly hindered by the emergence of drug resistance. Drug discovery efforts would be facilitated by facile screening tools that incorporate the complexities of human disease. Mycobacterium marinum-infected zebrafish larvae recapitulate key aspects of tuberculosis pathogenesis and drug treatment. Here, we develop a model for rapid in vivo drug screening using fluorescence-based methods for serial quantitative assessment of drug efficacy and toxicity. We provide proof-of-concept that both traditional bacterial-targeting antitubercular drugs and newly identified host-targeting drugs would be discovered through the use of this model. We demonstrate the model's utility for the identification of synergistic combinations of antibacterial drugs and demonstrate synergy between bacterial- and host-targeting compounds. Thus, the platform can be used to identify new antibacterial agents and entirely new classes of drugs that thwart infection by targeting host pathways. The methods developed here should be widely applicable to small-molecule screens for other infectious and noninfectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Takaki
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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45
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Tobin DM, Roca FJ, Oh SF, McFarland R, Vickery TW, Ray JP, Ko DC, Zou Y, Bang ND, Chau TTH, Vary JC, Hawn TR, Dunstan SJ, Farrar JJ, Thwaites GE, King MC, Serhan CN, Ramakrishnan L. Host genotype-specific therapies can optimize the inflammatory response to mycobacterial infections. Cell 2012; 148:434-46. [PMID: 22304914 PMCID: PMC3433720 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 431] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2011] [Revised: 10/07/2011] [Accepted: 12/08/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Susceptibility to tuberculosis is historically ascribed to an inadequate immune response that fails to control infecting mycobacteria. In zebrafish, we find that susceptibility to Mycobacterium marinum can result from either inadequate or excessive acute inflammation. Modulation of the leukotriene A(4) hydrolase (LTA4H) locus, which controls the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory eicosanoids, reveals two distinct molecular routes to mycobacterial susceptibility converging on dysregulated TNF levels: inadequate inflammation caused by excess lipoxins and hyperinflammation driven by excess leukotriene B(4). We identify therapies that specifically target each of these extremes. In humans, we identify a single nucleotide polymorphism in the LTA4H promoter that regulates its transcriptional activity. In tuberculous meningitis, the polymorphism is associated with inflammatory cell recruitment, patient survival and response to adjunctive anti-inflammatory therapy. Together, our findings suggest that host-directed therapies tailored to patient LTA4H genotypes may counter detrimental effects of either extreme of inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Tobin
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Francisco J. Roca
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Sungwhan F. Oh
- Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Ross McFarland
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Thad W. Vickery
- Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - John P. Ray
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Dennis C. Ko
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Yuxia Zou
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Nguyen D. Bang
- Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital for Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Tran T. H. Chau
- Hospital for Tropical Diseases, 190 Ben Ham Tu, Quan 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Jay C. Vary
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Thomas R. Hawn
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Sarah J. Dunstan
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, 190 Ben Ham Tu, Quan 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK
| | - Jeremy J. Farrar
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, 190 Ben Ham Tu, Quan 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK
| | - Guy E. Thwaites
- Kings College London, Centre for Clinical Infection and Diagnostics Research, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Mary-Claire King
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Charles N. Serhan
- Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Lalita Ramakrishnan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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46
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Meijer AH, Spaink HP. Host-pathogen interactions made transparent with the zebrafish model. Curr Drug Targets 2011; 12:1000-17. [PMID: 21366518 PMCID: PMC3319919 DOI: 10.2174/138945011795677809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2010] [Accepted: 10/21/2010] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The zebrafish holds much promise as a high-throughput drug screening model for immune-related diseases, including inflammatory and infectious diseases and cancer. This is due to the excellent possibilities for in vivo imaging in combination with advanced tools for genomic and large scale mutant analysis. The context of the embryo’s developing immune system makes it possible to study the contribution of different immune cell types to disease progression. Furthermore, due to the temporal separation of innate immunity from adaptive responses, zebrafish embryos and larvae are particularly useful for dissecting the innate host factors involved in pathology. Recent studies have underscored the remarkable similarity of the zebrafish and human immune systems, which is important for biomedical applications. This review is focused on the use of zebrafish as a model for infectious diseases, with emphasis on bacterial pathogens. Following a brief overview of the zebrafish immune system and the tools and methods used to study host-pathogen interactions in zebrafish, we discuss the current knowledge on receptors and downstream signaling components that are involved in the zebrafish embryo’s innate immune response. We summarize recent insights gained from the use of bacterial infection models, particularly the Mycobacterium marinum model, that illustrate the potential of the zebrafish model for high-throughput antimicrobial drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie H Meijer
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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47
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Miller CH, O'Toole RF. Navigating tuberculosis drug discovery with target-based screening. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2011; 6:839-54. [DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2011.586999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Alibaud L, Rombouts Y, Trivelli X, Burguière A, Cirillo SLG, Cirillo JD, Dubremetz JF, Guérardel Y, Lutfalla G, Kremer L. A Mycobacterium marinum TesA mutant defective for major cell wall-associated lipids is highly attenuated in Dictyostelium discoideum and zebrafish embryos. Mol Microbiol 2011; 80:919-34. [PMID: 21375593 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07618.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Infection of the zebrafish with Mycobacterium marinum is regarded as a well-established experimental model to study the pathogenicity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Herein, a M. marinum transposon mutant library was screened for attenuated M. marinum phenotypes using a Dictyostelium discoideum assay. In one attenuated mutant, the transposon was located within tesA, encoding a putative type II thioesterase. Thin-layer chromatography analyses indicated that the tesA::Tn mutant failed to produce two major cell wall-associated lipids. Mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance clearly established the nature of missing lipids as phthioglycol diphthioceranates and phenolic glycolipids, respectively, indicating that TesA is required for the synthesis of both lipids. When injected into the zebrafish embryo bloodstream, the mutant was found to be highly attenuated, thus validating the performance and relevance of the Dictyostelium screen. Consistent with these in vivo findings, tesA::Tn exhibited increased permeability defects in vitro, which may explain its failure to survive in host macrophages. Unexpectedly, virulence was retained when bacteria were injected into the notochord. Histological and ultrastructural studies of the infected notochord revealed the presence of actively proliferating mycobacteria, leading to larval death. This work presents for the first time the notochord as a compartment highly susceptible to mycobacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laeticia Alibaud
- Laboratoire de Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, Université de Montpellier II et I, CNRS; UMR 5235, case 107, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
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Identification of a glycosyltransferase from Mycobacterium marinum involved in addition of a caryophyllose moiety in lipooligosaccharides. J Bacteriol 2011; 193:2336-40. [PMID: 21378187 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00065-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Deletion of Mycobacterium marinum MMAR2333 resulted in the loss of three of four subclasses of lipooligosaccharides (LOSs). The mutant was unable to extend an intermediate (LOS-II*) by addition of caryophyllose. These data and the predicted domain structure suggest that MMAR2333 is a glycosyltransferase involved in the generation of a lipid-linked caryophyllose donor.
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50
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Adams KN, Takaki K, Connolly LE, Wiedenhoft H, Winglee K, Humbert O, Edelstein PH, Cosma CL, Ramakrishnan L. Drug tolerance in replicating mycobacteria mediated by a macrophage-induced efflux mechanism. Cell 2011; 145:39-53. [PMID: 21376383 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 390] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2010] [Revised: 11/09/2010] [Accepted: 02/01/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Treatment of tuberculosis, a complex granulomatous disease, requires long-term multidrug therapy to overcome tolerance, an epigenetic drug resistance that is widely attributed to nonreplicating bacterial subpopulations. Here, we deploy Mycobacterium marinum-infected zebrafish larvae for in vivo characterization of antitubercular drug activity and tolerance. We describe the existence of multidrug-tolerant organisms that arise within days of infection, are enriched in the replicating intracellular population, and are amplified and disseminated by the tuberculous granuloma. Bacterial efflux pumps that are required for intracellular growth mediate this macrophage-induced tolerance. This tolerant population also develops when Mycobacterium tuberculosis infects cultured macrophages, suggesting that it contributes to the burden of drug tolerance in human tuberculosis. Efflux pump inhibitors like verapamil reduce this tolerance. Thus, the addition of this currently approved drug or more specific efflux pump inhibitors to standard antitubercular therapy should shorten the duration of curative treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin N Adams
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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