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Bongiovanni M, Cavallo C, Barda B, Strulak L, Bernasconi E, Cardia A. Clinical Findings of Listeria monocytogenes Infections with a Special Focus on Bone Localizations. Microorganisms 2024; 12:178. [PMID: 38258004 PMCID: PMC10821090 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive pathogenic bacterium which can be found in soil or water. Infection with the microorganism can occur after ingestion of contaminated food products. Small and large outbreaks of listeriosis have been described in the past. L. monocytogenes can cause a number of different clinical syndromes, most frequently sepsis, meningitis, and rhombencephalitis, particularly in immunocompromised hosts. L. monocytogenes systemic infections can develop following tissue penetration across the gastrointestinal tract or to hematogenous spread to sterile sites, possibly evolving towards bacteremia. L. monocytogenes only rarely causes bone or joint infections, usually in the context of prosthetic material that can provide a site for bacterial seeding. We describe here the clinical findings of invasive listeriosis, mainly focusing on the diagnosis, clinical management, and treatment of bone and vertebral infections occurring in the context of invasive listeriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Bongiovanni
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland; (B.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Claudio Cavallo
- Division of Neurosurgery, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland; (C.C.); (L.S.)
| | - Beatrice Barda
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland; (B.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Lukasz Strulak
- Division of Neurosurgery, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland; (C.C.); (L.S.)
| | - Enos Bernasconi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland; (B.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Andrea Cardia
- Division of Neurosurgery, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland; (C.C.); (L.S.)
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Sugar Modification of Wall Teichoic Acids Determines Serotype-Dependent Strong Biofilm Production in Listeria monocytogenes. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0276922. [PMID: 36190419 PMCID: PMC9603678 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02769-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Biofilm production is responsible for persistent food contamination by Listeria monocytogenes, threatening food safety and public health. Human infection and food contamination with L. monocytogenes are caused primarily by serotypes 1/2a, 1/2b, and 4b. However, the association of biofilm production with phylogenic lineage and serotype has not yet been fully understood. In this study, we measured the levels of biofilm production in 98 clinical strains of L. monocytogenes at 37°C, 25°C, and 4°C. The phylogenetic clusters grouped by core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) exhibited association between biofilm production and phylogenetic lineage and serotype. Whereas clusters 1 and 3 consisting of serotype 4b strains exhibited weak biofilm production, clusters 2 (serotype 1/2b) and 4 (serotype 1/2a) were composed of strong biofilm formers. Particularly, cluster 2 (serotype 1/2b) strains exhibited the highest levels of biofilm production at 37°C, and the levels of biofilm production of cluster 4 (serotype 1/2a) strains were significantly elevated at all tested temperatures. Pan-genome analysis identified 22 genes unique to strong biofilm producers, most of which are related to the synthesis and modification of teichoic acids. Notably, a knockout mutation of the rml genes related to the modification of wall teichoic acids with l-rhamnose, which is specific to serogroup 1/2, significantly reduced the level of biofilm production by preventing biofilm maturation. Here, the results of our study show that biofilm production in L. monocytogenes is related to phylogeny and serotype and that the modification of wall teichoic acids with l-rhamnose is responsible for serotype-specific strong biofilm formation in L. monocytogenes. IMPORTANCE Biofilm formation on the surface of foods or food-processing facilities by L. monocytogenes is a serious food safety concern. Here, our data demonstrate that the level of biofilm production differs among serotypes 1/2a, 1/2b, and 4b depending on the temperature. Furthermore, sugar decoration of bacterial cell walls with l-rhamnose is responsible for strong biofilm production in serotypes 1/2a and 1/2b, commonly isolated from foods and listeriosis cases. The findings in this study improve our understanding of the association of biofilm production with phylogenetic lineage and serotype in L. monocytogenes.
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Chafsey I, Ostrowski R, Guilbaud M, Teixeira P, Herry JM, Caccia N, Chambon C, Hébraud M, Azeredo J, Bellon-Fontaine MN, Popowska M, Desvaux M. Deep impact of the inactivation of the SecA2-only protein export pathway on the proteosurfaceome of Listeria monocytogenes. J Proteomics 2022; 250:104388. [PMID: 34601155 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2021.104388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes presents a dimorphism associated to the SecA2 activity with cells having a normal rod shape or a dysmorphic elongated filamentous form. Besides variation of the cell and colony morphotype, this cell differentiation has profound ecophysiological and physiopathological implications with collateral effects on virulence and pathogenicity, biotope colonisation, bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. This suggests the SecA2-only protein export could influence the listerial cell surface, which was investigated first by characterising its properties in L. monocytogenes wt and ΔsecA2. The degree of hydrophilicity and Lewis acid-base properties appeared significantly affected upon SecA2 inactivation. As modification of electrostatic properties would owe to modification in the composition of cell-surface proteins, the proteosurfaceome was further investigated by shotgun label-free proteomic analysis with a comparative relative quantitative approach. Following secretomic analysis, the protein secretion routes of the identified proteins were mapped considering the cognate transport and post-translocational maturation systems, as well as protein categories and subcellular localisation. Differential protein abundance profiles coupled to network analysis revealed the SecA2 dependence of 48 proteins, including some related to cell envelope biogenesis, translation and protein export, which could account for modifications of adhesion and surface properties of L. monocytogenes upon SecA2 inactivation. This investigation unravelled the profound influence of SecA2 activity on the cell surface properties and proteosurfaceome of L. monocytogenes, which provides advanced insights about its ecophysiopathology. SIGNIFICANCE: L. monocytogenes is a foodborne zoonotic pathogen and etiological agent of human listeriosis. This species presents a cellular dimorphism associated to the SecA2 activity that has profound physiopathological and ecophysiological implications with collateral effects on bacterial virulence and colonisation. To explore the influence of the SecA2-only protein export on the listerial cell, the surface properties of L. monocytogenes expressing or depleted of SecA2 was characterised by microelectrophoresis, microbial affinity to solvents and contact angles analyses. As modifications of hydrophilicity and Lewis acid-base electrostatic properties would owe to modification in the composition of cell-surface proteins, the proteinaceous subset of the surfaceome, i.e. the proteosurfaceome, was investigated further by shotgun label-free proteomic analysis. This subproteome appeared quite impacted upon SecA2 inactivation with the identification of proteins accounting for modifications in the cell surface properties. The profound influence of SecA2 activity on the cell surface of L. monocytogenes was unravelled, which provides advanced insights about its ecophysiopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Chafsey
- INRAE, Université Clermont Auvergne, UMR454 MEDiS, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Rafal Ostrowski
- University of Warsaw, Faculty of Biology, Department of Bacterial Physiology, Applied Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Morgan Guilbaud
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR SayFood, 91300 Massy, France
| | - Pilar Teixeira
- University of Minho, Centre of Biological Engineering, Campus de Gualtar, Braga 4710-057, Portugal
| | - Jean-Marie Herry
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR SayFood, 91300 Massy, France
| | - Nelly Caccia
- INRAE, Université Clermont Auvergne, UMR454 MEDiS, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Christophe Chambon
- INRAE, Plateforme d'Exploration du Métabolisme, 63122 Saint-Genès Champanelle, France
| | - Michel Hébraud
- INRAE, Université Clermont Auvergne, UMR454 MEDiS, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; INRAE, Plateforme d'Exploration du Métabolisme, 63122 Saint-Genès Champanelle, France
| | - Joana Azeredo
- University of Minho, Centre of Biological Engineering, Campus de Gualtar, Braga 4710-057, Portugal
| | | | - Magdalena Popowska
- University of Warsaw, Faculty of Biology, Department of Bacterial Physiology, Applied Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Mickaël Desvaux
- INRAE, Université Clermont Auvergne, UMR454 MEDiS, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
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Quereda JJ, Morón-García A, Palacios-Gorba C, Dessaux C, García-del Portillo F, Pucciarelli MG, Ortega AD. Pathogenicity and virulence of Listeria monocytogenes: A trip from environmental to medical microbiology. Virulence 2021; 12:2509-2545. [PMID: 34612177 PMCID: PMC8496543 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1975526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a saprophytic gram-positive bacterium, and an opportunistic foodborne pathogen that can produce listeriosis in humans and animals. It has evolved an exceptional ability to adapt to stress conditions encountered in different environments, resulting in a ubiquitous distribution. Because some food preservation methods and disinfection protocols in food-processing environments cannot efficiently prevent contaminations, L. monocytogenes constitutes a threat to human health and a challenge to food safety. In the host, Listeria colonizes the gastrointestinal tract, crosses the intestinal barrier, and disseminates through the blood to target organs. In immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, and pregnant women, the pathogen can cross the blood-brain and placental barriers, leading to neurolisteriosis and materno-fetal listeriosis. Molecular and cell biology studies of infection have proven L. monocytogenes to be a versatile pathogen that deploys unique strategies to invade different cell types, survive and move inside the eukaryotic host cell, and spread from cell to cell. Here, we present the multifaceted Listeria life cycle from a comprehensive perspective. We discuss genetic features of pathogenic Listeria species, analyze factors involved in food contamination, and review bacterial strategies to tolerate stresses encountered both during food processing and along the host's gastrointestinal tract. Then we dissect host-pathogen interactions underlying listerial pathogenesis in mammals from a cell biology and systemic point of view. Finally, we summarize the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical features of listeriosis in humans and animals. This work aims to gather information from different fields crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J. Quereda
- Departamento de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública Veterinaria y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities. Valencia, Spain
| | - Alvaro Morón-García
- Departamento de Biología Celular. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
| | - Carla Palacios-Gorba
- Departamento de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública Veterinaria y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities. Valencia, Spain
| | - Charlotte Dessaux
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco García-del Portillo
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Graciela Pucciarelli
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular ‘Severo Ochoa’. Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
| | - Alvaro D. Ortega
- Departamento de Biología Celular. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Characterisation of Listeria monocytogenes food-associated isolates to assess environmental fitness and virulence potential. Int J Food Microbiol 2021; 350:109247. [PMID: 34023680 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2021.109247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The ability of Listeria monocytogenes isolates to survive within the food production environment (FPE), as well as virulence, varies greatly between strains. There are specific genetic determinants that have been identified which can strongly influence a strains ability to survive in the FPE and/or within human hosts. In this study, we assessed the FPE fitness and virulence potential, including efficacy of selected hygiene or treatment intervention, against 52 L. monocytogenes strains isolated from various food and food environment sources. Phenotypic tests were performed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of cadmium chloride and benzalkonium chloride and the sensitivities to five clinically relevant antibiotics. A genomic analysis was also performed to identify resistance genes correlating to the observed phenotypic resistance profiles, along with genetic determinants of interest which may elude to the FPE fitness and virulence potential. A transposon element containing a novel cadmium resistance gene, cadA7, a Tn916 variant insert in the hypervariable Listeria genomic island 1 region and an LGI2 variant were identified. Resistance to cadmium and disinfectants was prevalent among isolates in this study, although no resistance to clinically important antimicrobials was observed. Potential hypervirulent strains containing full length inlA, LIPI-1 and LIPI-3 were also identified in this study. Cumulatively, the results of this study show a vast array of FPE survival and pathogenicity potential among food production-associated isolates, which may be of concern for food processing operators and clinicians regarding L. monocytogenes strains colonising and persisting within the FPE, and subsequently contaminating food products then causing disease in at risk population groups.
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Sumrall ET, Keller AP, Shen Y, Loessner MJ. Structure and function of Listeria teichoic acids and their implications. Mol Microbiol 2020; 113:627-637. [PMID: 31972870 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Teichoic acids (TAs) are the most abundant glycopolymers in the cell wall of Listeria, an opportunistic Gram-positive pathogen that causes severe foodborne infections. Two different structural classes of Listeria TA exist: the polyribitolphosphate-based wall teichoic acid (WTA) that is covalently anchored to the peptidoglycan, and the polyglycerolphosphate-based lipoteichoic acid (LTA) that is tethered to the cytoplasmic membrane. While TA polymers govern many important physiological processes, the diverse glycosylation patterns of WTA result in a high degree of surface variation across the species and serovars of Listeria, which in turn bestows varying effects on fitness, biofilm formation, bacteriophage susceptibility and virulence. We review the advances made over the past two decades, and our current understanding of the relationship between TA structure and function. We describe the various types of TA that have been structurally determined to date, and discuss the genetic determinants known to be involved in TA glycosylation. We elaborate on surface proteins functionally related to TA decoration, as well as the molecular and analytical tools used to probe TAs. We anticipate that the growing knowledge of the Listeria surface chemistry will also be exploited to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric T Sumrall
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anja P Keller
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yang Shen
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin J Loessner
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Jung KW, Lee KT, Bahn YS. A Signature-Tagged Mutagenesis (STM)-based murine-infectivity assay for Cryptococcus neoformans. J Microbiol 2020; 58:823-831. [PMID: 32989639 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-020-0341-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) is a high-throughput genetic technique that can be used to investigate the function of genes by constructing a large number of mutant strains with unique DNA identification tags, pooling them, and screening them for a particular phenotypic trait. STM was first designed for the identification of genes that contribute to the virulence or infectivity of a pathogen in its host. Recently, this method has also been applied for the identification of mutants with specific phenotypes, such as antifungal drug resistance and proliferation. In the present study, we describe an STM method for the identification of genes contributing to the infectivity of Cryptococcus neoformans using a mutant library, in which each strain was tagged with a unique DNA sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang-Woo Jung
- Radiation Research Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup o56212, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Tae Lee
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Sun Bahn
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
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8
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Potential Roles and Functions of Listerial Virulence Factors during Brain Entry. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12050297. [PMID: 32380697 PMCID: PMC7291126 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12050297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although it rarely induces disease in humans, Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is important due to the frequency of serious pathological conditions—such as sepsis and meningitis—it causes in those few people that do get infected. Virulence factors (VF) of Lm—especially those involved in the passage through multiple cellular barriers of the body, including internalin (Inl) family members and listeriolysin O (LLO)—have been investigated both in vitro and in vivo, but the majority of work was focused on the mechanisms utilized during penetration of the gut and fetoplacental barriers. The role of listerial VF during entry into other organs remain as only partially solved puzzles. Here, we review the current knowledge on the entry of Lm into one of its more significant destinations, the brain, with a specific focus on the role of various VF in cellular adhesion and invasion.
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Meireles D, Pombinho R, Carvalho F, Sousa S, Cabanes D. Listeria monocytogenes Wall Teichoic Acid Glycosylation Promotes Surface Anchoring of Virulence Factors, Resistance to Antimicrobial Peptides, and Decreased Susceptibility to Antibiotics. Pathogens 2020; 9:E290. [PMID: 32316182 PMCID: PMC7238011 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9040290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell wall of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), a major intracellular foodborne bacterial pathogen, comprises a thick peptidoglycan layer that serves as a scaffold for glycopolymers such as wall teichoic acids (WTAs). WTAs contain non-essential sugar substituents whose absence prevents bacteriophage binding and impacts antigenicity, sensitivity to antimicrobials, and virulence. Here, we demonstrated, for the first time, the triple function of Lm WTA glycosylations in the following: (1) supporting the correct anchoring of major Lm virulence factors at the bacterial surface, namely Ami and InlB; (2) promoting Lm resistance to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs); and (3) decreasing Lm sensitivity to some antibiotics. We showed that while the decoration of WTAs by rhamnose in Lm serovar 1/2a and by galactose in serovar 4b are important for the surface anchoring of Ami and InlB, N-acetylglucosamine in serovar 1/2a and glucose in serovar 4b are dispensable for the surface association of InlB or InlB/Ami. We found that the absence of a single glycosylation only had a slight impact on the sensibility of Lm to AMPs and antibiotics, however the concomitant deficiency of both glycosylations (rhamnose and N-acetylglucosamine in serovar 1/2a, and galactose and glucose in serovar 4b) significantly impaired the Lm capacity to overcome the action of antimicrobials. We propose WTA glycosylation as a broad mechanism used by Lm, not only to properly anchor surface virulence factors, but also to resist AMPs and antibiotics. WTA glycosyltransferases thus emerge as promising drug targets to attenuate the virulence of bacterial pathogens, while increasing their susceptibility to host immune defenses and potentiating the action of antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Meireles
- i3S–Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (D.M.); (R.P.); (F.C.); (S.S.)
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, IBMC–Instituto de Biologia Celular e Molecular, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rita Pombinho
- i3S–Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (D.M.); (R.P.); (F.C.); (S.S.)
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, IBMC–Instituto de Biologia Celular e Molecular, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Filipe Carvalho
- i3S–Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (D.M.); (R.P.); (F.C.); (S.S.)
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, IBMC–Instituto de Biologia Celular e Molecular, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sandra Sousa
- i3S–Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (D.M.); (R.P.); (F.C.); (S.S.)
- Cell Biology of Bacterial Infections Group, IBMC–Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Didier Cabanes
- i3S–Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (D.M.); (R.P.); (F.C.); (S.S.)
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, IBMC–Instituto de Biologia Celular e Molecular, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
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10
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Sumrall ET, Schefer CRE, Rismondo J, Schneider SR, Boulos S, Gründling A, Loessner MJ, Shen Y. Galactosylated wall teichoic acid, but not lipoteichoic acid, retains InlB on the surface of serovar 4b Listeria monocytogenes. Mol Microbiol 2020; 113:638-649. [PMID: 32185836 PMCID: PMC7155027 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive, intracellular pathogen harboring the surface-associated virulence factor InlB, which enables entry into certain host cells. Structurally diverse wall teichoic acids (WTAs), which can also be differentially glycosylated, determine the antigenic basis of the various Listeria serovars. WTAs have many physiological functions; they can serve as receptors for bacteriophages, and provide a substrate for binding of surface proteins such as InlB. In contrast, the membrane-anchored lipoteichoic acids (LTAs) do not show significant variation and do not contribute to serovar determination. It was previously demonstrated that surface-associated InlB non-covalently adheres to both WTA and LTA, mediating its retention on the cell wall. Here, we demonstrate that in a highly virulent serovar 4b strain, two genes gtlB and gttB are responsible for galactosylation of LTA and WTA respectively. We evaluated the InlB surface retention in mutants lacking each of these two genes, and found that only galactosylated WTA is required for InlB surface presentation and function, cellular invasiveness and phage adsorption, while galactosylated LTA plays no role thereof. Our findings demonstrate that a simple pathogen-defining serovar antigen, that mediates bacteriophage susceptibility, is necessary and sufficient to sustain the function of an important virulence factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric T Sumrall
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Jeanine Rismondo
- Section of Microbiology and MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Samy Boulos
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Angelika Gründling
- Section of Microbiology and MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Martin J Loessner
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yang Shen
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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11
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Sumrall ET, Shen Y, Keller AP, Rismondo J, Pavlou M, Eugster MR, Boulos S, Disson O, Thouvenot P, Kilcher S, Wollscheid B, Cabanes D, Lecuit M, Gründling A, Loessner MJ. Phage resistance at the cost of virulence: Listeria monocytogenes serovar 4b requires galactosylated teichoic acids for InlB-mediated invasion. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1008032. [PMID: 31589660 PMCID: PMC6779246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is distinguished by its ability to invade and replicate within mammalian cells. Remarkably, of the 15 serovars within the genus, strains belonging to serovar 4b cause the majority of listeriosis clinical cases and outbreaks. The Listeria O-antigens are defined by subtle structural differences amongst the peptidoglycan-associated wall-teichoic acids (WTAs), and their specific glycosylation patterns. Here, we outline the genetic determinants required for WTA decoration in serovar 4b L. monocytogenes, and demonstrate the exact nature of the 4b-specific antigen. We show that challenge by bacteriophages selects for surviving clones that feature mutations in genes involved in teichoic acid glycosylation, leading to a loss of galactose from both wall teichoic acid and lipoteichoic acid molecules, and a switch from serovar 4b to 4d. Surprisingly, loss of this galactose decoration not only prevents phage adsorption, but leads to a complete loss of surface-associated Internalin B (InlB),the inability to form actin tails, and a virulence attenuation in vivo. We show that InlB specifically recognizes and attaches to galactosylated teichoic acid polymers, and is secreted upon loss of this modification, leading to a drastically reduced cellular invasiveness. Consequently, these phage-insensitive bacteria are unable to interact with cMet and gC1q-R host cell receptors, which normally trigger cellular uptake upon interaction with InlB. Collectively, we provide detailed mechanistic insight into the dual role of a surface antigen crucial for both phage adsorption and cellular invasiveness, demonstrating a trade-off between phage resistance and virulence in this opportunistic pathogen. L. monocytogenes is a Gram-positive, food-borne, intracellular pathogen that causes severe infection in susceptible individuals. Interestingly, almost all infections are caused by a subset of strains belonging to certain serovars featuring a complex glycosylation pattern on their cell surface. Using an engineered bacteriophage that specifically recognizes these modifications we selected for mutants that lost these sugars. We found that the resulting strains are severely deficient in invading host cells as we observed that a major virulence factor mediating host cell entry requires galactose decoration of the cell surface for its function. Without this galactose decoration, the strain represents a serovar not associated with disease. Altogether, we show a complex interplay between bacteriophages, bacteria, and the host, demonstrating that cellular invasiveness is dependent upon a serovar-defining structure, which also serves as a phage receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric T. Sumrall
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yang Shen
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (YS); (MJL)
| | - Anja P. Keller
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jeanine Rismondo
- Section of Microbiology and MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Pavlou
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcel R. Eugster
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Samy Boulos
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Disson
- Biology of Infection Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Inserm U1117, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Thouvenot
- Biology of Infection Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Inserm U1117, Paris, France
| | - Samuel Kilcher
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bernd Wollscheid
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Didier Cabanes
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde; Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Marc Lecuit
- Biology of Infection Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Inserm U1117, Paris, France
- Paris Descartes University, Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, APHP, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Angelika Gründling
- Section of Microbiology and MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martin J. Loessner
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (YS); (MJL)
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12
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Yin Y, Yao H, Doijad S, Kong S, Shen Y, Cai X, Tan W, Wang Y, Feng Y, Ling Z, Wang G, Hu Y, Lian K, Sun X, Liu Y, Wang C, Jiao K, Liu G, Song R, Chen X, Pan Z, Loessner MJ, Chakraborty T, Jiao X. A hybrid sub-lineage of Listeria monocytogenes comprising hypervirulent isolates. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4283. [PMID: 31570766 PMCID: PMC6768887 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12072-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a highly heterogeneous species and currently comprises of 4 evolutionarily distinct lineages. Here, we characterize isolates from severe ovine listeriosis outbreaks that represent a hybrid sub-lineage of the major lineage II (HSL-II) and serotype 4h. HSL-II isolates are highly virulent and exhibit higher organ colonization capacities than well-characterized hypervirulent strains of Lm in an orogastric mouse infection model. The isolates harbour both the Lm Pathogenicity Island (LIPI)-1 and a truncated LIPI-2 locus, encoding sphingomyelinase (SmcL), a virulence factor required for invasion and bacterial translocation from the gut, and other non-contiguous chromosomal segments from another pathogenic species, L. ivanovii. HSL-II isolates exhibit a unique wall teichoic acid (WTA) structure essential for resistance to antimicrobial peptides, bacterial invasion and virulence. The discovery of isolates harbouring pan-species virulence genes of the genus Listeria warrants global efforts to identify further hypervirulent lineages of Lm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuelan Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China.
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Hao Yao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Swapnil Doijad
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, 35394, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Gießen-Marburg-Langen, Campus Gießen, Justus-Liebig University, Gießen, 35394, Germany
| | - Suwei Kong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yang Shen
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Xuexue Cai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Weijun Tan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yuting Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Youwei Feng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhiting Ling
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Guoliang Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yachen Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Kai Lian
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xinyu Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yuliang Liu
- China Animal Disease Control Center, No.17 Tiangui Street, Daxing District, 102618, Beijing, China
| | - Chuanbin Wang
- China Animal Disease Control Center, No.17 Tiangui Street, Daxing District, 102618, Beijing, China
| | - Kuhua Jiao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Guoping Liu
- Xuyi Center for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Xuyi City, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ruilong Song
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhiming Pan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Martin J Loessner
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Trinad Chakraborty
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China.
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, 35394, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Gießen-Marburg-Langen, Campus Gießen, Justus-Liebig University, Gießen, 35394, Germany.
| | - Xin'an Jiao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Yangzhou University, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China.
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, 48 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu Province, China.
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13
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Paul O, Chakravarty D, Donaldson JR. Transposon Mutagenesis of Listeria monocytogenes. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2016:63-71. [PMID: 31197709 PMCID: PMC10687897 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9570-7_6] [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] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive, facultative intracellular foodborne pathogen that enters the human digestive tract after the consumption of contaminated food. Much research has been done to understand the virulence factors of Listeria monocytogenes. One useful tool to study these virulence factors has been transposon mutagenesis. Many mutants can be generated at a time by performing high-throughput mutagenesis using transposons and later screening these mutants to identify features related to particular functions in the bacteria. Many transposon delivery systems are not ideal for transposon studies in Listeria monocytogenes, as the transposon system is too large, has lower transposition efficiency, and a high rate of plasmid retention. Therefore, a new mariner-based transposition system has been developed for Listeria monocytogenes. This system is an ideal high-throughput transposon mutagenesis as the rate of transposition is high and random, along with very low plasmid retention capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oindrila Paul
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
| | - Damayanti Chakravarty
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
| | - Janet R Donaldson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA.
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14
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Tian M, Bao Y, Li P, Hu H, Ding C, Wang S, Li T, Qi J, Wang X, Yu S. The putative amino acid ABC transporter substrate-binding protein AapJ2 is necessary for Brucella virulence at the early stage of infection in a mouse model. Vet Res 2018; 49:32. [PMID: 29598830 PMCID: PMC5874993 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-018-0527-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucellosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease caused by Brucella spp. The virulence of these bacteria is dependent on their ability to invade and replicate within host cells. In a previous study, a putative gene bab_RS27735 encoding an amino acid ABC transporter substrate-binding protein homologous to AapJ protein was found to be involved in Brucella abortus virulence. In this study, we successfully constructed a bab_RS27735 deletion mutant, Δ27735. Compared with the wild-type strain, the lipopolysaccharide pattern of the mutant was not changed, but the growth ability was slightly defected in the exponential phase. In tolerance tests, sensitivity of the Δ27735 mutant to oxidative stress, bactericidal peptides or low pH was not different from that of the wild-type strain. Cell infection assay showed that the mutant was reduced survival within macrophages but could efficiently escape lysosome degradation. The results of a virulence test showed that the Δ27735 mutant was attenuated in a mouse model at the early stage of infection but recovered its virulence at the late stage of infection. Meanwhile, the development of splenomegaly and histopathological lesions was observed in mice infected with either the wild-type strain or the mutant. These results are in line with the release of IL-12p40 and TNF-α into the peripheral blood of infected mice. Besides, expression of diverse genes was up-regulated in the Δ27735 mutant, which may contribute to the reduced virulence of the mutant. These data elucidated that the bab_RS27735 gene is necessary for B. abortus virulence at the early stage of infection in a mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxing Tian
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yanqing Bao
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Peng Li
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Hai Hu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Chan Ding
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Shaohui Wang
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Tao Li
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jingjing Qi
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Xiaolan Wang
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Shengqing Yu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shanghai, 200241, China.
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15
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Kuenemann MA, Spears PA, Orndorff PE, Fourches D. In silicoPredicted Glucose-1-phosphate Uridylyltransferase (GalU) Inhibitors Block a Key Pathway Required forListeriaVirulence. Mol Inform 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/minf.201800004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Melaine A. Kuenemann
- Department of Chemistry, Bioinformatics Research Center; North Carolina State University; Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Patricia A. Spears
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine; North Carolina State University; Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Paul E. Orndorff
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine; North Carolina State University; Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Denis Fourches
- Department of Chemistry, Bioinformatics Research Center; North Carolina State University; Raleigh, NC USA
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16
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Rismondo J, Percy MG, Gründling A. Discovery of genes required for lipoteichoic acid glycosylation predicts two distinct mechanisms for wall teichoic acid glycosylation. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:3293-3306. [PMID: 29343515 PMCID: PMC5836110 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial cell wall is an important and highly complex structure that is essential for bacterial growth because it protects bacteria from cell lysis and environmental insults. A typical Gram-positive bacterial cell wall is composed of peptidoglycan and the secondary cell wall polymers, wall teichoic acid (WTA) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA). In many Gram-positive bacteria, LTA is a polyglycerol-phosphate chain that is decorated with d-alanine and sugar residues. However, the function of and proteins responsible for the glycosylation of LTA are either unknown or not well-characterized. Here, using bioinformatics, genetic, and NMR spectroscopy approaches, we found that the Bacillus subtilis csbB and yfhO genes are essential for LTA glycosylation. Interestingly, the Listeria monocytogenes gene lmo1079, which encodes a YfhO homolog, was not required for LTA glycosylation, but instead was essential for WTA glycosylation. LTA is polymerized on the outside of the cell and hence can only be glycosylated extracellularly. Based on the similarity of the genes coding for YfhO homologs that are required in B. subtilis for LTA glycosylation or in L. monocytogenes for WTA glycosylation, we hypothesize that WTA glycosylation might also occur extracellularly in Listeria species. Finally, we discovered that in L. monocytogenes, lmo0626 (gtlB) was required for LTA glycosylation, indicating that the encoded protein has a function similar to that of YfhO, although the proteins are not homologous. Together, our results enable us to propose an updated model for LTA glycosylation and also indicate that glycosylation of WTA might occur through two different mechanisms in Gram-positive bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanine Rismondo
- From the Section of Microbiology and Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew G Percy
- From the Section of Microbiology and Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Angelika Gründling
- From the Section of Microbiology and Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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17
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Brauge T, Faille C, Sadovskaya I, Charbit A, Benezech T, Shen Y, Loessner MJ, Bautista JR, Midelet-Bourdin G. The absence of N-acetylglucosamine in wall teichoic acids of Listeria monocytogenes modifies biofilm architecture and tolerance to rinsing and cleaning procedures. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190879. [PMID: 29320565 PMCID: PMC5761963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The wall teichoic acid (WTA) is the major carbohydrate found within the extracellular matrix of the Listeria monocytogenes biofilm. We first addressed the frequency of spontaneous mutations in two genes (lmo2549 and lmo2550) responsible for the GlcNAcylation in 93 serotype 1/2a strains that were mainly isolated from seafood industries. We studied the impact of mutations in lmo2549 or lmo2550 genes on biofilm formation by using one mutant carrying a natural mutation inactivating the lmo2550 gene (DSS 1130 BFA2 strain) and two EGD-e mutants that lack respective genes by in-frame deletion of lmo2549 or lmo2550 using splicing-by-overlap-extension PCR, followed by allelic exchange mutagenesis. The lmo2550 gene mutation, occurring in around 50% isolates, caused a decrease in bacterial adhesion to stainless steel compared to wild-type EGD-e strain during the adhesion step. On the other hand, bacterial population weren't significantly different after 24h-biofilm formation. The biofilm architecture was different between the wild-type strain and the two mutants inactivated for lmo2549 or lmo2550 genes respectively with the presence of bacterial micro-colonies for mutants which were not observed in the wild-type EGD-e strain biofilm. These differences might account for the stronger hydrophilic surface exhibited by the mutant cells. Upon a water flow or to a cleaning procedure at a shear stress of 0.16 Pa, the mutant biofilms showed the higher detachment rate compared to wild-type strain. Meanwhile, an increase in the amount of residual viable but non-culturable population on stainless steel was recorded in two mutants. Our data suggests that the GlcNAc residue of WTA played a role in adhesion and biofilm formation of Listeria monocyctogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Brauge
- ANSES, Laboratory for food safety, Boulogne sur Mer, France
| | - Christine Faille
- UMR UMET, INRA, CNRS, Université Lille 1, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Irina Sadovskaya
- Université du Littoral-Côte d’Opale, Institut Charles Violette EA 7394, USC Anses, Boulogne sur Mer, France
| | | | - Thierry Benezech
- UMR UMET, INRA, CNRS, Université Lille 1, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Yang Shen
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin J. Loessner
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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18
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Popowska M, Krawczyk-Balska A, Ostrowski R, Desvaux M. InlL from Listeria monocytogenes Is Involved in Biofilm Formation and Adhesion to Mucin. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:660. [PMID: 28473809 PMCID: PMC5397405 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial etiological agent of listeriosis, Listeria monocytogenes, is an opportunistic intracellular foodborne pathogen. The infection cycle of L. monocytogenes is well-characterized and involves several key virulence factors, including internalins A and B. While 35 genes encoding internalins have been identified in L. monocytogenes, less than half of them have been characterized as yet. Focusing on lmo2026, it was shown this gene encodes a class I internalin, InlL, exhibiting domains potentially involved in adhesion. Following a functional genetic approach, InlL was demonstrated to be involved in initial bacterial adhesion as well as sessile development in L. monocytogenes. In addition, InlL enables binding to mucin of type 2, i.e., the main secreted mucin making up the mucus layer, rather than to surface-located mucin of type 1. InlL thus appears as a new molecular determinant contributing to the colonization ability of L. monocytogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Popowska
- Department of Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
| | - Agata Krawczyk-Balska
- Department of Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
| | - Rafał Ostrowski
- Department of Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
| | - Mickaël Desvaux
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRA, UMR454 MEDiSClermont-Ferrand, France
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19
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Jennison AV, Masson JJ, Fang NX, Graham RM, Bradbury MI, Fegan N, Gobius KS, Graham TM, Guglielmino CJ, Brown JL, Fox EM. Analysis of the Listeria monocytogenes Population Structure among Isolates from 1931 to 2015 in Australia. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:603. [PMID: 28428781 PMCID: PMC5382192 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeriosis remains among the most important bacterial illnesses, with a high associated mortality rate. Efforts to control listeriosis require detailed knowledge of the epidemiology of the disease itself, and its etiological bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes. In this study we provide an in-depth analysis of the epidemiology of 224 L. monocytogenes isolates from Australian clinical and non-clinical sources. Non-human sources included meat, dairy, seafood, fruit, and vegetables, along with animal and environmental isolates. Serotyping, Multi-Locus Sequence Typing, and analysis of inlA gene sequence were performed. Serogroups IIA, IIB, and IVB comprised 94% of all isolates, with IVB over-represented among clinical isolates. Serogroup IIA was the most common among dairy and meat isolates. Lineage I isolates were most common among clinical isolates, and 52% of clinical isolates belonged to ST1. Overall 39 STs were identified in this study, with ST1 and ST3 containing the largest numbers of L. monocytogenes isolates. These STs comprised 40% of the total isolates (n = 90), and both harbored isolates from clinical and non-clinical sources. ST204 was the third most common ST. The high prevalence of this group among L. monocytogenes populations has not been reported outside Australia. Twenty-seven percent of the STs in this study contained exclusively clinical isolates. Analysis of the virulence protein InlA among isolates in this study identified a truncated form of the protein among isolates from ST121 and ST325. The ST325 group contained a previously unreported novel mutation leading to production of a 93 amino acid protein. This study provides insights in the population structure of L. monocytogenes isolated in Australia, which will contribute to public health knowledge relating to this important human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy V Jennison
- Public Health Microbiology, Public and Environmental Health, Queensland Health, Forensic and Scientific Services, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
| | - Jesse J Masson
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - Agriculture and Food, WerribeeVIC, Australia
| | - Ning-Xia Fang
- Public Health Microbiology, Public and Environmental Health, Queensland Health, Forensic and Scientific Services, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
| | - Rikki M Graham
- Public Health Microbiology, Public and Environmental Health, Queensland Health, Forensic and Scientific Services, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
| | - Mark I Bradbury
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - Agriculture and Food, SydneyNSW, Australia
| | - Narelle Fegan
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - Agriculture and Food, WerribeeVIC, Australia
| | - Kari S Gobius
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - Agriculture and Food, WerribeeVIC, Australia
| | - Trudy M Graham
- Public Health Microbiology, Public and Environmental Health, Queensland Health, Forensic and Scientific Services, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
| | - Christine J Guglielmino
- Public Health Microbiology, Public and Environmental Health, Queensland Health, Forensic and Scientific Services, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
| | - Janelle L Brown
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - Agriculture and Food, SydneyNSW, Australia
| | - Edward M Fox
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - Agriculture and Food, WerribeeVIC, Australia
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Fox EM, Allnutt T, Bradbury MI, Fanning S, Chandry PS. Comparative Genomics of the Listeria monocytogenes ST204 Subgroup. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:2057. [PMID: 28066377 PMCID: PMC5177744 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.02057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ST204 subgroup of Listeria monocytogenes is among the most frequently isolated in Australia from a range of environmental niches. In this study we provide a comparative genomics analysis of food and food environment isolates from geographically diverse sources. Analysis of the ST204 genomes showed a highly conserved core genome with the majority of variation seen in mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, transposons and phage insertions. Most strains (13/15) harbored plasmids, which although varying in size contained highly conserved sequences. Interestingly 4 isolates contained a conserved plasmid of 91,396 bp. The strains examined were isolated over a period of 12 years and from different geographic locations suggesting plasmids are an important component of the genetic repertoire of this subgroup and may provide a range of stress tolerance mechanisms. In addition to this 4 phage insertion sites and 2 transposons were identified among isolates, including a novel transposon. These genetic elements were highly conserved across isolates that harbored them, and also contained a range of genetic markers linked to stress tolerance and virulence. The maintenance of conserved mobile genetic elements in the ST204 population suggests these elements may contribute to the diverse range of niches colonized by ST204 isolates. Environmental stress selection may contribute to maintaining these genetic features, which in turn may be co-selecting for virulence markers relevant to clinical infection with ST204 isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward M Fox
- CSIRO Food and Nutrition Werribee, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | - Séamus Fanning
- UCD-Centre for Food Safety, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin Dublin, Ireland
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21
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Use of bacteriophage to target bacterial surface structures required for virulence: a systematic search for antibiotic alternatives. Curr Genet 2016; 62:753-757. [PMID: 27113766 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-016-0603-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phage) that infect pathogenic bacteria often attach to surface receptors that are coincidentally required for virulence. Receptor loss or modification through mutation renders mutants both attenuated and phage resistant. Such attenuated mutants frequently have no apparent laboratory growth defects, but in the host, they fail to exhibit properties needed to produce disease such as mucosal colonization or survival within professional phagocytic cells. The connection between attenuation and phage resistance has been exploited in experimental demonstrations of phage therapy. In such experiments, phage resistant mutants that arise naturally during therapy are inconsequential because of their attenuated status. A more contemporary approach to exploiting this connection involves identifying small effector molecules, identified in high-throughput screens, that inhibit one or more of the steps needed to produce a functioning phage receptor. Since such biosynthetic steps are unique to bacteria, inhibitors can be utilized therapeutically, in lieu of antibiotics. Also, since the inhibitor is specific to a particular bacterium or group of bacteria, no off-target resistance is generated in the host's commensal bacterial population. This brief review covers examples of how mutations that confer phage resistance produce attenuation, and how this coincidental relationship can be exploited in the search for the next generation of therapeutic agents for bacterial diseases.
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Spears PA, Havell EA, Hamrick TS, Goforth JB, Levine AL, Abraham ST, Heiss C, Azadi P, Orndorff PE. Listeria monocytogenes wall teichoic acid decoration in virulence and cell-to-cell spread. Mol Microbiol 2016; 101:714-30. [PMID: 26871418 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Wall teichoic acid (WTA) comprises a class of glycopolymers covalently attached to the peptidoglycan of gram positive bacteria. In Listeria monocytogenes, mutations that prevent addition of certain WTA decorating sugars are attenuating. However, the steps required for decoration and the pathogenic process interrupted are not well described. We systematically examined the requirement for WTA galactosylation in a mouse oral-virulent strain by first creating mutations in four genes whose products conferred resistance to a WTA-binding bacteriophage. WTA biochemical and structural studies indicated that galactosylated WTA was directly required for bacteriophage adsorption and that mutant WTA lacked appreciable galactose in all except one mutant - which retained a level ca. 7% of the parent. All mutants were profoundly attenuated in orally infected mice and were impaired in cell-to-cell spread in vitro. Confocal microscopy of cytosolic mutants revealed that all expressed ActA on their cell surface and formed actin tails with a frequency similar to the parent. However, the mutant tails were significantly shorter - suggesting a defect in actin based motility. Roles for the gene products in WTA galactosylation are proposed. Identification and interruption of WTA decoration pathways may provide a general strategy to discover non-antibiotic therapeutics for gram positive infections. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia A Spears
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Edward A Havell
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Terri S Hamrick
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, 27506, USA
| | - John B Goforth
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, 27506, USA
| | - Alexandra L Levine
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, 27506, USA
| | - S Thomas Abraham
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, 27506, USA
| | - Christian Heiss
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Parastoo Azadi
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Paul E Orndorff
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
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Carvalho F, Atilano ML, Pombinho R, Covas G, Gallo RL, Filipe SR, Sousa S, Cabanes D. L-Rhamnosylation of Listeria monocytogenes Wall Teichoic Acids Promotes Resistance to Antimicrobial Peptides by Delaying Interaction with the Membrane. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1004919. [PMID: 26001194 PMCID: PMC4441387 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic Gram-positive bacterial pathogen responsible for listeriosis, a human foodborne disease. Its cell wall is densely decorated with wall teichoic acids (WTAs), a class of anionic glycopolymers that play key roles in bacterial physiology, including protection against the activity of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). In other Gram-positive pathogens, WTA modification by amine-containing groups such as D-alanine was largely correlated with resistance to AMPs. However, in L. monocytogenes, where WTA modification is achieved solely via glycosylation, WTA-associated mechanisms of AMP resistance were unknown. Here, we show that the L-rhamnosylation of L. monocytogenes WTAs relies not only on the rmlACBD locus, which encodes the biosynthetic pathway for L-rhamnose, but also on rmlT encoding a putative rhamnosyltransferase. We demonstrate that this WTA tailoring mechanism promotes resistance to AMPs, unveiling a novel link between WTA glycosylation and bacterial resistance to host defense peptides. Using in vitro binding assays, fluorescence-based techniques and electron microscopy, we show that the presence of L-rhamnosylated WTAs at the surface of L. monocytogenes delays the crossing of the cell wall by AMPs and postpones their contact with the listerial membrane. We propose that WTA L-rhamnosylation promotes L. monocytogenes survival by decreasing the cell wall permeability to AMPs, thus hindering their access and detrimental interaction with the plasma membrane. Strikingly, we reveal a key contribution of WTA L-rhamnosylation for L. monocytogenes virulence in a mouse model of infection. Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacterial pathogen that preferentially infects immunocompromised hosts, eliciting a severe and often lethal disease. In humans, clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic intestinal carriage and gastroenteritis to harsher systemic states of the disease such as sepsis, meningitis or encephalitis, and fetal infections. The surface of L. monocytogenes is decorated with wall teichoic acids (WTAs), a class of carbohydrate-based polymers that contributes to cell surface-related events with implications in physiological processes, such as bacterial division or resistance to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). The addition of other molecules to the backbone of WTAs modulates their chemical properties and consequently their functionality. In this context, we studied the role of WTA tailoring mechanisms in L. monocytogenes, whose WTAs are strictly decorated with monosaccharides. For the first time, we link WTA glycosylation with AMP resistance by showing that the decoration of L. monocytogenes WTAs with l-rhamnose confers resistance to host defense peptides. We suggest that this resistance is based on changes in the permeability of the cell wall that delay its crossing by AMPs and therefore promote the protection of the bacterial membrane integrity. Importantly, we also demonstrate the significance of this WTA modification in L. monocytogenes virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Carvalho
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Group of Molecular Microbiology, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Magda L Atilano
- Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Surfaces and Pathogenesis, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Rita Pombinho
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Group of Molecular Microbiology, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Gonçalo Covas
- Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Surfaces and Pathogenesis, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Richard L Gallo
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Sérgio R Filipe
- Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Surfaces and Pathogenesis, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Sandra Sousa
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Group of Molecular Microbiology, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
| | - Didier Cabanes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Group of Molecular Microbiology, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
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Eugster MR, Morax LS, Hüls VJ, Huwiler SG, Leclercq A, Lecuit M, Loessner MJ. Bacteriophage predation promotes serovar diversification in Listeria monocytogenes. Mol Microbiol 2015; 97:33-46. [PMID: 25825127 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen classified into distinct serovars (SVs) based on somatic and flagellar antigens. To correlate phenotype with genetic variation, we analyzed the wall teichoic acid (WTA) glycosylation genes of SV 1/2, 3 and 7 strains, which differ in decoration of the ribitol-phosphate backbone with N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and/or rhamnose. Inactivation of lmo1080 or the dTDP-l-rhamnose biosynthesis genes rmlACBD (lmo1081-1084) resulted in loss of rhamnose, whereas disruption of lmo1079 led to GlcNAc deficiency. We found that all SV 3 and 7 strains actually originate from a SV 1/2 background, as a result of small mutations in WTA rhamnosylation and/or GlcNAcylation genes. Genetic complementation of different SV 3 and 7 isolates using intact alleles fully restored a characteristic SV 1/2 WTA carbohydrate pattern, including antisera reactions and phage adsorption. Intriguingly, phage-resistant L. monocytogenes EGDe (SV 1/2a) isolates featured the same glycosylation gene mutations and were serotyped as SV 3 or 7 respectively. Again, genetic complementation restored both carbohydrate antigens and phage susceptibility. Taken together, our data demonstrate that L. monocytogenes SV 3 and 7 originate from point mutations in glycosylation genes, and we show that phage predation represents a major driving force for serovar diversification and evolution of L. monocytogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel R Eugster
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Laurent S Morax
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vanessa J Hüls
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simona G Huwiler
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Leclercq
- Institut Pasteur, French National Reference Center and WHO Collaborating Center for Listeria, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Marc Lecuit
- Institut Pasteur, French National Reference Center and WHO Collaborating Center for Listeria, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Martin J Loessner
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland
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26
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Carvalho F, Sousa S, Cabanes D. How Listeria monocytogenes organizes its surface for virulence. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2014; 4:48. [PMID: 24809022 PMCID: PMC4010754 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2014.00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive pathogen responsible for the manifestation of human listeriosis, an opportunistic foodborne disease with an associated high mortality rate. The key to the pathogenesis of listeriosis is the capacity of this bacterium to trigger its internalization by non-phagocytic cells and to survive and even replicate within phagocytes. The arsenal of virulence proteins deployed by L. monocytogenes to successfully promote the invasion and infection of host cells has been progressively unveiled over the past decades. A large majority of them is located at the cell envelope, which provides an interface for the establishment of close interactions between these bacterial factors and their host targets. Along the multistep pathways carrying these virulence proteins from the inner side of the cytoplasmic membrane to their cell envelope destination, a multiplicity of auxiliary proteins must act on the immature polypeptides to ensure that they not only maturate into fully functional effectors but also are placed or guided to their correct position in the bacterial surface. As the major scaffold for surface proteins, the cell wall and its metabolism are critical elements in listerial virulence. Conversely, the crucial physical support and protection provided by this structure make it an ideal target for the host immune system. Therefore, mechanisms involving fine modifications of cell envelope components are activated by L. monocytogenes to render it less recognizable by the innate immunity sensors or more resistant to the activity of antimicrobial effectors. This review provides a state-of-the-art compilation of the mechanisms used by L. monocytogenes to organize its surface for virulence, with special focus on those proteins that work “behind the frontline”, either supporting virulence effectors or ensuring the survival of the bacterium within its host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Carvalho
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, Unit of Infection and Immunity, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, University of Porto Porto, Portugal
| | - Sandra Sousa
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, Unit of Infection and Immunity, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, University of Porto Porto, Portugal
| | - Didier Cabanes
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, Unit of Infection and Immunity, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, University of Porto Porto, Portugal
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27
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Cummins J, Casey PG, Joyce SA, Gahan CGM. A mariner transposon-based signature-tagged mutagenesis system for the analysis of oral infection by Listeria monocytogenes. PLoS One 2013; 8:e75437. [PMID: 24069416 PMCID: PMC3771922 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive foodborne pathogen and the causative agent of listerosis a disease that manifests predominately as meningitis in the non-pregnant individual or infection of the fetus and spontaneous abortion in pregnant women. Common-source outbreaks of foodborne listeriosis are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, relatively little is known concerning the mechanisms that govern infection via the oral route. In order to aid functional genetic analysis of the gastrointestinal phase of infection we designed a novel signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) system based upon the invasive L. monocytogenes 4b serotype H7858 strain. To overcome the limitations of gastrointestinal infection by L. monocytogenes in the mouse model we created a H7858 strain that is genetically optimised for oral infection in mice. Furthermore our STM system was based upon a mariner transposon to favour numerous and random transposition events throughout the L. monocytogenes genome. Use of the STM bank to investigate oral infection by L. monocytogenes identified 21 insertion mutants that demonstrated significantly reduced potential for infection in our model. The sites of transposon insertion included lmOh7858_0671 (encoding an internalin homologous to Lmo0610), lmOh7858_0898 (encoding a putative surface-expressed LPXTG protein homologous to Lmo0842), lmOh7858_2579 (encoding the HupDGC hemin transport system) and lmOh7858_0399 (encoding a putative fructose specific phosphotransferase system). We propose that this represents an optimised STM system for functional genetic analysis of foodborne/oral infection by L. monocytogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Cummins
- Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Pat G. Casey
- Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Susan A. Joyce
- Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Cormac G. M. Gahan
- Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- * E-mail:
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van Opijnen T, Camilli A. Transposon insertion sequencing: a new tool for systems-level analysis of microorganisms. Nat Rev Microbiol 2013; 11:435-42. [PMID: 23712350 PMCID: PMC3842022 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro3033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Our knowledge of gene function has increasingly lagged behind gene discovery, hindering our understanding of the genetic basis of microbial phenotypes. Recently, however, massively parallel sequencing has been combined with traditional transposon mutagenesis in techniques referred to as transposon sequencing (Tn-seq), high-throughput insertion tracking by deep sequencing (HITS), insertion sequencing (INSeq) and transposon-directed insertion site sequencing (TraDIS), making it possible to identify putative gene functions in a high-throughput manner. Here, we describe the similarities and differences of these related techniques and discuss their application to the probing of gene function and higher-order genome organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim van Opijnen
- Biology Department, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, 420 Higgins Hall, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, USA.
| | - Andrew Camilli
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.
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Klebba PE, Charbit A, Xiao Q, Jiang X, Newton SM. Mechanisms of iron and haem transport byListeria monocytogenes. Mol Membr Biol 2012; 29:69-86. [DOI: 10.3109/09687688.2012.694485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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30
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Cummins J, Gahan CG. Signature tagged mutagenesis in the functional genetic analysis of gastrointestinal pathogens. Gut Microbes 2012; 3:93-103. [PMID: 22555467 PMCID: PMC3370953 DOI: 10.4161/gmic.19578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Signature tagged mutagenesis is a genetic approach that was developed to identify novel bacterial virulence factors. It is a negative selection method in which unique identification tags allow analysis of pools of mutants in mixed populations. The approach is particularly well suited to functional genetic analysis of the gastrointestinal phase of infection in foodborne pathogens and has the capacity to guide the development of novel vaccines and therapeutics. In this review we outline the technical principles underpinning signature-tagged mutagenesis as well as novel sequencing-based approaches for transposon mutant identification such as TraDIS (transposon directed insertion-site sequencing). We also provide an analysis of screens that have been performed in gastrointestinal pathogens which are a global health concern (Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Helicobacter pylori, Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella enterica). The identification of key virulence loci through the use of signature tagged mutagenesis in mice and relevant larger animal models is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Cummins
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre; University College Cork; Cork, Ireland,Department of Microbiology; University College Cork; Cork, Ireland
| | - Cormac G.M. Gahan
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre; University College Cork; Cork, Ireland,Department of Microbiology; University College Cork; Cork, Ireland,School of Pharmacy; University College Cork; Cork, Ireland,Correspondence to: Cormac G.M. Gahan,
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Abstract
Among bacteria that reach the central nervous system (CNS), Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is one of deadliest, in human and ruminant. This facultative intracellular bacterium has the particularity to induce meningitis, meningoencephalitis and rhombencephalitis. Mechanisms by which Lm accesses the CNS remain poorly understood, but two major routes of infection have been proposed, based on clinical, in vitro and in vivo observations. A retrograde neural route is likely to occur in ruminants upon crossing of the oral epithelium, and this probably accounts for the observation that Lm induces almost exclusively rhombencephalitis in these animals. In contrast, the hematogenous route is likely the most frequent in human, in whom bacteria circulating in the blood, either free or associated with leukocytes are thought to breach the blood-brain barrier. New animal models that faithfully reproduce the hallmarks of human neurolisterisosis will allow addressing the molecular mechanisms underlying Lm ability to induce CNS disease, and improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of this deadly infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Disson
- Microbes and Host Barriers Group, French National Reference Center and WHO Collaborating Center for Listeria, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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32
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McLaughlin HP, Xiao Q, Rea RB, Pi H, Casey PG, Darby T, Charbit A, Sleator RD, Joyce SA, Cowart RE, Hill C, Klebba PE, Gahan CGM. A putative P-type ATPase required for virulence and resistance to haem toxicity in Listeria monocytogenes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30928. [PMID: 22363518 PMCID: PMC3283593 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [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: 10/04/2011] [Accepted: 12/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of iron homeostasis in many pathogens is principally mediated by the ferric uptake regulator, Fur. Since acquisition of iron from the host is essential for the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, we predicted the existence of Fur-regulated systems that support infection. We examined the contribution of nine Fur-regulated loci to the pathogenicity of L. monocytogenes in a murine model of infection. While mutating the majority of the genes failed to affect virulence, three mutants exhibited a significantly compromised virulence potential. Most striking was the role of the membrane protein we designate FrvA (Fur regulated virulence factor A; encoded by frvA [lmo0641]), which is absolutely required for the systemic phase of infection in mice and also for virulence in an alternative infection model, the Wax Moth Galleria mellonella. Further analysis of the ΔfrvA mutant revealed poor growth in iron deficient media and inhibition of growth by micromolar concentrations of haem or haemoglobin, a phenotype which may contribute to the attenuated growth of this mutant during infection. Uptake studies indicated that the ΔfrvA mutant is unaffected in the uptake of ferric citrate but demonstrates a significant increase in uptake of haem and haemin. The data suggest a potential role for FrvA as a haem exporter that functions, at least in part, to protect the cell against the potential toxicity of free haem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather P. McLaughlin
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Qiaobin Xiao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Rosemarie B. Rea
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland
| | - Hualiang Pi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Pat G. Casey
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Trevor Darby
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Alain Charbit
- Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Médecine Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France
- INSERM, U1002, Unité de Pathogénie des Infections Systémiques, Paris, France
| | - Roy D. Sleator
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland
| | - Susan A. Joyce
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Richard E. Cowart
- Division of Biological Science, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Colin Hill
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- * E-mail:
| | - Phillip E. Klebba
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Cormac G. M. Gahan
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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33
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Eugster MR, Haug MC, Huwiler SG, Loessner MJ. The cell wall binding domain of Listeria bacteriophage endolysin PlyP35 recognizes terminal GlcNAc residues in cell wall teichoic acid. Mol Microbiol 2011; 81:1419-32. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07774.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Schauer K, Geginat G, Liang C, Goebel W, Dandekar T, Fuchs TM. Deciphering the intracellular metabolism of Listeria monocytogenes by mutant screening and modelling. BMC Genomics 2010; 11:573. [PMID: 20955543 PMCID: PMC3091722 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-11-573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2010] [Accepted: 10/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes resides and proliferates within the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. While the virulence factors essentially contributing to this step of the infection cycle are well characterized, the set of listerial genes contributing to intracellular replication remains to be defined on a genome-wide level. Results A comprehensive library of L. monocytogenes strain EGD knockout mutants was constructed upon insertion-duplication mutagenesis, and 1491 mutants were tested for their phenotypes in rich medium and in a Caco-2 cell culture assay. Following sequencing of the plasmid insertion site, 141 different genes required for invasion of and replication in Caco-2 cells were identified. Ten in-frame deletion mutants were constructed that confirmed the data. The genes with known functions are mainly involved in cellular processes including transport, in the intermediary metabolism of sugars, nucleotides and lipids, and in information pathways such as regulatory functions. No function could be ascribed to 18 genes, and a counterpart of eight genes is missing in the apathogenic species L. innocua. Mice infection studies revealed the in vivo requirement of IspE (Lmo0190) involved in mevalonate synthesis, and of the novel ABC transporter Lmo0135-0137 associated with cysteine transport. Based on the data of this genome-scale screening, an extreme pathway and elementary mode analysis was applied that demonstrates the critical role of glycerol and purine metabolism, of fucose utilization, and of the synthesis of glutathione, aspartate semialdehyde, serine and branched chain amino acids during intracellular replication of L. monocytogenes. Conclusion The combination of a genetic screening and a modelling approach revealed that a series of transporters help L. monocytogenes to overcome a putative lack of nutrients within cells, and that a high metabolic flexibility contributes to the intracellular replication of this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Schauer
- Zentralinstitut für Ernährungs- und Lebensmittelforschung (ZIEL), Abteilung Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 3, Freising, Germany
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Oevermann A, Zurbriggen A, Vandevelde M. Rhombencephalitis Caused by Listeria monocytogenes in Humans and Ruminants: A Zoonosis on the Rise? Interdiscip Perspect Infect Dis 2010; 2010:632513. [PMID: 20204066 PMCID: PMC2829626 DOI: 10.1155/2010/632513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2009] [Accepted: 11/25/2009] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeriosis is an emerging zoonotic infection of humans and ruminants worldwide caused by Listeria monocytogenes (LM). In both host species, CNS disease accounts for the high mortality associated with listeriosis and includes rhombencephalitis, whose neuropathology is strikingly similar in humans and ruminants. This review discusses the current knowledge about listeric encephalitis, and involved host and bacterial factors. There is an urgent need to study the molecular mechanisms of neuropathogenesis, which are poorly understood. Such studies will provide a basis for the development of new therapeutic strategies that aim to prevent LM from invading the brain and spread within the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Oevermann
- Neurocenter, Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3001 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Zurbriggen
- Neurocenter, Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3001 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marc Vandevelde
- Division of Clinical Neurology, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3001 Bern, Switzerland
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Faith N, Kathariou S, Cheng Y, Promadej N, Neudeck BL, Zhang Q, Luchansky J, Czuprynski C. The role of L. monocytogenes serotype 4b gtcA in gastrointestinal listeriosis in A/J mice. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2010; 6:39-48. [PMID: 18991548 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2008.0154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotype 4b strains of Listeria monocytogenes have been responsible for most large outbreaks of listeriosis. In L. monocytogenes serotype 4b, gtcA and gltA have been implicated in serotype-specific glycosylation of the teichoic acid of the cell wall with galactose and glucose. In this study, we investigated the impact of mutations in gltA (resulting in absence of glucose on teichoic acid) and gtcA (resulting in absence of galactose, and markedly reduced glucose on teichoic acid) on virulence following intragastric infection of anesthetized A/J mice. The gltA mutant was not impaired in virulence in this model. In contrast, testing of gtcA mutants constructed in two different strains showed that the mutants were recovered in lower numbers than their respective parent strains from the spleen, liver, ceca, and gall bladders of intragastrically inoculated mice. Genetic complementation of the gtcA mutation partially restored gastrointestinal virulence. When mice were inoculated intravenously, the gtcA mutants were also recovered in lower numbers from the liver (for both mutant strains) and the spleen (for one mutant strain) than their respective parental strains. The mutants were also evaluated for invasion and intracellular multiplication in the Caco-2 human intestinal epithelial cell line. Inactivation of gltA did not affect invasion or intracellular growth of the bacteria. In contrast, gtcA mutants showed decreased invasion, but normal multiplication in Caco-2 cells. Overall, these data demonstrate a role for gtcA in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal listeriosis in mice, and suggest that diminished ability of gtcA mutants to invade intestinal epithelial cells may be partly responsible for decreased gastrointestinal virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Faith
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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37
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Milillo SR, Wiedmann M. Contributions of six lineage-specific internalin-like genes to invasion efficiency of Listeria monocytogenes. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2010; 6:57-70. [PMID: 19014275 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2008.0140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes strains are divided into at least three lineages, which seem to differ in virulence. Internalins are surface-attached or secreted proteins that encode leucine-rich repeats, and L. monocytogenes encodes species-specific as well as lineage-specific internalin and internalin-like genes. Internalins A and B have previously been shown to be critical for L. monocytogenes host cell invasion. Transcription of selected internalins is regulated by the virulence gene regulator PrfA and/or the stress-responsive alternative sigma factor sigma(B). We hypothesized that lineage-specific internalin-like genes may contribute to differential virulence and niche adaptation of the L. monocytogenes lineages. Initial quantitative real time, reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) showed that the six selected lineage-specific internalin-like genes were transcribed in cells grown at 16 degrees and 37 degrees C. Lineage-specific internalin-like gene, lineage II (lsiIIX) showed significantly higher transcript levels in log-phase cells grown at 37 degrees C as compared to 16 degrees C. The gene lsiIA was preceded by a putative sigma(B)-dependent promoter and showed sigma(B)-dependent transcription. None of the null mutants in lineage-specific internalin-like genes differed from their respective parent strain in ability to invade either human intestinal epithelial or hepatocyte-like cell lines. All three mutants in lineage I-specific internalin-like genes exhibited the same growth condition-dependent invasion phenotype as their parent strain ( approximately 1.5 log higher invasion efficiency when grown at 30 degrees C without aeration versus 37 degrees C with aeration). Despite structural similarities to internalins with known roles in host cell attachment and invasion, none of the six lineage-specific internalin-like genes characterized here appear to contribute to invasion. Combined with the observation that some nonpathogenic Listeria species also carry internalin genes, our findings suggest a broad role of Listeria internalins, not limited to attachment and invasion of human cells. Due to the wide host range of L. monocytogenes and the fact that transcription of internalin-like genes can differ considerably depending on growth condition, elucidating the function of different internalins and internalin-like genes will remain a challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara R Milillo
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
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Bacillus subtilis homologs of MviN (MurJ), the putative Escherichia coli lipid II flippase, are not essential for growth. J Bacteriol 2009; 191:6020-8. [PMID: 19666716 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00605-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Although peptidoglycan synthesis is one of the best-studied metabolic pathways in bacteria, the mechanism underlying the membrane translocation of lipid II, the undecaprenyl-disaccharide pentapeptide peptidoglycan precursor, remains mysterious. Recently, it was proposed that the essential Escherichia coli mviN gene encodes the lipid II flippase. Bacillus subtilis contains four proteins that are putatively homologous to MviN, including SpoVB, previously reported to be necessary for spore cortex peptidoglycan synthesis during sporulation. MviN complemented the sporulation defect of a DeltaspoVB mutation, and SpoVB and another of the B. subtilis homologs, YtgP, complemented the growth defect of an E. coli strain depleted for MviN. Thus, these B. subtilis proteins are likely to be MviN homologs. However, B. subtilis strains lacking these four proteins have no defects in growth, indicating that they likely do not serve as lipid II flippases in this organism.
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Host ranges of Listeria-specific bacteriophages from the turkey processing plant environment in the United States. Appl Environ Microbiol 2008; 74:6623-30. [PMID: 18791016 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01282-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though at least 400 Listeria phages have been isolated from various sources, limited information is available on phages from the food processing plant environment. Phages in the processing plant environment may play critical roles in determining the Listeria population that becomes established in the plant. In this study, we pursued the isolation of Listeria-specific phages from environmental samples from four turkey processing plants in the United States. These environmental samples were also utilized to isolate Listeria spp. Twelve phages were isolated and classified into three groups in terms of their host range. Of these, nine (group 1) showed a wide host range, including multiple serotypes of Listeria monocytogenes, as well as other Listeria spp. (L. innocua, L. welshimeri, L. seeligeri, and L. ivanovii). The remaining phages mostly infected L. monocytogenes serotype 4b as well as L. innocua, L. ivanovii, and/or L. welshimeri. All but one of the strains of the serotype 4b complex (4b, 4d, 4e) from the processing plant environment could be readily infected by the wide-host-range phages isolated from the environment of the processing plants. However, many strains of other serotypes (1/2a [or 3a] and 1/2b [or 3b]), which represented the majority of L. monocytogenes strains isolated from the environmental samples, were resistant to infection by these phages. Experiments with two phage-resistant strains showed reduced phage adsorption onto the host cells. These findings suggest that phage resistance may be an important component of the ecology of L. monocytogenes in the turkey processing plants.
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Spears PA, Suyemoto MM, Palermo AM, Horton JR, Hamrick TS, Havell EA, Orndorff PE. A Listeria monocytogenes mutant defective in bacteriophage attachment is attenuated in orally inoculated mice and impaired in enterocyte intracellular growth. Infect Immun 2008; 76:4046-54. [PMID: 18559424 PMCID: PMC2519439 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00283-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2008] [Revised: 04/09/2008] [Accepted: 06/09/2008] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A Listeria monocytogenes bacteriophage was used to identify a phage-resistant Tn917 insertion mutant of the mouse-virulent listerial strain F6214-1. The mutant was attenuated when it was inoculated orally into female A/J mice and failed to replicate efficiently in cultured mouse enterocytes. Phage binding studies indicated that the mutant had a cell surface alteration that precluded phage attachment. All phenotypes associated with the mutation could be complemented in trans by a single open reading frame (ORF) that corresponded to the ORF interrupted by the Tn917 insertion. The complementation effected was, in all cases, at a level indistinguishable from that of the parent. The Tn917 insertion interrupted a gene that is predicted to encode a group 2 glycosyl transferase (provisionally designated glcV). A similar glcV gene is present in Listeria welshimeri and Listeria innocua and in some serotypes of L. monocytogenes. We speculate that the loss of the glcV product results in a defective phage receptor and that this alteration coincidentally influences a feature of the normal host-pathogen interaction required for virulence. Interestingly, the glcV lesion, while preventing phage attachment, did not alter the mutant's ability to bind to cultured mouse enterocyte monolayers. Rather, the mutation appeared to alter a subsequent step in intracellular replication measured by a reduction in plaque-forming efficiency and plaque size. In vivo, the mutant was undetectable in the liver and spleen 48 h after oral inoculation. The mutation is significant in part because it is one of the few that produce attenuation when the mutant is delivered orally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia A Spears
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, USA
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41
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Dudley EG. In VivoExpression Technology and Signature-Tagged Mutagenesis Screens for Identifying Mechanisms of Survival of Zoonotic Foodborne Pathogens. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2008; 5:473-85. [DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2008.0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Edward G. Dudley
- Department of Food Science, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
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42
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Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniaevaccines: from bacterins to new insights into vaccination strategies. Anim Health Res Rev 2008; 9:25-45. [DOI: 10.1017/s1466252307001338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWith the growing emergence of antibiotic resistance and rising consumer demands concerning food safety, vaccination to prevent bacterial infections is of increasing relevance.Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniaeis the etiological agent of porcine pleuropneumonia, a respiratory disease leading to severe economic losses in the swine industry. Despite all the research and trials that were performed withA. pleuropneumoniaevaccination in the past, a safe vaccine that offers complete protection against all serotypes has yet not reached the market. However, recent advances made in the identification of new potential vaccine candidates and in the targeting of specific immune responses, give encouraging vaccination perspectives. Here, we review past and current knowledge onA. pleuropneumoniaevaccines as well as the newly available genomic tools and vaccination strategies that could be useful in the design of an efficient vaccine againstA. pleuropneumoniaeinfection.
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43
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Teichoic acid glycosylation mediated by gtcA is required for phage adsorption and susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b. Appl Environ Microbiol 2008; 74:1653-5. [PMID: 18192405 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01773-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
An insertion mutant of gtcA, responsible for serotype-specific glycosylation of the cell wall teichoic acid in serotype 4b strains of Listeria monocytogenes, was also resistant to both Listeria genus- and serotype 4b-specific phages. The sugar substituents on teichoic acid appeared essential for the adsorption of phages A500 (serotype 4b specific) and A511 (Listeria genus specific) to serotype 4b L. monocytogenes.
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44
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Jones AL, Mertz RH, Carl DJ, Rubens CE. A streptococcal penicillin-binding protein is critical for resisting innate airway defenses in the neonatal lung. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2007; 179:3196-202. [PMID: 17709535 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.179.5.3196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a major cause of neonatal pneumonia. The early interactions between innate airway defenses and this pathogen are likely to be a critical factor in determining the outcome for the host. The surface-localized penicillin-binding protein (PBP)1a, encoded by ponA, is known to be an important virulence trait in a sepsis model of GBS infection that promotes resistance to neutrophil killing and more specifically to neutrophil antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). In this study, we used an aerosolization model to explore the role of PBP1a in evasion of innate immune defenses in the neonatal lung. The ponA mutant strain was cleared more rapidly from the lungs of neonatal rat pups compared with the wild-type strain, which could be linked to a survival defect in the presence of alveolar macrophages (AM). Rat AM were found to secrete beta-defensin and cathelicidin AMP homologues, and the GBS ponA mutant was more susceptible than the wild-type strain to killing by these peptides in vitro. Collectively, our observations suggest that PBP1a-mediated resistance to AM AMPs promotes the survival of GBS in the neonatal lung. Additionally, AM are traditionally thought to clear bacteria through phagocytic uptake; our data indicate that secretion of AMPs may also participate in limiting bacterial replication in the airway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Jones
- Division of Infectious Disease, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, 307 Westlake Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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45
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Bierne H, Cossart P. Listeria monocytogenes surface proteins: from genome predictions to function. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2007; 71:377-97. [PMID: 17554049 PMCID: PMC1899877 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00039-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome of the human food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is predicted to encode a high number of surface proteins. This abundance likely reflects the ability of this bacterium to survive in diverse environments, including soil, food, and the human host. This review focuses on the various mechanisms by which listerial proteins are attached at the bacterial surface and their many functions, including peptidoglycan metabolism, protein processing, adhesion to host cells, and invasion of host tissues. Extensive in silico analysis of the domains or motifs present in these mosaic proteins reveals that diverse structural features allow the surface proteome to interact with diverse bacterial or host components. This diversity offers new clues about the molecular bases of Listeria pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Bierne
- Institut Pasteur, Unité des Interactions Bactéries Cellules, Paris F-75015, France.
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46
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Bierne H, Sabet C, Personnic N, Cossart P. Internalins: a complex family of leucine-rich repeat-containing proteins in Listeria monocytogenes. Microbes Infect 2007; 9:1156-66. [PMID: 17764999 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2007.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Listeria monocytogenes genome includes a large family of proteins harbouring leucine-rich repeats known as internalins (Inl). The generation of novel mutants and comparative analysis of Inl variability among Listeria and other bacterial genomes suggest that beyond the extensively-studied invasins, InlA and InlB, additional internalins also play important functions in the infectious process.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Bierne
- Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, INSERM U604, INRA USC2020, Institut Pasteur, F-75015 Paris, France.
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47
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Cuccui J, Easton A, Chu KK, Bancroft GJ, Oyston PCF, Titball RW, Wren BW. Development of signature-tagged mutagenesis in Burkholderia pseudomallei to identify genes important in survival and pathogenesis. Infect Immun 2006; 75:1186-95. [PMID: 17189432 PMCID: PMC1828585 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01240-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, is an important human pathogen in Southeast Asia and northern Australia for which a vaccine is unavailable. A panel of 892 double signature-tagged mutants was screened for virulence using an intranasal BALB/c mouse model of infection. A novel DNA tag microarray identified 33 mutants as being attenuated in spleens, while 6 were attenuated in both lungs and spleens. The transposon insertion sites in spleen-attenuated mutants revealed genes involved in several stages of capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis and DNA replication and repair, a putative oxidoreductase, ABC transporters, and a lipoprotein that may be important in intercellular spreading. The six mutants identified as missing in both lungs and spleens were found to have insertions in recA involved in the SOS response and DNA repair; putative auxotrophs of leucine, threonine, p-aminobenzoic acid, and a mutant with an insertion in aroB causing auxotrophy for aromatic compounds were also found. Murine challenge studies revealed partial protection in BALB/c mice vaccinated with the aroB mutant. The refined signature-tagged mutagenesis approach developed in this study was used to efficiently identify attenuating mutants from this highly pathogenic species and could be applied to other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Cuccui
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
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Hamilton A, Popham DL, Carl DJ, Lauth X, Nizet V, Jones AL. Penicillin-binding protein 1a promotes resistance of group B streptococcus to antimicrobial peptides. Infect Immun 2006; 74:6179-87. [PMID: 17057092 PMCID: PMC1695509 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00895-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Evasion of host immune defenses is critical for the progression of invasive infections caused by the leading neonatal pathogen, group B streptococcus (GBS). Upon characterizing the factors required for virulence in a neonatal rat sepsis model, we found that a surface-associated penicillin-binding protein (PBP1a), encoded by ponA, played an essential role in resistance of GBS to phagocytic clearance. In order to elucidate how PBP1a promotes resistance to innate immunity, we compared the susceptibility of wild-type GBS and an isogenic ponA mutant to the bactericidal components of human neutrophils. The isogenic strains were found to be equally capable of blocking complement activation on the bacterial surface and equally associated with phagocytes and susceptible to oxidative killing. In contrast, the ponA mutant was significantly more susceptible to killing by cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of the cathelicidin and defensin families, which are now recognized as integral components of innate host defense against invasive bacterial infection. These observations may help explain the sensitivity to phagocytic killing and attenuated virulence of the ponA mutant. This novel function for PBP1a in promoting resistance of GBS to AMP did not involve an alteration in bacterial surface charge or peptidoglycan cross-linking. While the peptidoglycan polymerization and cross-linking activity of PBPs are essential for bacterial survival, our study is the first to identify a role for a PBP in resistance to host AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Hamilton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, 307 Westlake Ave. N, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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Le Monnier A, Autret N, Join-Lambert OF, Jaubert F, Charbit A, Berche P, Kayal S. ActA is required for crossing of the fetoplacental barrier by Listeria monocytogenes. Infect Immun 2006; 75:950-7. [PMID: 17118980 PMCID: PMC1828513 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01570-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes induces severe fetal infection during pregnancy. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms allowing the maternofetal transmission of bacteria. In this work, we studied fetoplacental invasion by infecting mice with various mutants lacking virulence factors involved in the intracellular life cycle of L. monocytogenes. We found that the placenta was highly susceptible to bacteria, including avirulent bacteria, such as an L. monocytogenes mutant with an hly deletion (DeltaLLO) and a nonpathogenic species, Listeria innocua, suggesting that permissive trophoblastic cells, trapping bacteria, provide a protective niche for bacterial survival. The DeltaLLO mutant, which is unable to escape the phagosomal compartment of infected cells, failed to grow in the trophoblast tissue and to invade the fetus. Mutant bacteria with inlA and inlB deletion (DeltaInlAB) grew in the placenta and fetus as well as did the wild-type virulent stain (EGDwt), indicating that in the murine model, internalins A and B are not involved in fetoplacental invasion by L. monocytogenes. Pregnant mice were then infected with an actA deletion (DeltaActA) strain, a virulence-attenuated mutant that is unable to polymerize actin and to spread from cell to cell. With the DeltaActA mutant, fetal infection occurs, but with a significant delay and restriction, and it requires a placental bacterial load 2 log units higher than that for the wild-type virulent strain. Definitive evidence for the role of ActA was provided by showing that a actA-complemented DeltaActA mutant was restored in its capacity to invade fetuses. ActA-mediated cell-to-cell spreading plays a major role in the vertical transmission of L. monocytogenes to the fetus in the murine model.
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50
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Bigot A, Botton E, Dubail I, Charbit A. A homolog of Bacillus subtilis trigger factor in Listeria monocytogenes is involved in stress tolerance and bacterial virulence. Appl Environ Microbiol 2006; 72:6623-31. [PMID: 17021213 PMCID: PMC1610291 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00624-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular chaperones play an essential role in the folding of nascent chain polypeptides, as well as in the refolding and degradation of misfolded or aggregated proteins. They also assist in protein translocation and participate in stress functions. We identified a gene, designated tig, encoding a protein homologous to trigger factor (TF), a cytosolic ribosome-associated chaperone, in the genome of Listeria monocytogenes. We constructed a chromosomal Delta tig deletion and evaluated the impact of the mutation on bacterial growth in broth under various stress conditions and on pathogenesis. The Delta tig deletion did not affect cell viability but impaired survival in the presence of heat and ethanol stresses. We also identified the ffh gene, encoding a protein homologous to the SRP54 eukaryotic component of the signal recognition particle. However, a Delta ffh deletion was not tolerated, suggesting that Ffh is essential, as it is in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. Thus, although dispensable for growth, TF is involved in the stress response of L. monocytogenes. The Delta tig mutant showed no or very modest intracellular survival defects in eukaryotic cells. However, in vivo it showed a reduced capacity to persist in the spleens and livers of infected mice, revealing that TF has a role in the pathogenicity of L. monocytogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armelle Bigot
- INSERM U-570, CHU Necker-Enfants Malades, 156, rue de Vaugirard, 75730 Paris Cedex 15, France
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