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Beliavskaia A, Tan KK, Sinha A, Husin NA, Lim FS, Loong SK, Bell-Sakyi L, Carlow CKS, AbuBakar S, Darby AC, Makepeace BL, Khoo JJ. Metagenomics of culture isolates and insect tissue illuminate the evolution of Wolbachia, Rickettsia and Bartonella symbionts in Ctenocephalides spp. fleas. Microb Genom 2023; 9:mgen001045. [PMID: 37399133 PMCID: PMC10438800 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
While fleas are often perceived simply as a biting nuisance and a cause of allergic dermatitis, they represent important disease vectors worldwide, especially for bacterial zoonoses such as plague (transmitted by rodent fleas) and some of the rickettsioses and bartonelloses. The cosmopolitan cat (Ctenocephalides felis ) and dog (Ctenocephalides canis ) fleas, as well as Ctenocephalides orientis (restricted to tropical and subtropical Asia), breed in human dwellings and are vectors of cat-scratch fever (caused by Bartonella spp.) and Rickettsia spp., including Rickettsia felis (agent of flea-borne spotted fever) and Rickettsia asembonensis , a suspected pathogen. These Rickettsia spp. are members of a phylogenetic clade known as the ‘transitional group’, which includes both human pathogens and arthropod-specific endosymbionts. The relatively depauperate flea microbiome can also contain other endosymbionts, including a diverse range of Wolbachia strains. Here, we present circularized genome assemblies for two C. orientis -derived pathogens (Bartonella clarridgeiae and R. asembonensis ) from Malaysia, a novel Wolbachia strain (w Cori), and the C. orientis mitochondrion; all were obtained by direct metagenomic sequencing of flea tissues. Moreover, we isolated two Wolbachia strains from Malaysian C. felis into tick cell culture and recovered circularized genome assemblies for both, one of which (w CfeF) is newly sequenced. We demonstrate that the three Wolbachia strains are representatives of different major clades (‘supergroups’), two of which appear to be flea-specific. These Wolbachia genomes exhibit unique combinations of features associated with reproductive parasitism or mutualism, including prophage WO, cytoplasmic incompatibility factors and the biotin operon of obligate intracellular microbes. The first circularized assembly for R. asembonensis includes a plasmid with a markedly different structure and gene content compared to the published plasmid; moreover, this novel plasmid was also detected in cat flea metagenomes from the USA. Analysis of loci under positive selection in the transitional group revealed genes involved in host–pathogen interactions that may facilitate host switching. Finally, the first B. clarridgeiae genome from Asia exhibited large-scale genome stability compared to isolates from other continents, except for SNPs in regions predicted to mediate interactions with the vertebrate host. These findings highlight the paucity of data on the genomic diversity of Ctenocephalides -associated bacteria and raise questions regarding how interactions between members of the flea microbiome might influence vector competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Beliavskaia
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK
| | - Kim-Kee Tan
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Amit Sinha
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, 01938, USA
| | - Nurul Aini Husin
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Fang Shiang Lim
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Shih Keng Loong
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Lesley Bell-Sakyi
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK
| | | | - Sazaly AbuBakar
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Alistair C. Darby
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK
| | - Benjamin L. Makepeace
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK
| | - Jing Jing Khoo
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK
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2
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Jin X, Gou Y, Xin Y, Li J, Sun J, Li T, Feng J. Advancements in understanding the molecular and immune mechanisms of Bartonella pathogenicity. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1196700. [PMID: 37362930 PMCID: PMC10288214 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1196700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Bartonellae are considered to be emerging opportunistic pathogens. The bacteria are transmitted by blood-sucking arthropods, and their hosts are a wide range of mammals including humans. After a protective barrier breach in mammals, Bartonella colonizes endothelial cells (ECs), enters the bloodstream, and infects erythrocytes. Current research primarily focuses on investigating the interaction between Bartonella and ECs and erythrocytes, with recent attention also paid to immune-related aspects. Various molecules related to Bartonella's pathogenicity have been identified. The present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the newly described molecular and immune responses associated with Bartonella's pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Jin
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation and Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuze Gou
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuxian Xin
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jingwei Li
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation and Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jingrong Sun
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Tingting Li
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation and Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jie Feng
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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3
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Identification of the Bartonella autotransporter CFA as a protective antigen and hypervariable target of neutralizing antibodies in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202059119. [PMID: 35714289 PMCID: PMC9231624 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202059119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bartonella infections represent a significant burden to human health and are difficult to cure. Protective Bartonella vaccines are not available. Acquired immunity to Bartonella infection could provide a blueprint for vaccine design but remains incompletely defined. Moreover, bacterial immune evasion mechanisms have the potential to thwart vaccination efforts. Our study in a model of a natural Bartonella–host relationship revealed that antibody-mediated prevention of bacterial attachment to erythrocytes is sufficient for protection. We identified the bacterial surface determinant CFA (CAMP-like factor autotransporter) as a target of protective antibodies. While immunization with CFA protected against challenge with the homologous Bartonella isolate, extensive variability of CFA already at the strain level revealed bacterial immune evasion mechanisms with implications for Bartonella vaccine design. The bacterial genus Bartonella comprises numerous emerging pathogens that cause a broad spectrum of disease manifestations in humans. The targets and mechanisms of the anti-Bartonella immune defense are ill-defined and bacterial immune evasion strategies remain elusive. We found that experimentally infected mice resolved Bartonella infection by mounting antibody responses that neutralized the bacteria, preventing their attachment to erythrocytes and suppressing bacteremia independent of complement or Fc receptors. Bartonella-neutralizing antibody responses were rapidly induced and depended on CD40 signaling but not on affinity maturation. We cloned neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and by mass spectrometry identified the bacterial autotransporter CFA (CAMP-like factor autotransporter) as a neutralizing antibody target. Vaccination against CFA suppressed Bartonella bacteremia, validating CFA as a protective antigen. We mapped Bartonella-neutralizing mAb binding to a domain in CFA that we found is hypervariable in both human and mouse pathogenic strains, indicating mutational antibody evasion at the Bartonella subspecies level. These insights into Bartonella immunity and immune evasion provide a conceptual framework for vaccine development, identifying important challenges in this endeavor.
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Zeng W, Ma H, Fan W, Yang Y, Zhang C, Arnaud Kombe Kombe J, Fan X, Zhang Y, Dong Z, Shen Z, Zhou Y, Yang M, Jin T. Structure determination of CAMP factor of Mobiluncus curtisii and insights into structural dynamics. Int J Biol Macromol 2019; 150:1027-1036. [PMID: 31739050 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.10.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common type of vaginal inflammation caused by a proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, among which Mobiluncus curtisii. In our previous studies on M. curtisii genome, we identified the presence of a genomic fragment encoding a 25 kDa pore-forming toxin, the CAMP factor, which is known to be involved in the synergistic lysis of erythrocytes namely CAMP reaction. However, whether this hypothetical gene product has hemolytic activity is unknown. Moreover, its relative structure and function are not yet solved. Here we found that the M. curtisii CAMP factor is a monomer at pH 4.4 and oligomer at pH > 4.6. Hemolysis assays showed that M. curtisii CAMP factor could lyse sheep red blood cells efficiently in pH 5.4-7.4. Negative staining electron microscope analysis of the CAMP factor revealed ring-like structures at pH above 4.6. Additionally, the crystal structure of M. curtisii CAMP factor, determineded at 1.85 Å resolution, reveals a 5 + 3 helix motif. Further functional analysis suggested that the structural rearrangement of the N-terminal domain might be required for protein function. In conclusion, this structure-function relationship study of CAMP factor provides a new perspective of the M. curtisii role in BV development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihong Zeng
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China; Zhuhai Precision Medical Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Jinan University, Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China; Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Weirong Fan
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital South Campus, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunru Yang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Caiying Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - John Arnaud Kombe Kombe
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Xiaojiao Fan
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Yuzhu Zhang
- Healthy Processed Foods Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center, Albany, CA 94710, United States
| | - Zhongjun Dong
- Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100086, China
| | - Zhen Shen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Meixiang Yang
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China; Zhuhai Precision Medical Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Jinan University, Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China.
| | - Tengchuan Jin
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China.
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5
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Li Y, Zeng W, Li Y, Fan W, Ma H, Fan X, Jiang J, Brefo-Mensah E, Zhang Y, Yang M, Dong Z, Palmer M, Jin T. Structure determination of the CAMP factor of Streptococcus agalactiae with the aid of an MBP tag and insights into membrane-surface attachment. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2019; 75:772-781. [PMID: 31373576 PMCID: PMC8493612 DOI: 10.1107/s205979831901057x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
CAMP factor is a unique α-helical bacterial toxin that is known for its co-hemolytic activity in combination with staphylococcal sphingomyelinase. It was first discovered in the human pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae (also known as group B streptococcus), but homologous genes have been found in many other Gram-positive pathogens. In this study, the efforts that led to the determination of the first structure of a CAMP-family toxin are reported. Initially, it was possible to produce crystals of the native protein which diffracted to near 2.45 Å resolution. However, a series of technical obstacles were encountered on the way to structure determination. Over a period of more than five years, many methods, including selenomethionine labeling, mutations, crystallization chaperones and heavy-atom soaking, were attempted, but these attempts resulted in limited progress. The structure was finally solved using a combination of iodine soaking and molecular replacement using the crystallization chaperone maltose-binding protein (MBP) as a search model. Analysis of native and MBP-tagged CAMP-factor structures identified a conserved interaction interface in the C-terminal domain (CTD). The positively charged surface may be critical for binding to acidic ligands. Furthermore, mutations on the interaction interface at the CTD completely abolished its co-hemolytic activities. This study provides novel insights into the mechanism of the membrane-permeabilizing activity of CAMP factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajuan Li
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weihong Zeng
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, People’s Republic of China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Biomedical Translational Research Institute and School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuelong Li
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weirong Fan
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital South Campus, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huan Ma
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaojiao Fan
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiansheng Jiang
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20914, USA
| | - Eric Brefo-Mensah
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Yuzhu Zhang
- Processed Foods Research Unit, USDA–ARS, Western Regional Research Center, Albany, CA 94710, USA
| | - Meixiang Yang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Biomedical Translational Research Institute and School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhongjun Dong
- Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100086, People’s Republic of China
| | - Michael Palmer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Tengchuan Jin
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, People’s Republic of China
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6
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Deng H, Pang Q, Zhao B, Vayssier-Taussat M. Molecular Mechanisms of Bartonella and Mammalian Erythrocyte Interactions: A Review. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:431. [PMID: 30619777 PMCID: PMC6299047 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonellosis is an infectious disease caused by Bartonella species that are distributed worldwide with animal and public health impact varying according to Bartonella species, infection phase, immunological characteristics, and geographical region. Bartonella is widely present in various mammals including cats, rodents, ruminants, and humans. At least 13 Bartonella species or subspecies are zoonotic. Each species has few reservoir animals in which it is often asymptomatic. Bartonella infection may lead to various clinical symptoms in humans. As described in the B.tribocorum-rat model, when Bartonella was seeded into the blood stream, they could escape immunity, adhered to and invaded host erythrocytes. They then replicated and persisted in the infected erythrocytes for several weeks. This review summarizes the current knowledge of how Bartonella prevent phagocytosis and complement activation, what pathogenesis factors are involved in erythrocyte adhesion and invasion, and how Bartonella could replicate and persist in mammalian erythrocytes. Current advances in research will help us to decipher molecular mechanisms of interactions between Bartonella and mammalian erythrocytes and may help in the development of biological strategies for the prevention and control of bartonellosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongkuan Deng
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, China
| | - Qiuxiang Pang
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, China
| | - Bosheng Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, China
| | - Muriel Vayssier-Taussat
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, ANSES, École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne, Maisons-Alfort, France
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Kornspan JD, Rottem S, Nir-Paz R. Cardiolipin synthetase is involved in antagonistic interaction (reverse CAMP phenomenon) of Mycoplasma species with Staphylococcus aureus beta-hemolysis. J Clin Microbiol 2014; 52:1622-8. [PMID: 24599982 PMCID: PMC3993627 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00037-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma hyorhinis has been implicated in a variety of swine diseases. However, little is known about the hemolytic capabilities of Mycoplasma species in general or M. hyorhinis in particular. In this study, we show that M. hyorhinis possesses beta-hemolytic activity which may be involved in the invasion process. M. hyorhinis also possesses antagonistic cooperativity (reverse CAMP phenomenon) with Staphylococcus aureus beta-hemolysis, resulting in the protection of erythrocytes from the beta-hemolytic activity of S. aureus (reverse CAMP). The reversed CAMP phenomenon has been attributed to phospholipase D (PLD) activity. In silico analysis of the M. hyorhinis genome revealed the absence of the pld gene but the presence of the cls gene encoding cardiolipin synthetase, which contains two PLD active domains. The transformation of Mycoplasma gallisepticum that has neither the cls gene nor the reverse CAMP phenomenon with the cls gene from M. hyorhinis resulted in the reverse CAMP phenomenon, suggesting for the first time that reverse CAMP can be induced by cardiolipin synthetase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D. Kornspan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, Hebrew University–Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shlomo Rottem
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, Hebrew University–Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ran Nir-Paz
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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Ben-Tekaya H, Gorvel JP, Dehio C. Bartonella and Brucella--weapons and strategies for stealth attack. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2013; 3:3/8/a010231. [PMID: 23906880 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a010231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Bartonella spp. and Brucella spp. are closely related α-proteobacterial pathogens that by distinct stealth-attack strategies cause chronic infections in mammals including humans. Human infections manifest by a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms, ranging from mild to fatal disease. Both pathogens establish intracellular replication niches and subvert diverse pathways of the host's immune system. Several virulence factors allow them to adhere to, invade, proliferate, and persist within various host-cell types. In particular, type IV secretion systems (T4SS) represent essential virulence factors that transfer effector proteins tailored to recruit host components and modulate cellular processes to the benefit of the bacterial intruders. This article puts the remarkable features of these two pathogens into perspective, highlighting the mechanisms they use to hijack signaling and trafficking pathways of the host as the basis for their stealthy infection strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houchaima Ben-Tekaya
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4052 Basel, Switzerland
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Eicher SC, Dehio C. Bartonellaentry mechanisms into mammalian host cells. Cell Microbiol 2012; 14:1166-73. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2012.01806.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2012] [Revised: 04/11/2012] [Accepted: 04/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone C. Eicher
- Research Area Infection BiologyBiozentrum of the University of Basel Klingelbergstrasse 70 CH‐4056 Basel Switzerland
| | - Christoph Dehio
- Research Area Infection BiologyBiozentrum of the University of Basel Klingelbergstrasse 70 CH‐4056 Basel Switzerland
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Pulliainen AT, Dehio C. Persistence of Bartonella spp. stealth pathogens: from subclinical infections to vasoproliferative tumor formation. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2012; 36:563-99. [PMID: 22229763 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2012.00324.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2011] [Revised: 12/13/2011] [Accepted: 12/13/2011] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Bartonella spp. are facultative intracellular bacteria that typically cause a long-lasting intraerythrocytic bacteremia in their mammalian reservoir hosts, thereby favoring transmission by blood-sucking arthropods. In most cases, natural reservoir host infections are subclinical and the relapsing intraerythrocytic bacteremia may last weeks, months, or even years. In this review, we will follow the infection cycle of Bartonella spp. in a reservoir host, which typically starts with an intradermal inoculation of bacteria that are superficially scratched into the skin from arthropod feces and terminates with the pathogen exit by the blood-sucking arthropod. The current knowledge of bacterial countermeasures against mammalian immune response will be presented for each critical step of the pathogenesis. The prevailing models of the still-enigmatic primary niche and the anatomical location where bacteria reside, persist, and are periodically seeded into the bloodstream to cause the typical relapsing Bartonella spp. bacteremia will also be critically discussed. The review will end up with a discussion of the ability of Bartonella spp., namely Bartonella henselae, Bartonella quintana, and Bartonella bacilliformis, to induce tumor-like vascular deformations in humans having compromised immune response such as in patients with AIDS.
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Abstract
Bartonella spp. are facultative intracellular pathogens that employ a unique stealth infection strategy comprising immune evasion and modulation, intimate interaction with nucleated cells, and intraerythrocytic persistence. Infections with Bartonella are ubiquitous among mammals, and many species can infect humans either as their natural host or incidentally as zoonotic pathogens. Upon inoculation into a naive host, the bartonellae first colonize a primary niche that is widely accepted to involve the manipulation of nucleated host cells, e.g., in the microvasculature. Consistently, in vitro research showed that Bartonella harbors an ample arsenal of virulence factors to modulate the response of such cells, gain entrance, and establish an intracellular niche. Subsequently, the bacteria are seeded into the bloodstream where they invade erythrocytes and give rise to a typically asymptomatic intraerythrocytic bacteremia. While this course of infection is characteristic for natural hosts, zoonotic infections or the infection of immunocompromised patients may alter the path of Bartonella and result in considerable morbidity. In this review we compile current knowledge on the molecular processes underlying both the infection strategy and pathogenesis of Bartonella and discuss their connection to the clinical presentation of human patients, which ranges from minor complaints to life-threatening disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Harms
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland
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12
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Nakatsuji T, Tang DCC, Zhang L, Gallo RL, Huang CM. Propionibacterium acnes CAMP factor and host acid sphingomyelinase contribute to bacterial virulence: potential targets for inflammatory acne treatment. PLoS One 2011; 6:e14797. [PMID: 21533261 PMCID: PMC3075254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2010] [Accepted: 01/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the progression of acne vulgaris, the disruption of follicular epithelia by an over-growth of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) permits the bacteria to spread and become in contact with various skin and immune cells. Methodology/Principal Findings We have demonstrated in the present study that the Christie, Atkins, Munch-Peterson (CAMP) factor of P. acnes is a secretory protein with co-hemolytic activity with sphingomyelinase that can confer cytotoxicity to HaCaT keratinocytes and RAW264.7 macrophages. The CAMP factor from bacteria and acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) from the host cells were simultaneously present in the culture supernatant only when the cells were co-cultured with P. acnes. Either anti-CAMP factor serum or desipramine, a selective ASMase inhibitor, significantly abrogated the P. acnes-induced cell death of HaCaT and RAW264.7 cells. Intradermal injection of ICR mouse ears with live P. acnes induced considerable ear inflammation, macrophage infiltration, and an increase in cellular soluble ASMase. Suppression of ASMase by systemic treatment with desipramine significantly reduced inflammatory reaction induced by intradermal injection with P. acnes, suggesting the contribution of host ASMase in P. acnes-induced inflammatory reaction in vivo. Vaccination of mice with CAMP factor elicited a protective immunity against P. acnes-induced ear inflammation, indicating the involvement of CAMP factor in P. acnes-induced inflammation. Most notably, suppression of both bacterial CAMP factor and host ASMase using vaccination and specific antibody injection, respectively, cooperatively alleviated P. acnes-induced inflammation. Conclusions/Significance These findings envision a novel infectious mechanism by which P. acnes CAMP factor may hijack host ASMase to amplify bacterial virulence to degrade and invade host cells. This work has identified both CAMP factor and ASMase as potential molecular targets for the development of drugs and vaccines against acne vulgaris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teruaki Nakatsuji
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
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Sörensen M, Mak TN, Hurwitz R, Ogilvie LA, Mollenkopf HJ, Meyer TF, Brüggemann H. Mutagenesis of Propionibacterium acnes and analysis of two CAMP factor knock-out mutants. J Microbiol Methods 2010; 83:211-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2010.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2010] [Revised: 08/18/2010] [Accepted: 09/02/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Minnick MF, Battisti JM. Pestilence, persistence and pathogenicity: infection strategies of Bartonella. Future Microbiol 2009; 4:743-58. [PMID: 19659429 DOI: 10.2217/fmb.09.41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been nearly two decades since the discovery of Bartonella as an agent of bacillary angiomatosis in AIDS patients and persistent bacteremia and 'nonculturable' endocarditis in homeless people. Since that time, the number of Bartonella species identified has increased from one to 24, and 10 of these bacteria are associated with human disease. Although Bartonella is the only genus that infects human erythrocytes and triggers pathological angiogenesis in the vascular bed, the group remains understudied compared with most other bacterial pathogens. Numerous questions regarding Bartonella's molecular pathogenesis and epidemiology remain unanswered. Virtually every mammal harbors one or more Bartonella species and their transmission typically involves a hematophagous arthropod vector. However, many details regarding epidemiology and the public health threat imposed by these animal reservoirs is unclear. A handful of studies have shown that bartonellae are highly-adapted pathogens whose parasitic strategy has evolved to cause persistent infections of the host. To this end, virulence attributes of Bartonella include the subversion of host cells with effector molecules delivered via a type IV secretion system, induction of pathological angiogenesis through various means, including inhibition of apoptosis and activation of hypoxia-inducing factor 1, use of afimbrial adhesins that are orthologs of Yersinia adhesin A, incorporation of lipopolysaccharides with low endotoxic potency in the outer membrane, and several other virulence factors that help Bartonella infect and persist in erythrocytes and endothelial cells of the host circulatory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Minnick
- The University of Montana, Division of Biological Sciences, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
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Charbonneau MÈ, Janvore J, Mourez M. Autoprocessing of the Escherichia coli AIDA-I autotransporter: a new mechanism involving acidic residues in the junction region. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:17340-17351. [PMID: 19398552 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.010108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The cleavage of the autotransporter adhesin involved in diffuse adherence (AIDA-I) of Escherichia coli yields a membrane-embedded fragment, AIDAc, and an extracellular fragment, the mature AIDA-I adhesin. The latter remains noncovalently associated with AIDAc but can be released by heat treatment. In this study we determined the mechanism of AIDA-I cleavage. We showed that AIDA-I processing is an autocatalytic event by monitoring the in vitro cleavage of an uncleaved mutant protein isolated from inclusion bodies. Furthermore, by following changes in circular dichroism spectra and protease resistance of the renaturated protein, we showed that the cleavage of the protein is correlated with folding. With site-directed deletions, we showed that the catalytic activity of the protein lies in a region encompassing amino acids between Ala-667 and Thr-953, which includes the conserved junction domain of some autotransporters. With site-directed point mutations, we also found that Asp-878 and Glu-897 are involved in the processing of AIDA-I and that a mutation preserving the acidic side chain of Asp-878 was tolerated, giving evidence that this carboxylic acid group is directly involved in catalysis. Last, we confirmed that cleavage of AIDA-I is intramolecular. Our results unveil a new mechanism of auto-processing in the autotransporter family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Ève Charbonneau
- From the Canada Research Chair on Bacterial Animal Diseases, Université de Montréal, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, 3200 Sicotte, St.-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 7C6, Canada
| | - Julie Janvore
- From the Canada Research Chair on Bacterial Animal Diseases, Université de Montréal, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, 3200 Sicotte, St.-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 7C6, Canada
| | - Michael Mourez
- From the Canada Research Chair on Bacterial Animal Diseases, Université de Montréal, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, 3200 Sicotte, St.-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 7C6, Canada.
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Litwin CM, Rawlins ML, Swenson EM. Characterization of an immunogenic outer membrane autotransporter protein, Arp, of Bartonella henselae. Infect Immun 2007; 75:5255-63. [PMID: 17785470 PMCID: PMC2168282 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00533-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella henselae is a recently recognized pathogenic bacterium associated with cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis, and bacillary peliosis. This study describes the cloning, sequencing, and characterization of an antigenic autotransporter gene from B. henselae. A cloned 6.0-kb BclI-EcoRI DNA fragment expresses a 120-kDa B. henselae protein immunoreactive with 21.2% of sera from patients positive for B. henselae immunoglobulin G antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence, with 97.3% specificity and no cross-reactivity with antibodies against various other organisms. DNA sequencing of the clone revealed one open reading frame of 4,320 bp with a deduced amino acid sequence that shows homology to the family of autotransporters. The autotransporters are a group of proteins that mediate their own export through the outer membrane and consist of a passenger region, the alpha-domain, and an outer membrane transporter region, the beta-domain. The passenger domain shows homology to a family of pertactin-like adhesion proteins and contains seven, nearly identical 48-amino-acid repeats not found in any other bacterial or Bartonella DNA sequences. The passenger alpha-domain has a calculated molecular mass of 117 kDa, and the transporter beta-domain has a calculated molecular mass of 36 kDa. The clone expresses a 120-kDa protein and a protein that migrates at approximately 38 kDa exclusively in the outer membrane protein fraction, suggesting that the 120-kDa passenger protein remains associated with the outer membrane after cleavage from the 36-kDa transporter.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Angiomatosis, Bacillary/immunology
- Antibodies, Bacterial/blood
- Antigens, Bacterial/chemistry
- Antigens, Bacterial/genetics
- Antigens, Bacterial/immunology
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/chemistry
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/genetics
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/immunology
- Bartonella henselae/genetics
- Bartonella henselae/immunology
- Base Sequence
- Blotting, Western
- Cat-Scratch Disease/immunology
- Cloning, Molecular
- DNA, Bacterial/chemistry
- DNA, Bacterial/genetics
- Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
- Humans
- Immunoglobulin G/blood
- Membrane Transport Proteins/chemistry
- Membrane Transport Proteins/genetics
- Membrane Transport Proteins/immunology
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Molecular Weight
- Protein Structure, Tertiary/genetics
- Repetitive Sequences, Amino Acid
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Litwin
- Section of Clinical Immunology, Microbiology and Virology, Department of Pathology, 50 N. Medical Drive, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
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Battisti JM, Smitherman LS, Sappington KN, Parrow NL, Raghavan R, Minnick MF. Transcriptional regulation of the heme binding protein gene family of Bartonella quintana is accomplished by a novel promoter element and iron response regulator. Infect Immun 2007; 75:4373-85. [PMID: 17576755 PMCID: PMC1951173 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00497-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We previously identified a five-member family of hemin-binding proteins (Hbp's) of Bartonella quintana that bind hemin on the outer surface but share no homology with known bacterial heme receptors. Subsequently, we demonstrated that expression of the hbp family is significantly influenced by oxygen, heme, and temperature conditions encountered by the pathogen in the human host and the body louse vector; e.g., we observed a dramatic (>100-fold) increase in hbpC transcript levels in response to the "louse-like" temperature of 30 degrees C. The goal of the present study was to identify a transcription factor(s) involved in the coordinated and differential regulation of the hbp family. First, we used quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to show that the same environmental conditions generate parallels in the transcript profiles of four candidate transcriptional regulators (Irr, Fur, RirA, and BatR) described in the order Rhizobiales, with the greatest overall change in the transcription of irr (a >5-fold decrease) at a "louse-like" temperature, suggesting that Irr may function as an hbpC repressor. Second, a B. quintana strain hyperexpressing Irr was constructed; it exhibits a "bloodstream-like" hbp transcript profile in the absence of an environmental stimulus (i.e., hbpC is repressed and hbpA, hbpD, and hbpE mRNAs are relatively abundant). Furthermore, when this strain is grown at a "louse-like" temperature, an inversion of the transcript profile occurs, where derepression of hbpC and repression of hbpA, hbpD, and hbpE are readily evident, strongly suggesting that Irr and temperature influence hbp family expression. Third, electrophoretic mobility shift analyses show that recombinant Irr binds specifically to the hbpC promoter region at a sequence that is highly conserved in Bartonella hbp genes, which we designated the hbp family box, or "H-box." Fourth, we used the H-box to search the B. quintana genome and discovered a number of intriguing open reading frames, e.g., five members of a six-member family of cohemolysin autotransporters. Finally, qRT-PCR data regarding the effects of Fur and RirA overexpression on the hbp family are provided; they show that Fur's effect on the hbp family is relatively minor but RirA generates a "bloodstream-like" hbp transcript profile in the absence of an environmental stimulus, as observed for the Irr-hyperexpressing strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Battisti
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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Lindroos H, Vinnere O, Mira A, Repsilber D, Näslund K, Andersson SGE. Genome rearrangements, deletions, and amplifications in the natural population of Bartonella henselae. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:7426-39. [PMID: 16936024 PMCID: PMC1636255 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00472-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cats are the natural host for Bartonella henselae, an opportunistic human pathogen and the agent of cat scratch disease. Here, we have analyzed the natural variation in gene content and genome structure of 38 Bartonella henselae strains isolated from cats and humans by comparative genome hybridizations to microarrays and probe hybridizations to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) blots. The variation in gene content was modest and confined to the prophage and the genomic islands, whereas the PFGE analyses indicated extensive rearrangements across the terminus of replication with breakpoints in areas of the genomic islands. We observed no difference in gene content or structure between feline and human strains. Rather, the results suggest multiple sources of human infection from feline B. henselae strains of diverse genotypes. Additionally, the microarray hybridizations revealed DNA amplification in some strains in the so-called chromosome II-like region. The amplified segments were centered at a position corresponding to a putative phage replication initiation site and increased in size with the duration of cultivation. We hypothesize that the variable gene pool in the B. henselae population plays an important role in the establishment of long-term persistent infection in the natural host by promoting antigenic variation and escape from the host immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hillevi Lindroos
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, S-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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