1
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Ojha R, Krug S, Jones P, Koestler BJ. Intact and mutated Shigella diguanylate cyclases increase c-di-GMP. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107525. [PMID: 38960033 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107525] [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: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The intracellular human pathogen Shigella invades the colonic epithelium to cause disease. Prior to invasion, this bacterium navigates through different environments within the human body, including the stomach and the small intestine. To adapt to changing environments, Shigella uses the bacterial second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c di-GMP) signaling system, synthesized by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) encoding GGDEF domains. Shigella flexneri encodes a total of 9 GGDEF or GGDEF-EAL domain enzymes in its genome, but five of these genes have acquired mutations that presumably inactivated the c-di-GMP synthesis activity of these enzymes. In this study, we examined individual S. flexneri DGCs for their role in c-di-GMP synthesis and pathogenesis. We individually expressed each of the four intact DGCs in a S. flexneri strain, where these four DGCs had been deleted (Δ4DGC). We found that the 4 S. flexneri intact DGCs synthesize c-di-GMP at different levels in vitro and during infection of tissue-cultured cells. We also found that dgcF and dgcI expression significantly reduces invasion and plaque formation, and dgcF expression increases acid sensitivity, and that these phenotypes did not correspond with measured c-di-GMP levels. However, deletion of these four DGCs did not eliminate S. flexneri c-di-GMP, and we found that dgcE, dgcQ, and dgcN, which all have nonsense mutations prior to the GGDEF domain, still produce c-di-GMP. These S. flexneri degenerate DGC pseudogenes are expressed as multiple proteins, consistent with multiple start codons within the gene. We propose that both intact and degenerate DGCs contribute to S. flexneri c-di-GMP signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchi Ojha
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
| | - Stefanie Krug
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Prentiss Jones
- Department of Pathology, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
| | - Benjamin J Koestler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA.
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2
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Ojha R, Krug S, Jones P, Koestler BJ. Intact and Degenerate Diguanylate Cyclases regulate Shigella Cyclic di-GMP. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.08.588579. [PMID: 38645013 PMCID: PMC11030455 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.08.588579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The intracellular human pathogen Shigella invades the colonic epithelium to cause disease. Prior to invasion, this bacterium navigates through different environments within the human body, including the stomach and the small intestine. To adapt to changing environments, Shigella uses the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP signaling system, synthesized by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) encoding GGDEF domains. Shigella flexneri encodes a total of 9 GGDEF or GGDEF-EAL domain enzymes in its genome, but 5 of these genes have acquired mutations that presumably inactivated the c-di-GMP synthesis activity of these enzymes. In this study, we examined individual S. flexneri DGCs for their role in c-di-GMP synthesis and pathogenesis. We individually expressed each of the 4 intact DGCs in an S. flexneri strain where these 4 DGCs had been deleted (Δ4DGC). We found that the 4 S. flexneri intact DGCs synthesize c-di-GMP at different levels in vitro and during infection of tissue-cultured cells. We also found that dgcF and dgcI expression significantly reduces invasion and plaque formation, and dgcF expression increases acid sensitivity, and that these phenotypes did not correspond with measured c-di-GMP levels. However, deletion of these 4 DGCs did not eliminate S. flexneri c-di-GMP, and we found that dgcE, dgcQ, and dgcN , which all have nonsense mutations prior to the GGDEF domain, still produce c-di-GMP. These S. flexneri degenerate DGC genes are expressed as multiple proteins, consistent with multiple start codons within the gene. We propose that both intact and degenerate DGCs contribute to S. flexneri c-di-GMP signaling.
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3
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Zhan X, Zhang K, Wang C, Fan Q, Tang X, Zhang X, Wang K, Fu Y, Liang H. A c-di-GMP signaling module controls responses to iron in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1860. [PMID: 38424057 PMCID: PMC10904736 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46149-3] [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: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) serves as a bacterial second messenger that modulates various processes including biofilm formation, motility, and host-microbe symbiosis. Numerous studies have conducted comprehensive analysis of c-di-GMP. However, the mechanisms by which certain environmental signals such as iron control intracellular c-di-GMP levels are unclear. Here, we show that iron regulates c-di-GMP levels in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by modulating the interaction between an iron-sensing protein, IsmP, and a diguanylate cyclase, ImcA. Binding of iron to the CHASE4 domain of IsmP inhibits the IsmP-ImcA interaction, which leads to increased c-di-GMP synthesis by ImcA, thus promoting biofilm formation and reducing bacterial motility. Structural characterization of the apo-CHASE4 domain and its binding to iron allows us to pinpoint residues defining its specificity. In addition, the cryo-electron microscopy structure of ImcA in complex with a c-di-GMP analog (GMPCPP) suggests a unique conformation in which the compound binds to the catalytic pockets and to the membrane-proximal side located at the cytoplasm. Thus, our results indicate that a CHASE4 domain directly senses iron and modulates the crosstalk between c-di-GMP metabolic enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueliang Zhan
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, ShaanXi, China
| | - Kuo Zhang
- College of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chenchen Wang
- College of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiao Fan
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, ShaanXi, China
| | - Xiujia Tang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, ShaanXi, China
| | - Ke Wang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Yang Fu
- College of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haihua Liang
- College of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
- University Laboratory of Metabolism and Health of Guangdong, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
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4
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Jusufovic N, Krusenstjerna AC, Savage CR, Saylor TC, Brissette CA, Zückert WR, Schlax PJ, Motaleb MA, Stevenson B. Borrelia burgdorferi PlzA is a cyclic-di-GMP dependent DNA and RNA binding protein. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.01.30.526351. [PMID: 36778503 PMCID: PMC9915621 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.30.526351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The PilZ domain-containing protein, PlzA, is the only known cyclic di-GMP binding protein encoded by all Lyme disease spirochetes. PlzA has been implicated in the regulation of many borrelial processes, but the effector mechanism of PlzA was not previously known. Here we report that PlzA can bind DNA and RNA and that nucleic acid binding requires c-di-GMP, with the affinity of PlzA for nucleic acids increasing as concentrations of c-di-GMP were increased. A mutant PlzA that is incapable of binding c-di-GMP did not bind to any tested nucleic acids. We also determined that PlzA interacts predominantly with the major groove of DNA and that sequence length plays a role in DNA binding affinity. PlzA is a dual-domain protein with a PilZ-like N-terminal domain linked to a canonical C-terminal PilZ domain. Dissection of the domains demonstrated that the separated N-terminal domain bound nucleic acids independently of c-di-GMP. The C-terminal domain, which includes the c-di-GMP binding motifs, did not bind nucleic acids under any tested conditions. Our data are supported by computational docking, which predicts that c-di-GMP binding at the C-terminal domain stabilizes the overall protein structure and facilitates PlzA-DNA interactions via residues in the N-terminal domain. Based on our data, we propose that levels of c-di-GMP during the various stages of the enzootic life cycle direct PlzA binding to regulatory targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerina Jusufovic
- Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40526-0001, USA
| | - Andrew C. Krusenstjerna
- Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40526-0001, USA
| | - Christina R. Savage
- Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40526-0001, USA
| | - Timothy C. Saylor
- Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40526-0001, USA
| | - Catherine A. Brissette
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58203-9061, USA
| | - Wolfram R. Zückert
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Paula J. Schlax
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Bates College, Lewiston, ME, 04240-6030, USA
| | - Md A. Motaleb
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834-435, USA
| | - Brian Stevenson
- Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40526-0001, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 40526-0001, USA
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5
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Cimdins-Ahne A, Naemi AO, Li F, Simm R, Römling U. Characterisation of Variants of Cyclic di-GMP Turnover Proteins Associated with Semi-Constitutive rdar Morphotype Expression in Commensal and Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Strains. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2048. [PMID: 37630608 PMCID: PMC10459773 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11082048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Expression of rdar (red, dry, and rough) colony morphology-based biofilm formation in Escherichia coli is highly variable. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of semi-constitutive rdar morphotype formation, we compared their cyclic di-GMP turnover protein content and variability to the highly regulated, temperature-dependent morphotype of the historical and modern ST10 isolates E. coli MG1655 and Fec10, respectively. Subsequently, we assessed the effects of cyclic di-GMP turnover protein variants of the EAL phosphodiesterases YcgG and YjcC and the horizontally transferred diguanylate cyclase DgcX on biofilm formation and motility. The two YcgG variants with truncations of the N-terminal CSS signaling domain were oppositely effective in targeting downregulation of rdar biofilm formation compared to the full-length reference protein. Expression of the C-terminal truncated variants YjcCFec67 and YjcCTob1 showed highly diminished apparent phosphodiesterase activity compared to the reference YjcCMG1655. For YjcCFec101, substitution of the C-terminus led to an apparently inactive enzyme. Overexpression of the diguanylate cyclase DgcX contributed to upregulation of cellulose biosynthesis but not to elevated expression of the major biofilm regulator csgD in the "classical" rdar-expressing commensal strain E. coli Fec10. Thus, the c-di-GMP regulating network is highly complex with protein variants displaying substantially different apparent enzymatic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Cimdins-Ahne
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; (A.C.-A.); (F.L.)
| | - Ali-Oddin Naemi
- Institute of Oral Biology, University of Oslo, 0313 Oslo, Norway; (A.-O.N.); (R.S.)
| | - Fengyang Li
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; (A.C.-A.); (F.L.)
| | - Roger Simm
- Institute of Oral Biology, University of Oslo, 0313 Oslo, Norway; (A.-O.N.); (R.S.)
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, 0106 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ute Römling
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; (A.C.-A.); (F.L.)
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6
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Van Gundy T, Patel D, Bowler BE, Rothfuss MT, Hall AJ, Davies C, Hall LS, Drecktrah D, Marconi RT, Samuels DS, Lybecker MC. c-di-GMP regulates activity of the PlzA RNA chaperone from the Lyme disease spirochete. Mol Microbiol 2023; 119:711-727. [PMID: 37086029 PMCID: PMC10330241 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15066] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
PlzA is a c-di-GMP-binding protein crucial for adaptation of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia (Borreliella) burgdorferi during its enzootic life cycle. Unliganded apo-PlzA is important for vertebrate infection, while liganded holo-PlzA is important for survival in the tick; however, the biological function of PlzA has remained enigmatic. Here, we report that PlzA has RNA chaperone activity that is inhibited by c-di-GMP binding. Holo- and apo-PlzA bind RNA and accelerate RNA annealing, while only apo-PlzA can strand displace and unwind double-stranded RNA. Guided by the crystal structure of PlzA, we identified several key aromatic amino acids protruding from the N- and C-terminal domains that are required for RNA-binding and unwinding activity. Our findings illuminate c-di-GMP as a switch controlling the RNA chaperone activity of PlzA, and we propose that complex RNA-mediated modulatory mechanisms allow PlzA to regulate gene expression during both the vector and host phases of the B. burgdorferi life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Van Gundy
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Dhara Patel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Bruce E. Bowler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Michael T. Rothfuss
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Allie J. Hall
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Christopher Davies
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Laura S. Hall
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Dan Drecktrah
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Richard T. Marconi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - D. Scott Samuels
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Meghan C. Lybecker
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Colorado, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Colorado Springs CO 80917, USA
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7
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Kalashnikova TV, Sutormina LV, Samoilova ZY, Oktyabrsky ON, Smirnova GV. Effect of Changes in the Redox Status on Biofilm Formation in Escherichia coli. Bull Exp Biol Med 2023; 174:451-454. [PMID: 36894813 DOI: 10.1007/s10517-023-05727-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Changes in the redox balance in the medium and in Escherichia coli cells significantly affect the ability of bacteria to form biofilms. An increase in the level of aeration in the culture of wild-type bacteria led to a 3-fold decrease in the mass of biofilms. Mutants lacking components of the glutathione and thioredoxin redox systems, as well as transporters involved in the transmembrane cycling of glutathione, demonstrated increased biofilm formation ability. The effect of exogenous glutathione on biofilm formation depended on the culturing conditions. The addition of 0.1-1 mM Trolox (a water-soluble analog of vitamin E) was accompanied by a 30-40% reduction in biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- T V Kalashnikova
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences - Branch of Perm Federal Research Center, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia
| | - L V Sutormina
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences - Branch of Perm Federal Research Center, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia
| | - Z Yu Samoilova
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences - Branch of Perm Federal Research Center, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia
| | - O N Oktyabrsky
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences - Branch of Perm Federal Research Center, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia
| | - G V Smirnova
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences - Branch of Perm Federal Research Center, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia.
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8
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Dong X, Tu C, Liu Y, Zhang R, Liu Y. Identification of the core c-di-GMP turnover proteins responsible for root colonization of Bacillus velezensis. iScience 2022; 25:105294. [PMID: 36300004 PMCID: PMC9589206 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Root colonization by beneficial rhizobacteria determines their plant beneficial effects. The messenger c-di-GMP is involved in the bacterial transition process between motility and biofilm, which are crucial to the colonization ability of the rhizobacteria. In this study, we identified three GGDEF domain-containing proteins (YdaK, YhcK, and YtrP) and two EAL domain-containing proteins (YuxH and YkuI) in beneficial rhizobacterium Bacillus velezensis SQR9. We found that deficiency of ytrP or ykuI in SQR9 led to impaired biofilm formation, while deficiency of yuxH led to weakened motility. Further investigation showed that YtrP, YuxH, and YkuI all contributed to the root colonization of SQR9 on cucumber root. Further bioinformatics analysis showed that YtrP and YuxH are conserved in plant beneficial Bacillus group, while they do not occur in animal pathogenic Bacillus. This research will be useful for enhancing the beneficial function of Bacillus spp. in agricultural application. C-di-GMP is involved in root colonization of B. velezensis YtrP and YkuI enhance the root colonization by regulating biofilm of B velezensis YuxH enhances the root colonization by affecting the motility of B. velezensis YtrP and YuxH are conserved in plant beneficial Bacillus group
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong 264003, P.R. China,Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Collection and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
| | - Chen Tu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong 264003, P.R. China
| | - Yanan Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong 264003, P.R. China
| | - Ruifu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Collection and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R. China,College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Yunpeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Collection and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R. China,Corresponding author
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9
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Multilayered Networks of SalmoNet2 Enable Strain Comparisons of the Salmonella Genus on a Molecular Level. mSystems 2022; 7:e0149321. [PMID: 35913188 PMCID: PMC9426430 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01493-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Serovars of the genus Salmonella primarily evolved as gastrointestinal pathogens in a wide range of hosts. Some serotypes later evolved further, adopting a more invasive lifestyle in a narrower host range associated with systemic infections. A system-level knowledge of these pathogens could identify the complex adaptations associated with the evolution of serovars with distinct pathogenicity, host range, and risk to human health. This promises to aid the design of interventions and serve as a knowledge base in the Salmonella research community. Here, we present SalmoNet2, a major update to SalmoNet1, the first multilayered interaction resource for Salmonella strains, containing protein-protein, transcriptional regulatory, and enzyme-enzyme interactions. The new version extends the number of Salmonella networks from 11 to 20. We now include a strain from the second species in the Salmonella genus, a strain from the Salmonella enterica subspecies arizonae and additional strains of importance from the subspecies enterica, including S. Typhimurium strain D23580, an epidemic multidrug-resistant strain associated with invasive nontyphoidal salmonellosis (iNTS). The database now uses strain specific metabolic models instead of a generalized model to highlight differences between strains. The update has increased the coverage of high-quality protein-protein interactions, and enhanced interoperability with other computational resources by adopting standardized formats. The resource website has been updated with tutorials to help researchers analyze their Salmonella data using molecular interaction networks from SalmoNet2. SalmoNet2 is accessible at http://salmonet.org/. IMPORTANCE Multilayered network databases collate interaction information from multiple sources, and are powerful both as a knowledge base and subject of analysis. Here, we present SalmoNet2, an integrated network resource containing protein-protein, transcriptional regulatory, and metabolic interactions for 20 Salmonella strains. Key improvements to the update include expanding the number of strains, strain-specific metabolic networks, an increase in high-quality protein-protein interactions, community standard computational formats to help interoperability, and online tutorials to help users analyze their data using SalmoNet2.
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10
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Hu J, Lv X, Niu X, Yu F, Zuo J, Bao Y, Yin H, Huang C, Nawaz S, Zhou W, Jiang W, Chen Z, Tu J, Qi K, Han X. Effect of nutritional and environmental conditions on biofilm formation of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli. J Appl Microbiol 2022; 132:4236-4251. [PMID: 35343028 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15543] [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: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To study the effects of environmental stress and nutrient conditions on biofilm formation of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC). METHODS AND RESULTS The APEC strain DE17 was used to study biofilm formation under various conditions of environmental stress (including different temperatures, pH, metal ions, and antibiotics) and nutrient conditions (LB and M9 media, with the addition of different carbohydrates, if necessary). The DE17 biofilm formation ability was strongest at 25°C in LB medium. Compared to incubation at 37°C, three biofilm-related genes (csgD, dgcC, and pfs) were significantly upregulated and two genes (flhC and flhD) were downregulated at 25°C, which resulted in decreased motility. However, biofilm formation was strongest in M9 medium supplemented with glucose at 37°C, and the number of live bacteria was the highest as determined by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The bacteria in the biofilm were surrounded by a thick extracellular matrix, and honeycomb-like or rough surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, biofilm formation of the DE17 strain was remarkably inhibited under acidic conditions, whereas neutral and alkaline conditions were more suitable for biofilm formation. Biofilm formation was also inhibited at specific concentrations of cations (Na+ , K+ , Ca2+ , and Mg2+ ) and antibiotics (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, and spectinomycin). The qRT-PCR showed that the transcription levels of biofilm-related genes change under different environmental conditions. CONCLUSIONS Nutritional and environmental factors played an important role in DE17 biofilm development. The transcription levels of biofilm-related genes changed under different environmental and nutrient conditions. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY The findings suggest that nutritional and environmental factors play an important role in APEC biofilm development. Depending on the different conditions involved in this study, it can serve as a guide to treating biofilm-related infections and to eliminating biofilms from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangang Hu
- Engineering Research Center for the Prevention and Control of Animal Original Zoonosis, Fujian Province, College of Life Science, Longyan University, Longyan, Fujian, China.,Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), 518 Ziyue Road, Shanghai, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pathobiology and Disease Control, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaolong Lv
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), 518 Ziyue Road, Shanghai, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pathobiology and Disease Control, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xiangpeng Niu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), 518 Ziyue Road, Shanghai, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pathobiology and Disease Control, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Fangheng Yu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), 518 Ziyue Road, Shanghai, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pathobiology and Disease Control, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jiakun Zuo
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), 518 Ziyue Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinli Bao
- Engineering Research Center for the Prevention and Control of Animal Original Zoonosis, Fujian Province, College of Life Science, Longyan University, Longyan, Fujian, China
| | - Huifang Yin
- Engineering Research Center for the Prevention and Control of Animal Original Zoonosis, Fujian Province, College of Life Science, Longyan University, Longyan, Fujian, China
| | - Cuiqin Huang
- Engineering Research Center for the Prevention and Control of Animal Original Zoonosis, Fujian Province, College of Life Science, Longyan University, Longyan, Fujian, China
| | - Saqib Nawaz
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), 518 Ziyue Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen Zhou
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), 518 Ziyue Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), 518 Ziyue Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaoguo Chen
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), 518 Ziyue Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Tu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pathobiology and Disease Control, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Kezong Qi
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pathobiology and Disease Control, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xiangan Han
- Engineering Research Center for the Prevention and Control of Animal Original Zoonosis, Fujian Province, College of Life Science, Longyan University, Longyan, Fujian, China.,Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), 518 Ziyue Road, Shanghai, China
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11
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Pereira M, Oh JK, Kang DK, Engstrand L, Valeriano VD. Hacking Commensal Bacteria to Consolidate the Adaptive Mucosal Immune Response in the Gut–Lung Axis: Future Possibilities for SARS-CoV-2 Protection. BIOTECH 2022; 11:biotech11010003. [PMID: 35822811 PMCID: PMC9245903 DOI: 10.3390/biotech11010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases caused by mucosal pathogens significantly increase mortality and morbidity. Thus, the possibility to target these pathogens at their primary entry points can consolidate protective immunity. Regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection, it has been observed that the upper respiratory mucosa is highly affected and that dysregulation of resident microbiota in the gut–lung axis plays a crucial role in determining symptom severity. Thus, understanding the possibility of eliciting various mucosal and adaptive immune responses allows us to effectively design bacterial mucosal vaccine vectors. Such design requires rationally selecting resident bacterial candidates as potential host carriers, evaluating effective carrier proteins for stimulating an immune response, and combining these two to improve antigenic display and immunogenicity. This review investigated mucosal vaccine vectors from 2015 to present, where a few have started to utilize Salmonella and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to display SARS-CoV-2 Spike S proteins or fragments. Although current literature is still lacking for its studies beyond in vitro or in vivo efficiency, decades of research into these vectors show promising results. Here, we discuss the mucosal immune systems focusing on the gut–lung axis microbiome and offer new insight into the potential use of alpha streptococci in the upper respiratory tract as a vaccine carrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Pereira
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden; (M.P.); (J.K.O.); (L.E.)
| | - Ju Kyoung Oh
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden; (M.P.); (J.K.O.); (L.E.)
| | - Dae-Kyung Kang
- Department of Animal Resources Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea;
| | - Lars Engstrand
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden; (M.P.); (J.K.O.); (L.E.)
| | - Valerie Diane Valeriano
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden; (M.P.); (J.K.O.); (L.E.)
- Correspondence:
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12
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Fang Y, Visvalingam J, Zhang P, Yang X. Biofilm formation by Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in monocultures and co-cultures with meat processing surface bacteria. Food Microbiol 2021; 102:103902. [PMID: 34809934 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2021.103902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the impact of meat processing surface bacteria (MPB) on biofilm formation by non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and potential links between biofilm formation by STEC and biofilm-related genes in their genomes. Biofilm development by 50 MPB and 6 STEC strains in mono- and co-cultures was assessed by the crystal violet staining method, and their expression of curli and cellulose was determined using the Congo red agar method. Genes (n = 141) associated with biofilm formation in the STEC strains were profiled. Biofilm formation in general correlated with cellulose and curli expression in both mono- and co-cultures. Most MPB strains had antagonistic effects on the biofilm formation of the STEC strains. Of the genes investigated, 81% were common among the STEC strains and there seems to be a gene-redundancy in biofilm formation. The inability of the O26 strain to form biofilms could be due to mutations in the rpoS gene. Truncation in the mlrA gene in the O145 strain seems not affecting its biofilm formation alone or with MPB. The O45 strain, despite having the greatest number of biofilm-related genes, did not form measurable biofilms. Overall, biofilm formation of STEC was affected by curli-cellulose expression and companion strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Fang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lacombe Research and Development Centre, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, Alberta, T4L 1W1, Canada
| | - Jeyachchandran Visvalingam
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lacombe Research and Development Centre, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, Alberta, T4L 1W1, Canada
| | - Peipei Zhang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lacombe Research and Development Centre, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, Alberta, T4L 1W1, Canada
| | - Xianqin Yang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lacombe Research and Development Centre, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, Alberta, T4L 1W1, Canada.
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13
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Abstract
Shigella flexneri is an intracellular human pathogen that invades colonic cells and causes bloody diarrhea. S. flexneri evolved from commensal Escherichia coli, and genome comparisons reveal that S. flexneri has lost approximately 20% of its genes through the process of pathoadaptation, including a disproportionate number of genes associated with the turnover of the nucleotide-based second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP); however, the remaining c-di-GMP turnover enzymes are highly conserved. c-di-GMP regulates many behavioral changes in other bacteria in response to changing environmental conditions, including biofilm formation, but this signaling system has not been examined in S. flexneri. In this study, we expressed VCA0956, a constitutively active c-di-GMP synthesizing diguanylate cyclase (DGC) from Vibrio cholerae, in S. flexneri to determine if virulence phenotypes were regulated by c-di-GMP. We found that expressing VCA0956 in S. flexneri increased c-di-GMP levels, and this corresponds with increased biofilm formation and reduced acid resistance, host cell invasion, and plaque size. We examined the impact of VCA0956 expression on the S. flexneri transcriptome and found that genes related to acid resistance were repressed, and this corresponded with decreased survival to acid shock. We also found that individual S. flexneri DGC mutants exhibit reduced biofilm formation and reduced host cell invasion and plaque size, as well as increased resistance to acid shock. This study highlights the importance of c-di-GMP signaling in regulating S. flexneri virulence phenotypes. IMPORTANCE The intracellular human pathogen Shigella causes dysentery, resulting in as many as one million deaths per year. Currently, there is no approved vaccine for the prevention of shigellosis, and the incidence of antimicrobial resistance among Shigella species is on the rise. Here, we explored how the widely conserved c-di-GMP bacterial signaling system alters Shigella behaviors associated with pathogenesis. We found that expressing or removing enzymes associated with c-di-GMP synthesis results in changes in Shigella's ability to form biofilms, invade host cells, form lesions in host cell monolayers, and resist acid stress.
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14
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Regulation of ydiV-induced biological characteristics permits Escherichia coli evasion of the host STING inflammatory response. Vet Microbiol 2021; 261:109207. [PMID: 34419774 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2021.109207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Mammary gland-derived Escherichia coli (E. coli) is an important pathogen causing dairy cow mastitis. YdiV, with EAL-like domains, inhibits flagellum biogenesis and motility and affects c-di-GMP (eubacterial signaling molecule) concentration changes in bacteria. However, the pathophysiological role of ydiV in host-pathogen cross-talk still needs to be elucidated. In this study, firstly constructed the ydiV mutant (NJ17ΔydiV) and ydiV complementary (cNJ17ΔydiV) E. coli strains to infect mouse mammary epithelial cells (EpH4-Ev) and macrophages (RAW264.7), as well as mouse mammary glands, respectively. Then biological characteristics, adaptor molecules in related signaling pathways, proinflammatory cytokines and the extent of host cell damage was evaluated. Compared with E. coli NJ17 infected mice, the bacterial load in the mammary gland of NJ17ΔydiV was significantly lower and the extent of the damage was alleviated. Notably, the deletion of ydiV significantly aggravated cell damage in RAW264.7 cells and compared with the wild-type strain, NJ17ΔydiV significantly activated the STING/TBK1/IRF3 pathway in macrophages. In EpH4-Ev cells, although STING did not sense E. coli NJ17 invasion, IRF3 was activated by the NJ17ΔydiV strain. Taken together, ydiV deletion significantly affects a variety of biological characteristics and induces severe cell damage, while the STING/TBK1/IRF3 pathway actively participated in pathogen elimination in the host. This study highlights a new role for ydiV in E. coli infection and provides a foundation for further studies to better understand host-bacteria interactions and potential prophylactic strategies for infectious diseases.
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15
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Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli in Dairy Calves: A 15-Year Retrospective Analysis and Comparison of Treated and Untreated Animals. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11082328. [PMID: 34438785 PMCID: PMC8388469 DOI: 10.3390/ani11082328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In dairy production, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is both a health and economic issue that may lead to treatment failures and the spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens. Epidemiological and farm data on AMR are instrumental for selecting the appropriate therapy. However, such data are not always available. We investigated the AMR profile of 2612 Escherichia coli strains isolated from cases of calf diarrhea over a 15-year period (2002–2016). Furthermore, the AMR profiles and major virulence genes of 505 E. coli strains isolated from 1-week- and 2-week-old calves were examined, with a comparison made between those treated with antimicrobials (n = 406) and not treated (n = 99) as well as between the two age groups to evaluate the potential effects of treatments on AMR and pathogenicity. Resistance to tetracycline was the most common, followed by resistance to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and flumequine. Treated calves showed a higher rate of AMR and virulence genes. These results highlight the risk of the frequent use of antimicrobials on calf microflora in leading to potentially ineffective treatments. A higher resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, enrofloxacin, and florfenicol was found in 1-week-old calves, suggesting the environment as a possible AMR source. In conclusion, measures such as improved hygiene in the calving pen, antimicrobial stewardship, and monitoring for resistant pathogens in manure should be promoted to prevent the spread of AMR. Abstract The health problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) involves several species. AMR surveillance is essential to identify its development and design control strategies; however, available data are still limited in some contexts. The AMR profiles of 2612 E. coli strains isolated over a period of 15 years (2002–2016) from calf enteric cases were analyzed to determine the presence of resistance and their temporal dynamics. Furthermore, the AMR profiles and the presence of the major virulence genes of 505 E. coli strains isolated from 1-week- and 2-week-old calves, 406 treated with antimicrobials and 99 untreated, were analyzed and compared to investigate the potential effects of treatment on AMR and strain pathogenicity. Resistance to tetracycline (90.70%) was the most common, followed by resistance to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (77.70%) and flumequine (72.10%). The significantly higher percentage of AMR and virulence gene expression recorded in treated calves, combined with the statistically higher resistance to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim in E. coli with K99, corroborates the notion of resistance being induced by the frequent use of antimicrobials, leading to treatments potentially becoming ineffective. The significantly higher resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, enrofloxacin, and florfenicol in isolates from 1-week-old calves suggests the role of the environment as a source of contamination that should be investigated further.
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16
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Serra DO, Hengge R. Bacterial Multicellularity: The Biology of Escherichia coli Building Large-Scale Biofilm Communities. Annu Rev Microbiol 2021; 75:269-290. [PMID: 34343018 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-031921-055801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Biofilms are a widespread multicellular form of bacterial life. The spatial structure and emergent properties of these communities depend on a polymeric extracellular matrix architecture that is orders of magnitude larger than the cells that build it. Using as a model the wrinkly macrocolony biofilms of Escherichia coli, which contain amyloid curli fibers and phosphoethanolamine (pEtN)-modified cellulose as matrix components, we summarize here the structure, building, and function of this large-scale matrix architecture. Based on different sigma and other transcription factors as well as second messengers, the underlying regulatory network reflects the fundamental trade-off between growth and survival. It controls matrix production spatially in response to long-range chemical gradients, but it also generates distinct patterns of short-range matrix heterogeneity that are crucial for tissue-like elasticity and macroscopic morphogenesis. Overall, these biofilms confer protection and a potential for homeostasis, thereby reducing maintenance energy, which makes multicellularity an emergent property of life itself. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 75 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego O Serra
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), 2000 Rosario, Argentina
| | - Regine Hengge
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany;
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17
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Abstract
By evolving strains of E. coli that hyper-resist sedimentation, we discovered an uncharacterized mechanism that bacteria can use to remain in suspension indefinitely without expending energy. This unusual phenotype was traced to the anchoring of long colanic acid polymers (CAP) that project from the cell surface. Although each characterized mutant activated this same mechanism, the genes responsible and the strengths of the phenotypes varied. Mutations in rcsC, lpp, igaA, or the yjbEFGH operon were sufficient to stimulate sedimentation resistance, while mutations altering the cps promoter, cdgI, or yjbF provided phenotypic enhancements. The sedimentation resistances changed in response to temperature, growth phase, and carbon source and each mutant exhibited significantly reduced biofilm formation. We discovered that the degree of colony mucoidy exhibited by these mutants was not related to the degree of Rcs pathways activation or to the amount of CAP that was produced; rather, it was related to the fraction of CAP that was shed as a true exopolysaccharide. Therefore, these and other mutations that activate this phenotype are likely to be absent from genetic screens that relied on centrifugation to harvest bacteria. We also found that this anchored CAP form is not linked to LPS cores and may not be attached to the outer membrane.IMPORTANCEBacteria can partition in aqueous environments between surface-dwelling, planktonic, sedimentary, and biofilm forms. Residence in each location provides an advantage depending on nutritional and environmental stresses and a community of a single species is often observed to be distributed throughout two or more of these niches. Another adaptive strategy is to produce an extracellular capsule, which provides an environmental shield for the microbe and can allow escape from predators and immune systems. We discovered that bacteria can either shed or stably anchor capsules to dramatically alter their propensity to sediment. The degree to which the bacteria anchor their capsule is controlled by a stress sensing system, suggesting that anchoring may be used as an adaptive response to severe environmental challenges.
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18
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Hengge R. High-Specificity Local and Global c-di-GMP Signaling. Trends Microbiol 2021; 29:993-1003. [PMID: 33640237 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The striking multiplicity, signal input diversity, and output specificity of c-di-GMP signaling proteins in many bacteria has brought second messenger signaling back onto the agenda of contemporary microbiology. How can several signaling pathways act in parallel in a specific manner if all of them use the same diffusible second messenger present at a certain global cellular concentration? Recent research has now shown that bacteria achieve this by flexibly combining modes of local and global c-di-GMP signaling in complex signaling networks. Three criteria have to be met to define local c-di-GMP signaling: specific knockout phenotypes, direct interactions between proteins involved, and actual cellular c-di-GMP levels remaining below the Kd of effectors. Adaptive changes in signaling network architecture can further enhance signaling flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regine Hengge
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
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19
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Stargardt P, Striedner G, Mairhofer J. Tunable expression rate control of a growth-decoupled T7 expression system by L-arabinose only. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:27. [PMID: 33522916 PMCID: PMC7852362 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-021-01512-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Precise regulation of gene expression is of utmost importance for the production of complex membrane proteins (MP), enzymes or other proteins toxic to the host cell. In this article we show that genes under control of a normally Isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG)-inducible PT7-lacO promoter can be induced solely with L-arabinose in a newly constructed Escherichia coli expression host BL21-AI<gp2>, a strain based on the recently published approach of bacteriophage inspired growth-decoupled recombinant protein production. RESULTS Here, we show that BL21-AI<gp2> is able to precisely regulate protein production rates on a cellular level in an L-arabinose concentration-dependent manner and simultaneously allows for reallocation of metabolic resources due to L-arabinose induced growth decoupling by the phage derived inhibitor peptide Gp2. We have successfully characterized the system under relevant fed-batch like conditions in microscale cultivation (800 µL) and generated data proofing a relevant increase in specific yields for 6 different Escherichia coli derived MP-GFP fusion proteins by using online-GFP signals, FACS analysis, SDS-PAGE and western blotting. CONCLUSIONS In all cases tested, BL21-AI<gp2> outperformed the parental strain BL21-AI, operated in growth-associated production mode. Specific MP-GFP fusion proteins yields have been improved up to 2.7-fold. Therefore, this approach allows for fine tuning of MP production or expression of multi-enzyme pathways where e.g. particular stoichiometries have to be met to optimize product flux.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerald Striedner
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
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20
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Mutalik VK, Adler BA, Rishi HS, Piya D, Zhong C, Koskella B, Kutter EM, Calendar R, Novichkov PS, Price MN, Deutschbauer AM, Arkin AP. High-throughput mapping of the phage resistance landscape in E. coli. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000877. [PMID: 33048924 PMCID: PMC7553319 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are critical players in the dynamics and function of microbial communities and drive processes as diverse as global biogeochemical cycles and human health. Phages tend to be predators finely tuned to attack specific hosts, even down to the strain level, which in turn defend themselves using an array of mechanisms. However, to date, efforts to rapidly and comprehensively identify bacterial host factors important in phage infection and resistance have yet to be fully realized. Here, we globally map the host genetic determinants involved in resistance to 14 phylogenetically diverse double-stranded DNA phages using two model Escherichia coli strains (K-12 and BL21) with known sequence divergence to demonstrate strain-specific differences. Using genome-wide loss-of-function and gain-of-function genetic technologies, we are able to confirm previously described phage receptors as well as uncover a number of previously unknown host factors that confer resistance to one or more of these phages. We uncover differences in resistance factors that strongly align with the susceptibility of K-12 and BL21 to specific phage. We also identify both phage-specific mechanisms, such as the unexpected role of cyclic-di-GMP in host sensitivity to phage N4, and more generic defenses, such as the overproduction of colanic acid capsular polysaccharide that defends against a wide array of phages. Our results indicate that host responses to phages can occur via diverse cellular mechanisms. Our systematic and high-throughput genetic workflow to characterize phage-host interaction determinants can be extended to diverse bacteria to generate datasets that allow predictive models of how phage-mediated selection will shape bacterial phenotype and evolution. The results of this study and future efforts to map the phage resistance landscape will lead to new insights into the coevolution of hosts and their phage, which can ultimately be used to design better phage therapeutic treatments and tools for precision microbiome engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek K. Mutalik
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Benjamin A. Adler
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Harneet S. Rishi
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Designated Emphasis Program in Computational and Genomic Biology, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Denish Piya
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Crystal Zhong
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Britt Koskella
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | | | - Richard Calendar
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Pavel S. Novichkov
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Morgan N. Price
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Adam M. Deutschbauer
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Adam P. Arkin
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Designated Emphasis Program in Computational and Genomic Biology, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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21
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Khan F, Tabassum N, Pham DTN, Oloketuyi SF, Kim YM. Molecules involved in motility regulation in Escherichia coli cells: a review. BIOFOULING 2020; 36:889-908. [PMID: 33028083 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2020.1826939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The initial colonization of the host organism by commensal, probiotic, and pathogenic Escherichia coli strains is an important step in the development of infections and biofilms. Sensing and colonization of host cell surfaces are governed by flagellar and fimbriae/pili appendages, respectively. Biofilm formation confers great advantages on pathogenic E. coli cells such as protection against the host immune system, antimicrobial agents, and several environmental stress factors. The transition from planktonic to sessile physiological states involves several signaling cascades and factors responsible for the regulation of flagellar motility in E. coli cells. These regulatory factors have thus become important targets to control pathogenicity. Hence, attenuation of flagellar motility is considered a potential therapy against pathogenic E. coli. The present review describes signaling pathways and proteins involved in direct or indirect regulation of flagellar motility. Furthermore, application strategies for antimotility natural or synthetic compounds are discussed also.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fazlurrahman Khan
- Institute of Food Science, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Nazia Tabassum
- Industrial Convergence Bionix Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Dung Thuy Nguyen Pham
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Young-Mog Kim
- Institute of Food Science, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
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22
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Richter AM, Possling A, Malysheva N, Yousef KP, Herbst S, von Kleist M, Hengge R. Local c-di-GMP Signaling in the Control of Synthesis of the E. coli Biofilm Exopolysaccharide pEtN-Cellulose. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:4576-4595. [PMID: 32534064 PMCID: PMC7397504 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In many bacteria, the biofilm-promoting second messenger c-di-GMP is produced and degraded by multiple diguanylate cyclases (DGC) and phosphodiesterases (PDE), respectively. High target specificity of some of these enzymes has led to theoretical concepts of "local" c-di-GMP signaling. In Escherichia coli K-12, which has 12 DGCs and 13 PDEs, a single DGC, DgcC, is specifically required for the biosynthesis of the biofilm exopolysaccharide pEtN-cellulose without affecting the cellular c-di-GMP pool, but the mechanistic basis of this target specificity has remained obscure. DGC activity of membrane-associated DgcC, which is demonstrated in vitro in nanodiscs, is shown to be necessary and sufficient to specifically activate cellulose biosynthesis in vivo. DgcC and a particular PDE, PdeK (encoded right next to the cellulose operon), directly interact with cellulose synthase subunit BcsB and with each other, thus establishing physical proximity between cellulose synthase and a local source and sink of c-di-GMP. This arrangement provides a localized, yet open source of c-di-GMP right next to cellulose synthase subunit BcsA, which needs allosteric activation by c-di-GMP. Through mathematical modeling and simulation, we demonstrate that BcsA binding from the low cytosolic c-di-GMP pool in E. coli is negligible, whereas a single c-di-GMP molecule that is produced and released in direct proximity to cellulose synthase increases the probability of c-di-GMP binding to BcsA several hundred-fold. This local c-di-GMP signaling could provide a blueprint for target-specific second messenger signaling also in other bacteria where multiple second messenger producing and degrading enzymes exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja M Richter
- Institute of Biology/Microbiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany; Department of Materials and the Environment, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -Prüfung, 12205 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandra Possling
- Institute of Biology/Microbiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nadezhda Malysheva
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany; MF1 Bioinformatics, Robert-Koch-Institut, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kaveh P Yousef
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Herbst
- Institute of Biology/Microbiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Max von Kleist
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany; MF1 Bioinformatics, Robert-Koch-Institut, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Regine Hengge
- Institute of Biology/Microbiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
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23
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Valentini M, Filloux A. Multiple Roles of c-di-GMP Signaling in Bacterial Pathogenesis. Annu Rev Microbiol 2020; 73:387-406. [PMID: 31500536 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-020518-115555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The intracellular signaling molecule cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) regulates the lifestyle of bacteria and controls many key functions and mechanisms. In the case of bacterial pathogens, a wide variety of virulence lifestyle factors have been shown to be regulated by c-di-GMP. Evidence of the importance of this molecule for bacterial pathogenesis has become so great that new antimicrobial agents are tested for their capacity of targeting c-di-GMP signaling. This review summarizes the current knowledge on this topic and reveals its application for the development of new antivirulence intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Valentini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland;
| | - Alain Filloux
- MRC Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ London, United Kingdom;
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Yu M, Chua SL. Demolishing the great wall of biofilms in Gram‐negative bacteria: To disrupt or disperse? Med Res Rev 2019; 40:1103-1116. [DOI: 10.1002/med.21647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miao Yu
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical TechnologyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University, KowloonHong Kong SAR China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug DiscoveryThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University, KowloonHong Kong SAR China
| | - Song Lin Chua
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical TechnologyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University, KowloonHong Kong SAR China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug DiscoveryThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University, KowloonHong Kong SAR China
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Qvortrup K, Hultqvist LD, Nilsson M, Jakobsen TH, Jansen CU, Uhd J, Andersen JB, Nielsen TE, Givskov M, Tolker-Nielsen T. Small Molecule Anti-biofilm Agents Developed on the Basis of Mechanistic Understanding of Biofilm Formation. Front Chem 2019; 7:742. [PMID: 31737611 PMCID: PMC6838868 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial biofilms are the cause of persistent infections associated with various medical implants and distinct body sites such as the urinary tract, lungs, and wounds. Compared with their free living counterparts, bacteria in biofilms display a highly increased resistance to immune system activities and antibiotic treatment. Therefore, biofilm infections are difficult or impossible to treat with our current armory of antibiotics. The challenges associated with biofilm infections have urged researchers to pursue a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that are involved in the formation and dispersal of biofilms, and this has led to the identification of several steps that could be targeted in order to eradicate these challenging infections. Here we describe mechanisms that are involved in the regulation of biofilm development in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Acinetobacter baumannii, and provide examples of chemical compounds that have been developed to specifically inhibit these processes. These compounds include (i) pilicides and curlicides which inhibit the initial steps of biofilm formation by E. coli; (ii) compounds that interfere with c-di-GMP signaling in P. aeruginosa and E. coli; and (iii) compounds that inhibit quorum-sensing in P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii. In cases where compound series have a defined molecular target, we focus on elucidating structure activity relationship (SAR) trends within the particular compound series.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrine Qvortrup
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Louise Dahl Hultqvist
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Nilsson
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tim Holm Jakobsen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Jesper Uhd
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jens Bo Andersen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas E Nielsen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael Givskov
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tim Tolker-Nielsen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Pfiffer V, Sarenko O, Possling A, Hengge R. Genetic dissection of Escherichia coli's master diguanylate cyclase DgcE: Role of the N-terminal MASE1 domain and direct signal input from a GTPase partner system. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008059. [PMID: 31022167 PMCID: PMC6510439 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitous second messenger c-di-GMP promotes bacterial biofilm formation by playing diverse roles in the underlying regulatory networks. This is reflected in the multiplicity of diguanylate cyclases (DGC) and phosphodiesterases (PDE) that synthesize and degrade c-di-GMP, respectively, in most bacterial species. One of the 12 DGCs of Escherichia coli, DgcE, serves as the top-level trigger for extracellular matrix production during macrocolony biofilm formation. Its multi-domain architecture–a N-terminal membrane-inserted MASE1 domain followed by three PAS, a GGDEF and a degenerate EAL domain–suggested complex signal integration and transmission through DgcE. Genetic dissection of DgcE revealed activating roles for the MASE1 domain and the dimerization-proficient PAS3 region, whereas the inhibitory EALdeg domain counteracts the formation of DgcE oligomers. The MASE1 domain is directly targeted by the GTPase RdcA (YjdA), a dimer or oligomer that together with its partner protein RdcB (YjcZ) activates DgcE, probably by aligning and promoting dimerization of the PAS3 and GGDEF domains. This activation and RdcA/DgcE interaction depend on GTP hydrolysis by RdcA, suggesting GTP as an inhibitor and the pronounced decrease of the cellular GTP pool during entry into stationary phase, which correlates with DgcE-dependent activation of matrix production, as a possible input signal sensed by RdcA. Furthermore, DgcE exhibits rapid, continuous and processive proteolytic turnover that also depends on the relatively disordered transmembrane MASE1 domain. Overall, our study reveals a novel GTP/c-di-GMP-connecting signaling pathway through the multi-domain DGC DgcE with a dual role for the previously uncharacterized MASE1 signaling domain. Biofilms represent a multicellular life form of bacteria, in which large numbers of cells live in communities surrounded and protected by a self-generated extracellular polymeric matrix. As biofilms tolerate antibiotics and host immune systems, they are causally associated with chronic infections. Biofilm formation is generally promoted by the ubiquitous bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP. DgcE, one of the 12 diguanylate cyclases that produce c-di-GMP in E. coli, was previously shown to specifically act as a top level trigger in the regulatory network that drives biofilm matrix production in this bacterium. However, signal input into DgcE itself, which is a large six-domain protein, had remained unknown. Here we demonstrate that DgcE activity is controlled by a novel type of dynamin-like GTPase that directly interacts with the N-terminal membrane-intrinsic MASE1 domain of DgcE. Our finding of a dual function of this MASE1 domain, which is essential for both activation and continuous proteolysis of DgcE, is the first characterization of this widespread bacterial signaling domain. Signal input via the dynamin-like GTPase system suggests that c-di-GMP production by DgcE might be stimulated by the decreasing cellular GTP level during entry into stationary phase, which is precisely the time when biofilm matrix production is turned on.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Pfiffer
- Institut für Biologie / Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olga Sarenko
- Institut für Biologie / Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandra Possling
- Institut für Biologie / Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Regine Hengge
- Institut für Biologie / Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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DncV Synthesizes Cyclic GMP-AMP and Regulates Biofilm Formation and Motility in Escherichia coli ECOR31. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.02492-18. [PMID: 30837338 PMCID: PMC6401482 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02492-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of bacteria to sense and respond to environmental signals is critical for survival. Bacteria use cyclic dinucleotides as second messengers to regulate a number of physiological processes, such as the fundamental life style transition between motility and sessility (biofilm formation). cGAMP, which is synthesized by a dinucleotide cyclase called DncV, is a newly discovered second messenger involved in virulence and chemotaxis in the Vibrio cholerae biovar El Tor causing the current 7th cholera pandemic. However, to what extent cGAMP exists and participates in physiological processes in other bacteria is still unknown. In this study, we found an elevated cGAMP level to possibly regulate biofilm formation and motility in the animal commensal E. coli strain ECOR31. Thus, we detected a novel role for cGAMP signaling in regulation of physiological processes other than those previously reported in proteobacterial species. Cyclic dinucleotides (cDNs) act as intracellular second messengers, modulating bacterial physiology to regulate the fundamental life style transition between motility and sessility commonly known as biofilm formation. Cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), synthesized by the dinucleotide cyclase DncV, is a newly discovered cDN second messenger involved in virulence and chemotaxis in Vibrio cholerae O1 biovar El Tor. Here we report a novel role for horizontally transferred DncV in cGAMP production and regulation of biofilm formation and motility in the animal commensal strain Escherichia coli ECOR31. ECOR31 expresses a semiconstitutive temperature-independent rdar (red, dry, and rough) morphotype on Congo red agar plates characterized by the extracellular matrix components cellulose and curli fimbriae which requires activation by the major biofilm regulator CsgD and cyclic di-GMP signaling. In contrast, C-terminal His-tagged DncV negatively regulates the rdar biofilm morphotype and cell aggregation via downregulation of csgD mRNA steady-state level. Furthermore, DncV sequentially promotes and inhibits adhesion to the abiotic surface after 24 h and 48 h of growth, respectively. DncV also suppresses swimming and swarming motility posttranscriptional of the class 1 flagellum regulon gene flhD. Purified DncV produced different cDNs, cyclic di-GMP, cyclic di-AMP, an unknown product(s), and the dominant species 3′3′-cGAMP. In vivo, only the 3′3′-cGAMP concentration was elevated upon short-term overexpression of dncV, making this work a first report on cGAMP production in E. coli. Regulation of rdar biofilm formation and motility upon overexpression of untagged DncV in combination with three adjacent cotransferred gene products suggests a novel temperature-dependent cGAMP signaling module in E. coli ECOR31.
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Zlatkov N, Uhlin BE. Absence of Global Stress Regulation in Escherichia coli Promotes Pathoadaptation and Novel c-di-GMP-dependent Metabolic Capability. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2600. [PMID: 30796316 PMCID: PMC6385356 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39580-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathoadaptive mutations linked to c-di-GMP signalling were investigated in neonatal meningitis-causing Escherichia coli (NMEC). The results indicated that NMEC strains deficient in RpoS (the global stress regulator) maintained remarkably low levels of c-di-GMP, a major bacterial sessility-motility switch. Deletion of ycgG2, shown here to encode a YcgG allozyme with c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase activity, and the restoration of RpoS led to a decrease in S-fimbriae, robustly produced in artificial urine, hinting that the urinary tract could serve as a habitat for NMEC. We showed that NMEC were skilled in aerobic citrate utilization in the presence of glucose, a property that normally does not exist in E. coli. Our data suggest that this metabolic novelty is a property of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli since we reconstituted this ability in E. coli UTI89 (a cystitis isolate) via deactivation rpoS; additionally, a set of pyelonephritis E. coli isolates were shown here to aerobically use citrate in the presence of glucose. We found that the main reason for this metabolic capability is RpoS inactivation leading to the production of the citrate transporter CitT, exploited by NMEC for ferric citrate uptake dependent on YcgG2 (an allozyme with c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase activity).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Zlatkov
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umea, Sweden
| | - Bernt Eric Uhlin
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umea, Sweden.
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Ryngajłło M, Kubiak K, Jędrzejczak-Krzepkowska M, Jacek P, Bielecki S. Comparative genomics of the Komagataeibacter strains-Efficient bionanocellulose producers. Microbiologyopen 2018; 8:e00731. [PMID: 30365246 PMCID: PMC6528568 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Komagataeibacter species are well-recognized bionanocellulose (BNC) producers. This bacterial genus, formerly assigned to Gluconacetobacter, is known for its phenotypic diversity manifested by strain-dependent carbon source preference, BNC production rate, pellicle structure, and strain stability. Here, we performed a comparative study of nineteen Komagataeibacter genomes, three of which were newly contributed in this work. We defined the core genome of the genus, clarified phylogenetic relationships among strains, and provided genetic evidence for the distinction between the two major clades, the K. xylinus and the K. hansenii. We found genomic traits, which likely contribute to the phenotypic diversity between the Komagataeibacter strains. These features include genome flexibility, carbohydrate uptake and regulation of its metabolism, exopolysaccharides synthesis, and the c-di-GMP signaling network. In addition, this work provides a comprehensive functional annotation of carbohydrate metabolism pathways, such as those related to glucose, glycerol, acetan, levan, and cellulose. Findings of this multi-genomic study expand understanding of the genetic variation within the Komagataeibacter genus and facilitate exploiting of its full potential for bionanocellulose production at the industrial scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Ryngajłło
- Institute of Technical Biochemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kubiak
- Institute of Technical Biochemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland
| | | | - Paulina Jacek
- Institute of Technical Biochemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland
| | - Stanisław Bielecki
- Institute of Technical Biochemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland
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31
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Herbst S, Lorkowski M, Sarenko O, Nguyen TKL, Jaenicke T, Hengge R. Transmembrane redox control and proteolysis of PdeC, a novel type of c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase. EMBO J 2018; 37:e97825. [PMID: 29514851 PMCID: PMC5897775 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201797825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleotide second messenger c-di-GMP nearly ubiquitously promotes bacterial biofilm formation, with enzymes that synthesize and degrade c-di-GMP being controlled by diverse N-terminal sensor domains. Here, we describe a novel class of widely occurring c-di-GMP phosphodiesterases (PDE) that feature a periplasmic "CSS domain" with two highly conserved cysteines that is flanked by two transmembrane regions (TM1 and TM2) and followed by a cytoplasmic EAL domain with PDE activity. Using PdeC, one of the five CSS domain PDEs of Escherichia coli K-12, we show that DsbA/DsbB-promoted disulfide bond formation in the CSS domain reduces PDE activity. By contrast, the free thiol form is enzymatically highly active, with the TM2 region promoting dimerization. Moreover, this form is processed by periplasmic proteases DegP and DegQ, yielding a highly active TM2 + EAL fragment that is slowly removed by further proteolysis. Similar redox control and proteolysis was also observed for a second CSS domain PDE, PdeB. At the physiological level, CSS domain PDEs modulate production and supracellular architecture of extracellular matrix polymers in the deeper layers of mature E. coli biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Herbst
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Lorkowski
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olga Sarenko
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thi Kim Loan Nguyen
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tina Jaenicke
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Regine Hengge
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Mata AR, Pacheco CM, Cruz Pérez JF, Sáenz MM, Baca BE. In silico comparative analysis of GGDEF and EAL domain signaling proteins from the Azospirillum genomes. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:20. [PMID: 29523074 PMCID: PMC5845226 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1157-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) second messenger exemplifies a signaling system that regulates many bacterial behaviors of key importance; among them, c-di-GMP controls the transition between motile and sessile life-styles in bacteria. Cellular c-di-GMP levels in bacteria are regulated by the opposite enzymatic activities of diguanylate cyclases and phosphodiesterases, which are proteins that have GGDEF and EAL domains, respectively. Azospirillum is a genus of plant-growth-promoting bacteria, and members of this genus have beneficial effects in many agronomically and ecologically essential plants. These bacteria also inhabit aquatic ecosystems, and have been isolated from humus-reducing habitats. Bioinformatic and structural approaches were used to identify genes predicted to encode GG[D/E]EF, EAL and GG[D/E]EF-EAL domain proteins from nine genome sequences. RESULTS The analyzed sequences revealed that the genomes of A. humicireducens SgZ-5T, A. lipoferum 4B, Azospirillum sp. B510, A. thiophilum BV-ST, A. halopraeferens DSM3675, A. oryzae A2P, and A. brasilense Sp7, Sp245 and Az39 encode for 29 to 41 of these predicted proteins. Notably, only 15 proteins were conserved in all nine genomes: eight GGDEF, three EAL and four GGDEF-EAL hybrid domain proteins, all of which corresponded to core genes in the genomes. The predicted proteins exhibited variable lengths, architectures and sensor domains. In addition, the predicted cellular localizations showed that some of the proteins to contain transmembrane domains, suggesting that these proteins are anchored to the membrane. Therefore, as reported in other soil bacteria, the Azospirillum genomes encode a large number of proteins that are likely involved in c-di-GMP metabolism. In addition, the data obtained here strongly suggest host specificity and environment specific adaptation. CONCLUSIONS Bacteria of the Azospirillum genus cope with diverse environmental conditions to survive in soil and aquatic habitats and, in certain cases, to colonize and benefit their host plant. Gaining information on the structures of proteins involved in c-di-GMP metabolism in Azospirillum appears to be an important step in determining the c-di-GMP signaling pathways, involved in the transition of a motile cell towards a biofilm life-style, as an example of microbial genome plasticity under diverse in situ environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Ramírez Mata
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Edif. IC11, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. San Manuel Puebla Pue, CP72570 Puebla, Mexico
| | - César Millán Pacheco
- Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad #1001, Col. Chamilpa, C.P, 62209 Cuernavaca, Morelos Mexico
| | - José F. Cruz Pérez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Edif. IC11, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. San Manuel Puebla Pue, CP72570 Puebla, Mexico
| | - Martha Minjárez Sáenz
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Edif. IC11, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. San Manuel Puebla Pue, CP72570 Puebla, Mexico
| | - Beatriz E. Baca
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Edif. IC11, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. San Manuel Puebla Pue, CP72570 Puebla, Mexico
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Kumar B, Sorensen JL, Cardona ST. A c-di-GMP-Modulating Protein Regulates Swimming Motility of Burkholderia cenocepacia in Response to Arginine and Glutamate. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018. [PMID: 29541628 PMCID: PMC5835511 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia cenocepacia is an opportunistic bacterium that can thrive in different environments, including the amino acid-rich mucus of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. B. cenocepacia responds to the nutritional conditions that mimic the CF sputum by increasing flagellin expression and swimming motility. Individual amino acids also induce swimming but not flagellin expression. Here, we show that modulation of the second messenger cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) levels by the PAS-containing c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase, BCAL1069 (CdpA), regulates the swimming motility of B. cenocepacia K56-2 in response to CF sputum nutritional conditions. Heterologous expression of WspR, a diguanylate cyclase, in B. cenocepacia K56-2 caused an increase in c-di-GMP levels and reduced swimming motility but did not affect flagellin expression or flagellar biosynthesis. After insertional mutagenesis of 12 putative genes encoding c-di-GMP metabolizing enzymes, one mutant of the locus BCAL1069 (cdpA), exhibited decreased swimming motility independent of flagellin expression in CF sputum nutritional conditions and an increase in intracellular c-di-GMP levels. The reduced swimming motility phenotype of the BCAL1069 mutant was observed in the presence of arginine and glutamate, but not of histidine, phenylalanine, or proline. The B. cenocepacia CdpA was also found to be involved in regulation of protease activity but not in biofilm formation. Altogether, these results highlight a role of B. cenocepacia BCAL1069 (CdpA) in sensing the nutritional conditions of the CF sputum and eliciting a pathogenic response that includes swimming motility toward amino acids and an increase in protease activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brijesh Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - John L Sorensen
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Silvia T Cardona
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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Abstract
Optogenetics is a technology wherein researchers combine light and genetically engineered photoreceptors to control biological processes with unrivaled precision. Near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths (>700 nm) are desirable optogenetic inputs due to their low phototoxicity and spectral isolation from most photoproteins. The bacteriophytochrome photoreceptor 1 (BphP1), found in several purple photosynthetic bacteria, senses NIR light and activates transcription of photosystem promoters by binding to and inhibiting the transcriptional repressor PpsR2. Here, we examine the response of a library of output promoters to increasing levels of Rhodopseudomonas palustris PpsR2 expression, and we identify that of Bradyrhizobium sp. BTAi1 crtE as the most strongly repressed in Escherichia coli. Next, we optimize Rps. palustris bphP1 and ppsR2 expression in a strain engineered to produce the required chromophore biliverdin IXα in order to demonstrate NIR-activated transcription. Unlike a previously engineered bacterial NIR photoreceptor, our system does not require production of a second messenger, and it exhibits rapid response dynamics. It is also the most red-shifted bacterial optogenetic tool yet reported by approximately 50 nm. Accordingly, our BphP1-PpsR2 system has numerous applications in bacterial optogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas T. Ong
- Department of Bioengineering, ‡Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100
Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Evan J. Olson
- Department of Bioengineering, ‡Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100
Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Jeffrey J. Tabor
- Department of Bioengineering, ‡Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100
Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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Vila J, Sáez-López E, Johnson JR, Römling U, Dobrindt U, Cantón R, Giske CG, Naas T, Carattoli A, Martínez-Medina M, Bosch J, Retamar P, Rodríguez-Baño J, Baquero F, Soto SM. Escherichia coli: an old friend with new tidings. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2018; 40:437-463. [PMID: 28201713 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuw005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli is one of the most-studied microorganisms worldwide but its characteristics are continually changing. Extraintestinal E. coli infections, such as urinary tract infections and neonatal sepsis, represent a huge public health problem. They are caused mainly by specialized extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) strains that can innocuously colonize human hosts but can also cause disease upon entering a normally sterile body site. The virulence capability of such strains is determined by a combination of distinctive accessory traits, called virulence factors, in conjunction with their distinctive phylogenetic background. It is conceivable that by developing interventions against the most successful ExPEC lineages or their key virulence/colonization factors the associated burden of disease and health care costs could foreseeably be reduced in the future. On the other hand, one important problem worldwide is the increase of antimicrobial resistance shown by bacteria. As underscored in the last WHO global report, within a wide range of infectious agents including E. coli, antimicrobial resistance has reached an extremely worrisome situation that ‘threatens the achievements of modern medicine’. In the present review, an update of the knowledge about the pathogenicity, antimicrobial resistance and clinical aspects of this ‘old friend’ was presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Vila
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - E Sáez-López
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J R Johnson
- VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA, and University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - U Römling
- Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - U Dobrindt
- Institute of Hygiene, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - R Cantón
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - C G Giske
- Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - T Naas
- Hôpital de Bicêtre, Université Paris Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - A Carattoli
- Department of infectious, parasitic and immune-mediated diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - M Martínez-Medina
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - J Bosch
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - P Retamar
- Unidad Clínica de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Microbiología y Medicina Preventiva, Hospitales Universitarios Virgen Macarena y Virgen del Rocío, Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - J Rodríguez-Baño
- Unidad Clínica de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Microbiología y Medicina Preventiva, Hospitales Universitarios Virgen Macarena y Virgen del Rocío, Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - F Baquero
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - S M Soto
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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36
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Hall CL, Lee VT. Cyclic-di-GMP regulation of virulence in bacterial pathogens. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2018; 9:10.1002/wrna.1454. [PMID: 28990312 PMCID: PMC5739959 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Signaling pathways allow bacteria to adapt to changing environments. For pathogenic bacteria, signaling pathways allow for timely expression of virulence factors and the repression of antivirulence factors within the mammalian host. As the bacteria exit the mammalian host, signaling pathways enable the expression of factors promoting survival in the environment and/or nonmammalian hosts. One such signaling pathway uses the dinucleotide cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP), and many bacterial genomes encode numerous proteins that are responsible for synthesizing and degrading c-di-GMP. Once made, c-di-GMP binds to individual protein and RNA receptors to allosterically alter the macromolecule function to drive phenotypic changes. Each bacterial genome encodes unique sets of genes for c-di-GMP signaling and virulence factors so the regulation by c-di-GMP is organism specific. Recent works have pointed to evidence that c-di-GMP regulates virulence in different bacterial pathogens of mammalian hosts. In this review, we discuss the criteria for determining the contribution of signaling nucleotides to pathogenesis using a well-characterized signaling nucleotide, cyclic AMP (cAMP), in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Using these criteria, we review the roles of c-di-GMP in mediating virulence and highlight common themes that exist among eight diverse pathogens that cause different diseases through different routes of infection and transmission. WIREs RNA 2018, 9:e1454. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1454 This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherisse L Hall
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Vincent T Lee
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, MD, USA
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37
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Hengge R. Trigger phosphodiesterases as a novel class of c-di-GMP effector proteins. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0498. [PMID: 27672149 PMCID: PMC5052742 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP controls bacterial biofilm formation, motility, cell cycle progression, development and virulence. It is synthesized by diguanylate cyclases (with GGDEF domains), degraded by specific phosphodiesterases (PDEs, with EAL of HD-GYP domains) and sensed by a wide variety of c-di-GMP-binding effectors that control diverse targets. c-di-GMP-binding effectors can be riboswitches as well as proteins with highly diverse structures and functions. The latter include ‘degenerate’ GGDEF/EAL domain proteins that are enzymatically inactive but still able to bind c-di-GMP. Surprisingly, two enzymatically active ‘trigger PDEs’, the Escherichia coli proteins PdeR and PdeL, have recently been added to this list of c-di-GMP-sensing effectors. Mechanistically, trigger PDEs are multifunctional. They directly and specifically interact with a macromolecular target (e.g. with a transcription factor or directly with a promoter region), whose activity they control by their binding and degradation of c-di-GMP—their PDE activity thus represents the c-di-GMP sensor or effector function. In this process, c-di-GMP serves as a regulatory ligand, but in contrast to classical allosteric control, this ligand is also degraded. The resulting kinetics and circuitry of control are ideally suited for trigger PDEs to serve as key components in regulatory switches. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The new bacteriology’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regine Hengge
- Institute of Biology/Microbiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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38
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Comparative Genomic Analysis of Globally Dominant ST131 Clone with Other Epidemiologically Successful Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) Lineages. mBio 2017; 8:mBio.01596-17. [PMID: 29066550 PMCID: PMC5654935 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01596-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131), a pandemic clone responsible for the high incidence of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) infections, has been known widely for its contribution to the worldwide dissemination of multidrug resistance. Although other ExPEC-associated and extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli clones, such as ST38, ST405, and ST648 have been studied widely, no comparative genomic data with respect to other genotypes exist for ST131. In this study, comparative genomic analysis was performed for 99 ST131 E. coli strains with 40 genomes from three other STs, including ST38 (n = 12), ST405 (n = 10), and ST648 (n = 18), and functional studies were performed on five in-house strains corresponding to the four STs. Phylogenomic analysis results from this study corroborated with the sequence type-specific clonality. Results from the genome-wide resistance profiling confirmed that all strains were inherently multidrug resistant. ST131 genomes showed unique virulence profiles, and analysis of mobile genetic elements and their associated methyltransferases (MTases) has revealed that several of them were missing from the majority of the non-ST131 strains. Despite the fact that non-ST131 strains lacked few essential genes belonging to the serum resistome, the in-house strains representing all four STs demonstrated similar resistance levels to serum antibactericidal activity. Core genome analysis data revealed that non-ST131 strains usually lacked several ST131-defined genomic coordinates, and a significant number of genes were missing from the core of the ST131 genomes. Data from this study reinforce adaptive diversification of E. coli strains belonging to the ST131 lineage and provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying clonal diversification of the ST131 lineage. E. coli, particularly the ST131 extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) lineage, is an important cause of community- and hospital-acquired infections, such as urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, bloodstream infections, and sepsis. The treatment of infections caused by ExPEC has become very challenging due to the emergence of resistance to the first-line as well as the last-resort antibiotics. This study analyzes E. coli ST131 against three other important and globally distributed ExPEC lineages (ST38, ST405, and ST648) that also produced extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL). This is perhaps the first study that employs the high-throughput whole-genome sequence-based approach to compare and study the genomic features of these four ExPEC lineages in relation to their functional properties. Findings from this study highlight the differences in the genomic coordinates of ST131 with respect to the other STs considered here. Results from this comparative genomics study can help in advancing the understanding of ST131 evolution and also offer a framework towards future developments in pathogen identification and targeted therapeutics to prevent diseases caused by this pandemic E. coli ST131 clone.
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More than Enzymes That Make or Break Cyclic Di-GMP-Local Signaling in the Interactome of GGDEF/EAL Domain Proteins of Escherichia coli. mBio 2017; 8:mBio.01639-17. [PMID: 29018125 PMCID: PMC5635695 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01639-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial second messenger bis-(3'-5')-cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) ubiquitously promotes bacterial biofilm formation. Intracellular pools of c-di-GMP seem to be dynamically negotiated by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs, with GGDEF domains) and specific phosphodiesterases (PDEs, with EAL or HD-GYP domains). Most bacterial species possess multiple DGCs and PDEs, often with surprisingly distinct and specific output functions. One explanation for such specificity is "local" c-di-GMP signaling, which is believed to involve direct interactions between specific DGC/PDE pairs and c-di-GMP-binding effector/target systems. Here we present a systematic analysis of direct protein interactions among all 29 GGDEF/EAL domain proteins of Escherichia coli Since the effects of interactions depend on coexpression and stoichiometries, cellular levels of all GGDEF/EAL domain proteins were also quantified and found to vary dynamically along the growth cycle. Instead of detecting specific pairs of interacting DGCs and PDEs, we discovered a tightly interconnected protein network of a specific subset or "supermodule" of DGCs and PDEs with a coregulated core of five hyperconnected hub proteins. These include the DGC/PDE proteins representing the c-di-GMP switch that turns on biofilm matrix production in E. coli Mutants lacking these core hub proteins show drastic biofilm-related phenotypes but no changes in cellular c-di-GMP levels. Overall, our results provide the basis for a novel model of local c-di-GMP signaling in which a single strongly expressed master PDE, PdeH, dynamically eradicates global effects of several DGCs by strongly draining the global c-di-GMP pool and thereby restricting these DGCs to serving as local c-di-GMP sources that activate specific colocalized effector/target systems.IMPORTANCE c-di-GMP signaling in bacteria is believed to occur via changes in cellular c-di-GMP levels controlled by antagonistic and potentially interacting pairs of diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) and c-di-GMP phosphodiesterases (PDEs). Our systematic analysis of protein-protein interaction patterns of all 29 GGDEF/EAL domain proteins of E. coli, together with our measurements of cellular c-di-GMP levels, challenges both aspects of this current concept. Knocking out distinct DGCs and PDEs has drastic effects on E. coli biofilm formation without changing the cellular c-di-GMP level. In addition, rather than generally coming in interacting DGC/PDE pairs, a subset of DGCs and PDEs operates as central interaction hubs in a larger "supermodule," with other DGCs and PDEs behaving as "lonely players" without contacts to other c-di-GMP-related enzymes. On the basis of these data, we propose a novel concept of "local" c-di-GMP signaling in bacteria with multiple enzymes that make or break the second messenger c-di-GMP.
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40
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Cimdins A, Simm R, Li F, Lüthje P, Thorell K, Sjöling Å, Brauner A, Römling U. Alterations of c-di-GMP turnover proteins modulate semi-constitutive rdar biofilm formation in commensal and uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Microbiologyopen 2017; 6. [PMID: 28913868 PMCID: PMC5635171 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Agar plate‐based biofilm of enterobacteria like Escherichia coli is characterized by expression of the extracellular matrix components amyloid curli and cellulose exopolysaccharide, which can be visually enhanced upon addition of the dye Congo Red, resulting in a red, dry, and rough (rdar) colony morphology. Expression of the rdar morphotype depends on the transcriptional regulator CsgD and occurs predominantly at ambient temperature in model strains. In contrast, commensal and pathogenic isolates frequently express the csgD‐dependent rdar morphotype semi‐constitutively, also at human host body temperature. To unravel the molecular basis of temperature‐independent rdar morphotype expression, biofilm components and c‐di‐GMP turnover proteins of seven commensal and uropathogenic E. coli isolates were analyzed. A diversity within the c‐di‐GMP signaling network was uncovered which suggests alteration of activity of the trigger phosphodiesterase YciR to contribute to (up)regulation of csgD expression and consequently semi‐constitutive rdar morphotype development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Cimdins
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roger Simm
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fengyang Li
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Petra Lüthje
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Division of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kaisa Thorell
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Åsa Sjöling
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annelie Brauner
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Division of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ute Römling
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Stand-Alone EAL Domain Proteins Form a Distinct Subclass of EAL Proteins Involved in Regulation of Cell Motility and Biofilm Formation in Enterobacteria. J Bacteriol 2017; 199:JB.00179-17. [PMID: 28652301 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00179-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The second messenger cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) is almost ubiquitous among bacteria as are the c-di-GMP turnover proteins, which mediate the transition between motility and sessility. EAL domain proteins have been characterized as c-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterases. While most EAL domain proteins contain additional, usually N-terminal, domains, there is a distinct family of proteins with stand-alone EAL domains, exemplified by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium proteins STM3611 (YhjH/PdeH), a c-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterase, and the enzymatically inactive STM1344 (YdiV/CdgR) and STM1697, which regulate bacterial motility through interaction with the flagellar master regulator, FlhDC. We have analyzed the phylogenetic distribution of EAL-only proteins and their potential functions. Genes encoding EAL-only proteins were found in various bacterial phyla, although most of them were seen in proteobacteria, particularly enterobacteria. Based on the conservation of the active site residues, nearly all stand-alone EAL domains encoded by genomes from phyla other than proteobacteria appear to represent functional phosphodiesterases. Within enterobacteria, EAL-only proteins were found to cluster either with YhjH or with one of the subfamilies of YdiV-related proteins. EAL-only proteins from Shigella flexneri, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Yersinia enterocolitica were tested for their ability to regulate swimming and swarming motility and formation of the red, dry, and rough (rdar) biofilm morphotype. In these tests, YhjH-related proteins S4210, KPN_01159, KPN_03274, and YE4063 displayed properties typical of enzymatically active phosphodiesterases, whereas S1641 and YE1324 behaved like members of the YdiV/STM1697 subfamily, with Yersinia enterocolitica protein YE1324 shown to downregulate motility in its native host. Of two closely related EAL-only proteins, YE2225 is an active phosphodiesterase, while YE1324 appears to interact with FlhD. These results suggest that in FlhDC-harboring beta- and gammaproteobacteria, some EAL-only proteins evolved to become catalytically inactive and regulate motility and biofilm formation by interacting with FlhDC.IMPORTANCE The EAL domain superfamily consists mainly of proteins with cyclic dimeric GMP-specific phosphodiesterase activity, but individual domains have been classified in three classes according to their functions and conserved amino acid signatures. Proteins that consist solely of stand-alone EAL domains cannot rely on other domains to form catalytically active dimers, and most of them fall into one of two distinct classes: catalytically active phosphodiesterases with well-conserved residues of the active site and the dimerization loop, and catalytically inactive YdiV/CdgR-like proteins that regulate bacterial motility by binding to the flagellar master regulator, FlhDC, and are found primarily in enterobacteria. The presence of apparently inactive EAL-only proteins in the bacteria that do not express FlhD suggests the existence of additional EAL interaction partners.
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42
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Bhagwat AA, Young L, Smith AD, Bhagwat M. Transcriptomic Analysis of the Swarm Motility Phenotype of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Mutant Defective in Periplasmic Glucan Synthesis. Curr Microbiol 2017; 74:1005-1014. [PMID: 28593349 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-017-1267-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Movement of food-borne pathogens on moist surfaces enables them to migrate towards more favorable niches and facilitate their survival for extended periods of time. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium mutants defective in Osmoregulated periplasmic glucans (OPG) synthesis are unable to exhibit motility on moist surfaces (swarming); however, their mobility in liquid (swim motility) remains unaffected. In order to understand the role of OPG in swarm motility, transcriptomic analysis was performed using cells growing on a moist agar surface. In opgGH deletion mutant, lack of OPG significantly altered transcription of 1039 genes out of total 4712 genes (22%). Introduction of a plasmid-borne copy of opgGH into opgGH deletion mutant restored normal expression of all but 30 genes, indicating a wide-range influence of OPG on gene expression under swarm motility condition. Major pathways that were differentially expressed in opgGH mutants were motility, virulence and invasion, and genes related to the secondary messenger molecule, cyclic di-GMP. These observations provide insights and help explain the pleiotropic nature of OPG mutants such as sub-optimal virulence and competitive organ colonization in mice, biofilm formation, and sensitivity towards detergent stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvind A Bhagwat
- Environmental, Microbial, & Food Safety Laboratory, Beltsville Agriculture Research Center, USDA-ARS (USDA/ARS/EMFSL), 10300 Baltimore Ave., B173, Rm. 204, BARC-E, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
| | - Lynn Young
- National Institutes of Health Library, Division of Library Services, Office of Research Services, National Institute of Health, Building 10, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Allen D Smith
- Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
| | - Medha Bhagwat
- National Institutes of Health Library, Division of Library Services, Office of Research Services, National Institute of Health, Building 10, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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Rossi E, Cimdins A, Lüthje P, Brauner A, Sjöling Å, Landini P, Römling U. "It's a gut feeling" - Escherichia coli biofilm formation in the gastrointestinal tract environment. Crit Rev Microbiol 2017; 44:1-30. [PMID: 28485690 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2017.1303660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli can commonly be found, either as a commensal, probiotic or a pathogen, in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Biofilm formation and its regulation is surprisingly variable, although distinct regulatory pattern of red, dry and rough (rdar) biofilm formation arise in certain pathovars and even clones. In the GI tract, environmental conditions, signals from the host and from commensal bacteria contribute to shape E. coli biofilm formation within the multi-faceted multicellular communities in a complex and integrated fashion. Although some major regulatory networks, adhesion factors and extracellular matrix components constituting E. coli biofilms have been recognized, these processes have mainly been characterized in vitro and in the context of interaction of E. coli strains with intestinal epithelial cells. However, direct observation of E. coli cells in situ, and the vast number of genes encoding surface appendages on the core or accessory genome of E. coli suggests the complexity of the biofilm process to be far from being fully understood. In this review, we summarize biofilm formation mechanisms of commensal, probiotic and pathogenic E. coli in the context of the gastrointestinal tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elio Rossi
- a Department of Biosciences , Università degli Studi di Milano , Milan , Italy.,b Novo Nordisk Center for Biosustainabiliy , Technical University of Denmark , Kgs. Lyngby , Denmark
| | - Annika Cimdins
- c Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC) , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.,d Institute of Hygiene, University of Münster , Münster , Germany
| | - Petra Lüthje
- c Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC) , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.,e Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine , Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Annelie Brauner
- c Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC) , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Åsa Sjöling
- c Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC) , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Paolo Landini
- a Department of Biosciences , Università degli Studi di Milano , Milan , Italy
| | - Ute Römling
- c Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC) , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden
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44
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Serra DO, Mika F, Richter AM, Hengge R. The green tea polyphenol EGCG inhibits E. coli biofilm formation by impairing amyloid curli fibre assembly and downregulating the biofilm regulator CsgD via the σ(E) -dependent sRNA RybB. Mol Microbiol 2016; 101:136-51. [PMID: 26992034 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In bacterial biofilms, which are often involved in chronic infections, cells are surrounded by a self-produced extracellular matrix that contains amyloid fibres, exopolysaccharides and other biopolymers. The matrix contributes to the pronounced resistance of biofilms against antibiotics and host immune systems. Being highly inflammatory, matrix amyloids such as curli fibres of Escherichia coli can also play a role in pathogenicity. Using macrocolony biofilms of commensal and pathogenic E. coli as a model system, we demonstrate here that the green tea polyphenol epigallocatachin gallate (EGCG) is a potent antibiofilm agent. EGCG virtually eliminates the biofilm matrix by directly interfering with the assembly of curli subunits into amyloid fibres, and by triggering the σ(E) cell envelope stress response and thereby reducing the expression of CsgD - a crucial activator of curli and cellulose biosynthesis - due to csgD mRNA targeting by the σ(E) -dependent sRNA RybB. These findings highlight EGCG as a potential adjuvant for antibiotic therapy of biofilm-associated infections. Moreover, EGCG may support therapies against pathogenic E. coli that produce inflammatory curli fibres along with Shigatoxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego O Serra
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Franziska Mika
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja M Richter
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Regine Hengge
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
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45
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Systematic Nomenclature for GGDEF and EAL Domain-Containing Cyclic Di-GMP Turnover Proteins of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2015; 198:7-11. [PMID: 26148715 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00424-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, Escherichia coli has served as one of a few model bacterial species for studying cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) signaling. The widely used E. coli K-12 laboratory strains possess 29 genes encoding proteins with GGDEF and/or EAL domains, which include 12 diguanylate cyclases (DGC), 13 c-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterases (PDE), and 4 "degenerate" enzymatically inactive proteins. In addition, six new GGDEF and EAL (GGDEF/EAL) domain-encoding genes, which encode two DGCs and four PDEs, have recently been found in genomic analyses of commensal and pathogenic E. coli strains. As a group of researchers who have been studying the molecular mechanisms and the genomic basis of c-di-GMP signaling in E. coli, we now propose a general and systematic dgc and pde nomenclature for the enzymatically active GGDEF/EAL domain-encoding genes of this model species. This nomenclature is intuitive and easy to memorize, and it can also be applied to additional genes and proteins that might be discovered in various strains of E. coli in future studies.
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