1
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Payen S, Giroux MC, Gisch N, Schombel U, Fittipaldi N, Segura M, Gottschalk M. Lipoteichoic acids influence cell shape and bacterial division of Streptococcus suis serotype 2, but play a limited role in the pathogenesis of the infection. Vet Res 2024; 55:34. [PMID: 38504299 PMCID: PMC10953176 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-024-01287-w] [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: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus suis serotype 2 is a major swine pathogen and a zoonotic agent, causing meningitis in both swine and humans, responsible for substantial economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. The pathogenesis of infection and the role of bacterial cell wall components in virulence have not been fully elucidated. Lipoproteins, peptidoglycan, as well as lipoteichoic acids (LTA) have all been proposed to contribute to virulence. In the present study, the role of the LTA in the pathogenesis of the infection was evaluated through the characterisation of a mutant of the S. suis serotype 2 strain P1/7 lacking the LtaS enzyme, which mediates the polymerization of the LTA poly-glycerolphosphate chain. The ltaS mutant was confirmed to completely lack LTA and displayed significant morphological defects. Although the bacterial growth of this mutant was not affected, further results showed that LTA is involved in maintaining S. suis bacterial fitness. However, its role in the pathogenesis of the infection appears limited. Indeed, LTA presence reduces self-agglutination, biofilm formation and even dendritic cell activation, which are important aspects of the pathogenesis of the infection caused by S. suis. In addition, it does not seem to play a critical role in virulence using a systemic mouse model of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Servane Payen
- Research Group On Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP) and Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Center (CRIPA), Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Marie-Christine Giroux
- Research Group On Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP) and Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Center (CRIPA), Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Nicolas Gisch
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Priority Area Infections, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
| | - Ursula Schombel
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Priority Area Infections, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
| | - Nahuel Fittipaldi
- Research Group On Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP) and Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Center (CRIPA), Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Mariela Segura
- Research Group On Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP) and Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Center (CRIPA), Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Marcelo Gottschalk
- Research Group On Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP) and Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Center (CRIPA), Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada.
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2
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Szallasi Z, Prosz A, Sztupinszki Z, Moldvay J. Are tumor-associated carbohydrates the missing link between the gut microbiome and response to immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment in cancer? Oncoimmunology 2024; 13:2324493. [PMID: 38445083 PMCID: PMC10913702 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2024.2324493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has dramatically improved survival in a significant subset of patients with several solid tumor types. Increasing the number of patients benefitting from this form of therapy is an important translational research goal. Correlations between the composition of the gut microbiome and response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy raised the possibility that direct modulation of the gut microbiome may significantly improve the clinical benefit of this treatment. Several lines of observations suggest that tumor-associated carbohydrates, including those recognized as blood group-related glycolipid antigens, such as the Forssman antigen, may be some of the key factors behind this clinical correlation. Such antigens are expressed in human cancer, humans often produce antibodies against those, and they can induce antibody directed cellular cytotoxicity. Importantly, these antibodies are often induced by antigens present in microbes of the gut. If identified, these antibodies could be boosted by appropriate vaccination techniques and thus enhance anti-tumor immunity with minimal side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltan Szallasi
- Translational Cancer Genomics Group, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aurel Prosz
- Translational Cancer Genomics Group, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Zsofia Sztupinszki
- Translational Cancer Genomics Group, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Judit Moldvay
- Department of Pulmonology, National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Pulmonology, University of Szeged Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Medical School, Szeged, Hungary
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3
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Minhas V, Domenech A, Synefiaridou D, Straume D, Brendel M, Cebrero G, Liu X, Costa C, Baldry M, Sirard JC, Perez C, Gisch N, Hammerschmidt S, Håvarstein LS, Veening JW. Competence remodels the pneumococcal cell wall exposing key surface virulence factors that mediate increased host adherence. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3001990. [PMID: 36716340 PMCID: PMC9910801 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Competence development in the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae controls several features such as genetic transformation, biofilm formation, and virulence. Competent bacteria produce so-called "fratricins" such as CbpD that kill noncompetent siblings by cleaving peptidoglycan (PGN). CbpD is a choline-binding protein (CBP) that binds to phosphorylcholine residues found on wall and lipoteichoic acids (WTA and LTA) that together with PGN are major constituents of the pneumococcal cell wall. Competent pneumococci are protected against fratricide by producing the immunity protein ComM. How competence and fratricide contribute to virulence is unknown. Here, using a genome-wide CRISPRi-seq screen, we show that genes involved in teichoic acid (TA) biosynthesis are essential during competence. We demonstrate that LytR is the major enzyme mediating the final step in WTA formation, and that, together with ComM, is essential for immunity against CbpD. Importantly, we show that key virulence factors PspA and PspC become more surface-exposed at midcell during competence, in a CbpD-dependent manner. Together, our work supports a model in which activation of competence is crucial for host adherence by increased surface exposure of its various CBPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikrant Minhas
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Arnau Domenech
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dimitra Synefiaridou
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Straume
- Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Max Brendel
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Xue Liu
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, Lausanne, Switzerland,Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability and Human Disease Prevention, Department of Pharmacology, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Charlotte Costa
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur Lille, U1019 - UMR 9017 - CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Mara Baldry
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur Lille, U1019 - UMR 9017 - CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Jean-Claude Sirard
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur Lille, U1019 - UMR 9017 - CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Camilo Perez
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Gisch
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Priority Area Infections, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
| | - Sven Hammerschmidt
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Leiv Sigve Håvarstein
- Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway,* E-mail: (LSH); (J-WV)
| | - Jan-Willem Veening
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, Lausanne, Switzerland,* E-mail: (LSH); (J-WV)
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4
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Uruén C, García C, Fraile L, Tommassen J, Arenas J. How Streptococcus suis escapes antibiotic treatments. Vet Res 2022; 53:91. [DOI: 10.1186/s13567-022-01111-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractStreptococcus suis is a zoonotic agent that causes sepsis and meningitis in pigs and humans. S. suis infections are responsible for large economic losses in pig production. The lack of effective vaccines to prevent the disease has promoted the extensive use of antibiotics worldwide. This has been followed by the emergence of resistance against different classes of antibiotics. The rates of resistance to tetracyclines, lincosamides, and macrolides are extremely high, and resistance has spread worldwide. The genetic origin of S. suis resistance is multiple and includes the production of target-modifying and antibiotic-inactivating enzymes and mutations in antibiotic targets. S. suis genomes contain traits of horizontal gene transfer. Many mobile genetic elements carry a variety of genes that confer resistance to antibiotics as well as genes for autonomous DNA transfer and, thus, S. suis can rapidly acquire multiresistance. In addition, S. suis forms microcolonies on host tissues, which are associations of microorganisms that generate tolerance to antibiotics through a variety of mechanisms and favor the exchange of genetic material. Thus, alternatives to currently used antibiotics are highly demanded. A deep understanding of the mechanisms by which S. suis becomes resistant or tolerant to antibiotics may help to develop novel molecules or combinations of antimicrobials to fight these infections. Meanwhile, phage therapy and vaccination are promising alternative strategies, which could alleviate disease pressure and, thereby, antibiotic use.
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5
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Yoo HJ, Lee SH. Virulence of Filifactor alocis lipoteichoic acid on human gingival fibroblast. Arch Oral Biol 2022; 135:105370. [DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2022.105370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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6
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Khalifa M, Few LL, Too WCS. Phage-Choline Kinase Inhibitor Combination to Control Pseudomonas aeruginosa: A Promising Combo. Mini Rev Med Chem 2021; 22:1281-1288. [PMID: 34961459 DOI: 10.2174/1389557521666211213160256] [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: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most prevalent opportunistic pathogens in humans that has thrived and proved to be difficult to control in this "post-antibiotic era." Antibiotic alternatives are necessary for fighting against this resilient bacterium. Even though phages might not be "the wonder drug" that solves everything, they still provide a viable option to combat P. aeruginosa and curb the threat it imposes. MAIN FINDINGS The combination of antibiotics with phages, however, poses a propitious treatment option for P. aeruginosa. Choline kinase (ChoK) is the enzyme that synthesizes phosphorylcholine subsequently incorporated into lipopolysaccharide located at the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria. Recently, inhibition of ChoKs has been proposed as a promising antibacterial strategy. Successful docking of Hemicholinium-3, a choline kinase inhibitor, to the model structure of P. aeruginosa ChoK also supports the use of this inhibitor or its derivatives to inhibit the growth of this microorganism. CONCLUSION Therefore, the combination of the novel antimicrobial "choline kinase inhibitors (ChoKIs)" with a phage cocktail or synthetic phages as a potential treatment for P. aeruginosa infection has been proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moad Khalifa
- School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. Malaysia
| | - Ling Ling Few
- School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. Malaysia
| | - Wei Cun See Too
- School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. Malaysia
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7
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Wu X, Han J, Gong G, Koffas MAG, Zha J. Wall teichoic acids: physiology and applications. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2020; 45:6019871. [DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are charged glycopolymers containing phosphodiester-linked polyol units and represent one of the major components of Gram-positive cell envelope. WTAs have important physiological functions in cell division, gene transfer, surface adhesion, drug resistance and biofilm formation, and are critical virulence factors and vital determinants in mediating cell interaction with and tolerance to environmental factors. Here, we first briefly introduce WTA structure, biosynthesis and its regulation, and then summarize in detail four major physiological roles played by WTAs, i.e. WTA-mediated resistance to antimicrobials, virulence to mammalian cells, interaction with bacteriolytic enzymes and regulation of cell metabolism. We also review the applications of WTAs in these fields that are closely related to the human society, including antibacterial drug discovery targeting WTA biosynthesis, development of vaccines and antibodies regarding WTA-mediated pathogenicity, specific and sensitive detection of pathogens in food using WTAs as a surface epitope and regulation of WTA-related pathways for efficient microbial production of useful compounds. We also point out major problems remaining in these fields, and discuss some possible directions in the future exploration of WTA physiology and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Wu
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Jing Han
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Guoli Gong
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Mattheos A G Koffas
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Jian Zha
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China
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8
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Zhou ML, Frost MR, Xu YC, Nahm MH. Phosphorylcholine esterase is critical for Dolichos biflorus and Helix pomatia agglutinin binding to pneumococcal teichoic acid. J Basic Microbiol 2020; 60:905-915. [PMID: 32852853 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202000177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) has wall teichoic acid (WTA) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) expressing the Forssman antigen (FA). Two lectins, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA) and Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA), are known to bind FA. To determine the molecular structure targeted by these two lectins, different pneumococcal strains were studied for DBA/HPA binding with flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Genetic experiments were used to further examine the lectins' molecular target. Twelve strains were positive for DBA binding, whereas three were negative. Super-resolution microscopy showed that DBA stained only the subcapsular area of pneumococci. The three DBA nonbinders showed no phosphorylcholine esterase (Pce) activity in vitro, whereas 10 DBA binders displayed Pce activity (the remaining two strains were DBA binders with no Pce activity in vitro). The pcegene sequence for 10 representative strains revealed two functional pce alleles, the previously recognized "allele A" and a newly discovered "allele B" (with 12 additional nucleotides). Isolates with allele B showed no Pce activity in vitro but did bind to DBA, indicating allele B Pce is functional in vivo. Genetic transfer experiments confirmed that either allele is sufficient (and necessary) for DBA binding. The three DBA nonbinders had various mutations that affected Pce function. Observations with HPA were identical to those with DBA. We show that DBA and HPA bind only to the WTA/LTA of pneumococcal isolates with a functional Pce enzyme. A newly discovered Pce variant (allele B) is functional in vivo but nonfunctional when assayed in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Lan Zhou
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Key Laboratory for Mechanisms Research and Precision Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Diseases (BZ0447), Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Michael R Frost
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Ying-Chun Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Key Laboratory for Mechanisms Research and Precision Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Diseases (BZ0447), Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Moon H Nahm
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.,Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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9
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Phosphatidylcholine Biosynthesis in Mitis Group Streptococci via Host Metabolite Scavenging. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:JB.00495-19. [PMID: 31501281 PMCID: PMC6805115 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00495-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We lack fundamental information about the composition of the cellular membrane even for the best-studied pathogens of critical significance for human health. The mitis group streptococci are closely linked to humans in health and disease, but their membrane biology is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that these streptococci scavenge major human metabolites and use them to synthesize the membrane phospholipid PC. Our work is significant because it identifies a mechanism by which the major human pathogen S. pneumoniae and the primary human oral colonizers S. mitis and S. oralis remodel their membranes in response to host metabolites. The mitis group streptococci include the major human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae and the opportunistic pathogens Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus oralis, which are human oral cavity colonizers and agents of bacteremia and infective endocarditis in immunocompromised patients. Bacterial membrane lipids play crucial roles in microbe-host interactions; for many pathogens, however, the composition of the membrane is poorly understood. In this study, we characterized the lipidomes of selected species of mitis group streptococci and investigated the mechanistic basis for biosynthesis of the phospholipid phosphatidylcholine (PC). PC is a major lipid in eukaryotic cellular membranes, but it is considered to be comparatively rare in bacterial taxa. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in conjunction with stable isotope tracing, we determined that mitis group streptococci synthesize PC via a rare host-metabolite-scavenging pathway, the glycerophosphocholine (GPC) pathway, which is largely uncharacterized in bacteria. Our work demonstrates that mitis group streptococci, including S. pneumoniae, remodel their membranes in response to the major human metabolites GPC and lysophosphatidylcholine. IMPORTANCE We lack fundamental information about the composition of the cellular membrane even for the best-studied pathogens of critical significance for human health. The mitis group streptococci are closely linked to humans in health and disease, but their membrane biology is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that these streptococci scavenge major human metabolites and use them to synthesize the membrane phospholipid PC. Our work is significant because it identifies a mechanism by which the major human pathogen S. pneumoniae and the primary human oral colonizers S. mitis and S. oralis remodel their membranes in response to host metabolites.
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10
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Shiraishi T, Yamamoto S, Yokota SI. Structural analysis of the lipoteichoic acid anchor glycolipid: Comparison of methods for degradation of the glycerophosphate backbone polymer. J Microbiol Methods 2019; 166:105726. [PMID: 31629911 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2019.105726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Acetic acid treatment [98% (v/v), 100 °C, 3 h] was proposed as a new method for degrading the glycerophosphate polymer moiety of Gram-positive bacterial lipoteichoic acid. We demonstrated that this method resulted in partial O-acetylation on the carbohydrate residues of the anchor glycolipid. Hence, the acetic acid treatment is not suitable for the chemical structural analysis of lipoteichoic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsukasa Shiraishi
- Department of Microbiology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Minami-1 Nishi-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8556, Japan
| | - Soh Yamamoto
- Department of Microbiology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Minami-1 Nishi-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8556, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Yokota
- Department of Microbiology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Minami-1 Nishi-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8556, Japan.
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11
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Jang AY, Ahn KB, Zhi Y, Ji HJ, Zhang J, Han SH, Guo H, Lim S, Song JY, Lim JH, Seo HS. Serotype-Independent Protection Against Invasive Pneumococcal Infections Conferred by Live Vaccine With lgt Deletion. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1212. [PMID: 31191555 PMCID: PMC6549034 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common respiratory bacterial pathogen among cases of community-acquired infection in young children, older adults, and individuals with underlying medical conditions. Although capsular polysaccharide-based pneumococcal vaccines have contributed to significant decrease in invasive pneumococcal infections, these vaccines have some limitations, including limited serotype coverage, lack of effective mucosal antibody responses, and high costs. In this study, we investigated the safety and immunogenicity of a live, whole-cell pneumococcal vaccine constructed by deleting the gene for prolipoprotein diacylglyceryl transferase (lgt) from the encapsulated pneumococcal strain TIGR4 (TIGR4Δlgt) for protection against heterologous pneumococcal strains. Pneumococcal strain TIGR4 was successfully attenuated by deletion of lgt, resulting in the loss of inflammatory activity and virulence. TIGR4Δlgt colonized the nasopharynx long enough to induce strong mucosal IgA and IgG2b-dominant systemic antibody responses that were cross-reactive to heterologous pneumococcal serotypes. Finally, intranasal immunization with TIGR4Δlgt provided serotype-independent protection against pneumococcal challenge in mice. Taken together, our results suggest that TIGR4Δlgt is an avirulent and attractive broad-spectrum pneumococcal vaccine candidate. More broadly, we assert that modulation of such "master" metabolic genes represents an emerging strategy for developing more effective vaccines against numerous infectious agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- A-Yeung Jang
- Research Division for Biotechnology, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup, South Korea.,Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ki Bum Ahn
- Research Division for Biotechnology, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup, South Korea
| | - Yong Zhi
- Research Division for Biotechnology, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup, South Korea.,Department of Radiation Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hyun-Jung Ji
- Research Division for Biotechnology, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup, South Korea.,DRI and BK21 Plus Program, Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jing Zhang
- Research Division for Biotechnology, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup, South Korea
| | - Seung Hyun Han
- DRI and BK21 Plus Program, Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Huichen Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, National Foot and Mouth Disease Reference Laboratory, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Sangyong Lim
- Research Division for Biotechnology, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup, South Korea.,Department of Radiation Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Joon Yong Song
- Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jae Hyang Lim
- Department of Microbiology, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ho Seong Seo
- Research Division for Biotechnology, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup, South Korea.,Department of Radiation Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
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12
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Han X, Sun R, Sandalova T, Achour A. Structural and functional studies of Spr1654: an essential aminotransferase in teichoic acid biosynthesis in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Open Biol 2019; 8:rsob.170248. [PMID: 29669826 PMCID: PMC5936713 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.170248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Spr1654 from Streptococcus pneumoniae plays a key role in the production of unusual sugars, presumably functioning as a pyridoxal-5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent aminotransferase. Spr1654 was predicted to catalyse the transferring of amino group to form the amino sugar 2-acetamido-4-amino-2, 4, 6-trideoxygalactose moiety (AATGal), representing a crucial step in biosynthesis of teichoic acids in S. pneumoniae. We have determined the crystal structures of the apo-, PLP- and PMP-bound forms of Spr1654. Spr1654 forms a homodimer, in which each monomer contains one active site. Using spectrophotometry and based on absorbance profiles of PLP- and PMP-formed enzymes, our results indicate that l-glutamate is most likely the preferred amino donor. Structural superposition of the crystal structures of Spr1654 on previously determined structures of other sugar aminotransferases in complex with glutamate and/or UDP-activated sugar allowed us to identify key Spr1654 residues for ligand binding and catalysis. The crystal structures of Spr1654 and in complex with PLP and PMP can direct the future rational design of novel therapeutic compounds against S. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Han
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institute, Solna, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Renhua Sun
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institute, Solna, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tatyana Sandalova
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institute, Solna, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Adnane Achour
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institute, Solna, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
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Engholm DH, Kilian M, Goodsell DS, Andersen ES, Kjærgaard RS. A visual review of the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2018; 41:854-879. [PMID: 29029129 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fux037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Being the principal causative agent of bacterial pneumonia, otitis media, meningitis and septicemia, the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major global health problem. To highlight the molecular basis of this problem, we have portrayed essential biological processes of the pneumococcal life cycle in eight watercolor paintings. The paintings are done to a consistent nanometer scale based on currently available data from structural biology and proteomics. In this review article, the paintings are used to provide a visual review of protein synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, cell wall synthesis, cell division, teichoic acid synthesis, virulence, transformation and pilus synthesis based on the available scientific literature within the field of pneumococcal biology. Visualization of the molecular details of these processes reveals several scientific questions about how molecular components of the pneumococcal cell are organized to allow biological function to take place. By the presentation of this visual review, we intend to stimulate scientific discussion, aid in the generation of scientific hypotheses and increase public awareness. A narrated video describing the biological processes in the context of a whole-cell illustration accompany this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ditte Høyer Engholm
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mogens Kilian
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - David S Goodsell
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.,Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Ebbe Sloth Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.,Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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14
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Staphylococcal LTA antagonizes the B cell-mitogenic potential of LPS. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1496. [PMID: 29367683 PMCID: PMC5784022 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19653-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) of Gram-positive bacteria is regarded as the counterpart biomolecule of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria because of their structural and immunological similarities. Although LPS induces a strong polyclonal expansion of B cells, little is known about the effect of LTA on B cell proliferation. In the present study, we prepared LTAs from Gram-positive bacteria and examined their effect on splenic B cell proliferation. Unlike LPS, LTA did not induce B cell proliferation. Instead, Staphylococcus aureus LTA (Sa.LTA) appeared to inhibit LPS-induced B cell proliferation in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models. Such effect was observed neither in splenocytes from Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-deficient mice nor in the purified splenic B cells. Furthermore, decreased ERK phosphorylation appeared to be responsible for this phenomenon. Collectively, our results support that Sa.LTA inhibited LPS-induced B cell proliferation through the decrease of ERK phosphorylation via TLR2 signaling pathway.
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15
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Domenech M, García E. Fluorescence Imaging of Streptococcus pneumoniae with the Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA) As a Potential, Rapid Diagnostic Tool. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1333. [PMID: 28769901 PMCID: PMC5513899 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common human pathogen and a major causal agent of life-threatening infections that can either be respiratory or non-respiratory. It is well known that the Helix pomatia (edible snail) agglutinin (HPA) lectin shows specificity for terminal αGalNAc residues present, among other locations, in the Forssman pentasaccharide (αGalNAc1→3βGalNAc1→3αGal1→4βGal1→4βGlc). Based on experiments involving choline-independent mutants and different growth conditions, we propose here that HPA recognizes the αGalNAc terminal residues of the cell wall teichoic and lipoteichoic acids of S. pneumoniae. In addition, experimental evidence showing that pneumococci can be specifically labeled with HPA when growing as planktonic cultures as well as in mixed biofilms of S. pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae has been obtained. It should be underlined that pneumococci were HPA-labeled despite of the presence of a capsule. Although some non-pneumococcal species also bind the agglutinin, HPA-binding combined with fluorescence microscopy constitutes a suitable tool for identifying S. pneumoniae and, if used in conjunction with Gram staining and/or other suitable technique like antigen detection, it may potentially facilitate a fast and accurate diagnosis of pneumococcal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirian Domenech
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular y Biología de las Infecciones, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasMadrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades RespiratoriasMadrid, Spain
| | - Ernesto García
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular y Biología de las Infecciones, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasMadrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades RespiratoriasMadrid, Spain
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16
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Behler-Janbeck F, Takano T, Maus R, Stolper J, Jonigk D, Tort Tarrés M, Fuehner T, Prasse A, Welte T, Timmer MSM, Stocker BL, Nakanishi Y, Miyamoto T, Yamasaki S, Maus UA. C-type Lectin Mincle Recognizes Glucosyl-diacylglycerol of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Plays a Protective Role in Pneumococcal Pneumonia. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1006038. [PMID: 27923071 PMCID: PMC5140071 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Among various innate immune receptor families, the role of C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) in lung protective immunity against Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is not fully defined. We here show that Mincle gene expression was induced in alveolar macrophages and neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids of mice and patients with pneumococcal pneumonia. Moreover, S. pneumoniae directly triggered Mincle reporter cell activation in vitro via its glycolipid glucosyl-diacylglycerol (Glc-DAG), which was identified as the ligand recognized by Mincle. Purified Glc-DAG triggered Mincle reporter cell activation and stimulated inflammatory cytokine release by human alveolar macrophages and alveolar macrophages from WT but not Mincle KO mice. Mincle deficiency led to increased bacterial loads and decreased survival together with strongly dysregulated cytokine responses in mice challenged with focal pneumonia inducing S. pneumoniae, all of which was normalized in Mincle KO mice reconstituted with a WT hematopoietic system. In conclusion, the Mincle-Glc-DAG axis is a hitherto unrecognized element of lung protective immunity against focal pneumonia induced by S. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tomotsugu Takano
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Regina Maus
- Department of Experimental Pneumology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jennifer Stolper
- Department of Experimental Pneumology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Danny Jonigk
- Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Fuehner
- Clinic for Pneumology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Antje Prasse
- Clinic for Pneumology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Tobias Welte
- Clinic for Pneumology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Lung Research, partner site BREATH, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mattie S. M. Timmer
- School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Bridget L. Stocker
- School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Yoichi Nakanishi
- Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tomofumi Miyamoto
- Department of Natural Products Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Sho Yamasaki
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ulrich A. Maus
- Department of Experimental Pneumology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Lung Research, partner site BREATH, Hannover, Germany
- * E-mail:
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17
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Hong SW, Baik JE, Kang SS, Kum KY, Yun CH, Han SH. Sodium Hypochlorite Inactivates Lipoteichoic Acid of Enterococcus faecalis by Deacylation. J Endod 2016; 42:1503-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.joen.2016.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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18
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Choline Binding Proteins from Streptococcus pneumoniae: A Dual Role as Enzybiotics and Targets for the Design of New Antimicrobials. Antibiotics (Basel) 2016; 5:antibiotics5020021. [PMID: 27314398 PMCID: PMC4929436 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics5020021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an important pathogen responsible for acute invasive and non-invasive infections such as meningitis, sepsis and otitis media, being the major cause of community-acquired pneumonia. The fight against pneumococcus is currently hampered both by insufficient vaccine coverage and by rising antimicrobial resistances to traditional antibiotics, making necessary the research on novel targets. Choline binding proteins (CBPs) are a family of polypeptides found in pneumococcus and related species, as well as in some of their associated bacteriophages. They are characterized by a structural organization in two modules: a functional module (FM), and a choline-binding module (CBM) that anchors the protein to the choline residues present in the cell wall through non-covalent interactions. Pneumococcal CBPs include cell wall hydrolases, adhesins and other virulence factors, all playing relevant physiological roles for bacterial viability and virulence. Moreover, many pneumococcal phages also make use of hydrolytic CBPs to fulfill their infectivity cycle. Consequently, CBPs may play a dual role for the development of novel antipneumococcal drugs, both as targets for inhibitors of their binding to the cell wall and as active cell lytic agents (enzybiotics). In this article, we review the current state of knowledge about host- and phage-encoded pneumococcal CBPs, with a special focus on structural issues, together with their perspectives for effective anti-infectious treatments.
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Shiraishi T, Yokota S, Fukiya S, Yokota A. Structural diversity and biological significance of lipoteichoic acid in Gram-positive bacteria: focusing on beneficial probiotic lactic acid bacteria. BIOSCIENCE OF MICROBIOTA FOOD AND HEALTH 2016; 35:147-161. [PMID: 27867802 PMCID: PMC5107633 DOI: 10.12938/bmfh.2016-006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial cell surface molecules are at the forefront of host-bacterium interactions. Teichoic acids are observed only in Gram-positive bacteria, and they are
one of the main cell surface components. Teichoic acids play important physiological roles and contribute to the bacterial interaction with their host. In
particular, lipoteichoic acid (LTA) anchored to the cell membrane has attracted attention as a host immunomodulator. Chemical and biological characteristics of
LTA from various bacteria have been described. However, most of the information concerns pathogenic bacteria, and information on beneficial bacteria, including
probiotic lactic acid bacteria, is insufficient. LTA is structurally diverse. Strain-level structural diversity of LTA is suggested to underpin its
immunomodulatory activities. Thus, the structural information on LTA in probiotics, in particular strain-associated diversity, is important for understanding
its beneficial roles associated with the modulation of immune response. Continued accumulation of structural information is necessary to elucidate the detailed
physiological roles and significance of LTA. In this review article, we summarize the current state of knowledge on LTA structure, in particular the structure
of LTA from lactic acid bacteria. We also describe the significance of structural diversity and biological roles of LTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsukasa Shiraishi
- Department of Microbiology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Minami 1 Nishi 17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8556, Japan
| | - Shinichi Yokota
- Department of Microbiology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Minami 1 Nishi 17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8556, Japan
| | - Satoru Fukiya
- Laboratory of Microbial Physiology, Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita 9 Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8589, Japan
| | - Atsushi Yokota
- Laboratory of Microbial Physiology, Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita 9 Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8589, Japan
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20
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Gisch N, Schwudke D, Thomsen S, Heß N, Hakenbeck R, Denapaite D. Lipoteichoic acid of Streptococcus oralis Uo5: a novel biochemical structure comprising an unusual phosphorylcholine substitution pattern compared to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16718. [PMID: 26577602 PMCID: PMC4649388 DOI: 10.1038/srep16718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the Mitis group of streptococci possess teichoic acids (TAs) as integral components of their cell wall that are unique among Gram-positive bacteria. Both, lipoteichoic (LTA) and wall teichoic acid, are formed by the same biosynthetic pathway, are of high complexity and contain phosphorylcholine (P-Cho) residues. These residues serve as anchors for choline-binding proteins (CBPs), some of which have been identified as virulence factors of the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. We investigated the LTA structure of its close relative Streptococcus oralis. Our analysis revealed that S. oralis Uo5 LTA has an overall architecture similar to pneumococcal LTA (pnLTA) and can be considered as a subtype of type IV LTA. Its structural complexity is even higher than that of pnLTA and its composition differs in number and type of carbohydrate moieties, inter-residue connectivities and especially the P-Cho substitution pattern. Here, we report the occurrence of a saccharide moiety substituted with two P-Cho residues, which is unique as yet in bacterial derived surface carbohydrates. Finally, we could link the observed important structural variations between S. oralis and S. pneumoniae LTA to the divergent enzymatic repertoire for their TA biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Gisch
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Priority Area Infections, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz-Center for Medicine and Biosciences, Parkallee 1-40, 23845 Borstel, Germany
| | - Dominik Schwudke
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Priority Area Infections, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz-Center for Medicine and Biosciences, Parkallee 1-40, 23845 Borstel, Germany
| | - Simone Thomsen
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Priority Area Infections, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz-Center for Medicine and Biosciences, Parkallee 1-40, 23845 Borstel, Germany
| | - Nathalie Heß
- Department of Microbiology, University of Kaiserslautern, Paul-Ehrlich Straße 24, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Regine Hakenbeck
- Department of Microbiology, University of Kaiserslautern, Paul-Ehrlich Straße 24, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Dalia Denapaite
- Department of Microbiology, University of Kaiserslautern, Paul-Ehrlich Straße 24, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
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21
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Choi JH, Jang AY, Lin S, Lim S, Kim D, Park K, Han SM, Yeo JH, Seo HS. Melittin, a honeybee venom‑derived antimicrobial peptide, may target methicillin‑resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Mol Med Rep 2015; 12:6483-90. [PMID: 26330195 PMCID: PMC4626175 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.4275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is difficult to treat using available antibiotic agents. Honeybee venom has been widely used as an oriental treatment for several inflammatory diseases and bacterial infections. The venom contains predominantly biologically active compounds, however, the therapeutic effects of such materials when used to treat MRSA infections have not been investigated extensively. The present study evaluated bee venom and its principal active component, melittin, in terms of their antibacterial activities and in vivo protection against MRSA infections. In vitro, bee venom and melittin exhibited comparable levels of antibacterial activity, which was more marked against MRSA strains, compared with other Gram-positive bacteria. When MRSA-infected mice were treated with bee venom or melittin, only the latter animals were successfully rescued from MRSA- induced bacteraemia or exhibited recovery from MRSA-infected skin wounds. Together, the data of the present study demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that melittin may be used as a promising antimicrobial agent to enhance the healing of MRSA-induced wounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hae Choi
- Radiation Biotechnology Research Division, Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup Si, North Jeolla 580‑185, Republic of Korea
| | - A Yeung Jang
- Radiation Biotechnology Research Division, Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup Si, North Jeolla 580‑185, Republic of Korea
| | - Shunmei Lin
- Radiation Biotechnology Research Division, Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup Si, North Jeolla 580‑185, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangyong Lim
- Radiation Biotechnology Research Division, Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup Si, North Jeolla 580‑185, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongho Kim
- Radiation Biotechnology Research Division, Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup Si, North Jeolla 580‑185, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungho Park
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco and Northern California Institute for Research and Education, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | - Sang-Mi Han
- Sericultural and Apicultural Materials Division, National Academy of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Association, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 441‑100, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo-Hong Yeo
- Sericultural and Apicultural Materials Division, National Academy of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Association, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 441‑100, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Seong Seo
- Radiation Biotechnology Research Division, Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup Si, North Jeolla 580‑185, Republic of Korea
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22
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Ramirez M. Streptococcus pneumoniae. MOLECULAR MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY 2015:1529-1546. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-397169-2.00086-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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23
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Oral administration of Lactobacillus plantarum lysates attenuates the development of atopic dermatitis lesions in mouse models. J Microbiol 2014; 53:47-52. [PMID: 25471185 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-015-4483-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Revised: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Lactobacillus plantarum is a well-documented probiotic that has been used in clinical trials for the regulation of the immune system and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. In this study, we evaluated the effects of L. plantarum cell lysates on the immune regulation through the in vitro and in vivo studies. L. plantarum lysates were prepared by sonication method, and we observed that the repetition of disruption step increased indicator components within the bacterial lysates. Indicator components might affect TNF-α production. L. plantarum lysates did not induce TNF-α production, while LPS-induced TNF-α production was dramatically inhibited in a sonication-dependent manner in THP-1 cells. Oral administration of L. plantarum lysates effectively attenuated the horny layer formation and decreased epidermal thickening in NC/Nga mice skin. The damage to barrier function after the 8 weeks oral administration was reduced by L. plantarum lysates as compared to that in the atopic dermatitis (AD) mice. Further study revealed that L. plantarum lysates polarized Th1 response via induction of IL-12 and IFN-γ production and inhibition of IL-4 and IgE production in NC/Nga mice. Together, our results suggest that L. plantarum lysates are remarkable material for host homeostasis and it could be used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
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Brady AM, Calix JJ, Yu J, Geno KA, Cutter GR, Nahm MH. Low invasiveness of pneumococcal serotype 11A is linked to ficolin-2 recognition of O-acetylated capsule epitopes and lectin complement pathway activation. J Infect Dis 2014; 210:1155-65. [PMID: 24683196 PMCID: PMC4215079 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiu195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The divergent epidemiological behavior of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes suggests that serotype-specific features such as capsule O-acetylation influence the propensity of a strain to cause invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). We hypothesize that innate host factors mediate the observed negative association between IPD and the serotype 11A (ST11A) capsule O-acetyltransferase gene, wcjE. METHODS We evaluated the ability of ficolin-2, an initiator of the lectin complement pathway that was previously shown to bind ST11A pneumococci, to recognize and mediate complement-dependent opsonophagocytosis of different pneumococcal serotypes. We supplemented findings with an epidemiological meta-analysis comparing invasiveness of the 30 most prevalent pneumococcal serotypes. RESULTS Ficolin-2 bound ST11A capsule polysaccharide and other wcjE-containing pneumococcal serotypes, except ST9V and ST20B. Ficolin-2 did not bind wcjE-null serotypes, including the wcjE-null variant of ST11A, ST11E. We observed C1q-independent complement deposition and phagocytic killing of pneumococci expressing ST11A but not those expressing ST11E. Inhibition of ficolin-2 binding abrogated ST11A-associated complement deposition and phagocytosis. In children, invasiveness of ST11A was the lowest among serotypes tested in our meta-analysis, while ST9V was among the highest. CONCLUSIONS Ficolin-2 mediates serum protection by recognizing specific O-acetylated epitopes of pneumococcal capsule polysaccharides, exemplifying a novel host-microbe interaction that innately offers serotype-specific immunity to IPD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Gary R. Cutter
- School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham
| | - Moon H. Nahm
- Department of Pathology
- Department of Microbiology
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25
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Percy MG, Gründling A. Lipoteichoic Acid Synthesis and Function in Gram-Positive Bacteria. Annu Rev Microbiol 2014; 68:81-100. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-091213-112949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 266] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G. Percy
- Section of Microbiology and MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ UK; ,
| | - Angelika Gründling
- Section of Microbiology and MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ UK; ,
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26
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A novel protein, RafX, is important for common cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis in Streptococcus pneumoniae: implications for bacterial virulence. J Bacteriol 2014; 196:3324-34. [PMID: 25002545 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01696-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Teichoic acid (TA), together with peptidoglycan (PG), represents a highly complex glycopolymer that ensures cell wall integrity and has several crucial physiological activities. Through an insertion-deletion mutation strategy, we show that ΔrafX mutants are impaired in cell wall covalently attached TA (WTA)-PG biosynthesis, as evidenced by their abnormal banding patterns and reduced amounts of WTA in comparison with wild-type strains. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed an essential role for external loop 4 and some highly conserved amino acid residues in the function of RafX protein. The rafX gene was highly conserved in closely related streptococcal species, suggesting an important physiological function in the lifestyle of streptococci. Moreover, a strain D39 ΔrafX mutant was impaired in bacterial growth, autolysis, bacterial division, and morphology. We observed that a strain R6 ΔrafX mutant was reduced in adhesion relative to the wild-type R6 strain, which was supported by an inhibition assay and a reduced amount of CbpA protein on the ΔrafX mutant bacterial cell surface, as shown by flow cytometric analysis. Finally, ΔrafX mutants were significantly attenuated in virulence in a murine sepsis model. Together, these findings suggest that RafX contributes to the biosynthesis of WTA, which is essential for full pneumococcal virulence.
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27
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Meiers M, Volz C, Eisel J, Maurer P, Henrich B, Hakenbeck R. Altered lipid composition in Streptococcus pneumoniae cpoA mutants. BMC Microbiol 2014; 14:12. [PMID: 24443834 PMCID: PMC3901891 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-14-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Penicillin-resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae is mainly due to alterations in genes encoding the target enzymes for beta-lactams, the penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). However, non-PBP genes are altered in beta-lactam-resistant laboratory mutants and confer decreased susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics. Two piperacillin resistant laboratory mutants of Streptococcus pneumoniae R6 contain mutations in the putative glycosyltransferase gene cpoA. The CpoA gene is part of an operon including another putative glycosyltransferase gene spr0982, both of which being homologous to glycolipid synthases present in other Gram-positive bacteria. RESULTS We now show that the cpoA mutants as well as a cpoA deletion mutant are defective in the synthesis of galactosyl-glucosyl-diacylglycerol (GalGlcDAG) in vivo consistent with the in vitro function of CpoA as α-GalGlcDAG synthase as shown previously. In addition, the proportion of phosphatidylglycerol increased relative to cardiolipin in cpoA mutants. Moreover, cpoA mutants are more susceptible to acidic stress, have an increased requirement for Mg(2+) at low pH, reveal a higher resistance to lysis inducing conditions and are hypersensitive to bacitracin. CONCLUSIONS The data show that deficiency of the major glycolipid GalGlcDAG causes a pleitotropic phenotype of cpoA mutant cells consistent with severe membrane alterations. We suggest that the cpoA mutations selected with piperacillin are directed against the lytic response induced by the beta-lactam antibiotic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Regine Hakenbeck
- Department of Microbiology, University of Kaiserslautern, Gottlieb-Daimler-Strasse, Gebäude 23, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
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Lipoteichoic acids, phosphate-containing polymers in the envelope of gram-positive bacteria. J Bacteriol 2014; 196:1133-42. [PMID: 24415723 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01155-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipoteichoic acids (LTA) are polymers of alternating units of a polyhydroxy alkane, including glycerol and ribitol, and phosphoric acid, joined to form phosphodiester units that are found in the envelope of Gram-positive bacteria. Here we review four different types of LTA that can be distinguished on the basis of their chemical structure and describe recent advances in the biosynthesis pathway for type I LTA, d-alanylated polyglycerol-phosphate linked to di-glucosyl-diacylglycerol. The physiological functions of type I LTA are discussed in the context of inhibitors that block their synthesis and of mutants with discrete synthesis defects. Research on LTA structure and function represents a large frontier that has been investigated in only few Gram-positive bacteria.
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Schumann B, Pragani R, Anish C, Pereira CL, Seeberger PH. Synthesis of conjugation-ready zwitterionic oligosaccharides by chemoselective thioglycoside activation. Chem Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/c3sc53362j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A method to chemoselectively activate thioglycosides in the presence of thioethers is developed and applied in the total synthesis of repeating units of S. pneumoniae Sp1 and B. fragilis PS A1. Biochemical evaluation of these glycans is performed after conjugation to reporter moieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Schumann
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
- 14424 Potsdam, Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin
- 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - R. Pragani
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
- 14424 Potsdam, Germany
| | - C. Anish
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
- 14424 Potsdam, Germany
| | - C. L. Pereira
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
- 14424 Potsdam, Germany
| | - P. H. Seeberger
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
- 14424 Potsdam, Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin
- 14195 Berlin, Germany
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30
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Young NM, Foote SJ, Wakarchuk WW. Review of phosphocholine substituents on bacterial pathogen glycans: Synthesis, structures and interactions with host proteins. Mol Immunol 2013; 56:563-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2013.05.237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Revised: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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31
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Gisch N, Kohler T, Ulmer AJ, Müthing J, Pribyl T, Fischer K, Lindner B, Hammerschmidt S, Zähringer U. Structural reevaluation of Streptococcus pneumoniae Lipoteichoic acid and new insights into its immunostimulatory potency. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:15654-67. [PMID: 23603911 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.446963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-positive human pathogen with a complex lipoteichoic acid (pnLTA) structure. Because the current structural model for pnLTA shows substantial inconsistencies, we reinvestigated purified and, more importantly, O-deacylated pnLTA, which is most suitable for NMR spectroscopy and electrospray ionization-MS spectrometry. We analyzed pnLTA of nonencapsulated pneumococcal strains D39Δcps and TIGR4Δcps, respectively. The data obtained allowed us to (re)define (i) the position and linkage of the repeating unit, (ii) the putative α-GalpNAc substitution at the ribitiol 5-phosphate (Rib-ol-5-P), and (iii) the length of (i.e. the number of repeating units in) the pnLTA chain. We here also describe for the first time that the terminal sugar residues in the pnLTA (Forssman disaccharide; α-D-GalpNAc-(1→3)-β-D-GalpNAc-(1→)), responsible for the cross-reactivity with anti-Forssman antigen antibodies, can be heterogeneous with respect to its degree of phosphorylcholine substitution in both O-6-positions. To assess the proinflammatory potency of pnLTA, we generated a (lipopeptide-free) Δlgt mutant of strain D39Δcps, isolated its pnLTA, and showed that it is capable of inducing IL-6 release in human mononuclear cells, independent of TLR2 activation. This finding was quite in contrast to LTA of the Staphylococcus aureus SA113Δlgt mutant, which did not activate human mononuclear cells in our experiments. Remarkably, this is also contrary to various other reports showing a proinflammatory potency of S. aureus LTA. Taken together, our study refines the structure of pnLTA and indicates that pneumococcal and S. aureus LTAs differ not only in their structure but also in their bioactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Gisch
- Division of Immunochemistry, Leibniz-Center for Medicine and Biosciences, Borstel, Germany.
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32
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Bacterial cell wall macroamphiphiles: Pathogen-/microbe-associated molecular patterns detected by mammalian innate immune system. Biochimie 2013; 95:33-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2012.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 06/06/2012] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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33
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Bustamante N, Rico-Lastres P, García E, García P, Menéndez M. Thermal stability of Cpl-7 endolysin from the streptococcus pneumoniae bacteriophage Cp-7; cell wall-targeting of its CW_7 motifs. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46654. [PMID: 23056389 PMCID: PMC3466307 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 09/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Endolysins comprise a novel class of selective antibacterials refractory to develop resistances. The Cpl-7 endolysin, encoded by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteriophage Cp-7, consists of a catalytic module (CM) with muramidase activity and a cell wall-binding module (CWBM) made of three fully conserved CW_7 repeats essential for activity. Firstly identified in the Cpl-7 endolysin, CW_7 motifs are also present in a great variety of cell wall hydrolases encoded, among others, by human and live-stock pathogens. However, the nature of CW_7 receptors on the bacterial envelope remains unknown. In the present study, the structural stability of Cpl-7 and the target recognized by CW_7 repeats, relevant for exploitation of Cpl-7 as antimicrobial, have been analyzed, and transitions from the CM and the CWBM assigned, using circular dichroism and differential scanning calorimetry. Cpl-7 stability is maximum around 6.0-6.5, near the optimal pH for activity. Above pH 8.0 the CM becomes extremely unstable, probably due to deprotonation of the N-terminal amino-group, whereas the CWBM is rather insensitive to pH variation and its structural stabilization by GlcNAc-MurNAc-l-Ala-d-isoGln points to the cell wall muropeptide as the cell wall target recognized by the CW_7 repeats. Denaturation data also revealed that Cpl-7 is organized into two essentially independent folding units, which will facilitate the recombination of the CM and the CWBM with other catalytic domains and/or cell wall-binding motifs to yield new tailored chimeric lysins with higher bactericidal activities or new pathogen specificities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemí Bustamante
- Instituto de Química-Física Rocasolano, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Palma Rico-Lastres
- Instituto de Química-Física Rocasolano, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ernesto García
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro García
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Margarita Menéndez
- Instituto de Química-Física Rocasolano, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain
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Hakenbeck R, Brückner R, Denapaite D, Maurer P. Molecular mechanisms of β-lactam resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Future Microbiol 2012; 7:395-410. [PMID: 22393892 DOI: 10.2217/fmb.12.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in the target enzymes for β-lactam antibiotics, the penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), have been recognized as a major resistance mechanism in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Mutations in PBPs that confer a reduced affinity to β-lactams have been identified in laboratory mutants and clinical isolates, and document an astounding variability of sites involved in this phenotype. Whereas point mutations are selected in the laboratory, clinical isolates display a mosaic structure of the affected PBP genes, the result of interspecies gene transfer and recombination events. Depending on the selective β-lactam, different combinations of PBP genes and mutations within are involved in conferring resistance, and astoundingly in non-PBP genes as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regine Hakenbeck
- Department of Microbiology, University of Kaiserslautern, Paul Ehrlich Strasse 23, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
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35
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Denapaite D, Brückner R, Hakenbeck R, Vollmer W. Biosynthesis of teichoic acids in Streptococcus pneumoniae and closely related species: lessons from genomes. Microb Drug Resist 2012; 18:344-58. [PMID: 22432701 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2012.0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell wall of Streptococcus pneumoniae contains an unusually complex wall teichoic acid (WTA), which has identical repeating units as the membrane-anchored lipoteichoic acid (LTA). Both polymers share a common cytoplasmic pathway of precursor synthesis, but several TA enzymes have remained elusive. Bioinformatic analysis of the genome of various pneumococcal strains, including choline-independent mutant strains, has allowed us to identify the missing TA genes. We present here the deduced complete pathways of WTA and LTA synthesis in S. pneumoniae and point to the variations occurring in different pneumococcal strains and in closely related species such as Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus mitis.
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36
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Harvey DJ. Analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: an update for 2007-2008. MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2012; 31:183-311. [PMID: 21850673 DOI: 10.1002/mas.20333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2010] [Revised: 01/04/2011] [Accepted: 01/04/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
This review is the fifth update of the original review, published in 1999, on the application of MALDI mass spectrometry to the analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates and brings coverage of the literature to the end of 2008. The first section of the review covers fundamental studies, fragmentation of carbohydrate ions, use of derivatives and new software developments for analysis of carbohydrate spectra. Among newer areas of method development are glycan arrays, MALDI imaging and the use of ion mobility spectrometry. The second section of the review discusses applications of MALDI MS to the analysis of different types of carbohydrate. Specific compound classes that are covered include carbohydrate polymers from plants, N- and O-linked glycans from glycoproteins, biopharmaceuticals, glycated proteins, glycolipids, glycosides and various other natural products. There is a short section on the use of MALDI mass spectrometry for the study of enzymes involved in glycan processing and a section on the use of MALDI MS to monitor products of the chemical synthesis of carbohydrates with emphasis on carbohydrate-protein complexes and glycodendrimers. Corresponding analyses by electrospray ionization now appear to outnumber those performed by MALDI and the amount of literature makes a comprehensive review on this technique impractical. However, most of the work relating to sample preparation and glycan synthesis is equally relevant to electrospray and, consequently, those proposing analyses by electrospray should also find material in this review of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Harvey
- Oxford Glycobiology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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37
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Bui NK, Eberhardt A, Vollmer D, Kern T, Bougault C, Tomasz A, Simorre JP, Vollmer W. Isolation and analysis of cell wall components from Streptococcus pneumoniae. Anal Biochem 2012; 421:657-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2011.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2011] [Revised: 11/14/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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38
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Pedersen CM, Figueroa-Perez I, Ulmer AJ, Zähringer U, Schmidt RR. Synthesis of the repeating unit of the lipoteichoic acid of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Tetrahedron 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2011.11.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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39
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Genome-wide essential gene identification in Streptococcus sanguinis. Sci Rep 2011; 1:125. [PMID: 22355642 PMCID: PMC3216606 DOI: 10.1038/srep00125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2011] [Accepted: 09/21/2011] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A clear perception of gene essentiality in bacterial pathogens is pivotal for identifying drug targets to combat emergence of new pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, for synthetic biology, and for understanding the origins of life. We have constructed a comprehensive set of deletion mutants and systematically identified a clearly defined set of essential genes for Streptococcus sanguinis. Our results were confirmed by growing S. sanguinis in minimal medium and by double-knockout of paralogous or isozyme genes. Careful examination revealed that these essential genes were associated with only three basic categories of biological functions: maintenance of the cell envelope, energy production, and processing of genetic information. Our finding was subsequently validated in two other pathogenic streptococcal species, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus mutans and in two other gram-positive pathogens, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Our analysis has thus led to a simplified model that permits reliable prediction of gene essentiality.
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40
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Cot M, Ray A, Gilleron M, Vercellone A, Larrouy-Maumus G, Armau E, Gauthier S, Tiraby G, Puzo G, Nigou J. Lipoteichoic acid in Streptomyces hygroscopicus: structural model and immunomodulatory activities. PLoS One 2011; 6:e26316. [PMID: 22028855 PMCID: PMC3196553 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Accepted: 09/23/2011] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gram positive bacteria produce cell envelope macroamphiphile glycopolymers, i.e. lipoteichoic acids or lipoglycans, whose functions and biosynthesis are not yet fully understood. We report for the first time a detailed structure of lipoteichoic acid isolated from a Streptomyces species, i.e. Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. hygroscopicus NRRL 2387T. Chemical, MS and NMR analyses revealed a polyglycerolphosphate backbone substituted with α-glucosaminyl and α-N-acetyl-glucosaminyl residues but devoid of any amino-acid substituent. This structure is very close, if not identical, to that of the wall teichoic acid of this organism. These data not only contribute to the growing recognition that lipoteichoic acid is a cell envelope component of Gram positive Actinobacteria but also strongly support the recently proposed hypothesis of an overlap between the pathways of lipoteichoic acid and wall teichoic acid synthesis in these bacteria. S. hygroscopicus lipoteichoic acid induced signalling by human innate immune receptor TLR2, confirming its role as a microbe-associated molecular pattern. Its activity was partially dependant on TLR1, TLR6 and CD14. Moreover, it stimulated TNF-α and IL-6 production by a human macrophage cell line to an extent similar to that of Staphylococcus aureus lipoteichoic acid. These results provide new clues on lipoteichoic acid structure/function relationships, most particularly on the role of the polyglycerolphosphate backbone substituents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlène Cot
- CNRS, IPBS (Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale), Toulouse, France
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, IPBS, Toulouse, France
| | - Aurélie Ray
- CNRS, IPBS (Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale), Toulouse, France
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, IPBS, Toulouse, France
| | - Martine Gilleron
- CNRS, IPBS (Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale), Toulouse, France
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, IPBS, Toulouse, France
| | - Alain Vercellone
- CNRS, IPBS (Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale), Toulouse, France
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, IPBS, Toulouse, France
| | - Gérald Larrouy-Maumus
- CNRS, IPBS (Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale), Toulouse, France
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, IPBS, Toulouse, France
| | - Elise Armau
- Cayla InvivoGen, Research Department, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Gérard Tiraby
- Cayla InvivoGen, Research Department, Toulouse, France
| | - Germain Puzo
- CNRS, IPBS (Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale), Toulouse, France
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, IPBS, Toulouse, France
| | - Jérôme Nigou
- CNRS, IPBS (Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale), Toulouse, France
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, IPBS, Toulouse, France
- * E-mail:
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41
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Kang SS, Ryu YH, Baik JE, Yun CH, Lee K, Chung DK, Han SH. Lipoteichoic acid from Lactobacillus plantarum induces nitric oxide production in the presence of interferon-γ in murine macrophages. Mol Immunol 2011; 48:2170-7. [PMID: 21835472 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2011.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2011] [Revised: 07/13/2011] [Accepted: 07/18/2011] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a major immuno-stimulating component of Gram-positive bacteria. LTA from the beneficial bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum induces weak nitric oxide (NO) production in murine macrophages. Currently, it is not clear if LTA from L. plantarum is able to stimulate the innate immune response, even in the presence of inflammation. In the present study, we prepared highly pure and structurally intact LTA from L. plantarum and investigated its ability to induce NO in the presence of interferon (IFN)-γ in the RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) from mice. L. plantarum LTA alone was unable to induce NO production, even at 30μg/ml. However, LTA in the presence of IFN-γ significantly induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells. The observed NO production was inhibited by a NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor l-NAME and an inducible NOS (iNOS) inhibitor l-NIL, suggesting that iNOS is specifically required for this action. Western blot analysis and reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction further confirmed that L. plantarum LTA increased protein and mRNA levels of iNOS, respectively. However, such induction was substantially inhibited in BMMs from Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-deficient mice and the macrophages treated with an inhibitor blocking platelet-activating factor receptor. In addition, L. plantarum LTA plus IFN-γ induced IFN-β expression and STAT1 phosphorylation, which are key pathways for inducing iNOS expression. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrated that L. plantarum LTA in the presence of IFN-γ remarkably increased the DNA-binding activity of NF-κB transcription factor, which is known to be involved in the iNOS gene expression. Collectively, these results suggest that LTA from L. plantarum alone has no inflammatory potential but does induce NO production under conditions of inflammation, such as the presence of IFN-γ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seok-Seong Kang
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Dental Research Institute, and BK21 Program, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-749, Republic of Korea
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42
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Eugster MR, Loessner MJ. Rapid analysis of Listeria monocytogenes cell wall teichoic acid carbohydrates by ESI-MS/MS. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21500. [PMID: 21738682 PMCID: PMC3127946 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2011] [Accepted: 05/30/2011] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the application of electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry for compositional characterization of wall teichoic acids (WTA), a major component of Gram-positive bacterial cell walls. Tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) of purified and chemically hydrolyzed monomeric WTA components provided sufficient information to identify WTA monomers and their specific carbohydrate constituents. A lithium matrix was used for ionization of uncharged WTA monomers, and successfully applied to analyze the WTA molecules of four Listeria strains differing in carbohydrate substitution on a conserved polyribitol-phosphate backbone structure. Carbohydrate residues such as N-acetylglucosamine or rhamnose linked to the WTA could directly be identified by ESI-MS/MS, circumventing the need for quantitative analysis by gas chromatography. The presence of a terminal N-acetylglucosamine residue tethered to the ribitol was confirmed using fluorescently labeled wheat-germ agglutinin. In conclusion, the mass spectrometry method described here will greatly facilitate compositional analysis and characterization of teichoic acids and similar macromolecules from diverse bacterial species, and represents a significant advance in the identification of serovar-specific carbohydrates and sugar molecules on bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel R. Eugster
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin J. Loessner
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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43
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Characterization of the fibrinogen binding domain of bacteriophage lysin from Streptococcus mitis. Infect Immun 2011; 79:3518-26. [PMID: 21690235 DOI: 10.1128/iai.05088-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The binding of bacteria to human platelets is a likely central mechanism in the pathogenesis of infective endocarditis. Platelet binding by Streptococcus mitis SF100 is mediated in part by a lysin encoded by the lysogenic bacteriophage SM1. In addition to its role in the phage life cycle, lysin mediates the binding of S. mitis to human platelets via its interaction with fibrinogen on the platelet surface. To better define the region of lysin mediating fibrinogen binding, we tested a series of purified lysin truncation variants for their abilities to bind this protein. These studies revealed that the fibrinogen binding domain of lysin is contained within the region spanned by amino acid residues 102 to 198 (lysin(102-198)). This region has no sequence homology to other known fibrinogen binding proteins. Lysin(102-198) bound fibrinogen comparably to full-length lysin and with the same selectivity for the fibrinogen Aα and Bβ chains. Lysin(102-198) also inhibited the binding in vitro of S. mitis to human fibrinogen and platelets. When assessed by platelet aggregometry, the disruption of the lysin gene in SF100 resulted in a significantly longer time to the onset of aggregation of human platelets than that of the parent strain. The preincubation of platelets with purified lysin(102-198) also delayed the onset of aggregation by SF100. These results indicate that the binding of lysin to fibrinogen is mediated by a specific domain of the phage protein and that this interaction is important for both platelet binding and aggregation by S. mitis.
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44
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Reichmann NT, Gründling A. Location, synthesis and function of glycolipids and polyglycerolphosphate lipoteichoic acid in Gram-positive bacteria of the phylum Firmicutes. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2011; 319:97-105. [PMID: 21388439 PMCID: PMC3089915 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2011.02260.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a zwitterionic polymer found in the cell wall of many Gram-positive bacteria. A widespread and one of the best-studied forms of LTA consists of a polyglycerolphosphate (PGP) chain that is tethered to the membrane via a glycolipid anchor. In this review, we will summarize our current understanding of the enzymes involved in glycolipid and PGP backbone synthesis in a variety of different Gram-positive bacteria. The recent identification of key LTA synthesis proteins allowed the construction and analysis of mutant strains with defined defects in glycolipid or backbone synthesis. Using these strains, new information on the functions of LTA for bacterial growth, physiology and during developmental processes was gained and will be discussed. Furthermore, we will reintroduce the idea that LTA remains in close proximity to the bacterial membrane for its function during bacterial growth rather than as a surface-exposed structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie T Reichmann
- Section of Microbiology, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
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45
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Schmidt RR, Pedersen CM, Qiao Y, Zähringer U. Chemical synthesis of bacterial lipoteichoic acids: an insight on its biological significance. Org Biomol Chem 2011; 9:2040-52. [PMID: 21327200 DOI: 10.1039/c0ob00794c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
During infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin) has a dominant role leading to fulminant pro-inflammatory reactions in the host. As there is no LPS in Gram-positive bacteria, other microbial cell wall components have been identified to be the causative agent for the pro-inflammatory activity since also Gram-positive bacterial infections lead to comparable clinical symptoms and reactions. On search for the "Gram-positive endotoxin" a widely accepted hypothesis has been raised in that the lipoteichoic acids (LTAs) serve as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) during Gram-positive sepsis, although the amount necessary for a pro-inflammatory in vitro response is several orders of magnitude higher than that for LPS. Therefore, LTA cannot be considered to be "the (endo)toxin of Gram-positive bacteria". Although LPS and LTA show structural relatedness (amphiphilic, negatively charged glycophospholipids), they are structurally quite different from each other and one might expect that they are also recognized by different receptors of the innate immune system, the so called toll-like receptors 4 and 2 (TLR4 and TLR2), respectively. Based on their chemical structure, the LTAs were classified into four types (type I-IV) of which we have carefully investigated the LTA of Staphylococcus aureus (type I), Lactococcus garvieae (type II) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (type IV). Hence, these LTAs have been synthesized in our group and biologically evaluated with respect to their potency to activate cytokines in transiently TLR2/CD14-transfected human endothelial kidney cells (HEK 293) or human macrophages and whole blood cells. Although LTA of type I and IV are structurally quite different, especially in their hydrophilic moiety, they originally were believed to interact with the same receptor (TLR2). Hence, the chemical syntheses leading to structurally defined, non-contaminated stimuli have a major impact on the outcome and interpretation of these biological studies of the innate immune system. With this material, it became evident that synthetic LTA from S. aureus and S. pneumoniae are not recognized by TLR2. Instead, another receptor of the innate immune system, the lectin pathway of the complement, known since many years to interact with LTA in quite a specific way, has gained increasing attractivity. With the help of synthetic LTA we obtained first evidences that this receptor is indeed the pathogen recognition receptor (PRR) for LTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard R Schmidt
- Universität Konstanz, Fachbereich Chemie, Fach 725, D-78457, Konstanz, Germany.
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Calcium Hydroxide Inactivates Lipoteichoic Acid from Enterococcus faecalis through Deacylation of the Lipid Moiety. J Endod 2011; 37:191-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.joen.2010.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2010] [Revised: 11/03/2010] [Accepted: 11/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Lactobacilli reduce cell cytotoxicity caused by Streptococcus pyogenes by producing lactic acid that degrades the toxic component lipoteichoic acid. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2011; 55:1622-8. [PMID: 21245448 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00770-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactobacilli are known to prevent colonization by many pathogens; nevertheless, the mechanisms of their protective effect are largely unknown. In this work, we investigated the role of lactobacilli during infection of epithelial cells with group A streptococci (GAS). GAS cause a variety of illnesses ranging from noninvasive disease to more severe invasive infections, such as necrotizing fasciitis and toxic shock-like syndrome. Invasion of deeper tissues is facilitated by GAS-induced apoptosis and cell death. We found that lactobacilli inhibit GAS-induced host cell cytotoxicity and shedding of the complement regulator CD46. Further, survival assays demonstrated that lactic acid secreted by lactobacilli is highly bactericidal toward GAS. In addition, lactic acid treatment of GAS, but not heat killing, prior to infection abolishes the cytotoxic effects against human cells. Since lipoteichoic acid (LTA) of GAS is heat resistant and cytotoxic, we explored the effects of lactic acid on LTA. By applying such an approach, we demonstrate that lactic acid reduces epithelial cell damage caused by GAS by degrading both secreted and cell-bound LTA. Taken together, our experiments reveal a mechanism by which lactobacilli prevent pathogen-induced host cell damage.
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Sutcliffe IC. Priming and elongation: dissection of the lipoteichoic acid biosynthetic pathway in Gram-positive bacteria. Mol Microbiol 2010; 79:553-6. [PMID: 21255102 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07480.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The biosynthesis of lipoteichoic acids is a potential target for the development of novel antimicrobials against significant Firmicute pathogens. Excellent progress has been made in recent years towards understanding the biochemistry and genetics of polyglycerophosphate lipoteichoic acid biosynthesis but it has remained unclear whether this pathway requires an initial 'priming' reaction to initiate synthesis on the glycolipid anchor. Recent work from the laboratory of Angelika Gründling, including a new study by Wörmann et al. in this issue of Molecular Microbiology, provides confirmation of the priming step and further insights into the functional redundancy of lipoteichoic acid biosynthesis enzymes in Bacillus subtilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain C Sutcliffe
- Biomolecular and Biomedical Research Centre, School of Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK.
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Seo HS, Xiong YQ, Mitchell J, Seepersaud R, Bayer AS, Sullam PM. Bacteriophage lysin mediates the binding of streptococcus mitis to human platelets through interaction with fibrinogen. PLoS Pathog 2010; 6:e1001047. [PMID: 20714354 PMCID: PMC2920869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1001047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2010] [Accepted: 07/15/2010] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The binding of bacteria to human platelets is a likely central mechanism in the pathogenesis of infective endocarditis. We have previously found that platelet binding by Streptococcus mitis SF100 is mediated by surface components encoded by a lysogenic bacteriophage, SM1. We now demonstrate that SM1-encoded lysin contributes to platelet binding via its direct interaction with fibrinogen. Far Western blotting of platelets revealed that fibrinogen was the major membrane-associated protein bound by lysin. Analysis of lysin binding with purified fibrinogen in vitro confirmed that these proteins could bind directly, and that this interaction was both saturable and inhibitable. Lysin bound both the Aα and Bβ chains of fibrinogen, but not the γ subunit. Binding of lysin to the Bβ chain was further localized to a region within the fibrinogen D fragment. Disruption of the SF100 lysin gene resulted in an 83±3.1% reduction (mean ± SD) in binding to immobilized fibrinogen by this mutant strain (PS1006). Preincubation of this isogenic mutant with purified lysin restored fibrinogen binding to wild type levels. When tested in a co-infection model of endocarditis, loss of lysin expression resulted in a significant reduction in virulence, as measured by achievable bacterial densities (CFU/g) within vegetations, kidneys, and spleens. These results indicate that bacteriophage-encoded lysin is a multifunctional protein, representing a new class of fibrinogen-binding proteins. Lysin appears to be cell wall-associated through its interaction with choline. Once on the bacterial surface, lysin can bind fibrinogen directly, which appears to be an important interaction for the pathogenesis of endocarditis. The binding of bacteria to human platelets is thought to be a central event in the development of endocarditis (a life-threatening cardiovascular infection). We have previously found that platelet binding by Streptococcus mitis is mediated by surface components encoded by a bacteriophage contained within the host bacterium. We now show that lysin (an enzyme of bacteriophage origin) contributes to platelet binding via its direct interaction with fibrinogen on the platelet surface. Lysin bound to purified fibrinogen in vitro, and this interaction specifically involved the Aα and Bβ chains of fibrinogen. Binding of lysin to the Bβ chain was further localized to a region within the fibrinogen D fragment. Disruption of the gene encoding lysin gene resulted in a significant reduction in binding to fibrinogen by S. mitis, as well as a major reduction in virulence, as measured by a rat model of endocarditis. These results indicate that lysin is a multifunctional protein, representing a new class of fibrinogen-binding molecules. Lysin is localized to the bacterial surface via its interaction with cell wall choline, where it then can bind fibrinogen directly. Cell surface lysin apparently also contributes to the development of endovascular infections via its previously unrecognized fibrinogen binding activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Seong Seo
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Yan Q. Xiong
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, United States of America
| | | | - Ravin Seepersaud
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Arnold S. Bayer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, United States of America
| | - Paul M. Sullam
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Pedersen C, Figueroa-Perez I, Lindner B, Ulmer A, Zähringer U, Schmidt R. Total Synthesis of Lipoteichoic Acid ofStreptococcus pneumoniae. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2010; 49:2585-90. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.200906163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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