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Behrmann LV, Meier K, Vollmer J, Chiedu CC, Schiefer A, Hoerauf A, Pfarr K. In vitro extracellular replication of Wolbachia endobacteria. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1405287. [PMID: 39091298 PMCID: PMC11293327 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1405287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Obligate intracellular endobacteria of the genus Wolbachia are widespread in arthropods and several filarial nematodes. Control programs for vector-borne diseases (dengue, Zika, malaria) and anti-filarial therapy with antibiotics are based on this important endosymbiont. Investigating Wolbachia, however, is impeded by the need for host cells. In this study, the requirements for Wolbachia wAlbB growth in a host cell-free in vitro culture system were characterized via qPCRs. A cell lysate fraction from Aedes albopictus C6/36 insect cells containing cell membranes and medium with fetal bovine serum were identified as requisite for cell-free replication of Wolbachia. Supplementation with the membrane fraction of insect cell lysate increased extracellular Wolbachia replication by 4.2-fold. Replication rates in the insect cell-free culture were lower compared to Wolbachia grown inside insect cells. However, the endobacteria were able to replicate for up to 12 days and to infect uninfected C6/36 cells. Cell-free Wolbachia treated with the lipid II biosynthesis inhibitor fosfomycin had an enlarged phenotype, seen previously for intracellular Wolbachia in C6/36 cells, indicating that the bacteria were unable to divide. In conclusion, we have developed a cell-free culture system in which Wolbachia replicate for up to 12 days, providing an in vitro tool to elucidate the biology of these endobacteria, e.g., cell division by using compounds that may not enter the C6/36 cells. A better understanding of Wolbachia biology, and in particular host-symbiont interactions, is key to the use of Wolbachia in vector control programs and to future drug development against filarial diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Vanessa Behrmann
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kirstin Meier
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jennifer Vollmer
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Chukwuebuka Chibuzo Chiedu
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Andrea Schiefer
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kenneth Pfarr
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
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Cantin LJ, Dunning Hotopp JC, Foster JM. Improved metagenome assemblies through selective enrichment of bacterial genomic DNA from eukaryotic host genomic DNA using ATAC-seq. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1352378. [PMID: 38426058 PMCID: PMC10902005 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1352378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Genomics can be used to study the complex relationships between hosts and their microbiota. Many bacteria cannot be cultured in the laboratory, making it difficult to obtain adequate amounts of bacterial DNA and to limit host DNA contamination for the construction of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). For example, Wolbachia is a genus of exclusively obligate intracellular bacteria that live in a wide range of arthropods and some nematodes. While Wolbachia endosymbionts are frequently described as facultative reproductive parasites in arthropods, the bacteria are obligate mutualistic endosymbionts of filarial worms. Here, we achieve 50-fold enrichment of bacterial sequences using ATAC-seq (Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin using sequencing) with Brugia malayi nematodes, containing Wolbachia (wBm). ATAC-seq uses the Tn5 transposase to cut and attach Illumina sequencing adapters to accessible DNA lacking histones, typically thought to be open chromatin. Bacterial and mitochondrial DNA in the lysates are also cut preferentially since they lack histones, leading to the enrichment of these sequences. The benefits of this include minimal tissue input (<1 mg of tissue), a quick protocol (<4 h), low sequencing costs, less bias, correct assembly of lateral gene transfers and no prior sequence knowledge required. We assembled the wBm genome with as few as 1 million Illumina short paired-end reads with >97% coverage of the published genome, compared to only 12% coverage with the standard gDNA libraries. We found significant bacterial sequence enrichment that facilitated genome assembly in previously published ATAC-seq data sets from human cells infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and C. elegans contaminated with their food source, the OP50 strain of E. coli. These results demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of using ATAC-seq to easily obtain bacterial genomes to aid in symbiosis, infectious disease, and microbiome research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey J. Cantin
- Biochemistry and Microbiology Division, New England BioLabs, Ipswich, MA, United States
| | - Julie C. Dunning Hotopp
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jeremy M. Foster
- Biochemistry and Microbiology Division, New England BioLabs, Ipswich, MA, United States
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3
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Serbus LR. A Light in the Dark: Uncovering Wolbachia-Host Interactions Using Fluorescence Imaging. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2739:349-373. [PMID: 38006562 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3553-7_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
The success of microbial endosymbionts, which reside naturally within a eukaryotic "host" organism, requires effective microbial interaction with, and manipulation of, the host cells. Fluorescence microscopy has played a key role in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of endosymbiosis. For 30 years, fluorescence analyses have been a cornerstone in studies of endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria, focused on host colonization, maternal transmission, reproductive parasitism, horizontal gene transfer, viral suppression, and metabolic interactions in arthropods and nematodes. Fluorescence-based studies stand to continue informing Wolbachia-host interactions in increasingly detailed and innovative ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Renee Serbus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
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Rushidi MNA, Azhari MLH, Yaakop S, Hazmi IR. Detection and Characterisation of Endosymbiont Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) in Elaeidobius kamerunicus (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea), Pollinating Agent of Oil Palm, and Its Relationships between Populations. Trop Life Sci Res 2023; 34:95-111. [PMID: 37860089 PMCID: PMC10583842 DOI: 10.21315/tlsr2023.34.3.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Elaeidobius kamerunicus is the most efficient pollinator of oil palm. Wolbachia is an endosymbiotic bacteria associated with E. kamerunicus that has a potential to affect the fecundity and fitness of the E. kamerunicus. Despite their importance, no studies have been conducted to investigate its prevalence in E. kamerunicus. The objectives of this study were to detect and characterise Wolbachia in E. kamerunicus and determine the phylogenetic relationship of Wolbachia strains that infect E. kamerunicus by using three genetic markers namely Filamenting temperature-sensitive mutant Z (ftsZ), Chaperonin folding protein (groEL), and Citrate Synthase Coding Gene (gltA). DNA was extracted from 210 individuals of E. kamerunicus and the Wolbachia infections were detected using the wsp marker. The infected samples (n = 25, 11.9%) were then sequenced using ftsZ, gltA and groEL markers for strain characterization. In this study, a combination of four markers was used to construct the phylogeny of Wolbachia. Similar topologies were shown in all trees; Neighbour-Joining (NJ), Maximum Parsimony (MP), and Bayesian Inference (BI), which showed the mixing of individuals that harbor Wolbachia between populations. Interestingly, Wolbachia on E. kamerunicus was claded together with the species Drosophila simulans under supergroup B. This is the first report of Wolbachia infecting E. kamerunicus which is very valuable and significant as one of the parameters to evaluate the quality of the E. kamerunicus population for sustaining its function as a great pollinator for oil palm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Nur Azad Rushidi
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Luqman Hakim Azhari
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Salmah Yaakop
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Izfa Riza Hazmi
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
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Kim Y, Clemens EG, Farner JM, Londono-Barbaran A, Grab DJ, Dumler JS. Spotted fever rickettsia-induced microvascular endothelial barrier dysfunction is delayed by the calcium channel blocker benidipine. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 663:96-103. [PMID: 37121130 PMCID: PMC10362780 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.04.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The tick-borne bacterium Rickettsia parkeri is an obligate intracellular pathogen that belongs to spotted fever group rickettsia (SFGR). The SFG pathogens are characterized by their ability to infect and rapidly proliferate inside host vascular endothelial cells that eventually result in impairment of vascular endothelium barrier functions. Benidipine, a wide range dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, is used to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we tested whether benidipine has protective effects against rickettsia-induced microvascular endothelial cell barrier dysfunction in vitro. We utilized an in vitro vascular model consisting of transformed human brain microvascular endothelial cells (tHBMECs) and continuously monitored transendothelial electric resistance (TEER) across the cell monolayer. We found that during the late stages of infection when we observed TEER decrease and when there was a gradual increase of the cytoplasmic [Ca2+], benidipine prevented these rickettsia-induced effects. In contrast, nifedipine, another cardiovascular dihydropyridine channel blocker specific for L-type Ca2+ channels, did not prevent R. parkeri-induced drop of TEER. Additionally, neither drug was bactericidal. These data suggest that growth of R. parkeri inside endothelial cells is associated with impairment of endothelial cell monolayer integrity due to Ca2+ flooding through specific, benidipine-sensitive T- or N/Q-type Ca2+ channels but not through nifedipine-sensitive L-type Ca2+ channels. Further study will be required to discern the exact nature of the Ca2+ channels and Ca2+ transporting system(s) involved, any contributions of the pathogen toward this process, as well as the suitability of benidipine and new dihydropyridine derivatives as complimentary therapeutic drugs against Rickettsia-induced vascular failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Kim
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA; Uniformed Services of the Health Sciences, Department of Pathology, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
| | - Emily G Clemens
- Uniformed Services of the Health Sciences, Department of Pathology, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
| | - Jennifer M Farner
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA; Uniformed Services of the Health Sciences, Department of Pathology, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
| | - Andres Londono-Barbaran
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA; Uniformed Services of the Health Sciences, Department of Pathology, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
| | - Dennis J Grab
- Uniformed Services of the Health Sciences, Department of Pathology, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
| | - J Stephen Dumler
- Uniformed Services of the Health Sciences, Department of Pathology, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
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Manoj RRS, Latrofa MS, Louni M, Laidoudi Y, Fenollar F, Otranto D, Mediannikov O. In vitro maintenance of the endosymbiont Wolbachia of Dirofilaria immitis. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:939-943. [PMID: 36810669 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07789-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia has an obligatory mutualistic relationship with many onchocercid nematodes of the subfamilies Dirofilariinae and Onchocercinae. Till date, no attempts have been made for the in vitro cultivation of this intracellular bacterium from the filarioid host. Hence, the current study attempted cell co-culture method using embryonic Drosophila S2 and the LD cell lines to cultivate Wolbachia from Dirofilaria immitis microfilariae (mfs) harvested from infected dogs. Microfilariae (mfs = 1500) were inoculated in shell vials supplemented with Schneider medium using both cell lines. The establishment and multiplication of the bacterium were observed during the initial inoculation, at day 0 and before every medium change (from days 14 to 115). An aliquot (50 µl) from each time point was tested by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Comparing the average of Ct values, obtained by the tested parameters (i.e., LD/S2 cell lines and mfs with/without treatment), the S2 cell line without mechanical disruption of mfs provided the highest Wolbachia cell count by qPCR. Despite the maintenance of Wolbachia within both S2 and LD-based cell co-culture models for up to 115 days, a definitive conclusion is still far. Further trials using fluorescent microscopy and viable staining will help to demonstrate the cell line infection and viability of Wolbachia. Use of considerable amount of untreated mfs to inoculate the Drosophilia S2 cell lines, as well as the supplementation of the culture media with growth stimulants or pre-treated cells to increase their susceptibility for the infection and development of a filarioid-based cell line system are recommended for the future trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranju Ravindran Santhakumari Manoj
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy.
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13385, Marseille, France.
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385, Marseille, France.
| | | | - Meriem Louni
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13385, Marseille, France
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385, Marseille, France
| | - Younes Laidoudi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13385, Marseille, France
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385, Marseille, France
| | - Florence Fenollar
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385, Marseille, France
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, Marseille, France
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13385, Marseille, France.
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385, Marseille, France.
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7
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Growth and Maintenance of Wolbachia in Insect Cell Lines. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12080706. [PMID: 34442272 PMCID: PMC8396524 DOI: 10.3390/insects12080706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Wolbachia is an intracellular bacterium that occurs in arthropods and in filarial worms. First described nearly a century ago in the reproductive tissues of Culex pipiens mosquitoes, Wolbachia is now known to occur in roughly 50% of insect species, and has been considered the most abundant intracellular bacterium on earth. In insect hosts, Wolbachia modifies reproduction in ways that facilitate spread of the microbe within the host population, but otherwise is relatively benign. In this “gene drive” capacity, Wolbachia provides a tool for manipulating mosquito populations. In mosquitoes, Wolbachia causes cytoplasmic incompatibility, in which the fusion of egg and sperm nuclei is disrupted, and eggs fail to hatch, depending on the presence/absence of Wolbachia in the parent insects. Recent findings demonstrate that Wolbachia from infected insects can be transferred into mosquito species that do not host a natural infection. When transinfected into Aedes aegypti, an important vector of dengue and Zika viruses, Wolbachia causes cytoplasmic incompatibility and, in addition, decreases the mosquito’s ability to transmit viruses to humans. This review addresses the maintenance of Wolbachia in insect cell lines, which provide a tool for high-level production of infectious bacteria. In vitro technologies will improve use of Wolbachia for pest control, and provide the microbiological framework for genetic engineering of this promising biocontrol agent. Abstract The obligate intracellular microbe, Wolbachia pipientis (Rickettsiales; Anaplasmataceae), is a Gram-negative member of the alpha proteobacteria that infects arthropods and filarial worms. Although closely related to the genera Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, which include pathogens of humans, Wolbachia is uniquely associated with invertebrate hosts in the clade Ecdysozoa. Originally described in Culex pipiens mosquitoes, Wolbachia is currently represented by 17 supergroups and is believed to occur in half of all insect species. In mosquitoes, Wolbachia acts as a gene drive agent, with the potential to modify vector populations; in filarial worms, Wolbachia functions as a symbiont, and is a target for drug therapy. A small number of Wolbachia strains from supergroups A, B, and F have been maintained in insect cell lines, which are thought to provide a more permissive environment than the natural host. When transferred back to an insect host, Wolbachia produced in cultured cells are infectious and retain reproductive phenotypes. Here, I review applications of insect cell lines in Wolbachia research and describe conditions that facilitate Wolbachia infection and replication in naive host cells. Progress in manipulation of Wolbachia in vitro will enable genetic and biochemical advances that will facilitate eventual genetic engineering of this important biological control agent.
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Takano SI, Gotoh Y, Hayashi T. "Candidatus Mesenet longicola": Novel Endosymbionts of Brontispa longissima that Induce Cytoplasmic Incompatibility. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2021; 82:512-522. [PMID: 33454808 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01686-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular bacteria that are mainly transmitted maternally affect their arthropod hosts' biology in various ways. One such effect is known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), and three bacterial species are known to induce CI: Wolbachia, Cardinium hertigii, and a recently found alphaproteobacterial symbiont. To clarify the taxonomic status and provide the foundation for future studies to reveal CI mechanisms and other phenotypes, we investigated genetic and morphological properties of the third CI inducer that we have previously reported inducing CI in the coconut beetle Brontispa longissima. The draft genome of the bacteria was obtained from the oocytes of two isofemale lines of B. longissima infected with the bacteria: one from Japan (GL2) and the other from Vietnam (L5). Genome features of the symbionts (sGL2 and sL5) were highly similar, showing 1.3 Mb in size, 32.1% GC content, and 99.83% average nucleotide sequence. A phylogenetic study based on 43 universal and single-copy phylogenetic marker genes indicates that they formed a distinct clade in the family Anaplasmataceae. 16S rRNA gene sequences indicate that they are different from the closest known relatives, at least at the genus level. Therefore, we propose a new genus and species, "Candidatus Mesenet longicola", for the symbionts of B. longissima. Morphological analyses showed that Ca. M. longicola is an intracellular bacterium that is ellipsoidal to rod-shaped and 0.94 ± 0.26 μm (mean ± SD) in length, and accumulated in the anterior part of the oocyte. Candidates for the Ca. M. longicola genes responsible for CI induction are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun-Ichiro Takano
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
| | - Yasuhiro Gotoh
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hayashi
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
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Laidoudi Y, Levasseur A, Medkour H, Maaloum M, Ben Khedher M, Sambou M, Bassene H, Davoust B, Fenollar F, Raoult D, Mediannikov O. An Earliest Endosymbiont, Wolbachia massiliensis sp. nov., Strain PL13 from the Bed Bug ( Cimex hemipterus), Type Strain of a New Supergroup T. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E8064. [PMID: 33138055 PMCID: PMC7662661 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The symbiotic Wolbachia are the most sophisticated mutualistic bacterium among all insect-associated microbiota. Wolbachia-insect relationship fluctuates from the simple facultative/parasitic to an obligate nutritional-mutualistic association as it was the case of the bedbug-Wolbachia from Cimexlectularius. Understanding this association may help in the control of associated arthropods. Genomic data have proven to be reliable tools in resolving some aspects of these symbiotic associations. Although, Wolbachia appear to be fastidious or uncultivated bacteria which strongly limited their study. Here we proposed Drosophila S2 cell line for the isolation and culture model to study Wolbachia strains. We therefore isolated and characterized a novel Wolbachia strain associated with the bedbug Cimexhemipterus, designated as wChem strain PL13, and proposed Wolbachiamassiliensis sp. nov. strain wChem-PL13 a type strain of this new species from new supergroup T. Phylogenetically, T-supergroup was close to F and S-supergroups from insects and D-supergroup from filarial nematodes. We determined the 1,291,339-bp genome of wChem-PL13, which was the smallest insect-associated Wolbachia genomes. Overall, the wChem genome shared 50% of protein coding genes with the other insect-associated facultative Wolbachia strains. These findings highlight the diversity of Wolbachia genotypes as well as the Wolbachia-host relationship among Cimicinae subfamily. The wChem provides folate and riboflavin vitamins on which the host depends, while the bacteria had a limited translation mechanism suggesting its strong dependence to its hosts. However, the clear-cut distinction between mutualism and parasitism of the wChem in C. hemipterus cannot be yet ruled out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Younes Laidoudi
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13385 Marseille, France; (Y.L.); (A.L.); (H.M.); (M.B.K.); (B.D.); (D.R.)
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385 Marseille, France;
| | - Anthony Levasseur
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13385 Marseille, France; (Y.L.); (A.L.); (H.M.); (M.B.K.); (B.D.); (D.R.)
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385 Marseille, France;
| | - Hacène Medkour
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13385 Marseille, France; (Y.L.); (A.L.); (H.M.); (M.B.K.); (B.D.); (D.R.)
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385 Marseille, France;
| | - Mossaab Maaloum
- Laboratory of Biology and Health, Faculty of Sciences Ben M’sik, Hassan II University, Sidi Othmane, Casablanca 7955, Morocco;
| | - Mariem Ben Khedher
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13385 Marseille, France; (Y.L.); (A.L.); (H.M.); (M.B.K.); (B.D.); (D.R.)
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385 Marseille, France;
| | - Masse Sambou
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, Marseille, France, 13385 Marseille, France; (M.S.); (H.B.)
- Campus Commun UCAD-IRD of Hann, Dakar 10200, Senegal
| | - Hubert Bassene
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, Marseille, France, 13385 Marseille, France; (M.S.); (H.B.)
- Campus Commun UCAD-IRD of Hann, Dakar 10200, Senegal
| | - Bernard Davoust
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13385 Marseille, France; (Y.L.); (A.L.); (H.M.); (M.B.K.); (B.D.); (D.R.)
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385 Marseille, France;
| | - Florence Fenollar
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385 Marseille, France;
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, Marseille, France, 13385 Marseille, France; (M.S.); (H.B.)
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13385 Marseille, France; (Y.L.); (A.L.); (H.M.); (M.B.K.); (B.D.); (D.R.)
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385 Marseille, France;
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13385 Marseille, France; (Y.L.); (A.L.); (H.M.); (M.B.K.); (B.D.); (D.R.)
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13385 Marseille, France;
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10
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Bakowski MA, McNamara CW. Advances in Antiwolbachial Drug Discovery for Treatment of Parasitic Filarial Worm Infections. Trop Med Infect Dis 2019; 4:tropicalmed4030108. [PMID: 31323841 PMCID: PMC6789823 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed4030108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The intracellular bacteria now known as Wolbachia were first described in filarial worms in the 1970s, but the idea of Wolbachia being used as a macrofilaricidal target did not gain wide attention until the early 2000s, with research in filariae suggesting the requirement of worms for the endosymbiont. This new-found interest prompted the eventual organization of the Anti-Wolbachia Consortium (A-WOL) at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who, among others have been active in the field of antiwolbachial drug discovery to treat filarial infections. Clinical proof of concept studies using doxycycline demonstrated the utility of the antiwolbachial therapy, but efficacious treatments were of long duration and not safe for all infected. With the advance of robotics, automation, and high-speed computing, the search for superior antiwolbachials shifted away from smaller studies with a select number of antibiotics to high-throughput screening approaches, centered largely around cell-based phenotypic screens due to the rather limited knowledge about, and tools available to manipulate, this bacterium. A concomitant effort was put towards developing validation approaches and in vivo models supporting drug discovery efforts. In this review, we summarize the strategies behind and outcomes of recent large phenotypic screens published within the last 5 years, hit compound validation approaches and promising candidates with profiles superior to doxycycline, including ones positioned to advance into clinical trials for treatment of filarial worm infections.
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11
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Sinha A, Li Z, Sun L, Carlow CKS. Complete Genome Sequence of the Wolbachia wAlbB Endosymbiont of Aedes albopictus. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:706-720. [PMID: 30715337 PMCID: PMC6414309 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia, an alpha-proteobacterium closely related to Rickettsia, is a maternally transmitted, intracellular symbiont of arthropods and nematodes. Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are naturally infected with Wolbachia strains wAlbA and wAlbB. Cell line Aa23 established from Ae. albopictus embryos retains only wAlbB and is a key model to study host–endosymbiont interactions. We have assembled the complete circular genome of wAlbB from the Aa23 cell line using long-read PacBio sequencing at 500× median coverage. The assembled circular chromosome is 1.48 megabases in size, an increase of more than 300 kb over the published draft wAlbB genome. The annotation of the genome identified 1,205 protein coding genes, 34 tRNA, 3 rRNA, 1 tmRNA, and 3 other ncRNA loci. The long reads enabled sequencing over complex repeat regions which are difficult to resolve with short-read sequencing. Thirteen percent of the genome comprised insertion sequence elements distributed throughout the genome, some of which cause pseudogenization. Prophage WO genes encoding some essential components of phage particle assembly are missing, while the remainder are found in five prophage regions/WO-like islands or scattered around the genome. Orthology analysis identified a core proteome of 535 orthogroups across all completed Wolbachia genomes. The majority of proteins could be annotated using Pfam and eggNOG analyses, including ankyrins and components of the Type IV secretion system. KEGG analysis revealed the absence of five genes in wAlbB which are present in other Wolbachia. The availability of a complete circular chromosome from wAlbB will enable further biochemical, molecular, and genetic analyses on this strain and related Wolbachia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Sinha
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts
| | - Zhiru Li
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts
| | - Luo Sun
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts
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12
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Niang EHA, Bassene H, Fenollar F, Mediannikov O. Biological Control of Mosquito-Borne Diseases: The Potential of Wolbachia-Based Interventions in an IVM Framework. J Trop Med 2018; 2018:1470459. [PMID: 30581476 PMCID: PMC6276417 DOI: 10.1155/2018/1470459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
People living in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world face an enormous health burden due to mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and filariasis. Historically and today, targeting mosquito vectors with, primarily, insecticide-based control strategies have been a key control strategy against major mosquito-borne diseases. However, the success to date of such approaches is under threat from multiple insecticide resistance mechanisms while vector control (VC) options are still limited. The situation therefore requires the development of innovative control measures against major mosquito-borne diseases. Transinfecting mosquitos with symbiotic bacteria that can compete with targeted pathogens or manipulate host biology to reduce their vectorial capacity are a promising and innovative biological control approach. In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge about the association between mosquitoes and Wolbachia, emphasizing the limitations of different mosquito control strategies and the use of mosquitoes' commensal microbiota as innovative approaches to control mosquito-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- El Hadji Amadou Niang
- VITROME, Campus International UCAD-IRD, Dakar, Senegal
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Vectorielle et Parasitaire, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) de Dakar, Senegal
| | - Hubert Bassene
- VITROME, Campus International UCAD-IRD, Dakar, Senegal
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Florence Fenollar
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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13
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Ma WJ, Schwander T. Patterns and mechanisms in instances of endosymbiont-induced parthenogenesis. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:868-888. [PMID: 28299861 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Female-producing parthenogenesis can be induced by endosymbionts that increase their transmission by manipulating host reproduction. Our literature survey indicates that such endosymbiont-induced parthenogenesis is known or suspected in 124 host species from seven different arthropod taxa, with Wolbachia as the most frequent endosymbiont (in 56-75% of host species). Most host species (81%, 100 out of 124) are characterized by haplo-diploid sex determination, but a strong ascertainment bias likely underestimates the frequency of endosymbiont-induced parthenogenesis in hosts with other sex determination systems. In at least one taxon, hymenopterans, endosymbionts are a significant driver of transitions from sexual to parthenogenetic reproduction, with one-third of lineages being parthenogenetic as a consequence of endosymbiont infection. Endosymbiont-induced parthenogenesis appears to facilitate the maintenance of reproductive polymorphism: at least 50% of species comprise both sexual (uninfected) and parthenogenetic (infected) strains. These strains feature distribution differences similar to the ones documented for lineages with genetically determined parthenogenesis, with endosymbiont-induced parthenogens occurring at higher latitudes than their sexual relatives. Finally, although gamete duplication is often considered as the main mechanism for endosymbiont-induced parthenogenesis, it underlies parthenogenesis in only half of the host species studied thus far. We point out caveats in the methods used to test for endosymbiont-induced parthenogenesis and suggest specific approaches that allow for firm conclusions about the involvement of endosymbionts in the origin of parthenogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- W-J Ma
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - T Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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14
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Current and past strategies for bacterial culture in clinical microbiology. Clin Microbiol Rev 2015; 28:208-36. [PMID: 25567228 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00110-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 294] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A pure bacterial culture remains essential for the study of its virulence, its antibiotic susceptibility, and its genome sequence in order to facilitate the understanding and treatment of caused diseases. The first culture conditions empirically varied incubation time, nutrients, atmosphere, and temperature; culture was then gradually abandoned in favor of molecular methods. The rebirth of culture in clinical microbiology was prompted by microbiologists specializing in intracellular bacteria. The shell vial procedure allowed the culture of new species of Rickettsia. The design of axenic media for growing fastidious bacteria such as Tropheryma whipplei and Coxiella burnetii and the ability of amoebal coculture to discover new bacteria constituted major advances. Strong efforts associating optimized culture media, detection methods, and a microaerophilic atmosphere allowed a dramatic decrease of the time of Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture. The use of a new versatile medium allowed an extension of the repertoire of archaea. Finally, to optimize the culture of anaerobes in routine bacteriology laboratories, the addition of antioxidants in culture media under an aerobic atmosphere allowed the growth of strictly anaerobic species. Nevertheless, among usual bacterial pathogens, the development of axenic media for the culture of Treponema pallidum or Mycobacterium leprae remains an important challenge that the patience and innovations of cultivators will enable them to overcome.
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15
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Raquin V, Valiente Moro C, Saucereau Y, Tran FH, Potier P, Mavingui P. Native Wolbachia from Aedes albopictus Blocks Chikungunya Virus Infection In Cellulo. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125066. [PMID: 25923352 PMCID: PMC4414612 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia, a widespread endosymbiont of terrestrial arthropods, can protect its host against viral and parasitic infections, a phenotype called "pathogen blocking". However, in some cases Wolbachia may have no effect or even enhance pathogen infection, depending on the host-Wolbachia-pathogen combination. The tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is naturally infected by two strains of Wolbachia, wAlbA and wAlbB, and is a competent vector for different arboviruses such as dengue virus (DENV) and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Interestingly, it was shown in some cases that Ae. albopictus native Wolbachia strains are able to inhibit DENV transmission by limiting viral replication in salivary glands, but no such impact was measured on CHIKV replication in vivo. To better understand the Wolbachia/CHIKV/Ae. albopictus interaction, we generated a cellular model using Ae. albopictus derived C6/36 cells that we infected with the wAlbB strain. Our results indicate that CHIKV infection is negatively impacted at both RNA replication and virus assembly/secretion steps in presence of wAlbB. Using FISH, we observed CHIKV and wAlbB in the same mosquito cells, indicating that the virus is still able to enter the cell in the presence of the bacterium. Further work is needed to decipher molecular pathways involved in Wolbachia-CHIKV interaction at the cellular level, but this cellular model can be a useful tool to study the mechanism behind virus blocking phenotype induced by Wolbachia. More broadly, this underlines that despite Wolbachia antiviral potential other complex interactions occur in vivo to determine mosquito vector competence in Ae. albopictus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Raquin
- Université de Lyon, UMR 5557 Ecologie Microbienne, CNRS, USC1190 INRA, VetAgro Sup, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
- * E-mail: (VR); (PM)
| | - Claire Valiente Moro
- Université de Lyon, UMR 5557 Ecologie Microbienne, CNRS, USC1190 INRA, VetAgro Sup, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Yoann Saucereau
- Université de Lyon, UMR 5557 Ecologie Microbienne, CNRS, USC1190 INRA, VetAgro Sup, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Florence-Hélène Tran
- Université de Lyon, UMR 5557 Ecologie Microbienne, CNRS, USC1190 INRA, VetAgro Sup, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Patrick Potier
- Université de Lyon, UMR 5557 Ecologie Microbienne, CNRS, USC1190 INRA, VetAgro Sup, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Patrick Mavingui
- Université de Lyon, UMR 5557 Ecologie Microbienne, CNRS, USC1190 INRA, VetAgro Sup, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
- Université de La Réunion, UMR PIMIT, INSERM U1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Saint-Denis, La Réunion, France
- * E-mail: (VR); (PM)
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16
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Chen XP, Dong YJ, Guo WP, Wang W, Li MH, Xu J, Dumler JS, Zhang YZ. Detection of Wolbachia genes in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Clin Microbiol Infect 2014; 21:182.e1-4. [PMID: 25658559 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2014.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia 16S rRNA and fbpA genes were twice detected over 5 days in the blood of a patient with high fever. The patient was given fluoroquinolones and the fever resolved. Four weeks later, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and received R-CHOP (Rituximab, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, Prednisolone) treatment resulting in complete remission. This is the first report of detection of Wolbachia genes from the blood of human patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- X-P Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Y-J Dong
- Department of Haematology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - W-P Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - W Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - M-H Li
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - J Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - J S Dumler
- Departments of Pathology and Microbiology & Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Y-Z Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Department of Zoonoses, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
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17
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Mediannikov O, Fenollar F. Looking in ticks for human bacterial pathogens. Microb Pathog 2014; 77:142-8. [PMID: 25229617 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2014.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are considered to be second worldwide to mosquitoes as vectors of human diseases and the most important vectors of disease-causing pathogens in domestic and wild animals. A number of emerging tick-borne pathogens are already discovered; however, the proportion of undiagnosed infectious diseases, especially in tropical regions, may suggest that there are still more pathogens associated with ticks. Moreover, the identification of bacteria associated with ticks may provide new tool for the control of ticks and tick-borne diseases. Described here molecular methods of screening of ticks, extensive use of modern culturomics approach, newly developed artificial media and different cell line cultures may significantly improve our knowledge about the ticks as the agents of human and animal pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Mediannikov
- URMITE, UMR CNRS 7278 - IRD 198 - INSERM, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France; Campus Universitaire IRD de Hann, Dakar, Senegal.
| | - F Fenollar
- URMITE, UMR CNRS 7278 - IRD 198 - INSERM, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France; Campus Universitaire IRD de Hann, Dakar, Senegal
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18
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Khoo CCH, Venard CMP, Fu Y, Mercer DR, Dobson SL. Infection, growth and maintenance of Wolbachia pipientis in clonal and non-clonal Aedes albopictus cell cultures. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2013; 103:251-260. [PMID: 23113940 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485312000648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Insect cell lines provide useful in vitro models for studying biological systems, including interactions between mosquitoes and obligate intracellular endosymbionts such as Wolbachia pipientis. The Aedes albopictus Aa23 cell line was the first cell line developed to allow examination of Wolbachia infections. However, Wolbachia studies using Aa23 can be complicated by the presence of different cell types in the cell line and the substantial temporal variation in infection level. Two approaches were examined to ameliorate infection variability. In the first approach, multiple Aa23 passaging regimes were tested for an effect on infection variability. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) staining was used to characterize Wolbachia infection level over time. The results demonstrate an impact of passaging method on Wolbachia infection level, with some methods resulting in loss of infection. None of the passaging methods succeeded in effectively mitigating infection level variation. In a second approach, the clonal C7-10 A. albopictus cell line was infected with Wolbachia from Aa23 cells and Drosophila simulans (Riverside), resulting in cell lines designated C7-10B and C7-10R, respectively. Characterization via FISH staining showed greater stability and uniformity of Wolbachia infection in C7-10R relative to the infection in C7-10B. Characterization of the Aa23, C7-10B and C7-10R lines is discussed as a tool for the study of Wolbachia-host cell interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- C C H Khoo
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.
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19
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Serbus LR, Landmann F, Bray WM, White PM, Ruybal J, Lokey RS, Debec A, Sullivan W. A cell-based screen reveals that the albendazole metabolite, albendazole sulfone, targets Wolbachia. PLoS Pathog 2012; 8:e1002922. [PMID: 23028321 PMCID: PMC3447747 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2012] [Accepted: 08/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia endosymbionts carried by filarial nematodes give rise to the neglected diseases African river blindness and lymphatic filariasis afflicting millions worldwide. Here we identify new Wolbachia-disrupting compounds by conducting high-throughput cell-based chemical screens using a Wolbachia-infected, fluorescently labeled Drosophila cell line. This screen yielded several Wolbachia-disrupting compounds including three that resembled Albendazole, a widely used anthelmintic drug that targets nematode microtubules. Follow-up studies demonstrate that a common Albendazole metabolite, Albendazole sulfone, reduces intracellular Wolbachia titer both in Drosophila melanogaster and Brugia malayi, the nematode responsible for lymphatic filariasis. Significantly, Albendazole sulfone does not disrupt Drosophila microtubule organization, suggesting that this compound reduces titer through direct targeting of Wolbachia. Accordingly, both DNA staining and FtsZ immunofluorescence demonstrates that Albendazole sulfone treatment induces Wolbachia elongation, a phenotype indicative of binary fission defects. This suggests that the efficacy of Albendazole in treating filarial nematode-based diseases is attributable to dual targeting of nematode microtubules and their Wolbachia endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura R Serbus
- Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA.
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20
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Nakamura Y, Gotoh T, Imanishi S, Mita K, Kurtti TJ, Noda H. Differentially expressed genes in silkworm cell cultures in response to infection by Wolbachia and Cardinium endosymbionts. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2011; 20:279-289. [PMID: 21349119 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2010.01056.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia and Cardinium are bacterial endosymbionts that are widely distributed amongst arthropods. Both cause reproductive alterations, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis and feminization. Here we studied differentially expressed genes in Wolbachia- and Cardinium-infected Bm-aff3 silkworm cells using a silkworm microarray. Wolbachia infection did not alter gene expression or induce or suppress immune responses. In contrast, Cardinium infection induced many immune-related genes, including antimicrobial peptides, pattern recognition receptors and a serine protease. Host immune responses differed, possibly because of the different cell wall structures of Wolbachia and Cardinium because the former lacks genes encoding lipopolysaccharide components and two racemases for peptidoglycan formation. A few possibly non-immune-related genes were differentially expressed, but their involvement in host reproductive alteration was unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Nakamura
- National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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21
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Kawai S, Matsumoto Y, Gotoh T, Noda H. Transinfection of Wolbachia in planthoppers: nymphal injection of cultured Wolbachia and infection dynamics. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2009; 38:1626-1633. [PMID: 20021758 DOI: 10.1603/022.038.0615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia species are intracellular symbionts that cause reproductive alterations in arthropods. Transinfection experiments have been performed in many arthropod species to elucidate the interaction between Wolbachia and a new host. To ease transinfection of this bacterium to new arthropod hosts, we introduced two techniques: nymphal injection instead of embryonic injection and the use of a cultured source of Wolbachia instead of direct transfer from donors to recipients. Wolbachia in the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus was cultivated in a cell line and injected into the nymphal body cavity of the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens together with the cells. By using these techniques, two transinfected planthopper lines were obtained. In one line, Wolbachia disappeared after several generations; in the other line, Wolbachia was retained for >7 yr. Infection rates in this latter transinfected line were approximately 80% in early generations after transinjection but decreased to <10% through 40-60 generations. Subsequent selection for Wolbachia-infected females in this line did not increase the infection rate as a temporary effect. Thus, this transinfected line of N. lugens showed cytoplasmic incompatibility, although the incompatibility level was lower than in L. striatellus, the original host. The method of transinfection presented herein is useful for transmitting intracellular symbionts between small arthropod hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sawako Kawai
- National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan
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Detection of Wolbachia bacteria in multiple organs and feces of the triatomine insect Rhodnius pallescens (Hemiptera, Reduviidae). Appl Environ Microbiol 2008; 75:547-50. [PMID: 19028913 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01665-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
At least two types of Wolbachia bacteria were detected in wild and insectarium-raised Rhodnius pallescens, a natural vector of Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli. Wolbachia was detected in all the organs and tissues studied and in the feces, and this provided a methodological advantage for determining the presence of this endosymbiont in this host, obviating the need to kill the specimens. The occurrence of trypanosomatids in wild individuals was also studied.
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23
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Turner JD, Langley RS, Johnston KL, Egerton G, Wanji S, Taylor MJ. Wolbachia Endosymbiotic Bacteria of Brugia malayi Mediate Macrophage Tolerance to TLR- and CD40-Specific Stimuli in a MyD88/TLR2-Dependent Manner. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2006; 177:1240-9. [PMID: 16818783 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.177.2.1240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Lymphatic filarial nematodes are able to down-regulate parasite-specific and nonspecific responses of lymphocytes and APC. Lymphatic filariae are reliant on Wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria for development and survival. We tested the hypothesis that repeated exposure to Wolbachia endosymbionts would drive macrophage tolerance in vitro and in vivo. We pre-exposed murine peritoneal-elicited macrophages to soluble extracts of Brugia malayi female worms (BMFE) before restimulating with BMFE or TLR agonists. BMFE tolerized macrophages (in terms of IFN-beta, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-12p40, and TNF-alpha inflammatory cytokine production) in a dose-dependent manner toward self, LPS, MyD88-dependent TLR2 or TLR9 ligands (peptidoglycan, triacyl lipopeptide, CpG DNA) and the MyD88-independent/TRIF-dependent TLR3 ligand, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid. This was accompanied with down-regulation in surface expression of TLR4 and up-regulation of CD14, CD40, and TLR2. BMFE tolerance extended to CD40 activation in vitro and systemic inflammation following lethal challenge in an in vivo model of endotoxin shock. The mechanism of BMFE-mediated macrophage tolerance was dependent on MyD88 and TLR2 but not TLR4. Evidence that desensitization was driven by Wolbachia-specific ligands was determined by use of extracts from Wolbachia-depleted B. malayi, aposymbiotic filarial species, and a cell line stably infected with Wolbachia pipientis. Our data promote a role for Wolbachia in contributing toward the dysregulated and tolerized immunological phenotype that accompanies the majority of human filarial infections.
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MESH Headings
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/physiology
- Animals
- Brugia malayi/immunology
- Brugia malayi/microbiology
- CD40 Antigens/biosynthesis
- CD40 Antigens/physiology
- Cells, Cultured
- Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic
- Down-Regulation/immunology
- Female
- Immune Tolerance
- Lipopolysaccharide Receptors/biosynthesis
- Lipopolysaccharides/administration & dosage
- Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology
- Macrophage Activation/immunology
- Macrophages, Peritoneal/immunology
- Macrophages, Peritoneal/metabolism
- Macrophages, Peritoneal/microbiology
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C3H
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88
- Symbiosis/immunology
- Toll-Like Receptor 2/biosynthesis
- Toll-Like Receptor 2/deficiency
- Toll-Like Receptor 2/genetics
- Toll-Like Receptor 2/physiology
- Toll-Like Receptor 4/antagonists & inhibitors
- Toll-Like Receptor 4/biosynthesis
- Transforming Growth Factor beta/biosynthesis
- Transforming Growth Factor beta1
- Up-Regulation/immunology
- Wolbachia/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D Turner
- Filariasis Research Laboratory, Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA Liverpool, United Kingdom
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24
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Frutos R, Viari A, Ferraz C, Morgat A, Eychenié S, Kandassamy Y, Chantal I, Bensaid A, Coissac E, Vachiery N, Demaille J, Martinez D. Comparative genomic analysis of three strains of Ehrlichia ruminantium reveals an active process of genome size plasticity. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:2533-42. [PMID: 16547041 PMCID: PMC1428390 DOI: 10.1128/jb.188.7.2533-2542.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ehrlichia ruminantium is the causative agent of heartwater, a major tick-borne disease of livestock in Africa that has been introduced in the Caribbean and is threatening to emerge and spread on the American mainland. We sequenced the complete genomes of two strains of E. ruminantium of differing phenotypes, strains Gardel (Erga; 1,499,920 bp), from the island of Guadeloupe, and Welgevonden (Erwe; 1,512,977 bp), originating in South Africa and maintained in Guadeloupe in a different cell environment. Comparative genomic analysis of these two strains was performed with the recently published parent strain of Erwe (Erwo) and other Rickettsiales (Anaplasma, Wolbachia, and Rickettsia spp.). Gene order is highly conserved between the E. ruminantium strains and with A. marginale. In contrast, there is very little conservation of gene order with members of the Rickettsiaceae. However, gene order may be locally conserved, as illustrated by the tuf operons. Eighteen truncated protein-encoding sequences (CDSs) differentiate Erga from Erwe/Erwo, whereas four other truncated CDSs differentiate Erwe from Erwo. Moreover, E. ruminantium displays the lowest coding ratio observed among bacteria due to unusually long intergenic regions. This is related to an active process of genome expansion/contraction targeted at tandem repeats in noncoding regions and based on the addition or removal of ca. 150-bp tandem units. This process seems to be specific to E. ruminantium and is not observed in the other Rickettsiales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Frutos
- CIRAD TA30/G, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
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25
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Mavingui P, Van VT, Labeyrie E, Rancès E, Vavre F, Simonet P. Efficient procedure for purification of obligate intracellular Wolbachia pipientis and representative amplification of its genome by multiple-displacement amplification. Appl Environ Microbiol 2005; 71:6910-7. [PMID: 16269725 PMCID: PMC1287750 DOI: 10.1128/aem.71.11.6910-6917.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria belonging to the genus Wolbachia are obligatory microendocytobionts that infect a variety of arthropods and a majority of filarial nematode species, where they induce reproductive alterations or establish a mutualistic symbiosis. Although two whole genome sequences of Wolbachia pipientis, for strain wMel from Drosophila melanogaster and strain wBm from Brugia malayi, have been fully completed and six other genome sequencing projects are ongoing (http://www.genomesonline.org/index.cgi?want=Prokaryotic+Ongoin), genetic analyses of these bacteria are still scarce, mainly due to the inability to cultivate them outside of eukaryotic cells. Usually, a large amount of host tissue (a thousand individuals, or about 10 g) is required in order to purify Wolbachia and extract its DNA, which is often recovered in small amounts and contaminated by host cell DNA, thus hindering genomic studies. In this report, we describe an efficient and reliable procedure to representatively amplify the Wolbachia genome by multiple-displacement amplification from limited infected host tissue (0.2 g or 2 x 10(7) cells). We obtained sufficient amounts (8 to 10 microg) of DNA of suitable quality for genomic studies, and we demonstrated that the amplified DNA contained all of the Wolbachia loci targeted. In addition, our data indicated that the genome of strain wRi, an obligatory endosymbiont of Drosophila simulans, shares a similar overall architecture with its relative strain wMel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Mavingui
- Ecologie Microbienne UMR CNRS 5557-USC INRA 1193, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bāt. G. Mendel, 43 bd du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne, France.
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