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Lobertti CA, Cabezudo I, Gizzi FO, Blancato V, Magni C, Furlán RLE, García Véscovi E. An allosteric inhibitor of the PhoQ histidine kinase with therapeutic potential against Salmonella infection. J Antimicrob Chemother 2024; 79:1820-1830. [PMID: 38853496 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkae151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The upsurge of antimicrobial resistance demands innovative strategies to fight bacterial infections. With traditional antibiotics becoming less effective, anti-virulence agents or pathoblockers, arise as an alternative approach that seeks to disarm pathogens without affecting their viability, thereby reducing selective pressure for the emergence of resistance mechanisms. OBJECTIVES To elucidate the mechanism of action of compound N'-(thiophen-2-ylmethylene)benzohydrazide (A16B1), a potent synthetic hydrazone inhibitor against the Salmonella PhoP/PhoQ system, essential for virulence. MATERIALS AND METHODS The measurement of the activity of PhoP/PhoQ-dependent and -independent reporter genes was used to evaluate the specificity of A16B1 to the PhoP regulon. Autokinase activity assays with either the native or truncated versions of PhoQ were used to dissect the A16B1 mechanism of action. The effect of A16B1 on Salmonella intramacrophage replication was assessed using the gentamicin protection assay. The checkerboard assay approach was used to analyse potentiation effects of colistin with the hydrazone. The Galleria mellonella infection model was chosen to evaluate A16B1 as an in vivo therapy against Salmonella. RESULTS A16B1 repressed the Salmonella PhoP/PhoQ system activity, specifically targeting PhoQ within the second transmembrane region. A16B1 demonstrates synergy with the antimicrobial peptide colistin, reduces the intramacrophage proliferation of Salmonella without being cytotoxic and enhances the survival of G. mellonella larvae systemically infected with Salmonella. CONCLUSIONS A16B1 selectively inhibits the activity of the Salmonella PhoP/PhoQ system through a novel inhibitory mechanism, representing a promising synthetic hydrazone compound with the potential to function as a Salmonella pathoblocker. This offers innovative prospects for combating Salmonella infections while mitigating the risk of antimicrobial resistance emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Lobertti
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario S2000EZP, Argentina
| | - Ignacio Cabezudo
- Farmacognosia, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario 2000, Argentina
| | - Fernán O Gizzi
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario S2000EZP, Argentina
| | - Víctor Blancato
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario S2000EZP, Argentina
| | - Christian Magni
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario S2000EZP, Argentina
| | - Ricardo L E Furlán
- Farmacognosia, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario 2000, Argentina
| | - Eleonora García Véscovi
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario S2000EZP, Argentina
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Huang Y, Guo X, Wu Y, Chen X, Feng L, Xie N, Shen G. Nanotechnology's frontier in combatting infectious and inflammatory diseases: prevention and treatment. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:34. [PMID: 38378653 PMCID: PMC10879169 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01745-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Inflammation-associated diseases encompass a range of infectious diseases and non-infectious inflammatory diseases, which continuously pose one of the most serious threats to human health, attributed to factors such as the emergence of new pathogens, increasing drug resistance, changes in living environments and lifestyles, and the aging population. Despite rapid advancements in mechanistic research and drug development for these diseases, current treatments often have limited efficacy and notable side effects, necessitating the development of more effective and targeted anti-inflammatory therapies. In recent years, the rapid development of nanotechnology has provided crucial technological support for the prevention, treatment, and detection of inflammation-associated diseases. Various types of nanoparticles (NPs) play significant roles, serving as vaccine vehicles to enhance immunogenicity and as drug carriers to improve targeting and bioavailability. NPs can also directly combat pathogens and inflammation. In addition, nanotechnology has facilitated the development of biosensors for pathogen detection and imaging techniques for inflammatory diseases. This review categorizes and characterizes different types of NPs, summarizes their applications in the prevention, treatment, and detection of infectious and inflammatory diseases. It also discusses the challenges associated with clinical translation in this field and explores the latest developments and prospects. In conclusion, nanotechnology opens up new possibilities for the comprehensive management of infectious and inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujing Huang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaohan Guo
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xingyu Chen
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Lixiang Feng
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Na Xie
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Guobo Shen
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Koh CMM, Ping LSY, Xuan CHH, Theng LB, San HS, Palombo EA, Wezen XC. A data-driven machine learning approach for discovering potent LasR inhibitors. Bioengineered 2023; 14:2243416. [PMID: 37552115 PMCID: PMC10411317 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2023.2243416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The rampant spread of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains severely threatens global health. This severity is compounded against the backdrop of a stagnating antibiotics development pipeline. Moreover, with many promising therapeutics falling short of expectations in clinical trials, targeting the las quorum sensing (QS) system remains an attractive therapeutic strategy to combat P. aeruginosa infection. Thus, our primary goal was to develop a drug prediction algorithm using machine learning to identify potent LasR inhibitors. In this work, we demonstrated using a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) algorithm boosted with AdaBoostM1 to discriminate between active and inactive LasR inhibitors. The optimal model performance was evaluated using 5-fold cross-validation and test sets. Our best model achieved a 90.7% accuracy in distinguishing active from inactive LasR inhibitors, an area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve value of 0.95, and a Matthews correlation coefficient value of 0.81 when evaluated using test sets. Subsequently, we deployed the model against the Enamine database. The top-ranked compounds were further evaluated for their target engagement activity using molecular docking studies, Molecular Dynamics simulations, MM-GBSA analysis, and Free Energy Landscape analysis. Our data indicate that several of our chosen top hits showed better ligand-binding affinities than naringenin, a competitive LasR inhibitor. Among the six top hits, five of these compounds were predicted to be LasR inhibitors that could be used to treat P. aeruginosa-associated infections. To our knowledge, this study provides the first assessment of using an MLP-based QSAR model for discovering potent LasR inhibitors to attenuate P. aeruginosa infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christabel Ming Ming Koh
- Faculty of Engineering, Computing, and Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Lilian Siaw Yung Ping
- Faculty of Engineering, Computing, and Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Christopher Ha Heng Xuan
- Faculty of Engineering, Computing, and Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Lau Bee Theng
- Faculty of Engineering, Computing, and Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Hwang Siaw San
- Faculty of Engineering, Computing, and Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Enzo A. Palombo
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Xavier Chee Wezen
- Faculty of Engineering, Computing, and Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak, Malaysia
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Gao P, Wei Y, Hou S, Lai PM, Liu H, Tai SSC, Tang VYM, Prakash PH, Sze KH, Chen JHK, Sun H, Li X, Kao RYT. SaeR as a novel target for antivirulence therapy against Staphylococcus aureus. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:2254415. [PMID: 37671453 PMCID: PMC10494732 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2254415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen responsible for a wide range of clinical infections. SaeRS is one of the two-component systems in S. aureus that modulate multiple virulence factors. Although SaeR is required for S. aureus to develop an infection, inhibitors have not been reported. Using an in vivo knockdown method, we demonstrated that SaeR is targetable for the discovery of antivirulence agent. HR3744 was discovered through a high-throughput screening utilizing a GFP-Lux dual reporter system driven by saeP1 promoter. The antivirulence efficacy of HR3744 was tested using Western blot, Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction, leucotoxicity, and haemolysis tests. In electrophoresis mobility shift assay, HR3744 inhibited SaeR-DNA probe binding. WaterLOGSY-NMR test showed HR3744 directly interacted with SaeR's DNA-binding domain. When SaeR was deleted, HR3744 lost its antivirulence property, validating the target specificity. Virtual docking and mutagenesis were used to confirm the target's specificity. When Glu159 was changed to Asn, the bacteria developed resistance to HR3744. A structure-activity relationship study revealed that a molecule with a slight modification did not inhibit SaeR, indicating the selectivity of HR3744. Interestingly, we found that SAV13, an analogue of HR3744, was four times more potent than HR3744 and demonstrated identical antivirulence properties and target specificity. In a mouse bacteraemia model, both HR3744 and SAV13 exhibited in vivo effectiveness. Collectively, we identified the first SaeR inhibitor, which exhibited in vitro and in vivo antivirulence properties, and proved that SaeR could be a novel target for developing antivirulence drugs against S. aureus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Gao
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Yuanxin Wei
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Suying Hou
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Pok-Man Lai
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Han Liu
- Morningside Laboratory for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Sherlock Shing Chiu Tai
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Victor Yat Man Tang
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Pradeep Halebeedu Prakash
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Kong-Hung Sze
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Jonathan Hon Kwan Chen
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Hongzhe Sun
- Morningside Laboratory for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuechen Li
- Morningside Laboratory for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Richard Yi-Tsun Kao
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
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Patel R, Soni M, Soyantar B, Shivangi S, Sutariya S, Saraf M, Goswami D. A clash of quorum sensing vs quorum sensing inhibitors: an overview and risk of resistance. Arch Microbiol 2023; 205:107. [PMID: 36881156 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03442-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Indiscriminate use of antibiotics to treat microbial pathogens has caused emergence of multiple drug resistant strains. Most infectious diseases are caused by microbes that are capable of intercommunication using signaling molecules, which is known as quorum sensing (QS). Such pathogens express their pathogenicity through various QS-regulated virulence factors. Interference of QS could lead to decisive results in controlling such pathogenicity. Hence, QS inhibition has become an attractive new approach for the development of novel drugs. Many quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs) of diverse origins have been reported. It is imperative that more such anti-QS compounds be found and studied, as they have significant effect on microbial pathogenicity. This review attempts to give a brief account of QS mechanism, its inhibition and describes some compounds with anti-QS potential. Also discussed is the possibility of emergence of quorum sensing resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Patel
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380009, India
| | - Mansi Soni
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380009, India
| | - Bilv Soyantar
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380009, India
| | - Suruchi Shivangi
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380009, India
| | - Swati Sutariya
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380009, India
| | - Meenu Saraf
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380009, India
| | - Dweipayan Goswami
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380009, India.
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Ghaly MF, Albalawi MA, Bendary MM, Shahin A, Shaheen MA, Abu Eleneen AF, Ghoneim MM, Elmaaty AA, Elrefai MFM, Zaitone SA, Abousaty AI. Tamarindus indica Extract as a Promising Antimicrobial and Antivirulence Therapy. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12030464. [PMID: 36978330 PMCID: PMC10044421 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12030464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The worldwide crises from multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections are pushing us to search for new alternative therapies. The renewed interest in medicinal plants has gained the attention of our research group. Tamarindus indica L. (T. indica) is one of the traditional medicines used for a wide range of diseases. Therefore, we evaluated the antimicrobial activities of ethanolic extract of T. indica. The inhibitions zones, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and fractional inhibitor concentration indices (FICI) against Gram+ve and −ve pathogens were detected. The bioactive compounds from T. indica extract were identified by mass spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography, and bio-autographic assay. We performed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and molecular docking studies to confirm possible mechanisms of actions and antivirulence activities, respectively. We found more promising antimicrobial activities against MDR pathogens with MIC and MBC values for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), i.e., (0.78, 3.12 mg/mL) and (1.56, 3.12 mg/mL), respectively. The antimicrobial activities of this extract were attributed to its capability to impair cell membrane permeability, inducing bacterial cell lysis, which was confirmed by the morphological changes observed under SEM. The synergistic interactions between this extract and commonly used antibiotics were confirmed (FICI values < 0.5). The bioactive compounds of this extract were bis (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, phenol, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl), 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, and bis(8-methylnonyl) ester. Additionally, this extract showed antivirulence activities, especially against the S. aureus protease and P. aeruginosa elastase. In conclusion, we hope that pharmaceutical companies can utilize our findings to produce a new formulation of T. indica ethanolic extract with other antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed F. Ghaly
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | | | - Mahmoud M. Bendary
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Port Said University, Port Said 42526, Egypt
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +20-12-275-50629 or +20-11-0008-6154; Fax: +20-55-228-3683
| | - Ahmed Shahin
- Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A. Shaheen
- Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11311, Egypt
| | - Abeer F. Abu Eleneen
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Mohammed M. Ghoneim
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Ad Diriyah 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ayman Abo Elmaaty
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Port Said University, Port Said 42526, Egypt
| | - Mohamed F. M. Elrefai
- Anatomy, Histology, Physiology and Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Hashemite University, Zarqa 13116, Jordan
- Anatomy and Embryology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Sawsan A. Zaitone
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 71491, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| | - Amira I. Abousaty
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
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Ma J, Jiang L, Liu G. Cell membrane-coated nanoparticles for the treatment of bacterial infection. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 14:e1825. [PMID: 35725897 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite the enormous success of antibiotics in antimicrobial therapy, the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance and the complexity of the bacterial infection microenvironment make traditional antibiotic therapy face critical challenges against resistant bacteria, antitoxin, and intracellular infections. Consequently, there is a critical need to design antimicrobial agents that target infection microenvironment and alleviate antibiotic resistance. Cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (CMCNPs) are biomimetic materials that can be obtained by wrapping the cell membrane vesicles directly onto the surface of the nanoparticles (NPs) through physical means. Incorporating the biological functions of cell membrane vesicles and the superior physicochemical properties of NPs, CMCNPs have shown great promise in recent years for targeting infections, neutralizing bacterial toxins, and designing bacterial infection vaccines. This review highlights topics where CMCNPs present great value in advancing the treatment of bacterial infections, including drug delivery, detoxification, and vaccination. Lastly, we discuss the future hurdles and prospects of translating this technique into clinical practice, providing a comprehensive review of the technological developments of CMCNPs in the treatment of bacterial infections. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Lai Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Gang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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Ding F, Han L, Xue Y, Yang IT, Fan X, Tang R, Zhang C, Zhu M, Tian X, Shao P, Zhang M. Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is predisposed to lasR mutation through up-regulated activity of efflux pumps in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis patients. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:934439. [PMID: 35967851 PMCID: PMC9363577 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.934439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundMultidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a frequent opportunistic pathogen that causes significant mortality in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB). Although the quorum sensing (QS) system is a potential target for treatment, lasR mutants that present with a QS-deficient phenotype have been frequently reported among clinical P. aeruginosa isolates. We aimed to investigate whether antibiotic resistance would select for lasR mutants during chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection and determine the mechanism underlying the phenomenon.MethodsWe prospectively evaluated episodes of chronic P. aeruginosa lung infections in NCFB patients over a 2-year period at two centers of our institution. QS phenotypic assessments and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of P. aeruginosa isolates were performed. Evolution experiments were conducted to confirm the emergence of lasR mutants in clinical MDR P. aeruginosa cultures.ResultsWe analyzed episodes of P. aeruginosa infection among 97 NCFB patients and found only prior carbapenem exposure independently predictive of the isolation of MDR P. aeruginosa strains. Compared with non-MDR isolates, MDR isolates presented significantly QS-deficient phenotypes, which could not be complemented by the exogenous addition of 3OC12-HSL. The paired isolates showed that their QS-phenotype deficiency occurred after MDR was developed. Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed that lasR nonsynonymous mutations were significantly more frequent in MDR isolates, and positive correlations of mutation frequencies were observed between genes of lasR and negative-efflux-pump regulators (nalC and mexZ). The addition of the efflux pump inhibitor PAβN could not only promote QS phenotypes of these MDR isolates but also delay the early emergence of lasR mutants in evolution experiments.ConclusionsOur data indicated that MDR P. aeruginosa was predisposed to lasR mutation through the upregulated activity of efflux pumps. These findings suggest that anti-QS therapy combined with efflux pump inhibitors might be a potential strategy for NCFB patients in the challenge of MDR P. aeruginosa infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengming Ding
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Han
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yishu Xue
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Iris Tingshiuan Yang
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Xinxin Fan
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Tuberculosis, Fuzhou Pulmonary Hospital of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, China
| | - Rong Tang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Dinfectome Inc., Nanjing, China
| | - Miao Zhu
- Department of Bioinformatics and System Development, Dinfectome Inc., Nanjing, China
| | - Xue Tian
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Shao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Min Zhang,
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Lissens M, Joos M, Lories B, Steenackers HP. Evolution-proof inhibitors of public good cooperation: a screening strategy inspired by social evolution theory. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6604382. [PMID: 35675280 PMCID: PMC9616471 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Interference with public good cooperation provides a promising novel antimicrobial strategy since social evolution theory predicts that resistant mutants will be counter-selected if they share the public benefits of their resistance with sensitive cells in the population. Although this hypothesis is supported by a limited number of pioneering studies, an extensive body of more fundamental work on social evolution describes a multitude of mechanisms and conditions that can stabilize public behaviour, thus potentially allowing resistant mutants to thrive. In this paper we theorize on how these different mechanisms can influence the evolution of resistance against public good inhibitors. Based hereon, we propose an innovative 5-step screening strategy to identify novel evolution-proof public good inhibitors, which involves a systematic evaluation of the exploitability of public goods under the most relevant experimental conditions, as well as a careful assessment of the most optimal way to interfere with their action. Overall, this opinion paper is aimed to contribute to long-term solutions to fight bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maries Lissens
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, B-3001, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Joos
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, B-3001, Belgium
| | - Bram Lories
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, B-3001, Belgium
| | - Hans P Steenackers
- Corresponding author: Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG), Kasteelpark Arenberg 20 – Box 2460, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium. E-mail:
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10
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Lamin A, Kaksonen AH, Cole IS, Chen XB. Quorum sensing inhibitors applications: a new prospect for mitigation of microbiologically influenced corrosion. Bioelectrochemistry 2022; 145:108050. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2022.108050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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11
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Miranda SW, Asfahl KL, Dandekar AA, Greenberg EP. Pseudomonas aeruginosa Quorum Sensing. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1386:95-115. [PMID: 36258070 PMCID: PMC9942581 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-08491-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, like many bacteria, uses chemical signals to communicate between cells in a process called quorum sensing (QS). QS allows groups of bacteria to sense population density and, in response to changing cell densities, to coordinate behaviors. The P. aeruginosa QS system consists of two complete circuits that involve acyl-homoserine lactone signals and a third system that uses quinolone signals. Together, these three QS circuits regulate the expression of hundreds of genes, many of which code for virulence factors. P. aeruginosa has become a model for studying the molecular biology of QS and the ecology and evolution of group behaviors in bacteria. In this chapter, we recount the history of discovery of QS systems in P. aeruginosa, discuss how QS relates to virulence and the ecology of this bacterium, and explore strategies to inhibit QS. Finally, we discuss future directions for research in P. aeruginosa QS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyle L Asfahl
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ajai A Dandekar
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - E P Greenberg
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
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12
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Gurney J, Simonet C, Wollein Waldetoft K, Brown SP. Challenges and opportunities for cheat therapy in the control of bacterial infections. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 39:325-334. [PMID: 34913456 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00053e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Covering: 1999 to 2021Bacterial pathogens can be highly social, communicating and cooperating within multi-cellular groups to make us sick. The requirement for collective action in pathogens presents novel therapeutic avenues that seek to undermine cooperative behavior, what we call here 'cheat therapies'. We review two broad avenues of cheat therapy: first, the introduction of genetically engineered 'cheat' strains (bio-control cheats), and second the chemical induction of 'cheat' behavior in the infecting pathogens (chemical-control cheats). Both genetically engineered and chemically induced cheats can socially exploit the cooperative wildtype infection, reducing pathogen burden and the severity of disease. We review the costs and benefits of cheat therapies, highlighting advantages of evolutionary robustness and also the challenges of low to moderate efficacy, compared to conventional antibiotic treatments. We end with a summary of what we see as the most valuable next steps, focusing on adjuvant treatments and use as alternate therapies for mild, self-resolving infections - allowing the reservation of current and highly effective antibiotics for more critical patient needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Gurney
- Center for Microbial Dynamics & Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 30332 GA, USA. .,School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 30332 GA, USA
| | - Camille Simonet
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Kristofer Wollein Waldetoft
- Center for Microbial Dynamics & Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 30332 GA, USA. .,School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 30332 GA, USA.,Torsby Hospital, Torsby, Sweden
| | - Sam P Brown
- Center for Microbial Dynamics & Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 30332 GA, USA. .,School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 30332 GA, USA
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13
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Wang X, Yu D, Chen G, Liu C, Xu A, Tang Z. Effects of interactions between quorum sensing and quorum quenching on microbial aggregation characteristics in wastewater treatment: A review. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2021; 93:2883-2902. [PMID: 34719836 DOI: 10.1002/wer.1657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Due to the increasingly urgent demand for effective wastewater denitrification and dephosphorization systems, there is a need to improve the performance of existing biological treatment technologies. As a bacteria-level communication mechanism, quorum sensing (QS) synchronizes gene expression in a density-dependent manner and regulates bacterial physiological behavior. On this basis, the QS-based bacterial communication mechanism and environmental factors affecting QS are discussed. This paper reviews the influence of QS on sludge granulation, biofilm formation, emerging contaminants (ECs) removal, and horizontal gene transfer in sewage treatment system. Furthermore, the QS inhibition strategies are compared. Based on the coexistence and balance of QQ and QS in the long-term operation system, QQ, as an effective tool to regulate the growth density of microorganisms, provides a promising exogenous regulation strategy for residual sludge reduction and biofilm pollution control. This paper reviews the potential of improving wastewater treatment efficiency based on QS theory and points out the feasibility and prospect of exogenous regulation strategy. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The mechanism of bacterial communication based on QS and the environmental factors affecting QS were discussed. The application of QS and QQ in improving the sludge performance of biological treatment systems was described. The significance of QS and QQ coexistence in sewage treatment process was described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueping Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Deshuang Yu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Guanghui Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Chengju Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ao Xu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhihao Tang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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14
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Blundell-Hunter G, Enright MC, Negus D, Dorman MJ, Beecham GE, Pickard DJ, Wintachai P, Voravuthikunchai SP, Thomson NR, Taylor PW. Characterisation of Bacteriophage-Encoded Depolymerases Selective for Key Klebsiella pneumoniae Capsular Exopolysaccharides. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:686090. [PMID: 34222050 PMCID: PMC8253255 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.686090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Capsular polysaccharides enable clinically important clones of Klebsiella pneumoniae to cause severe systemic infections in susceptible hosts. Phage-encoded capsule depolymerases have the potential to provide an alternative treatment paradigm in patients when multiple drug resistance has eroded the efficacy of conventional antibiotic chemotherapy. An investigation of 164 K. pneumoniae from intensive care patients in Thailand revealed a large number of distinct K types in low abundance but four (K2, K51, K1, K10) with a frequency of at least 5%. To identify depolymerases with the capacity to degrade capsules associated with these common K-types, 62 lytic phage were isolated from Thai hospital sewage water using K1, K2 and K51 isolates as hosts; phage plaques, without exception, displayed halos indicative of the presence of capsule-degrading enzymes. Phage genomes ranged in size from 41-348 kb with between 50 and 535 predicted coding sequences (CDSs). Using a custom phage protein database we were successful in applying annotation to 30 - 70% (mean = 58%) of these CDSs. The largest genomes, of so-called jumbo phage, carried multiple tRNAs as well as CRISPR repeat and spacer sequences. One of the smaller phage genomes was found to contain a putative Cas type 1E gene, indicating a history of host DNA acquisition in these obligate lytic phage. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) indicated that some phage displayed an extended host range due to the presence of multiple depolymerase genes; in total, 42 candidate depolymerase genes were identified with up to eight in a single genome. Seven distinct virions were selected for further investigation on the basis of host range, phage morphology and WGS. Candidate genes for K1, K2 and K51 depolymerases were expressed and purified as his6-tagged soluble protein and enzymatic activity demonstrated against K. pneumoniae capsular polysaccharides by gel electrophoresis and Anton-Paar rolling ball viscometry. Depolymerases completely removed the capsule in K-type-specific fashion from K. pneumoniae cells. We conclude that broad-host range phage carry multiple enzymes, each with the capacity to degrade a single K-type, and any future use of these enzymes as therapeutic agents will require enzyme cocktails for utility against a range of K. pneumoniae infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark C. Enright
- Department of Life Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - David Negus
- School of Science & Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J. Dorman
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma E. Beecham
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Derek J. Pickard
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Nicholas R. Thomson
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter W. Taylor
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Chen L, Yu K, Chen L, Zheng X, Huang N, Lin Y, Jia H, Liao W, Cao J, Zhou T. Synergistic Activity and Biofilm Formation Effect of Colistin Combined with PFK-158 Against Colistin-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria. Infect Drug Resist 2021; 14:2143-2154. [PMID: 34135604 PMCID: PMC8200155 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s309912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The emergence of colistin resistance among Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) poses a serious public health threat. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the antibacterial activity of colistin through the combination with other drugs. In this study, we demonstrated the synergistic activity and the possible synergy mechanism of colistin with PFK-158 against colistin-resistant GNB, including non-fermenting bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae. Patients and Methods Thirty-one colistin-resistant GNB, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 9), Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 5), Escherichia coli (n = 8) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 9), were collected as the experimental strains and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of colistin, other routine antimicrobial agents and PFK-158 against all strains were determined by the broth microdilution method. The synergistic activity of colistin with PFK-158 was assessed by the checkerboard assay and time-kill assay. The biofilm formation assay and scanning electron microscopy were used to demonstrate the biofilm formation effect of colistin with PFK-158 against colistin-resistant GNB. Results The results of the checkerboard assay showed that when colistin was used in combination with PFK-158, synergistic activity was observed against the 31 colistin-resistant GNB. The time-kill assay presented a significant killing activity of colistin with PFK-158 against the 9 colistin-resistant GNB selected randomly, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 6), Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 1), Escherichia coli (n = 1), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 1). The biofilm formation assay and scanning electron microscopjihy showed that colistin with PFK-158 can effectively suppress the formation of biofilm and reduce the cell arrangement density of biofilm against most experimental strains. Conclusion The results of the performed experiments suggest that the combination of colistin and PFK-158 may be a potential new choice as a new antibiofilm group for the treatment of infections caused by the colistin-resistant GNB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqiong Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaihang Yu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijiang Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangkuo Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yishuai Lin
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Huaiyu Jia
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenli Liao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianming Cao
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Tieli Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
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16
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Malka O, Kalson D, Yaniv K, Shafir R, Rajendran M, Ben-David O, Kushmaro A, Meijler MM, Jelinek R. Cross-kingdom inhibition of bacterial virulence and communication by probiotic yeast metabolites. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:70. [PMID: 33762022 PMCID: PMC7992341 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01027-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Probiotic milk-fermented microorganism mixtures (e.g., yogurt, kefir) are perceived as contributing to human health, and possibly capable of protecting against bacterial infections. Co-existence of probiotic microorganisms are likely maintained via complex biomolecular mechanisms, secreted metabolites mediating cell-cell communication, and other yet-unknown biochemical pathways. In particular, deciphering molecular mechanisms by which probiotic microorganisms inhibit proliferation of pathogenic bacteria would be highly important for understanding both the potential benefits of probiotic foods as well as maintenance of healthy gut microbiome. RESULTS The microbiome of a unique milk-fermented microorganism mixture was determined, revealing a predominance of the fungus Kluyveromyces marxianus. We further identified a new fungus-secreted metabolite-tryptophol acetate-which inhibits bacterial communication and virulence. We discovered that tryptophol acetate blocks quorum sensing (QS) of several Gram-negative bacteria, particularly Vibrio cholerae, a prominent gut pathogen. Notably, this is the first report of tryptophol acetate production by a yeast and role of the molecule as a signaling agent. Furthermore, mechanisms underscoring the anti-QS and anti-virulence activities of tryptophol acetate were elucidated, specifically down- or upregulation of distinct genes associated with V. cholerae QS and virulence pathways. CONCLUSIONS This study illuminates a yet-unrecognized mechanism for cross-kingdom inhibition of pathogenic bacteria cell-cell communication in a probiotic microorganism mixture. A newly identified fungus-secreted molecule-tryptophol acetate-was shown to disrupt quorum sensing pathways of the human gut pathogen V. cholerae. Cross-kingdom interference in quorum sensing may play important roles in enabling microorganism co-existence in multi-population environments, such as probiotic foods and the gut microbiome. This discovery may account for anti-virulence properties of the human microbiome and could aid elucidating health benefits of probiotic products against bacterially associated diseases. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orit Malka
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Dorin Kalson
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Karin Yaniv
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Reut Shafir
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Manikandan Rajendran
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Oshrit Ben-David
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Ariel Kushmaro
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
- National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Michael M. Meijler
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
- National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Raz Jelinek
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Be’er Sheva, Israel
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17
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de Pina LC, da Silva FSH, Galvão TC, Pauer H, Ferreira RBR, Antunes LCM. The role of two-component regulatory systems in environmental sensing and virulence in Salmonella. Crit Rev Microbiol 2021; 47:397-434. [PMID: 33751923 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2021.1895067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Adaptation to environments with constant fluctuations imposes challenges that are only overcome with sophisticated strategies that allow bacteria to perceive environmental conditions and develop an appropriate response. The gastrointestinal environment is a complex ecosystem that is home to trillions of microorganisms. Termed microbiota, this microbial ensemble plays important roles in host health and provides colonization resistance against pathogens, although pathogens have evolved strategies to circumvent this barrier. Among the strategies used by bacteria to monitor their environment, one of the most important are the sensing and signalling machineries of two-component systems (TCSs), which play relevant roles in the behaviour of all bacteria. Salmonella enterica is no exception, and here we present our current understanding of how this important human pathogen uses TCSs as an integral part of its lifestyle. We describe important aspects of these systems, such as the stimuli and responses involved, the processes regulated, and their roles in virulence. We also dissect the genomic organization of histidine kinases and response regulators, as well as the input and output domains for each TCS. Lastly, we explore how these systems may be promising targets for the development of antivirulence therapeutics to combat antibiotic-resistant infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucindo Cardoso de Pina
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biociências, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação Ciência para o Desenvolvimento, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Teca Calcagno Galvão
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional e Bioinformática, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Heidi Pauer
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Inovação em Doenças de Populações Negligenciadas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - L Caetano M Antunes
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Inovação em Doenças de Populações Negligenciadas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Laboratório de Pesquisa em Infecção Hospitalar, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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18
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Dhouib R, Vagenas D, Hong Y, Verderosa AD, Martin JL, Heras B, Totsika M. Antivirulence DsbA inhibitors attenuate Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium fitness without detectable resistance. FASEB Bioadv 2021; 3:231-242. [PMID: 33842848 PMCID: PMC8019255 DOI: 10.1096/fba.2020-00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of the DiSulfide Bond (DSB) oxidative protein folding machinery, a major facilitator of virulence in Gram‐negative bacteria, represents a promising antivirulence strategy. We previously developed small molecule inhibitors of DsbA from Escherichia coli K‐12 (EcDsbA) and showed that they attenuate virulence of Gram‐negative pathogens by directly inhibiting multiple diverse DsbA homologues. Here we tested the evolutionary robustness of DsbA inhibitors as antivirulence antimicrobials against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium under pathophysiological conditions in vitro. We show that phenylthiophene DsbA inhibitors slow S. Typhimurium growth in minimal media, phenocopying S. Typhimurium isogenic dsbA null mutants. Through passaging experiments, we found that DsbA inhibitor resistance was not induced under conditions that rapidly induced resistance to ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic commonly used to treat Salmonella infections. Furthermore, no mutations were identified in the dsbA gene of inhibitor‐treated S. Typhimurium, and S. Typhimurium virulence remained susceptible to DsbA inhibitors. Our work demonstrates that under in vitro pathophysiological conditions, DsbA inhibitors can have both antivirulence and antibiotic action. Importantly, our finding that DsbA inhibitors appear to be evolutionarily robust offers promise for their further development as next‐generation antimicrobials against Gram‐negative pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabeb Dhouib
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation School of Biomedical Sciences Queensland University of Technology Herston QLD Australia.,Centre for Immunology and Infection Control School of Biomedical Sciences Queensland University of Technology Herston QLD Australia
| | - Dimitrios Vagenas
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation School of Biomedical Sciences Queensland University of Technology Herston QLD Australia
| | - Yaoqin Hong
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation School of Biomedical Sciences Queensland University of Technology Herston QLD Australia.,Centre for Immunology and Infection Control School of Biomedical Sciences Queensland University of Technology Herston QLD Australia
| | - Anthony D Verderosa
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation School of Biomedical Sciences Queensland University of Technology Herston QLD Australia.,Centre for Immunology and Infection Control School of Biomedical Sciences Queensland University of Technology Herston QLD Australia
| | - Jennifer L Martin
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery Griffith University Nathan QLD Australia.,University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW Australia
| | - Begoña Heras
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science La Trobe University Bundoora VIC Australia
| | - Makrina Totsika
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation School of Biomedical Sciences Queensland University of Technology Herston QLD Australia.,Centre for Immunology and Infection Control School of Biomedical Sciences Queensland University of Technology Herston QLD Australia
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19
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The antimicrobial peptide Brevinin-2ISb enhances the innate immune response against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by activating DAF-2/DAF-16 signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans, as determined by in vivo imaging. JOURNAL OF BIO-X RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1097/jbr.0000000000000079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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20
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Mahavy CE, Duez P, ElJaziri M, Rasamiravaka T. African Plant-Based Natural Products with Antivirulence Activities to the Rescue of Antibiotics. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9110830. [PMID: 33228261 PMCID: PMC7699609 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9110830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The worldwide emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the thread of widespread superbug infections have led researchers to constantly look for novel effective antimicrobial agents. Within the past two decades, there has been an increase in studies attempting to discover molecules with innovative properties against pathogenic bacteria, notably by disrupting mechanisms of bacterial virulence and/or biofilm formation which are both regulated by the cell-to-cell communication mechanism called ‘quorum sensing’ (QS). Certainly, targeting the virulence of bacteria and their capacity to form biofilms, without affecting their viability, may contribute to reduce their pathogenicity, allowing sufficient time for an immune response to infection and a reduction in the use of antibiotics. African plants, through their huge biodiversity, present a considerable reservoir of secondary metabolites with a very broad spectrum of biological activities, a potential source of natural products targeting such non-microbicidal mechanisms. The present paper aims to provide an overview on two main aspects: (i) succinct presentation of bacterial virulence and biofilm formation as well as their entanglement through QS mechanisms and (ii) detailed reports on African plant extracts and isolated compounds with antivirulence properties against particular pathogenic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Emmanuel Mahavy
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Antananarivo, BP 906 Antananarivo 101, Madagascar;
- Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Pierre Duez
- Unit of Therapeutic Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium;
| | - Mondher ElJaziri
- Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Tsiry Rasamiravaka
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Antananarivo, BP 906 Antananarivo 101, Madagascar;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +261-32-61-903-38
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21
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Rezzoagli C, Archetti M, Mignot I, Baumgartner M, Kümmerli R. Combining antibiotics with antivirulence compounds can have synergistic effects and reverse selection for antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000805. [PMID: 32810152 PMCID: PMC7433856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics are losing efficacy due to the rapid evolution and spread of resistance. Treatments targeting bacterial virulence factors have been considered as alternatives because they target virulence instead of pathogen viability, and should therefore exert weaker selection for resistance than conventional antibiotics. However, antivirulence treatments rarely clear infections, which compromises their clinical applications. Here, we explore the potential of combining antivirulence drugs with antibiotics against the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We combined two antivirulence compounds (gallium, a siderophore quencher, and furanone C-30, a quorum sensing [QS] inhibitor) together with four clinically relevant antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, colistin, meropenem, tobramycin) in 9×9 drug concentration matrices. We found that drug-interaction patterns were concentration dependent, with promising levels of synergies occurring at intermediate drug concentrations for certain drug pairs. We then tested whether antivirulence compounds are potent adjuvants, especially when treating antibiotic resistant (AtbR) clones. We found that the addition of antivirulence compounds to antibiotics could restore growth inhibition for most AtbR clones, and even abrogate or reverse selection for resistance in five drug combination cases. Molecular analyses suggest that selection against resistant clones occurs when resistance mechanisms involve restoration of protein synthesis, but not when efflux pumps are up-regulated. Altogether, our work provides a first systematic analysis of antivirulence-antibiotic combinatorial treatments and suggests that such combinations have the potential to be both effective in treating infections and in limiting the spread of antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Rezzoagli
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Archetti
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ingrid Mignot
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Baumgartner
- Institute for Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rolf Kümmerli
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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22
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Kuebutornye FKA, Abarike ED, Lu Y, Hlordzi V, Sakyi ME, Afriyie G, Wang Z, Li Y, Xie CX. Mechanisms and the role of probiotic Bacillus in mitigating fish pathogens in aquaculture. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2020; 46:819-841. [PMID: 31953625 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-019-00754-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Diseases are natural components of the environment, and many have economic implications for aquaculture and fisheries. Aquaculture is a fast-growing industry with the aim to meet the high protein demand of the ever-increasing global population; however, the emergence of diseases is a major setback to the industry. Probiotics emerged as a better solution to curb the disease problem in aquaculture among many alternatives. Probiotic Bacillus has been proven to better combat a wide range of fish pathogens relative to other probiotics in aquaculture; therefore, understanding the various mechanisms used by Bacillus in combating diseases will help improve their mode of action hence yielding better results in their combat against pathogens in the aquaculture industry. Thus, an overview of the mechanisms (production of bacteriocins, suppression of virulence gene expression, competition for adhesion sites, production of lytic enzymes, production of antibiotics, immunostimulation, competition for nutrients and energy, and production of organic acids) used by Bacillus probiotics in mitigating fish pathogens ranging from Aeromonas, Vibrio, Streptococcus, Yersinia, Pseudomonas, Clostridium, Acinetobacter, Edwardsiella, Flavobacterium, white spot syndrome virus, and infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus proven to be mitigated by Bacillus have been provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix K A Kuebutornye
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Huguang Yan East, Zhanjiang, 524088, Guangdong Province, China
- Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, 518120, Guangdong, China
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Animals, Zhanjiang, 524088, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- Shenzhen Public Service Platform for Evaluation of Marine Economic Animal Seedings, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Control for Diseases of Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, 524088, China
| | - Emmanuel Delwin Abarike
- Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Yishan Lu
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Huguang Yan East, Zhanjiang, 524088, Guangdong Province, China.
- Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, 518120, Guangdong, China.
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Animals, Zhanjiang, 524088, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen, 518120, China.
- Shenzhen Public Service Platform for Evaluation of Marine Economic Animal Seedings, Shenzhen, 518120, China.
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Control for Diseases of Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, 524088, China.
| | - Vivian Hlordzi
- Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Nutrition and Feed, College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, Guangdong, China
| | - Michael Essien Sakyi
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Huguang Yan East, Zhanjiang, 524088, Guangdong Province, China
- Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, 518120, Guangdong, China
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Animals, Zhanjiang, 524088, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- Shenzhen Public Service Platform for Evaluation of Marine Economic Animal Seedings, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Control for Diseases of Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, 524088, China
| | - Gyamfua Afriyie
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524025, China
| | - Zhiwen Wang
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Huguang Yan East, Zhanjiang, 524088, Guangdong Province, China
- Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, 518120, Guangdong, China
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Animals, Zhanjiang, 524088, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- Shenzhen Public Service Platform for Evaluation of Marine Economic Animal Seedings, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Control for Diseases of Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, 524088, China
| | - Yuan Li
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Huguang Yan East, Zhanjiang, 524088, Guangdong Province, China
- Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, 518120, Guangdong, China
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Animals, Zhanjiang, 524088, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- Shenzhen Public Service Platform for Evaluation of Marine Economic Animal Seedings, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Control for Diseases of Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, 524088, China
| | - Cai Xia Xie
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Huguang Yan East, Zhanjiang, 524088, Guangdong Province, China
- Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, 518120, Guangdong, China
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Animals, Zhanjiang, 524088, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- Shenzhen Public Service Platform for Evaluation of Marine Economic Animal Seedings, Shenzhen, 518120, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Control for Diseases of Aquatic Economic Animals, Zhanjiang, 524088, China
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23
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M Campos JC, Antunes LCM, Ferreira RBR. Global priority pathogens: virulence, antimicrobial resistance and prospective treatment options. Future Microbiol 2020; 15:649-677. [DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2019-0333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. are part of a group of pathogens that pose a major threat to human health due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. Moreover, these bacteria have several virulence factors that allow them to successfully colonize their hosts, such as toxins and the ability to produce biofilms, resulting in an urgent need to develop new strategies to fight these pathogens. In this review, we compile the most up-to-date information on the epidemiology, virulence and resistance of these clinically important microorganisms. Additionally, we address new therapeutic alternatives, with a focus on molecules with antivirulence activity, which are considered promising to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana C de M Campos
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luis CM Antunes
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Inovação em Doenças de Populações Negligenciadas, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rosana BR Ferreira
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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24
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Pellissery AJ, Vinayamohan PG, Venkitanarayanan K. In vitro antivirulence activity of baicalin against Clostridioides difficile. J Med Microbiol 2020; 69:631-639. [DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction.
Clostridioides difficile
is an enteric pathogen that causes a serious toxin-mediated colitis in humans. Bacterial exotoxins and sporulation are critical virulence components that contribute to pathogenesis, and disease transmission and relapse, respectively. Therefore, reducing toxin production and sporulation could significantly minimize
C. difficile
pathogenicity and disease outcome in affected individuals.
Aim. This study investigated the efficacy of a natural flavone glycoside, baicalin, in reducing toxin synthesis, sporulation and spore germination in C. difficile in vitro.
Methodology. Hypervirulent
C. difficile
isolates BAA 1870 or 1803 were cultured in brain heart infusion broth with or without the subinhibitory concentration (SIC) of baicalin, and incubated at 37 °C for 24 h under strictly anaerobic conditions. The supernatant was harvested after 24 h for determining
C. difficile
toxin production by ELISA. In addition, a similar experiment was performed wherein samples were harvested for assessing total viable counts, and heat-resistant spore counts at 72 h of incubation. Furthermore,
C. difficile
spore germination and spore outgrowth kinetics, with or without baicalin treatment, was measured in a plate reader by recording optical density at 600 nm. Finally, the effect of baicalin on
C. difficile
toxin, sporulation and virulence-associated genes was investigated using real-time quantitative PCR.
Results. The SIC of baicalin significantly reduced toxin synthesis, sporulation and spore outgrowth when compared to control. In addition,
C. difficile
genes critical for pathogenesis were significantly down-regulated in the presence of baicalin.
Conclusion. Our results suggest that baicalin could potentially be used to control
C. difficile
, and warrant future studies in vivo.
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25
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Zhou J, Kroll AV, Holay M, Fang RH, Zhang L. Biomimetic Nanotechnology toward Personalized Vaccines. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1901255. [PMID: 31206841 PMCID: PMC6918015 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201901255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2019] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
While traditional approaches for disease management in the era of modern medicine have saved countless lives and enhanced patient well-being, it is clear that there is significant room to improve upon the current status quo. For infectious diseases, the steady rise of antibiotic resistance has resulted in super pathogens that do not respond to most approved drugs. In the field of cancer treatment, the idea of a cure-all silver bullet has long been abandoned. As a result of the challenges facing current treatment and prevention paradigms in the clinic, there is an increasing push for personalized therapeutics, where plans for medical care are established on a patient-by-patient basis. Along these lines, vaccines, both against bacteria and tumors, are a clinical modality that could benefit significantly from personalization. Effective vaccination strategies could help to address many challenging disease conditions, but current vaccines are limited by factors such as a lack of potency and antigenic breadth. Recently, researchers have turned toward the use of biomimetic nanotechnology as a means of addressing these hurdles. Recent progress in the development of biomimetic nanovaccines for antibacterial and anticancer applications is discussed, with an emphasis on their potential for personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiarong Zhou
- Department of NanoEngineering, Chemical Engineering Program, and Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ashley V Kroll
- Department of NanoEngineering, Chemical Engineering Program, and Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Maya Holay
- Department of NanoEngineering, Chemical Engineering Program, and Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ronnie H Fang
- Department of NanoEngineering, Chemical Engineering Program, and Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Liangfang Zhang
- Department of NanoEngineering, Chemical Engineering Program, and Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
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26
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Abstract
One of the most important aspects of the scientific endeavour is the definition of specific concepts as precisely as possible. However, it is also important not to lose sight of two facts: (i) we divide the study of nature into manageable parts in order to better understand it owing to our limited cognitive capacities and (ii) definitions are inherently arbitrary and heavily influenced by cultural norms, language, the current political climate, and even personal preferences, among many other factors. As a consequence of these facts, clear-cut definitions, despite their evident importance, are oftentimes quite difficult to formulate. One of the most illustrative examples about the difficulty of articulating precise scientific definitions is trying to define the concept of a brain. Even though the current thinking about the brain is beginning to take into account a variety of organisms, a vertebrocentric bias still tends to dominate the scientific discourse about this concept. Here I will briefly explore the evolution of our 'thoughts about the brain', highlighting the difficulty of constructing a universally (or even a generally) accepted formal definition of it and using planarians as one of the earliest examples of organisms proposed to possess a 'traditional', vertebrate-style brain. I also suggest that the time is right to attempt to expand our view of what a brain is, going beyond exclusively structural and taxa-specific criteria. Thus, I propose a classification that could represent a starting point in an effort to expand our current definitions of the brain, hopefully to help initiate conversations leading to changes of perspective on how we think about this concept. This article is part of the theme issue 'Liquid brains, solid brains: How distributed cognitive architectures process information'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oné R Pagán
- Department of Biology, West Chester University , West Chester, PA 19383 , USA
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27
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Rezzoagli C, Granato ET, Kümmerli R. Harnessing bacterial interactions to manage infections: a review on the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a case example. J Med Microbiol 2020; 69:147-161. [PMID: 31961787 PMCID: PMC7116537 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During infections, bacterial pathogens can engage in a variety of interactions with each other, ranging from the cooperative sharing of resources to deadly warfare. This is especially relevant in opportunistic infections, where different strains and species often co-infect the same patient and interact in the host. Here, we review the relevance of these social interactions during opportunistic infections using the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a case example. In particular, we discuss different types of pathogen-pathogen interactions, involving both cooperation and competition, and elaborate on how they impact virulence in multi-strain and multi-species infections. We then review evolutionary dynamics within pathogen populations during chronic infections. We particuarly discuss how local adaptation through niche separation, evolutionary successions and antagonistic co-evolution between pathogens can alter virulence and the damage inflicted on the host. Finally, we outline how studying bacterial social dynamics could be used to manage infections. We show that a deeper appreciation of bacterial evolution and ecology in the clinical context is important for understanding microbial infections and can inspire novel treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Rezzoagli
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elisa T. Granato
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Rolf Kümmerli
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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28
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Dieltjens L, Appermans K, Lissens M, Lories B, Kim W, Van der Eycken EV, Foster KR, Steenackers HP. Inhibiting bacterial cooperation is an evolutionarily robust anti-biofilm strategy. Nat Commun 2020; 11:107. [PMID: 31919364 PMCID: PMC6952394 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13660-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria commonly form dense biofilms encased in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Biofilms are often extremely tolerant to antimicrobials but their reliance on shared EPS may also be a weakness as social evolution theory predicts that inhibiting shared traits can select against resistance. Here we show that EPS of Salmonella biofilms is a cooperative trait whose benefit is shared among cells, and that EPS inhibition reduces both cell attachment and antimicrobial tolerance. We then compare an EPS inhibitor to conventional antimicrobials in an evolutionary experiment. While resistance against conventional antimicrobials rapidly evolves, we see no evolution of resistance to EPS inhibition. We further show that a resistant strain is outcompeted by a susceptible strain under EPS inhibitor treatment, explaining why resistance does not evolve. Our work suggests that targeting cooperative traits is a viable solution to the problem of antimicrobial resistance. Bacterial biofilms rely on shared extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and are often highly tolerant to antibiotics. Here, the authors show in in vitro experiments that Salmonella does not evolve resistance to EPS inhibition because such strains are outcompeted by a susceptible strain under inhibitor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Dieltjens
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kenny Appermans
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maries Lissens
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bram Lories
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wook Kim
- Department of Zoology and Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Erik V Van der Eycken
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory for Organic & Microwave-Assisted Chemistry (LOMAC), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 6 Miklukho-Maklaya street, Moscow, Russia
| | - Kevin R Foster
- Department of Zoology and Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Hans P Steenackers
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. .,Department of Zoology and Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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29
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Mellini M, Di Muzio E, D’Angelo F, Baldelli V, Ferrillo S, Visca P, Leoni L, Polticelli F, Rampioni G. In silico Selection and Experimental Validation of FDA-Approved Drugs as Anti-quorum Sensing Agents. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2355. [PMID: 31649658 PMCID: PMC6796623 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02355] [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: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens is increasing at an unprecedented pace, calling for the development of new therapeutic options. Small molecules interfering with virulence processes rather than growth hold promise as an alternative to conventional antibiotics. Anti-virulence agents are expected to decrease bacterial virulence and to pose reduced selective pressure for the emergence of resistance. In the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa the expression of key virulence traits is controlled by quorum sensing (QS), an intercellular communication process that coordinates gene expression at the population level. Hence, QS inhibitors represent promising anti-virulence agents against P. aeruginosa. Virtual screenings allow fast and cost-effective selection of target ligands among vast libraries of molecules, thus accelerating the time and limiting the cost of conventional drug-discovery processes, while the drug-repurposing approach is based on the identification of off-target activity of FDA-approved drugs, likely endowed with low cytotoxicity and favorable pharmacological properties. This study aims at combining the advantages of virtual screening and drug-repurposing approaches to identify new QS inhibitors targeting the pqs QS system of P. aeruginosa. An in silico library of 1,467 FDA-approved drugs has been screened by molecular docking, and 5 hits showing the highest predicted binding affinity for the pqs QS receptor PqsR (also known as MvfR) have been selected. In vitro experiments have been performed by engineering ad hoc biosensor strains, which were used to verify the ability of hit compounds to decrease PqsR activity in P. aeruginosa. Phenotypic analyses confirmed the impact of the most promising hit, the antipsychotic drug pimozide, on the expression of P. aeruginosa PqsR-controlled virulence traits. Overall, this study highlights the potential of virtual screening campaigns of FDA-approved drugs to rapidly select new inhibitors of important bacterial functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Mellini
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Paolo Visca
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | - Livia Leoni
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Polticelli
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Roma Tre Section, Rome, Italy
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30
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Feng X, Xu W, Li Z, Song W, Ding J, Chen X. Immunomodulatory Nanosystems. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2019; 6:1900101. [PMID: 31508270 PMCID: PMC6724480 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201900101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as an effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of a variety of diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Immunomodulatory nanosystems can readily improve the therapeutic effects and simultaneously overcome many obstacles facing the treatment method, such as inadequate immune stimulation, off-target side effects, and bioactivity loss of immune agents during circulation. In recent years, researchers have continuously developed nanomaterials with new structures, properties, and functions. This Review provides the most recent advances of nanotechnology for immunostimulation and immunosuppression. In cancer immunotherapy, nanosystems play an essential role in immune cell activation and tumor microenvironment modulation, as well as combination with other antitumor approaches. In infectious diseases, many encouraging outcomes from using nanomaterial vaccines against viral and bacterial infections have been reported. In addition, nanoparticles also potentiate the effects of immunosuppressive immune cells for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Finally, the challenges and prospects of applying nanotechnology to modulate immunotherapy are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangru Feng
- Key Laboratory of Polymer EcomaterialsChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesChangchun130022P. R. China
- University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei230026P. R. China
| | - Weiguo Xu
- Key Laboratory of Polymer EcomaterialsChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesChangchun130022P. R. China
| | - Zhongmin Li
- Key Laboratory of Polymer EcomaterialsChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesChangchun130022P. R. China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Colorectal and Anal SurgeryChina–Japan Union Hospital of Jilin UniversityChangchun130033P. R. China
| | - Wantong Song
- Key Laboratory of Polymer EcomaterialsChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesChangchun130022P. R. China
| | - Jianxun Ding
- Key Laboratory of Polymer EcomaterialsChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesChangchun130022P. R. China
| | - Xuesi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Polymer EcomaterialsChangchun Institute of Applied ChemistryChinese Academy of SciencesChangchun130022P. R. China
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31
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Patel J, Yin HB, Bauchan G, Mowery J. Inhibition of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica virulence factors by benzyl isothiocyanate. Food Microbiol 2019; 86:103303. [PMID: 31703885 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2019.103303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica are foodborne pathogens with major public health concern in the U.S. These pathogens utilize several virulence factors to initiate infections in humans. The antimicrobial effect of seven glucosinolate hydrolysis compounds against Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 was investigated by the disc diffusion assay. Among the tested compounds, benzyl isothiocyanate (BIT), which exerted the highest antimicrobial activity, was evaluated for its anti-virulence properties against these pathogens. The effect of BIT on motility of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 and Shiga toxin production by E. coli O157:H7 was determined by the motility assay and ELISA procedure, respectively. Confocal and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) procedures were used to determine bacterial damage at the cellular level. Results revealed that sub-inhibitory concentrations (SICs) of BIT significantly inhibited the motility of both bacteria (P < 0.05). Shiga toxin production by E. coli O157:H7 was decreased by ~32% in the presence of BIT at SICs. TEM results showed the disruption of outer membrane, release of cytoplasmic contents, and cell lysis following BIT treatment. Results suggest that BIT could be potentially used to attenuate Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 infections by reducing the virulence factors including bacterial motility and Shiga toxin production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitendra Patel
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Environmental and Microbial Food Safety Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | - Hsin-Bai Yin
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Environmental and Microbial Food Safety Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Gary Bauchan
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, SGIL Electron and Confocal Microscopy Unit, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Joseph Mowery
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, SGIL Electron and Confocal Microscopy Unit, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
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32
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Wei X, Ran D, Campeau A, Xiao C, Zhou J, Dehaini D, Jiang Y, Kroll AV, Zhang Q, Gao W, Gonzalez DJ, Fang RH, Zhang L. Multiantigenic Nanotoxoids for Antivirulence Vaccination against Antibiotic-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria. NANO LETTERS 2019. [PMID: 31184899 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b0184410.1021/acs.nanolett.9b01844.s001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria have emerged as a major threat to public health worldwide. The high mortality and prevalence, along with the slow pace of new antibiotic discovery, highlight the necessity for new disease management paradigms. Here, we report on the development of a multiantigenic nanotoxoid vaccine based on macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticles for eliciting potent immunity against pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The design of this biomimetic nanovaccine leverages the specific role of macrophages in clearing pathogens and their natural affinity for various virulence factors secreted by the bacteria. It is demonstrated that the macrophage nanotoxoid is able to display a wide range of P. aeruginosa antigens, and the safety of the formulation is confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. When used to vaccinate mice via different administration routes, the nanotoxoid is capable of eliciting strong humoral immune responses that translate into enhanced protection against live bacterial infection in a pneumonia model. Overall, the work presented here provides new insights into the design of safe, multiantigenic antivirulence vaccines using biomimetic nanotechnology and the application of these nanovaccines toward the prevention of difficult-to-treat Gram-negative infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Wei
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
- Moores Cancer Center , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
| | - Danni Ran
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
- Moores Cancer Center , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
| | - Anaamika Campeau
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
| | - Crystal Xiao
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
- Moores Cancer Center , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
| | - Jiarong Zhou
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
- Moores Cancer Center , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
| | - Diana Dehaini
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
- Moores Cancer Center , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
| | - Yao Jiang
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
- Moores Cancer Center , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
| | - Ashley V Kroll
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
- Moores Cancer Center , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
| | - Qiangzhe Zhang
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
- Moores Cancer Center , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
| | - Weiwei Gao
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
- Moores Cancer Center , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
| | - David J Gonzalez
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
| | - Ronnie H Fang
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
- Moores Cancer Center , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
| | - Liangfang Zhang
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
- Moores Cancer Center , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , California 92093 , United States
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Wei X, Ran D, Campeau A, Xiao C, Zhou J, Dehaini D, Jiang Y, Kroll AV, Zhang Q, Gao W, Gonzalez DJ, Fang RH, Zhang L. Multiantigenic Nanotoxoids for Antivirulence Vaccination against Antibiotic-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria. NANO LETTERS 2019; 19:4760-4769. [PMID: 31184899 PMCID: PMC6711367 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b01844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria have emerged as a major threat to public health worldwide. The high mortality and prevalence, along with the slow pace of new antibiotic discovery, highlight the necessity for new disease management paradigms. Here, we report on the development of a multiantigenic nanotoxoid vaccine based on macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticles for eliciting potent immunity against pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The design of this biomimetic nanovaccine leverages the specific role of macrophages in clearing pathogens and their natural affinity for various virulence factors secreted by the bacteria. It is demonstrated that the macrophage nanotoxoid is able to display a wide range of P. aeruginosa antigens, and the safety of the formulation is confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. When used to vaccinate mice via different administration routes, the nanotoxoid is capable of eliciting strong humoral immune responses that translate into enhanced protection against live bacterial infection in a pneumonia model. Overall, the work presented here provides new insights into the design of safe, multiantigenic antivirulence vaccines using biomimetic nanotechnology and the application of these nanovaccines toward the prevention of difficult-to-treat Gram-negative infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Wei
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Danni Ran
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Anaamika Campeau
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Crystal Xiao
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Jiarong Zhou
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Diana Dehaini
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Yao Jiang
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Ashley V. Kroll
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Qiangzhe Zhang
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Weiwei Gao
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - David J. Gonzalez
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Ronnie H. Fang
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Liangfang Zhang
- Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
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Massai F, Saleeb M, Doruk T, Elofsson M, Forsberg Å. Development, Optimization, and Validation of a High Throughput Screening Assay for Identification of Tat and Type II Secretion Inhibitors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:250. [PMID: 31355152 PMCID: PMC6635566 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics are becoming less effective in treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrobial therapies based on the inhibition of specific virulence-related traits, as opposed to growth inhibitors, constitute an innovative and appealing approach to tackle the threat of P. aeruginosa infections. The twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway plays an important role in the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa, and constitutes a promising target for the development of anti-pseudomonal drugs. In this study we developed and optimized a whole-cell, one-well assay, based on native phospholipase C activity, to identify compounds active against the Tat system. Statistical robustness, sensitivity and consequently suitability for high-throughput screening (HTS) were confirmed by a dry run/pre-screening test scoring a Z′ of 0.82 and a signal-to-noise ratio of 49. Using this assay, we evaluated ca. 40,000 molecules and identified 59 initial hits as possible Tat inhibitors. Since phospholipase C is exported into the periplasm by Tat, and subsequently translocated across the outer membrane by the type II secretion system (T2SS), our assay could also identify T2SS inhibitors. To validate our hits and discriminate between compounds that inhibited either Tat or T2SS, two separate counter assays were developed and optimized. Finally, three Tat inhibitors and one T2SS inhibitor were confirmed by means of dose-response analysis and additional counter and confirming assays. Although none of the identified inhibitors was suitable as a lead compound for drug development, this study validates our assay as a simple, efficient, and HTS compatible method for the identification of Tat and T2SS inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Massai
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Michael Saleeb
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Tugrul Doruk
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Mikael Elofsson
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Åke Forsberg
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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35
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Pellissery AJ, Vinayamohan PG, Yin HB, Mooyottu S, Venkitanarayanan K. In vitro efficacy of sodium selenite in reducing toxin production, spore outgrowth and antibiotic resistance in hypervirulent Clostridium difficile. J Med Microbiol 2019; 68:1118-1128. [PMID: 31172910 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study investigated the efficacy of the essential mineral, selenium (sodium selenite), in reducing the toxin production, spore outgrowth and antibiotic resistance of Clostridium difficile in vitro. METHODOLOGY Two hypervirulent C. difficile isolates were cultured in brain heart infusion broth with and without a sub-minimum inhibitory concentration (sub-MIC) of sodium selenite, and the supernatant and bacterial pellet were harvested for total toxin quantitation and RT-qPCR analysis of toxin-encoding genes, respectively. Additionally, C. difficile isolates were cultured in brain heart infusion broth containing 0.5 or 1× the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of either ciprofloxacin or vancomycin with or without sub-MICs of sodium selenite. Further, the effect of sodium selenite on C. difficile germination and spore outgrowth was also determined by exposing C. difficile spores to a sub-MIC of sodium selenite in a germination medium and measuring the germination and outgrowth by measuring the optical density at 600 nm. RESULTS Sodium selenite significantly reduced C. difficile toxin synthesis, cytotoxicity and spore outgrowth. Further, the expression of the toxin production genes, tcdA and tcdB, was downregulated in the presence of sodium selenite, while sodium selenite significantly increased the sensitivity of C. difficile to ciprofloxacin , but not vancomycin, as revealed by decreased bacterial growth in samples containing ciprofloxacin+selenium compared to the antibiotic control. Although the sub-MIC of sodium selenite did not inhibit spore germination, it was capable of completely inhibiting spore outgrowth. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that sodium selenite could potentially be used to control C. difficile and indicate that future in vivo studies are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Shankumar Mooyottu
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
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36
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Rezzoagli C, Granato ET, Kümmerli R. In-vivo microscopy reveals the impact of Pseudomonas aeruginosa social interactions on host colonization. ISME JOURNAL 2019; 13:2403-2414. [PMID: 31123320 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0442-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria engage in social interactions to colonize hosts, which include quorum-sensing-mediated communication and the secretion of virulence factors that can be shared as "public goods" between individuals. While in-vitro studies demonstrated that cooperative individuals can be displaced by "cheating" mutants freeriding on social acts, we know less about social interactions in infections. Here, we developed a live imaging system to track virulence factor expression and social strain interactions in the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonizing the gut of Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that shareable siderophores and quorum-sensing systems are expressed during infections, affect host gut colonization, and benefit non-producers. However, non-producers were unable to successfully cheat and outcompete producers. Our results indicate that the limited success of cheats is due to a combination of the down-regulation of virulence factors over the course of the infection, the fact that each virulence factor examined contributed to but was not essential for host colonization, and the potential for negative frequency-dependent selection. Our findings shed new light on bacterial social interactions in infections and reveal potential limits of therapeutic approaches that aim to capitalize on social dynamics between strains for infection control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Rezzoagli
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | | | - Rolf Kümmerli
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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37
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Chane A, Barbey C, Bourigault Y, Maillot O, Rodrigues S, Bouteiller M, Merieau A, Konto-Ghiorghi Y, Beury-Cirou A, Gattin R, Feuilloley M, Laval K, Gobert V, Latour X. A Flavor Lactone Mimicking AHL Quorum-Sensing Signals Exploits the Broad Affinity of the QsdR Regulator to Stimulate Transcription of the Rhodococcal qsd Operon Involved in Quorum-Quenching and Biocontrol Activities. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:786. [PMID: 31040836 PMCID: PMC6476934 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In many Gram-negative bacteria, virulence, and social behavior are controlled by quorum-sensing (QS) systems based on the synthesis and perception of N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). Quorum-quenching (QQ) is currently used to disrupt bacterial communication, as a biocontrol strategy for plant crop protection. In this context, the Gram-positive bacterium Rhodococcus erythropolis uses a catabolic pathway to control the virulence of soft-rot pathogens by degrading their AHL signals. This QS signal degradation pathway requires the expression of the qsd operon, encoding the key enzyme QsdA, an intracellular lactonase that can hydrolyze a wide range of substrates. QsdR, a TetR-like family regulator, represses the expression of the qsd operon. During AHL degradation, this repression is released by the binding of the γ-butyrolactone ring of the pathogen signaling molecules to QsdR. We show here that a lactone designed to mimic quorum signals, γ-caprolactone, can act as an effector ligand of QsdR, triggering the synthesis of qsd operon-encoded enzymes. Interaction between γ-caprolactone and QsdR was demonstrated indirectly, by quantitative RT-PCR, molecular docking and transcriptional fusion approaches, and directly, in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. This broad-affinity regulatory system demonstrates that preventive or curative quenching therapies could be triggered artificially and/or managed in a sustainable way by the addition of γ-caprolactone, a compound better known as cheap food additive. The biostimulation of QQ activity could therefore be used to counteract the lack of consistency observed in some large-scale biocontrol assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Chane
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université, Université de Rouen Normandie, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétale 4277, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Corinne Barbey
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université, Université de Rouen Normandie, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétale 4277, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.,Seeds Innovation Protection Research and Environment, Achicourt, France.,Seeds Innovation Protection Research and Environment, Bretteville-du-Grand-Caux, France
| | - Yvann Bourigault
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université, Université de Rouen Normandie, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétale 4277, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Olivier Maillot
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université, Université de Rouen Normandie, Évreux, France
| | - Sophie Rodrigues
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université, Université de Rouen Normandie, Évreux, France
| | - Mathilde Bouteiller
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université, Université de Rouen Normandie, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétale 4277, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Annabelle Merieau
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université, Université de Rouen Normandie, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétale 4277, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Yoan Konto-Ghiorghi
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université, Université de Rouen Normandie, Évreux, France
| | - Amélie Beury-Cirou
- Seeds Innovation Protection Research and Environment, Achicourt, France.,Seeds Innovation Protection Research and Environment, Bretteville-du-Grand-Caux, France.,French Federation of Seed Potato Growers (FN3PT/RD3PT), Paris, France
| | - Richard Gattin
- Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétale 4277, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.,Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle, UP Transformations & Agro-Ressources, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Marc Feuilloley
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université, Université de Rouen Normandie, Évreux, France
| | - Karine Laval
- Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétale 4277, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.,Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle, UP Aghyle, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Virginie Gobert
- Seeds Innovation Protection Research and Environment, Achicourt, France.,Seeds Innovation Protection Research and Environment, Bretteville-du-Grand-Caux, France.,French Federation of Seed Potato Growers (FN3PT/RD3PT), Paris, France
| | - Xavier Latour
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université, Université de Rouen Normandie, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétale 4277, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
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Various Evolutionary Trajectories Lead to Loss of the Tobramycin-Potentiating Activity of the Quorum-Sensing Inhibitor Baicalin Hydrate in Burkholderia cenocepacia Biofilms. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019; 63:AAC.02092-18. [PMID: 30670425 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02092-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Combining antibiotics with potentiators that increase their activity is a promising strategy to tackle infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As potentiators do not interfere with essential processes, it has been hypothesized that they are less likely to induce resistance. However, evidence supporting this hypothesis is lacking. In the present study, we investigated whether Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315 biofilms develop reduced susceptibility toward one such adjuvant, baicalin hydrate (BH). Biofilms were repeatedly and intermittently treated with tobramycin (TOB) alone or in combination with BH for 24 h. After treatment, the remaining cells were quantified using plate counting. After 15 cycles, biofilm cells were less susceptible to TOB and TOB+BH compared to the start population, and the potentiating effect of BH toward TOB was lost. Whole-genome sequencing was performed to probe which changes were involved in the reduced effect of BH, and mutations in 14 protein-coding genes were identified (including mutations in genes involved in central metabolism and in BCAL0296, encoding an ABC transporter). No changes in the MIC or MBC of TOB or changes in the number of persister cells were observed. However, basal intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ROS levels found after treatment with TOB were markedly decreased in the evolved populations. In addition, in evolved cultures with mutations in BCAL0296, a significantly reduced uptake of TOB was observed. Our results indicate that B. cenocepacia J2315 biofilms rapidly lose susceptibility toward the antibiotic-potentiating activity of BH and point to changes in central metabolism, reduced ROS production, and reduced TOB uptake as mechanisms.
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Torres M, Dessaux Y, Llamas I. Saline Environments as a Source of Potential Quorum Sensing Disruptors to Control Bacterial Infections: A Review. Mar Drugs 2019; 17:md17030191. [PMID: 30934619 PMCID: PMC6471967 DOI: 10.3390/md17030191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Saline environments, such as marine and hypersaline habitats, are widely distributed around the world. They include sea waters, saline lakes, solar salterns, or hypersaline soils. The bacteria that live in these habitats produce and develop unique bioactive molecules and physiological pathways to cope with the stress conditions generated by these environments. They have been described to produce compounds with properties that differ from those found in non-saline habitats. In the last decades, the ability to disrupt quorum-sensing (QS) intercellular communication systems has been identified in many marine organisms, including bacteria. The two main mechanisms of QS interference, i.e., quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) and quorum quenching (QQ), appear to be a more frequent phenomenon in marine aquatic environments than in soils. However, data concerning bacteria from hypersaline habitats is scarce. Salt-tolerant QSI compounds and QQ enzymes may be of interest to interfere with QS-regulated bacterial functions, including virulence, in sectors such as aquaculture or agriculture where salinity is a serious environmental issue. This review provides a global overview of the main works related to QS interruption in saline environments as well as the derived biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Torres
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
- Institute of Biotechnology, Biomedical Research Center (CIBM), University of Granada, 18100 Granada, Spain.
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA/CNRS/University Paris-Sud, University Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Yves Dessaux
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA/CNRS/University Paris-Sud, University Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Inmaculada Llamas
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
- Institute of Biotechnology, Biomedical Research Center (CIBM), University of Granada, 18100 Granada, Spain.
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Patel P, Joshi C, Kothari V. Antipathogenic Potential of a Polyherbal Wound-Care Formulation (Herboheal) against Certain Wound-Infective Gram-Negative Bacteria. Adv Pharmacol Sci 2019; 2019:1739868. [PMID: 30833966 PMCID: PMC6369513 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1739868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated antipathogenic efficacy of a polyherbal wound-healing formulation Herboheal against three multidrug-resistant strains of gram-negative bacterial pathogens associated with wound infections. Herboheal was evaluated for its quorum-modulatory potential against three different human-pathogenic bacteria, first in vitro through the broth dilution assay and then in vivo in the model host Caenorhabditis elegans. Herboheal at ≥0.1% v/v was able to inhibit (19-55%) in vitro production of quorum sensing-regulated pigments in all these bacteria and seemed to interfere with bacterial quorum sensing by acting as a signal-response inhibitor. This formulation could compromise haemolytic activity of all three bacteria by ∼18-69% and induced their catalase activity by ∼8-21%. Herboheal inhibited P. aeruginosa biofilm formation up to 40%, reduced surface hydrophobicity of P. aeruginosa cells by ∼9%, and also made them (25%) more susceptible to lysis by human serum. Antibiotic susceptibility of all three bacteria was modulated owing to pretreatment with Herboheal. Exposure of these test pathogens to Herboheal (≥0.025% v/v) effectively reduced their virulence towards the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Repeated subculturing of P. aeruginosa on the Herboheal-supplemented growth medium did not induce resistance to Herboheal in this mischievous pathogen, and this polyherbal extract was also found to exert a post-extract effect on P. aeruginosa, wherein virulence of the Herboheal-unexposed daughter cultures, of the Herboheal-exposed parent culture, was also found to be attenuated. Overall, this study indicates Herboheal formulation to be an effective antipathogenic preparation and validates its indicated traditional therapeutic use as a wound-care formulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Patel
- Institute of Science, Nirma University, Ahmedabad-382481, India
| | - Chinmayi Joshi
- Institute of Science, Nirma University, Ahmedabad-382481, India
| | - Vijay Kothari
- Institute of Science, Nirma University, Ahmedabad-382481, India
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41
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Brevinin-2 Drug Family—New Applied Peptide Candidates Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Their Effects on Lys-7 Expression of Innate Immune Pathway DAF-2/DAF-16 in Caenorhabditis elegans. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/app8122627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The issue of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) developing a resistance to drugs such as methicillin has long been the focus for new drug development. In recent years, antimicrobial peptides, such as small molecular peptides with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and special antibacterial mechanism, have shown a strong medicinal potential. In particular, the Brevinin-2 family has been shown to have a significant inhibitory effect against gram-positive bacteria (G+). In this study, we researched the influence of MRSA on the behavior and survival rate of nematodes. We established an assay of Caenorhabditis elegans–MRSA antimicrobial peptides to screen for new potent anti-infective peptides against MRSA. From the Brevinin-2 family, 13 peptides that had shown strong effects on G+ were screened for their ability to prolong the lifespan of infected worms. Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests were used to evaluate the effect on the innate immune pathway dauer formation defective (DAF)-2/DAF-16 of C. elegans. The assay successfully screened and filtered out four of the 13 peptides that significantly improved the survival rate of MRSA-infected worms. The result of real-time PCR indicated that the mRNA and protein expression levels of lys-7 were consistently upregulated by being treated with four of the Brevinin-2 family. The Brevinin-2 family peptides, including Brevinin-2, Brevinin-2-OA3, Brevinin-2ISb, and Brevinin-2TSa, also played an active role in the DAF-2/DAF-16 pathway in C. elegans. We successfully demonstrated the utility of anti-infective peptides that prolong the survival rate of the MRSA-infected host and discovered the relationship between antibacterial peptides and the innate immune system of C. elegans. We demonstrated the antimicrobial effects of Brevinin-2 family peptides, indicating their potential for use as new drug candidates against MRSA infections.
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42
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Barbey C, Chane A, Burini JF, Maillot O, Merieau A, Gallique M, Beury-Cirou A, Konto-Ghiorghi Y, Feuilloley M, Gobert V, Latour X. A Rhodococcal Transcriptional Regulatory Mechanism Detects the Common Lactone Ring of AHL Quorum-Sensing Signals and Triggers the Quorum-Quenching Response. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2800. [PMID: 30524404 PMCID: PMC6262395 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The biocontrol agent Rhodococcus erythropolis disrupts virulence of plant and human Gram-negative pathogens by catabolizing their N-acyl-homoserine lactones. This quorum-quenching activity requires the expression of the qsd (quorum-sensing signal degradation) operon, which encodes the lactonase QsdA and the fatty acyl-CoA ligase QsdC, involved in the catabolism of lactone ring and acyl chain moieties of signaling molecules, respectively. Here, we demonstrate the regulation of qsd operon expression by a TetR-like family repressor, QsdR. This repression was lifted by adding the pathogen quorum signal or by deleting the qsdR gene, resulting in enhanced lactone degrading activity. Using interactomic approaches and transcriptional fusion strategy, the qsd operon derepression was elucidated: it is operated by the binding of the common part of signaling molecules, the homoserine lactone ring, to the effector-receiving domain of QsdR, preventing a physical binding of QsdR to the qsd promoter region. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence revealing quorum signals as inducers of the suitable quorum-quenching pathway, confirming this TetR-like protein as a lactone sensor. This regulatory mechanism designates the qsd operon as encoding a global disrupting pathway for degrading a wide range of signal substrates, allowing a broad spectrum anti-virulence activity mediated by the rhodococcal biocontrol agent. Understanding the regulation mechanisms of qsd operon expression led also to the development of biosensors useful to monitor in situ the presence of exogenous signals and quorum-quenching activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne Barbey
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université - LMSM, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétal 4277 (NORVEGE), Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.,Seeds Innovation Protection Research and Environment, Achicourt, France.,Seeds Innovation Protection Research and Environment, Bretteville du Grand-Caux, France
| | - Andrea Chane
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université - LMSM, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétal 4277 (NORVEGE), Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Jean-François Burini
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université - LMSM, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétal 4277 (NORVEGE), Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Olivier Maillot
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université - LMSM, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétal 4277 (NORVEGE), Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Annabelle Merieau
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université - LMSM, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétal 4277 (NORVEGE), Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Mathias Gallique
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université - LMSM, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétal 4277 (NORVEGE), Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Amélie Beury-Cirou
- Seeds Innovation Protection Research and Environment, Achicourt, France.,Seeds Innovation Protection Research and Environment, Bretteville du Grand-Caux, France.,French Federation of Seed Potato Growers (FN3PT/RD3PT), Paris, France
| | - Yoan Konto-Ghiorghi
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université - LMSM, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétal 4277 (NORVEGE), Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Marc Feuilloley
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université - LMSM, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétal 4277 (NORVEGE), Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Virginie Gobert
- Seeds Innovation Protection Research and Environment, Achicourt, France.,Seeds Innovation Protection Research and Environment, Bretteville du Grand-Caux, France.,French Federation of Seed Potato Growers (FN3PT/RD3PT), Paris, France
| | - Xavier Latour
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM EA 4312) - Normandie Université - LMSM, Évreux, France.,Structure Fédérative de Recherche Normandie Végétal 4277 (NORVEGE), Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
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43
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D'Angelo F, Baldelli V, Halliday N, Pantalone P, Polticelli F, Fiscarelli E, Williams P, Visca P, Leoni L, Rampioni G. Identification of FDA-Approved Drugs as Antivirulence Agents Targeting the pqs Quorum-Sensing System of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:e01296-18. [PMID: 30201815 PMCID: PMC6201120 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01296-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The long-term use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. A promising strategy to combat bacterial infections aims at hampering their adaptability to the host environment without affecting growth. In this context, the intercellular communication system quorum sensing (QS), which controls virulence factor production and biofilm formation in diverse human pathogens, is considered an ideal target. Here, we describe the identification of new inhibitors of the pqs QS system of the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa by screening a library of 1,600 U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs. Phenotypic characterization of ad hoc engineered strains and in silico molecular docking demonstrated that the antifungal drugs clotrimazole and miconazole, as well as an antibacterial compound active against Gram-positive pathogens, clofoctol, inhibit the pqs system, probably by targeting the transcriptional regulator PqsR. The most active inhibitor, clofoctol, specifically inhibited the expression of pqs-controlled virulence traits in P. aeruginosa, such as pyocyanin production, swarming motility, biofilm formation, and expression of genes involved in siderophore production. Moreover, clofoctol protected Galleria mellonella larvae from P. aeruginosa infection and inhibited the pqs QS system in P. aeruginosa isolates from cystic fibrosis patients. Notably, clofoctol is already approved for clinical treatment of pulmonary infections caused by Gram-positive bacterial pathogens; hence, this drug has considerable clinical potential as an antivirulence agent for the treatment of P. aeruginosa lung infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nigel Halliday
- Centre for Biomolecular Sciences and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Pantalone
- Centre for Biomolecular Sciences and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Fabio Polticelli
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Roma Tre Section, Rome, Italy
| | - Ersilia Fiscarelli
- Laboratory of Cystic Fibrosis Microbiology, Bambino Gesú Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Paul Williams
- Centre for Biomolecular Sciences and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Visca
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | - Livia Leoni
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
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44
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Liu Y, Qin Q, Defoirdt T. Does quorum sensing interference affect the fitness of bacterial pathogens in the real world? Environ Microbiol 2018; 20:3918-3926. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yiying Liu
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University; Guangzhou China
| | - Qiwei Qin
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University; Guangzhou China
| | - Tom Defoirdt
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET); Ghent University; Ghent Belgium
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45
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Hochberg ME. An ecosystem framework for understanding and treating disease. EVOLUTION MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 2018:270-286. [PMID: 30487969 PMCID: PMC6252061 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoy032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Pathogens and cancers are pervasive health risks in the human population. I argue that if we are to better understand disease and its treatment, then we need to take an ecological perspective of disease itself. I generalize and extend an emerging framework that views disease as an ecosystem and many of its components as interacting in a community. I develop the framework for biological etiological agents (BEAs) that multiply within humans—focusing on bacterial pathogens and cancers—but the framework could be extended to include other host and parasite species. I begin by describing why we need an ecosystem framework to understand disease, and the main components and interactions in bacterial and cancer disease ecosystems. Focus is then given to the BEA and how it may proceed through characteristic states, including emergence, growth, spread and regression. The framework is then applied to therapeutic interventions. Central to success is preventing BEA evasion, the best known being antibiotic resistance and chemotherapeutic resistance in cancers. With risks of evasion in mind, I propose six measures that either introduce new components into the disease ecosystem or manipulate existing ones. An ecosystem framework promises to enhance our understanding of disease, BEA and host (co)evolution, and how we can improve therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Hochberg
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France.,Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA.,Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, 31015 Toulouse, France
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46
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Rezzoagli C, Wilson D, Weigert M, Wyder S, Kümmerli R. Probing the evolutionary robustness of two repurposed drugs targeting iron uptake in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Evol Med Public Health 2018; 2018:246-259. [PMID: 30455950 PMCID: PMC6234326 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoy026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
LAY SUMMARY We probed the evolutionary robustness of two antivirulence drugs, gallium and flucytosine, targeting the iron-scavenging pyoverdine in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Using an experimental evolution approach in human serum, we showed that antivirulence treatments are not evolutionarily robust per se, but vary in their propensity to select for resistance. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Treatments that inhibit the expression or functioning of bacterial virulence factors hold great promise to be both effective and exert weaker selection for resistance than conventional antibiotics. However, the evolutionary robustness argument, based on the idea that antivirulence treatments disarm rather than kill pathogens, is controversial. Here, we probe the evolutionary robustness of two repurposed drugs, gallium and flucytosine, targeting the iron-scavenging pyoverdine of the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. METHODOLOGY We subjected replicated cultures of bacteria to two concentrations of each drug for 20 consecutive days in human serum as an ex vivo infection model. We screened evolved populations and clones for resistance phenotypes, including the restoration of growth and pyoverdine production, and the evolution of iron uptake by-passing mechanisms. We whole-genome sequenced evolved clones to identify the genetic basis of resistance. RESULTS We found that mutants resistant against antivirulence treatments readily arose, but their selective spreading varied between treatments. Flucytosine resistance quickly spread in all populations due to disruptive mutations in upp, a gene encoding an enzyme required for flucytosine activation. Conversely, resistance against gallium arose only sporadically, and was based on mutations in transcriptional regulators, upregulating pyocyanin production, a redox-active molecule promoting siderophore-independent iron acquisition. The spread of gallium resistance was presumably hampered because pyocyanin-mediated iron delivery benefits resistant and susceptible cells alike. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our work highlights that antivirulence treatments are not evolutionarily robust per se. Instead, evolutionary robustness is a relative measure, with specific treatments occupying different positions on a continuous scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Rezzoagli
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David Wilson
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Weigert
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Wyder
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rolf Kümmerli
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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47
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O'Reilly MC, Dong SH, Rossi FM, Karlen KM, Kumar RS, Nair SK, Blackwell HE. Structural and Biochemical Studies of Non-native Agonists of the LasR Quorum-Sensing Receptor Reveal an L3 Loop "Out" Conformation for LasR. Cell Chem Biol 2018; 25:1128-1139.e3. [PMID: 30033130 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Chemical strategies to block quorum sensing (QS) could provide a route to attenuate virulence in bacterial pathogens. Considerable research has focused on this approach in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which uses the LuxR-type receptor LasR to regulate much of its QS network. Non-native ligands that antagonize LasR have been developed, yet we have little understanding of the mode by which these compounds interact with LasR and alter its function, as the receptor is unstable in their presence. Herein, we report an approach to circumvent this challenge through the study of a series of synthetic LasR agonists with varying levels of potency. Structural investigations of these ligands with the LasR ligand-binding domain reveal that certain agonists can enforce a conformation that deviates from that observed for other, often more potent agonists. These results, when combined with cell-based and biophysical analyses, suggest a functional model for LasR that could guide future ligand design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C O'Reilly
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Shi-Hui Dong
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Francis M Rossi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kaleigh M Karlen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Rohan S Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Satish K Nair
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Helen E Blackwell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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48
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Castañeda-Tamez P, Ramírez-Peris J, Pérez-Velázquez J, Kuttler C, Jalalimanesh A, Saucedo-Mora MÁ, Jiménez-Cortés JG, Maeda T, González Y, Tomás M, Wood TK, García-Contreras R. Pyocyanin Restricts Social Cheating in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1348. [PMID: 29997585 PMCID: PMC6030374 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa coordinates the expression of virulence factors, such as exoproteases and siderophores, that are public goods utilized by the whole population of bacteria, regardless of whether they invested or not in their production. These public goods can be used by QS defective mutants for growth, and since these mutants do not contribute to public goods production, they are considered social cheaters. Pyocyanin is a phenazine that is a toxic, QS-controlled metabolite produced by P. aeruginosa. It is a redox-active compound and promotes the generation of reactive oxygen species; it also possesses antibacterial properties and increases fitness in competition with other bacterial species. Since QS-deficient individuals are less able to tolerate oxidative stress, we hypothesized that the pyocyanin produced by the wild-type population could promote selection of functional QS systems in this bacterium. Here, we demonstrate, using competition experiments and mathematical models, that, indeed, pyocyanin increases the fitness of the cooperative QS-proficient individuals and restricts the appearance of social cheaters. In addition, we also show that pyocyanin is able to select QS in other bacteria such as Acinetobacter baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Castañeda-Tamez
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jimena Ramírez-Peris
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Judith Pérez-Velázquez
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
- Zentrum Mathematik, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Ammar Jalalimanesh
- Zentrum Mathematik, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology (IRANDOC), Tehran, Iran
| | - Miguel Á. Saucedo-Mora
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - J. Guillermo Jiménez-Cortés
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Toshinari Maeda
- Department of Biological Functions Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Yael González
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - María Tomás
- Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña, SERGAS, Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Thomas K. Wood
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - Rodolfo García-Contreras
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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49
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Oshri RD, Zrihen KS, Shner I, Omer Bendori S, Eldar A. Selection for increased quorum-sensing cooperation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa through the shut-down of a drug resistance pump. ISME JOURNAL 2018; 12:2458-2469. [PMID: 29925881 PMCID: PMC6154968 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-018-0205-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa employs a hierarchical quorum-sensing network to regulate virulence factor production that cooperatively benefit the population at a cost to the individual. It has been argued that the evolution of a cooperative mutant in a quorum sensing-suppressed population would be hampered through its exploitation by neighboring non-mutant cells. It remains unclear whether mechanisms which overcome this exploitation exist. Here we investigate the regain of quorum-sensing cooperation by evolving a mutant of the lasR master quorum-sensing regulator. The mutant regained partial cooperative growth through null mutations in mexT, which codes for an activator of the MexEF-OprN multidrug-resistant pump. We find that these mutations enhance cooperative growth in both the lasR mutant and wild-type backgrounds through the activation of the RhlIR system. We show that the regain of cooperation in mexT mutants is mediated by the reduction in MexEF-OprN activity, whereas an additional source of private benefit is mostly mexEF-oprN-independent. Finally, we show that addition of antibiotics for which resistance is mediated by MexEF-OprN prevents the selection of increased cooperation at sub-MIC concentrations. MexT, therefore, not only links private and public goods, but also exposes conflicts between selection for antibiotic resistance and enhanced cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron D Oshri
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Keren S Zrihen
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Itzhak Shner
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Shira Omer Bendori
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Avigdor Eldar
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
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50
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Kong C, Chee CF, Richter K, Thomas N, Abd Rahman N, Nathan S. Suppression of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation and virulence by a benzimidazole derivative, UM-C162. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2758. [PMID: 29426873 PMCID: PMC5807447 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21141-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of nosocomial infections and secretes a diverse spectrum of virulence determinants as well as forms biofilm. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus highlights the need for alternative forms of therapeutics other than conventional antibiotics. One route to meet this need is screening small molecule derivatives for potential anti-infective activity. Using a previously optimized C. elegans – S. aureus small molecule screen, we identified a benzimidazole derivative, UM-C162, which rescued nematodes from a S. aureus infection. UM-C162 prevented the formation of biofilm in a dose-dependent manner without interfering with bacterial viability. To examine the effect of UM-C162 on the expression of S. aureus virulence genes, a genome-wide transcriptome analysis was performed on UM-C162-treated pathogen. Our data indicated that the genes associated with biofilm formation, particularly those involved in bacterial attachment, were suppressed in UM-C162-treated bacteria. Additionally, a set of genes encoding vital S. aureus virulence factors were also down-regulated in the presence of UM-C162. Further biochemical analysis validated that UM-C162-mediated disruption of S. aureus hemolysins, proteases and clumping factors production. Collectively, our findings propose that UM-C162 is a promising compound that can be further developed as an anti-virulence agent to control S. aureus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cin Kong
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi Selangor, Malaysia.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Chin-Fei Chee
- Nanotechnology & Catalysis Research Centre, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Katharina Richter
- Department of Surgery, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Adelaide Biofilm Test Facility, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Nicky Thomas
- Adelaide Biofilm Test Facility, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Noorsaadah Abd Rahman
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sheila Nathan
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi Selangor, Malaysia.
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