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Griswold KA, Vasylieva I, Smith MC, Fiske KL, Welsh OL, Roth AN, Watson AM, Watkins SC, Sutherland DM, Dermody TS. Sialic acid and PirB are not required for targeting of neural circuits by neurotropic mammalian orthoreovirus. mSphere 2024:e0062924. [PMID: 39320067 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00629-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Serotype 3 (T3) strains of mammalian orthoreovirus (reovirus) spread to the central nervous system to infect the brain and cause lethal encephalitis in newborn mice. Although reovirus targets several regions in the brain, susceptibility to infection is not uniformly distributed. The neuronal subtypes and anatomic sites targeted throughout the brain are not precisely known. Reovirus binds several attachment factors and entry receptors, including sialic acid (SA)-containing glycans and paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B (PirB). While these receptors are not required for infection of some types of neurons, reovirus engagement of these receptors can influence neuronal infection in certain contexts. To identify patterns of T3 neurotropism, we used microbial identification after passive tissue clearance and hybridization chain reaction to stain reovirus-infected cells throughout intact, optically transparent brains of newborn mice. Three-dimensional reconstructions revealed in detail the sites targeted by reovirus throughout the brain volume, including dense infection of the midbrain and hindbrain. Using reovirus mutants incapable of binding SA and mice lacking PirB expression, we found that neither SA nor PirB is required for the infection of various brain regions. However, SA may confer minor differences in infection that vary by region. Collectively, these studies indicate that many regions in the brain of newborn mice are susceptible to reovirus and that patterns of reovirus infection are not dependent on reovirus receptors SA and PirB.IMPORTANCENeurotropic viruses invade the central nervous system (CNS) and target various cell types to cause disease manifestations, such as meningitis, myelitis, or encephalitis. Infections of the CNS are often difficult to treat and can lead to lasting sequelae or death. Mammalian orthoreovirus (reovirus) causes age-dependent lethal encephalitis in many young mammals. Reovirus infects neurons in several different regions of the brain. However, the complete pattern of CNS infection is not understood. We found that reovirus targets almost all regions of the brain and that patterns of tropism are not dependent on receptors sialic acid and paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B. These studies confirm that two known reovirus receptors do not completely explain the cell types infected in brain tissue and establish strategies that can be used to understand complete patterns of viral tropism in an intact brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira A Griswold
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Institute of Infection, Inflammation, and Immunity, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Iaroslavna Vasylieva
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Megan C Smith
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kay L Fiske
- Institute of Infection, Inflammation, and Immunity, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Olivia L Welsh
- Institute of Infection, Inflammation, and Immunity, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alexa N Roth
- Institute of Infection, Inflammation, and Immunity, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alan M Watson
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Simon C Watkins
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Danica M Sutherland
- Institute of Infection, Inflammation, and Immunity, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Terence S Dermody
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Institute of Infection, Inflammation, and Immunity, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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2
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Florek LC, Lin X, Lin YC, Lin MH, Chakraborty A, Price-Whelan A, Tong L, Rahme L, Dietrich LEP. The L-lactate dehydrogenases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are conditionally regulated but both contribute to survival during macrophage infection. mBio 2024; 15:e0085224. [PMID: 39162563 PMCID: PMC11389411 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00852-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that thrives in environments associated with human activity, including soil and water altered by agriculture or pollution. Because L-lactate is a significant product of plant and animal metabolism, it can serve as a carbon source for P. aeruginosa in the diverse settings that it inhabits. In this study, we evaluate the production and use of two redundant P. aeruginosa L-lactate dehydrogenases, termed LldD and LldA. We confirm that the protein LldR represses lldD and identify a new transcription factor, called LldS, that activates lldA; these distinct regulators and the genomic contexts of lldD and lldA contribute to their differential expression. We demonstrate that the lldD and lldA genes are conditionally controlled in response to lactate isomers as well as to glycolate and ɑ-hydroxybutyrate, which, like lactate, are ɑ-hydroxycarboxylates. We also show that lldA is induced when iron availability is low. Our examination of lldD and lldA expression across depth in biofilms indicates a complex pattern that is consistent with the effects of glycolate production, iron availability, and cross-regulation on enzyme preference. Finally, macrophage infection assays reveal that both lldD and lldA contribute to persistence within host cells, underscoring the potential role of L-lactate as a carbon source during P. aeruginosa-eukaryote interactions. Together, these findings help us understand the metabolism of a key resource that may promote P. aeruginosa's success as a resident of contaminated environments and animal hosts.IMPORTANCEPseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis, of hospital-acquired infections, and of wound infections. It consumes L-lactate, which is found at substantial levels in human blood and tissues. In this study, we investigated the spatial regulation of two redundant enzymes, called LldD and LldA, which enable L-lactate metabolism in P. aeruginosa biofilms. We uncovered mechanisms and identified compounds that control the preference of P. aeruginosa for LldD versus LldA. We also showed that both enzymes contribute to its ability to survive within macrophages, a behavior that is thought to augment the chronicity and recalcitrance of infections. Our findings shed light on a key metabolic strategy used by P. aeruginosa and have the potential to inform the development of therapies targeting bacterial metabolism during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey C. Florek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Xi Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yu-Cheng Lin
- Department of Dentistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Min-Han Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Arijit Chakraborty
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alexa Price-Whelan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Liang Tong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Laurence Rahme
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lars E. P. Dietrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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Hake KH, West PT, McDonald K, Laundon D, Reyes-Rivera J, Garcia De Las Bayonas A, Feng C, Burkhardt P, Richter DJ, Banfield JF, King N. A large colonial choanoflagellate from Mono Lake harbors live bacteria. mBio 2024; 15:e0162324. [PMID: 39140743 PMCID: PMC11389367 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01623-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
As the closest living relatives of animals, choanoflagellates offer insights into the ancestry of animal cell physiology. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a colonial choanoflagellate from Mono Lake, California. The choanoflagellate forms large spherical colonies that are an order of magnitude larger than those formed by the closely related choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta. In cultures maintained in the laboratory, the lumen of the spherical colony is filled with a branched network of extracellular matrix and colonized by bacteria, including diverse Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria. We propose to erect Barroeca monosierra gen. nov., sp. nov. Hake, Burkhardt, Richter, and King to accommodate this extremophile choanoflagellate. The physical association between bacteria and B. monosierra in culture presents a new experimental model for investigating interactions among bacteria and eukaryotes. Future work will investigate the nature of these interactions in wild populations and the mechanisms underpinning the colonization of B. monosierra spheres by bacteria. IMPORTANCE The diversity of organisms that live in the extreme environment of Mono Lake (California, USA) is limited. We sought to investigate whether the closest living relatives of animals, the choanoflagellates, exist in Mono Lake, a hypersaline, alkaline, arsenic-rich environment. We repeatedly isolated members of a new species of choanoflagellate, which we have named Barroeca monosierra. Characterization of B. monosierra revealed that it forms large spherical colonies containing diverse co-isolated bacteria, providing an opportunity to investigate mechanisms underlying physical associations between eukaryotes and bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- K H Hake
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - P T West
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - K McDonald
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - D Laundon
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - J Reyes-Rivera
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - A Garcia De Las Bayonas
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - C Feng
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - P Burkhardt
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Plymouth, United Kingdom
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - D J Richter
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - J F Banfield
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - N King
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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4
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Coluccio A, Lopez Palomera F, Spero MA. Anaerobic bacteria in chronic wounds: Roles in disease, infection and treatment failure. Wound Repair Regen 2024. [PMID: 39129662 DOI: 10.1111/wrr.13208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Infection is among the most common factors that impede wound healing, yet standard treatments routinely fail to resolve chronic wound infections. The chronic wound environment is largely hypoxic/anoxic, and wounds are predominantly colonised by facultative and obligate anaerobic bacteria. Oxygen (O2) limitation is an underappreciated driver of microbiota composition and behaviour in chronic wounds. In this perspective article, we examine how anaerobic bacteria and their distinct physiologies support persistent, antibiotic-recalcitrant infections. We describe the anaerobic energy metabolisms bacteria rely on for long-term survival in the wound environment, and why many antibiotics become less effective under hypoxic conditions. We also discuss obligate anaerobes, which are among the most prevalent taxa to colonise chronic wounds, yet their potential roles in influencing the microbial community and wound healing have been overlooked. All of the most common obligate anaerobes found in chronic wounds are opportunistic pathogens. We consider how these organisms persist in the wound environment and interface with host physiology to hinder wound healing processes or promote chronic inflammation. Finally, we apply our understanding of anaerobic physiologies to evaluate current treatment practices and to propose new strategies for treating chronic wound infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Coluccio
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | | | - Melanie A Spero
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
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5
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Zuberi A, Ahmad N, Ahmad H, Saeed M, Ahmad I. Beyond antibiotics: CRISPR/Cas9 triumph over biofilm-associated antibiotic resistance infections. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1408569. [PMID: 39035353 PMCID: PMC11257871 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1408569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
A complex structure known as a biofilm is formed when a variety of bacterial colonies or a single type of cell in a group sticks to a surface. The extracellular polymeric compounds that encase these cells, often consisting of proteins, eDNA, and polysaccharides, exhibit strong antibiotic resistance. Concerns about biofilm in the pharmaceutical industry, public health, and medical fields have sparked a lot of interest, as antibiotic resistance is a unique capacity exhibited by these biofilm-producing bacteria, which increases morbidity and death. Biofilm formation is a complicated process that is controlled by several variables. Insights into the processes to target for the therapy have been gained from multiple attempts to dissect the biofilm formation process. Targeting pathogens within a biofilm is profitable because the bacterial pathogens become considerably more resistant to drugs in the biofilm state. Although biofilm-mediated infections can be lessened using the currently available medications, there has been a lot of focus on the development of new approaches, such as bioinformatics tools, for both treating and preventing the production of biofilms. Technologies such as transcriptomics, metabolomics, nanotherapeutics and proteomics are also used to develop novel anti-biofilm agents. These techniques help to identify small compounds that can be used to inhibit important biofilm regulators. The field of appropriate control strategies to avoid biofilm formation is expanding quickly because of this spurred study. As a result, the current article addresses our current knowledge of how biofilms form, the mechanisms by which bacteria in biofilms resist antibiotics, and cutting-edge treatment approaches for infections caused by biofilms. Furthermore, we have showcased current ongoing research utilizing the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system to combat bacterial biofilm infections, particularly those brought on by lethal drug-resistant pathogens, concluded the article with a novel hypothesis and aspirations, and acknowledged certain limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azna Zuberi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Department of Obs & Gynae, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Nayeem Ahmad
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi, India
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
| | - Hafiz Ahmad
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) College of Medical Sciences, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Medical and Health Sciences University, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohd Saeed
- Department of Biology, College of Science University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Irfan Ahmad
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
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6
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Malet K, Faure E, Adam D, Donner J, Liu L, Pilon SJ, Fraser R, Jorth P, Newman DK, Brochiero E, Rousseau S, Nguyen D. Intracellular Pseudomonas aeruginosa within the Airway Epithelium of Cystic Fibrosis Lung Tissues. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2024; 209:1453-1462. [PMID: 38324627 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202308-1451oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the major bacterial pathogen colonizing the airways of adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and causes chronic infections that persist despite antibiotic therapy. Intracellular bacteria may represent an unrecognized reservoir of bacteria that evade the immune system and antibiotic therapy. Although the ability of P. aeruginosa to invade and survive within epithelial cells has been described in vitro in different epithelial cell models, evidence of this intracellular lifestyle in human lung tissues is currently lacking. Objectives: To detect and characterize intracellular P. aeruginosa in CF airway epithelium from human lung explant tissues. Methods: We sampled lung explant tissues from patients with CF undergoing lung transplantation and non-CF lung donor control tissue. We analyzed lung tissue sections for the presence of intracellular P. aeruginosa using quantitative culture and microscopy, in parallel to histopathology and airway morphometry. Measurements and Main Results: P. aeruginosa was isolated from the lungs of seven patients with CF undergoing lung transplantation. Microscopic assessment revealed the presence of intracellular P. aeruginosa within airway epithelial cells in three of the seven patients analyzed at a varying but low frequency. We observed those events occurring in lung regions with high bacterial burden. Conclusions: This is the first study describing the presence of intracellular P. aeruginosa in CF lung tissues. Although intracellular P. aeruginosa in airway epithelial cells is likely relatively rare, our findings highlight the plausible occurrence of this intracellular bacterial reservoir in chronic CF infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Malet
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Faure
- Université de Lille, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, INSERM, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 9017, Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Lille, Service Universitaire de Maladies Infectieuses, Lille, France
| | - Damien Adam
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jannik Donner
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lin Liu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - Sarah-Jeanne Pilon
- Department of Pathology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Richard Fraser
- Department of Pathology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Peter Jorth
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
- Department of Medicine, and
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering and
| | - Dianne K Newman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering and
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California; and
| | - Emmanuelle Brochiero
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Simon Rousseau
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dao Nguyen
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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7
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Rapsinski GJ, Michaels LA, Hill M, Yarrington KD, Haas AL, D’Amico EJ, Armbruster CR, Zemke A, Limoli D, Bomberger JM. Pseudomonas aeruginosa senses and responds to epithelial potassium flux via Kdp operon to promote biofilm. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011453. [PMID: 38820569 PMCID: PMC11168685 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011453] [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: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Mucosa-associated biofilms are associated with many human disease states, but the host mechanisms promoting biofilm remain unclear. In chronic respiratory diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF), Pseudomonas aeruginosa establishes chronic infection through biofilm formation. P. aeruginosa can be attracted to interspecies biofilms through potassium currents emanating from the biofilms. We hypothesized that P. aeruginosa could, similarly, sense and respond to the potassium efflux from human airway epithelial cells (AECs) to promote biofilm. Using respiratory epithelial co-culture biofilm imaging assays of P. aeruginosa grown in association with CF bronchial epithelial cells (CFBE41o-), we found that P. aeruginosa biofilm was increased by potassium efflux from AECs, as examined by potentiating large conductance potassium channel, BKCa (NS19504) potassium efflux. This phenotype is driven by increased bacterial attachment and increased coalescence of bacteria into aggregates. Conversely, biofilm formation was reduced when AECs were treated with a BKCa blocker (paxilline). Using an agar-based macroscopic chemotaxis assay, we determined that P. aeruginosa chemotaxes toward potassium and screened transposon mutants to discover that disruption of the high-sensitivity potassium transporter, KdpFABC, and the two-component potassium sensing system, KdpDE, reduces P. aeruginosa potassium chemotaxis. In respiratory epithelial co-culture biofilm imaging assays, a KdpFABCDE deficient P. aeruginosa strain demonstrated reduced biofilm growth in association with AECs while maintaining biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces. Furthermore, we determined that the Kdp operon is expressed in vivo in people with CF and the genes are conserved in CF isolates. Collectively, these data suggest that P. aeruginosa biofilm formation can be increased by attracting bacteria to the mucosal surface and enhancing coalescence into microcolonies through aberrant AEC potassium efflux sensed by the KdpFABCDE system. These findings suggest host electrochemical signaling can enhance biofilm, a novel host-pathogen interaction, and potassium flux could be a therapeutic target to prevent chronic infections in diseases with mucosa-associated biofilms, like CF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn J. Rapsinski
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Lia A. Michaels
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Madison Hill
- Department of Biology, Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kaitlin D. Yarrington
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Allison L. Haas
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
| | - Emily J. D’Amico
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
| | - Catherine R. Armbruster
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
| | - Anna Zemke
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Dominique Limoli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Jennifer M. Bomberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
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8
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García-Bayona L, Said N, Coyne MJ, Flores K, Elmekki NM, Sheahan ML, Camacho AG, Hutt K, Yildiz FH, Kovács ÁT, Waldor MK, Comstock LE. A pervasive large conjugative plasmid mediates multispecies biofilm formation in the intestinal microbiota increasing resilience to perturbations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.29.590671. [PMID: 38746121 PMCID: PMC11092513 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.29.590671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Although horizontal gene transfer is pervasive in the intestinal microbiota, we understand only superficially the roles of most exchanged genes and how the mobile repertoire affects community dynamics. Similarly, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the ability of a community to recover after a perturbation. Here, we identified and functionally characterized a large conjugative plasmid that is one of the most frequently transferred elements among Bacteroidales species and is ubiquitous in diverse human populations. This plasmid encodes both an extracellular polysaccharide and fimbriae, which promote the formation of multispecies biofilms in the mammalian gut. We use a hybridization-based approach to visualize biofilms in clarified whole colon tissue with unprecedented 3D spatial resolution. These biofilms increase bacterial survival to common stressors encountered in the gut, increasing strain resiliency, and providing a rationale for the plasmid's recent spread and high worldwide prevalence.
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9
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Crosby HA, Keim K, Kwiecinski JM, Langouët-Astrié CJ, Oshima K, LaRivière WB, Schmidt EP, Horswill AR. Host-derived protease promotes aggregation of Staphylococcus aureus by cleaving the surface protein SasG. mBio 2024; 15:e0348323. [PMID: 38511930 PMCID: PMC11005337 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03483-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections, many of which begin following attachment and accumulation on indwelling medical devices or diseased tissue. These infections are often linked to the establishment of biofilms, but another often overlooked key characteristic allowing S. aureus to establish persistent infection is the formation of planktonic aggregates. Such aggregates are physiologically similar to biofilms and protect pathogens from innate immune clearance and increase antibiotic tolerance. The cell-wall-associated protein SasG has been implicated in biofilm formation via mechanisms of intercellular aggregation but the mechanism in the context of disease is largely unknown. We have previously shown that the expression of cell-wall-anchored proteins involved in biofilm formation is controlled by the ArlRS-MgrA regulatory cascade. In this work, we demonstrate that the ArlRS two-component system controls aggregation, by repressing the expression of sasG by activation of the global regulator MgrA. We also demonstrate that SasG must be proteolytically processed by a non-staphylococcal protease to induce aggregation and that strains expressing functional full-length sasG aggregate significantly upon proteolysis by a mucosal-derived host protease found in human saliva. We used fractionation and N-terminal sequencing to demonstrate that human trypsin within saliva cleaves within the A domain of SasG to expose the B domain and induce aggregation. Finally, we demonstrated that SasG is involved in virulence during mouse lung infection. Together, our data point to SasG, its processing by host proteases, and SasG-driven aggregation as important elements of S. aureus adaptation to the host environment.IMPORTANCEHere, we demonstrate that the Staphylococcus aureus surface protein SasG is important for cell-cell aggregation in the presence of host proteases. We show that the ArlRS two-component regulatory system controls SasG levels through the cytoplasmic regulator MgrA. We identified human trypsin as the dominant protease triggering SasG-dependent aggregation and demonstrated that SasG is important for S. aureus lung infection. The discovery that host proteases can induce S. aureus aggregation contributes to our understanding of how this pathogen establishes persistent infections. The observations in this study demonstrate the need to strengthen our knowledge of S. aureus surface adhesin function and processing, regulation of adhesin expression, and the mechanisms that promote biofilm formation to develop strategies for preventing chronic infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi A. Crosby
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Klara Keim
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jakub M. Kwiecinski
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Christophe J. Langouët-Astrié
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Kaori Oshima
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wells B. LaRivière
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Eric P. Schmidt
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alexander R. Horswill
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Denver, Colorado, USA
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10
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Florek LC, Lin X, Lin YC, Lin MH, Chakraborty A, Price-Whelan A, Tong L, Rahme L, Dietrich LE. The L-lactate dehydrogenases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are conditionally regulated but both contribute to survival during macrophage infection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.21.586142. [PMID: 38562866 PMCID: PMC10983889 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.21.586142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that thrives in environments associated with human activity, including soil and water altered by agriculture or pollution. Because L-lactate is a significant product of plant and animal metabolism, it is available to serve as a carbon source for P. aeruginosa in the diverse settings it inhabits. Here, we evaluate P. aeruginosa's production and use of its redundant L-lactate dehydrogenases, termed LldD and LldA. We confirm that the protein LldR represses lldD and identify a new transcription factor, called LldS, that activates lldA; these distinct regulators and the genomic contexts of lldD and lldA contribute to their differential expression. We demonstrate that the lldD and lldA genes are conditionally controlled in response to lactate isomers as well as to glycolate and - hydroxybutyrate, which, like lactate, are -hydroxycarboxylates. We also show that lldA is induced when iron availability is low. Our examination of lldD and lldA expression across depth in biofilms indicates a complex pattern that is consistent with the effects of glycolate production, iron availability, and cross-regulation on enzyme preference. Finally, macrophage infection assays revealed that both lldD and lldA contribute to persistence within host cells, underscoring the potential role of L-lactate as a carbon source during P. aeruginosa-eukaryote interactions. Together, these findings help us understand the metabolism of a key resource that may promote P. aeruginosa's success as a resident of contaminated environments and animal hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey C. Florek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Xi Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Yu-Cheng Lin
- Department of Dentistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan 112
| | - Min-Han Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Arijit Chakraborty
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alexa Price-Whelan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Liang Tong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Laurence Rahme
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lars E.P. Dietrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
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11
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Cholon DM, Greenwald MA, Higgs MG, Quinney NL, Boyles SE, Meinig SL, Minges JT, Chaubal A, Tarran R, Ribeiro CMP, Wolfgang MC, Gentzsch M. A Novel Co-Culture Model Reveals Enhanced CFTR Rescue in Primary Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelial Cultures with Persistent Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection. Cells 2023; 12:2618. [PMID: 37998353 PMCID: PMC10670530 DOI: 10.3390/cells12222618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
People with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) suffer from chronic and recurring bacterial lung infections that begin very early in life and contribute to progressive lung failure. CF is caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which encodes an ion channel important for maintaining the proper hydration of pulmonary surfaces. When CFTR function is ablated or impaired, airways develop thickened, adherent mucus that contributes to a vicious cycle of infection and inflammation. Therapeutics for pwCF, called CFTR modulators, target the CFTR defect directly, restoring airway surface hydration and mucociliary clearance. However, even with CFTR modulator therapy, bacterial infections persist. To develop a relevant model of diseased airway epithelium, we established a primary human airway epithelium culture system with persistent Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. We used this model to examine the effects of CFTR modulators on CFTR maturation, CFTR function, and bacterial persistence. We found that the presence of P. aeruginosa increased CFTR mRNA, protein, and function. We also found that CFTR modulators caused a decrease in P. aeruginosa burden. These results demonstrate the importance of including live bacteria to accurately model the CF lung, and that understanding the effects of infection on CFTR rescue by CFTR modulators is critical to evaluating and optimizing drug therapies for all pwCF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah M. Cholon
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Matthew A. Greenwald
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Matthew G. Higgs
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Nancy L. Quinney
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Susan E. Boyles
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Suzanne L. Meinig
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Morrisville, NC 27560, USA
| | - John T. Minges
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Ashlesha Chaubal
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Robert Tarran
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Division of Genetic, Department of Internal Medicine, Environmental and Inhalational Disease, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Carla M. P. Ribeiro
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Matthew C. Wolfgang
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Martina Gentzsch
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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12
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Zemke AC, D'Amico EJ, Torres AM, Carreno-Florez GP, Keeley P, DuPont M, Kasturiarachi N, Bomberger JM. Bacterial respiratory inhibition triggers dispersal of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0110123. [PMID: 37728340 PMCID: PMC10617509 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01101-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa grows as a biofilm under many environmental conditions, and the bacterium can disperse from biofilms via highly regulated, dynamic processes. However, physiologic triggers of biofilm dispersal remain poorly understood. Based on prior literature describing dispersal triggered by forms of starvation, we tested bacterial respiratory inhibitors for biofilm dispersal in two models resembling chronic airway infections. Our underlying hypothesis was that respiratory inhibitors could serve as a model for the downstream effects of starvation. We used two experimental conditions. In the first condition, biofilms were grown and dispersed from the surface of airway epithelial cells, and the second condition was a model where biofilms were grown on glass in cell culture media supplemented with host-relevant iron sources. In both biofilm models, the respiratory inhibitors potassium cyanide and sodium azide each triggered biofilm dispersal. We hypothesized that cyanide-induced dispersal was due to respiratory inhibition rather than signaling via an alternative mechanism, and, indeed, if respiration was supported by overexpression of cyanide-insensitive oxidase, dispersal was prevented. Dispersal required the activity of the cyclic-di-GMP regulated protease LapG, reinforcing the role of matrix degradation in dispersal. Finally, we examined the roles of individual phosphodiesterases, previously implicated in dispersal to specific triggers, and found signaling to be highly redundant. Combined deletion of the phosphodiesterases dipA, bifA, and rbdA was required to attenuate the dispersal phenotype. In summary, this work adds insight into the physiology of biofilm dispersal under environmental conditions in which bacterial respiration is abruptly limited. IMPORTANCE The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa grows in biofilm communities that are very difficult to treat in human infections. Growing as a biofilm can protect bacteria from antibiotics and the immune system. Bacteria can leave a biofilm through a process called "dispersal." Dispersed bacteria seed new growth areas and are more susceptible to killing by antibiotics. The triggers for biofilm dispersal are not well understood, and if we understood dispersal better it might lead to the development of new treatments for infection. In this paper, we find that inhibiting P. aeurginosa's ability to respire (generate energy) can trigger dispersal from a biofilm grown in association with human respiratory epithelial cells in culture. The dispersal process requires a protease which is previously known to degrade the biofilm matrix. These findings give us a better understanding of how the biofilm dispersal process works so that future research can discover better ways of clearing bacteria growing in biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C. Zemke
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Emily J. D'Amico
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Angela M. Torres
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Grace P. Carreno-Florez
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Patrick Keeley
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Matt DuPont
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Naomi Kasturiarachi
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jennifer M. Bomberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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13
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Greenwich JL, Fleming D, Banin E, Häussler S, Kjellerup BV, Sauer K, Visick KL, Fuqua C. The biofilm community resurfaces: new findings and post-pandemic progress. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0016623. [PMID: 37756166 PMCID: PMC10601713 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00166-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The ninth American Society for Microbiology Conference on Biofilms was convened in-person on 13-17 November 2022 in Charlotte, NC. As the first of these conferences since prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the energy among the participants of the conference was clear, and the meeting was a tremendous success. The mixture of >330 oral and poster presentations resoundingly embodied the vitality of biofilm research across a wide range of topics and multiple scientific disciplines. Special activities, including a pre-conference symposium for early career researchers, further enhanced the attendee experience. As a general theme, the conference was deliberately structured to provide high levels of participation and engagement among early career scientists.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Derek Fleming
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ehud Banin
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | | | - Birthe V. Kjellerup
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Karin Sauer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Binghamton, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Karen L. Visick
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Clay Fuqua
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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14
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Kesthely CA, Rogers RR, El Hafi B, Jean-Pierre F, O’Toole GA. Transcriptional profiling and genetic analysis of a cystic fibrosis airway-relevant model shows asymmetric responses to growth in a polymicrobial community. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0220123. [PMID: 37772884 PMCID: PMC10580927 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02201-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial infections in the lungs of persons with cystic fibrosis are typically composed of multispecies biofilm-like communities, which modulate clinically relevant phenotypes that cannot be explained in the context of a single species culture. Most analyses to date provide a picture of the transcriptional responses of individual pathogens; however, there is relatively little data describing the transcriptional landscape of clinically relevant multispecies communities. Harnessing a previously described cystic fibrosis-relevant, polymicrobial community model consisting of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Prevotella melaninogenica, we performed an RNA-Seq analysis on the biofilm population to elucidate the transcriptional profiles of the community grown in artificial sputum medium (ASM) as compared to growth in monoculture, without mucin, and in fresh medium supplemented with tobramycin. We provide evidence that, although the transcriptional profile of P. aeruginosa is community agnostic, the transcriptomes of S. aureus and S. sanguinis are community aware. Furthermore, P. aeruginosa and P. melaninogenica are transcriptionally sensitive to the presence of mucin in ASM, whereas S. aureus and S. sanguinis largely do not alter their transcriptional profiles in the presence of mucin when grown in a community. Only P. aeruginosa shows a robust response to tobramycin. Genetic studies of mutants altered in community-specific growth provide complementary data regarding how these microbes adapt to a community context. IMPORTANCE Polymicrobial infections constitute the majority of infections in the cystic fibrosis (CF) airway, but their study has largely been neglected in a laboratory setting. Our lab previously reported a polymicrobial community that can help explain clinical outcomes in the lungs of persons with CF. Here, we obtained transcriptional profiles of the community versus monocultures to provide transcriptional information about how this model community responds to CF-related growth conditions and perturbations. Genetic studies provide complementary functional outputs to assess how the microbes adapt to life in a community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A. Kesthely
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Rendi R. Rogers
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Bassam El Hafi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Fabrice Jean-Pierre
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - George A. O’Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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15
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Poceviciute R, Bogatyrev SR, Romano AE, Dilmore AH, Mondragón-Palomino O, Takko H, Pradhan O, Ismagilov RF. Quantitative whole-tissue 3D imaging reveals bacteria in close association with mouse jejunum mucosa. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2023; 9:64. [PMID: 37679412 PMCID: PMC10485000 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-023-00423-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Because the small intestine (SI) epithelium lacks a thick protective mucus layer, microbes that colonize the thin SI mucosa may exert a substantial effect on the host. For example, bacterial colonization of the human SI may contribute to environmental enteropathy dysfunction (EED) in malnourished children. Thus far, potential bacterial colonization of the mucosal surface of the SI has only been documented in disease states, suggesting mucosal colonization is rare, likely requiring multiple perturbations. Furthermore, conclusive proof of bacterial colonization of the SI mucosal surface is challenging, and the three-dimensional (3D) spatial structure of mucosal colonies remains unknown. Here, we tested whether we could induce dense bacterial association with jejunum mucosa by subjecting mice to a combination of malnutrition and oral co-gavage with a bacterial cocktail (E. coli and Bacteroides spp.) known to induce EED. To visualize these events, we optimized our previously developed whole-tissue 3D imaging tools with third-generation hybridization chain reaction (HCR v3.0) probes. Only in mice that were malnourished and gavaged with the bacterial cocktail did we detect dense bacterial clusters surrounding intestinal villi suggestive of colonization. Furthermore, in these mice we detected villus loss, which may represent one possible consequence that bacterial colonization of the SI mucosa has on the host. Our results suggest that dense bacterial colonization of jejunum mucosa is possible in the presence of multiple perturbations and that whole-tissue 3D imaging tools can enable the study of these rare events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Poceviciute
- Division of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Said R Bogatyrev
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Medically Associated Science and Technology Program, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anna E Romano
- Division of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Amanda H Dilmore
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Program, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Octavio Mondragón-Palomino
- Division of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Heli Takko
- Division of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ojas Pradhan
- Division of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Rustem F Ismagilov
- Division of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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16
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Perry EK, Tan MW. Bacterial biofilms in the human body: prevalence and impacts on health and disease. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1237164. [PMID: 37712058 PMCID: PMC10499362 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1237164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms can be found in most environments on our planet, and the human body is no exception. Consisting of microbial cells encased in a matrix of extracellular polymers, biofilms enable bacteria to sequester themselves in favorable niches, while also increasing their ability to resist numerous stresses and survive under hostile circumstances. In recent decades, biofilms have increasingly been recognized as a major contributor to the pathogenesis of chronic infections. However, biofilms also occur in or on certain tissues in healthy individuals, and their constituent species are not restricted to canonical pathogens. In this review, we discuss the evidence for where, when, and what types of biofilms occur in the human body, as well as the diverse ways in which they can impact host health under homeostatic and dysbiotic states.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Man-Wah Tan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, United States
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17
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Thalhammer KO, Newman DK. A phenazine-inspired framework for identifying biological functions of microbial redox-active metabolites. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 75:102320. [PMID: 37201291 PMCID: PMC10524139 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
While the list of small molecules known to be secreted by environmental microbes continues to grow, our understanding of their in situ biological functions remains minimal. The time has come to develop a framework to parse the meaning of these "secondary metabolites," which are ecologically ubiquitous and have direct applications in medicine and biotechnology. Here, we focus on a particular subset of molecules, redox active metabolites (RAMs), and review the well-studied phenazines as archetypes of this class. We argue that efforts to characterize the chemical, physical and biological makeup of the microenvironments, wherein these molecules are produced, coupled with measurements of the molecules' basic chemical properties, will enable significant progress in understanding the precise roles of novel RAMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Korbinian O Thalhammer
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Dianne K Newman
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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18
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Lewin GR, Kapur A, Cornforth DM, Duncan RP, Diggle FL, Moustafa DA, Harrison SA, Skaar EP, Chazin WJ, Goldberg JB, Bomberger JM, Whiteley M. Application of a quantitative framework to improve the accuracy of a bacterial infection model. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221542120. [PMID: 37126703 PMCID: PMC10175807 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221542120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Laboratory models are critical to basic and translational microbiology research. Models serve multiple purposes, from providing tractable systems to study cell biology to allowing the investigation of inaccessible clinical and environmental ecosystems. Although there is a recognized need for improved model systems, there is a gap in rational approaches to accomplish this goal. We recently developed a framework for assessing the accuracy of microbial models by quantifying how closely each gene is expressed in the natural environment and in various models. The accuracy of the model is defined as the percentage of genes that are similarly expressed in the natural environment and the model. Here, we leverage this framework to develop and validate two generalizable approaches for improving model accuracy, and as proof of concept, we apply these approaches to improve models of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infecting the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. First, we identify two models, an in vitro synthetic CF sputum medium model (SCFM2) and an epithelial cell model, that accurately recapitulate different gene sets. By combining these models, we developed the epithelial cell-SCFM2 model which improves the accuracy of over 500 genes. Second, to improve the accuracy of specific genes, we mined publicly available transcriptome data, which identified zinc limitation as a cue present in the CF lung and absent in SCFM2. Induction of zinc limitation in SCFM2 resulted in accurate expression of 90% of P. aeruginosa genes. These approaches provide generalizable, quantitative frameworks for microbiological model improvement that can be applied to any system of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina R. Lewin
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
| | - Ananya Kapur
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15219
| | - Daniel M. Cornforth
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
| | - Rebecca P. Duncan
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA30322
| | - Frances L. Diggle
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
| | - Dina A. Moustafa
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA30322
| | - Simone A. Harrison
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
| | - Eric P. Skaar
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN37232
| | - Walter J. Chazin
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
| | - Joanna B. Goldberg
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA30322
| | - Jennifer M. Bomberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15219
| | - Marvin Whiteley
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332
- Emory-Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA30332
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19
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Jean-Pierre F, Hampton TH, Schultz D, Hogan DA, Groleau MC, Déziel E, O'Toole GA. Community composition shapes microbial-specific phenotypes in a cystic fibrosis polymicrobial model system. eLife 2023; 12:81604. [PMID: 36661299 PMCID: PMC9897730 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Interspecies interactions can drive the emergence of unexpected microbial phenotypes that are not observed when studying monocultures. The cystic fibrosis (CF) lung consists of a complex environment where microbes, living as polymicrobial biofilm-like communities, are associated with negative clinical outcomes for persons with CF (pwCF). However, the current lack of in vitro models integrating the microbial diversity observed in the CF airway hampers our understanding of why polymicrobial communities are recalcitrant to therapy in this disease. Here, integrating computational approaches informed by clinical data, we built a mixed community of clinical relevance to the CF lung composed of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Prevotella melaninogenica. We developed and validated this model biofilm community with multiple isolates of these four genera. When challenged with tobramycin, a front-line antimicrobial used to treat pwCF, the microorganisms in the polymicrobial community show altered sensitivity to this antibiotic compared to monospecies biofilms. We observed that wild-type P. aeruginosa is sensitized to tobramycin in a mixed community versus monoculture, and this observation holds across a range of community relative abundances. We also report that LasR loss-of-function, a variant frequently detected in the CF airway, drives tolerance of P. aeruginosa to tobramycin specifically in the mixed community. Our data suggest that the molecular basis of this community-specific recalcitrance to tobramycin for the P. aeruginosa lasR mutant is increased production of phenazines. Our work supports the importance of studying a clinically relevant model of polymicrobial biofilms to understand community-specific traits relevant to infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Jean-Pierre
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at DartmouthHanoverUnited States
| | - Thomas H Hampton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at DartmouthHanoverUnited States
| | - Daniel Schultz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at DartmouthHanoverUnited States
| | - Deborah A Hogan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at DartmouthHanoverUnited States
| | - Marie-Christine Groleau
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche ScientifiqueLavalCanada
| | - Eric Déziel
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche ScientifiqueLavalCanada
| | - George A O'Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at DartmouthHanoverUnited States
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20
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Wilbert SA, Newman DK. The contrasting roles of nitric oxide drive microbial community organization as a function of oxygen presence. Curr Biol 2022; 32:5221-5234.e4. [PMID: 36306787 PMCID: PMC9772256 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Microbial assemblages are omnipresent in the biosphere, forming communities on the surfaces of roots and rocks and within living tissues. These communities can exhibit strikingly beautiful compositional structures, with certain members reproducibly occupying particular spatiotemporal microniches. Despite this reproducibility, we lack the ability to explain these spatial patterns. We hypothesize that certain spatial patterns in microbial communities may be explained by the exchange of redox-active metabolites whose biological function is sensitive to microenvironmental gradients. To test this, we developed a simple community consisting of synthetic Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains with a partitioned denitrification pathway: a strict consumer and strict producer of nitric oxide (NO), a key pathway intermediate. Because NO can be both toxic or beneficial depending on the amount of oxygen present, this system provided an opportunity to investigate whether dynamic oxygen gradients can tune metabolic cross-feeding and fitness outcomes in a predictable fashion. Using a combination of genetic analysis, controlled growth environments, and imaging, we show that oxygen availability dictates whether NO cross-feeding is deleterious or mutually beneficial and that this organizing principle maps to the microscale. More generally, this work underscores the importance of considering the double-edged and microenvironmentally tuned roles redox-active metabolites can play in shaping microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Wilbert
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Dianne K Newman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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21
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Morris AJ, Yau YCW, Park S, Eisha S, McDonald N, Parsek MR, Howell PL, Hoffman LR, Nguyen D, DiGiandomenico A, Rooney AM, Coburn B, Grana-Miraglia L, Wang P, Guttman DS, Wozniak DJ, Waters VJ. Pseudomonas aeruginosa aggregation and Psl expression in sputum is associated with antibiotic eradication failure in children with cystic fibrosis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21444. [PMID: 36509824 PMCID: PMC9744911 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25889-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that P. aeruginosa isolates that persisted in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) despite inhaled tobramycin treatment had increased anti-Psl antibody binding in vitro compared to those successfully eradicated. We aimed to validate these findings by directly visualizing P. aeruginosa in CF sputum. This was a prospective observational study of children with CF with new-onset P. aeruginosa infection who underwent inhaled tobramycin eradication treatment. Using microbial identification passive clarity technique (MiPACT), P. aeruginosa was visualized in sputum samples obtained before treatment and classified as persistent or eradicated based on outcomes. Pre-treatment isolates were also grown as biofilms in vitro. Of 11 patients enrolled, 4 developed persistent infection and 7 eradicated infection. P. aeruginosa biovolume and the number as well as size of P. aeruginosa aggregates were greater in the sputum of those with persistent compared with eradicated infections (p < 0.01). The amount of Psl antibody binding in sputum was also greater overall (p < 0.05) in samples with increased P. aeruginosa biovolume. When visualized in sputum, P. aeruginosa had a greater biovolume, with more expressed Psl, and formed more numerous, larger aggregates in CF children who failed eradication therapy compared to those who successfully cleared their infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J Morris
- Translational Medicine, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yvonne C W Yau
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Subin Park
- Translational Medicine, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Shafinaz Eisha
- Translational Medicine, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nancy McDonald
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew R Parsek
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - P Lynne Howell
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lucas R Hoffman
- Departments of Pediatrics and Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dao Nguyen
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Antonio DiGiandomenico
- Vaccines and Immune Therapies, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Ashley M Rooney
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bryan Coburn
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lucia Grana-Miraglia
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Pauline Wang
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David S Guttman
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel J Wozniak
- Departments of Microbial Infection and Immunity, Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Valerie J Waters
- Translational Medicine, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
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22
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Armbruster CR, Li K, Kiedrowski MR, Zemke AC, Melvin JA, Moore J, Atteih S, Fitch AC, DuPont M, Manko CD, Weaver ML, Gaston JR, Alcorn JF, Morris A, Methé BA, Lee SE, Bomberger JM. Low Diversity and Instability of the Sinus Microbiota over Time in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0125122. [PMID: 36094193 PMCID: PMC9603634 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01251-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common, yet underreported and understudied manifestation of upper respiratory disease in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Recently developed standard of care guidelines for the management of CF CRS suggest treatment of upper airway disease may ameliorate lower airway disease. We sought to determine whether changes to sinus microbial community diversity and specific taxa known to cause CF lung disease are associated with increased respiratory disease and inflammation. We performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing, supplemented with cytokine analyses, microscopy, and bacterial culturing, on samples from the sinuses of 27 adults with CF CRS. At each study visit, participants underwent endoscopic paranasal sinus sampling and clinical evaluation. We identified key drivers of microbial community composition and evaluated relationships between diversity and taxa with disease outcomes and inflammation. Sinus community diversity was low, and the composition was unstable, with many participants exhibiting alternating dominance between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococci over time. Despite a tendency for dominance by these two taxa, communities were highly individualized and shifted composition during exacerbation of sinus disease symptoms. Exacerbations were also associated with communities dominated by Staphylococcus spp. Reduced microbial community diversity was linked to worse sinus disease and the inflammatory status of the sinuses (including increased interleukin-1β [IL-1β]). Increased IL-1β was also linked to worse sinus endoscopic appearance, and other cytokines were linked to microbial community dynamics. Our work revealed previously unknown instability of sinus microbial communities and a link between inflammation, lack of microbial community diversity, and worse sinus disease. IMPORTANCE Together with prior sinus microbiota studies of adults with CF chronic rhinosinusitis, our study underscores similarities between sinus and lower respiratory tract microbial community structures in CF. We show how community structure tracks with inflammation and several disease measures. This work strongly suggests that clinical management of CRS could be leveraged to improve overall respiratory health in CF. Our work implicates elevated IL-1β in reduced microbiota diversity and worse sinus disease in CF CRS, suggesting applications for existing therapies targeting IL-1β. Finally, the widespread use of highly effective cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator therapy has led to less frequent availability of spontaneous expectorated sputum for microbiological surveillance of lung infections. A better understanding of CF sinus microbiology could provide a much-needed alternative site for monitoring respiratory infection status by important CF pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine R. Armbruster
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kelvin Li
- Center for Medicine and the Microbiome, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Megan R. Kiedrowski
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Anna C. Zemke
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jeffrey A. Melvin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John Moore
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Samar Atteih
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Adam C. Fitch
- Center for Medicine and the Microbiome, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Matthew DuPont
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christopher D. Manko
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Madison L. Weaver
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jordon R. Gaston
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John F. Alcorn
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alison Morris
- Center for Medicine and the Microbiome, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Barbara A. Methé
- Center for Medicine and the Microbiome, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Stella E. Lee
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jennifer M. Bomberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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23
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Spero MA, Jones J, Lomenick B, Chou TF, Newman DK. Mechanisms of chlorate toxicity and resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mol Microbiol 2022; 118:321-335. [PMID: 36271736 PMCID: PMC9589919 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that often encounters hypoxic/anoxic environments within the host, which increases its tolerance to many conventional antibiotics. Toward identifying novel treatments, we explored the therapeutic potential of chlorate, a pro-drug that kills hypoxic/anoxic, antibiotic-tolerant P. aeruginosa populations. While chlorate itself is relatively nontoxic, it is enzymatically reduced to the toxic oxidizing agent, chlorite, by hypoxically induced nitrate reductase. To better assess chlorate's therapeutic potential, we investigated mechanisms of chlorate toxicity and resistance in P. aeruginosa. We used transposon mutagenesis to identify genes that alter P. aeruginosa fitness during chlorate treatment, finding that methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msr), which repair oxidized methionine residues, support survival during chlorate stress. Chlorate treatment leads to proteome-wide methionine oxidation, which is exacerbated in a ∆msrA∆msrB strain. In response to chlorate, P. aeruginosa upregulates proteins involved in a wide range of functions, including metabolism, DNA replication/repair, protein repair, transcription, and translation, and these newly synthesized proteins are particularly vulnerable to methionine oxidation. The addition of exogenous methionine partially rescues P. aeruginosa survival during chlorate treatment, suggesting that widespread methionine oxidation contributes to death. Finally, we found that mutations that decrease nitrate reductase activity are a common mechanism of chlorate resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie A. Spero
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Present address: Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Jeff Jones
- Proteome Exploration Laboratory, Beckman Institute, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Brett Lomenick
- Proteome Exploration Laboratory, Beckman Institute, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Tsui-Fen Chou
- Proteome Exploration Laboratory, Beckman Institute, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Dianne K. Newman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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24
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Crisan CV, Goldberg JB. Antibacterial contact-dependent proteins secreted by Gram-negative cystic fibrosis respiratory pathogens. Trends Microbiol 2022; 30:986-996. [PMID: 35487848 PMCID: PMC9474641 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that affects almost 100 000 people worldwide. CF patients suffer from chronic bacterial airway infections that are often polymicrobial and are the leading cause of mortality. Interactions between pathogens modulate expression of genes responsible for virulence and antibiotic resistance. One of the ways bacteria can interact is through contact-dependent systems, which secrete antibacterial proteins (effectors) that confer advantages to cells that harbor them. Here, we highlight recent work that describes effectors used by Gram-negative CF pathogens to eliminate competitor bacteria. Understanding the mechanisms of secreted effectors may lead to novel insights into the ecology of bacteria that colonize respiratory tracts and could also pave the way for the design of new therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian V Crisan
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Emory+Children's Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airway Disease Research, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joanna B Goldberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Emory+Children's Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airway Disease Research, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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25
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Ciofu O, Moser C, Jensen PØ, Høiby N. Tolerance and resistance of microbial biofilms. Nat Rev Microbiol 2022; 20:621-635. [PMID: 35115704 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-022-00682-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 166.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Chronic infections caused by microbial biofilms represent an important clinical challenge. The recalcitrance of microbial biofilms to antimicrobials and to the immune system is a major cause of persistence and clinical recurrence of these infections. In this Review, we present the extent of the clinical problem, and the mechanisms underlying the tolerance of biofilms to antibiotics and to host responses. We also explore the role of biofilms in the development of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oana Ciofu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Claus Moser
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Østrup Jensen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Høiby
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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26
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Li Y, Liu S, Zhang Y, Seng ZJ, Xu H, Yang L, Wu Y. Self-organized canals enable long-range directed material transport in bacterial communities. eLife 2022; 11:e79780. [PMID: 36154945 PMCID: PMC9633063 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-range material transport is essential to maintain the physiological functions of multicellular organisms such as animals and plants. By contrast, material transport in bacteria is often short-ranged and limited by diffusion. Here, we report a unique form of actively regulated long-range directed material transport in structured bacterial communities. Using Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonies as a model system, we discover that a large-scale and temporally evolving open-channel system spontaneously develops in the colony via shear-induced banding. Fluid flows in the open channels support high-speed (up to 450 µm/s) transport of cells and outer membrane vesicles over centimeters, and help to eradicate colonies of a competing species Staphylococcus aureus. The open channels are reminiscent of human-made canals for cargo transport, and the channel flows are driven by interfacial tension mediated by cell-secreted biosurfactants. The spatial-temporal dynamics of fluid flows in the open channels are qualitatively described by flow profile measurement and mathematical modeling. Our findings demonstrate that mechanochemical coupling between interfacial force and biosurfactant kinetics can coordinate large-scale material transport in primitive life forms, suggesting a new principle to engineer self-organized microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Li
- Department of Physics and Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Shiqi Liu
- Department of Physics and Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Yingdan Zhang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenChina
| | - Zi Jing Seng
- Singapore Center for Environmental Life Science Engineering, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Haoran Xu
- Department of Physics and Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Liang Yang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenChina
| | - Yilin Wu
- Department of Physics and Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
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27
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LiPuma JJ. The Sense and Nonsense of Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing in Cystic Fibrosis. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2022; 11:S46-S52. [PMID: 36069902 DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piac040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) has been used to guide therapy of airway infection in persons with cystic fibrosis (CF) for decades. However, evidence that AST adds benefit to treatment outcomes in CF is lacking. In fact, the routine use of AST has potential to exacerbate inappropriate antibiotic use. Several features of airway infection in CF contribute to the limitations of AST in predicting treatment outcomes, providing rationale for abandoning this practice altogether. Other features of CF infection suggest, however, that select use of AST can provide worthwhile guidance to antibiotic selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J LiPuma
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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28
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Greenwald MA, Wolfgang MC. The changing landscape of the cystic fibrosis lung environment: From the perspective of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2022; 65:102262. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2022.102262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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29
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Visualization of mRNA Expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Aggregates Reveals Spatial Patterns of Fermentative and Denitrifying Metabolism. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0043922. [PMID: 35586988 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00439-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Gaining insight into the behavior of bacteria at the single-cell level is important given that heterogeneous microenvironments strongly influence microbial physiology. The hybridization chain reaction (HCR) is a technique that provides in situ molecular signal amplification, enabling simultaneous mapping of multiple target RNAs at small spatial scales. To refine this method for biofilm applications, we designed and validated new probes to visualize the expression of key catabolic genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa aggregates. In addition to using existing probes for the dissimilatory nitrate reductase (narG), we developed probes for a terminal oxidase (ccoN1), nitrite reductase (nirS), nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ), and acetate kinase (ackA). These probes can be used to determine gene expression levels across heterogeneous populations such as biofilms. Using these probes, we quantified gene expression across oxygen gradients in aggregate populations grown using the agar block biofilm assay (ABBA). We observed distinct patterns of catabolic gene expression, with upregulation occurring in particular ABBA regions both within individual aggregates and over the aggregate population. Aerobic respiration (ccoN1) showed peak expression under oxic conditions, whereas fermentation (ackA) showed peak expression in the anoxic cores of high metabolic activity aggregates near the air-agar interface. Denitrification genes narG, nirS, and nosZ showed peak expression in hypoxic and anoxic regions, although nirS expression remained at peak levels deeper into anoxic environments than other denitrification genes. These results reveal that the microenvironment correlates with catabolic gene expression in aggregates, and they demonstrate the utility of HCR in unveiling cellular activities at the microscale level in heterogeneous populations. IMPORTANCE To understand bacteria in diverse contexts, we must understand the variations in behaviors and metabolisms they express spatiotemporally. Populations of bacteria are known to be heterogeneous, but the ways this variation manifests can be challenging to characterize due to technical limitations. By focusing on energy conservation, we demonstrate that HCR v3.0 can visualize nuances in gene expression, allowing us to understand how metabolism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms responds to microenvironmental variation at high spatial resolution. We validated probes for four catabolic genes, including a constitutively expressed oxidase, acetate kinase, nitrite reductase, and nitrous oxide reductase. We showed that the genes for different modes of metabolism are expressed in overlapping but distinct subpopulations according to oxygen concentrations in a predictable fashion. The spatial transcriptomic technique described here has the potential to be used to map microbial activities across diverse environments.
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30
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Meirelles LA, Newman DK. Phenazines and toxoflavin act as interspecies modulators of resilience to diverse antibiotics. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:1384-1404. [PMID: 35510686 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial opportunistic pathogens make diverse secondary metabolites both in the natural environment and when causing infections, yet how these molecules mediate microbial interactions and their consequences for antibiotic treatment are still poorly understood. Here, we explore the role of three redox-active secondary metabolites, pyocyanin, phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and toxoflavin, as interspecies modulators of antibiotic resilience. We find that these molecules dramatically change susceptibility levels of diverse bacteria to clinical antibiotics. Pyocyanin and phenazine-1-carboxylic acid are made by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while toxoflavin is made by Burkholderia gladioli, organisms that infect cystic fibrosis and other immunocompromised patients. All molecules alter the susceptibility profile of pathogenic species within the "Burkholderia cepacia complex" to different antibiotics, either antagonizing or potentiating their effects, depending on the drug's class. Defense responses regulated by the redox-sensitive transcription factor SoxR potentiate the antagonistic effects these metabolites have against fluoroquinolones, and the presence of genes encoding SoxR and the efflux systems it regulates can be used to predict how these metabolites will affect antibiotic susceptibility of different bacteria. Finally, we demonstrate that inclusion of secondary metabolites in standard protocols used to assess antibiotic resistance can dramatically alter the results, motivating the development of new tests for more accurate clinical assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas A Meirelles
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91125, USA
| | - Dianne K Newman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91125, USA.,Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91125, USA
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31
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Three-dimensional imaging for the quantification of spatial patterns in microbiota of the intestinal mucosa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2118483119. [PMID: 35476531 PMCID: PMC9171773 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2118483119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Many human diseases are causally linked to the gut microbiota, yet the field still lacks mechanistic understanding of the underlying complex interactions, because existing tools cannot simultaneously quantify microbial communities and their native context. In this work, we provide an approach to tissue clearing and preservation that enables 3D visualization of the biogeography of the host–microbiota interface. We combine this tool with sequencing and multiplexed microbial labeling to provide the field with a platform on which to discover patterns in the spatial distribution of microbes. We validated this platform by quantifying bacterial distribution in cecal mucosa at different stages of antibiotic exposure. This approach may enable researchers to formulate and test new hypotheses about host–microbe and microbe–microbe interactions. Improving our understanding of host–microbe relationships in the gut requires the ability to both visualize and quantify the spatial organization of microbial communities in their native orientation with the host tissue. We developed a systematic procedure to quantify the three-dimensional (3D) spatial structure of the native mucosal microbiota in any part of the intestines with taxonomic and high spatial resolution. We performed a 3D biogeographical analysis of the microbiota of mouse cecal crypts at different stages of antibiotic exposure. By tracking eubacteria and four dominant bacterial taxa, we found that the colonization of crypts by native bacteria is a dynamic and spatially organized process. Ciprofloxacin treatment drastically reduced bacterial loads and eliminated Muribaculaceae (or all Bacteroidetes entirely) even 10 d after recovery when overall bacterial loads returned to preantibiotic levels. Our 3D quantitative imaging approach revealed that the bacterial colonization of crypts is organized in a spatial pattern that consists of clusters of adjacent colonized crypts that are surrounded by unoccupied crypts, and that this spatial pattern is resistant to the elimination of Muribaculaceae or of all Bacteroidetes by ciprofloxacin. Our approach also revealed that the composition of cecal crypt communities is diverse and that Lactobacilli were found closer to the lumen than Bacteroidetes, Ruminococcaceae, and Lachnospiraceae, regardless of antibiotic exposure. Finally, we found that crypts communities with similar taxonomic composition were physically closer to each other than communities that were taxonomically different.
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Zhao J, He D, Lai HM, Xu Y, Luo Y, Li T, Liang J, Yang X, Guo L, Ke Y, Zhou H, Wu W, Guo H, Sun H. Comprehensive histological imaging of native microbiota in human glioma. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2022; 15:e202100351. [PMID: 34936211 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202100351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that distinct microbial communities reside in tumors and play important roles in tumor physiology. Recently, a previous study profiled the composition and localization of intratumoral bacteria using 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing and histological visualization methods across seven tumor types, including human glioblastoma. However, their results based on traditional histological examinations should be further validated considering potential sources of contamination originating from sample collection and processing. Here, we aim to propose a three-dimensional (3D) in situ intratumoral microbiota visualization and quantification protocol avoiding surface contamination and provide a comprehensive histological investigation on local bacteria within human glioma samples. We develop a 3D quantitative in situ intratumoral microbiota imaging strategy, combining tissue clearing, immunofluorescent labeling, optical sectioning microscopy, and image processing, to visualize bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) within gliomas in a direct, contaminant-free, and unambiguous manner. Through an automated statistical algorithm, reliable signals can be distinguished for further analysis of their sizes, distribution, and fluorescence intensities. In tandem, we also combined 2D images obtained from thin-section histological methods, including immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization, to provide comprehensive histological imaging for local bacterial components within human glioma samples. We have, for the first time, achieved 3D quantitative imaging of bacterial LPS colonized in gliomas in a contamination-free manner within human glioma samples. We also built the multiple histological evidence chain demonstrating the irregular shapes and sparse distribution of bacterial components within human glioma samples, mostly localized near nuclear membranes or in the intercellular space. This study provides favorable evidence for the presence of microbiota in human gliomas and provides information on the feature and distribution of bacterial components. The results, along with the integrated 3D quantitative intratumoral microbiota imaging method, are promising to provide insightful information into the direct interactions between the microbial community and the host in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Zhao
- Neurosurgery Centre, The National Key Clinical Specialty, The Engineering Technology Research Centre of Education Ministry of China on Diagnosis and Treatment of Cerebrovascular Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, The Neurosurgery Institute of Guangdong Province, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Clinical Biobank Centre, Microbiome Medicine Centre, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dian He
- Neurosurgery Centre, The National Key Clinical Specialty, The Engineering Technology Research Centre of Education Ministry of China on Diagnosis and Treatment of Cerebrovascular Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, The Neurosurgery Institute of Guangdong Province, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hei Ming Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Yingying Xu
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Image Processing, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunhao Luo
- Clinical Biobank Centre, Microbiome Medicine Centre, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Li
- Neurosurgery Centre, The National Key Clinical Specialty, The Engineering Technology Research Centre of Education Ministry of China on Diagnosis and Treatment of Cerebrovascular Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, The Neurosurgery Institute of Guangdong Province, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianhao Liang
- Neurosurgery Centre, The National Key Clinical Specialty, The Engineering Technology Research Centre of Education Ministry of China on Diagnosis and Treatment of Cerebrovascular Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, The Neurosurgery Institute of Guangdong Province, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaodu Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Image Processing, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Linlang Guo
- Department of Pathology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiquan Ke
- Neurosurgery Centre, The National Key Clinical Specialty, The Engineering Technology Research Centre of Education Ministry of China on Diagnosis and Treatment of Cerebrovascular Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, The Neurosurgery Institute of Guangdong Province, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongwei Zhou
- Clinical Biobank Centre, Microbiome Medicine Centre, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wutian Wu
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration (GHMICR), Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Re-Stem Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Suzhou, China
| | - Hongbo Guo
- Neurosurgery Centre, The National Key Clinical Specialty, The Engineering Technology Research Centre of Education Ministry of China on Diagnosis and Treatment of Cerebrovascular Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, The Neurosurgery Institute of Guangdong Province, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haitao Sun
- Neurosurgery Centre, The National Key Clinical Specialty, The Engineering Technology Research Centre of Education Ministry of China on Diagnosis and Treatment of Cerebrovascular Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, The Neurosurgery Institute of Guangdong Province, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Clinical Biobank Centre, Microbiome Medicine Centre, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Centre for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Jo J, Price-Whelan A, Dietrich LEP. Gradients and consequences of heterogeneity in biofilms. Nat Rev Microbiol 2022; 20:593-607. [PMID: 35149841 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-022-00692-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Historically, appreciation for the roles of resource gradients in biology has fluctuated inversely to the popularity of genetic mechanisms. Nevertheless, in microbiology specifically, widespread recognition of the multicellular lifestyle has recently brought new emphasis to the importance of resource gradients. Most microorganisms grow in assemblages such as biofilms or spatially constrained communities with gradients that influence, and are influenced by, metabolism. In this Review, we discuss examples of gradient formation and physiological differentiation in microbial assemblages growing in diverse settings. We highlight consequences of physiological heterogeneity in microbial assemblages, including division of labour and increased resistance to stress. Our impressions of microbial behaviour in various ecosystems are not complete without complementary maps of the chemical and physical geographies that influence cellular activities. A holistic view, incorporating these geographies and the genetically encoded functions that operate within them, will be essential for understanding microbial assemblages in their many roles and potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanyoung Jo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexa Price-Whelan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lars E P Dietrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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Azimi S, Lewin GR, Whiteley M. The biogeography of infection revisited. Nat Rev Microbiol 2022; 20:579-592. [PMID: 35136217 PMCID: PMC9357866 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-022-00683-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Many microbial communities, including those involved in chronic human infections, are patterned at the micron scale. In this Review, we summarize recent work that has defined the spatial arrangement of microorganisms in infection and begun to demonstrate how changes in spatial patterning correlate with disease. Advances in microscopy have refined our understanding of microbial micron-scale biogeography in samples from humans. These findings then serve as a benchmark for studying the role of spatial patterning in preclinical models, which provide experimental versatility to investigate the interplay between biogeography and pathogenesis. Experimentation using preclinical models has begun to show how spatial patterning influences the interactions between cells, their ability to coexist, their virulence and their recalcitrance to treatment. Future work to study the role of biogeography in infection and the functional biogeography of microorganisms will further refine our understanding of the interplay of spatial patterning, pathogen virulence and disease outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheyda Azimi
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Gina R Lewin
- Emory-Children's Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Soil bacteria protect fungi from phenazines by acting as toxin sponges. Curr Biol 2022; 32:275-288.e5. [PMID: 34813731 PMCID: PMC8792240 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Many environmentally and clinically important fungi are sensitive to toxic, bacterially produced, redox-active molecules called phenazines. Despite being vulnerable to phenazine assault, fungi inhabit microbial communities that contain phenazine producers. Because many fungi cannot withstand phenazine challenge but some bacterial species can, we hypothesized that bacterial partners may protect fungi in phenazine-replete environments. From a single soil sample, we were able to co-isolate several such physically associated pairings. We discovered the novel species Paraburkholderia edwinii and demonstrated it can protect a co-isolated Aspergillus species from phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) by sequestering it, acting as a toxin sponge; in turn, it also gains protection. When challenged with PCA, P. edwinii changes its morphology, forming aggregates within the growing fungal colony. Further, the fungal partner triggers P. edwinii to sequester PCA and maintains conditions that limit PCA toxicity by promoting an anoxic and highly reducing environment. A mutagenic screen of P. edwinii revealed this protective program depends on the stress-inducible transcriptional repressor HrcA. We show that one relevant stressor in response to PCA challenge is fungal acidification and that acid stress causes P. edwinii to behave as though the fungus were present. Finally, we reveal this phenomenon as widespread among Paraburkholderia with moderate specificity among bacterial and fungal partners, including plant and human pathogens. Our discovery suggests a common mechanism by which fungi can gain access to phenazine-replete environments and provides a tractable model system for its study. These results have implications for how microbial communities in the rhizosphere as well as in plant and human infection sites negotiate community membership via a chemical dialectic.
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Kolpen M, Kragh KN, Enciso JB, Faurholt-Jepsen D, Lindegaard B, Egelund GB, Jensen AV, Ravn P, Mathiesen IHM, Gheorge AG, Hertz FB, Qvist T, Whiteley M, Jensen PØ, Bjarnsholt T. Bacterial biofilms predominate in both acute and chronic human lung infections. Thorax 2022; 77:1015-1022. [PMID: 35017313 PMCID: PMC9510407 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2021-217576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Background A basic paradigm of human infection is that acute bacterial disease is caused by fast growing planktonic bacteria while chronic infections are caused by slow-growing, aggregated bacteria, a phenomenon known as a biofilm. For lung infections, this paradigm has been thought to be supported by observations of how bacteria proliferate in well-established growth media in the laboratory—the gold standard of microbiology. Objective To investigate the bacterial architecture in sputum from patients with acute and chronic lung infections. Methods Advanced imaging technology was used for quantification and direct comparison of infection types on fresh sputum samples, thereby directly testing the acute versus chronic paradigm. Results In this study, we compared the bacterial lifestyle (planktonic or biofilm), growth rate and inflammatory response of bacteria in freshly collected sputum (n=43) from patient groups presenting with acute or chronic lung infections. We found that both acute and chronic lung infections are dominated by biofilms (aggregates of bacteria within an extracellular matrix), although planktonic cells were observed in both sample types. Bacteria grew faster in sputum from acute infections, but these fast-growing bacteria were enriched in biofilms similar to the architecture thought to be reserved for chronic infections. Cellular inflammation in the lungs was also similar across patient groups, but systemic inflammatory markers were only elevated in acute infections. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the current paradigm of equating planktonic with acute and biofilm with chronic infection needs to be revisited as the difference lies primarily in metabolic rates, not bacterial architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mette Kolpen
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kasper Nørskov Kragh
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Juan Barraza Enciso
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Daniel Faurholt-Jepsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Pulmonary and Infectious Diseases, Nordsjællands University Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Lindegaard
- Department of Pulmonary and Infectious Diseases, Nordsjællands University Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark
| | - Gertrud Baunbæk Egelund
- Department of Pulmonary and Infectious Diseases, Nordsjællands University Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark
| | | | - Pernille Ravn
- Department of Medicine Section for Infectious Diseases, Herlev-Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark
| | | | - Alexandra Gabriella Gheorge
- Department of Forensic Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Tavs Qvist
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marvin Whiteley
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Emory-Children's Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Peter Østrup Jensen
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Bjarnsholt
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark .,Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Lichtenberg M, Jakobsen TH, Kühl M, Kolpen M, Jensen PØ, Bjarnsholt T. OUP accepted manuscript. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6574409. [PMID: 35472245 PMCID: PMC9438473 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mads Lichtenberg
- Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, København, Denmark
| | - Tim Holm Jakobsen
- Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, København, Denmark
| | - Michael Kühl
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark
| | - Mette Kolpen
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Ole Maaløes vej 26, 2200, København, Denmark
| | - Peter Østrup Jensen
- Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, København, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Ole Maaløes vej 26, 2200, København, Denmark
| | - Thomas Bjarnsholt
- Corresponding author: Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, København, Denmark. Tel: +45 20659888; E-mail:
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Secor PR, Michaels LA, Bublitz DC, Jennings LK, Singh PK. The Depletion Mechanism Actuates Bacterial Aggregation by Exopolysaccharides and Determines Species Distribution & Composition in Bacterial Aggregates. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:869736. [PMID: 35782109 PMCID: PMC9243289 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.869736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria in natural environments and infections are often found in cell aggregates suspended in polymer-rich solutions, and aggregation can promote bacterial survival and stress resistance. One aggregation mechanism, called depletion aggregation, is driven by physical forces between bacteria and high concentrations of polymers in the environment rather than bacterial activity per se. As such, bacteria aggregated by the depletion mechanism will disperse when polymer concentrations fall unless other adhesion mechanisms supervene. Here we investigated whether the depletion mechanism can actuate the aggregating effects of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exopolysaccharides for suspended (i.e. not surface attached) bacteria, and how depletion affects bacterial inter-species interactions. We found that cells overexpressing the exopolysaccharides Pel and Psl remained aggregated after short periods of depletion aggregation whereas wild-type and mucoid P. aeruginosa did not. In co-culture, depletion aggregation had contrasting effects on P. aeruginosa's interactions with coccus- and rod-shaped bacteria. Depletion caused S. aureus (cocci) and P. aeruginosa (rods) to segregate from each other and S. aureus to resist secreted P. aeruginosa antimicrobial factors resulting in species co-existence. In contrast, depletion aggregation caused P. aeruginosa and Burkholderia sp. (both rods) to intermix, enhancing type VI secretion inhibition of Burkholderia by P. aeruginosa, leading to P. aeruginosa dominance. These results show that in addition to being a primary cause of aggregation in polymer-rich suspensions, physical forces inherent to the depletion mechanism can promote aggregation by some self-produced exopolysaccharides and determine species distribution and composition of bacterial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick R Secor
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Lia A Michaels
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - DeAnna C Bublitz
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Laura K Jennings
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Pradeep K Singh
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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Model Systems to Study the Chronic, Polymicrobial Infections in Cystic Fibrosis: Current Approaches and Exploring Future Directions. mBio 2021; 12:e0176321. [PMID: 34544277 PMCID: PMC8546538 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01763-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A recent workshop titled “Developing Models to Study Polymicrobial Infections,” sponsored by the Dartmouth Cystic Fibrosis Center (DartCF), explored the development of new models to study the polymicrobial infections associated with the airways of persons with cystic fibrosis (CF). The workshop gathered 35+ investigators over two virtual sessions. Here, we present the findings of this workshop, summarize some of the challenges involved with developing such models, and suggest three frameworks to tackle this complex problem. The frameworks proposed here, we believe, could be generally useful in developing new model systems for other infectious diseases. Developing and validating new approaches to study the complex polymicrobial communities in the CF airway could open windows to new therapeutics to treat these recalcitrant infections, as well as uncovering organizing principles applicable to chronic polymicrobial infections more generally.
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Armbruster CR, Marshall CW, Garber AI, Melvin JA, Zemke AC, Moore J, Zamora PF, Li K, Fritz IL, Manko CD, Weaver ML, Gaston JR, Morris A, Methé B, DePas WH, Lee SE, Cooper VS, Bomberger JM. Adaptation and genomic erosion in fragmented Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations in the sinuses of people with cystic fibrosis. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109829. [PMID: 34686349 PMCID: PMC8667756 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa notoriously adapts to the airways of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), yet how infection-site biogeography and associated evolutionary processes vary as lifelong infections progress remains unclear. Here we test the hypothesis that early adaptations promoting aggregation influence evolutionary-genetic trajectories by examining longitudinal P. aeruginosa from the sinuses of six adults with CF. Highly host-adapted lineages harbored mutator genotypes displaying signatures of early genome degradation associated with recent host restriction. Using an advanced imaging technique (MiPACT-HCR [microbial identification after passive clarity technique]), we find population structure tracks with genome degradation, with the most host-adapted, genome-degraded P. aeruginosa (the mutators) residing in small, sparse aggregates. We propose that following initial adaptive evolution in larger populations under strong selection for aggregation, P. aeruginosa persists in small, fragmented populations that experience stronger effects of genetic drift. These conditions enrich for mutators and promote degenerative genome evolution. Our findings underscore the importance of infection-site biogeography to pathogen evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine R Armbruster
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | | | - Arkadiy I Garber
- Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Melvin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Anna C Zemke
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - John Moore
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Paula F Zamora
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Kelvin Li
- Center for Medicine and the Microbiome, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Ian L Fritz
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Christopher D Manko
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Madison L Weaver
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Jordan R Gaston
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Alison Morris
- Center for Medicine and the Microbiome, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Barbara Methé
- Center for Medicine and the Microbiome, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - William H DePas
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Stella E Lee
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.
| | - Vaughn S Cooper
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; Center for Medicine and the Microbiome, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology & Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.
| | - Jennifer M Bomberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.
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Bjarnsholt T, Whiteley M, Rumbaugh KP, Stewart PS, Jensen PØ, Frimodt-Møller N. The importance of understanding the infectious microenvironment. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2021; 22:e88-e92. [PMID: 34506737 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(21)00122-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Standard doses of antibiotics do not efficiently treat chronic infections of the soft tissue and bone. In this Personal View, we advocate for improving treatment of these infections by taking the infectious microenvironment into account. The infectious microenvironment can cause sensitive bacteria to lose their susceptibility to antibiotics that are effective in standard laboratory susceptibility testing. We propose that bacteria behave substantially different in standard laboratory conditions than they do in actual infections. The infectious microenvironment could impose changes in growth and metabolic activity that result in increased protection against antibiotics. Therefore, we advocate that improved antibiotic treatment of chronic infection is achievable when antibiotics are recommended on the basis of susceptibility testing in relevant in vitro conditions that resemble actual infectious microenvironments. We recommend establishing knowledge of the relevant conditions of the chemical and physical composition of the infectious microenvironment. Recent advances in RNA sequencing, metabolomics, and microscopy have made it possible for the characterisation of the microenvironment of infections and to validate the clinical relevance of in vitro conditions to actual infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Bjarnsholt
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Marvin Whiteley
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; Emory-Children's Cystic Fibrosis Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kendra P Rumbaugh
- Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Philip S Stewart
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Peter Ø Jensen
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Frimodt-Møller
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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42
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Shi H, Grodner B, De Vlaminck I. Recent advances in tools to map the microbiome. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2021; 19:100289. [PMID: 34151052 PMCID: PMC8208594 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2021.100289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Microbes thrive in diverse habitats. They often form ecological niches with rich species diversity and complex spatial structure. These communities drive biogeochemical cycles in the environment and modulate host health in the human body. Much has been learned about the makeup of human and environmental microbiota via metagenomic DNA sequencing, but information on spatial interactions between microbes and between microbes and their environment remains scarce. Here, we review recent advances in tools to map the biogeography of microbiomes. We discuss methods to spatially map microbial genes, transcripts, and metabolites. We also examine future directions for microbiome mapping technologies that will allow improved understanding of both microbiome structure and function. Finally, we reflect on the impact of these methods in Biomedical Engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Shi
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin Grodner
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Iwijn De Vlaminck
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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43
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Sweeney E, Harrington NE, Harley Henriques AG, Hassan MM, Crealock-Ashurst B, Smyth AR, Hurley MN, Tormo-Mas MÁ, Harrison F. An ex vivo cystic fibrosis model recapitulates key clinical aspects of chronic Staphylococcus aureus infection. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2021; 167. [PMID: 33186093 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is the most prevalent organism isolated from the airways of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), predominantly early in life. Yet its role in the pathology of lung disease is poorly understood. In mice, and many experiments using cell lines, the bacterium invades cells or interstitium, and forms abscesses. This is at odds with the limited available clinical data: interstitial bacteria are rare in CF biopsies and abscesses are highly unusual. Bacteria instead appear to localize in mucus plugs in the lumens of bronchioles. We show that, in an established ex vivo model of CF infection comprising porcine bronchiolar tissue and synthetic mucus, S. aureus demonstrates clinically significant characteristics including colonization of the airway lumen, with preferential localization as multicellular aggregates in mucus, initiation of a small colony variant phenotype and increased antibiotic tolerance of tissue-associated aggregates. Tissue invasion and abscesses were not observed. Our results may inform ongoing debates relating to clinical responses to S. aureus in people with CF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Sweeney
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | | | | | - Marwa M Hassan
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.,Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | | | - Alan R Smyth
- Division of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Matthew N Hurley
- Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Nottingham Children's Hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - María Ángeles Tormo-Mas
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, 106 Torre A Lab. 6.13, 46026 Valencia, Spain
| | - Freya Harrison
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
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44
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Dar D, Dar N, Cai L, Newman DK. Spatial transcriptomics of planktonic and sessile bacterial populations at single-cell resolution. Science 2021; 373:373/6556/eabi4882. [PMID: 34385369 DOI: 10.1126/science.abi4882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Capturing the heterogeneous phenotypes of microbial populations at relevant spatiotemporal scales is highly challenging. Here, we present par-seqFISH (parallel sequential fluorescence in situ hybridization), a transcriptome-imaging approach that records gene expression and spatial context within microscale assemblies at a single-cell and molecule resolution. We applied this approach to the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, analyzing about 600,000 individuals across dozens of conditions in planktonic and biofilm cultures. We identified numerous metabolic- and virulence-related transcriptional states that emerged dynamically during planktonic growth, as well as highly spatially resolved metabolic heterogeneity in sessile populations. Our data reveal that distinct physiological states can coexist within the same biofilm just several micrometers away, underscoring the importance of the microenvironment. Our results illustrate the complex dynamics of microbial populations and present a new way of studying them at high resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Dar
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.,Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Nina Dar
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Long Cai
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
| | - Dianne K Newman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA. .,Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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45
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O-Specific Antigen-Dependent Surface Hydrophobicity Mediates Aggregate Assembly Type in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. mBio 2021; 12:e0086021. [PMID: 34372703 PMCID: PMC8406328 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00860-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria live in spatially organized aggregates during chronic infections, where they adapt to the host environment, evade immune responses, and resist therapeutic interventions. Although it is known that environmental factors such as polymers influence bacterial aggregation, it is not clear how bacterial adaptation during chronic infection impacts the formation and spatial organization of aggregates in the presence of polymers. Here, we show that in an in vitro model of cystic fibrosis (CF) containing the polymers extracellular DNA (eDNA) and mucin, O-specific antigen is a major factor determining the formation of two distinct aggregate assembly types of Pseudomonas aeruginosa due to alterations in cell surface hydrophobicity. Our findings suggest that during chronic infection, the interplay between cell surface properties and polymers in the environment may influence the formation and structure of bacterial aggregates, which would shed new light on the fitness costs and benefits of O-antigen production in environments such as CF lungs.
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46
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Skaar EP. Imaging Infection Across Scales of Size: From Whole Animals to Single Molecules. Annu Rev Microbiol 2021; 75:407-426. [PMID: 34343016 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-041521-121457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Infectious diseases are a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, and the threat of infectious diseases to human health is steadily increasing as new diseases emerge, existing diseases reemerge, and antimicrobial resistance expands. The application of imaging technology to the study of infection biology has the potential to uncover new factors that are critical to the outcome of host-pathogen interactions and to lead to innovations in diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. This article reviews current and future opportunities for the application of imaging to the study of infectious diseases, with a particular focus on the power of imaging objects across a broad range of sizes to expand the utility of these approaches. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 75 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric P Skaar
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA;
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47
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Basic principles of hydrogel-based tissue transformation technologies and their applications. Cell 2021; 184:4115-4136. [PMID: 34358468 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Emerging tissue transformation technologies provide an unprecedented opportunity to investigate system-level molecular and anatomical features in situ. Hydrogel-based methods engineer physicochemical tissue properties to render intact organs optically transparent and size and shape adjustable while preserving biomolecules at their physiological locations. When combined with advanced molecular tools, labeling, and imaging techniques, tissue transformation enables three-dimensional (3D) mapping of molecules, cells, and their interrelationships at increasing speeds and resolutions. In this review, we discuss the basic engineering principles of tissue transformation and labeling techniques as well as their broad applications, current challenges, and future potential.
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48
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Systems Biology and Bile Acid Signalling in Microbiome-Host Interactions in the Cystic Fibrosis Lung. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10070766. [PMID: 34202495 PMCID: PMC8300688 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10070766] [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: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of the respiratory microbiota has revealed that the lungs of healthy and diseased individuals harbour distinct microbial communities. Imbalances in these communities can contribute to the pathogenesis of lung disease. How these imbalances occur and establish is largely unknown. This review is focused on the genetically inherited condition of Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Understanding the microbial and host-related factors that govern the establishment of chronic CF lung inflammation and pathogen colonisation is essential. Specifically, dissecting the interplay in the inflammation–pathogen–host axis. Bile acids are important host derived and microbially modified signal molecules that have been detected in CF lungs. These bile acids are associated with inflammation and restructuring of the lung microbiota linked to chronicity. This community remodelling involves a switch in the lung microbiota from a high biodiversity/low pathogen state to a low biodiversity/pathogen-dominated state. Bile acids are particularly associated with the dominance of Proteobacterial pathogens. The ability of bile acids to impact directly on both the lung microbiota and the host response offers a unifying principle underpinning the pathogenesis of CF. The modulating role of bile acids in lung microbiota dysbiosis and inflammation could offer new potential targets for designing innovative therapeutic approaches for respiratory disease.
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Wong GCL, Antani JD, Lele PP, Chen J, Nan B, Kühn MJ, Persat A, Bru JL, Høyland-Kroghsbo NM, Siryaporn A, Conrad JC, Carrara F, Yawata Y, Stocker R, Brun YV, Whitfield GB, Lee CK, de Anda J, Schmidt WC, Golestanian R, O’Toole GA, Floyd KA, Yildiz FH, Yang S, Jin F, Toyofuku M, Eberl L, Nomura N, Zacharoff LA, El-Naggar MY, Yalcin SE, Malvankar NS, Rojas-Andrade MD, Hochbaum AI, Yan J, Stone HA, Wingreen NS, Bassler BL, Wu Y, Xu H, Drescher K, Dunkel J. Roadmap on emerging concepts in the physical biology of bacterial biofilms: from surface sensing to community formation. Phys Biol 2021; 18:10.1088/1478-3975/abdc0e. [PMID: 33462162 PMCID: PMC8506656 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/abdc0e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms are communities of bacteria that exist as aggregates that can adhere to surfaces or be free-standing. This complex, social mode of cellular organization is fundamental to the physiology of microbes and often exhibits surprising behavior. Bacterial biofilms are more than the sum of their parts: single-cell behavior has a complex relation to collective community behavior, in a manner perhaps cognate to the complex relation between atomic physics and condensed matter physics. Biofilm microbiology is a relatively young field by biology standards, but it has already attracted intense attention from physicists. Sometimes, this attention takes the form of seeing biofilms as inspiration for new physics. In this roadmap, we highlight the work of those who have taken the opposite strategy: we highlight the work of physicists and physical scientists who use physics to engage fundamental concepts in bacterial biofilm microbiology, including adhesion, sensing, motility, signaling, memory, energy flow, community formation and cooperativity. These contributions are juxtaposed with microbiologists who have made recent important discoveries on bacterial biofilms using state-of-the-art physical methods. The contributions to this roadmap exemplify how well physics and biology can be combined to achieve a new synthesis, rather than just a division of labor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard C L Wong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - Jyot D Antani
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States of America
| | - Pushkar P Lele
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States of America
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA24061, United States of America
| | - Beiyan Nan
- Department of Biology, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas, TX 77845, United States of America
| | - Marco J Kühn
- Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Persat
- Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Louis Bru
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California—Irvine, California, CA 92697, United States of America
| | | | - Albert Siryaporn
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California—Irvine, California, CA 92697, United States of America
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California—Irvine, California, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Jacinta C Conrad
- William A Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, TX 77204, United States of America
| | - Francesco Carrara
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yutaka Yawata
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
- Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability, University of Tsukuba, 305-8572 Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Roman Stocker
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yves V Brun
- University of Montreal, Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Gregory B Whitfield
- University of Montreal, Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Calvin K Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - Jaime de Anda
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - William C Schmidt
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - Ramin Golestanian
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS), D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
| | - George A O’Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, United States of America
| | - Kyle A Floyd
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California—Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, CA 95060, United States of America
| | - Fitnat H Yildiz
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California—Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, CA 95060, United States of America
| | - Shuai Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fan Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
| | - Masanori Toyofuku
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
- Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability, University of Tsukuba, 305-8572 Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Leo Eberl
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nobuhiko Nomura
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
- Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability, University of Tsukuba, 305-8572 Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Lori A Zacharoff
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, CA 90089, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, CA 90089, United States of America
| | - Mohamed Y El-Naggar
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, CA 90089, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, CA 90089, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, CA 90089, United States of America
| | - Sibel Ebru Yalcin
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06516, United States of America
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06516, United States of America
| | - Nikhil S Malvankar
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06516, United States of America
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06516, United States of America
| | - Mauricio D Rojas-Andrade
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California—Irvine, Irvine, California CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Allon I Hochbaum
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California—Irvine, California, CA 92697, United States of America
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California—Irvine, Irvine, California CA 92697, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, University of California—Irvine, Irvine, California, CA 92697, United States of America
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California—Irvine, Irvine, California, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Jing Yan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06511, United States of America
| | - Howard A Stone
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, NJ 08544, United States of America
| | - Ned S Wingreen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, NJ 08544, United States of America
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, NJ 08544, United States of America
| | - Bonnie L Bassler
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, NJ 08544, United States of America
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland MD 20815, United States of America
| | - Yilin Wu
- Department of Physics and Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haoran Xu
- Department of Physics and Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Knut Drescher
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Jörn Dunkel
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, MA 02139-4307, United States of America
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Matryba P, Łukasiewicz K, Pawłowska M, Tomczuk J, Gołąb J. Can Developments in Tissue Optical Clearing Aid Super-Resolution Microscopy Imaging? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22136730. [PMID: 34201632 PMCID: PMC8268743 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of super-resolution microscopy (SRM) techniques opens new avenues to examine cell and tissue details at a nanometer scale. Due to compatibility with specific labelling approaches, in vivo imaging and the relative ease of sample preparation, SRM appears to be a valuable alternative to laborious electron microscopy techniques. SRM, however, is not free from drawbacks, with the rapid quenching of the fluorescence signal, sensitivity to spherical aberrations and light scattering that typically limits imaging depth up to few micrometers being the most pronounced ones. Recently presented and robustly optimized sets of tissue optical clearing (TOC) techniques turn biological specimens transparent, which greatly increases the tissue thickness that is available for imaging without loss of resolution. Hence, SRM and TOC are naturally synergistic techniques, and a proper combination of these might promptly reveal the three-dimensional structure of entire organs with nanometer resolution. As such, an effort to introduce large-scale volumetric SRM has already started; in this review, we discuss TOC approaches that might be favorable during the preparation of SRM samples. Thus, special emphasis is put on TOC methods that enhance the preservation of fluorescence intensity, offer the homogenous distribution of molecular probes, and vastly decrease spherical aberrations. Finally, we review examples of studies in which both SRM and TOC were successfully applied to study biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Matryba
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; (J.T.); (J.G.)
- The Doctoral School of the Medical University of Warsaw, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland;
- Correspondence:
| | - Kacper Łukasiewicz
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA;
| | - Monika Pawłowska
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland;
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek Tomczuk
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; (J.T.); (J.G.)
| | - Jakub Gołąb
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; (J.T.); (J.G.)
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