1
|
Maity U, Aggarwal R, Balasubramanian R, Venkatraman DL, R Hegde S. Devising Isolation Forest-Based Method to Investigate the sRNAome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Using sRNA-seq Data. Bioinform Biol Insights 2024; 18:11779322241263674. [PMID: 39091283 PMCID: PMC11292719 DOI: 10.1177/11779322241263674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) regulate the synthesis of virulence factors and other pathogenic traits, which enables the bacteria to survive and proliferate after host infection. While high-throughput sequencing data have proved useful in identifying sRNAs from the intergenic regions (IGRs) of the genome, it remains a challenge to present a complete genome-wide map of the expression of the sRNAs. Moreover, existing methodologies necessitate multiple dependencies for executing their algorithm and also lack a targeted approach for the de novo sRNA identification. We developed an Isolation Forest algorithm-based method and the tool Prediction Of sRNAs using Isolation Forest for the de novo identification of sRNAs from available bacterial sRNA-seq data (http://posif.ibab.ac.in/). Using this framework, we predicted 1120 sRNAs and 46 small proteins in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Besides, we highlight the context-dependent expression of novel sRNAs, their probable synthesis, and their potential relevance in stress response mechanisms manifested by M. tuberculosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Upasana Maity
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bengaluru, India
| | - Ritika Aggarwal
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bengaluru, India
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Hyderabad, India
| | | | | | - Shubhada R Hegde
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bengaluru, India
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gutka HJ, Bondoc JMG, Patwell R, Khan S, Grzelak EM, Goswami R, Voskuil MI, Movahedzadeh F. Rv0100: An essential acyl carrier protein from M. tuberculosis important in dormancy. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304876. [PMID: 38848336 PMCID: PMC11161019 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304876] [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: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
We have identified an acyl-carrier protein, Rv0100, that is up-regulated in a dormancy model. This protein plays a critical role in the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, which is important for energy storage and cell wall synthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Knocking out the Rv0100 gene resulted in a significant reduction of growth compared to wild-type MTB in the Wayne model of non-replicating persistence. We have also shown that Rv0100 is essential for the growth and survival of this pathogen during infection in mice and a macrophage model. Furthermore, knocking out Rv0100 disrupted the synthesis of phthiocerol dimycocerosates, the virulence-enhancing lipids produced by MTB and Mycobacterium bovis. We hypothesize that this essential gene contributes to MTB virulence in the state of latent infection. Therefore, inhibitors targeting this gene could prove to be potent antibacterial agents against this pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiten J. Gutka
- Institute for Tuberculosis Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jasper Marc G. Bondoc
- Institute for Tuberculosis Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ryan Patwell
- Institute for Tuberculosis Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Neuropeptide Research, Central Institute for Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Shahebraj Khan
- Institute for Tuberculosis Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Edyta M. Grzelak
- Institute for Tuberculosis Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Rajendra Goswami
- Institute for Tuberculosis Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Martin I. Voskuil
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Farahnaz Movahedzadeh
- Institute for Tuberculosis Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Veerapandian R, Gadad SS, Jagannath C, Dhandayuthapani S. Live Attenuated Vaccines against Tuberculosis: Targeting the Disruption of Genes Encoding the Secretory Proteins of Mycobacteria. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:530. [PMID: 38793781 PMCID: PMC11126151 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12050530] [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: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), a chronic infectious disease affecting humans, causes over 1.3 million deaths per year throughout the world. The current preventive vaccine BCG provides protection against childhood TB, but it fails to protect against pulmonary TB. Multiple candidates have been evaluated to either replace or boost the efficacy of the BCG vaccine, including subunit protein, DNA, virus vector-based vaccines, etc., most of which provide only short-term immunity. Several live attenuated vaccines derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and BCG have also been developed to induce long-term immunity. Since Mtb mediates its virulence through multiple secreted proteins, these proteins have been targeted to produce attenuated but immunogenic vaccines. In this review, we discuss the characteristics and prospects of live attenuated vaccines generated by targeting the disruption of the genes encoding secretory mycobacterial proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raja Veerapandian
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX 79905, USA
| | - Shrikanth S. Gadad
- Center of Emphasis in Cancer, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX 79905, USA
| | - Chinnaswamy Jagannath
- Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute & Weill Cornell Medical College, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Subramanian Dhandayuthapani
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX 79905, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Stupar M, Tan L, Kerr ED, De Voss CJ, Forde BM, Schulz BL, West NP. TcrXY is an acid-sensing two-component transcriptional regulator of Mycobacterium tuberculosis required for persistent infection. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1615. [PMID: 38388565 PMCID: PMC10883919 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45343-7] [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: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) to persist in the host complicates and prolongs tuberculosis (TB) patient chemotherapy. Here we demonstrate that a neglected two-component system (TCS) of Mtb, TcrXY, is an autoregulated acid-sensing TCS that controls a functionally diverse 70-gene regulon required for bacterial persistence. Characterisation of two representatives of this regulon, Rv3706c and Rv3705A, implicate these genes as key determinants for the survival of Mtb in vivo by serving as important effectors to mitigate redox stress at acidic pH. We show that genetic silencing of the response regulator tcrX using CRISPR interference attenuates the persistence of Mtb during chronic mouse infection and improves treatment with the two front-line anti-TB drugs, rifampicin and isoniazid. We propose that targeting TcrXY signal transduction blocks the ability of Mtb to sense and respond to acid stress, resulting in a disordered program of persistence to render the organism vulnerable to existing TB chemotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miljan Stupar
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lendl Tan
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Edward D Kerr
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Christopher J De Voss
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Brian M Forde
- Faculty of Medicine, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Benjamin L Schulz
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Nicholas P West
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhu C, Dong J, Duan Y, Jia H, Zhang L, Xing A, Du B, Sun Q, Huang Y, Zhang Z, Pan L, Li Z. Comparative analysis of genomic characteristics and immune response between Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains cultured continuously for 25 years and H37Rv. Pathog Dis 2024; 82:ftae014. [PMID: 38845379 PMCID: PMC11187990 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftae014] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) continues to pose a significant global health challenge, emphasizing the critical need for effective preventive measures. Although many studies have tried to develop new attenuated vaccines, there is no effective TB vaccine. In this study, we report a novel attenuated Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) strain, CHVAC-25, cultured continuously for 25 years in the laboratory. CHVAC-25 exhibited significantly reduced virulence compared to both the virulent H37Rv strain in C57BL/6J and severe combined immunodeficiency disease mice. The comparative genomic analysis identified 93 potential absent genomic segments and 65 single nucleotide polymorphic sites across 47 coding genes. Notably, the deletion mutation of ppsC (Rv2933) involved in phthiocerol dimycocerosate synthesis likely contributes to CHVAC-25 virulence attenuation. Furthermore, the comparative analysis of immune responses between H37Rv- and CHVAC-25-infected macrophages showed that CHVAC-25 triggered a robust upregulation of 173 genes, particularly cytokines crucial for combating M. tb infection. Additionally, the survival of CHVAC-25 was significantly reduced compared to H37Rv in macrophages. These findings reiterate the possibility of obtaining attenuated M. tb strains through prolonged laboratory cultivation, echoing the initial conception of H37Ra nearly a century ago. Additionally, the similarity of CHVAC-25 to genotypes associated with attenuated M. tb vaccine positions it as a promising candidate for TB vaccine development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chuanzhi Zhu
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Jing Dong
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Yuheng Duan
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Hongyan Jia
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Lanyue Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Aiying Xing
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Boping Du
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Qi Sun
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Yinxia Huang
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Zongde Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Liping Pan
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Zihui Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Belardinelli JM, Arora D, Avanzi C, Wheat WH, Bryant JM, Spencer JS, Blundell TL, Parkhill J, Floto RA, Jackson M. Clinically relevant mutations in the PhoR sensor kinase of host-adapted Mycobacterium abscessus isolates impact response to acidic pH and virulence. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0158823. [PMID: 37874174 PMCID: PMC10715180 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01588-23] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Difficult-to-treat pulmonary infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria of the Mycobacterium abscessus group have been steadily increasing in the USA and globally. Owing to the relatively recent recognition of M. abscessus as a human pathogen, basic and translational research to address critical gaps in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases caused by this microorganism has been lagging behind that of the better-known mycobacterial pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. To begin unraveling the molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity of M. abscessus, we here focus on the study of a two-component regulator known as PhoPR which we found to be under strong evolutionary pressure during human lung infection. We show that PhoPR is activated at acidic pH and serves to regulate a defined set of genes involved in host adaptation. Accordingly, clinical isolates from chronically infected human lungs tend to hyperactivate this regulator enabling M. abscessus to escape macrophage killing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Belardinelli
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Divya Arora
- Department of Medicine, Molecular Immunity Unit, University of Cambridge, MRC-Laboratory of Molecular Biology , Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte Avanzi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - William H Wheat
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Josephine M Bryant
- Department of Medicine, Molecular Immunity Unit, University of Cambridge, MRC-Laboratory of Molecular Biology , Cambridge, United Kingdom
- University of Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine , Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - John S Spencer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Tom L Blundell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Julian Parkhill
- Wellcome Sanger Institute , Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - R Andres Floto
- Department of Medicine, Molecular Immunity Unit, University of Cambridge, MRC-Laboratory of Molecular Biology , Cambridge, United Kingdom
- University of Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine , Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cambridge Centre for Lung Infection, Papworth Hospital , Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mary Jackson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Singh PR, Goar H, Paul P, Mehta K, Bamniya B, Vijjamarri AK, Bansal R, Khan H, Karthikeyan S, Sarkar D. Dual functioning by the PhoR sensor is a key determinant to Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1011070. [PMID: 38100394 PMCID: PMC10723718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011070] [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: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
PhoP-PhoR, one of the 12 two-component systems (TCSs) that empower M. tuberculosis to sense and adapt to diverse environmental conditions, remains essential for virulence, and therefore, represents a major target to develop novel anti-TB therapies. Although both PhoP and PhoR have been structurally characterized, the signal(s) that this TCS responds to remains unknown. Here, we show that PhoR is a sensor of acidic pH/high salt conditions, which subsequently activate PhoP via phosphorylation. In keeping with this, transcriptomic data uncover that acidic pH- inducible expression of PhoP regulon is significantly inhibited in a PhoR-deleted M. tuberculosis. Strikingly, a set of PhoP regulon genes displayed a low pH-dependent activation even in the absence of PhoR, suggesting the presence of non-canonical mechanism(s) of PhoP activation. Using genome-wide interaction-based screening coupled with phosphorylation assays, we identify a non-canonical mechanism of PhoP phosphorylation by the sensor kinase PrrB. To investigate how level of P~PhoP is regulated, we discovered that in addition to its kinase activity PhoR functions as a phosphatase of P~PhoP. Our subsequent results identify the motif/residues responsible for kinase/phosphatase dual functioning of PhoR. Collectively, these results uncover that contrasting kinase and phosphatase functions of PhoR determine the homeostatic mechanism of regulation of intra-mycobacterial P~PhoP which controls the final output of the PhoP regulon. Together, these results connect PhoR to pH-dependent activation of PhoP with downstream functioning of the regulator. Thus, PhoR plays a central role in mycobacterial adaptation to low pH conditions within the host macrophage phagosome, and a PhoR-deleted M. tuberculosis remains significantly attenuated in macrophages and animal models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Harsh Goar
- CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39 A, Chandigarh, India
| | - Partha Paul
- CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39 A, Chandigarh, India
| | - Khushboo Mehta
- CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39 A, Chandigarh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Bhanwar Bamniya
- CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39 A, Chandigarh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | | | - Roohi Bansal
- CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39 A, Chandigarh, India
| | - Hina Khan
- CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39 A, Chandigarh, India
| | - Subramanian Karthikeyan
- CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39 A, Chandigarh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Dibyendu Sarkar
- CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39 A, Chandigarh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yang J, Zhang L, Qiao W, Luo Y. Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Pathogenesis and therapeutic targets. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e353. [PMID: 37674971 PMCID: PMC10477518 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health concern in the 21st century, especially due to drug resistance, coinfection with diseases like immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and coronavirus disease 2019, and the lengthy and costly treatment protocols. In this review, we summarize the pathogenesis of TB infection, therapeutic targets, and corresponding modulators, including first-line medications, current clinical trial drugs and molecules in preclinical assessment. Understanding the mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and important biological targets can lead to innovative treatments. While most antitubercular agents target pathogen-related processes, host-directed therapy (HDT) modalities addressing immune defense, survival mechanisms, and immunopathology also hold promise. Mtb's adaptation to the human host involves manipulating host cellular mechanisms, and HDT aims to disrupt this manipulation to enhance treatment effectiveness. Our review provides valuable insights for future anti-TB drug development efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Yang
- Center of Infectious Diseases and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Laiying Zhang
- Center of Infectious Diseases and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Wenliang Qiao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- Lung Cancer Center, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Youfu Luo
- Center of Infectious Diseases and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Malaga W, Payros D, Meunier E, Frigui W, Sayes F, Pawlik A, Orgeur M, Berrone C, Moreau F, Mazères S, Gonzalo-Asensio J, Rengel D, Martin C, Astarie-Dequeker C, Mourey L, Brosch R, Guilhot C. Natural mutations in the sensor kinase of the PhoPR two-component regulatory system modulate virulence of ancestor-like tuberculosis bacilli. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011437. [PMID: 37450466 PMCID: PMC10348564 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular factors and genetic adaptations that contributed to the emergence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) from an environmental Mycobacterium canettii-like ancestor, remain poorly investigated. In MTB, the PhoPR two-component regulatory system controls production and secretion of proteins and lipid virulence effectors. Here, we describe that several mutations, present in phoR of M. canettii relative to MTB, impact the expression of the PhoP regulon and the pathogenicity of the strains. First, we establish a molecular model of PhoR and show that some substitutions found in PhoR of M. canettii are likely to impact the structure and activity of this protein. Second, we show that STB-K, the most attenuated available M. canettii strain, displays lower expression of PhoP-induced genes than MTB. Third, we demonstrate that genetic swapping of the phoPR allele from STB-K with the ortholog from MTB H37Rv enhances expression of PhoP-controlled functions and the capacities of the recombinant strain to colonize human macrophages, the MTB target cells, as well as to cause disease in several mouse infection models. Fourth, we extended these observations to other M. canettii strains and confirm that PhoP-controlled functions are expressed at lower levels in most M. canettii strains than in M. tuberculosis. Our findings suggest that distinct PhoR variants have been selected during the evolution of tuberculosis bacilli, contributing to higher pathogenicity and persistence of MTB in the mammalian host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wladimir Malaga
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Delphine Payros
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Eva Meunier
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Wafa Frigui
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Unit for Integrated Mycobacterial Pathogenomics, Paris, France
| | - Fadel Sayes
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Unit for Integrated Mycobacterial Pathogenomics, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Pawlik
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Unit for Integrated Mycobacterial Pathogenomics, Paris, France
| | - Mickael Orgeur
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Unit for Integrated Mycobacterial Pathogenomics, Paris, France
| | - Céline Berrone
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Flavie Moreau
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Serge Mazères
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Jesus Gonzalo-Asensio
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiologia, Pediatria, Radiologica y Salud Pùblica, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Institudo de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Rengel
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Carlos Martin
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiologia, Pediatria, Radiologica y Salud Pùblica, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Institudo de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Servicio de Microbiologia, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, ISS Aragon, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Catherine Astarie-Dequeker
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Lionel Mourey
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Roland Brosch
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Unit for Integrated Mycobacterial Pathogenomics, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Guilhot
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Anes E, Pires D, Mandal M, Azevedo-Pereira JM. ESAT-6 a Major Virulence Factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Biomolecules 2023; 13:968. [PMID: 37371548 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060968] [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: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of human tuberculosis (TB), is one of the most successfully adapted human pathogens. Human-to-human transmission occurs at high rates through aerosols containing bacteria, but the pathogen evolved prior to the establishment of crowded populations. Mtb has developed a particular strategy to ensure persistence in the host until an opportunity for transmission arises. It has refined its lifestyle to obviate the need for virulence factors such as capsules, flagella, pili, or toxins to circumvent mucosal barriers. Instead, the pathogen uses host macrophages, where it establishes intracellular niches for its migration into the lung parenchyma and other tissues and for the induction of long-lived latency in granulomas. Finally, at the end of the infection cycle, Mtb induces necrotic cell death in macrophages to escape to the extracellular milieu and instructs a strong inflammatory response that is required for the progression from latency to disease and transmission. Common to all these events is ESAT-6, one of the major virulence factors secreted by the pathogen. This narrative review highlights the recent advances in understanding the role of ESAT-6 in hijacking macrophage function to establish successful infection and transmission and its use as a target for the development of diagnostic tools and vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Anes
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed.ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - David Pires
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed.ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Católica Medical School, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Estrada Octávio Pato, 2635-631 Rio de Mouro, Portugal
| | - Manoj Mandal
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed.ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - José Miguel Azevedo-Pereira
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed.ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wang J, Xie T, Ullah I, Mi Y, Li X, Gong Y, He P, Liu Y, Li F, Li J, Lu Z, Zhu B. A VLP-Based Vaccine Displaying HBHA and MTP Antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Induces Protective Immune Responses in M. tuberculosis H37Ra Infected Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:941. [PMID: 37243045 PMCID: PMC10224509 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11050941] [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: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) and M. tuberculosis pili (MTP) are important antigens on the surface of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. To display these antigens effectively, the fusion protein HBHA-MTP with a molecular weight of 20 kD (L20) was inserted into the receptor-binding hemagglutinin (HA) fragment of influenza virus and was expressed along with matrix protein M1 in Sf9 insect cells to generate influenza virus-like particles (LV20 in short). The results showed that the insertion of L20 into the envelope of the influenza virus did not affect the self-assembly and morphology of LV20 VLPs. The expression of L20 was successfully verified by transmission electron microscopy. Importantly, it did not interfere with the immunogenicity reactivity of LV20 VLPs. We demonstrated that LV20 combined with the adjuvant composed of DDA and Poly I: C (DP) elicited significantly higher antigen-specific antibodies and CD4+/CD8+ T cell responses than PBS and BCG vaccination in mice. It suggests that the insect cell expression system is an excellent protein production system, and LV20 VLPs could be a novel tuberculosis vaccine candidate for further evaluation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (J.W.); (T.X.); (Y.M.); (Y.G.); (F.L.)
| | - Tao Xie
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (J.W.); (T.X.); (Y.M.); (Y.G.); (F.L.)
| | - Inayat Ullah
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (J.W.); (T.X.); (Y.M.); (Y.G.); (F.L.)
| | - Youjun Mi
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (J.W.); (T.X.); (Y.M.); (Y.G.); (F.L.)
- Institute of Pathogenic Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaoping Li
- Respiratory Department of Lanzhou Pulmonary Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yang Gong
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (J.W.); (T.X.); (Y.M.); (Y.G.); (F.L.)
| | - Pu He
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (J.W.); (T.X.); (Y.M.); (Y.G.); (F.L.)
| | - Yuqi Liu
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (J.W.); (T.X.); (Y.M.); (Y.G.); (F.L.)
| | - Fei Li
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (J.W.); (T.X.); (Y.M.); (Y.G.); (F.L.)
| | - Jixi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China;
| | - Zengjun Lu
- Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Bingdong Zhu
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation, Lanzhou Center for Tuberculosis Research, Institute of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (J.W.); (T.X.); (Y.M.); (Y.G.); (F.L.)
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
Coughing is a dynamic physiological process resulting from input of vagal sensory neurons innervating the airways and perceived airway irritation. Although cough serves to protect and clear the airways, it can also be exploited by respiratory pathogens to facilitate disease transmission. Microbial components or infection-induced inflammatory mediators can directly interact with sensory nerve receptors to induce a cough response. Analysis of cough-generated aerosols and transmission studies have further demonstrated how infectious disease is spread through coughing. This review summarizes the neurophysiology of cough, cough induction by respiratory pathogens and inflammation, and cough-mediated disease transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kubra F Naqvi
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA;
| | - Stuart B Mazzone
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael U Shiloh
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA;
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Valdemar-Aguilar CM, Manisekaran R, Acosta-Torres LS, López-Marín LM. Spotlight on mycobacterial lipid exploitation using nanotechnology for diagnosis, vaccines, and treatments. NANOMEDICINE : NANOTECHNOLOGY, BIOLOGY, AND MEDICINE 2023; 48:102653. [PMID: 36646193 PMCID: PMC9839462 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2023.102653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), historically the most significant cause of human morbidity and mortality, has returned as the top infectious disease worldwide, under circumstances worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic's devastating effects on public health. Although Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causal agent, has been known of for more than a century, the development of tools to control it has been largely neglected. With the advancement of nanotechnology, the possibility of engineering tools at the nanoscale creates unique opportunities to exploit any molecular type. However, little attention has been paid to one of the major attributes of the pathogen, represented by the atypical coat and its abundant lipids. In this review, an overview of the lipids encountered in M. tuberculosis and interest in exploiting them for the development of TB control tools are presented. Then, the amalgamation of nanotechnology with mycobacterial lipids from both reported and future works are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos M. Valdemar-Aguilar
- Centro de Física Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, 76230 Querétaro, Mexico,Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Ravichandran Manisekaran
- Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory (LII), Nanostructures and Biomaterials Area, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Predio el Saucillo y el Potrero, Comunidad de los Tepetates, 37689 León, Mexico.
| | - Laura S. Acosta-Torres
- Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory (LII), Nanostructures and Biomaterials Area, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Predio el Saucillo y el Potrero, Comunidad de los Tepetates, 37689 León, Mexico
| | - Luz M. López-Marín
- Centro de Física Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, 76230 Querétaro, Mexico,Corresponding authors
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Soler-Camargo NC, Silva-Pereira TT, Zimpel CK, Camacho MF, Zelanis A, Aono AH, Patané JS, Dos Santos AP, Guimarães AMS. The rate and role of pseudogenes of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Microb Genom 2022; 8. [PMID: 36250787 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole-genome sequence analyses have significantly contributed to the understanding of virulence and evolution of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), the causative pathogens of tuberculosis. Most MTBC evolutionary studies are focused on single nucleotide polymorphisms and deletions, but rare studies have evaluated gene content, whereas none has comprehensively evaluated pseudogenes. Accordingly, we describe an extensive study focused on quantifying and predicting possible functions of MTBC and Mycobacterium canettii pseudogenes. Using NCBI's PGAP-detected pseudogenes, we analysed 25 837 pseudogenes from 158 MTBC and M. canetii strains and combined transcriptomics and proteomics of M. tuberculosis H37Rv to gain insights about pseudogenes' expression. Our results indicate significant variability concerning rate and conservancy of in silico predicted pseudogenes among different ecotypes and lineages of tuberculous mycobacteria and pseudogenization of important virulence factors and genes of the metabolism and antimicrobial resistance/tolerance. We show that in silico predicted pseudogenes contribute considerably to MTBC genetic diversity at the population level. Moreover, the transcription machinery of M. tuberculosis can fully transcribe most pseudogenes, indicating intact promoters and recent pseudogene evolutionary emergence. Proteomics of M. tuberculosis and close evaluation of mutational lesions driving pseudogenization suggest that few in silico predicted pseudogenes are likely capable of neofunctionalization, nonsense mutation reversal, or phase variation, contradicting the classical definition of pseudogenes. Such findings indicate that genome annotation should be accompanied by proteomics and protein function assays to improve its accuracy. While indels and insertion sequences are the main drivers of the observed mutational lesions in these species, population bottlenecks and genetic drift are likely the evolutionary processes acting on pseudogenes' emergence over time. Our findings unveil a new perspective on MTBC's evolution and genetic diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naila Cristina Soler-Camargo
- Laboratory of Applied Research in Mycobacteria, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Taiana Tainá Silva-Pereira
- Laboratory of Applied Research in Mycobacteria, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Cristina Kraemer Zimpel
- Laboratory of Applied Research in Mycobacteria, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Maurício F Camacho
- Functional Proteomics Laboratory, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
| | - André Zelanis
- Functional Proteomics Laboratory, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexandre H Aono
- Center of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.,Institute of Science and Technology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Ana Marcia Sá Guimarães
- Laboratory of Applied Research in Mycobacteria, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Tsui CKM, Sorrentino F, Narula G, Mendoza-Losana A, del Rio RG, Herrán EP, Lopez A, Bojang A, Zheng X, Remuiñán-Blanco MJ, Av-Gay Y. Hit Compounds and Associated Targets in Intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27144446. [PMID: 35889319 PMCID: PMC9324642 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27144446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the etiological agent of tuberculosis, is one of the most devastating infectious agents in the world. Chemical-genetic characterization through in vitro evolution combined with whole genome sequencing analysis was used identify novel drug targets and drug resistance genes in Mtb associated with its intracellular growth in human macrophages. We performed a genome analysis of 53 Mtb mutants resistant to 15 different hit compounds. We found nonsynonymous mutations/indels in 30 genes that may be associated with drug resistance acquisitions. Beyond confirming previously identified drug resistance mechanisms such as rpoB and lead targets reported in novel anti-tuberculosis drug screenings such as mmpL3, ethA, and mbtA, we have discovered several unrecognized candidate drug targets including prrB. The exploration of the Mtb chemical mutant genomes could help novel drug discovery and the structural biology of compounds and associated mechanisms of action relevant to tuberculosis treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clement K. M. Tsui
- Department of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; (C.K.M.T.); (F.S.); (G.N.); (A.L.); (A.B.); (X.Z.)
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore 308442, Singapore
| | - Flavia Sorrentino
- Department of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; (C.K.M.T.); (F.S.); (G.N.); (A.L.); (A.B.); (X.Z.)
- GSK, Global Health Medicines R&D, PTM, Tres Cantos, 28760 Madrid, Spain; (A.M.-L.); (R.G.d.R.); (E.P.H.); (M.J.R.-B.)
| | - Gagandeep Narula
- Department of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; (C.K.M.T.); (F.S.); (G.N.); (A.L.); (A.B.); (X.Z.)
| | - Alfonso Mendoza-Losana
- GSK, Global Health Medicines R&D, PTM, Tres Cantos, 28760 Madrid, Spain; (A.M.-L.); (R.G.d.R.); (E.P.H.); (M.J.R.-B.)
- Department of Bioengineering and Aerospace Engineering, Carlos III University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruben Gonzalez del Rio
- GSK, Global Health Medicines R&D, PTM, Tres Cantos, 28760 Madrid, Spain; (A.M.-L.); (R.G.d.R.); (E.P.H.); (M.J.R.-B.)
| | - Esther Pérez Herrán
- GSK, Global Health Medicines R&D, PTM, Tres Cantos, 28760 Madrid, Spain; (A.M.-L.); (R.G.d.R.); (E.P.H.); (M.J.R.-B.)
| | - Abraham Lopez
- Department of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; (C.K.M.T.); (F.S.); (G.N.); (A.L.); (A.B.); (X.Z.)
- GSK, Global Health Medicines R&D, PTM, Tres Cantos, 28760 Madrid, Spain; (A.M.-L.); (R.G.d.R.); (E.P.H.); (M.J.R.-B.)
| | - Adama Bojang
- Department of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; (C.K.M.T.); (F.S.); (G.N.); (A.L.); (A.B.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xingji Zheng
- Department of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; (C.K.M.T.); (F.S.); (G.N.); (A.L.); (A.B.); (X.Z.)
| | - Modesto Jesus Remuiñán-Blanco
- GSK, Global Health Medicines R&D, PTM, Tres Cantos, 28760 Madrid, Spain; (A.M.-L.); (R.G.d.R.); (E.P.H.); (M.J.R.-B.)
| | - Yossef Av-Gay
- Department of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; (C.K.M.T.); (F.S.); (G.N.); (A.L.); (A.B.); (X.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-604-822-3432
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Silva ML, Cá B, Osório NS, Rodrigues PNS, Maceiras AR, Saraiva M. Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium africanum: Knowns and unknowns. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010490. [PMID: 35617217 PMCID: PMC9135246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), one of the deadliest threats to human health, is mainly caused by 2 highly related and human-adapted bacteria broadly known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium africanum. Whereas M. tuberculosis is widely spread, M. africanum is restricted to West Africa, where it remains a significant cause of tuberculosis. Although several differences have been identified between these 2 pathogens, M. africanum remains a lot less studied than M. tuberculosis. Here, we discuss the genetic, phenotypic, and clinical similarities and differences between strains of M. tuberculosis and M. africanum. We also discuss our current knowledge on the immune response to M. africanum and how it possibly articulates with distinct disease progression and with the geographical restriction attributed to this pathogen. Understanding the functional impact of the diversity existing in TB-causing bacteria, as well as incorporating this diversity in TB research, will contribute to the development of better, more specific approaches to tackle TB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta L. Silva
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Doctoral Program in Molecular and Cell Biology, ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Baltazar Cá
- INASA - Instituto Nacional de Saúde Pública da Guiné-Bissau, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Nuno S. Osório
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Pedro N. S. Rodrigues
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Raquel Maceiras
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Margarida Saraiva
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Gene evolutionary trajectories in Mycobacterium tuberculosis reveal temporal signs of selection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2113600119. [PMID: 35452305 PMCID: PMC9173582 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113600119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificancePrevious attempts to identify the action of natural selection in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) were limited by sample size and averaging across time and lineages. We investigate changes in selective pressures across time for every single gene of the MTBC. We developed a methodology to analyze temporal signals of selection in a large dataset (∼5,000 complete genomes) and showed that 1) almost half of the genes seem to have been under positive selection at some point in time; 2) experimentally confirmed epitopes tend to accumulate more mutations in deeper branches than in external branches; and 3) temporal signals identify genes that were conserved in the past but under positive selection in the present, suggesting ongoing adaptation to the host.
Collapse
|
18
|
Zhang P, Zhang K, Liu Y, Fu J, Zong G, Ma X, Cao G. Deletion of the Response Regulator PhoP Accelerates the Formation of Aerial Mycelium and Spores in Actinosynnema pretiosum. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:845620. [PMID: 35464974 PMCID: PMC9019756 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.845620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PhoPR is an important two-component signal transduction system (TCS) for microorganisms to sense and respond to phosphate limitation. Although the response regulator PhoP controls morphological development and secondary metabolism in various Streptomyces species, the function of PhoP in Actinosynnema pretiosum remains unclear. In this study, we showed that PhoP significantly represses the morphological development of the A. pretiosum X47 strain. Production of aerial mycelium and spore formation occurred much earlier in the ΔphoP strain than in X47 during growth on ISP2 medium. Transcription analysis indicated that 222 genes were differentially expressed in ∆phoP compared to strain X47. Chemotaxis genes (cheA, cheW, cheX, and cheY); flagellum biosynthesis and motility genes (flgBCDGKLN, flaD, fliD-R, motA, and swrD); and differentiation genes (whiB and ssgB) were significantly upregulated in ∆phoP. Gel-shift analysis indicated that PhoP binds to the promoters of flgB, flaD, and ssgB genes, and PHO box-like motif with the 8-bp conserved sequence GTTCACGC was identified. The transcription of phoP/phoR of X47 strain was induced at low phosphate concentration. Our results demonstrate that PhoP is a negative regulator that controls the morphological development of A. pretiosum X47 by repressing the transcription of differentiation genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.,College of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Kunyu Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.,College of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Yayu Liu
- College of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Jiafang Fu
- Department of Epidemiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.,College of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Gongli Zong
- Department of Epidemiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.,College of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Xin Ma
- College of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Guangxiang Cao
- Department of Epidemiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.,College of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Jiang Z, Zhuang Z, Mi K. Experimental Evolution Reveals Redox State Modulates Mycobacterial Pathogenicity. Front Genet 2022; 13:758304. [PMID: 35368697 PMCID: PMC8965865 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.758304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how Mycobacterium tuberculosis has evolved into a professional pathogen is helpful in studying its pathogenesis and for designing vaccines. We investigated how the evolutionary adaptation of M. smegmatis mc251 to an important clinical stressor H2O2 allows bacteria to undergo coordinated genetic mutations, resulting in increased pathogenicity. Whole-genome sequencing identified a mutation site in the fur gene, which caused increased expression of katG. Using a Wayne dormancy model, mc251 showed a growth advantage over its parental strain mc2155 in recovering from dormancy under anaerobic conditions. Meanwhile, the high level of KatG in mc251 was accompanied by a low level of ATP, which meant that mc251 is at a low respiratory level. Additionally, the redox-related protein Rv1996 showed different phenotypes in different specific redox states in M. smegmatis mc2155 and mc251, M. bovis BCG, and M. tuberculosis mc27000. In conclusion, our study shows that the same gene presents different phenotypes under different physiological conditions. This may partly explain why M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis have similar virulence factors and signaling transduction systems such as two-component systems and sigma factors, but due to the different redox states in the corresponding bacteria, M. smegmatis is a nonpathogen, while M. tuberculosis is a pathogen. As mc251 overcomes its shortcomings of rapid removal, it can potentially be developed as a vaccine vector.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zengfang Zhuang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kaixia Mi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Kaixia Mi,
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Pérez I, Campos-Pardos E, Díaz C, Uranga S, Sayes F, Vicente F, Aguiló N, Brosch R, Martín C, Gonzalo-Asensio J. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis PhoPR virulence system regulates expression of the universal second messenger c-di-AMP and impacts vaccine safety and efficacy. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 27:1235-1248. [PMID: 35282413 PMCID: PMC8894143 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic (di)nucleotides act as universal second messengers endogenously produced by several pathogens. Specifically, the roles of c-di-AMP in Mycobacterium tuberculosis immunity and virulence have been largely explored, although its contribution to the safety and efficacy of live tuberculosis vaccines is less understood. In this study, we demonstrate that the synthesis of c-di-AMP is negatively regulated by the M. tuberculosis PhoPR virulence system. Accordingly, the live attenuated tuberculosis vaccine candidate M. tuberculosis vaccine (MTBVAC), based on double phoP and fadD26 deletions, produces more than 25- and 45-fold c-di-AMP levels relative to wild-type M. tuberculosis or the current vaccine bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), respectively. Secretion of this second messenger was exclusively detected in MTBVAC but not in M. tuberculosis or in BCG. We also demonstrate that c-di-AMP synthesis during in vitro cultivation of M. tuberculosis is a growth-phase- and medium-dependent phenotype. To uncover the role of this metabolite in the vaccine properties of MTBVAC, we constructed and validated knockout and overproducing/oversecreting derivatives by inactivating the disA or cnpB gene, respectively. All MTBVAC derivatives elicited superior interleukin-1β (IL-1β) responses compared with BCG during an in vitro infection of human macrophages. However, both vaccines failed to elicit interferon β (IFNβ) activation in this cellular model. We found that increasing c-di-AMP levels remarkably correlated with a safer profile of tuberculosis vaccines in the immunodeficient mouse model. Finally, we demonstrate that overproduction of c-di-AMP due to cnpB inactivation resulted in lower protection of MTBVAC, while the absence of c-di-AMP in the MTBVAC disA derivative maintains the protective efficacy of this vaccine in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Pérez
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Departamento de Microbiología. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, C/Domingo Miral sn, 50019 Zaragoza, Spain.,CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Campos-Pardos
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Departamento de Microbiología. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, C/Domingo Miral sn, 50019 Zaragoza, Spain.,CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Caridad Díaz
- Fundación MEDINA, Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud, Avenida del Conocimiento 34, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Santiago Uranga
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Departamento de Microbiología. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, C/Domingo Miral sn, 50019 Zaragoza, Spain.,CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Fadel Sayes
- Institut Pasteur, Unit for Integrated Mycobacterial Pathogenomics, CNRS UMR 3525, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Francisca Vicente
- Fundación MEDINA, Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud, Avenida del Conocimiento 34, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Nacho Aguiló
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Departamento de Microbiología. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, C/Domingo Miral sn, 50019 Zaragoza, Spain.,CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Roland Brosch
- Institut Pasteur, Unit for Integrated Mycobacterial Pathogenomics, CNRS UMR 3525, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Carlos Martín
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Departamento de Microbiología. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, C/Domingo Miral sn, 50019 Zaragoza, Spain.,CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.,Servicio de Microbiología Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Pº Isabel la Católica, 1-3, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Jesús Gonzalo-Asensio
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Departamento de Microbiología. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, IIS Aragón, C/Domingo Miral sn, 50019 Zaragoza, Spain.,CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI), C/ Mariano Esquillor Gómez, Edificio I+D, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Allué-Guardia A, Garcia-Vilanova A, Olmo-Fontánez AM, Peters J, Maselli DJ, Wang Y, Turner J, Schlesinger LS, Torrelles JB. Host- and Age-Dependent Transcriptional Changes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cell Envelope Biosynthesis Genes after Exposure to Human Alveolar Lining Fluid. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020983. [PMID: 35055170 PMCID: PMC8780516 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) infection, caused by the airborne pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), resulted in almost 1.4 million deaths in 2019, and the number of deaths is predicted to increase by 20% over the next 5 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon reaching the alveolar space, M.tb comes into close contact with the lung mucosa before and after its encounter with host alveolar compartment cells. Our previous studies show that homeostatic, innate soluble components of the alveolar lining fluid (ALF) can quickly alter the cell envelope surface of M.tb upon contact, defining subsequent M.tb-host cell interactions and infection outcomes in vitro and in vivo. We also demonstrated that ALF from 60+ year old elders (E-ALF) vs. healthy 18- to 45-year-old adults (A-ALF) is dysfunctional, with loss of homeostatic capacity and impaired innate soluble responses linked to high local oxidative stress. In this study, a targeted transcriptional assay shows that M.tb exposure to human ALF alters the expression of its cell envelope genes. Specifically, our results indicate that A-ALF-exposed M.tb upregulates cell envelope genes associated with lipid, carbohydrate, and amino acid metabolism, as well as genes associated with redox homeostasis and transcriptional regulators. Conversely, M.tb exposure to E-ALF shows a lesser transcriptional response, with most of the M.tb genes unchanged or downregulated. Overall, this study indicates that M.tb responds and adapts to the lung alveolar environment upon contact, and that the host ALF status, determined by factors such as age, might play an important role in determining infection outcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Allué-Guardia
- Population Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (A.G.-V.); (A.M.O.-F.)
- Correspondence: (A.A.-G.); (J.B.T.)
| | - Andreu Garcia-Vilanova
- Population Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (A.G.-V.); (A.M.O.-F.)
| | - Angélica M. Olmo-Fontánez
- Population Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (A.G.-V.); (A.M.O.-F.)
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Jay Peters
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (J.P.); (D.J.M.)
| | - Diego J. Maselli
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (J.P.); (D.J.M.)
| | - Yufeng Wang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA;
| | - Joanne Turner
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (J.T.); (L.S.S.)
| | - Larry S. Schlesinger
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (J.T.); (L.S.S.)
| | - Jordi B. Torrelles
- Population Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (A.G.-V.); (A.M.O.-F.)
- Correspondence: (A.A.-G.); (J.B.T.)
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Gibson AJ, Passmore IJ, Faulkner V, Xia D, Nobeli I, Stiens J, Willcocks S, Clark TG, Sobkowiak B, Werling D, Villarreal-Ramos B, Wren BW, Kendall SL. Probing Differences in Gene Essentiality Between the Human and Animal Adapted Lineages of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Using TnSeq. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:760717. [PMID: 35004921 PMCID: PMC8739905 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.760717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) show distinct host adaptations, preferences and phenotypes despite being >99% identical at the nucleic acid level. Previous studies have explored gene expression changes between the members, however few studies have probed differences in gene essentiality. To better understand the functional impacts of the nucleic acid differences between Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we used the Mycomar T7 phagemid delivery system to generate whole genome transposon libraries in laboratory strains of both species and compared the essentiality status of genes during growth under identical in vitro conditions. Libraries contained insertions in 54% of possible TA sites in M. bovis and 40% of those present in M. tuberculosis, achieving similar saturation levels to those previously reported for the MTBC. The distributions of essentiality across the functional categories were similar in both species. 527 genes were found to be essential in M. bovis whereas 477 genes were essential in M. tuberculosis and 370 essential genes were common in both species. CRISPRi was successfully utilised in both species to determine the impacts of silencing genes including wag31, a gene involved in peptidoglycan synthesis and Rv2182c/Mb2204c, a gene involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism. We observed species specific differences in the response to gene silencing, with the inhibition of expression of Mb2204c in M. bovis showing significantly less growth impact than silencing its orthologue (Rv2182c) in M. tuberculosis. Given that glycerophospholipid metabolism is a validated pathway for antimicrobials, our observations suggest that target vulnerability in the animal adapted lineages cannot be assumed to be the same as the human counterpart. This is of relevance for zoonotic tuberculosis as it implies that the development of antimicrobials targeting the human adapted lineage might not necessarily be effective against the animal adapted lineage. The generation of a transposon library and the first reported utilisation of CRISPRi in M. bovis will enable the use of these tools to further probe the genetic basis of survival under disease relevant conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J. Gibson
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Ian J. Passmore
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Valwynne Faulkner
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Dong Xia
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Nobeli
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Stiens
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sam Willcocks
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Taane G. Clark
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ben Sobkowiak
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dirk Werling
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | | | - Brendan W. Wren
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sharon L. Kendall
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Sharon L. Kendall
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Waturuocha UW, Krishna MS, Malhotra V, Dixit NM, Saini DK. A Low-Prevalence Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism in the Sensor Kinase PhoR in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Suppresses Its Autophosphatase Activity and Reduces Pathogenic Fitness: Implications in Evolutionary Selection. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:724482. [PMID: 34512602 PMCID: PMC8424205 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.724482] [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: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome sequencing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative organism of tuberculosis, has significantly improved our understanding of the mechanisms that drive the establishment of infection and disease progression. Several clinical strains of M. tuberculosis exhibit single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the implications of which are only beginning to be understood. Here, we examined the impact of a specific polymorphism in PhoR, the sensor kinase of the PhoPR two-component system. Biochemical analysis revealed reduced autophosphatase/ATPase activity, which led to enhanced downstream gene expression. We complemented M. tuberculosis H37Ra with the wild-type and mutant phoPR genes and characterized the strains in a cell line infection model. We provide an explanation for the low prevalence of the SNP in clinical strains (∼1%), as the mutation causes a survival disadvantage in the host cells. The study provides a rare example of selection of a signaling node under competing evolutionary forces, wherein a biochemically superior mutation aids bacterial adaptation within-host but has low fitness for infection and hence is not selected. Our study highlights the importance of accounting for such SNPs to test therapeutic and co-therapeutic methods to combat TB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Uchenna Watson Waturuocha
- Department of Studies in Zoology, University of Mysore, Mysore, India.,Department of Molecular Reproduction Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - M S Krishna
- Department of Studies in Zoology, University of Mysore, Mysore, India
| | | | - Narendra M Dixit
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India.,Center for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Deepak Kumar Saini
- Department of Molecular Reproduction Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India.,Center for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Rivera-Calzada A, Famelis N, Llorca O, Geibel S. Type VII secretion systems: structure, functions and transport models. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 19:567-584. [PMID: 34040228 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-021-00560-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Type VII secretion systems (T7SSs) have a key role in the secretion of effector proteins in non-pathogenic mycobacteria and pathogenic mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the main causative agent of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis-causing mycobacteria, still accounting for 1.4 million deaths annually, rely on paralogous T7SSs to survive in the host and efficiently evade its immune response. Although it is still unknown how effector proteins of T7SSs cross the outer membrane of the diderm mycobacterial cell envelope, recent advances in the structural characterization of these secretion systems have revealed the intricate network of interactions of conserved components in the plasma membrane. This structural information, added to recent advances in the molecular biology and regulation of mycobacterial T7SSs as well as progress in our understanding of their secreted effector proteins, is shedding light on the inner working of the T7SS machinery. In this Review, we highlight the implications of these studies and the derived transport models, which provide new scenarios for targeting the deathly human pathogen M. tuberculosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angel Rivera-Calzada
- Structural Biology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Nikolaos Famelis
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, Julius-Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Rudolf Virchow Center for Integrative and Translational Biomedicine, Julius-Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Oscar Llorca
- Structural Biology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sebastian Geibel
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, Julius-Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. .,Rudolf Virchow Center for Integrative and Translational Biomedicine, Julius-Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Engineering a new vaccine platform for heterologous antigen delivery in live-attenuated Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:4273-4283. [PMID: 34429847 PMCID: PMC8355830 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Live vaccines are attractive vehicles for antigen delivery as a strategy to immunize against heterologous pathogens. The live vaccine MTBVAC is based on rational attenuation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with the objective of improving BCG protection against pulmonary tuberculosis. However, the development of recombinant mycobacteria as antigen-presenting microorganisms has been hindered due to their fastidious genetic manipulation. In this study, we used MTBVAC as a genetic platform to deliver diphtheria, tetanus, or pertussis toxoids, which are the immunogenic constituents of the DTP vaccine. When using nonoptimal genetic conditions, the expression of these immunogens was barely detectable. Accordingly, we pursued a rational, step-by-step optimization of the genetic components to achieve the expression and secretion of these toxoids. We explored variants of the L5 mycobacteriophage promoter to ensure balanced antigen expression and plasmid stability. Optimal signal sequences were identified by comparative proteomics of MTBVAC and its parental strain. It was determined that proteins secreted by the Twin Arginine Translocation pathway displayed higher secretion in MTBVAC, and the Ag85A secretion sequence was selected as the best candidate. Because the coding regions of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis toxoids significantly differ in G + C content relative to mycobacterial genes, their codon usage was optimized. We also placed a 3xFLAG epitope in frame with the C-terminus of these toxoids to facilitate protein detection. Altogether, these optimizations resulted in the secretion of DTP antigens by MTBVAC, as demonstrated by western blot and MRM-MS. Finally, we examined specific antibody responses in mice vaccinated with recombinant MTBVAC expressing DTP antigens.
Collapse
|
26
|
Chen X, Huang J, Xiao Z, Yang X, Chen Y, Zheng W, Chen W, Chen H, Li S. Highly specific and sensitive detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex using multiplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification combined with a nanoparticle-based lateral flow biosensor. Braz J Microbiol 2021; 52:1315-1325. [PMID: 34176103 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-021-00520-4] [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: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is the deadliest infectious caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). Because most TB cases occur within low-income populations, developing a specific, sensitive, cost-saving, and rapid point-of-care test for the early diagnosis of TB is important for achieving the WHO's End Tuberculosis Strategy. In the current study, a novel nucleic acid detection strategy that includes multiplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification combined with a nanoparticle-based lateral flow biosensor (mLAMP-LFB) was used to detect MTBC. The two sets of LAMP primers specific to the IS6110 and gyrB genes of MTBC were successfully designed and validated for the detection of MTBC. The preferred reaction conditions for this assay were confirmed to be 65 °C for 40 min, and the amplification products could be visually identified through LFB within 2 min. The full assay process, including genomic DNA template extraction, LAMP reaction, and product detection, could be completed in 80 min. The limit detection of the assay was 100 fg of DNA in pure culture. The specificity of the assay was 100%, and it had no cross-reactions to other strains. Thus, the m-LAMP-LFB technology established in the present study was an objective, rapid, simple, and sensitive assay for MTBC identification, which could be applied in a clinical setting, especially in resource-constrained regions of the world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xu Chen
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease of Experimental Center, Guizhou Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 73 Bageyan Road, Guiyang, 550004, Guizhou, People's Republic of China.,The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550003, People's Republic of China
| | - Junfei Huang
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease of Experimental Center, Guizhou Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 73 Bageyan Road, Guiyang, 550004, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziyu Xiao
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550003, People's Republic of China.,Public Health School, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingui Yang
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease of Experimental Center, Guizhou Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 73 Bageyan Road, Guiyang, 550004, Guizhou, People's Republic of China.,Public Health School, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yijiang Chen
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease of Experimental Center, Guizhou Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 73 Bageyan Road, Guiyang, 550004, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenlin Zheng
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease of Experimental Center, Guizhou Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 73 Bageyan Road, Guiyang, 550004, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Chen
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease of Experimental Center, Guizhou Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 73 Bageyan Road, Guiyang, 550004, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Huijuan Chen
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease of Experimental Center, Guizhou Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 73 Bageyan Road, Guiyang, 550004, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shijun Li
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease of Experimental Center, Guizhou Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 73 Bageyan Road, Guiyang, 550004, Guizhou, People's Republic of China. .,Public Health School, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Pathogenic Determinants of the Mycobacterium kansasii Complex: An Unsuspected Role for Distributive Conjugal Transfer. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9020348. [PMID: 33578772 PMCID: PMC7916490 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The Mycobacterium kansasii species comprises six subtypes that were recently classified into six closely related species; Mycobacterium kansasii (formerly M. kansasii subtype 1), Mycobacterium persicum (subtype 2), Mycobacterium pseudokansasii (subtype 3), Mycobacterium ostraviense (subtype 4), Mycobacterium innocens (subtype 5) and Mycobacterium attenuatum (subtype 6). Together with Mycobacterium gastri, they form the M. kansasii complex. M. kansasii is the most frequent and most pathogenic species of the complex. M. persicum is classically associated with diseases in immunosuppressed patients, and the other species are mostly colonizers, and are only very rarely reported in ill patients. Comparative genomics was used to assess the genetic determinants leading to the pathogenicity of members of the M. kansasii complex. The genomes of 51 isolates collected from patients with and without disease were sequenced and compared with 24 publicly available genomes. The pathogenicity of each isolate was determined based on the clinical records or public metadata. A comparative genomic analysis showed that all M. persicum, M. ostraviense, M innocens and M. gastri isolates lacked the ESX-1-associated EspACD locus that is thought to play a crucial role in the pathogenicity of M. tuberculosis and other non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Furthermore, M. kansasii was the only species exhibiting a 25-Kb-large genomic island encoding for 17 type-VII secretion system-associated proteins. Finally, a genome-wide association analysis revealed that two consecutive genes encoding a hemerythrin-like protein and a nitroreductase-like protein were significantly associated with pathogenicity. These two genes may be involved in the resistance to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, a required mechanism for the intracellular survival of bacteria. Three non-pathogenic M. kansasii lacked these genes likely due to two distinct distributive conjugal transfers (DCTs) between M. attenuatum and M. kansasii, and one DCT between M. persicum and M. kansasii. To our knowledge, this is the first study linking DCT to reduced pathogenicity.
Collapse
|
28
|
Kanabalan RD, Lee LJ, Lee TY, Chong PP, Hassan L, Ismail R, Chin VK. Human tuberculosis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex: A review on genetic diversity, pathogenesis and omics approaches in host biomarkers discovery. Microbiol Res 2021; 246:126674. [PMID: 33549960 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2020.126674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) refers to a group of mycobacteria encompassing nine members of closely related species that causes tuberculosis in animals and humans. Among the nine members, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) remains the main causative agent for human tuberculosis that results in high mortality and morbidity globally. In general, MTBC species are low in diversity but exhibit distinctive biological differences and phenotypes among different MTBC lineages. MTBC species are likely to have evolved from a common ancestor through insertions/deletions processes resulting in species speciation with different degrees of pathogenicity. The pathogenesis of human tuberculosis is complex and remains poorly understood. It involves multi-interactions or evolutionary co-options between host factors and bacterial determinants for survival of the MTBC. Granuloma formation as a protection or survival mechanism in hosts by MTBC remains controversial. Additionally, MTBC species are capable of modulating host immune response and have adopted several mechanisms to evade from host immune attack in order to survive in humans. On the other hand, current diagnostic tools for human tuberculosis are inadequate and have several shortcomings. Numerous studies have suggested the potential of host biomarkers in early diagnosis of tuberculosis, in disease differentiation and in treatment monitoring. "Multi-omics" approaches provide holistic views to dissect the association of MTBC species with humans and offer great advantages in host biomarkers discovery. Thus, in this review, we seek to understand how the genetic variations in MTBC lead to species speciation with different pathogenicity. Furthermore, we also discuss how the host and bacterial players contribute to the pathogenesis of human tuberculosis. Lastly, we provide an overview of the journey of "omics" approaches in host biomarkers discovery in human tuberculosis and provide some interesting insights on the challenges and directions of "omics" approaches in host biomarkers innovation and clinical implementation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renuga Devi Kanabalan
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, 56000, Malaysia
| | - Le Jie Lee
- Prima Nexus Sdn. Bhd., Menara CIMB, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Tze Yan Lee
- Perdana University School of Liberal Arts, Science and Technology (PUScLST), Suite 9.2, 9th Floor, Wisma Chase Perdana, Changkat Semantan Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur, 50490, Malaysia
| | - Pei Pei Chong
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University Lakeside Campus, Subang Jaya, 47500, Malaysia
| | - Latiffah Hassan
- Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, 43400 UPM, Malaysia
| | - Rosnah Ismail
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, 56000, Malaysia.
| | - Voon Kin Chin
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, 43400 UPM, Malaysia; Integrative Pharmacogenomics Institute (iPROMISE), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam Campus, Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, 42300, Malaysia.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Peters JS, Ismail N, Dippenaar A, Ma S, Sherman DR, Warren RM, Kana BD. Genetic Diversity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Isolates and Resulting Outcomes of Tuberculosis Infection and Disease. Annu Rev Genet 2020; 54:511-537. [PMID: 32926793 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-022820-085940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis claims more human lives than any other bacterial infectious disease and represents a clear and present danger to global health as new tools for vaccination, treatment, and interruption of transmission have been slow to emerge. Additionally, tuberculosis presents with notable clinical heterogeneity, which complicates diagnosis, treatment, and the establishment of nonrelapsing cure. How this heterogeneity is driven by the diversity ofclinical isolates of the causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has recently garnered attention. Herein, we review advances in the understanding of how naturally occurring variation in clinical isolates affects transmissibility, pathogenesis, immune modulation, and drug resistance. We also summarize how specific changes in transcriptional responses can modulate infection or disease outcome, together with strain-specific effects on gene essentiality. Further understanding of how this diversity of M. tuberculosis isolates affects disease and treatment outcomes will enable the development of more effective therapeutic options and vaccines for this dreaded disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julian S Peters
- Department of Science and Innovation-National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand and the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa; ,
| | - Nabila Ismail
- Department of Science and Innovation-National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa; ,
| | - Anzaan Dippenaar
- Department of Science and Innovation-National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa; , .,Family Medicine and Population Health (FAMPOP), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, 2000, Belgium;
| | - Shuyi Ma
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA; ,
| | - David R Sherman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA; ,
| | - Robin M Warren
- Department of Science and Innovation-National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa; ,
| | - Bavesh D Kana
- Department of Science and Innovation-National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand and the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa; ,
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Baran M, Grimes KD, Sibbald PA, Fu P, Boshoff HIM, Wilson DJ, Aldrich CC. Development of small-molecule inhibitors of fatty acyl-AMP and fatty acyl-CoA ligases in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 201:112408. [PMID: 32574901 PMCID: PMC7415619 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Lipid metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) relies on 34 fatty acid adenylating enzymes (FadDs) that can be grouped into two classes: fatty acyl-CoA ligases (FACLs) involved in lipid and cholesterol catabolism and long chain fatty acyl-AMP ligases (FAALs) involved in biosynthesis of the numerous essential and virulence-conferring lipids found in Mtb. The precise biochemical roles of many FACLs remain poorly characterized while the functionally non-redundant FAALs are much better understood. Here we describe the systematic investigation of 5'-O-[N-(alkanoyl)sulfamoyl]adenosine (alkanoyl adenosine monosulfamate, alkanoyl-AMS) analogs as potential multitarget FadD inhibitors for their antitubercular activity and biochemical selectivity towards representative FAAL and FACL enzymes. We identified several potent compounds including 12-azidododecanoyl-AMS 28, 11-phenoxyundecanoyl-AMS 32, and nonyloxyacetyl-AMS 36 with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against M. tuberculosis ranging from 0.098 to 3.13 μM. Compound 32 was notable for its impressive biochemical selectivity against FAAL28 (apparent Ki = 0.7 μM) versus FACL19 (Ki > 100 μM), and uniform activity against a panel of multidrug and extensively drug-resistant TB strains with MICs ranging from 3.13 to 12.5 μM in minimal (GAST) and rich (7H9) media. The SAR analysis provided valuable insights for further optimization of 32 and also identified limitations to overcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marzena Baran
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 8-101 WDH, 308 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
| | - Kimberly D Grimes
- Center for Drug Design, Academic Health Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
| | - Paul A Sibbald
- Center for Drug Design, Academic Health Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
| | - Peng Fu
- Center for Drug Design, Academic Health Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
| | - Helena I M Boshoff
- Tuberculosis Research Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 20892, United States
| | - Daniel J Wilson
- Center for Drug Design, Academic Health Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
| | - Courtney C Aldrich
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 8-101 WDH, 308 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States; Center for Drug Design, Academic Health Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Pathogen associated molecular pattern-decorated mesoporous silica-A colloidal model for studying bacterial-host cell interactions. Biointerphases 2020; 15:041003. [PMID: 32668909 DOI: 10.1116/6.0000168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis is the top infectious disease worldwide and the development of a vaccine and diagnostic tools to control the disease is a priority that requires a better understanding of the factors involved in the pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the infectious agent. It is known that bacterial cell surface components are released, interact with immune cell receptors, and may traffic toward host cell structures. Many of these compounds are lipids that have been associated with mycobacterial virulence. However, their hydrophobic nature has frequently hampered their biological study. In this work, silica particles were coated with functional lipids to obtain a colloidal bioinspired system based on nonhydrosoluble glycolipids. Mycobacterium tuberculosis phosphatidylinositol mannosides (PIMs), known to interact with receptors of innate immune cells, were purified from the M. tuberculosis H37Rv type strain, and used to prepare large unilamellar liposomes in combination with zwitterionic phosphatidyl choline. Then, bacillary-like Santa Barbara Amorphous-15 (SBA-15) silica particles were cationized and the vesicle fusion method was used to promote the attachment of anionic PIM-containing lipid bilayers. Thermogravimetric analysis, x-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and zeta potential analyses were used to characterize the materials obtained. The as-prepared PIM-containing colloids, named PIM@SBA-15, showed biocompatibility toward human fibroblasts and were found to colocalize with Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 upon their incubation with THP1-derived macrophages. Furthermore, the particles induced the formation of pseudopods and were internalized into phagocytic cells. In all, these data suggest the usefulness of PIM@SBA-15 particles to better comprehend the interactions between immune cells and PIMs.
Collapse
|
32
|
Baena A, Cabarcas F, Alvarez-Eraso KLF, Isaza JP, Alzate JF, Barrera LF. Differential determinants of virulence in two Mycobacterium tuberculosis Colombian clinical isolates of the LAM09 family. Virulence 2020; 10:695-710. [PMID: 31291814 PMCID: PMC6650194 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2019.1642045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The heterogeneity of the clinical outcome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection may be due in part to different strategies used by circulating strains to cause disease. This heterogeneity is one of the main limitations to eradicate tuberculosis disease. In this study, we have compared the transcriptional response of two closely related Colombian clinical isolates (UT127 and UT205) of the LAM family under two axenic media conditions. These clinical isolates are phenotypically different at the level of cell death, cytokine production, growth kinetics upon in vitro infection of human tissue macrophages, and membrane vesicle secretion upon culture in synthetic medium. Using RNA-seq, we have identified different pathways that account for two different strategies to cope with the stressful condition of a carbon-poor media such as Sauton’s. We showed that the clinical isolate UT205 focus mainly in the activation of virulence systems such as the ESX-1, synthesis of diacyl-trehalose, polyacyl-trehalose, and sulfolipids, while UT127 concentrates its efforts mainly in the survival mode by the activation of the DNA replication, cell division, and lipid biosynthesis. This is an example of two Mtb isolates that belong to the same family and lineage, and even though they have a very similar genome, its transcriptional regulation showed important differences. This results in summary highlight the necessity to reach a better understanding of the heterogeneity in the behavior of these circulating Mtb strains which may help us to design better treatments and vaccines and to identify new targets for drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andres Baena
- a Grupo de Inmunología Celular e Inmunogenética (GICIG), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia , Medellín , Colombia.,b Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia , Medellín , Colombia
| | - Felipe Cabarcas
- c Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica (CNSG), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia , Medellín , Colombia.,d Grupo SISTEMIC, Ingeniería Electrónica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Antioquia , Medellín , Colombia
| | - Karen L F Alvarez-Eraso
- a Grupo de Inmunología Celular e Inmunogenética (GICIG), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia , Medellín , Colombia
| | - Juan Pablo Isaza
- c Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica (CNSG), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia , Medellín , Colombia
| | - Juan F Alzate
- b Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia , Medellín , Colombia.,c Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica (CNSG), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia , Medellín , Colombia.,e Grupo de Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia , Medellín , Colombia
| | - Luis F Barrera
- a Grupo de Inmunología Celular e Inmunogenética (GICIG), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia , Medellín , Colombia.,f Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia , Medellín , Colombia
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Sanchez KG, Ferrell MJ, Chirakos AE, Nicholson KR, Abramovitch RB, Champion MM, Champion PA. EspM Is a Conserved Transcription Factor That Regulates Gene Expression in Response to the ESX-1 System. mBio 2020; 11:e02807-19. [PMID: 32019792 PMCID: PMC7002343 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02807-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic mycobacteria encounter multiple environments during macrophage infection. Temporally, the bacteria are engulfed into the phagosome, lyse the phagosomal membrane, and interact with the cytosol before spreading to another cell. Virulence factors secreted by the mycobacterial ESX-1 (ESAT-6-system-1) secretion system mediate the essential transition from the phagosome to the cytosol. It was recently discovered that the ESX-1 system also regulates mycobacterial gene expression in Mycobacterium marinum (R. E. Bosserman, T. T. Nguyen, K. G. Sanchez, A. E. Chirakos, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 114:E10772-E10781, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1710167114), a nontuberculous mycobacterial pathogen, and in the human-pathogenic species M. tuberculosis (A. M. Abdallah, E. M. Weerdenburg, Q. Guan, R. Ummels, et al., PLoS One 14:e0211003, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211003). It is not known how the ESX-1 system regulates gene expression. Here, we identify the first transcription factor required for the ESX-1-dependent transcriptional response in pathogenic mycobacteria. We demonstrate that the gene divergently transcribed from the whiB6 gene and adjacent to the ESX-1 locus in mycobacterial pathogens encodes a conserved transcription factor (MMAR_5438, Rv3863, now espM). We prove that EspM from both M. marinum and M. tuberculosis directly and specifically binds the whiB6-espM intergenic region. We show that EspM is required for ESX-1-dependent repression of whiB6 expression and for the regulation of ESX-1-associated gene expression. Finally, we demonstrate that EspM functions to fine-tune ESX-1 activity in M. marinum Taking the data together, this report extends the esx-1 locus, defines a conserved regulator of the ESX-1 virulence pathway, and begins to elucidate how the ESX-1 system regulates gene expression.IMPORTANCE Mycobacterial pathogens use the ESX-1 system to transport protein substrates that mediate essential interactions with the host during infection. We previously demonstrated that in addition to transporting proteins, the ESX-1 secretion system regulates gene expression. Here, we identify a conserved transcription factor that regulates gene expression in response to the ESX-1 system. We demonstrate that this transcription factor is functionally conserved in M. marinum, a pathogen of ectothermic animals; M. tuberculosis, the human-pathogenic species that causes tuberculosis; and M. smegmatis, a nonpathogenic mycobacterial species. These findings provide the first mechanistic insight into how the ESX-1 system elicits a transcriptional response, a function of this protein transport system that was previously unknown.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin G Sanchez
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Micah J Ferrell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Alexandra E Chirakos
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Kathleen R Nicholson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Robert B Abramovitch
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Matthew M Champion
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Patricia A Champion
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Ofori-Anyinam B, Riley AJ, Jobarteh T, Gitteh E, Sarr B, Faal-Jawara TI, Rigouts L, Senghore M, Kehinde A, Onyejepu N, Antonio M, de Jong BC, Gehre F, Meehan CJ. Comparative genomics shows differences in the electron transport and carbon metabolic pathways of Mycobacterium africanum relative to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and suggests an adaptation to low oxygen tension. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2020; 120:101899. [PMID: 32090860 PMCID: PMC7049902 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2020.101899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The geographically restricted Mycobacterium africanum lineages (MAF) are primarily found in West Africa, where they account for a significant proportion of tuberculosis. Despite this phenomenon, little is known about the co-evolution of these ancient lineages with West Africans. MAF and M. tuberculosis sensu stricto lineages (MTB) differ in their clinical, in vitro and in vivo characteristics for reasons not fully understood. Therefore, we compared genomes of 289 MAF and 205 MTB clinical isolates from the 6 main human-adapted M. tuberculosis complex lineages, for mutations in their Electron Transport Chain and Central Carbon Metabolic pathway in order to explain these metabolic differences. Furthermore, we determined, in silico, whether each mutation could affect the function of genes encoding enzymes in these pathways. We found more mutations with the potential to affect enzymes in these pathways in MAF lineages compared to MTB lineages. We also found that similar mutations occurred in these pathways between MAF and some MTB lineages. Generally, our findings show further differences between MAF and MTB lineages that may have contributed to the MAF clinical and growth phenotype and indicate potential adaptation of MAF lineages to a distinct ecological niche, which we suggest includes areas characterized by low oxygen tension.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Boatema Ofori-Anyinam
- Mycobacteriology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; Vaccines and Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, Gambia; Center for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Abi Janet Riley
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, Gambia
| | - Tijan Jobarteh
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, Gambia
| | - Ensa Gitteh
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, Gambia
| | - Binta Sarr
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, Gambia
| | | | - Leen Rigouts
- Mycobacteriology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Madikay Senghore
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, Gambia
| | - Aderemi Kehinde
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria; Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Nneka Onyejepu
- Center for Tuberculosis Research, Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Martin Antonio
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, Gambia; Division of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Bouke C de Jong
- Mycobacteriology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Florian Gehre
- Mycobacteriology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; Vaccines and Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council Unit, Banjul, Gambia; Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Conor J Meehan
- Mycobacteriology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; School of Chemistry and Biosciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Construction and Characterization of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis sigE fadD26 Unmarked Double Mutant as a Vaccine Candidate. Infect Immun 2019; 88:IAI.00496-19. [PMID: 31591165 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00496-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the great increase in the understanding of the biology and pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis achieved by the scientific community in recent decades, tuberculosis (TB) still represents one of the major threats to global human health. The only available vaccine (Mycobacterium bovis BCG) protects children from disseminated forms of TB but does not effectively protect adults from the respiratory form of the disease, making the development of new and more-efficacious vaccines against the pulmonary forms of TB a major goal for the improvement of global health. Among the different strategies being developed to reach this goal is the construction of attenuated strains more efficacious and safer than BCG. We recently showed that a sigE mutant of M. tuberculosis was more attenuated and more efficacious than BCG in a mouse model of infection. In this paper, we describe the construction and characterization of an M. tuberculosis sigE fadD26 unmarked double mutant fulfilling the criteria of the Geneva Consensus for entering human clinical trials. The data presented suggest that this mutant is even more attenuated and slightly more efficacious than the previous sigE mutant in different mouse models of infection and is equivalent to BCG in a guinea pig model of infection.
Collapse
|
36
|
Chiner-Oms Á, Berney M, Boinett C, González-Candelas F, Young DB, Gagneux S, Jacobs WR, Parkhill J, Cortes T, Comas I. Genome-wide mutational biases fuel transcriptional diversity in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3994. [PMID: 31488832 PMCID: PMC6728331 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11948-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) members display different host-specificities and virulence phenotypes. Here, we have performed a comprehensive RNAseq and methylome analysis of the main clades of the MTBC and discovered unique transcriptional profiles. The majority of genes differentially expressed between the clades encode proteins involved in host interaction and metabolic functions. A significant fraction of changes in gene expression can be explained by positive selection on single mutations that either create or disrupt transcriptional start sites (TSS). Furthermore, we show that clinical strains have different methyltransferases inactivated and thus different methylation patterns. Under the tested conditions, differential methylation has a minor direct role on transcriptomic differences between strains. However, disruption of a methyltransferase in one clinical strain revealed important expression differences suggesting indirect mechanisms of expression regulation. Our study demonstrates that variation in transcriptional profiles are mainly due to TSS mutations and have likely evolved due to differences in host characteristics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Chiner-Oms
- Unidad Mixta "Infección y Salud Pública" FISABIO-CSISP/Universidad de Valencia, Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas-I2SysBio, Valencia, Spain.,Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, IBV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Michael Berney
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Department of Molecular Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Christine Boinett
- Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.,Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Fernando González-Candelas
- Unidad Mixta "Infección y Salud Pública" FISABIO-CSISP/Universidad de Valencia, Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas-I2SysBio, Valencia, Spain.,CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Sebastien Gagneux
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - William R Jacobs
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Department of Molecular Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Julian Parkhill
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Mandingley Road, Cambiddge, CB3 OES, UK
| | - Teresa Cortes
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Iñaki Comas
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, IBV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain. .,CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Valencia, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Baker JJ, Dechow SJ, Abramovitch RB. Acid Fasting: Modulation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Metabolism at Acidic pH. Trends Microbiol 2019; 27:942-953. [PMID: 31324436 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) senses and adapts to acidic host environments during the course of pathogenesis. Mutants defective in acidic pH-dependent adaptations are often attenuated during macrophage or animal infections, supporting that these pathways are essential for pathogenesis and represent important new targets for drug discovery. This review examines a confluence of findings supporting that Mtb has restricted metabolism at acidic pH that results in the slowing of bacterial growth and changes in redox homeostasis. It is proposed that induction of the PhoPR regulon and anaplerotic metabolism, in concert with the restricted use of specific carbon sources, functions to counter reductive stress associated with acidic pH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J Baker
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Shelby J Dechow
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Robert B Abramovitch
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Fieweger RA, Wilburn KM, VanderVen BC. Comparing the Metabolic Capabilities of Bacteria in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex. Microorganisms 2019; 7:E177. [PMID: 31216777 PMCID: PMC6617402 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7060177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic mycobacteria are known for their ability to maintain persistent infections in various mammals. The canonical pathogen in this genus is Mycobacterium tuberculosis and this bacterium is particularly successful at surviving and replicating within macrophages. Here, we will highlight the metabolic processes that M. tuberculosis employs during infection in macrophages and compare these findings with what is understood for other pathogens in the M. tuberculosis complex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachael A Fieweger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| | - Kaley M Wilburn
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| | - Brian C VanderVen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Chiner-Oms Á, Sánchez-Busó L, Corander J, Gagneux S, Harris SR, Young D, González-Candelas F, Comas I. Genomic determinants of speciation and spread of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw3307. [PMID: 31448322 PMCID: PMC6691555 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw3307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Models on how bacterial lineages differentiate increase our understanding of early bacterial speciation events and the genetic loci involved. Here, we analyze the population genomics events leading to the emergence of the tuberculosis pathogen. The emergence is characterized by a combination of recombination events involving core pathogenesis functions and purifying selection on early diverging loci. We identify the phoR gene, the sensor kinase of a two-component system involved in virulence, as a key functional player subject to pervasive positive selection after the divergence of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex from its ancestor. Previous evidence showed that phoR mutations played a central role in the adaptation of the pathogen to different host species. Now, we show that phoR mutations have been under selection during the early spread of human tuberculosis, during later expansions, and in ongoing transmission events. Our results show that linking pathogen evolution across evolutionary and epidemiological time scales points to past and present virulence determinants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Á. Chiner-Oms
- Unidad Mixta “Infección y Salud Pública” FISABIO-CSISP/Universidad de Valencia, Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (ISysBio), Valencia, Spain
| | - L. Sánchez-Busó
- Pathogen Genomics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - J. Corander
- Pathogen Genomics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
- Helsinki Institute of Information Technology (HIIT), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - S. Gagneux
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - S. R. Harris
- Microbiotica, BioData Innovation Centre, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1DR, UK
| | - D. Young
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - F. González-Candelas
- Unidad Mixta “Infección y Salud Pública” FISABIO-CSISP/Universidad de Valencia, Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (ISysBio), Valencia, Spain
- CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Valencia, Spain
| | - I. Comas
- CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Valencia, Spain
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Abdallah AM, Weerdenburg EM, Guan Q, Ummels R, Borggreve S, Adroub SA, Malas TB, Naeem R, Zhang H, Otto TD, Bitter W, Pain A. Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of pathogenic mycobacteria and their esx-1 mutants reveal secretion-dependent regulation of ESX-1 substrates and WhiB6 as a transcriptional regulator. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211003. [PMID: 30673778 PMCID: PMC6343904 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The mycobacterial type VII secretion system ESX-1 is responsible for the secretion of a number of proteins that play important roles during host infection. The regulation of the expression of secreted proteins is often essential to establish successful infection. Using transcriptome sequencing, we found that the abrogation of ESX-1 function in Mycobacterium marinum leads to a pronounced increase in gene expression levels of the espA operon during the infection of macrophages. In addition, the disruption of ESX-1-mediated protein secretion also leads to a specific down-regulation of the ESX-1 substrates, but not of the structural components of this system, during growth in culture medium. This effect is observed in both M. marinum and M. tuberculosis. We established that down-regulation of ESX-1 substrates is the result of a regulatory process that is influenced by the putative transcriptional regulator whib6, which is located adjacent to the esx-1 locus. In addition, the overexpression of the ESX-1-associated PE35/PPE68 protein pair resulted in a significantly increased secretion of the ESX-1 substrate EsxA, demonstrating a functional link between these proteins. Taken together, these data show that WhiB6 is required for the secretion-dependent regulation of ESX-1 substrates and that ESX-1 substrates are regulated independently from the structural components, both during infection and as a result of active secretion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdallah M. Abdallah
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal-Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail: (AMA); (WB); (AP)
| | - Eveline M. Weerdenburg
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Qingtian Guan
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal-Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Roy Ummels
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stephanie Borggreve
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sabir A. Adroub
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal-Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Tareq B. Malas
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal-Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Raeece Naeem
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal-Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Huoming Zhang
- Bioscience Core Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal-Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Thomas D. Otto
- Pathogen Genomics, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Wilbert Bitter
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail: (AMA); (WB); (AP)
| | - Arnab Pain
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal-Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail: (AMA); (WB); (AP)
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Pacl HT, Reddy VP, Saini V, Chinta KC, Steyn AJC. Host-pathogen redox dynamics modulate Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis. Pathog Dis 2018; 76:4972762. [PMID: 29873719 PMCID: PMC5989597 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/fty036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, encounters variable and hostile environments within the host. A major component of these hostile conditions is reductive and oxidative stresses induced by factors modified by the host immune response, such as oxygen tension, NO or CO gases, reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates, the availability of different carbon sources and changes in pH. It is therefore essential for Mtb to continuously monitor and appropriately respond to the microenvironment. To this end, Mtb has developed various redox-sensitive systems capable of monitoring its intracellular redox environment and coordinating a response essential for virulence. Various aspects of Mtb physiology are regulated by these systems, including drug susceptibility, secretion systems, energy metabolism and dormancy. While great progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms and pathways that govern the response of Mtb to the host's redox environment, many questions in this area remain unanswered. The answers to these questions are promising avenues for addressing the tuberculosis crisis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hayden T Pacl
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, USA
| | - Vineel P Reddy
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, USA
| | - Vikram Saini
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, USA
| | - Krishna C Chinta
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, USA
| | - Adrie J C Steyn
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, USA
- Centers for AIDS Research and Free Radical Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, USA
- Africa Health Research Institute, K-RITH Tower Building, Durban 4001, South Africa
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
PhoPR Positively Regulates whiB3 Expression in Response to Low pH in Pathogenic Mycobacteria. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:JB.00766-17. [PMID: 29378889 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00766-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
During infection, Mycobacterium tuberculosis colonizes macrophages or necrotic granulomas, in which low pH is one of the major challenges. The PhoPR two-component regulatory system and the cytosolic redox sensor WhiB3 both play important roles in the response to low pH by M. tuberculosis However, whether close association exists between PhoPR and WhiB3 remains unclear. In this study, the positive regulation of whiB3 by PhoPR in mycobacteria was characterized. We observed that the expression patterns of the whiB3 gene under acidic conditions are different among mycobacterial species, suggesting that the regulation of whiB3 differs among mycobacteria. A sequence analysis of the whiB3 promoters (whiB3p) from M. tuberculosis and two closely related species, namely, M. marinum and M. smegmatis, showed that the whiB3p regions from M. tuberculosis and M. marinum contain a new type of PhoP box that is absent in the M. smegmatiswhiB3p Direct binding of PhoP to whiB3p from M. tuberculosis and M. marinum but not that from M. smegmatis was validated by in vitro protein-DNA binding assays. The direct activation of whiB3 by PhoPR under acidic conditions was further verified by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis in M. marinum Moreover, mutating the residues important for the phosphorylation pathway of PhoPR in M. marinum abolished the activation of whiB3 expression by PhoPR under acidic conditions, suggesting that low pH triggers the phosphorylation of PhoPR, which in turn activates the transcription of whiB3 Since the PhoP box was only identified in whiB3p of pathogenic mycobacteria, we suggest that the PhoPR-whiB3 regulatory pathway may have evolved to facilitate mycobacterial infection.IMPORTANCE The low pH in macrophages is an important barrier for infection by microbes. The PhoPR two-component regulatory system is required for the response to low pH and plays a role in redox homeostasis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis WhiB3, a cytosolic redox-sensing transcriptional regulator, is also involved in these processes. However, there is no direct evidence to demonstrate the regulation of WhiB3 by PhoPR. In this study, we found that PhoPR directly activates whiB3 expression in response to low pH. An atypical PhoP box in the whiB3 promoters has been identified and is only found in pathogenic mycobacteria, which suggests that the PhoPR-whiB3 regulatory pathway may facilitate mycobacterial infection. This study provides novel information for further characterization of the PhoPR regulon.
Collapse
|
43
|
Abstract
Members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) have evolved causing tuberculosis (TB) in different mammalian hosts. MTBC ecotypes have adapted to diverse animal species, with M. bovis being the most common cause of TB in livestock. Cattle-to-human transmission of M. bovis through ingestion of raw milk was common before introduction of the pasteurization process. TB in humans is mainly caused by M. tuberculosis. This bacterium is considered a genetically clonal pathogen that has coevolved with humans due to its ability to manipulate and subvert the immune response. TB is a major public health problem due to airborne person-to-person transmission of M. tuberculosis. The essential yet unanswered question on the natural history of TB is when M. tuberculosis decides to establish latent infection in the host (resambling the lysogenic cycle of lambda phage) or to cause pulmonary disease (comparable to the lytic cycle of lambda phage). In this latter case, M. tuberculosis kills the host with the aim of achieving transmission to new hosts. Combating the TB epidemic requires stopping transmission. M. bovis BCG, the present vaccine against TB, is derived from M. bovis and only protects against disseminated forms of TB. Thus, a priority in TB research is development of new effective vaccines to prevent pulmonary disease. Attenuated vaccines based on M. tuberculosis as MTBVAC are potential candidates that could contribute to break the TB transmission cycle.
Collapse
|
44
|
Gonzalo-Asensio J, Marinova D, Martin C, Aguilo N. MTBVAC: Attenuating the Human Pathogen of Tuberculosis (TB) Toward a Promising Vaccine against the TB Epidemic. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1803. [PMID: 29326700 PMCID: PMC5736532 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a live-attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis developed a century ago by repeated subculture. It remains the only vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) in use today, and it offers variable protection against the respiratory forms of TB responsible for transmission. The principal genetic basis for BCG attenuation is the loss of the region of difference 1 (RD1) that includes the genes codifying for production and export of the major virulence factor ESAT6. Today more than 13 TB vaccine candidates are in clinical evaluation. One of these candidates is MTBVAC, which is based on a rationally attenuated Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolate belonging to modern lineage 4, one of the most widespread lineages among humans. MTBVAC conserves most of the T cell epitopes described for TB including the major immunodominant antigens ESAT6 and CFP10 of the RD1, deleted in BCG. After almost 20 years of discovery and preclinical development, MTBVAC is the only live attenuated vaccine based on a human pathogen that has successfully entered clinical trials as a preventive vaccine in newborns, aiming to replace BCG, and as a preventive vaccine in adolescents and adults (BCG-vaccinated at birth). Our recent preclinical studies have demonstrated that MTBVAC-induced immunity to ESAT6 and CFP10 correlate with improved efficacy relative to BCG encouraging exploration of these responses in human clinical trials as potential biomarkers and identification of these antigens as possible correlates of vaccine-induced protection. Such data would be extremely valuable as they would greatly accelerate clinical development to efficacy trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Gonzalo-Asensio
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Departamento Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dessislava Marinova
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Departamento Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Martin
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Departamento Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Nacho Aguilo
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Departamento Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Zai X, Yang Q, Yin Y, Li R, Qian M, Zhao T, Li Y, Zhang J, Fu L, Xu J, Chen W. Relative Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Brucella abortus Reveals Metabolic Adaptation to Multiple Environmental Stresses. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2347. [PMID: 29238329 PMCID: PMC5712581 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucella spp. are facultative intracellular pathogens that cause chronic brucellosis in humans and animals. The virulence of Brucella primarily depends on its successful survival and replication in host cells. During invasion of the host tissue, Brucella is simultaneously subjected to a variety of harsh conditions, including nutrient limitation, low pH, antimicrobial defenses, and extreme levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the host immune response. This suggests that Brucella may be able to regulate its metabolic adaptation in response to the distinct stresses encountered during its intracellular infection of the host. An investigation into the differential proteome expression patterns of Brucella grown under the relevant stress conditions may contribute toward a better understanding of its pathogenesis and adaptive response. Here, we utilized a mass spectrometry-based label-free relative quantitative proteomics approach to investigate and compare global proteomic changes in B. abortus in response to eight different stress treatments. The 3 h short-term in vitro single-stress and multi-stress conditions mimicked the in vivo conditions of B. abortus under intracellular infection, with survival rates ranging from 3.17 to 73.17%. The proteomic analysis identified and quantified a total of 2,272 proteins and 74% of the theoretical proteome, thereby providing wide coverage of the B. abortus proteome. By including eight distinct growth conditions and comparing these with a control condition, we identified a total of 1,221 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) that were significantly changed under the stress treatments. Pathway analysis revealed that most of the proteins were involved in oxidative phosphorylation, ABC transporters, two-component systems, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, the citrate cycle, thiamine metabolism, and nitrogen metabolism; constituting major response mechanisms toward the reconstruction of cellular homeostasis and metabolic balance under stress. In conclusion, our results provide a better understanding of the global metabolic adaptations of B. abortus associated with distinct environmental stresses. The identification of proteins necessary for stress resistance is crucial toward elucidating the infectious process in order to control brucellosis, and may facilitate the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and effective vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Zai
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Antibody Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Qiaoling Yang
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Antibody Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Yin
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Antibody Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Ruihua Li
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Antibody Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Mengying Qian
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Antibody Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Taoran Zhao
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Antibody Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Yaohui Li
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Antibody Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Antibody Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Ling Fu
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Antibody Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Junjie Xu
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Antibody Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Antibody Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
WhiB6 regulation of ESX-1 gene expression is controlled by a negative feedback loop in Mycobacterium marinum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E10772-E10781. [PMID: 29180415 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1710167114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
ESX (ESAT-6 system) export systems play diverse roles across mycobacterial species. Interestingly, genetic disruption of ESX systems in different species does not result in an accumulation of protein substrates in the mycobacterial cell. However, the mechanisms underlying this observation are elusive. We hypothesized that the levels of ESX substrates were regulated by a feedback-control mechanism, linking the levels of substrates to the secretory status of ESX systems. To test this hypothesis, we used a combination of genetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic approaches to define export-dependent mechanisms regulating the levels of ESX-1 substrates in Mycobacterium marinum WhiB6 is a transcription factor that regulates expression of genes encoding ESX-1 substrates. We found that, in the absence of the genes encoding conserved membrane components of the ESX-1 system, the expression of the whiB6 gene and genes encoding ESX-1 substrates were reduced. Accordingly, the levels of ESX-1 substrates were decreased, and WhiB6 was not detected in M. marinum strains lacking genes encoding ESX-1 components. We demonstrated that, in the absence of EccCb1, a conserved ESX-1 component, substrate gene expression was restored by constitutive, but not native, expression of the whiB6 gene. Finally, we found that the loss of WhiB6 resulted in a virulent M. marinum strain with reduced ESX-1 secretion. Together, our findings demonstrate that the levels of ESX-1 substrates in M. marinum are fine-tuned by negative feedback control, linking the expression of the whiB6 gene to the presence, not the functionality, of the ESX-1 membrane complex.
Collapse
|
47
|
Montoya-Rosales A, Provvedi R, Torres-Juarez F, Enciso-Moreno JA, Hernandez-Pando R, Manganelli R, Rivas-Santiago B. lysX gene is differentially expressed among Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains with different levels of virulence. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2017; 106:106-117. [PMID: 28802397 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are mainly produced by epithelial cells and macrophages to eliminate infecting mycobacteria through direct antimicrobial activity and immunomodulation. Indeed, it has been described that this line of defense is essential to control infection. However, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has developed mechanisms to avoid AMPs activity, for instance lysX adds lysine residues to surface phospholipids changing their net charge, leading to the repelling of the AMPs. In the present study, we determined that lysX gene is differentially expressed among Mtb strains. To achieve this aim we used several well-characterized Mtb clinical isolates, lysX mutated strains and reference strains. Our results showed that in the presence of AMPs, lysX expression increased significantly. Strains with higher lysX expression showed increased levels of intracellular survival in vivo and in vitro and induced more severe lesion related with pneumonia. Results showed that ability of Mtb to replicate intracellularly was directly correlated to the level of lysX expression showing that the amount of lysX produced by the bacterial cell is an important variable for the modulation of Mtb virulence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Montoya-Rosales
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico; Medical Research Unit-Zacatecas, Mexican Institute for Social Security-IMSS, Zacatecas, Mexico
| | | | - Flor Torres-Juarez
- Medical Research Unit-Zacatecas, Mexican Institute for Social Security-IMSS, Zacatecas, Mexico
| | - Jose A Enciso-Moreno
- Medical Research Unit-Zacatecas, Mexican Institute for Social Security-IMSS, Zacatecas, Mexico
| | - Rogelio Hernandez-Pando
- Experimental Pathology Section, Department of Pathology, National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition "Salvador Zubirán", México City, Mexico
| | | | - Bruno Rivas-Santiago
- Medical Research Unit-Zacatecas, Mexican Institute for Social Security-IMSS, Zacatecas, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Bacterial pathogen gene regulation: a DNA-structure-centred view of a protein-dominated domain. Clin Sci (Lond) 2017; 130:1165-77. [PMID: 27252403 DOI: 10.1042/cs20160024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms used by bacterial pathogens to regulate the expression of their genes, especially their virulence genes, have been the subject of intense investigation for several decades. Whole genome sequencing projects, together with more targeted studies, have identified hundreds of DNA-binding proteins that contribute to the patterns of gene expression observed during infection as well as providing important insights into the nature of the gene products whose expression is being controlled by these proteins. Themes that have emerged include the importance of horizontal gene transfer to the evolution of pathogens, the need to impose regulatory discipline upon these imported genes and the important roles played by factors normally associated with the organization of genome architecture as regulatory principles in the control of virulence gene expression. Among these architectural elements is the structure of DNA itself, its variable nature at a topological rather than just at a base-sequence level and its ability to play an active (as well as a passive) part in the gene regulation process.
Collapse
|
49
|
Marinova D, Gonzalo-Asensio J, Aguilo N, Martin C. MTBVAC from discovery to clinical trials in tuberculosis-endemic countries. Expert Rev Vaccines 2017; 16:565-576. [PMID: 28447476 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2017.1324303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION BCG remains the only vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) in use today and despite its impressive global coverage, the nature of BCG protection against the pulmonary forms of TB remains subject to ongoing debate. Because of the limitations of BCG, novel TB vaccine candidates have been developed and several have reached the clinical pipeline. One of these candidates is MTBVAC, the first and only TB vaccine in the clinical pipeline to date based on live-attenuated Mycobacterium tuberculosis that has successfully entered clinical evaluation, a historic milestone in human vaccinology. Areas covered: This review describes development of MTBVAC from discovery to clinical development in high burden TB-endemic countries. The preclinical experiments where MTBVAC has shown to confer improved safety and efficacy over BCG are presented and the clinical development plans for MTBVAC are revealed. The search of all supportive literature in this manuscript was carried out via Pubmed. Expert commentary: Small experimental medicine trials in humans and preclinical efficacy studies with a strong immunological component mimicking clinical trial design are considered essential by the scientific community to help identify reliable vaccine-specific correlates of protection in order to support and accelerate community-wide efficacy trials of new TB vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dessislava Marinova
- a Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Dpto. Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública , Universidad de Zaragoza , Zaragoza , Spain.,b CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias , Instituto de Salud Carlos III , Madrid , Spain
| | - Jesus Gonzalo-Asensio
- a Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Dpto. Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública , Universidad de Zaragoza , Zaragoza , Spain.,b CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias , Instituto de Salud Carlos III , Madrid , Spain.,c Servicio de Microbiología , Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, ISS Aragón , Zaragoza , Spain
| | - Nacho Aguilo
- a Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Dpto. Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública , Universidad de Zaragoza , Zaragoza , Spain.,b CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias , Instituto de Salud Carlos III , Madrid , Spain
| | - Carlos Martin
- a Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Dpto. Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública , Universidad de Zaragoza , Zaragoza , Spain.,b CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias , Instituto de Salud Carlos III , Madrid , Spain.,c Servicio de Microbiología , Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, ISS Aragón , Zaragoza , Spain
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Yruela I, Contreras-Moreira B, Magalhães C, Osório NS, Gonzalo-Asensio J. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Exhibits Lineage-Specific Variations Affecting Protein Ductility and Epitope Recognition. Genome Biol Evol 2017; 8:3751-3764. [PMID: 28062754 PMCID: PMC5521731 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of whole-genome sequencing has provided an unprecedented detail about the evolution and genetic significance of species-specific variations across the whole Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex. However, little attention has been focused on understanding the functional roles of these variations in the protein coding sequences. In this work, we compare the coding sequences from 74 sequenced mycobacterial species including M. africanum, M. bovis, M. canettii, M. caprae, M. orygis, and M. tuberculosis. Results show that albeit protein variations affect all functional classes, those proteins involved in lipid and intermediary metabolism and respiration have accumulated mutations during evolution. To understand the impact of these mutations on protein functionality, we explored their implications on protein ductility/disorder, a yet unexplored feature of mycobacterial proteomes. In agreement with previous studies, we found that a Gly71Ile substitution in the PhoPR virulence system severely affects the ductility of its nearby region in M. africanum and animal-adapted species. In the same line of evidence, the SmtB transcriptional regulator shows amino acid variations specific to the Beijing lineage, which affects the flexibility of the N-terminal trans-activation domain. Furthermore, despite the fact that MTBC epitopes are evolutionary hyperconserved, we identify strain- and lineage-specific amino acid mutations affecting previously known T-cell epitopes such as EsxH and FbpA (Ag85A). Interestingly, in silico studies reveal that these variations result in differential interaction of epitopes with the main HLA haplogroups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inmaculada Yruela
- Estación Experimental de Aula Dei-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEAD-CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain.,Grupo de Bioquímica, Biofísica y Biología Computacional (BIFI, UNIZAR), Unidad Asociada I+D+i al CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Bruno Contreras-Moreira
- Estación Experimental de Aula Dei-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEAD-CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain.,Grupo de Bioquímica, Biofísica y Biología Computacional (BIFI, UNIZAR), Unidad Asociada I+D+i al CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain.,Fundación ARAID, Aragón, Spain
| | - Carlos Magalhães
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno S Osório
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Jesús Gonzalo-Asensio
- Grupo de Genética de Micobacterias, Departamento de Microbiología y Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI-UNIZAR), Zaragoza, Spain.,Servicio de Microbiología Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, ISS Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain
| |
Collapse
|