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Lucidi M, Visaggio D, Migliaccio A, Capecchi G, Visca P, Imperi F, Zarrilli R. Pathogenicity and virulence of Acinetobacter baumannii: Factors contributing to the fitness in healthcare settings and the infected host. Virulence 2024; 15:2289769. [PMID: 38054753 PMCID: PMC10732645 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2289769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is a common cause of healthcare-associated infections and hospital outbreaks, particularly in intensive care units. Much of the success of A. baumannii relies on its genomic plasticity, which allows rapid adaptation to adversity and stress. The capacity to acquire novel antibiotic resistance determinants and the tolerance to stresses encountered in the hospital environment promote A. baumannii spread among patients and long-term contamination of the healthcare setting. This review explores virulence factors and physiological traits contributing to A. baumannii infection and adaptation to the hospital environment. Several cell-associated and secreted virulence factors involved in A. baumannii biofilm formation, cell adhesion, invasion, and persistence in the host, as well as resistance to xeric stress imposed by the healthcare settings, are illustrated to give reasons for the success of A. baumannii as a hospital pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Lucidi
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniela Visaggio
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Paolo Visca
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Imperi
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaele Zarrilli
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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2
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Huang D, Chen L, Wang Z, He F, Zhang X, Wang X. Characterization of a secondary palmitoleoyltransferase of lipid A in Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Enzyme Microb Technol 2024; 180:110504. [PMID: 39191067 DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2024.110504] [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: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
The detection of pathogenicity and immunogenicity in Vibrio parahaemolyticus poses a significant challenge due to its threat to human health and food safety, which is strongly correlated with lipid A. Lipid A, a critical component found in most Gram-negative bacteria, functions as a hydrophobic anchor for lipopolysaccharide. V. parahaemolyticus synthesizes multiple lipid A species with various secondary acyl chains. In this study, a secondary acyltransferase of lipid A encoded by VP_RS08405 in V. parahaemolyticus was identified. Based on sequence alignment analysis, V. parahaemolyticus VP_RS08405 has high homology to E. coli lpxL, lpxM and lpxP which encode the three secondary acyltransferases of lipid A. Therefore, V. parahaemolyticus VP_RS08405 was cloned into pBAD33, and the resulting pB08405 was introduced in E. coli mutants WHL00 in which lpxL was deleted, WHM00 in which lpxM was deleted, WHP00 in which lpxP was deleted, and WH300 in which lpxL, lpxM and lpxP were deleted. The recombinant strains WHL00/pB08405, WHM00/pB08405, WHP00/pB08405, WH300/pB08405, as well as their vector controls, were grown at normal and low temperatures. Lipid A species were isolated from the above strains and analyzed by using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and thin-layer chromatography. After comparing the secondary acyl alterations of lipid A from different recombinant strains, it is concluded that VP_RS08405 specifically catalyzed the addition of a palmitoleate to the 2'-position of lipid A and its activity is not temperature-sensitive. In addition, to determine the dependence of VP_RS08405 on Kdo, VP_RS08405 was overexpressed in E. coli mutants WH001 in which waaA was deleted, and WH400 in which waaA, lpxL, lpxM and lpxP were deleted. Lipid A species were isolated from WH001/pB08405 and WH400/pB08405, and analyzed. The results show that the function of VP_RS08405 is Kdo-dependent. These findings provide a better understanding of the structural diversity of lipid A in V. parahaemolyticus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Ningbo Institute of Marine Medicine Peking University, Ningbo 315832, China
| | - Lingyan Chen
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Fenfang He
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xinrui Zhang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
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3
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Pracser N, Voglauer EM, Thalguter S, Pietzka A, Selberherr E, Wagner M, Rychli K. Exploring the occurrence of Listeria in biofilms and deciphering the bacterial community in a frozen vegetable producing environment. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1404002. [PMID: 39050638 PMCID: PMC11266072 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1404002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The establishment of Listeria (L.) monocytogenes within food processing environments constitutes a significant public health concern. This versatile bacterium demonstrates an exceptional capacity to endure challenging environmental conditions in the food processing environment, where contamination of food products regularly occurs. The diverse repertoire of stress resistance genes, the potential to colonize biofilms, and the support of a co-existing microbiota have been proposed as root causes for the survival of L. monocytogenes in food processing environments. In this study, 71 sites were sampled after cleaning and disinfection in a European frozen vegetable processing facility, where L. monocytogenes in-house clones persisted for years. L. monocytogenes and L. innocua were detected by a culture-dependent method at 14 sampling sites, primarily on conveyor belts and associated parts. The presence of biofilms, as determined by the quantification of bacterial load and the analysis of extracellular matrix components (carbohydrates, proteins, extracellular DNA) was confirmed at nine sites (12.7%). In two cases, L. innocua was detected in a biofilm. Furthermore, we explored the resident microbial community in the processing environment and on biofilm-positive sites, as well as the co-occurrence of bacterial taxa with Listeria by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Exiguobacterium dominated the microbial community of the processing environment. Using differential abundance analysis, amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) assigned to Enterobacterales (Enterobacter, Serratia, unclassified Enterobacteriaceae) and Carnobacterium were found to be significantly higher abundant in Listeria-positive samples. Several Pseudomonas ASVs were less abundant in Listeria-positive compared to Listeria-negative samples. Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Janthinobacterium, Brevundimonas, and Exiguobacterium were key players in the microbial community in biofilms, and Exiguobacterium and Janthinobacterium were more relatively abundant in biofilms. Further, the microbial composition varied between the different areas and the surface materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Pracser
- FFoQSI GmbH-Austrian Competence Centre for Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation, Tulln, Austria
| | - Eva M. Voglauer
- FFoQSI GmbH-Austrian Competence Centre for Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation, Tulln, Austria
| | - Sarah Thalguter
- FFoQSI GmbH-Austrian Competence Centre for Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation, Tulln, Austria
| | - Ariane Pietzka
- Austrian National Reference Laboratory for Listeria monocytogenes, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Graz, Austria
| | - Evelyne Selberherr
- Clinical Department for Farm Animals and Food System Science, Centre for Food Science and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Wagner
- FFoQSI GmbH-Austrian Competence Centre for Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation, Tulln, Austria
- Clinical Department for Farm Animals and Food System Science, Centre for Food Science and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kathrin Rychli
- Clinical Department for Farm Animals and Food System Science, Centre for Food Science and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Simphor E, Rognon A, Vignal E, Henry S, Allienne JF, Turtoi A, Chaparro C, Galinier R, Duval D, Gourbal B. Combining a transcriptomic approach and a targeted metabolomics approach for deciphering the molecular bases of compatibility phenotype in the snail Biomphalaria glabrata toward Schistosoma mansoni. Acta Trop 2024; 255:107212. [PMID: 38641222 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Biomphalaria glabrata is a freshwater snail and the obligatory intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni parasite, the etiologic agent of intestinal Schistosomiasis, in South America and Caribbean. Interestingly in such host-parasite interactions, compatibility varies between populations, strains or individuals. This observed compatibility polymorphism is based on a complex molecular-matching-phenotype, the molecular bases of which have been investigated in numerous studies, notably by comparing between different strains or geographical isolates or clonal selected snail lines. Herein we propose to decipher the constitutive molecular support of this interaction in selected non-clonal resistant and susceptible snail strain originating from the same natural population from Brazil and thus having the same genetic background. Thanks to a global RNAseq transcriptomic approach on whole snail, we identified a total of 328 differentially expressed genes between resistant and susceptible phenotypes among which 129 were up-regulated and 199 down-regulated. Metabolomic studies were used to corroborate the RNAseq results. The activation of immune genes and specific metabolic pathways in resistant snails might provide them with the capacity to better respond to parasite infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Simphor
- IHPE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Univ. Perpignan via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Anne Rognon
- IHPE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Univ. Perpignan via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Emmanuel Vignal
- IHPE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Univ. Perpignan via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Sylvain Henry
- Platform for Translational Oncometabolomics, Biocampus, CNRS, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Andrei Turtoi
- Platform for Translational Oncometabolomics, Biocampus, CNRS, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Tumor Microenvironment and Resistance to Therapy Laboratory, Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, INSERM, U1194, Montpellier, France
| | - Cristian Chaparro
- IHPE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Univ. Perpignan via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Richard Galinier
- IHPE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Univ. Perpignan via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - David Duval
- IHPE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Univ. Perpignan via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Benjamin Gourbal
- IHPE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Univ. Perpignan via Domitia, Perpignan, France.
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5
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Harvey DJ. Analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: An update for 2021-2022. MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2024. [PMID: 38925550 DOI: 10.1002/mas.21873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry for the analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates is a well-established technique and this review is the 12th update of the original article published in 1999 and brings coverage of the literature to the end of 2022. As with previous review, this review also includes a few papers that describe methods appropriate to analysis by MALDI, such as sample preparation, even though the ionization method is not MALDI. The review follows the same format as previous reviews. It is divided into three sections: (1) general aspects such as theory of the MALDI process, matrices, derivatization, MALDI imaging, fragmentation, quantification and the use of computer software for structural identification. (2) Applications to various structural types such as oligo- and polysaccharides, glycoproteins, glycolipids, glycosides and biopharmaceuticals, and (3) other general areas such as medicine, industrial processes, natural products and glycan synthesis where MALDI is extensively used. Much of the material relating to applications is presented in tabular form. MALDI is still an ideal technique for carbohydrate analysis, particularly in its ability to produce single ions from each analyte and advancements in the technique and range of applications show little sign of diminishing.
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Wang D, Hao L, Jiao X, Que Z, Huang J, Jin Y, Zhou R, Wang Z, Wu C. Engineering the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids by introducing desaturase improved the stress tolerance of yeast. JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2024; 104:2398-2405. [PMID: 37996964 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.13162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Yeast is often used to build cell factories to produce various chemicals or nutrient substances, which means the yeast has to encounter stressful environments. Previous research reported that unsaturated fatty acids were closely related to yeast stress resistance. Engineering unsaturated fatty acids may be a viable strategy for enhancing the stress resistance of cells. RESULTS In this study, two desaturase genes, OLE1 and FAD2 from Z. rouxii, were overexpressed in S. cerevisiae to determine how unsaturated fatty acids affect cellular stress tolerance of cells. After cloning and plasmid recombination, the recombinant S. cerevisiae cells were constructed. Analysis of membrane fatty acid contents revealed that the recombinant S. cerevisiae with overexpression of OLE1 and FAD2 genes contained higher levels of fatty acids C16:1 (2.77 times), C18:1 (1.51 times) and C18:2 (4.15 times) than the wild-type S. cerevisiae pY15TEF1. In addition, recombinant S. cerevisiae cells were more resistant to multiple stresses, and exhibited improved membrane functionality, including membrane fluidity and integrity. CONCLUSION These findings demonstrated that strengthening the expression of desaturases was beneficial to stress tolerance. Overall, this study may provide a suitable means to build a cell factory of industrial yeast cells with high tolerance during biological manufacturing. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingkang Wang
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Global Health Institute, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xian, China
| | - Liying Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xue Jiao
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhiluo Que
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jun Huang
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yao Jin
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Rongqing Zhou
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhonghui Wang
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chongde Wu
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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7
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VanOtterloo LM, Macias LA, Powers MJ, Brodbelt JS, Trent MS. Characterization of Acinetobacter baumannii core oligosaccharide synthesis reveals novel aspects of lipooligosaccharide assembly. mBio 2024; 15:e0301323. [PMID: 38349180 PMCID: PMC10936431 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03013-23] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
A fundamental feature of Gram-negative bacteria is their outer membrane that protects the cell against environmental stressors. This defense is predominantly due to its asymmetry, with glycerophospholipids located in the inner leaflet and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or lipooligosaccharide (LOS) confined to the outer leaflet. LPS consists of a lipid A anchor, a core oligosaccharide, and a distal O-antigen while LOS lacks O-antigen. While LPS/LOS is typically essential for growth, this is not the case for Acinetobacter baumannii. Despite this unique property, the synthesis of the core oligosaccharide of A. baumannii LOS is not well-described. Here, we characterized the LOS chemotypes of A. baumannii strains with mutations in a predicted core oligosaccharide locus via tandem mass spectrometry. This allowed for an extensive identification of genes required for core assembly that can be exploited to generate precise structural LOS modifications in many A. baumannii strains. We further investigated two chemotypically identical yet phenotypically distinct mutants, ∆2903 and ∆lpsB, that exposed a possible link between LOS and the peptidoglycan cell wall-two cell envelope components whose coordination has not yet been described in A. baumannii. Selective reconstruction of the core oligosaccharide via expression of 2903 and LpsB revealed that these proteins rely on each other for the unusual tandem transfer of two residues, KdoIII and N-acetylglucosaminuronic acid. The data presented not only allow for better usage of A. baumannii as a tool to study outer membrane integrity but also provide further evidence for a novel mechanism of core oligosaccharide assembly. IMPORTANCE Acinetobacter baumannii is a multidrug-resistant pathogen that produces lipooligosaccharide (LOS), a glycolipid that confers protective asymmetry to the bacterial outer membrane. The core oligosaccharide is a ubiquitous component of LOS that typically follows a well-established model of synthesis. In addition to providing an extensive analysis of the genes involved in the synthesis of the core region, we demonstrate that this organism has evidently diverged from the long-held archetype of core synthesis. Moreover, our data suggest that A. baumannii LOS assembly is important for cell division and likely intersects with the synthesis of the peptidoglycan cell wall, another essential component of the Gram-negative cell envelope. This connection between LOS and cell wall synthesis provides an intriguing foundation for a unique method of outer membrane biogenesis and cell envelope coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah M. VanOtterloo
- Department of Microbiology, College of Art and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Luis A. Macias
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Matthew J. Powers
- Department of Microbiology, College of Art and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | | | - M. Stephen Trent
- Department of Microbiology, College of Art and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Baijal K, Abramchuk I, Herrera CM, Mah TF, Trent MS, Lavallée-Adam M, Downey M. Polyphosphate kinase regulates LPS structure and polymyxin resistance during starvation in E. coli. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002558. [PMID: 38478588 PMCID: PMC10962826 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002558] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyphosphates (polyP) are chains of inorganic phosphates that can reach over 1,000 residues in length. In Escherichia coli, polyP is produced by the polyP kinase (PPK) and is thought to play a protective role during the response to cellular stress. However, the molecular pathways impacted by PPK activity and polyP accumulation remain poorly characterized. In this work, we used label-free mass spectrometry to study the response of bacteria that cannot produce polyP (Δppk) during starvation to identify novel pathways regulated by PPK. In response to starvation, we found 92 proteins significantly differentially expressed between wild-type and Δppk mutant cells. Wild-type cells were enriched for proteins related to amino acid biosynthesis and transport, while Δppk mutants were enriched for proteins related to translation and ribosome biogenesis, suggesting that without PPK, cells remain inappropriately primed for growth even in the absence of the required building blocks. From our data set, we were particularly interested in Arn and EptA proteins, which were down-regulated in Δppk mutants compared to wild-type controls, because they play a role in lipid A modifications linked to polymyxin resistance. Using western blotting, we confirm differential expression of these and related proteins in K-12 strains and a uropathogenic isolate, and provide evidence that this mis-regulation in Δppk cells stems from a failure to induce the BasRS two-component system during starvation. We also show that Δppk mutants unable to up-regulate Arn and EptA expression lack the respective L-Ara4N and pEtN modifications on lipid A. In line with this observation, loss of ppk restores polymyxin sensitivity in resistant strains carrying a constitutively active basR allele. Overall, we show a new role for PPK in lipid A modification during starvation and provide a rationale for targeting PPK to sensitize bacteria towards polymyxin treatment. We further anticipate that our proteomics work will provide an important resource for researchers interested in the diverse pathways impacted by PPK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanchi Baijal
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Iryna Abramchuk
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carmen M. Herrera
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Thien-Fah Mah
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - M. Stephen Trent
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Mathieu Lavallée-Adam
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Downey
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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9
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Choi Y, Choe HW, Kook M, Choo S, Park TW, Bae S, Kim H, Yang J, Jeong WS, Yu J, Lee KR, Kim YS, Yu J. Proline-Hinged α-Helical Peptides Sensitize Gram-Positive Antibiotics, Expanding Their Physicochemical Properties to Be Used as Gram-Negative Antibiotics. J Med Chem 2024; 67:1825-1842. [PMID: 38124427 PMCID: PMC10860147 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01473] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is the most difficult obstacle for small-molecule antibiotics to reach their targets in the cytosol. The molecular features of Gram-negative antibiotics required for passing through the OM are that they should be positively charged rather than neutral, flat rather than globular, less flexible, or more increased amphiphilic moment. Because of these specific molecular characteristics, developing Gram-negative antibiotics is difficult. We focused on sensitizer peptides to facilitate the passage of hydrophobic Gram-positive antibiotics through the OM. We explored ways of improving the sensitizing ability of proline-hinged α-helical peptides by adjusting their length, hydrophobicity, and N-terminal groups. A novel peptide, 1403, improves the potentiation of rifampicin in vitro and in vivo and potentiates most Gram-positive antibiotics. The "sensitizer" approach is more plausible than those that rely on conventional drug discovery methods concerning drug development costs and the development of drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoonhwa Choi
- Department
of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National
University, Seoul 08826, Republic
of Korea
- CAMP
Therapeutics, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeong Woon Choe
- Department
of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National
University, Seoul 08826, Republic
of Korea
| | - Minsoo Kook
- Department
of Infectious Disease, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Seolah Choo
- Department
of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National
University, Seoul 08826, Republic
of Korea
| | - Tae Woo Park
- Department
of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National
University, Seoul 08826, Republic
of Korea
| | - Soeun Bae
- Department
of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National
University, Seoul 08826, Republic
of Korea
| | - Heeseung Kim
- Department
of Infectious Disease, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihye Yang
- Department
of Infectious Disease, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo-Seong Jeong
- Laboratory
Animal Resource Center, Korea Research Institute
of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Cheongju 28116, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyoung Yu
- Asan
Medical Center, Seoul 05505, Republic
of Korea
| | - Kyeong-Ryoon Lee
- Laboratory
Animal Resource Center, Korea Research Institute
of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Cheongju 28116, Republic of Korea
| | - Yang Soo Kim
- Department
of Infectious Disease, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaehoon Yu
- Department
of Chemistry & Education, Seoul National
University, Seoul 08826, Republic
of Korea
- CAMP
Therapeutics, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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10
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Yang J, Son Y, Kang M, Park W. AamA-mediated epigenetic control of genome-wide gene expression and phenotypic traits in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 17978. Microb Genom 2023; 9:mgen001093. [PMID: 37589545 PMCID: PMC10483419 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual deletions of three genes encoding orphan DNA methyltransferases resulted in the occurrence of growth defect only in the aamA (encoding AcinetobacterAdenine Methylase A) mutant of A. baumannii strain ATCC 17978. Our single-molecule real-time sequencing-based methylome analysis revealed multiple AamA-mediated DNA methylation sites and proposed a potent census target motif (TTTRAATTYAAA). Loss of Dam led to modulation of genome-wide gene expression, and several Dam-target sites including the promoter region of the trmD operon (rpsP, rimM, trmD, and rplS) were identified through our methylome and transcriptome analyses. AamA methylation also appeared to control the expression of many genes linked to membrane functions (lolAB, lpxO), replication (dnaA) and protein synthesis (trmD operon) in the strain ATCC 17978. Interestingly, cellular resistance against several antibiotics and ethidium bromide through functions of efflux pumps diminished in the absence of the aamA gene, and the complementation of aamA gene restored the wild-type phenotypes. Other tested phenotypic traits such as outer-membrane vesicle production, biofilm formation and virulence were also affected in the aamA mutant. Collectively, our data indicated that epigenetic regulation through AamA-mediated DNA methylation of novel target sites mostly in the regulatory regions could contribute significantly to changes in multiple phenotypic traits in A. baumannii ATCC 17978.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihye Yang
- Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongjun Son
- Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mingyeong Kang
- Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woojun Park
- Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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11
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Baijal K, Abramchuk I, Herrera CM, Stephen Trent M, Lavallée-Adam M, Downey M. Proteomics analysis reveals a role for E. coli polyphosphate kinase in membrane structure and polymyxin resistance during starvation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.06.546892. [PMID: 37461725 PMCID: PMC10350021 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.06.546892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Polyphosphates (polyP) are chains of inorganic phosphates that can reach over 1000 residues in length. In Escherichia coli, polyP is produced by the polyP kinase (PPK) and is thought to play a protective role during the response to cellular stress. However, the molecular pathways impacted by PPK activity and polyP accumulation remain poorly characterized. In this work we used label-free mass spectrometry to study the response of bacteria that cannot produce polyP (∆ppk) during starvation to identify novel pathways regulated by PPK. In response to starvation, we found 92 proteins significantly differentially expressed between wild-type and ∆ppk mutant cells. Wild-type cells were enriched for proteins related to amino acid biosynthesis and transport, while Δppk mutants were enriched for proteins related to translation and ribosome biogenesis, suggesting that without PPK, cells remain inappropriately primed for growth even in the absence of required building blocks. From our dataset, we were particularly interested in Arn and EptA proteins, which were downregulated in ∆ppk mutants compared to wild-type controls, because they play a role in lipid A modifications linked to polymyxin resistance. Using western blotting, we confirm differential expression of these and related proteins, and provide evidence that this mis-regulation in ∆ppk cells stems from a failure to induce the BasS/BasR two-component system during starvation. We also show that ∆ppk mutants unable to upregulate Arn and EptA expression lack the respective L-Ara4N and pEtN modifications on lipid A. In line with this observation, loss of ppk restores polymyxin sensitivity in resistant strains carrying a constitutively active basR allele. Overall, we show a new role for PPK in lipid A modification during starvation and provide a rationale for targeting PPK to sensitize bacteria towards polymyxin treatment. We further anticipate that our proteomics work will provide an important resource for researchers interested in the diverse pathways impacted by PPK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanchi Baijal
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Iryna Abramchuk
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carmen M. Herrera
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - M. Stephen Trent
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Mathieu Lavallée-Adam
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Downey
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Yang H, Sherman ME, Koo CJ, Treaster LM, Smith JP, Gallaher SG, Goodlett DR, Sweet CR, Ernst RK. Structure Determination of Lipid A with Multiple Glycosylation Sites by Tandem MS of Lithium-Adducted Negative Ions. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2023; 34:1047-1055. [PMID: 37184080 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.3c00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
FLATn is a tandem mass spectrometric technique that can be used to rapidly generate spectral information applicable for structural elucidation of lipids like lipid A from Gram-negative bacterial species from a single bacterial colony. In this study, we extend the scope and capability of FLATn by tandem MS fragmentation of lithium-adducted molecular lipid A anions and fragments (FLATn-Li) that provides additional structural and diagnostic data from FLATn samples allowing for the discrimination of terminal phosphate modifications in a variety of pathogenic and environmental species. Using FLATn-Li, we elucidated the lipid A structure from several bacterial species, including novel structures from arctic bacterioplankton of the Duganella and Massilia genera that favor 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinopyranose (Ara4N) modification at the 1-phosphate position and that demonstrate double glycosylation with Ara4N at the 1 and 4' phosphate positions simultaneously. The structures characterized in this work demonstrate that some environmental psychrophilic species make extensive use of this structural lipid A modification previously characterized as a pathogenic adaptation and the structural basis of resistance to cationic antimicrobial peptides. This observation extends the role of phosphate modification(s) in environmental species adaptation and suggests that Ara4N modification can functionally replace the positive charge of the phosphoethanolamine modification that is more typically found attached to the 1-phosphate position of modified lipid A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyojik Yang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States of America
| | - Matthew E Sherman
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States of America
| | - Caitlyn J Koo
- Chemistry Department, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland 21402, United States of America
- School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States of America
| | - Logan M Treaster
- Chemistry Department, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland 21402, United States of America
- School of Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, United States of America
| | - Joseph P Smith
- Oceanography Department, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland 21402, United States of America
| | - Shawn G Gallaher
- Oceanography Department, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland 21402, United States of America
| | - David R Goodlett
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada
- Genome British Columbia Proteomics Centre, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8Z 7Z8, Canada
| | - Charles R Sweet
- Chemistry Department, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland 21402, United States of America
| | - Robert K Ernst
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States of America
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13
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Wang D, He Z, Liu M, Jin Y, Zhao J, Zhou R, Wu C, Qin J. Exogenous fatty acid renders the improved salt tolerance in Zygosaccharomyces rouxii by altering lipid metabolism. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2023.114579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
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14
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Choi E, Huh A, Hwang J. Novel rRNA transcriptional activity of NhaR revealed by its growth recovery for the bipA-deleted Escherichia coli at low temperature. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1175889. [PMID: 37152896 PMCID: PMC10157491 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1175889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The BipA protein is a universally conserved GTPase in bacterial species and is structurally similar to translational GTPases. Despite its wide distribution, BipA is dispensable for growth under optimal growth conditions but is required under stress conditions. In particular, bipA-deleted cells (ESC19) have been shown to display a variety of phenotypic changes in ribosome assembly, capsule production, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis, biofilm formation, and motility at low temperature, suggesting its global regulatory roles in cold adaptation. Here, through genomic library screening, we found a suppressor clone containing nhaR, which encodes a Na+-responsive LysR-type transcriptional regulator and whose gene product partially restored the growth of strain ESC19 at 20°C. The suppressed cells showed slightly reduced capsule production and improved biofilm-forming ability at 20°C, whereas the defects in the LPS core and swimming motility were not restored but aggravated by overexpression of nhaR. Notably, the overexpression partially alleviated the defects in 50S ribosomal subunit assembly and rRNA processing of ESC19 cells by enhancing the overall transcription of rRNA. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed the association of NhaR with the promoter of seven rrn operons, suggesting that NhaR directly regulates rRNA transcription in ESC19 at 20°C. The suppressive effects of NhaR on ribosomes, capsules, and LPS were dependent on its DNA-binding activity, implying that NhaR might be a transcriptional factor involved in regulating these genes at 20°C. Furthermore, we found that BipA may be involved in adaptation to salt stress, designating BipA as a global stress-responsive regulator, as the deletion of bipA led to growth defects at 37°C and high Na+ concentrations without ribosomal defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunsil Choi
- Department of Microbiology, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- Microbiological Resource Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Ahhyun Huh
- Department of Microbiology, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihwan Hwang
- Department of Microbiology, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- Microbiological Resource Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- *Correspondence: Jihwan Hwang,
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15
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Tobuse AJ, Ang CW, Yeong KY. Modern vaccine development via reverse vaccinology to combat antimicrobial resistance. Life Sci 2022; 302:120660. [PMID: 35642852 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
With the continuous evolution of bacteria, the global antimicrobial resistance health threat is causing millions of deaths yearly. While depending on antibiotics as a primary treatment has its merits, there are no effective alternatives thus far in the pharmaceutical market against some drug-resistant bacteria. In recent years, vaccinology has become a key topic in scientific research. Combining with the growth of technology, vaccine research is seeing a new light where the process is made faster and more efficient. Although less discussed, bacterial vaccine is a feasible strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance. Some vaccines have shown promising results with good efficacy against numerous multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria. In this review, we aim to discuss the findings from studies utilizing reverse vaccinology for vaccine development against some multidrug-resistant bacteria, as well as provide a summary of multi-year bacterial vaccine studies in clinical trials. The advantages of reverse vaccinology in the generation of new bacterial vaccines are also highlighted. Meanwhile, the limitations and future prospects of bacterial vaccine concludes this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asuka Joy Tobuse
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia Campus, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Chee Wei Ang
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia Campus, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Keng Yoon Yeong
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia Campus, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Constitutive Phenotypic Modification of Lipid A in Clinical Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0129522. [PMID: 35861511 PMCID: PMC9431647 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01295-22] [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] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The degree of polymyxin B (PMB) resistance was measured in 40 clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates obtained from health care facilities. All of the tested isolates possessed a multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype against four classes of antibiotics (meropenem, doxycycline, gentamicin, and erythromycin), except for PMB. The blaOXA-23 gene was detected throughout the genetic analysis and experimental assay, indicating that all of the MDR strains were carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains. Multilocus sequence typing-based genotyping revealed that nine selected strains belonged to the international clone II lineage. When matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry was performed, intrinsic lipid A modification by phosphoethanolamine (PEtN) incorporation was noticeable only in the PMB-resistant (PMBR) strains. However, the presence of hexa- and penta-acylated lipid A due to the loss of the laurate (C12) acyl chain was noted in all PMB-susceptible strains but not in the PMBR strains. The reduction of negative surface charges in the PMBR strains was assessed by zeta potential analysis. Fluorescence imaging using dansyl-PMB revealed that, in the PMBR strains, PMB was less likely to bind to the cell surface. IMPORTANCE The widespread presence of MDR pathogens, including A. baumannii, is causing serious hospital-acquired infections worldwide. Extensive surveillance of MDR clinical A. baumannii isolates has been conducted, but the underlying mechanisms for their development of MDR phenotypes are often neglected. Either lipid A modification or loss of lipopolysaccharide in Gram-negative bacteria leads to PMBR phenotypes. The prevalence of intrinsic lipid A modification in PMBR clinical strains was attributed to high levels of basal expression of pmrC and eptA-1. Our findings suggest that new therapeutic strategies are warranted to combat MDR pathogens due to the emergence of many PMBR clinical strains.
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Valvano MA. Remodelling of the Gram-negative bacterial Kdo 2-lipid A and its functional implications. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2022; 168. [PMID: 35394417 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a characteristic molecule of the outer leaflet of the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane, which consists of lipid A, core oligosaccharide, and O antigen. The lipid A is embedded in outer membrane and provides an efficient permeability barrier, which is particularly important to reduce the permeability of antibiotics, toxic cationic metals, and antimicrobial peptides. LPS, an important modulator of innate immune responses ranging from localized inflammation to disseminated sepsis, displays a high level of structural and functional heterogeneity, which arise due to regulated differences in the acylation of the lipid A and the incorporation of non-stoichiometric modifications in lipid A and the core oligosaccharide. This review focuses on the current mechanistic understanding of the synthesis and assembly of the lipid A molecule and its most salient non-stoichiometric modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Valvano
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
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