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Jacob KM, Hernández-Villamizar S, Hammer ND, Reguera G. Mucin-induced surface dispersal of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis via quorum-sensing dependent and independent mechanisms. mBio 2024; 15:e0156224. [PMID: 38953351 PMCID: PMC11323471 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01562-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carriage of staphylococci spreads potentially pathogenic strains into (peri)oral regions and increases the chance of cross-infections. Some laboratory strains can also move rapidly on hydrated agar surfaces, but the biological relevance of these observations is not clear. Using soft-agar [0.3% (wt/vol)] plate assays, we demonstrate the rapid surface dispersal of (peri)oral isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis and closely related laboratory strains in the presence of mucin glycoproteins. Mucin-induced dispersal was a stepwise process initiated by the passive spreading of the growing colonies followed by their rapid branching (dendrites) from the colony edge. Although most spreading strains used mucin as a growth substrate, dispersal was primarily dependent on the lubricating and hydrating properties of the mucins. Using S. aureus JE2 as a genetically tractable representative, we demonstrate that mucin-induced dendritic dispersal, but not colony spreading, is facilitated by the secretion of surfactant-active phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) in a process regulated by the agr quorum-sensing system. Furthermore, the dendritic dispersal of S. aureus JE2 colonies was further stimulated in the presence of surfactant-active supernatants recovered from the most robust (peri)oral spreaders of S. aureus and S. epidermidis. These findings suggest complementary roles for lubricating mucins and staphylococcal PSMs in the active dispersal of potentially pathogenic strains from perioral to respiratory mucosae, where gel-forming, hydrating mucins abound. They also highlight the impact that interspecies interactions have on the co-dispersal of S. aureus with other perioral bacteria, heightening the risk of polymicrobial infections and the severity of the clinical outcomes. IMPORTANCE Despite lacking classical motility machinery, nasopharyngeal staphylococci spread rapidly in (peri)oral and respiratory mucosa and cause cross-infections. We describe laboratory conditions for the reproducible study of staphylococcal dispersal on mucosa-like surfaces and the identification of two dispersal stages (colony spreading and dendritic expansion) stimulated by mucin glycoproteins. The mucin type mattered as dispersal required the surfactant activity and hydration provided by some mucin glycoproteins. While colony spreading was a passive mode of dispersal lubricated by the mucins, the more rapid and invasive form of dendritic expansion of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis required additional lubrication by surfactant-active peptides (phenol-soluble modulins) secreted at high cell densities through quorum sensing. These results highlight a hitherto unknown role for gel-forming mucins in the dispersal of staphylococcal strains associated with cross-infections and point at perioral regions as overlooked sources of carriage and infection by staphylococci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M. Jacob
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics and Immunology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Neal D. Hammer
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics and Immunology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Gemma Reguera
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics and Immunology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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2
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Grant NA, Donkor GY, Sontz JT, Soto W, Waters CM. Deployment of a Vibrio cholerae ordered transposon mutant library in a quorum-competent genetic background. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.31.564941. [PMID: 37961142 PMCID: PMC10634969 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.31.564941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, has sparked seven pandemics in recent centuries, with the current one being the most prolonged. V. cholerae's pathogenesis hinges on its ability to switch between low and high cell density gene regulatory states, enabling transmission between host and the environment. Previously, a transposon mutant library for V. cholerae was created to support investigations aimed toward uncovering the genetic determinants of its pathogenesis. However, subsequent sequencing uncovered a mutation in the gene luxO of the parent strain, rendering mutants unable to exhibit high cell density behaviors. In this study, we used chitin-independent natural transformation to move transposon insertions from these low cell density mutants into a wildtype genomic background. Library transfer was aided by a novel gDNA extraction we developed using thymol, which also showed high lysis-specificity for Vibrio. The resulting Grant Library comprises 3,102 unique transposon mutants, covering 79.8% of V. cholerae's open reading frames. Whole genome sequencing of randomly selected mutants demonstrates 100% precision in transposon transfer to cognate genomic positions of the recipient strain. Notably, in no instance did the luxO mutation transfer into the wildtype background. Our research uncovered density-dependent epistasis in growth on inosine, an immunomodulatory metabolite secreted by gut bacteria that is implicated in enhancing gut barrier functions. Additionally, Grant Library mutants retain the plasmid that enables rapid, scarless genomic editing. In summary, the Grant Library reintroduces organismal relevant genetic contexts absent in the low cell density locked library equivalent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nkrumah A. Grant
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | | | - Jordan T. Sontz
- MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - William Soto
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
| | - Christopher M. Waters
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
- MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
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3
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Severin GB, Ramliden MS, Ford KC, Van Alst AJ, Sanath-Kumar R, Decker KA, Hsueh BY, Chen G, Yoon SH, Demey LM, O'Hara BJ, Rhoades CR, DiRita VJ, Ng WL, Waters CM. Activation of a Vibrio cholerae CBASS anti-phage system by quorum sensing and folate depletion. mBio 2023; 14:e0087523. [PMID: 37623317 PMCID: PMC10653837 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00875-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE To counteract infection with phage, bacteria have evolved a myriad of molecular defense systems. Some of these systems initiate a process called abortive infection, in which the infected cell kills itself to prevent phage propagation. However, such systems must be inhibited in the absence of phage infection to prevent spurious death of the host. Here, we show that the cyclic oligonucleotide based anti-phage signaling system (CBASS) accomplishes this by sensing intracellular folate molecules and only expressing this system in a group. These results enhance our understanding of the evolution of the seventh Vibrio cholerae pandemic and more broadly how bacteria defend themselves against phage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey B. Severin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Miriam S. Ramliden
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kathryne C. Ford
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Andrew J. Van Alst
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Ram Sanath-Kumar
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Kaitlin A. Decker
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Brian Y. Hsueh
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Gong Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Soo Hun Yoon
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Lucas M. Demey
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Brendan J. O'Hara
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christopher R. Rhoades
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Victor J. DiRita
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Wai-Leung Ng
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christopher M. Waters
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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4
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Kostiuk B, Becker ME, Churaman CN, Black JJ, Payne SM, Pukatzki S, Koestler BJ. Vibrio cholerae Alkalizes Its Environment via Citrate Metabolism to Inhibit Enteric Growth In Vitro. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0491722. [PMID: 36916917 PMCID: PMC10100763 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04917-22] [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: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae is a Gram-negative pathogen, living in constant competition with other bacteria in marine environments and during human infection. One competitive advantage of V. cholerae is the ability to metabolize diverse carbon sources, such as chitin and citrate. We observed that when some V. cholerae strains were grown on a medium with citrate, the medium's chemical composition turned into a hostile alkaline environment for Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri. We found that although the ability to exclude competing bacteria was not contingent on exogenous citrate, V. cholerae C6706 citrate metabolism mutants ΔoadA-1, ΔcitE, and ΔcitF were not able to inhibit S. flexneri or E. coli growth. Lastly, we demonstrated that while the V. cholerae C6706-mediated increased medium pH was necessary for the enteric exclusion phenotype, secondary metabolites, such as bicarbonate (protonated to carbonate in the raised pH) from the metabolism of citrate, enhanced the ability to inhibit the growth of E. coli. These data provide a novel example of how V. cholerae outcompetes other Gram-negative bacteria. IMPORTANCE Vibrio cholerae must compete with other bacteria in order to cause disease. Here, we show that V. cholerae creates an alkaline environment, which is able to inhibit the growth of other enteric bacteria. We demonstrate that V. cholerae environmental alkalization is linked to the capacity of the bacteria to metabolize citrate. This behavior could potentially contribute to V. cholerae's ability to colonize the human intestine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Kostiuk
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 6-020 Katz Group Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mark E. Becker
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Candice N. Churaman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
| | - Joshua J. Black
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shelley M. Payne
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Stefan Pukatzki
- Department of Biology, The City College of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Benjamin J. Koestler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
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5
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McDonald ND, Rosenberger JR, Almagro-Moreno S, Boyd EF. The Role of Nutrients and Nutritional Signals in the Pathogenesis of Vibrio cholerae. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1404:195-211. [PMID: 36792877 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-22997-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae, the agent of cholera, is a natural inhabitant of aquatic environments. Over the past decades, the importance of specific nutrients and micronutrients in the environmental survival, host colonization, and pathogenesis of this species has become increasingly clear. For instance, V. cholerae has evolved ingenious mechanisms that allow the bacterium to colonize and establish a niche in the intestine of human hosts, where it competes with commensals (gut microbiota) and other pathogenic bacteria for available nutrients. Here, we discuss the carbon and energy sources utilized by V. cholerae and what is known about the role of nutrition in V. cholerae colonization. We examine how nutritional signals affect virulence gene regulation and how interactions with intestinal commensal species can affect intestinal colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- N D McDonald
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - J R Rosenberger
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - S Almagro-Moreno
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.,National Center for Integrated Coastal Research, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - E Fidelma Boyd
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
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Abstract
Enteric bacterial infections contribute substantially to global disease burden and mortality, particularly in the developing world. In vitro 2D monolayer cultures have provided critical insights into the fundamental virulence mechanisms of a multitude of pathogens, including Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Typhi, Vibrio cholerae, Shigella spp., Escherichia coli and Campylobacter jejuni, which have led to the identification of novel targets for antimicrobial therapy and vaccines. In recent years, the arsenal of experimental systems to study intestinal infections has been expanded by a multitude of more complex models, which have allowed to evaluate the effects of additional physiological and biological parameters on infectivity. Organoids recapitulate the cellular complexity of the human intestinal epithelium while 3D bioengineered scaffolds and microphysiological devices allow to emulate oxygen gradients, flow and peristalsis, as well as the formation and maintenance of stable and physiologically relevant microbial diversity. Additionally, advancements in ex vivo cultures and intravital imaging have opened new possibilities to study the effects of enteric pathogens on fluid secretion, barrier integrity and immune cell surveillance in the intact intestine. This review aims to present a balanced and updated overview of current intestinal in vitro and ex vivo methods for modeling of enteric bacterial infections. We conclude that the different paradigms are complements rather than replacements and their combined use promises to further our understanding of host-microbe interactions and their impacts on intestinal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayere Taebnia
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ute Römling
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- CONTACT Ute Römling Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Volker M. Lauschke
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Dr Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany
- University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Volker M. Lauschke Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
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7
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Muhammad AY, Amonov M, Murugaiah C, Baig AA, Yusoff M. Intestinal colonization against Vibrio cholerae: host and microbial resistance mechanisms. AIMS Microbiol 2023; 9:346-374. [PMID: 37091815 PMCID: PMC10113163 DOI: 10.3934/microbiol.2023019] [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: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae is a non-invasive enteric pathogen known to cause a major public health problem called cholera. The pathogen inhabits the aquatic environment while outside the human host, it is transmitted into the host easily through ingesting contaminated food and water containing the vibrios, thus causing diarrhoea and vomiting. V. cholerae must resist several layers of colonization resistance mechanisms derived from the host or the gut commensals to successfully survive, grow, and colonize the distal intestinal epithelium, thus causing an infection. The colonization resistance mechanisms derived from the host are not specific to V. cholerae but to all invading pathogens. However, some of the gut commensal-derived colonization resistance may be more specific to the pathogen, making it more challenging to overcome. Consequently, the pathogen has evolved well-coordinated mechanisms that sense and utilize the anti-colonization factors to modulate events that promote its survival and colonization in the gut. This review is aimed at discussing how V. cholerae interacts and resists both host- and microbe-specific colonization resistance mechanisms to cause infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Malik Amonov
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia
- * Correspondence: ; Tel: +60189164478
| | | | - Atif Amin Baig
- University Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, The University of Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Marina Yusoff
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia
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8
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Creasy-Marrazzo A, Saber MM, Kamat M, Bailey LS, Brinkley L, Cato E, Begum Y, Rashid MM, Khan AI, Qadri F, Basso KB, Shapiro BJ, Nelson EJ. Genome-wide association studies reveal distinct genetic correlates and increased heritability of antimicrobial resistance in Vibrio cholerae under anaerobic conditions. Microb Genom 2022; 8:mgen000905. [PMID: 36748512 PMCID: PMC9837564 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000905] [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] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The antibiotic formulary is threatened by high rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among enteropathogens. Enteric bacteria are exposed to anaerobic conditions within the gastrointestinal tract, yet little is known about how oxygen exposure influences AMR. The facultative anaerobe Vibrio cholerae was chosen as a model to address this knowledge gap. We obtained V. cholerae isolates from 66 cholera patients, sequenced their genomes, and grew them under anaerobic and aerobic conditions with and without three clinically relevant antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, doxycycline). For ciprofloxacin and azithromycin, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) increased under anaerobic conditions compared to aerobic conditions. Using standard resistance breakpoints, the odds of classifying isolates as resistant increased over 10 times for ciprofloxacin and 100 times for azithromycin under anaerobic conditions compared to aerobic conditions. For doxycycline, nearly all isolates were sensitive under both conditions. Using genome-wide association studies, we found associations between genetic elements and AMR phenotypes that varied by oxygen exposure and antibiotic concentrations. These AMR phenotypes were more heritable, and the AMR-associated genetic elements were more often discovered, under anaerobic conditions. These AMR-associated genetic elements are promising targets for future mechanistic research. Our findings provide a rationale to determine whether increased MICs under anaerobic conditions are associated with therapeutic failures and/or microbial escape in cholera patients. If so, there may be a need to determine new AMR breakpoints for anaerobic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashton Creasy-Marrazzo
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA,Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Morteza M. Saber
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Manasi Kamat
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Laura S. Bailey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lindsey Brinkley
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Emilee Cato
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Yasmin Begum
- Infectious Diseases Division (IDD) and Nutrition and Clinical Services Division (NCSD), International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr, b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Mahbubur Rashid
- Infectious Diseases Division (IDD) and Nutrition and Clinical Services Division (NCSD), International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr, b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ashraful I. Khan
- Infectious Diseases Division (IDD) and Nutrition and Clinical Services Division (NCSD), International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr, b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Firdausi Qadri
- Infectious Diseases Division (IDD) and Nutrition and Clinical Services Division (NCSD), International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr, b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kari B. Basso
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - B. Jesse Shapiro
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Gainesville, FL, USA,*Correspondence: B. Jesse Shapiro,
| | - Eric J. Nelson
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA,*Correspondence: Eric J. Nelson,
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9
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Van Alst AJ, Demey LM, DiRita VJ. Vibrio cholerae requires oxidative respiration through the bd-I and cbb3 oxidases for intestinal proliferation. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010102. [PMID: 35500027 PMCID: PMC9109917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae respires both aerobically and anaerobically and, while oxygen may be available to it during infection, other terminal electron acceptors are proposed for population expansion during infection. Unlike gastrointestinal pathogens that stimulate significant inflammation leading to elevated levels of oxygen or alternative terminal electron acceptors, V. cholerae infections are not understood to induce a notable inflammatory response. To ascertain the respiration requirements of V. cholerae during infection, we used Multiplex Genome Editing by Natural Transformation (MuGENT) to create V. cholerae strains lacking aerobic or anaerobic respiration. V. cholerae strains lacking aerobic respiration were attenuated in infant mice 105-fold relative to wild type, while strains lacking anaerobic respiration had no colonization defect, contrary to earlier work suggesting a role for anaerobic respiration during infection. Using several approaches, including one we developed for this work termed Comparative Multiplex PCR Amplicon Sequencing (CoMPAS), we determined that the bd-I and cbb3 oxidases are essential for small intestinal colonization of V. cholerae in the infant mouse. The bd-I oxidase was also determined as the primary oxidase during growth outside the host, making V. cholerae the only example of a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen in which a bd-type oxidase is the primary oxidase for energy acquisition inside and outside of a host. The bacterium that causes cholera, Vibrio cholerae, can grow with or without oxygen. When growing without oxygen it may use other molecules that serve the same purpose as oxygen, acting as a terminal electron acceptor in an energy-generating process known as respiration. Given the largely anaerobic nature of the gastrointestinal tract, and the lack of significant inflammation during cholera infection, a process that can stimulate elevated levels of oxygen and other terminal electron acceptors, we sought to understand the respiratory mechanisms of V. cholerae during infection. We used a powerful genome-editing method to construct mutant strains of V. cholerae lacking some or all of the complement of proteins required for aerobic or anaerobic respiration. By analyzing these mutants in the laboratory and in intestinal colonization of infant mice, we determined that the ability to respire without oxygen is completely dispensable for V. cholerae to thrive during infection. We determined that two of the four oxygen-dependent respiration mechanisms are essential for V. cholerae to grow during infection, with the other two dispensable for wild type levels of colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Van Alst
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Lucas M. Demey
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Victor J. DiRita
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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10
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Cho JY, Liu R, Macbeth JC, Hsiao A. The Interface of Vibrio cholerae and the Gut Microbiome. Gut Microbes 2021; 13:1937015. [PMID: 34180341 PMCID: PMC8244777 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2021.1937015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterium Vibrio cholerae is the etiologic agent of the severe human diarrheal disease cholera. The gut microbiome, or the native community of microorganisms found in the human gastrointestinal tract, is increasingly being recognized as a factor in driving susceptibility to infection, in vivo fitness, and host interactions of this pathogen. Here, we review a subset of the emerging studies in how gut microbiome structure and microbial function are able to drive V. cholerae virulence gene regulation, metabolism, and modulate host immune responses to cholera infection and vaccination. Improved mechanistic understanding of commensal-pathogen interactions offers new perspectives in the design of prophylactic and therapeutic approaches for cholera control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Y. Cho
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Rui Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - John C. Macbeth
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Ansel Hsiao
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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