Biology of Haemophilus ducreyi

Infections caused by Haemophilus ducreyi: one organism, two stories

SUMMARYChancroid, a sexually transmitted infection caused by Haemophilus ducreyi, is characterized by painful genital ulcers (GU) and inguinal lymphadenitis. H. ducreyi was recently described as a major cause of non-sexually transmitted cutaneous ulcers (CU) on the lower legs in children in yaws-endemic regions. This review explores the relationship between CU and GU strains of H. ducreyi; their clinical presentation, diagnosis, epidemiology, and treatment; and how findings from a human challenge model relate to GU and CU. We contrast the decline of GU with the persistence of CU caused by H. ducreyi. Factors such as transmission dynamics, control, and elimination efforts are discussed. Syndromic management and targeted treatment of sex workers can eradicate chancroid, while skin colonization by CU strains and environmental factors may necessitate topical treatments or vaccination for CU eradication. Efforts should focus on identifying additional reservoirs of CU strains, improving hygiene, and eliminating asymptomatic colonization to eradicate this painful infection in children.

Transmission of viable Haemophilus ducreyi by Musca domestica

Haemophilus ducreyi was historically known as the causative agent of chancroid, a sexually-transmitted disease causing painful genital ulcers endemic in many low/middle-income nations. In recent years the species has been implicated as the causative agent of nongenital cutaneous ulcers affecting children of the South Pacific Islands and West African countries. Much is still unknown about the mechanism of H. ducreyi transmission in these areas, and recent studies have identified local insect species, namely flies, as potential transmission vectors. H. ducreyi DNA has been detected on the surface and in homogenates of fly species sampled from Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea. The current study develops a model system using Musca domestica, the common house fly, as a model organism to demonstrate proof of concept that flies are a potential vector for the transmission of viable H. ducreyi. Utilizing a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged strain of H. ducreyi and three separate exposure methods, we detected the transmission of viable H. ducreyi by 86.11% ± 22.53% of flies sampled. Additionally, the duration of H. ducreyi viability was found to be directly related to the bacterial concentration, and transmission of H. ducreyi was largely undetectable within one hour of initial exposure. Push testing, Gram staining, and PCR were used to confirm the identity and presence of GFP colonies as H. ducreyi. This study confirms that flies are capable of mechanically transmitting viable H. ducreyi, illuminating the importance of investigating insects as vectors of cutaneous ulcerative diseases.

Potential for Phages in the Treatment of Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections

Bacterial sexually transmitted infections (BSTIs) are becoming increasingly significant with the approach of a post-antibiotic era. While treatment options dwindle, the transmission of many notable BSTIs, including Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Treponema pallidum, continues to increase. Bacteriophage therapy has been utilized in Poland, Russia and Georgia in the treatment of bacterial illnesses, but not in the treatment of bacterial sexually transmitted infections. With the ever-increasing likelihood of antibiotic resistance prevailing and the continuous transmission of BSTIs, alternative treatments must be explored. This paper discusses the potentiality and practicality of phage therapy to treat BSTIs, including Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Treponema pallidum, Streptococcus agalactiae, Haemophilus ducreyi, Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Shigella flexneri and Shigella sonnei. The challenges associated with the potential for phage in treatments vary for each bacterial sexually transmitted infection. Phage availability, bacterial structure and bacterial growth may impact the potential success of future phage treatments. Additional research is needed before BSTIs can be successfully clinically treated with phage therapy or phage-derived enzymes.

Ulcerative skin lesions among children in Cameroon: It is not always Yaws

Outbreaks of yaws-like ulcerative skin lesions in children are frequently reported in tropical and sub-tropical countries. The origin of these lesions might be primarily traumatic or infectious; in the latter case, Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue, the yaws agent, and Haemophilus ducreyi, the agent of chancroid, are two of the pathogens commonly associated with the aetiology of skin ulcers. In this work, we investigated the presence of T. p. pertenue and H. ducreyi DNA in skin ulcers in children living in yaws-endemic regions in Cameroon. Skin lesion swabs were collected from children presenting with yaws-suspected skin lesions during three outbreaks, two of which occurred in 2017 and one in 2019. DNA extracted from the swabs was used to amplify three target genes: the human β2-microglobulin gene to confirm proper sample collection and DNA extraction, the polA gene, highly conserved among all subspecies of T. pallidum, and the hddA gene of H. ducreyi. A fourth target, the tprL gene was used to differentiate T. p. pertenue from the other agents of human treponematoses in polA-positive samples. A total of 112 samples were analysed in this study. One sample, negative for β2-microglobulin, was excluded from further analysis. T. p. pertenue was only detected in the samples collected during the first 2017 outbreak (12/74, 16.2%). In contrast, H. ducreyi DNA could be amplified from samples from all three outbreaks (outbreak 1: 27/74, 36.5%; outbreak 2: 17/24, 70.8%; outbreak 3: 11/13, 84.6%). Our results show that H. ducreyi was more frequently associated to skin lesions in the examined children than T. p. pertenue, but also that yaws is still present in Cameroon. These findings strongly advocate for a continuous effort to determine the aetiology of ulcerative skin lesions during these recurring outbreaks, and to inform the planned mass treatment campaigns to eliminate yaws in Cameroon.

Molecular phylogenetic analysis of non-sexually transmitted strains of Haemophilus ducreyi

Haemophilus ducreyi, the etiologic agent of chancroid, has been previously reported to show genetic variance in several key virulence factors, placing strains of the bacterium into two genetically distinct classes. Recent studies done in yaws-endemic areas of the South Pacific have shown that H. ducreyi is also a major cause of cutaneous limb ulcers (CLU) that are not sexually transmitted. To genetically assess CLU strains relative to the previously described class I, class II phylogenetic hierarchy, we examined nucleotide sequence diversity at 11 H. ducreyi loci, including virulence and housekeeping genes, which encompass approximately 1% of the H. ducreyi genome. Sequences for all 11 loci indicated that strains collected from leg ulcers exhibit DNA sequences homologous to class I strains of H. ducreyi. However, sequences for 3 loci, including a hemoglobin receptor (hgbA), serum resistance protein (dsrA), and a collagen adhesin (ncaA) contained informative amounts of variation. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that these non-sexually transmitted strains of H. ducreyi comprise a sub-clonal population within class I strains of H. ducreyi. Molecular dating suggests that CLU strains are the most recently developed, having diverged approximately 0.355 million years ago, fourteen times more recently than the class I/class II divergence. The CLU strains' divergence falls after the divergence of humans from chimpanzees, making it the first known H. ducreyi divergence event directly influenced by the selective pressures accompanying human hosts.

Classification, identification, and clinical significance of Haemophilus and Aggregatibacter species with host specificity for humans

The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive update on the current classification and identification of Haemophilus and Aggregatibacter species with exclusive or predominant host specificity for humans. Haemophilus influenzae and some of the other Haemophilus species are commonly encountered in the clinical microbiology laboratory and demonstrate a wide range of pathogenicity, from life-threatening invasive disease to respiratory infections to a nonpathogenic, commensal lifestyle. New species of Haemophilus have been described (Haemophilus pittmaniae and Haemophilus sputorum), and the new genus Aggregatibacter was created to accommodate some former Haemophilus and Actinobacillus species (Aggregatibacter aphrophilus, Aggregatibacter segnis, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans). Aggregatibacter species are now a dominant etiology of infective endocarditis caused by fastidious organisms (HACEK endocarditis), and A. aphrophilus has emerged as an important cause of brain abscesses. Correct identification of Haemophilus and Aggregatibacter species based on phenotypic characterization can be challenging. It has become clear that 15 to 20% of presumptive H. influenzae isolates from the respiratory tracts of healthy individuals do not belong to this species but represent nonhemolytic variants of Haemophilus haemolyticus. Due to the limited pathogenicity of H. haemolyticus, the proportion of misidentified strains may be lower in clinical samples, but even among invasive strains, a misidentification rate of 0.5 to 2% can be found. Several methods have been investigated for differentiation of H. influenzae from its less pathogenic relatives, but a simple method for reliable discrimination is not available. With the implementation of identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry, the more rarely encountered species of Haemophilus and Aggregatibacter will increasingly be identified in clinical microbiology practice. However, identification of some strains will still be problematic, necessitating DNA sequencing of multiple housekeeping gene fragments or full-length 16S rRNA genes.

Pasteurella multocida: from zoonosis to cellular microbiology

In a world where most emerging and reemerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in nature and our contacts with both domestic and wild animals abound, there is growing awareness of the potential for human acquisition of animal diseases. Like other Pasteurellaceae, Pasteurella species are highly prevalent among animal populations, where they are often found as part of the normal microbiota of the oral, nasopharyngeal, and upper respiratory tracts. Many Pasteurella species are opportunistic pathogens that can cause endemic disease and are associated increasingly with epizootic outbreaks. Zoonotic transmission to humans usually occurs through animal bites or contact with nasal secretions, with P. multocida being the most prevalent isolate observed in human infections. Here we review recent comparative genomics and molecular pathogenesis studies that have advanced our understanding of the multiple virulence mechanisms employed by Pasteurella species to establish acute and chronic infections. We also summarize efforts being explored to enhance our ability to rapidly and accurately identify and distinguish among clinical isolates and to control pasteurellosis by improved development of new vaccines and treatment regimens.

Haemophilus haemolyticus isolates causing clinical disease

We report seven cases of Haemophilus haemolyticus invasive disease detected in the United States, which were previously misidentified as nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae. All cases had different symptoms and presentations. Our study suggests that a testing scheme that includes reliable PCR assays and standard microbiological methods should be used in order to improve H. haemolyticus identification.

Rapid divergence of two classes of Haemophilus ducreyi

Haemophilus ducreyi, the etiologic agent of chancroid, expresses variants of several key virulence factors. While previous reports suggested that H. ducreyi strains formed two clonal populations, the differences between, and diversity within, these populations were unclear. To assess their variability, we examined sequence diversity at 11 H. ducreyi loci, including virulence and housekeeping genes, augmenting published data sets with PCR-amplified genes to acquire data for at least 10 strains at each locus. While sequences from all 11 loci place strains into two distinct groups, there was very little variation within each group. The difference between alleles of the two groups was variable and large at 3 loci encoding surface-exposed proteins (0.4 < K(S) < 1.3, where K(S) is divergence at synonymous sites) but consistently small at genes encoding cytoplasmic or periplasmic proteins (K(S) < 0.09). The data suggest that the two classes have recently diverged, that recombination has introduced variant alleles into at least 3 distinct loci, and that these alleles have been confined to one of the two classes. In addition, recombination is evident among alleles within, but not between, classes. Rather than clones of the same species, these properties indicate that the two classes may form distinct species.

Regulation of expression of the Haemophilus ducreyi LspB and LspA2 proteins by CpxR

The LspA1, LspA2, and LspB proteins of Haemophilus ducreyi comprise a two-partner secretion system that has been shown to be necessary for H. ducreyi to inhibit phagocytosis by immune cells in vitro. Inactivation of lspA1 resulted in increased levels of LspA2, suggesting that these two proteins are differentially controlled (C. J. Ward et al., Infect. Immun. 71:2478-2486, 2003). Expression of LspA2 but not LspA1 was shown to be both growth phase dependent and affected by the presence of fetal calf serum (FCS) in the growth medium. In addition, neither LspA1 nor LspA2 could be detected in culture supernatant fluid in the absence of FCS. DNA microarray analysis revealed that 324 H. ducreyi genes were differentially regulated after growth in the presence of FCS. Among these, the CpxRA two-component sensory transduction system was downregulated by the presence of FCS. Inactivation of cpxR resulted in increased expression of both LspB and LspA2. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that a recombinant H. ducreyi CpxR protein bound the promoter region of the lspB-lspA2 operon. The cpxR and cpxA genes were shown to be part of an operon containing two additional genes in H. ducreyi 35000HP. This is the first description of a two-component sensory transduction system regulating a proven virulence factor of H. ducreyi.

An immunogenic, surface-exposed domain of Haemophilus ducreyi outer membrane protein HgbA is involved in hemoglobin binding

HgbA is the sole TonB-dependent receptor for hemoglobin (Hb) acquisition of Haemophilus ducreyi. Binding of Hb to HgbA is the initial step in heme acquisition from Hb. To better understand this step, we mutagenized hgbA by deletion of each of the 11 putative surface-exposed loops and expressed each of the mutant proteins in trans in host strain H. ducreyi FX547 hgbA. All mutant proteins were expressed, exported, and detected on the surface by anti-HgbA immunoglobulin G (IgG). Deletion of sequences in loops 5 and 7 of HgbA abolished Hb binding in two different formats. In contrast, HgbA proteins containing deletions in the other nine loops retained the ability to bind Hb. None of the clones expressing mutant proteins were able to grow on plates containing low concentrations of Hb. Previously we demonstrated in a swine model of chancroid infection that an HgbA vaccine conferred complete protection from a challenge infection. Using anti-HgbA IgG from this study and the above deletion mutants, we show that loops 4, 5, and 7 of HgbA were immunogenic and surface exposed and that IgG directed against loops 4 and 5 blocked Hb binding. Furthermore, loop 6 was cleaved by protease on intact H. ducreyi, suggesting surface exposure. These data implicate a central domain of HgbA (in respect to the primary amino acid sequence) as important in Hb binding and suggest that this region of the molecule might have potential as a subunit vaccine.

Distant horizontal gene transfer is rare for multiple families of prokaryotic insertion sequences

Horizontal gene transfer in prokaryotes is rampant on short and intermediate evolutionary time scales. It poses a fundamental problem to our ability to reconstruct the evolutionary tree of life. Is it also frequent over long evolutionary distances? To address this question, we analyzed the evolution of 2,091 insertion sequences from all 20 major families in 438 completely sequenced prokaryotic genomes. Specifically, we mapped insertion sequence occurrence on a 16S rDNA tree of the genomes we analyzed, and we also constructed phylogenetic trees of the insertion sequence transposase coding sequences. We found only 30 cases of likely horizontal transfer among distantly related prokaryotic clades. Most of these horizontal transfer events are ancient. Only seven events are recent. Almost all of these transfer events occur between pairs of human pathogens or commensals. If true also for other, non-mobile DNA, the rarity of distant horizontal transfer increases the odds of reliable phylogenetic inference from sequence data.

Outer membrane protein DsrA is the major fibronectin-binding determinant of Haemophilus ducreyi

The ability to bind extracellular matrix proteins is a critical virulence determinant for skin pathogens. Haemophilus ducreyi, the etiological agent of the genital ulcer disease chancroid, binds extracellular matrix components, including fibronectin (FN). We investigated H. ducreyi FN binding and report several important findings about this interaction. First, FN binding by H. ducreyi was greatly increased in bacteria grown on heme and almost completely inhibited by hemoglobin. Second, wild-type strain 35000HP bound significantly more FN than did a dsrA mutant in two different FN binding assays. Third, the expression of dsrA in the dsrA mutant restored FN binding and conferred the ability to bind FN to a non-FN-binding Haemophilus influenzae strain. Fourth, an anti-DsrA monoclonal antibody partially blocked FN binding by H. ducreyi. The hemoglobin receptor, the collagen-binding protein, the H. ducreyi lectin, the fine-tangle pili, and the outer membrane protein OmpA2 were not involved in H. ducreyi FN binding, since single mutants bound FN as well as the parent strain did. However, the major outer membrane protein may have a minor role in FN binding by H. ducreyi, since a double dsrA momp mutant bound less FN than did the single dsrA mutant. Finally, despite major sequence differences, DsrA proteins from both class I and class II H. ducreyi strains mediated FN and vitronectin binding. We concluded that DsrA is the major factor involved in FN binding by both classes of H. ducreyi strains.

Complete genome sequence of Haemophilus somnus (Histophilus somni) strain 129Pt and comparison to Haemophilus ducreyi 35000HP and Haemophilus influenzae Rd

Haemophilus somnus can be either a commensal of bovine mucosal surfaces or an opportunistic pathogen. Pathogenic strains of H. somnus are a significant cause of systemic disease in cattle. We report the genome sequence of H. somnus 129Pt, a nonpathogenic commensal preputial isolate, and the results of a genome-wide comparative analysis of H. somnus 129Pt, Haemophilus influenzae Rd, and Haemophilus ducreyi 35000HP. We found unique genes in H. somnus 129Pt involved in lipooligosaccharide biosynthesis, carbohydrate uptake and metabolism, cation transport, amino acid metabolism, ubiquinone and menaquinone biosynthesis, cell surface adhesion, biosynthesis of cofactors, energy metabolism, and electron transport. There were also many genes in common among the three organisms. Our comparative analyses of H. somnus 129Pt, H. influenzae Rd, and H. ducreyi 35000HP revealed similarities and differences in the numbers and compositions of genes involved in metabolism, host colonization, and persistence. These results lay a foundation for research on the host specificities and niche preferences of these organisms. Future comparisons between H. somnus 129Pt and virulent strains will aid in the development of protective strategies and vaccines to protect cattle against H. somnus disease.

Haemophilus ducreyi Outer membrane determinants, including DsrA, define two clonal populations

The Haemophilus ducreyi outer membrane component DsrA (for ducreyi serum resistance A) is necessary for complete resistance to normal human serum (NHS). When DsrA expression in 19 temporally and geographically diverse clinical isolates of H. ducreyi was examined by Western blotting, 5 of the strains expressed a different immunotype of the DsrA protein (DsrA(II)) than the well-characterized prototypical strain 35000HP (DsrA(I)). The predicted DsrA proteins expressed by the DsrA(II) strains were 100% identical to each other but only 48% identical to that of strain 35000HP. In addition to the DsrA(II) protein, class II strains also expressed variant forms of other outer membrane proteins (OMPs) including NcaA (necessary for collagen adhesion A), DltA (ducreyi lectin A), Hlp (H. ducreyi lipoprotein), major OMP, and/or OmpA2 (for OMP A2) and synthesized a distinct, faster-migrating lipooligosaccharide. Based on these data, strains expressing DsrA(I) were termed class I, and those expressing DsrA(II) were termed class II. Expression of dsrA(II) from strain CIP 542 ATCC in the class I dsrA(I) mutant FX517 (35000HP background), which does not express a DsrA protein, rendered this strain resistant to 50% NHS. This demonstrates that DsrA(II) protein is also critical to serum resistance. Taken together, these results indicate that there are two clonal populations of H. ducreyi. The implications of two classes of H. ducreyi strains differing in important antigenic outer membrane components are discussed.

A novel lectin, DltA, is required for expression of a full serum resistance phenotype in Haemophilus ducreyi

Haemophilus ducreyi, the causative agent of chancroid, is highly resistant to the complement-mediated bactericidal activity of normal human serum (NHS). Previously, we identified DsrA (for ducreyi serum resistance A), a major factor required for expression of the serum resistance phenotype in H. ducreyi. We describe here a second outer membrane protein, DltA (for ducreyi lectin A), which also contributes to serum resistance in H. ducreyi. Isogenic dltA mutants, constructed in 35000HP wild-type and FX517 dsrA backgrounds, were more susceptible to the bactericidal effects of NHS than each respective parent, demonstrating the additive effect of the mutations. Furthermore, expression of dltA in H. influenzae strain Rd rendered this highly susceptible strain partially resistant to 5% NHS compared to a vector-control strain. Although primary basic local alignment search tool analysis of the dltA open reading frame revealed no close bacterial homologue, similarity to the beta-chain of the eukaryotic lectin ricin was noted. DltA shares highly conserved structural motifs with the ricin beta chain, such as cysteines and lectin-binding domains. To determine whether dltA was a lectin, ligand blots and affinity chromatography experiments were performed. DltA was affinity purified on immobilized lactose and N-acetylgalactosamine, and N-glycosylated but not glycosidase-treated model glycoproteins bound DltA. These data indicate that DltA is a lectin with specificity for lactose-related carbohydrates (CHO) and is important for H. ducreyi serum resistance.

The LspB protein is involved in the secretion of the LspA1 and LspA2 proteins by Haemophilus ducreyi

The LspA1 and LspA2 proteins of Haemophilus ducreyi 35000 are two very large macromolecules that can be detected in concentrated culture supernatant fluid. Both of these proteins exhibit homology with the N-terminal region of the Bordetella pertussis filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), which is involved in secretion of the latter macromolecule. The lspA2 open reading frame is flanked upstream by a gene, lspB, that encodes a predicted protein with homology to the B. pertussis FhaC outer membrane protein that is involved in secretion of FHA across the outer membrane. The H. ducreyi lspB gene encodes a protein with a predicted molecular mass of 66,573 Da. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis suggested that the lspB gene was transcribed together with the lspA2 gene on a single mRNA transcript. Polyclonal H. ducreyi LspB antiserum reacted with a 64-kDa antigen present in the Sarkosyl-insoluble cell envelope fraction of H. ducreyi 35000, which indicated that the LspB protein is likely an outer membrane protein. Concentrated culture supernatant fluids from H. ducreyi lspB and lspA1 lspB mutants did not contain detectable LspA1 and detectable LspA2, respectively. However, complementation of the lspB mutant with the wild-type lspB gene on a plasmid restored LspB protein expression and resulted in release of detectable amounts of the LspA1 protein into culture supernatant fluid. When evaluated in the temperature-dependent rabbit model of infection, the lspB mutant was attenuated in the ability to cause lesions and was never recovered in a viable form from lesions. These results indicated that the H. ducreyi LspB protein is involved in secretion of the LspA1 and LspA2 proteins across the outer membrane.

Chancroid: clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management

Chancroid is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the Gram negative bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi and is characterised by necrotising genital ulceration which may be accompanied by inguinal lymphadenitis or bubo formation. H ducreyi is a fastidious organism which is difficult to culture from genital ulcer material. DNA amplification techniques have shown improved diagnostic sensitivity but are only performed in a few laboratories. The management of chancroid in the tropics tends to be undertaken in the context of syndromic management of genital ulcer disease and treatment is usually with erythromycin. A number of single dose regimens are also available to treat H ducreyi infection. Genital ulceration as a syndrome has been associated with increased transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in several cross sectional and longitudinal studies. Effective and early treatment of genital ulceration is therefore an important part of any strategy to control the spread of HIV infection in tropical countries.

Development of a rapid immunodiagnostic test for Haemophilus ducreyi

Haemophilus ducreyi is the etiologic agent of chancroid, a sexually transmitted disease that increases the rate of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus. Chancroid ulcerations are difficult to distinguish from those produced by syphilis and herpes. Diagnosis based solely on clinical grounds is inaccurate, and culture is insensitive. Highly sensitive PCR has largely superseded culture as the preferred method of laboratory diagnosis; however, neither culture nor PCR is feasible where chancroid is endemic. We developed a rapid (15-min) diagnostic test based on monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to the hemoglobin receptor of H. ducreyi, HgbA. This outer membrane protein is conserved in all strains of H. ducreyi tested and is required for the establishment of experimental human infection. MAbs to HgbA were generated and tested for cross-reactivity against a panel of geographically diverse strains. Three MAbs were found to be unique and noncompetitive and bound to all strains of H. ducreyi tested. Using an immunochromatography format, we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of the test using geographically diverse strains of H. ducreyi, other Haemophilus strains, and other bacteria known to superinfect genital ulcers. All H. ducreyi strains were positive, and all other bacteria were negative, resulting in a specificity of 100%. The minimum number of CFU of H. ducreyi detected was 2 x 10(6) CFU, and the minimum amount of purified HgbA protein detected was 8.5 ng. Although this level of sensitivity may not be sufficient to detect H. ducreyi in all clinical specimens, further work to increase the sensitivity could potentially make this a valuable bedside tool in areas where chancroid is endemic.

Cloning, overexpression, purification, and immunobiology of an 85-kilodalton outer membrane protein from Haemophilus ducreyi

We have identified an 85-kDa outer membrane protein that is expressed by all tested strains of Haemophilus ducreyi. Studies of related proteins from other pathogenic bacteria, including Haemophilus influenzae, Pasteurella multocida, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Shigella dysenteriae, suggested a role for these proteins in pathogenesis and immunity. In keeping with the first such described protein from Haemophilus influenzae type B, we termed the H. ducreyi protein D15. The gene encoding the H. ducreyi D15 protein was cloned and sequenced, and the deduced amino acid sequence was found to be most similar to sequences of the D15-related proteins from other Pasteurella spp. The arrangement of the flanking genes was similar to that of H. influenzae Rd and suggested that D15 was part of a multigene operon. Attempts to make a null mutation of the D15 gene were unsuccessful, paralleling results in other D15 gene studies. Overexpression of H. ducreyi D15 in Escherichia coli resulted in a source of recombinant D15 (rD15) from which it was readily purified. rD15 was immunogenic, and it was found that immunization of rabbits with an rD15 vaccine preparation conferred partial protection against a virulent challenge infection. Antisera to an N-terminal peptide recognized all tested strains of H. ducreyi.

Haemophilus ducreyi lipooligosaccharide mutant defective in expression of beta-1,4-glucosyltransferase is virulent in humans

The lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of Haemophilus ducreyi contains a major glycoform that is immunochemically identical to paragloboside, a glycosphingolipid precursor of major human blood group antigens. We recently identified the gene responsible for the glucosyltransferase activity and constructed an isogenic mutant (35000glu-) deficient in this activity. 35000glu- makes an LOS that consists only of the heptose trisaccharide core and 2-keto-deoxyoctulosonic acid (KDO). For this study, the mutant was reconstructed in the 35000HP (human passaged [HP]) background. Five human subjects were inoculated with 35000HP and 35000HPglu- in a dose-response trial. The pustule formation rates were 40% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.7 to 72.6%) at 10 sites for 35000HP and 46.7% (95% CI, 24.8 to 69.9%) at 15 sites for 35000HPglu-. The histopathology and recovery rates of H. ducreyi from surface cultures and biopsies obtained from mutant and parent sites were similar. These results indicate that the expression of glycoforms with sugar moieties extending beyond the heptose trisaccharide core is not required for pustule formation by H. ducreyi in humans.

Development of a serological test for Haemophilus ducreyi for seroprevalence studies

We developed a new enzyme immunoassay (rpEIA) for use in determining the seroprevalence of chancroid. Three highly conserved outer membrane proteins from Haemophilus ducreyi strain 35000 were cloned, overexpressed, and purified from Escherichia coli for use as antigens in the rpEIA. Serum specimens from patients with and without chancroid were assayed to determine optimum sensitivity and specificity and to establish cutoff values. On the basis of these data, rpEIA was found to be both sensitive and specific when used to test a variety of serum specimens from patients with genital ulcers and urethritis and from healthy blood donors.

Serum resistance in Haemophilus ducreyi requires outer membrane protein DsrA

Haemophilus ducreyi is resistant to killing by normal serum antibody and complement. We discovered an H. ducreyi outer membrane protein required for expression of serum resistance and termed it DsrA (for "ducreyi serum resistance A"). The dsrA locus was cloned, sequenced, and mutagenized. An isogenic mutant (FX517) of parent strain 35000 was constructed and characterized, and it was found to no longer express dsrA. FX517 was at least 10-fold more serum susceptible than 35000. DsrA was expressed by all strains of H. ducreyi tested, except three naturally occurring, avirulent, serum-sensitive strains. FX517 and the three naturally occurring dsrA-nonexpressing strains were complemented in trans with a plasmid expressing dsrA. All four strains were converted to a serum-resistant phenotype, including two that contained truncated lipooligosaccharide (LOS). Therefore, serum resistance in H. ducreyi does not require expression of full-length LOS but does require expression of dsrA. The dsrA locus from eight additional H. ducreyi strains was sequenced, and the deduced amino acid sequences were more than 85% identical. The major difference between the DsrA proteins was due to the presence of one, two, or three copies of the heptameric amino acid repeat NTHNINK. These repeats account for the variability in apparent molecular mass of the monomeric form of DsrA (28 to 35 kDa) observed in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Since DsrA is present in virulent strains, is highly conserved, and is required for serum resistance, we speculate that it may be a virulence factor and a potential vaccine candidate.

NADP and NAD utilization in Haemophilus influenzae

Exogenous NAD utilization or pyridine nucleotide cycle metabolism is used by many bacteria to maintain NAD turnover and to limit energy-dependent de novo NAD synthesis. The genus Haemophilus includes several important pathogenic bacterial species that require NAD as an essential growth factor. The molecular mechanisms of NAD uptake and processing are understood only in part for Haemophilus. In this report, we present data showing that the outer membrane lipoprotein e(P4), encoded by the hel gene, and an exported 5'-nucleotidase (HI0206), assigned as nadN, are necessary for NAD and NADP utilization. Lipoprotein e(P4) is characterized as an acid phosphatase that uses NADP as substrate. Its phosphatase activity is inhibited by compounds such as adenosine or NMN. The nadN gene product was characterized as an NAD-nucleotidase, responsible for the hydrolysis of NAD. H. influenzae hel and nadN mutants had defined growth deficiencies. For growth, the uptake and processing of the essential cofactors NADP and NAD required e(P4) and 5'-nucleotidase. In addition, adenosine was identified as a potent growth inhibitor of wild-type H. influenzae strains, when NADP was used as the sole source of nicotinamide-ribosyl.

Cloning and characterization of tdhA, a locus encoding a TonB-dependent heme receptor from Haemophilus ducreyi

Haemophilus ducreyi is unable to synthesize heme and must acquire it from its only known host, humans. We cloned and sequenced a gene encoding an outer membrane receptor for heme. It was designated tdhA (for TonB-dependent heme receptor A) since it was related by sequence homology to the family of TonB-dependent receptors. TdhA was strikingly similar to open reading frame HI0113 from the genome of Haemophilus influenzae Rd and also shared homology with five other heme receptors, including HxuC, HemR, HmuR, ChuA, and ShuA, from gram-negative bacteria. An Escherichia coli hemA tonB mutant strongly expressing H. ducreyi tdhA grew on low levels of heme as a source of heme only when an intact H. ducreyi Ton system plasmid was present, formally demonstrating functional TonB dependence. tdhA was expressed poorly in vitro by H. ducreyi and only under conditions of heme limitation. A survey of H. ducreyi revealed that all tested strains but one synthesized small amounts of TdhA in vitro under heme-limiting conditions. Surprisingly, an isogenic mutant of tdhA as well as its parent, 35000, both required the same high levels of heme for growth (50 microgram/ml [77 microM] on agar medium). This result, together with previous findings, suggests that in vitro, the uptake of heme by H. ducreyi is mediated by a TonB- and TdhA-independent mechanism, possibly diffusion.

Role of the Haemophilus ducreyi Ton system in internalization of heme from hemoglobin

By cloning into Escherichia coli and construction of isogenic mutants of Haemophilus ducreyi, we showed that the hemoglobin receptor (HgbA) is TonB dependent. An E. coli hemA tonB mutant expressing H. ducreyi hgbA grew on low levels of hemoglobin as a source of heme only when an intact H. ducreyi Ton system plasmid was present. In contrast, growth on heme by the E. coli hemA tonB mutant expressing hgbA was observed only at high concentrations of heme, was TonB independent, and demonstrated that H. ducreyi HgbA was not sufficient to function as a typical TonB-dependent heme receptor in E. coli. Allelic replacement of the wild-type H. ducreyi exbB, exbD, and tonB loci with the exbB, exbD, and tonB deletion resulted in an H. ducreyi isogenic mutant unable to utilize hemoglobin but able to utilize hemin at the same levels as the parent strain to fulfill its heme requirement. This finding confirms the TonB dependence of HgbA-mediated hemoglobin utilization and suggests that uptake of hemin in H. ducreyi is TonB independent. Additionally, the H. ducreyi Ton system mutant synthesized increased amounts of HgbA and other heme-regulated outer membrane proteins, consistent with derepression of these proteins due to lower intracellular heme and/or iron concentrations in the mutant. Sequencing of the Ton system genes revealed that the arrangement of the genes was exbB exbD tonB. The proximity and structure of these genes suggested that they are transcribed as an operon. This arrangement, as well as the DNA and deduced amino acid sequences of these H. ducreyi genes, was most similar to those from other pasteurellae.

Characterization of a transposon Tn916-generated mutant of Haemophilus ducreyi 35000 defective in lipooligosaccharide biosynthesis

To define the role of the surface lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of Haemophilus ducreyi in the pathogenesis of chancroid, Tn916 mutants of H. ducreyi 35000 defective in expression of the murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) 3F11 epitope on H. ducreyi LOS were identified by immunologic screening. One mutant, designated 1381, has an LOS which lacks the MAb 3F11 epitope and migrates with an increased mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The gene disrupted by the Tn916 element in strain 1381 was identified by cloning the sequences flanking the Tn916 element. The sequences were then used to probe a lambda DASHII genomic library. In strain 1381, Tn916 interrupts a gene which encodes an open reading frame (ORF) with an Mr of 40,246. This ORF has homology to the product of the rfaK gene of Escherichia coli. The major LOS glycoform produced by strain 1381 was analyzed by using a combination of mass spectrometry, linkage and composition analysis, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The major LOS species was found to terminate in a single glucose attached to the heptose (L-glycero-D-manno-heptose, or Hep) trisaccharide core. In the wild-type strain 35000, glucose serves as the acceptor for the addition of the D-glycero-D-manno-heptose (or DDHep), which extends to form the mature branch of the H. ducreyi LOS. This mature oligosaccharide is in turn partially capped by the addition of sialic acid (NeuAc), i.e., NeuAc2 alpha-->3Gal beta1-->4GlcNAc beta1-->3Gal beta1-->4DDHep alpha1-->6Glc beta1 (W. Melaugh et al., Biochemistry 33:13070-13078, 1994). Since this LOS terminates prior to the addition of the branch DD-heptose, this gene is likely to encode the D-glycero-D-manno-heptosyltransferase. Strain 1381 exhibits a significant reduction in adherence to and invasion of primary human keratinocytes. This defect was complemented by the cloned heptosyltransferase gene, indicating that the terminal portion of the LOS oligosaccharide plays an important role in adherence to human keratinocytes.

Structurally defined epitopes of Haemophilus ducreyi lipooligosaccharides recognized by monoclonal antibodies

By use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting techniques, the migration patterns and binding epitopes of lipooligosaccharides (LOS) from 10 Haemophilus ducreyi strains were investigated with two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), MAHD6 and MAHD7, raised against LOS from H. ducreyi ITM 2665. Closely related LOS, with defined structures, from Haemophilus influenzae, Bordetella pertussis, Aeromonas spp., and synthetic glycoproteins were also included in the analyses. The MAbs bound to conserved epitopes of LOS exposed on the surface of H. ducreyi. The MAb MAHD6 reacted with 8 of the 10 LOS from H. ducreyi but with none of the other Haemophilus or Bordetella spp. with structurally defined LOS. It is suggested that MAb MAHD6 binds to a LOS epitope (-DD-Hepp-1-->6-beta-D-Glcp-). This LOS epitope is not present in the hexasaccharide structure of LOS from H. ducreyi ITM 4747 (E. K. H. Schweda, A. C. Sundström, L. M. Eriksson, J. A. Jonasson, and A. A. Lindberg, J. Biol. Chem. 269:12040-12048, 1994). Because MAb MAHD6 reacts with the epitope mentioned above, it also discriminates between the two LOS structures, the hexasaccharide group and the nonasaccharide group, of H. ducreyi strains. MAb MAHD7 recognizes the common conserved inner core region of the LOS because it reacts with all H. ducreyi strains and with LOS with minor components in the inner core epitope structure. Rabbit polyclonal sera raised against the LOS from strains CCUG 4438 and CCUG 7470 were tested with the 10 LOS from the H. ducreyi strains. The antiserum to CCUG 7470 reacted with all H. ducreyi strains as did MAb MAHD7, whereas the antiserum to CCUG 4438 reacted with only its homologous strain and strain ITM 4747. Also, the LOSs of our reference strains CCUG 4438 and CCUG 7470 were structurally analyzed by use of sugar analyses and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. The hexasaccharide and nonasaccharide structures obtained from LOS of strains CCUG 4438 and CCUG 7470 were identical to the described LOS structures from H. ducreyi ITM 4747 and ITM 2665, respectively. In conclusion, the MAb MAHD6 recognizes an epitope present in the nonasaccharide LOS group, whereas the MAb MAHD7 recognizes a conserved epitope on LOS of H. ducreyi, which is present in all strains of H. ducreyi tested. Two major groups of oligosaccharides were distinguished by their LOS structures and the reactivity of monoclonal as well as polyclonal antibodies. The majority of H. ducreyi strains possess a nonasaccharide structure of LOS.

The major outer membrane protein of Haemophilus ducreyi consists of two OmpA homologs

The major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of Haemophilus ducreyi is an OmpA homolog that migrates on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gels as three species with apparent molecular weights ranging from 37,000 to 43,000. Monoclonal antibodies directed against this macromolecule were used to identify recombinant clones containing fragments of the gene encoding this protein. Nucleotide sequence analysis of these fragments confirmed that the MOMP encoded by the intact gene (momp) was a member of the OmpA family of outer membrane proteins. Construction of an isogenic H. ducreyi mutant unable to express the MOMP led to the discovery of a second outer membrane protein which migrated at the same rate on SDS-PAGE gels as the MOMP. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of this second protein revealed that its N terminus was nearly identical to that of the MOMP and also had homology with members of the OmpA family. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the region downstream from the momp gene revealed the presence of a partial open reading frame encoding a predicted OmpA-like protein. A modification of anchored PCR technology was used to obtain the nucleotide sequence of this downstream gene which was shown to encode a second OmpA homolog (OmpA2). The N-terminal amino acid sequence of OmpA2 was identical to that of the OmpA-like protein detected in the momp mutant. The H. ducreyi MOMP and OmpA2 proteins, which comigrated on SDS-PAGE gels and which were encoded by the tandem arranged momp and ompA2 genes, were 72% identical.

Identification of tandem genes involved in lipooligosaccharide expression by Haemophilus ducreyi

A transposon insertion mutant of Haemophilus ducreyi 35000 possessing a truncated lipooligosaccharide (LOS) failed to bind the LOS-specific monoclonal antibody 3E6 (M. K. Stevens, L. D. Cope, J. D. Radolf, and E. J. Hansen, Infect. Immun. 63:2976-2982, 1995). This transposon was found to have inserted into the first of two tandem genes and also caused a deletion of chromosomal DNA upstream of this gene. These two genes, designated lbgA and lbgB, encoded predicted proteins with molecular masses of 25,788 and 40,236 Da which showed homology with proteins which function in lipopolysaccharide biosynthetic in other gram-negative bacteria. The tandem arrangement of the lbgA and lbgB genes was found to be conserved among H. ducreyi strains. Isogenic LOS mutants, constructed by the insertion of a cat cartridge into either the lbgA or the lbgB gene, expressed an LOS phenotype indistinguishable from that of the original transposon-derived LOS mutant. The wild-type LOS phenotype could be restored by complementation with the appropriate wild-type allele. These two LOS mutants proved to be as virulent as the wild-type parent strain in an animal model. A double mutant with a deletion of the lbgA and lbgB genes yielded equivocal results when its virulence was tested in an animal model.

Purification, cloning, and expression of a cytidine 5'-monophosphate N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase from Haemophilus ducreyi

An N-acetylneuraminic acid cytidylyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.43) (CMP-NeuAc synthetase) was isolated from a Haemophilus ducreyi strain 35000 cell lysate and partially characterized. The enzyme catalyzes the reaction of CTP and NeuAc to form CMP-NeuAc, which is the nucleotide sugar donor used by sialyltransferases. Previous studies have shown that the outer membrane lipooligosaccharides of H. ducreyi contain terminal sialic acid attached to N-acetyllactosamine and that this modification is likely important to its pathogenesis. Therefore, to investigate the role of sialic acid in H. ducreyi pathogenesis, the gene encoding the CMP-NeuAc synthetase was cloned using degenerate oligonucleotide probes derived from NH2-terminal sequence data, and the nucleotide sequence was determined. The derived amino acid sequence of the CMP-NeuAc synthetase gene has homology to other CMP-NeuAc synthetases and to a lesser extent to CMP-2-keto-3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid synthetases. The gene was cloned into a T7 expression vector, the protein expressed in Escherichia coli, and purified to apparent homogeneity by anion exchange, Green 19 dye, and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The final step yielded 20 mg of pure protein/liter of culture. The protein has a predicted molecular mass of 25440.6 Da, which was confirmed by electrospray mass spectrometry (Mexpt = 25439.9 +/- 1.4 Da). The enzyme appears to exist as a dimer by size exclusion chromatography. In contrast to other bacterial CMP-NeuAc synthetases, the H. ducreyi enzyme exhibited a different substrate specificity, being capable of also using N-glycolylneuraminic acid as a substrate.

A hemoglobin-binding outer membrane protein is involved in virulence expression by Haemophilus ducreyi in an animal model

Haemophilus ducreyi exhibits a requirement for exogenously supplied heme for aerobic growth in vitro. Nine of ten wild-type isolates of H. ducreyi were shown to contain a readily detectable hemoglobin-binding activity. Spontaneous hemoglobin-binding-negative mutants of two of these wild-type isolates lost the ability to express an outer membrane protein with an apparent molecular mass of approximately 100 kDa. Similarly, the single wild-type isolate that lacked the ability to bind hemoglobin also appeared to lack expression of this same 100-kDa protein. A monoclonal antibody (5A9) to this 100-kDa protein was used to identify a recombinant clone which possessed an H. ducreyi chromosomal fragment containing the gene encoding the 100-kDa protein; this protein was designated hemoglobin utilization protein A (HupA). Nucleotide sequence analysis of the hupA gene revealed that the predicted protein, with a calculated molecular mass of 108 kDa, was similar to TonB-dependent outer membrane proteins of other bacteria. Increasing the concentration of heme in the growth medium resulted in decreased expression of the HupA protein. Mutant analysis was used to prove that the HupA protein was essential for the utilization by H. ducreyi of both hemoglobin and hemoglobin-haptoglobin as sources of heme in vitro. In addition, it was found that an isogenic hupA mutant was less virulent than the wild-type parent strain in the temperature-dependent rabbit model for dermal lesion production by H. ducreyi.

Laboratory diagnosis of chancroid using species-specific primers from Haemophilus ducreyi groEL and the polymerase chain reaction

To enhance laboratory identification of Haemophilus ducreyi, the causative agent of the genital ulcer disease chancroid, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed using target DNA sequences from the essential H. ducreyi gene, groEL. Positive reactions were obtained in this PCR assay with 139 isolates of H. ducreyi from patients in worldwide locations from the 1940s to the 1990s. In contrast, 24 other bacterial species were negative. When genital ulcer specimens from 162 African patients with clinically diagnosed chancroid were evaluated, 66 were culture positive. The sensitivity of PCR as compared with culture was 89% (59 of 66), and specificity was 79% (76 of 96). However, representative samples of the 20 culture-negative, PCR-positive specimens were confirmed as positive by a second PCR assay using different H. ducreyi-specific primers. Thus, combined results of culture and PCR detected H. ducreyi in 86 specimens, with resolved sensitivities of 92% (79 of 86) for PCR, and 77% (66 of 86) for culture. These results suggest that PCR assays for H. ducreyi have great potential for augmenting or replacing problematic cultural techniques.

Characterization of the hemolytic activity of Haemophilus ducreyi

H. ducreyi is the causative agent of chancroid, a genital ulcer disease most prevalent in developing countries. Chancroid enhances the heterosexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus and is identified in focal outbreaks in the United States, but little is known about its pathogenesis. We studied the hemolysin produced by H. ducreyi because this molecule might be an important virulence factor in the pathogenesis of chancroid. Ten strains of H. ducreyi were tested on newly devised blood agar plates and were found to have hemolytic activity. We examined the hemolytic activity of H. ducreyi 35000 further and found that it was heat labile, cell associated, greatest at pH 7.0, and produced in logarithmic- but not stationary-phase cultures. Using transposons Tn916 and Tn1545-delta 3, we have isolated three classes of transposon mutants of strain 35000: those with no detectable hemolytic activity, those with reduced hemolytic activity, and those with enhanced hemolytic activity. Transposon insertions in the nonhemolytic mutants were located in a DNA sequence which hybridized to the Proteus mirabilis hemolysin gene. Analysis of clones containing overlapping sections of this region served to further localize the H. ducreyi hemolysin gene and allow its expression in Escherichia coli and complementation of the nonhemolytic defect in an H. ducreyi mutant. These experiments indicate that H. ducreyi 35000 produces a hemolysin that is related to the calcium-independent hemolysin produced by P. mirabilis. Further experiments are needed to define the similarity of the H. ducreyi hemolysin to other calcium-independent hemolysins and to determine its role in the pathogenesis of chancroid.

Detection of Haemophilus ducreyi lipooligosaccharide by means of an immunolimulus assay

A murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) directed against a surface-exposed epitope of the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of Haemophilus ducreyi strain 35000 was shown to be reactive with all 37 strains of this pathogen tested in a colony blot-radioimmunoassay. The LOS epitope bound by this MAb appeared to be stably expressed by H. ducreyi growing in vitro. The use of this MAb in the immunolimulus system revealed that it could detect purified H. ducreyi LOS at a level of 25 pg/ml. Similarly, this immunolimulus system could detect as few as 1000 colony forming units of in vitro-grown H. ducreyi cells per ml of buffer. When this MAb was utilized in the immunolimulus system together with lesion material from rabbits infected with two different H. ducreyi strains, a positive reaction was obtained with every sample tested, even when no viable organisms were present in the lesion material. In contrast, this MAb yielded consistently negative results when used in the immunolimulus system with lesion material from animals infected with Staphylococcus aureus.

A system for generalized mutagenesis of Haemophilus ducreyi

The lack of a generalized mutagenesis system for Haemophilus ducreyi has hampered efforts to identify virulence factors expressed by this sexually transmitted pathogen. To address this issue, the transposable element Tn1545-delta 3, which encodes resistance to kanamycin, was evaluated for its ability to insert randomly into the H. ducreyi chromosome and produce stable, isogenic mutants. Electroporation of H. ducreyi with 1 microgram of plasmid pMS1 carrying Tn1545-delta 3 resulted in the production of 10(4) kanamycin-resistant transformants; Southern blot analysis of a number of these transformants indicated that insertion of the transposon into the chromosome occurred at a number of different sites. This pMS1-based transposon delivery system was used to produce an H. ducreyi mutant that expressed an altered lipooligosaccharide (LOS). Passage of this mutant in vitro in the presence or absence of kanamycin did not affect the stability of the transposon insertion. To confirm that the observed mutant phenotype was the result of the transposon insertion, a chromosomal fragment containing Tn1545-delta 3 was cloned from this H. ducreyi LOS mutant. Electroporation of the wild-type H. ducreyi strain with this DNA fragment yielded numerous kanamycin-resistant transformants, the majority of which had the same altered LOS phenotype as the original mutant. Southern blot analysis confirmed the occurrence of proper allelic exchange in the LOS-deficient transformants obtained in this backcross experiment. The ability of Tn1545-delta 3 to produce insertion mutations in H. ducreyi should facilitate genetic analysis of this pathogen.

Monoclonal antibodies against Haemophilus lipopolysaccharides: clone DP8 specific for Haemophilus ducreyi and clone DH24 binding to lacto-N-neotetraose

Mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) DP8 [immunoglobulin G1(kappa)] and DH24 [immunoglobulin M(kappa)], which are specific for Haemophilus ducreyi lipopolysaccharide (LPS), were generated by fusing mouse myeloma NS0 cells with spleen cells of BALB/c mice immunized with a total membrane preparation of H. ducreyi. MAb DP8 reacted in whole-cell enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and colony dot immunoblotting with all 50 strains of H. ducreyi but not with any other bacteria tested, which suggests an exposed and species-specific epitope on the H. ducreyi cell surface. This conclusion was supported by the finding that DP8 bound to all six H. ducreyi LPSs tested but not to any of the Haemophilus influenzae or enterobacterial LPSs or synthetic glycoconjugates. The MAb DH24 bound to 43 of 50 strains of H. ducreyi and to few strains of H. influenzae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Neisseria meningitidis, as evaluated by whole-cell EIA and colony dot immunoblotting. The MAb DH24 reacted with five of the six H. ducreyi LPSs tested and with the lacto-N-neotetraose (Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta 1-->3Gal beta 1-->4Glc) series of synthetic glycoconjugates, as determined by EIA. By using polysaccharides obtained after both mild acidic hydrolysis and strong alkali treatment and dephosphorylated samples as inhibitors of the MAbs binding to H. ducreyi LPS antigens, it could be shown that phosphate groups were essential for the binding of DP8 to LPS but that they did not affect antigenic recognition by DH24. None of the MAbs bound to isolated lipid A, but aggregation caused by the fatty acids of lipid A was essential for epitope recognition.

Chancroid and Haemophilus ducreyi: an update

Haemophilus ducreyi is a fastidious gram-negative bacillus that causes the sexually transmitted infection chancroid. Chancroid is a major genital ulcerative disease in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America and is of increasing concern in the United States. Genital ulcerative disease and chancroid in particular have been associated with facilitating the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus. The diagnosis of chancroid based on the clinical appearance of the genital lesion or on the isolation of H. ducreyi on selective medium is relatively insensitive. However, recent advances in nonculture diagnostic tests have enhanced our ability to diagnose chancroid. There has been renewed interest in understanding the pathogenesis of H. ducreyi. In vitro and in vivo models have been developed to help identify important virulence determinants. Through the use of biochemical and molecular techniques, macromolecular components that may be important in virulence have been identified.

Characterization of the hgbA locus encoding a hemoglobin receptor from Haemophilus ducreyi

Haemophilus ducreyi can bind hemoglobin and use it as a source of heme, for which it has an obligate requirement. We previously identified and purified HgbA, a hemoglobin-binding outer membrane protein from H. ducreyi. In this report, we describe the molecular cloning, expression, DNA sequence, and mutagenesis of the structural gene for HgbA, hgbA. H. ducreyi and recombinant Escherichia coli expressing hgbA bound [125I]hemoglobin, establishing HgbA as a receptor. Insertions or deletions in the cloned hgbA gene abolished expression of HgbA and hemoglobin binding in E. coli. Mutagenesis of H. ducreyi by allelic exchange of insertions into hgbA abolished its ability to bind [125I]hemoglobin or utilize hemoglobin as a source of heme. The deduced protein sequence was similar to those of the TonB-dependent family of outer membrane receptors. The most similar member was HutA (heme receptor) from Vibrio cholerae. Tbp1 and Lbp1 (transferrin and lactoferrin receptors, respectively, from pathogenic Neisseria spp.) also showed very significant homology. Thus, by characterizing the hgbA locus, this work elucidates a potentially important role of HgbA in obtaining heme and/or iron from the host.

Use of tissue culture and animal models to identify virulence-associated traits of Haemophilus ducreyi

To identify virulence-associated properties of Haemophilus ducreyi, 34 strains of this sexually transmitted pathogen were evaluated for in vitro phenotypic characteristics of potential relevance to chancroid pathogenesis and for their ability to produce lesions in the temperature-dependent animal model for chancroid. Of the 34 strains tested, all but three produced a cytopathic effect on human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) and all but six strains formed large microcolonies on HFF monolayers. A subset of 12 selected strains underwent more extensive analyses and, when evaluated for both their cytadherence kinetics and growth in the presence of HFF monolayers, it was found that several of these strains had a very limited ability to attach to HFF cells. When the same 12 strains were tested in the temperature-dependent rabbit model, only the seven strains which were positive in all of these in vitro-based tests readily produced lesions. In contrast, the five strains that were noted to be deficient in one or more of the phenotypic characteristics scored in the in vitro systems did not produce lesions. This association between the traits measured in vitro and the ability to produce dermal lesions was significant (P = 0.0012). These results suggest that in vitro behavior may be used to predict the virulence potential of H. ducreyi strains. Moreover, the phenotypic characteristics described in this study are appropriate focal points for efforts to determine the molecular basis of the virulence of this pathogen.

Identification and purification of a conserved heme-regulated hemoglobin-binding outer membrane protein from Haemophilus ducreyi

A hemoglobin-binding protein (HgbA) from Haemophilus ducreyi was identified and purified. The 100-kDa HgbA was detected in all strains of H. ducreyi tested, and a somewhat larger hemoglobin-binding protein was found in one strain of Haemophilus influenzae. HgbA was purified and the amino acid sequence of the N terminus of HgbA revealed no significant homologies with known proteins. Two different antisera to HgbA from H. ducreyi 35000 recognized HgbA proteins from all tested H. ducreyi strains; they did not recognize proteins from the H. influenzae strain. Expression of HgbA was regulated by the level of heme but not by iron present in the medium. Animal species of hemoglobin competed with iodinated human hemoglobin for binding to whole cells of H. ducreyi and supported the growth of H. ducreyi. The lack of immunological cross-reactivity and the differences in hemoglobin specificities between the H. ducreyi and the H. influenzae hemoglobin-binding proteins suggest that they are unrelated.

Haemophilus ducreyi attaches to and invades human epithelial cells in vitro

Haemophilus ducreyi is a sexually transmitted pathogen that causes genital ulcers and inguinal adenopathy. Because chancroidal ulcers are most commonly located on the foreskins of uncircumcised males, we utilized human foreskin epithelial cells (HFECs) to investigate the initial interaction of H. ducreyi with its host. The eight different strains of H. ducreyi that were studied varied in their abilities to attach to these epithelial cells, with six strains consistently attaching to > or = 90% of HFECs and two strains attaching to < 25% of HFECs. The strains with low levels of adherence also failed to exhibit chaining in broth culture and were avirulent in the rabbit model, suggesting that virulence in this model and attachment may be linked. The most adherent strain, LA228R, was further evaluated for its ability to invade HFECs and HEp-2 cells. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy of HFECs after interaction with LA228R produced images consistent with attachment, ingestion into vesicles, and escape from the vesicles into the cytoplasm. In addition, the gentamicin protection assay and inhibition of invasion by cytochalasin B and D indicated that LA228R was able to invade both HFECs and HEp-2 cells. Further examination of the mechanisms involved in the adherence and invasion of H. ducreyi into epithelial cells and their correlation with virulence will provide a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease caused by this important pathogen.

Clear broth and plate media for culture of Haemophilus ducreyi

Using catalase as a source of heme, we have developed both clear plate and broth media for the growth of Haemophilus ducreyi, the causative agent of chancroid. In the broth medium, the growth phase of the organism can be monitored and the organisms achieve a cell density of > 10(8) CFU/ml.

Use of pyocin to select a Haemophilus ducreyi variant defective in lipooligosaccharide biosynthesis

Haemophilus ducreyi, a cause of genital ulcer disease in developing countries, appears to facilitate the heterosexual transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus in Africa. Despite an increase in studies of this gram-negative human pathogen, little is known about the pathogenesis of chancroid. Our studies have shown that the lipooligosaccharides (LOS) of H. ducreyi may play an important role in ulcer formation. Monoclonal antibody and mass spectrometric analyses identified a terminal trisaccharide present on H. ducreyi LOS that is immunochemically similar to human paragloboside. This epitope is present on the LOS of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and it may be the site of attachment for pyocin lysis. We have used pyocin, produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to select LOS variants with sequential saccharide deletions from N. gonorrhoeae. On the basis of the similarities between N. gonorrhoeae and H. ducreyi LOS, we employed the same technique to determine if H. ducreyi strains were susceptible to pyocin lysis. In this study, we report the generation of a pyocin N-resistant H. ducreyi strain which synthesizes a truncated version of the parental LOS. Further studies have shown that this H. ducreyi variant has lost the terminal LOS epitope defined by monoclonal antibody 3F11. This report demonstrates that H. ducreyi is sensitive to pyocins and that this technique can be used to generate H. ducreyi LOS variants. Such variants could be used in comparative studies to relate LOS structure to biologic function in the pathogenesis of chancroid.

Characterization of a small plasmid from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and its use for shuttle vector construction

A 2.3-kb plasmid present in about 20 copies per genome was identified in extracts of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans G100A and designated pBG1. It appears to be unable to replicate in Escherichia coli. Although composite plasmids of pBG1 inserted into pTZ18U are stable in E. coli, few if any pBG1-specific transcripts are detectable. The plasmid sequence reveals several features typical of the origin of replication of non-ColE1 enterobacterial plasmids as well as several potential open reading frames. This small replicon has been shown to support the replication of recombinant plasmids in D. desulfuricans G100A and Desulfovibrio fructosovorans. A conjugable shuttle vector has been constructed.