1
|
Liu L, Luo D, Zhang Y, Liu D, Yin K, Tang Q, Chou SH, He J. Characterization of the dual regulation by a c-di-GMP riboswitch Bc1 with a long expression platform from Bacillus thuringiensis. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0045024. [PMID: 38819160 PMCID: PMC11218506 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00450-24] [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: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
A riboswitch generally regulates the expression of its downstream genes through conformational change in its expression platform (EP) upon ligand binding. The cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) class I riboswitch Bc1 is widespread and conserved among Bacillus cereus group species. In this study, we revealed that Bc1 has a long EP with two typical ρ-independent terminator sequences 28 bp apart. The upstream terminator T1 is dominant in vitro, while downstream terminator T2 is more efficient in vivo. Through mutation analysis, we elucidated that Bc1 exerts a rare and incoherent "transcription-translation" dual regulation with T2 playing a crucial role. However, we found that Bc1 did not respond to c-di-GMP under in vitro transcription conditions, and the expressions of downstream genes did not change with fluctuation in intracellular c-di-GMP concentration. To explore this puzzle, we conducted SHAPE-MaP and confirmed the interaction of Bc1 with c-di-GMP. This shows that as c-di-GMP concentration increases, T1 unfolds but T2 remains almost intact and functional. The presence of T2 masks the effect of T1 unwinding, resulting in no response of Bc1 to c-di-GMP. The high Shannon entropy values of EP region imply the potential alternative structures of Bc1. We also found that zinc uptake regulator can specifically bind to the dual terminator coding sequence and slightly trigger the response of Bc1 to c-di-GMP. This work will shed light on the dual-regulation riboswitch and enrich our understanding of the RNA world.IMPORTANCEIn nature, riboswitches are involved in a variety of metabolic regulation, most of which preferentially regulate transcription termination or translation initiation of downstream genes in specific ways. Alternatively, the same or different riboswitches can exist in tandem to enhance regulatory effects or respond to multiple ligands. However, many putative conserved riboswitches have not yet been experimentally validated. Here, we found that the c-di-GMP riboswitch Bc1 with a long EP could form a dual terminator and exhibit non-canonical and incoherent "transcription-translation" dual regulation. Besides, zinc uptake regulator specifically bound to the coding sequence of the Bc1 EP and slightly mediated the action of Bc1. The application of SHAPE-MaP to the dual regulation mechanism of Bc1 may establish the foundation for future studies of such complex untranslated regions in other bacterial genomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lu Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology & Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Dehua Luo
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology & Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongji Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology & Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Dingqi Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology & Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Kang Yin
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology & Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qing Tang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology & Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shan-Ho Chou
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology & Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jin He
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology & Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ojha R, Krug S, Jones P, Koestler BJ. Intact and mutated Shigella diguanylate cyclases increase c-di-GMP. J Biol Chem 2024:107525. [PMID: 38960033 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The intracellular human pathogen Shigella invades the colonic epithelium to cause disease. Prior to invasion, this bacterium navigates through different environments within the human body, including the stomach and the small intestine. To adapt to changing environments, Shigella uses the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP signaling system, synthesized by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) encoding GGDEF domains. Shigella flexneri encodes a total of 9 GGDEF or GGDEF-EAL domain enzymes in its genome, but 5 of these genes have acquired mutations that presumably inactivated the c-di-GMP synthesis activity of these enzymes. In this study, we examined individual S. flexneri DGCs for their role in c-di-GMP synthesis and pathogenesis. We individually expressed each of the 4 intact DGCs in an S. flexneri strain where these 4 DGCs had been deleted (Δ4DGC). We found that the 4 S. flexneri intact DGCs synthesize c-di-GMP at different levels in vitro and during infection of tissue-cultured cells. We also found that dgcF and dgcI expression significantly reduces invasion and plaque formation, and dgcF expression increases acid sensitivity, and that these phenotypes did not correspond with measured c-di-GMP levels. However, deletion of these 4 DGCs did not eliminate S. flexneri c-di-GMP, and we found that dgcE, dgcQ, and dgcN, which all have nonsense mutations prior to the GGDEF domain, still produce c-di-GMP. These S. flexneri degenerate DGC pseudogenes are expressed as multiple proteins, consistent with multiple start codons within the gene. We propose that both intact and degenerate DGCs contribute to S. flexneri c-di-GMP signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruchi Ojha
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Stefanie Krug
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109
| | - Prentiss Jones
- Department of Pathology, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI 49007
| | - Benjamin J Koestler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sarangi A, Singh SP, Das BS, Rajput S, Fatima S, Bhattacharya D. Mycobacterial biofilms: A therapeutic target against bacterial persistence and generation of antibiotic resistance. Heliyon 2024; 10:e32003. [PMID: 38882302 PMCID: PMC11176842 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) is the causative agent of Tuberculosis, one of the deadliest infectious diseases. According to the WHO Report 2023, in 2022, approximately 10.6 million people got infected with TB, and 1.6 million died. It has multiple antibiotics for treatment, but the major drawback of anti-tuberculosis therapy (ATT) is, its prolonged treatment duration. The major contributors to the lengthy treatment period are mycobacterial persistence and drug tolerance. Persistent M. tb is phenotypically drug tolerant and metabolically slow down which makes it difficult to be eliminated during ATT. These persisting bacteria are a huge reservoir of impending disease, waiting to get reactivated upon the onset of an immune compromising state. Directly Observed Treatment Short-course, although effective against replicating bacteria; fails to eliminate the drug-tolerant persisters making TB still the second-highest killer globally. There are different mechanisms for the development of drug-tolerant mycobacterial populations being investigated. Recently, the role of biofilms in the survival and host-evasion mechanism of persisters has come to light. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the mechanism of adaptation, survival and attainment of drug tolerance by persisting M. tb-populations, in order to design better immune responses and therapeutics for the effective elimination of these bacteria by reducing the duration of treatment and also circumvent the generation of drug-resistance to achieve the goal of global eradication of TB. This review summarizes the drug-tolerance mechanism and biofilms' role in providing a niche to dormant-M.tb. We also discuss methods of targeting biofilms to achieve sterile eradication of the mycobacteria and prevent its reactivation by achieving adequate immune responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashirbad Sarangi
- Centre for Biotechnology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Shashi Prakash Singh
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI) Oregon National Primate Research Centre (ONPRC) Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Bhabani Shankar Das
- Centre for Biotechnology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Sristi Rajput
- Departmental of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Samreen Fatima
- UMass Chan Medical School, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Debapriya Bhattacharya
- Centre for Biotechnology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
- Departmental of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Liu H, Xu G, Guo B, Liu F. Old role with new feature: T2SS ATPase as a cyclic-di-GMP receptor to regulate antibiotic production. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0041824. [PMID: 38624198 PMCID: PMC11107153 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00418-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is a crucial signaling molecule found extensively in bacteria, involved in the regulation of various physiological and biochemical processes such as biofilm formation, motility, and pathogenicity through binding to downstream receptors. However, the structural dissimilarity of c-di-GMP receptor proteins has hindered the discovery of many such proteins. In this study, we identified LspE, a homologous protein of the type II secretion system (T2SS) ATPase GspE in Lysobacter enzymogenes, as a receptor protein for c-di-GMP. We identified the more conservative c-di-GMP binding amino acid residues as K358 and T359, which differ from the previous reports, indicating that GspE proteins may represent a class of c-di-GMP receptor proteins. Additionally, we found that LspE in L. enzymogenes also possesses a novel role in regulating the production of the antifungal antibiotic HSAF. Further investigations revealed the critical involvement of both ATPase activity and c-di-GMP binding in LspE-mediated regulation of HSAF (Heat-Stable Antifungal Factor) production, with c-di-GMP binding having no impact on LspE's ATPase activity. This suggests that the control of HSAF production by LspE encompasses two distinct processes: c-di-GMP binding and the inherent ATPase activity of LspE. Overall, our study unraveled a new function for the conventional protein GspE of the T2SS as a c-di-GMP receptor protein and shed light on its role in regulating antibiotic production.IMPORTANCEThe c-di-GMP signaling pathway in bacteria is highly intricate. The identification and functional characterization of novel receptor proteins have posed a significant challenge in c-di-GMP research. The type II secretion system (T2SS) is a well-studied secretion system in bacteria. In this study, our findings revealed the ATPase GspE protein of the T2SS as a class of c-di-GMP receptor protein. Notably, we discovered its novel function in regulating the production of antifungal antibiotic HSAF in Lysobacter enzymogenes. Given that GspE may be a conserved c-di-GMP receptor protein, it is worthwhile for researchers to reevaluate its functional roles and mechanisms across diverse bacterial species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haofei Liu
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Gaoge Xu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
- School of Plant Protection, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Tropical Plant Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Baodian Guo
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Fengquan Liu
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kaczmarczyk A, van Vliet S, Jakob RP, Teixeira RD, Scheidat I, Reinders A, Klotz A, Maier T, Jenal U. A genetically encoded biosensor to monitor dynamic changes of c-di-GMP with high temporal resolution. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3920. [PMID: 38724508 PMCID: PMC11082216 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48295-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Monitoring changes of signaling molecules and metabolites with high temporal resolution is key to understanding dynamic biological systems. Here, we use directed evolution to develop a genetically encoded ratiometric biosensor for c-di-GMP, a ubiquitous bacterial second messenger regulating important biological processes like motility, surface attachment, virulence and persistence. The resulting biosensor, cdGreen2, faithfully tracks c-di-GMP in single cells and with high temporal resolution over extended imaging times, making it possible to resolve regulatory networks driving bimodal developmental programs in different bacterial model organisms. We further adopt cdGreen2 as a simple tool for in vitro studies, facilitating high-throughput screens for compounds interfering with c-di-GMP signaling and biofilm formation. The sensitivity and versatility of cdGreen2 could help reveal c-di-GMP dynamics in a broad range of microorganisms with high temporal resolution. Its design principles could also serve as a blueprint for the development of similar, orthogonal biosensors for other signaling molecules, metabolites and antibiotics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kaczmarczyk
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Simon van Vliet
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Roman Peter Jakob
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Inga Scheidat
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alberto Reinders
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Klotz
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Timm Maier
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Urs Jenal
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ojha R, Krug S, Jones P, Koestler BJ. Intact and Degenerate Diguanylate Cyclases regulate Shigella Cyclic di-GMP. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.08.588579. [PMID: 38645013 PMCID: PMC11030455 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.08.588579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The intracellular human pathogen Shigella invades the colonic epithelium to cause disease. Prior to invasion, this bacterium navigates through different environments within the human body, including the stomach and the small intestine. To adapt to changing environments, Shigella uses the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP signaling system, synthesized by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) encoding GGDEF domains. Shigella flexneri encodes a total of 9 GGDEF or GGDEF-EAL domain enzymes in its genome, but 5 of these genes have acquired mutations that presumably inactivated the c-di-GMP synthesis activity of these enzymes. In this study, we examined individual S. flexneri DGCs for their role in c-di-GMP synthesis and pathogenesis. We individually expressed each of the 4 intact DGCs in an S. flexneri strain where these 4 DGCs had been deleted (Δ4DGC). We found that the 4 S. flexneri intact DGCs synthesize c-di-GMP at different levels in vitro and during infection of tissue-cultured cells. We also found that dgcF and dgcI expression significantly reduces invasion and plaque formation, and dgcF expression increases acid sensitivity, and that these phenotypes did not correspond with measured c-di-GMP levels. However, deletion of these 4 DGCs did not eliminate S. flexneri c-di-GMP, and we found that dgcE, dgcQ, and dgcN , which all have nonsense mutations prior to the GGDEF domain, still produce c-di-GMP. These S. flexneri degenerate DGC genes are expressed as multiple proteins, consistent with multiple start codons within the gene. We propose that both intact and degenerate DGCs contribute to S. flexneri c-di-GMP signaling.
Collapse
|
7
|
Van Loon JC, Whitfield GB, Wong N, O'Neal L, Henrickson A, Demeler B, O'Toole GA, Parsek MR, Howell PL. Binding of GTP to BifA is required for the production of Pel-dependent biofilms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0033123. [PMID: 38197635 PMCID: PMC10882990 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00331-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The Pel exopolysaccharide is one of the most mechanistically conserved and phylogenetically diverse bacterial biofilm matrix determinants. Pel is a major contributor to the structural integrity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, and its biosynthesis is regulated by the binding of cyclic-3',5'-dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) to the PelD receptor. c-di-GMP is synthesized from two molecules of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) by diguanylate cyclases with GGDEF domains and degraded by phosphodiesterases with EAL or HD-GYP domains. As the P. aeruginosa genome encodes 43 c-di-GMP metabolic enzymes, one way signaling specificity can be achieved is through direct interaction between specific enzyme-receptor pairs. Here, we show that the inner membrane hybrid GGDEF-EAL enzyme, BifA, directly interacts with PelD via its cytoplasmic HAMP, GGDEF, and EAL domains. Despite having no catalytic function, the degenerate active site motif of the BifA GGDEF domain (GGDQF) has retained the ability to bind GTP with micromolar affinity. Mutations that abolish GTP binding result in increased biofilm formation but stable global c-di-GMP levels. Our data suggest that BifA forms a dimer in solution and that GTP binding induces conformational changes in dimeric BifA that enhance the BifA-PelD interaction and stimulate its phosphodiesterase activity, thus reducing c-di-GMP levels and downregulating Pel biosynthesis. Structural comparisons between the dimeric AlphaFold2 model of BifA and the structures of other hybrid GGDEF-EAL proteins suggest that the regulation of BifA by GTP may occur through a novel mechanism.IMPORTANCEc-di-GMP is the most common cyclic dinucleotide used by bacteria to regulate phenotypes such as motility, biofilm formation, virulence factor production, cell cycle progression, and cell differentiation. While the identification and initial characterization of c-di-GMP metabolic enzymes are well established, our understanding of how these enzymes are regulated to provide signaling specificity remains understudied. Here we demonstrate that the inactive GGDEF domain of BifA binds GTP and regulates the adjacent phosphodiesterase EAL domain, ultimately downregulating Pel-dependent P. aeruginosa biofilm formation through an interaction with PelD. This discovery adds to the growing body of literature regarding how hybrid GGDEF-EAL enzymes are regulated and provides additional precedence for studying how direct interactions between c-di-GMP metabolic enzymes and effectors result in signaling specificity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaime C. Van Loon
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gregory B. Whitfield
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicole Wong
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lindsey O'Neal
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Amy Henrickson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Borries Demeler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - G. A. O'Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Matthew R. Parsek
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - P. Lynne Howell
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Xu LC, Booth JL, Lanza M, Ozdemir T, Huffer A, Chen C, Khursheed A, Sun D, Allcock HR, Siedlecki CA. In Vitro and In Vivo Assessment of the Infection Resistance and Biocompatibility of Small-Molecule-Modified Polyurethane Biomaterials. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:8474-8483. [PMID: 38330222 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c18231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial intracellular nucleotide second messenger signaling is involved in biofilm formation and regulates biofilm development. Interference with the bacterial nucleotide second messenger signaling provides a novel approach to control biofilm formation and limit microbial infection in medical devices. In this study, we tethered small-molecule derivatives of 4-arylazo-3,5-diamino-1H-pyrazole on polyurethane biomaterial surfaces and measured the biofilm resistance and initial biocompatibility of modified biomaterials in in vitro and in vivo settings. Results showed that small-molecule-modified surfaces significantly reduced the Staphylococcal epidermidis biofilm formation compared to unmodified surfaces and decreased the nucleotide levels of c-di-AMP in biofilm cells, suggesting that the tethered small molecules interfere with intracellular nucleotide signaling and inhibit biofilm formation. The hemocompatibility assay showed that the modified polyurethane films did not induce platelet activation or red blood cell hemolysis but significantly reduced plasma coagulation and platelet adhesion. The cytocompatibility assay with fibroblast cells showed that small-molecule-modified surfaces were noncytotoxic and cells appeared to be proliferating and growing on modified surfaces. In a 7-day subcutaneous infection rat model, the polymer samples were implanted in Wistar rats and inoculated with bacteria or PBS. Results show that modified polyurethane significantly reduced bacteria by ∼2.5 log units over unmodified films, and the modified polymers did not lead to additional irritation/toxicity to the animal tissues. Taken together, the results demonstrated that small molecules tethered on polymer surfaces remain active, and the modified polymers are biocompatible and resistant to microbial infection in vitro and in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tugba Ozdemir
- Department of Nanoscience and Biomedical Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota 57701, United States
| | - Amelia Huffer
- Department of Nanoscience and Biomedical Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota 57701, United States
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | | | | | - Harry R Allcock
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Chen T, Pu M, Subramanian S, Kearns D, Rowe-Magnus D. PlzD modifies Vibrio vulnificus foraging behavior and virulence in response to elevated c-di-GMP. mBio 2023; 14:e0153623. [PMID: 37800901 PMCID: PMC10653909 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01536-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Many free-swimming bacteria propel themselves through liquid using rotary flagella, and mounting evidence suggests that the inhibition of flagellar rotation initiates biofilm formation, a sessile lifestyle that is a nearly universal surface colonization paradigm in bacteria. In general, motility and biofilm formation are inversely regulated by the intracellular second messenger bis-(3´-5´)-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP). Here, we identify a protein, PlzD, bearing a conserved c-di-GMP binding PilZ domain that localizes to the flagellar pole in a c-di-GMP-dependent manner and alters the foraging behavior, biofilm, and virulence characteristics of the opportunistic human pathogen, Vibrio vulnificus. Our data suggest that PlzD interacts with components of the flagellar stator to decrease bacterial swimming speed and changes in swimming direction, and these activities are enhanced when cellular c-di-GMP levels are elevated. These results reveal a physical link between a second messenger (c-di-GMP) and an effector (PlzD) that promotes transition from a motile to a sessile state in V. vulnificus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Chen
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Meng Pu
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sundharraman Subramanian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Dan Kearns
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Dean Rowe-Magnus
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bano S, Hassan N, Rafiq M, Hassan F, Rehman M, Iqbal N, Ali H, Hasan F, Kang YQ. Biofilms as Battlefield Armor for Bacteria against Antibiotics: Challenges and Combating Strategies. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2595. [PMID: 37894253 PMCID: PMC10609369 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms are formed by communities, which are encased in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Notably, bacteria in biofilms display a set of 'emergent properties' that vary considerably from free-living bacterial cells. Biofilms help bacteria to survive under multiple stressful conditions such as providing immunity against antibiotics. Apart from the provision of multi-layered defense for enabling poor antibiotic absorption and adaptive persistor cells, biofilms utilize their extracellular components, e.g., extracellular DNA (eDNA), chemical-like catalase, various genes and their regulators to combat antibiotics. The response of biofilms depends on the type of antibiotic that comes into contact with biofilms. For example, excessive production of eDNA exerts resistance against cell wall and DNA targeting antibiotics and the release of antagonist chemicals neutralizes cell membrane inhibitors, whereas the induction of protein and folic acid antibiotics inside cells is lowered by mutating genes and their regulators. Here, we review the current state of knowledge of biofilm-based resistance to various antibiotic classes in bacteria and genes responsible for biofilm development, and the key role of quorum sensing in developing biofilms and antibiotic resistance is also discussed. In this review, we also highlight new and modified techniques such as CRISPR/Cas, nanotechnology and bacteriophage therapy. These technologies might be useful to eliminate pathogens residing in biofilms by combating biofilm-induced antibiotic resistance and making this world free of antibiotic resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Bano
- Applied Environmental and Geomicrobiology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Noor Hassan
- Industrial Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering-College, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Rafiq
- Department of Microbiology, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences, Quetta 87300, Pakistan
| | - Farwa Hassan
- Industrial Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering-College, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Maliha Rehman
- Department of Microbiology, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences, Quetta 87300, Pakistan
| | - Naveed Iqbal
- Department of Biotechnology & Informatics, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences, Quetta 87300, Pakistan
- The Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
| | - Hazrat Ali
- Industrial Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering-College, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Fariha Hasan
- Applied Environmental and Geomicrobiology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Ying-Qian Kang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education of Guizhou, Guiyang 550025, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Shebl RI, Elkhatib WF, Badawy MSEM. Modulating the transcriptomic profile of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae biofilm formation by antibiotics in combination with zinc sulfate. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2023; 22:84. [PMID: 37700331 PMCID: PMC10498587 DOI: 10.1186/s12941-023-00634-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Klebsiella pneumoniae is a significant healthcare-associated pathogen. We investigated the antimicrobial interaction pattern between zinc sulfate and antibiotics against K. pneumoniae biofilm on the phenotypic and genotypic levels. METHODS Determining the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations and the transcriptomic profile of K. pneumoniae biofilm formation genes post-treatment were carried out to evaluate the effect on the phenotypic and genotypic levels, respectively. RESULTS Zinc enhanced the antibiofilm potentials of cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and ertapenem, whereas it antagonizes the effectiveness of fluoroquinolones and meropenem on the phenotypic level. On the molecular level, zinc enhanced the anti-biofilm efficacies of cephalosporins (cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, cefpirome, and cefepime) via down-regulating the expression of biofilm-related genes by 18-, 38-, 5-, 77- and 2-folds, respectively. Zinc in combination with aminoglycosides (kanamycin, gentamicin, and amikacin) reduced the expression of biofilm-related genes by 40-, 2602- and 20-folds, respectively, and by 2-folds in combination with ertapenem. However, a reduction in the down-regulatory potentials of fluoroquinolones was recorded following combination with zinc by 2-, 2-, 15- and 14-folds, respectively, and an up-regulation in the expression levels of the tested genes by 2-folds in the case of zinc/meropenem combination. CONCLUSIONS Results revealed variable interaction patterns between different antibiotics in combination with zinc. Current findings also shed light on the antibiofilm potentials of zinc/antibiotics combinations especially when combining zinc with fluoroquinolones or meropenem to avoid their antagonistic effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rania I Shebl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahram Canadian University, 6th October City, 4th Industrial Zone, Giza 12451, Egypt.
| | - Walid F Elkhatib
- Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, African Union Organization St., Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Galala University, New Galala City, Suez, Egypt.
| | - Mona Shaban E M Badawy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy (Girls), El-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Liu F, Wang F, Yuan Y, Li X, Zhong X, Yang M. Quorum sensing signal synthases enhance Vibrio parahaemolyticus swarming motility. Mol Microbiol 2023; 120:241-257. [PMID: 37330634 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a significant food-borne pathogen that is found in diverse aquatic habitats. Quorum sensing (QS), a signaling system for cell-cell communication, plays an important role in V. parahaemolyticus persistence. We characterized the function of three V. parahaemolyticus QS signal synthases, CqsAvp , LuxMvp , and LuxSvp , and show that they are essential to activate QS and regulate swarming. We found that CqsAvp , LuxMvp , and LuxSvp activate a QS bioluminescence reporter through OpaR. However, V. parahaemolyticus exhibits swarming defects in the absence of CqsAvp , LuxMvp , and LuxSvp , but not OpaR. The swarming defect of this synthase mutant (termed Δ3AI) was recovered by overexpressing either LuxOvp D47A , a mimic of dephosphorylated LuxOvp mutant, or the scrABC operon. CqsAvp , LuxMvp , and LuxSvp inhibit lateral flagellar (laf) gene expression by inhibiting the phosphorylation of LuxOvp and the expression of scrABC. Phosphorylated LuxOvp enhances laf gene expression in a mechanism that involves modulating c-di-GMP levels. However, enhancing swarming requires phosphorylated and dephosphorylated LuxOvp which is regulated by the QS signals that are synthesized by CqsAvp , LuxMvp , and LuxSvp . The data presented here suggest an important strategy of swarming regulation by the integration of QS and c-di-GMP signaling pathways in V. parahaemolyticus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fuwen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yixuan Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoran Li
- Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojun Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Menghua Yang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Gür M, Erdmann J, Will A, Liang Z, Andersen JB, Tolker-Nielsen T, Häussler S. Challenges in using transcriptome data to study the c-di-GMP signaling network in Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates. FEMS MICROBES 2023; 4:xtad012. [PMID: 37564278 PMCID: PMC10411656 DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtad012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type strain PA14, 40 genes are known to encode for diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) and/or phosphodiesterases (PDEs), which modulate the intracellular pool of the nucleotide second messenger c-di-GMP. While in general, high levels of c-di-GMP drive the switch from highly motile phenotypes towards a sessile lifestyle, the different c-di-GMP modulating enzymes are responsible for smaller and in parts nonoverlapping phenotypes. In this study, we sought to utilize previously recorded P. aeruginosa gene expression datasets on 414 clinical isolates to uncover transcriptional changes as a result of a high expression of genes encoding DGCs. This approach might provide a unique opportunity to bypass the problem that for many c-di-GMP modulating enzymes it is not known under which conditions their expression is activated. However, while we demonstrate that the selection of subgroups of clinical isolates with high versus low expression of sigma factor encoding genes served the identification of their downstream regulons, we were unable to confirm the predicted DGC regulons, because the high c-di-GMP associated phenotypes were rapidly lost in the clinical isolates,. Further studies are needed to determine the specific mechanisms underlying the loss of cyclase activity upon prolonged cultivation of clinical P. aeruginosa isolates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melisa Gür
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 7, 30265 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jelena Erdmann
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 7, 30265 Hannover, Germany
| | - Anke Will
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 7, 30265 Hannover, Germany
| | - Ziwei Liang
- Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B 24.1, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Bo Andersen
- Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B 24.1, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tim Tolker-Nielsen
- Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B 24.1, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Susanne Häussler
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 7, 30265 Hannover, Germany
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet, Ole Maaloes Vej 26, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Xu LC, Ochetto A, Chen C, Sun D, Allcock HR, Siedlecki CA. Surfaces modified with small molecules that interfere with nucleotide signaling reduce Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm and increase the efficacy of ciprofloxacin. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2023; 227:113345. [PMID: 37196462 PMCID: PMC10355139 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus epidermidis are common bacteria associated with biofilm related infections on implanted medical devices. Antibiotics are often used in combating such infections, but they may lose their efficacy in the presence of biofilms. Bacterial intracellular nucleotide second messenger signaling plays an important role in biofilm formation, and interference with the nucleotide signaling pathways provides a possible way to control biofilm formation and to increase biofilm susceptibility to antibiotic therapy. This study synthesized small molecule derivates of 4-arylazo-3,5-diamino-1 H-pyrazole (named as SP02 and SP03) and found these molecules inhibited S. epidermidis biofilm formation and induced biofilm dispersal. Analysis of bacterial nucleotide signaling molecules showed that both SP02 and SP03 significantly reduced cyclic dimeric adenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP) levels in S. epidermidis at doses as low as 25 µM while having significant effects on multiple nucleotides signaling including cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP), c-di-AMP, and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) at high doses (100 µM or greater). We then tethered these small molecules to polyurethane (PU) biomaterial surfaces and investigated biofilm formation on the modified surfaces. Results showed that the modified surfaces significantly inhibited biofilm formation during 24 h and 7-day incubations. The antibiotic ciprofloxacin was used to treat these biofilms and the efficacy of the antibiotic (2 µg/mL) was found to increase from 94.8% on unmodified PU surfaces to > 99.9% on both SP02 and SP03 modified surfaces (>3 log units). Results demonstrated the feasibility of tethering small molecules that interfere with nucleotide signaling onto polymeric biomaterial surfaces and in a way that interrupts biofilm formation and increases antibiotic efficacy for S. epidermidis infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li-Chong Xu
- Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Alyssa Ochetto
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Dongxiao Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, Mass Spectrometry Core Facilities (RRID: SCR_017831), The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Harry R Allcock
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Christopher A Siedlecki
- Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Condinho M, Carvalho B, Cruz A, Pinto SN, Arraiano CM, Pobre V. The role of RNA regulators, quorum sensing and c-di-GMP in bacterial biofilm formation. FEBS Open Bio 2023; 13:975-991. [PMID: 35234364 PMCID: PMC10240345 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilms provide an ecological advantage against many environmental stressors, such as pH and temperature, making it the most common life-cycle stage for many bacteria. These protective characteristics make eradication of bacterial biofilms challenging. This is especially true in the health sector where biofilm formation on hospital or patient equipment, such as respirators, or catheters, can quickly become a source of anti-microbial resistant strains. Biofilms are complex structures encased in a self-produced polymeric matrix containing numerous components such as polysaccharides, proteins, signalling molecules, extracellular DNA and extracellular RNA. Biofilm formation is tightly controlled by several regulators, including quorum sensing (QS), cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) and small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs). These three regulators in particular are fundamental in all stages of biofilm formation; in addition, their pathways overlap, and the significance of their role is strain-dependent. Currently, ribonucleases are also of interest for their potential role as biofilm regulators, and their relationships with QS, c-di-GMP and sRNAs have been investigated. This review article will focus on these four biofilm regulators (ribonucleases, QS, c-di-GMP and sRNAs) and the relationships between them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Condinho
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Beatriz Carvalho
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Adriana Cruz
- iBB‐Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (IBB)Instituto Superior TécnicoLisboaPortugal
- i4HB‐Institute for Health and BioeconomyInstituto Superior TécnicoLisboaPortugal
| | - Sandra N. Pinto
- iBB‐Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (IBB)Instituto Superior TécnicoLisboaPortugal
- i4HB‐Institute for Health and BioeconomyInstituto Superior TécnicoLisboaPortugal
| | - Cecília M. Arraiano
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Vânia Pobre
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lee MH, Choi SJ, Jang D, Kang S, Jung HJ, Hwang DS. A peptide of PilZ domain-containing protein controls wastewater-treatment-membrane biofouling by inducing bacterial attachment. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 240:120085. [PMID: 37244016 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Membrane-based wastewater reclamation is used to mitigate water scarcity; however, irreversible biofouling is an elusive problem that hinders the efficiency of a forward-osmosis (FO) membrane-based process, and the protein responsible for fouling is unknown. Herein, we identified fouling proteins by analyzing the microbiome and proteome of wastewater extracellular polymeric substances responsible for strong irreversible FO-membrane fouling. The IGLSSLPR peptide of a PilZ domain-containing protein was found to recruit bacterial attachment when immobilized on the membrane surface while suppressing it when dissolved, in a similar manner to the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide in mammalian cell cultures. Bacteria adhere to IGLSSLPR and poly-l-lysine-coated membranes with similar energies and exhibit water fluxes that decline similarly, which is ascribable to interaction as strong as electrostatic interactions in the peptide-coated membranes. We conclude that IGLSSLPR is the key domain responsible for membrane fouling and can be used to develop antifouling technology against bacteria, which is similar to the current usage of RGD peptide in mammalian cell cultures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Hee Lee
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Ju Choi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Duksoo Jang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; Department of Global Smart City, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Seoktae Kang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hee-Jung Jung
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, 37673, Republic of Korea; R&D Center, ANPOLY INC., Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, 37666, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dong Soo Hwang
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, 37673, Republic of Korea; Institute for Convergence Research and Education in Advanced Technology, Yonsei University International Campus I-CREATE, Incheon 21983, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Junkermeier EH, Hengge R. Local signaling enhances output specificity of bacterial c-di-GMP signaling networks. MICROLIFE 2023; 4:uqad026. [PMID: 37251514 PMCID: PMC10211494 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqad026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
For many years the surprising multiplicity, signal input diversity, and output specificity of c-di-GMP signaling proteins has intrigued researchers studying bacterial second messengers. How can several signaling pathways act in parallel to produce specific outputs despite relying on the same diffusible second messenger maintained at a certain global cellular concentration? Such high specificity and flexibility arise from combining modes of local and global c-di-GMP signaling in complex signaling networks. Local c-di-GMP signaling can be experimentally shown by three criteria being met: (i) highly specific knockout phenotypes for particular c-di-GMP-related enzymes, (ii) actual cellular c-di-GMP levels that remain unchanged by such mutations and/or below the Kd's of the relevant c-di-GMP-binding effectors, and (iii) direct interactions between the signaling proteins involved. Here, we discuss the rationale behind these criteria and present well-studied examples of local c-di-GMP signaling in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas. Relatively simple systems just colocalize a local source and/or a local sink for c-di-GMP, i.e. a diguanylate cyclase (DGC) and/or a specific phosphodiesterase (PDE), respectively, with a c-di-GMP-binding effector/target system. More complex systems also make use of regulatory protein interactions, e.g. when a "trigger PDE" responds to locally provided c-di-GMP, and thereby serves as a c-di-GMP-sensing effector that directly controls a target's activity, or when a c-di-GMP-binding effector recruits and directly activates its own "private" DGC. Finally, we provide an outlook into how cells can combine local and global signaling modes of c-di-GMP and possibly integrate those into other signaling nucleotides networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eike H Junkermeier
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13 – Haus 22, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Regine Hengge
- Corresponding author. Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13 – Haus 22, 10115 Berlin, Germany. Tel: +49-30-2093-49686; Fax: +49-30-2093-49682; E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ochetto A, Sun D, Siedlecki CA, Xu LC. Nucleotide Messenger Signaling of Staphylococci in Responding to Nitric Oxide - Releasing Biomaterials. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023. [PMID: 37155716 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c01536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) releasing biomaterials are a promising approach against medical device associated microbial infection. In contrast to the bacteria-killing effects of NO at high concentrations, NO at low concentrations serves as an important signaling molecule to inhibit biofilm formation or disperse mature biofilms by regulating the intracellular nucleotide second messenger signaling network such as cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) for many Gram-negative bacterial strains. However, Gram-positive staphylococcal bacteria are the most commonly diagnosed microbial infections on indwelling devices, but much less is known about the nucleotide messengers and their response to NO as well as the mechanism by which NO inhibits biofilm formation. This study investigated the cyclic nucleotide second messengers c-di-GMP, cyclic dimeric adenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in both Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) Newman D2C and Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) RP62A after incubating with S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP, NO donor) impregnated polyurethane (PU) films. Results demonstrated that NO release from the polymer films significantly reduced the c-di-GMP levels in S. aureus planktonic and sessile cells, and these bacteria showed inhibited biofilm formation. However, the effect of NO release on c-di-GMP in S. epidermidis was weak, but rather, S. epidermidis showed significant reduction in c-di-AMP levels in response to NO release and also showed reduced biofilm formation. Results strongly suggest that NO regulates the nucleotide second messenger signaling network in different ways for these two bacteria, but for both bacteria, these changes in signaling affect the formations of biofilms. These findings provide cues to understand the mechanism of Staphylococcus biofilm inhibition by NO and suggest novel targets for antibiofilm interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Ochetto
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, United States
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Sze CW, Li C. Chemotaxis Coupling Protein CheW 2 Is Not Required for the Chemotaxis but Contributes to the Full Pathogenicity of Borreliella burgdorferi. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0000823. [PMID: 36939335 PMCID: PMC10112267 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00008-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial chemotaxis regulatory circuit mainly consists of coupling protein CheW, sensor histidine kinase CheA, and response regulator CheY. Most bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, have a single gene encoding each of these proteins. Interestingly, the Lyme disease pathogen, Borreliella burgdorferi, has multiple chemotaxis proteins, e.g., two CheA, three CheW, and three CheY proteins. The genes encoding these proteins mainly reside in two operons: cheW2-cheA1-cheB2-cheY2 (A-I) and cheA2-cheW3-cheX-cheY3 (A-II). Previous studies demonstrate that all the genes in A-II are essential for the chemotaxis of B. burgdorferi; however, the role of those genes in A-I remains unknown. This study aimed to fill this gap using the CheW2 gene, the first gene in A-I, as a surrogate. We first mapped the transcription start site of A-I upstream of cheW2 and identified a σ70-like promoter (PW2) and two binding sites (BS1 and BS2) of BosR, an unorthodox Fur/Per homolog. We then demonstrated that BosR binds to PW2 via BS1 and BS2 and that deletion of bosR significantly represses the expression of cheW2 and other genes in A-I, implying that BosR is a positive regulator of A-I. Deletion of cheW2 has no impact on the chemotaxis of B. burgdorferi in vitro but abrogates its ability to evade host adaptive immunity, because the mutant can establish systemic infection only in SCID mice and not in immunocompetent BALB/c mice. This report substantiates the previous proposition that A-I is not implicated in chemotaxis; rather, it may function as a signaling transduction pathway to regulate B. burgdorferi virulence gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ching Wooen Sze
- Department of Oral Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Chunhao Li
- Department of Oral Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
A Library of Promoter- gfp Fusion Reporters for Studying Systematic Expression Pattern of Cyclic-di-GMP Metabolism-Related Genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0189122. [PMID: 36744921 PMCID: PMC9973039 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01891-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an environmental microorganism and is a model organism for biofilm research. Cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) is a bacterial second messenger that plays critical roles in biofilm formation. P. aeruginosa contains approximately 40 genes that encode enzymes that participate in the metabolism of c-di-GMP (biosynthesis or degradation), yet it lacks tools that aid investigation of the systematic expression pattern of those genes. In this study, we constructed a promoter-gfp fusion reporter library that consists of 41 reporter plasmids. Each plasmid contains a promoter of corresponding c-di-GMP metabolism-related (CMR) genes from P. aeruginosa reference strain PAO1; thus, each promoter-gfp fusion reporter can be used to detect the promoter activity as well as the transcription of corresponding gene. The promoter activity was tested in P. aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Among the 41 genes, the promoters of 26 genes showed activity in both P. aeruginosa and E. coli. The library was applied to determine the influence of different temperatures, growth media, and subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics on the transcriptional profile of the 41 CMR genes in P. aeruginosa. The results showed that different growth conditions did affect the transcription of different genes, while the promoter activity of a few genes was kept at the same level under several different growth conditions. In summary, we provide a promoter-gfp fusion reporter library for systematic monitoring or study of the regulation of CMR genes in P. aeruginosa. In addition, the functional promoters can also be used as a biobrick for synthetic biology studies. IMPORTANCE The opportunistic pathogen P. aeruginosa can cause acute and chronic infections in humans, and it is one of the main pathogens in nosocomial infections. Biofilm formation is one of the most important causes for P. aeruginosa persistence in hosts and evasion of immune and antibiotic attacks. c-di-GMP is a critical second messenger to control biofilm formation. In P. aeruginosa reference strain PAO1, 41 genes are predicted to participate in the making and breaking of this dinucleotide. A major missing piece of information in this field is the systematic expression profile of those genes in response to changing environment. Toward this goal, we constructed a promoter-gfp transcriptional fusion reporter library that consists of 41 reporter plasmids, each of which contains a promoter of corresponding c-di-GMP metabolism-related genes in P. aeruginosa. This library provides a helpful tool to understand the complex regulation network related to c-di-GMP and to discover potential therapeutic targets.
Collapse
|
21
|
Increased Levels of (p)ppGpp Correlate with Virulence and Biofilm Formation, but Not with Growth, in Strains of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043315. [PMID: 36834725 PMCID: PMC9962837 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043315] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infections are one of the most frequent bacterial diseases worldwide. UPECs are the most prominent group of bacterial strains among pathogens responsible for prompting such infections. As a group, these extra-intestinal infection-causing bacteria have developed specific features that allow them to sustain and develop in their inhabited niche of the urinary tract. In this study, we examined 118 UPEC isolates to determine their genetic background and antibiotic resistance. Moreover, we investigated correlations of these characteristics with the ability to form biofilm and to induce a general stress response. We showed that this strain collection expressed unique UPEC attributes, with the highest representation of FimH, SitA, Aer, and Sfa factors (100%, 92.5%, 75%, and 70%, respectively). According to CRA (Congo red agar) analysis, the strains particularly predisposed to biofilm formation represented 32.5% of the isolates. Those biofilm forming strains presented a significant ability to accumulate multi-resistance traits. Most notably, these strains presented a puzzling metabolic phenotype-they showed elevated basal levels of (p)ppGpp in the planktonic phase and simultaneously exhibited a shorter generation time when compared to non-biofilm-forming strains. Moreover, our virulence analysis showed these phenotypes to be crucial for the development of severe infections in the Galleria mellonella model.
Collapse
|
22
|
Karlsson ME, Hellström M, Flöhr A, Bergstrand KJ, Alsanius BW. The power of light: Impact on the performance of biocontrol agents under minimal nutrient conditions. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1087639. [PMID: 36819051 PMCID: PMC9932321 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1087639] [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: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The spectral distribution of light (different wavelength) has recently been identified as an important factor in the dynamics and function of leaf-associated microbes. This study investigated the impact of different wavelength on three commercial biocontrol agents (BCA): Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BA), Pseudomonas chlororaphis (PC), and Streptomyces griseoviridis (SG). Methods The impact of light exposure on sole carbon source utilization, biofilm formation, and biosurfactant production by the selected BCA was studied using phenotypic microarray (PM) including 190 sole carbon sources (OmniLog®, PM panels 1 and 2). The BCA were exposed to five monochromatic light conditions (420, 460, 530, 630, and 660 nm) and darkness during incubation, at an intensity of 50 μmol m-2 s-1. Results Light exposure together with specific carbon source increased respiration in all three BCA. Different wavelengths of light influenced sole carbon utilization for the different BCA, with BA and PC showing increased respiration when exposed to wavelengths within the blue spectrum (420 and 460 nm) while respiration of selected carbon sources by SG increased in the presence of red light (630 and 660 nm). Only one carbon source (capric acid) generated biosurfactant production in all three BCA. A combination of specific wavelength of light and sole carbon source increased biofilm formation in all three BCA. BA showed significantly higher biofilm formation when exposed to blue (460 nm) and green (530 nm) light and propagated in D-sucrose, D-fructose, and dulcitol. PC showed higher biofilm formation when exposed to blue light. Biofilm formation by SG increased when exposed to red light (630 nm) and propagated in citraconic acid. Conclusion To increase attachment and success in BCA introduced into the phyllosphere, a suitable combination of light quality and nutrient conditions could be used.
Collapse
|
23
|
Koppenhöfer S, Lang AS. Patterns of abundance, chromosomal localization, and domain organization among c-di-GMP-metabolizing genes revealed by comparative genomics of five alphaproteobacterial orders. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:834. [PMID: 36522693 PMCID: PMC9756655 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-09072-9] [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: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is a bacterial second messenger that affects diverse processes in different bacteria, including the cell cycle, motility, and biofilm formation. Its cellular levels are controlled by the opposing activities of two types of enzymes, with synthesis by diguanylate cyclases containing a GGDEF domain and degradation by phosphodiesterases containing either an HD-GYP or an EAL domain. These enzymes are ubiquitous in bacteria with up to 50 encoded in some genomes, the specific functions of which are mostly unknown. RESULTS We used comparative analyses to identify genomic patterns among genes encoding proteins with GGDEF, EAL, and HD-GYP domains in five orders of the class Alphaproteobacteria. GGDEF-containing sequences and GGDEF-EAL hybrids were the most abundant and had the highest diversity of co-occurring auxiliary domains while EAL and HD-GYP containing sequences were less abundant and less diverse with respect to auxiliary domains. There were striking patterns in the chromosomal localizations of the genes found in two of the orders. The Rhodobacterales' EAL-encoding genes and Rhizobiales' GGDEF-EAL-encoding genes showed opposing patterns of distribution compared to the GGDEF-encoding genes. In the Rhodobacterales, the GGDEF-encoding genes showed a tri-modal distribution with peaks mid-way between the origin (ori) and terminus (ter) of replication and at ter while the EAL-encoding genes peaked near ori. The patterns were more complex in the Rhizobiales, but the GGDEF-encoding genes were biased for localization near ter. CONCLUSIONS The observed patterns in the chromosomal localizations of these genes suggest a coupling of synthesis and hydrolysis of c-di-GMP with the cell cycle. Moreover, the higher proportions and diversities of auxiliary domains associated with GGDEF domains and GGDEF-EAL hybrids compared to EAL or HD-GYP domains could indicate that more stimuli affect synthesis compared to hydrolysis of c-di-GMP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Koppenhöfer
- grid.25055.370000 0000 9130 6822Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
| | - Andrew S. Lang
- grid.25055.370000 0000 9130 6822Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Xu LC, Siedlecki CA. Surface Texturing and Combinatorial Approaches to Improve Biocompatibility of Implanted Biomaterials. FRONTIERS IN PHYSICS 2022; 10:994438. [PMID: 38250242 PMCID: PMC10798815 DOI: 10.3389/fphy.2022.994438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Biomaterial associated microbial infection and blood thrombosis are two of the barriers that inhibit the successful use of implantable medical devices in modern healthcare. Modification of surface topography is a promising approach to combat microbial infection and thrombosis without altering bulk material properties necessary for device function and without contributing to bacterial antibiotic resistance. Similarly, the use of other antimicrobial techniques such as grafting poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and nitric oxide (NO) release also improve the biocompatibility of biomaterials. In this review, we discuss the development of surface texturing techniques utilizing ordered submicron-size pillars for controlling bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, and we present combinatorial approaches utilizing surface texturing in combination with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) grafting and NO release to improve the biocompatibility of biomaterials. The manuscript also discusses efforts towards understanding the molecular mechanisms of bacterial adhesion responses to the surface texturing and NO releasing biomaterials, focusing on experimental aspects of the approach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li-Chong Xu
- Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033
| | - Christopher A. Siedlecki
- Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Wang P, Zhao Y, Wang W, Lin S, Tang K, Liu T, Wood TK, Wang X. Mobile genetic elements used by competing coral microbial populations increase genomic plasticity. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:2220-2229. [PMID: 35760883 PMCID: PMC9381726 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01272-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Intraspecies diversification and niche adaptation by members of the Vibrio genus, one of the most diverse bacterial genera, is thought to be driven by horizontal gene transfer. However, the intrinsic driving force of Vibrio species diversification is much less explored. Here, by studying two dominant and competing cohabitants of the gastric cavity of corals, we found that a phenotype influencing island (named VPII) in Vibrio alginolyticus was eliminated upon coculturing with Pseudoalteromonas. The loss of VPII reduced the biofilm formation and phage resistance, but activated motility, which may allow V. alginolyticus to expand to other niches. Mechanistically, we discovered that the excision of this island is mediated by the cooperation of two unrelated mobile genetic elements harbored in Pseudoalteromonas spp., an integrative and conjugative element (ICE) and a mobilizable genomic island (MGI). More importantly, these mobile genetic elements are widespread in cohabitating Gram-negative bacteria. Altogether, we discovered a new strategy by which the mobilome is employed by competitors to increase the genomic plasticity of rivals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pengxia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), No.1119, Haibin Road, Nansha District, Guangzhou, 511458, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yi Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, Hebei, China
| | - Weiquan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), No.1119, Haibin Road, Nansha District, Guangzhou, 511458, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shituan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), No.1119, Haibin Road, Nansha District, Guangzhou, 511458, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kaihao Tang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), No.1119, Haibin Road, Nansha District, Guangzhou, 511458, China
| | - Tianlang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), No.1119, Haibin Road, Nansha District, Guangzhou, 511458, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Thomas K Wood
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802-4400, USA
| | - Xiaoxue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), No.1119, Haibin Road, Nansha District, Guangzhou, 511458, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Gao S, Khan A, Chen X, Xiao G, van der Veen S, Chen Y, Lin X. Cyclic-di-GMP stimulates keratinocyte innate immune responses and attenuates methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in a murine skin wound infection model. BMC Microbiol 2022; 22:176. [PMID: 35804301 PMCID: PMC9264594 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02583-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause for morbidity and mortality associated with skin and burn wound infections. Therapeutic options for methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) have dwindled and therefore alternative treatments are urgently needed. In this study, the immuno-stimulating and anti-MRSA effects of cyclic di-guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP), a uniquely bacterial second messenger and immuno-modulator, were investigated in HaCaT human epidermal keratinocytes and a murine skin wound infection model. Results Stimulation of HaCaT cells with 125 μM c-di-GMP for 12 h prior to MRSA challenge resulted in a 20-fold reduction in bacterial colonization compared with untreated control cells, which was not the result of a direct c-di-GMP toxic effect, since bacterial viability was not affected by this dose in the absence of HaCaT cells. C-di-GMP-stimulated or MRSA-challenged HaCaT cells displayed enhanced secretion of the antimicrobial peptides human β-defensin 1 (hBD-1), hBD-2, hBD-3 and LL-37, but for hBD1 and LL-37 the responses were additive in a c-di-GMP-dose-dependent manner. Secretion of the chemokines CXCL1 and CXCL8 was also elevated after stimulation of HaCaT cells with lower c-di-GMP doses and peaked at a dose of 5 μM. Finally, pre-treatment of mice with a 200 nmol dose of c-di-GMP 24 h before a challenge with MRSA in skin wound infection model resulted in a major reduction (up to 1,100-fold by day 2) in bacterial CFU counts recovered from challenged skin tissue sections compared PBS-treated control animals. Tissue sections displayed inflammatory cell infiltration and enhanced neutrophil influx in the c-di-GMP pre-treated animals, which might account for the reduced ability of MRSA to colonize c-di-GMP pre-treated mice. Conclusions These results demonstrate that c-di-GMP is a potent immuno-modulator that can stimulate anti-MRSA immune responses in vivo and might therefore be a suitable alternative prophylactic or therapeutic agent for MRSA skin or burn wound infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Gao
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, and Department of Infection of the Children's Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866Yuhangtang Road, West Lake District, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Abidullah Khan
- Department of Burns, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuhong Chen
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, and Department of Infection of the Children's Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866Yuhangtang Road, West Lake District, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Guohui Xiao
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, and Department of Infection of the Children's Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866Yuhangtang Road, West Lake District, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Stijn van der Veen
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Emergency Detection for Public Health of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3399 Binsheng Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou, 310051, China.
| | - Xu'ai Lin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, and Department of Infection of the Children's Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866Yuhangtang Road, West Lake District, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Patil PD, Zheng H, Burns FN, Ibanez ACS, Jin Y, Luk YY. Chimeric Ligands of Pili and Lectin A Inhibit Tolerance, Persistence, and Virulence Factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa over a Wide Range of Phenotypes. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:1582-1593. [PMID: 35658414 PMCID: PMC9379910 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Bacteria readily
form resilient phenotypes to counter environmental
and antibiotic stresses. Here, we demonstrate a class of small molecules
that inhibit a wide range of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phenotypes and enable antibiotics to kill previously tolerant bacteria,
preventing the transition of tolerant bacteria into a persistent population.
We identified two proteins, type IV pili and lectin LecA, as receptors
for our molecules by methods including a new label-free assay based
on bacterial motility sensing the chemicals in the environment, the
chemical inhibition of bacteriophage adsorption on pili appendages
of bacteria, and fluorescence polarization. Structure–activity
relationship studies reveal a molecule that inhibits only pili appendage
and a class of chimeric ligands that inhibit both LecA and pili. Important
structural elements of the ligand are identified for each protein.
This selective ligand binding identifies the phenotypes each protein
receptor controls. Inhibiting LecA results in reducing biofilm formation,
eliminating small colony variants, and is correlated with killing
previously tolerant bacteria. Inhibiting pili appendages impedes swarming
and twitching motilities and pyocyanin and elastase production. Because
these phenotypes are controlled by a broad range of signaling pathways,
this approach simultaneously controls the multiple signaling mechanisms
preventing bacteria to elude antibiotic treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj D Patil
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 1-014 Center of Science and Technology, Syracuse, New York 13244-4100, United States
| | - Hewen Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 1-014 Center of Science and Technology, Syracuse, New York 13244-4100, United States
| | - Felicia N Burns
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 1-014 Center of Science and Technology, Syracuse, New York 13244-4100, United States
| | - Arizza C S Ibanez
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 1-014 Center of Science and Technology, Syracuse, New York 13244-4100, United States
| | - Yuchen Jin
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 1-014 Center of Science and Technology, Syracuse, New York 13244-4100, United States
| | - Yan-Yeung Luk
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, 1-014 Center of Science and Technology, Syracuse, New York 13244-4100, United States
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Ma LZ, Wang D, Liu Y, Zhang Z, Wozniak DJ. Regulation of Biofilm Exopolysaccharide Biosynthesis and Degradation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Annu Rev Microbiol 2022; 76:413-433. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-041320-111355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Microbial communities enmeshed in a matrix of macromolecules, termed as biofilms, are the natural setting of bacteria. Exopolysaccharide is a critical matrix component of biofilms. Here, we focus on biofilm matrix exopolysaccharides in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This opportunistic pathogen can adapt to a wide range of environments and can form biofilms or aggregates in a variety of surfaces or environments, such as the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis, catheters, wounds, and contact lenses. The ability to synthesize multiple exopolysaccharides is one of the advantages that facilitate bacterial survival in different environments. P. aeruginosa can produce several exopolysaccharides, including alginate, Psl, Pel, and lipopolysaccharide. In this review, we highlight the roles of each exopolysaccharide in P. aeruginosa biofilm development and how bacteria coordinate the biosynthesis of multiple exopolysaccharides and bacterial motility. In addition, we present advances in antibiofilm strategies targeting matrix exopolysaccharides, with a focus on glycoside hydrolases. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 76 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luyan Z. Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Di Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiwei Liu
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity and Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Zhenyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Daniel J. Wozniak
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity and Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
The HD-GYP domain protein of Shewanella putrefaciens YZ08 regulates biofilm formation and spoilage activities. Food Res Int 2022; 157:111466. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
30
|
Abstract
Marine biofilms are ubiquitous in the marine environment. These complex microbial communities rapidly respond to environmental changes and encompass hugely diverse microbial structures, functions and metabolisms. Nevertheless, knowledge is limited on the microbial community structures and functions of natural marine biofilms and their influence on global geochemical cycles. Microbial cues, including secondary metabolites and microbial structures, regulate interactions between microorganisms, with their environment and with other benthic organisms, which affects their community succession and metamorphosis. Furthermore, marine biofilms are key mediators of marine biofouling, which greatly affect marine industries. In this Review, we discuss marine biofilm dynamics, including their diversity, abundance and functions. We also highlight knowledge gaps, areas for future research and potential biotechnological applications of marine biofilms.
Collapse
|
31
|
Bense S, Witte J, Preuße M, Koska M, Pezoldt L, Dröge A, Hartmann O, Müsken M, Schulze J, Fiebig T, Bähre H, Felgner S, Pich A, Häussler S. Pseudomonas aeruginosa post-translational responses to elevated c-di-GMP levels. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:1213-1226. [PMID: 35362616 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
C-di-GMP signaling can directly influence bacterial behavior by affecting the functionality of c-di-GMP-binding proteins. In addition, c-di-GMP can exert a global effect on gene transcription or translation, e.g., via riboswitches or by binding to transcription factors. In this study, we investigated the effects of changes in intracellular c-di-GMP levels on gene expression and protein production in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We induced c-di-GMP production via an ectopically introduced diguanylate cyclase and recorded the transcriptional, translational as well as proteomic profile of the cells. We demonstrate that rising levels of c-di-GMP under growth conditions otherwise characterized by low c-di-GMP levels caused a switch to a non-motile, auto-aggregative P. aeruginosa phenotype. This phenotypic switch became apparent before any c-di-GMP-dependent role on transcription, translation, or protein abundance was observed. Our results suggest that rising global c-di-GMP pools first affects the motility phenotype of P. aeruginosa by altering protein functionality and only then global gene transcription.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarina Bense
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE GmbH, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research, a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Julius Witte
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE GmbH, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research, a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany.,Research Core Unit Proteomics and Institute for Toxicology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Matthias Preuße
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michal Koska
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE GmbH, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research, a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Lorena Pezoldt
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE GmbH, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research, a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Astrid Dröge
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Oliver Hartmann
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE GmbH, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research, a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mathias Müsken
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Julia Schulze
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Heike Bähre
- Research Core Unit Metabolomics and Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sebastian Felgner
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE GmbH, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research, a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andreas Pich
- Research Core Unit Proteomics and Institute for Toxicology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Susanne Häussler
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE GmbH, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research, a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany.,Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Sensing the Messenger: Potential Roles of Cyclic-di-GMP in Rickettsial Pathogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073853. [PMID: 35409212 PMCID: PMC8999164 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria causing human rickettsioses, transmitted in nature by arthropod vectors, primarily infect vascular endothelial cells lining the blood vessels, resulting in 'endothelial activation' and onset of innate immune responses. Nucleotide second messengers are long presumed to be the stimulators of type I interferons, of which bacterial cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) has been implicated in multiple signaling pathways governing communication with other bacteria and host cells, yet its importance in the context of rickettsial interactions with the host has not been investigated. Here, we report that all rickettsial genomes encode a putative diguanylate cyclase pleD, responsible for the synthesis of c-di-GMP. In silico analysis suggests that although the domain architecture of PleD is apparently well-conserved among different rickettsiae, the protein composition and sequences likely vary. Interestingly, cloning and sequencing of the pleD gene from virulent (Sheila Smith) and avirulent (Iowa) strains of R. rickettsii reveals a nonsynonymous substitution, resulting in an amino acid change (methionine to isoleucine) at position 236. Additionally, a previously reported 5-bp insertion in the genomic sequence coding for pleD (NCBI accession: NC_009882) was not present in the sequence of our cloned pleD from R. rickettsii strain Sheila Smith. In vitro infection of HMECs with R. rickettsii (Sheila Smith), but not R. rickettsii (Iowa), resulted in dynamic changes in the levels of pleD up to 24 h post-infection. These findings thus provide the first evidence for the potentially important role(s) of c-di-GMP in the determination of host-cell responses to pathogenic rickettsiae. Further studies into molecular mechanisms through which rickettsial c-di-GMP might regulate pathogen virulence and host responses should uncover the contributions of this versatile bacterial second messenger in disease pathogenesis and immunity to human rickettsioses.
Collapse
|
33
|
YfiB: An Outer Membrane Protein Involved in the Virulence of Shigella flexneri. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10030653. [PMID: 35336228 PMCID: PMC8948675 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10030653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The intracellular pathogen Shigella flexneri, which is the causative agent of bacillary dysentery, significantly influences the worldwide implication of diarrheal infections, consequentially causing about 1.1 million deaths each year. Due to a nonavailability of an authorized vaccine and the upsurge of multidrug resistance amongst Shigella strains, there has been a huge demand for further genetic analyses which could help in the advancement of new/improved drugs, and finding vaccine candidates against the pathogen. The present study aims to illustrate the role of the yfiB gene in Shigella virulence, part of the periplasmic YfiBNR tripartite signalling system. This system is involved in the regulation of cyclic-di-GMP levels inside the bacterial cells, a vital messenger molecule impacting varied cellular processes such as biofilm formation, cytotoxicity, motility, synthesis of exopolysaccharide, and other virulence mechanisms such as adhesion and invasion of the bacteria. Through a combination of genetic, biochemical, and virulence assays, we show how knocking out the yfiB gene can disrupt the entire YfiBNR system and affect the native c-di-GMP levels. We found that this subsequently causes a negative effect on the biofilm formation, bacterial invasion, host–surface attachment, and the overall virulence of Shigella. This study also carried out a structural and functional assessment of the YfiB protein and determined critical amino acid residues, essential for proper functioning of this signalling system. The present work improves our understanding of the in vivo persistence and survival of Shigella, brings light to the c-di-GMP led regulation of Shigella virulence, and provides a prospective new target to design anti-infection drugs and vaccines against S. flexneri and other bacterial pathogens.
Collapse
|
34
|
Liu B, Wei Q, Yang M, Shi L, Zhang K, Ge B. Effect of toyF on wuyiencin and toyocamycin production by Streptomyces albulus CK-15. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 38:65. [PMID: 35229201 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03234-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Streptomyces albulus CK-15 produces various secondary metabolites, including the antibiotics wuyiencin and toyocamycin, which can reportedly control a broad range of plant fungal diseases. The production of these nucleoside antibiotics in CK-15 is regulated by two biosynthesis gene clusters. To investigate the potential effect of toyocamycin biosynthesis on wuyiencin production, we herein generated S. albulus strains in which a key gene in the toyocamycin biosynthesis gene cluster, namely toyF, was either deleted or overexpressed. The toyF deletion mutant ∆toyF did not produce toyocamycin, while the production of wuyiencin increased by 23.06% in comparison with that in the wild-type (WT) strain. In addition, ΔtoyF reached the highest production level of wuyiencin 4 h faster than the WT strain (60 h vs. and 64 h). Further, toyocamycin production by the toyF overexpression strain was two-fold higher than by the WT strain, while wuyiencin production was reduced by 29.10%. qRT-PCR showed that most genes in the toyocamycin biosynthesis gene cluster were expressed at lower levels in ∆toyF as compared with those in the WT strain, while the expression levels of genes in the wuyiencin biosynthesis gene cluster were upregulated. Finally, the growth rate of ∆toyF was much faster than that of the WT strain when cultured on solid or liquid medium. Based on our findings, we report that in industrial fermentation processes, ∆toyF has the potential to increase the production of wuyiencin and reduce the timeframe of fermentation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Binghua Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Linyi University, Linyi, China
| | - Qiuhe Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Miaoling Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liming Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kecheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Beibei Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Nitric oxide stimulates type IV MSHA pilus retraction in Vibrio cholerae via activation of the phosphodiesterase CdpA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2108349119. [PMID: 35135874 PMCID: PMC8851539 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2108349119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
All organisms sense and respond to their environments. One way bacteria interact with their surroundings is by dynamically extending and retracting filamentous appendages from their surface called pili. While pili are critical for many functions, such as attachment, motility, and DNA uptake, the factors that regulate their dynamic activity are poorly understood. Here, we describe how an environmental signal induces a signaling pathway to promote the retraction of mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin pili in Vibrio cholerae. The retraction of these pili promotes the detachment of V. cholerae from a surface and may provide a means by which V. cholerae can respond to changes in its environment. Bacteria use surface appendages called type IV pili to perform diverse activities including DNA uptake, twitching motility, and attachment to surfaces. The dynamic extension and retraction of pili are often required for these activities, but the stimuli that regulate these dynamics remain poorly characterized. To address this question, we study the bacterial pathogen Vibrio cholerae, which uses mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA) pili to attach to surfaces in aquatic environments as the first step in biofilm formation. Here, we use a combination of genetic and cell biological approaches to describe a regulatory pathway that allows V. cholerae to rapidly abort biofilm formation. Specifically, we show that V. cholerae cells retract MSHA pili and detach from a surface in a diffusion-limited, enclosed environment. This response is dependent on the phosphodiesterase CdpA, which decreases intracellular levels of cyclic-di-GMP to induce MSHA pilus retraction. CdpA contains a putative nitric oxide (NO)–sensing NosP domain, and we demonstrate that NO is necessary and sufficient to stimulate CdpA-dependent detachment. Thus, we hypothesize that the endogenous production of NO (or an NO-like molecule) in V. cholerae stimulates the retraction of MSHA pili. These results extend our understanding of how environmental cues can be integrated into the complex regulatory pathways that control pilus dynamic activity and attachment in bacterial species.
Collapse
|
36
|
Modeling the temporal dynamics of master regulators and CtrA proteolysis in Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009847. [PMID: 35089921 PMCID: PMC8865702 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell cycle of Caulobacter crescentus involves the polar morphogenesis and an asymmetric cell division driven by precise interactions and regulations of proteins, which makes Caulobacter an ideal model organism for investigating bacterial cell development and differentiation. The abundance of molecular data accumulated on Caulobacter motivates system biologists to analyze the complex regulatory network of cell cycle via quantitative modeling. In this paper, We propose a comprehensive model to accurately characterize the underlying mechanisms of cell cycle regulation based on the study of: a) chromosome replication and methylation; b) interactive pathways of five master regulatory proteins including DnaA, GcrA, CcrM, CtrA, and SciP, as well as novel consideration of their corresponding mRNAs; c) cell cycle-dependent proteolysis of CtrA through hierarchical protease complexes. The temporal dynamics of our simulation results are able to closely replicate an extensive set of experimental observations and capture the main phenotype of seven mutant strains of Caulobacter crescentus. Collectively, the proposed model can be used to predict phenotypes of other mutant cases, especially for nonviable strains which are hard to cultivate and observe. Moreover, the module of cyclic proteolysis is an efficient tool to study the metabolism of proteins with similar mechanisms. Timed cellular events in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, such as chromosome replication, transcription, cell differentiation, cytokinesis, and cell division, are controlled by remarkably complex genetic regulations and protein-protein interactions. In this work, we investigate the cell cycle of Caulobacter crescentus, an alphaproteobacterium undergoing asymmetric cell divisions, to understand mechanisms underlying temporal regulations of complex cellular events. The asymmetric lifestyle makes Caulobacter crescentus easily synchronized and tracked, which is the foundation of molecular data accumulation. Here, we utilize the mathematical modeling together with experimental information to systematically integrate the complex gene-protein and protein-protein interactions in cell cycle progression. Using the mathematical model, we capture core features of cell cycle-dependent methylation, transcription, and proteolysis. In mutant cases, we found the complex and redundant regulatory network ensure the robustness of Caulobacter crescentus system because the change of most molecules does not cause immediate mortality, although they influence the time points of cell differentiation and division. The overall model and individual modules such as simulating transcriptional regulations and protease complexes can be further extended to the study of cell development in other bacterial species.
Collapse
|
37
|
Wang R, Zhang W, Ding W, Liang Z, Long L, Wong WC, Qian PY. Profiling Signal Transduction in Global Marine Biofilms. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:768926. [PMID: 35069473 PMCID: PMC8776716 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.768926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbes use signal transduction systems in the processes of swarming motility, antibiotic resistance, virulence, conjugal plasmid transfer, and biofilm formation. However, the signal transduction systems in natural marine biofilms have hardly been profiled. Here we analyzed signal transduction genes in 101 marine biofilm and 91 seawater microbial metagenomes. The abundance of almost all signal transduction-related genes in biofilm microbial communities was significantly higher than that in seawater microbial communities, regardless of substrate types, locations, and durations for biofilm development. In addition, the dominant source microbes of signal transduction genes in marine biofilms were different from those in seawater samples. Co-occurrence network analysis on signal communication between microbes in marine biofilms and seawater microbial communities revealed potential inter-phyla interactions between microorganisms from marine biofilms and seawater. Moreover, phylogenetic tree construction and protein identity comparison displayed that proteins related to signal transductions from Red Sea biofilms were highly similar to those from Red Sea seawater microbial communities, revealing a possible biological basis of interspecies interactions between surface-associated and free-living microbial communities in a local marine environment. Our study revealed the special profile and enrichment of signal transduction systems in marine biofilms and suggested that marine biofilms participate in intercellular interactions of the local ecosystem where they were seeded.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruojun Wang
- Department of Ocean Science and Hong Kong Branch of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Weipeng Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Wei Ding
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhicong Liang
- Department of Mathematics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lexin Long
- Department of Ocean Science and Hong Kong Branch of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.,Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wai Chuen Wong
- Department of Ocean Science and Hong Kong Branch of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Pei-Yuan Qian
- Department of Ocean Science and Hong Kong Branch of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Lee CK, Schmidt WC, Webster SS, Chen JW, O'Toole GA, Wong GCL. Broadcasting of amplitude- and frequency-modulated c-di-GMP signals facilitates cooperative surface commitment in bacterial lineages. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2112226119. [PMID: 35064082 PMCID: PMC8795499 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112226119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Work on surface sensing in bacterial biofilms has focused on how cells transduce sensory input into cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) signaling, low and high levels of which generally correlate with high-motility planktonic cells and low-motility biofilm cells, respectively. Using Granger causal inference methods, however, we find that single-cell c-di-GMP increases are not sufficient to imply surface commitment. Tracking entire lineages of cells from the progenitor cell onward reveals that c-di-GMP levels can exhibit increases but also undergo oscillations that can propagate across 10 to 20 generations, thereby encoding more complex instructions for community behavior. Principal component and factor analysis of lineage c-di-GMP data shows that surface commitment behavior correlates with three statistically independent composite features, which roughly correspond to mean c-di-GMP levels, c-di-GMP oscillation period, and surface motility. Surface commitment in young biofilms does not correlate to c-di-GMP increases alone but also to the emergence of high-frequency and small-amplitude modulation of elevated c-di-GMP signal along a lineage of cells. Using this framework, we dissect how increasing or decreasing signal transduction from wild-type levels, by varying the interaction strength between PilO, a component of a principal surface sensing appendage system, and SadC, a key hub diguanylate cyclase that synthesizes c-di-GMP, impacts frequency and amplitude modulation of c-di-GMP signals and cooperative surface commitment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calvin K Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - William C Schmidt
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Shanice S Webster
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Jonathan W Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - George A O'Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Gerard C L Wong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095;
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Heo K, Lee JW, Jang Y, Kwon S, Lee J, Seok C, Ha NC, Seok YJ. A pGpG-specific phosphodiesterase regulates cyclic di-GMP signaling in Vibrio cholerae. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101626. [PMID: 35074425 PMCID: PMC8861645 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial second messenger bis-(3′-5′)-cyclic diguanylate monophosphate (c-di-GMP) controls various cellular processes, including motility, toxin production, and biofilm formation. c-di-GMP is enzymatically synthesized by GGDEF domain–containing diguanylate cyclases and degraded by HD-GYP domain–containing phosphodiesterases (PDEs) to 2 GMP or by EAL domain–containing PDE-As to 5ʹ-phosphoguanylyl-(3ʹ,5ʹ)-guanosine (pGpG). Since excess pGpG feedback inhibits PDE-A activity and thereby can lead to the uncontrolled accumulation of c-di-GMP, a PDE that degrades pGpG to 2 GMP (PDE-B) has been presumed to exist. To date, the only enzyme known to hydrolyze pGpG is oligoribonuclease Orn, which degrades all kinds of oligoribonucleotides. Here, we identified a pGpG-specific PDE, which we named PggH, using biochemical approaches in the gram-negative bacteria Vibrio cholerae. Biochemical experiments revealed that PggH exhibited specific PDE activity only toward pGpG, thus differing from the previously reported Orn. Furthermore, the high-resolution structure of PggH revealed the basis for its PDE activity and narrow substrate specificity. Finally, we propose that PggH could modulate the activities of PDE-As and the intracellular concentration of c-di-GMP, resulting in phenotypic changes including in biofilm formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyoo Heo
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Woo Lee
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongdae Jang
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Center for Food and Bioconvergence, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sohee Kwon
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaehun Lee
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chaok Seok
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam-Chul Ha
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Center for Food and Bioconvergence, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yeong-Jae Seok
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Transcriptional Profiling of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1386:303-323. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-08491-1_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
|
41
|
Maitreya A, Pal S, Qureshi A, Reyed RM, Purohit HJ. Nitric oxide-secreting probiotics as sustainable bio-cleaners for reverse osmosis membrane systems. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:4911-4929. [PMID: 34797547 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17289-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Membrane biofouling in water purification plants is a serious issue of worldwide concern. Various chemical, physical, and biochemical processes are practised for membrane clean-up. A high-dosage treatment adversely affects the life expectancy of the membrane, and minimum dosage seems unable to deteriorate the biofilms on the membrane. It is reported that quorum quenchers like nitric oxide (NO) disrupt biofilm signals through metabolic rewiring, and also NO is known to be secreted by probiotics (good bacteria). In the present review, it is hypothesized that if probiotic biofilms secreting NO are used, other microbes that aggregate on the filtration membrane could be mitigated. The concept of probiotic administration on filtration membrane seeks to be encouraged because probiotic bacteria will not be hazardous, even if released during filtration. The fundamental motive to present probiotics as a resource for sequestering NO may serve as multifunctional bioweapons for membrane remediation, which will virtually guarantee their long-term sustainability and green approach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anuja Maitreya
- Environmental Biotechnology and Genomics Division (EBGD), CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440 020, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Smita Pal
- Division of Endocrinology, CSIR -Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Asifa Qureshi
- Environmental Biotechnology and Genomics Division (EBGD), CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440 020, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
| | - Reyed M Reyed
- Bioprocess Development Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City for Scientific Research and Applied Technology, New Borg Al Arab, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Hemant J Purohit
- Environmental Biotechnology and Genomics Division (EBGD), CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 440 020, India
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Zhang J, Sun L, Zhang Q, Bartlam M. Crystal structure of oligoribonuclease from Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor with bound peptide. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2021; 77:437-443. [PMID: 34866598 PMCID: PMC8647215 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x21011043] [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: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Oligoribonuclease (Orn), a member of the DEDDh superfamily, can hydrolyse 2-5 nt nanoRNAs to mononucleotides. It is involved in maintaining the intracellular levels of RNA, c-di-GMP signalling and transcription initiation in many bacterial species. Here, the crystal structure of Orn from Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor (VcOrn) is reported at a resolution of 1.7 Å. VcOrn, which consists of nine α-helices and six β-strands, crystallizes with a single monomer in the asymmetric unit but forms a homodimer via crystallographic twofold symmetry. Electron density is observed in the active pocket that corresponds to an intersubunit N-terminal expression tag with sequence GPLGSHHH. The positively charged N-terminal tag binds in the negatively charged nucleotide-binding pocket with a buried surface area of ∼500 Å2. The N-terminal tag interacts with VcOrn via π-π stacking with two conserved residues involved in nucleotide binding, as well as via salt bridges and hydrogen bonds. The structure reported here reveals that the active pocket can accommodate polypeptides in addition to nucleotides, thus providing an important starting point for investigation into substrate modification and inhibitor design targeting VcOrn.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Science and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Tianjin 300350, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liyuan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Science and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Tianjin 300350, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qionglin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Science and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Tianjin 300350, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mark Bartlam
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Science and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Tianjin 300350, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Colin R, Ni B, Laganenka L, Sourjik V. Multiple functions of flagellar motility and chemotaxis in bacterial physiology. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:fuab038. [PMID: 34227665 PMCID: PMC8632791 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most swimming bacteria are capable of following gradients of nutrients, signaling molecules and other environmental factors that affect bacterial physiology. This tactic behavior became one of the most-studied model systems for signal transduction and quantitative biology, and underlying molecular mechanisms are well characterized in Escherichia coli and several other model bacteria. In this review, we focus primarily on less understood aspect of bacterial chemotaxis, namely its physiological relevance for individual bacterial cells and for bacterial populations. As evident from multiple recent studies, even for the same bacterial species flagellar motility and chemotaxis might serve multiple roles, depending on the physiological and environmental conditions. Among these, finding sources of nutrients and more generally locating niches that are optimal for growth appear to be one of the major functions of bacterial chemotaxis, which could explain many chemoeffector preferences as well as flagellar gene regulation. Chemotaxis might also generally enhance efficiency of environmental colonization by motile bacteria, which involves intricate interplay between individual and collective behaviors and trade-offs between growth and motility. Finally, motility and chemotaxis play multiple roles in collective behaviors of bacteria including swarming, biofilm formation and autoaggregation, as well as in their interactions with animal and plant hosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Remy Colin
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology & Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Karl-von-Frisch Strasse 16, Marburg D-35043, Germany
| | - Bin Ni
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology & Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Karl-von-Frisch Strasse 16, Marburg D-35043, Germany
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan Xilu No. 2, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Leanid Laganenka
- Institute of Microbiology, D-BIOL, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Victor Sourjik
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology & Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Karl-von-Frisch Strasse 16, Marburg D-35043, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Diguanylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase interact to maintain the specificity of c-di-GMP signaling in the regulation of antibiotic synthesis in Lysobacter enzymogenes. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 88:e0189521. [PMID: 34757823 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01895-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) is a universal second messenger in bacteria. The large number of c-di-GMP-related diguanylate cyclases (DGCs), phosphodiesterases (PDEs) and effectors are responsible for the complexity and dynamics of c-di-GMP signaling. Some of these components deploy various methods to avoid undesired crosstalk to maintain signaling specificity. Synthesis of the antibiotic HSAF (Heat Stable Antifungal Factor) in Lysobacter enzymogenes is regulated by a specific c-di-GMP signaling pathway that includes a PDE LchP and a c-di-GMP effector Clp (also a transcriptional regulator). In the present study, from among 19 DGCs, we identified a diguanylate cyclase, LchD, which participates in this pathway. Subsequent investigation indicates that LchD and LchP physically interact and that the catalytic center of LchD is required for both the formation of the LchD-LchP complex and HSAF production. All the detected phenotypes support that LchD and LchP dispaly local c-di-GMP signaling to regulate HSAF biosynthesis. Although direct evidence is lacking, our investigation, which shows that the interaction between a DGC and a PDE maintains the specificity of c-di-GMP signaling, suggests the possibility of the existence of local c-di-GMP pools in bacteria. Importance Cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) is a universal second messenger in bacteria. Signaling of c-di-GMP is complex and dynamic, and it is mediated by a large number of components, including c-di-GMP synthases (diguanylate cyclases. DGCs), c-di-GMP degrading enzymes (phosphodiesterases, PDEs), and c-di-GMP effectors. These components deploy various methods to avoid undesired crosstalk to maintain signaling specificity. In the present study, we identified a DGC that interacted with a PDE to specifically regulate antibiotic biosynthesis in L. enzymogenes. We provide direct evidence to show that the DGC and PDE form a complex, and also indirect evidence to argue that they may balance a local c-di-GMP pool to control the antibiotic production. The results represent an important finding regarding the mechanism of a pair of DGC and PDE to control the expression of specific c-di-GMP signaling pathways.
Collapse
|
45
|
Saeedi A, Cummings NJ, McLean D, Connerton IF, Connerton PL. Venatorbacter cucullus gen. nov sp. nov a novel bacterial predator. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21393. [PMID: 34725408 PMCID: PMC8560859 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00865-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel Gram-stain negative, aerobic, halotolerant, motile, rod-shaped, predatory bacterium ASxL5T, was isolated from a bovine slurry tank in Nottinghamshire, UK using Campylobacter hyointestinalis as prey. Other Campylobacter species and members of the Enterobacteriaceae were subsequently found to serve as prey. Weak axenic growth on Brain Heart Infusion agar was achieved upon subculture without host cells. The optimal growth conditions were 37 °C, at pH 7. Transmission electron microscopy revealed some highly unusual morphological characteristics related to prey availability. Phylogenetic analyses using 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolate was related to members of the Oceanospirillaceae family but could not be classified clearly as a member of any known genus. Whole genome sequencing of ASxL5T confirmed the relationship to members the Oceanospirillaceae. Database searches revealed that several ASxL5T share 16S rRNA gene sequences with several uncultured bacteria from marine, and terrestrial surface and subsurface water. We propose that strain ASxL5T represents a novel species in a new genus. We propose the name Venatorbacter cucullus gen. nov., sp. nov. with ASxL5T as the type strain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Saeedi
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868Division of Microbiology, Brewing and Biotechnology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| | - Nicola J. Cummings
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868Division of Microbiology, Brewing and Biotechnology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| | - Denise McLean
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868Nanoscale and Microscale Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Ian F. Connerton
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868Division of Microbiology, Brewing and Biotechnology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| | - Phillippa L. Connerton
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868Division of Microbiology, Brewing and Biotechnology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Evstigneeva SS, Telesheva EM, Mokeev DI, Borisov IV, Petrova LP, Shelud’ko AV. Response of Bacteria to Mechanical Stimuli. Microbiology (Reading) 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026261721050052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract—
Bacteria adapt rapidly to changes in ambient conditions, constantly inspecting their surroundings by means of their sensor systems. These systems are often thought to respond only to signals of a chemical nature. Yet, bacteria are often affected by mechanical forces, e.g., during transition from planktonic to sessile state. Mechanical stimuli, however, have seldom been considered as the signals bacteria can sense and respond to. Nonetheless, bacteria perceive mechanical stimuli, generate signals, and develop responses. This review analyzes the information on the way bacteria respond to mechanical stimuli and outlines how bacteria convert incoming signals into appropriate responses.
Collapse
|
47
|
Identification of a diguanylate cyclase expressed in the presence of plants and its application for discovering candidate gene products involved in plant colonization by Pantoea sp. YR343. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248607. [PMID: 34288916 PMCID: PMC8294551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial colonization of plant roots is a highly complex process that requires the coordination and regulation of many gene networks, yet the identities and functions of many of these gene products have yet to be discovered. Pantoea sp. YR343, a gamma-proteobacterium isolated from the rhizosphere of Populus deltoides, forms robust biofilms along the root surfaces of Populus and possesses plant growth-promoting characteristics. In this work, we identified three diguanylate cyclases in the plant-associated microbe Pantoea sp. YR343 that are expressed in the presence of plant roots. One of these diguanylate cyclases, DGC2884, localizes to discrete sites in the cells and its overexpression results in reduced motility and increased EPS production and biofilm formation. We performed a genetic screen by expressing this diguanylate cyclase from an inducible promoter in order to identify candidate gene products that may be involved in root colonization by Pantoea sp. YR343. Further, we demonstrate the importance of other domains in DGC2884 to its activity, which in combination with the genes identified by transposon mutagenesis, may yield insights into the mechanisms of plant association as well as the activity and regulation of homologous enzymes in medically and agriculturally relevant microbes.
Collapse
|
48
|
Fu Y, Yu Z, Zhu L, Li Z, Yin W, Shang X, Chou SH, Tan Q, He J. The Multiple Regulatory Relationship Between RNA-Chaperone Hfq and the Second Messenger c-di-GMP. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:689619. [PMID: 34335515 PMCID: PMC8323549 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.689619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA chaperone protein Hfq is an important post-transcriptional regulator in bacteria, while c-di-GMP is a second messenger signaling molecule widely distributed in bacteria. Both factors have been found to play key roles in post-transcriptional regulation and signal transduction pathways, respectively. Intriguingly, the two factors show some common aspects in the regulation of certain physiological functions such as bacterial motility, biofilm formation, pathogenicity and so on. Therefore, there may be regulatory relationship between Hfq and c-di-GMP. For example, Hfq can directly regulate the activity of c-di-GMP metabolic enzymes or alter the c-di-GMP level through other systems, while c-di-GMP can indirectly enhance or inhibit the hfq gene expression through intermediate factors. In this article, after briefly introducing the Hfq and c-di-GMP regulatory systems, we will focus on the direct and indirect regulation reported between Hfq and c-di-GMP, aiming to compare and link the two regulatory systems to further study the complicated physiological and metabolic systems of bacteria, and to lay a solid foundation for drawing a more complete global regulatory network.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Fu
- National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China.,State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhaoqing Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhou Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wen Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaodong Shang
- National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Shan-Ho Chou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qi Tan
- National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Kakkar A, Verma RK, Samal B, Chatterjee S. Interplay between the cyclic di-GMP network and the cell-cell signalling components coordinates virulence-associated functions in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:5433-5462. [PMID: 34240791 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes a serious disease of rice known as bacterial leaf blight. Several virulence-associated functions have been characterized in Xoo. However, the role of important second messenger c-di-GMP signalling in the regulation of virulence-associated functions still remains elusive in this phytopathogen. In this study we have performed an investigation of 13 c-di-GMP modulating deletion mutants to understand their contribution in Xoo virulence and lifestyle transition. We show that four Xoo proteins, Xoo2331, Xoo2563, Xoo2860 and Xoo2616, are involved in fine-tuning the in vivo c-di-GMP abundance and also play a role in the regulation of virulence-associated functions. We have further established the importance of the GGDEF domain of Xoo2563, a previously characterized c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase, in the virulence-associated functions of Xoo. Interestingly the strain harbouring the GGDEF domain deletion (ΔXoo2563GGDEF ) exhibited EPS deficiency and hypersensitivity to streptonigrin, indicative of altered iron metabolism. This is in contrast to the phenotype exhibited by an EAL overexpression strain wherein, the ΔXoo2563GGDEF exhibited other phenotypes, similar to the strain overexpressing the EAL domain. Taken together, our results indicate a complex interplay of c-di-GMP signalling with the cell-cell signalling to coordinate virulence-associated function in Xoo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Kakkar
- Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Uppal, Hyderabad, 500039, India.,Graduate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Mangalore, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Raj Kumar Verma
- Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Uppal, Hyderabad, 500039, India.,Graduate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Mangalore, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Biswajit Samal
- Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Uppal, Hyderabad, 500039, India.,Graduate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Mangalore, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Kunz S, Graumann PL. Spatial organization enhances versatility and specificity in cyclic di-GMP signaling. Biol Chem 2021; 401:1323-1334. [PMID: 32918803 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2020-0202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The second messenger cyclic di-GMP regulates a variety of processes in bacteria, many of which are centered around the decision whether to adopt a sessile or a motile life style. Regulatory circuits include pathogenicity, biofilm formation, and motility in a wide variety of bacteria, and play a key role in cell cycle progression in Caulobacter crescentus. Interestingly, multiple, seemingly independent c-di-GMP pathways have been found in several species, where deletions of individual c-di-GMP synthetases (DGCs) or hydrolases (PDEs) have resulted in distinct phenotypes that would not be expected based on a freely diffusible second messenger. Several recent studies have shown that individual signaling nodes exist, and additionally, that protein/protein interactions between DGCs, PDEs and c-di-GMP receptors play an important role in signaling specificity. Additionally, subcellular clustering has been shown to be employed by bacteria to likely generate local signaling of second messenger, and/or to increase signaling specificity. This review highlights recent findings that reveal how bacteria employ spatial cues to increase the versatility of second messenger signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Kunz
- SYNMIKRO, LOEWE-Zentrum für Synthetische Mikrobiologie, Hans-Meerwein-Straße, D-35043Marburg, Germany.,Fachbereich Chemie, Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 4, D-35032Marburg, Germany
| | - Peter L Graumann
- SYNMIKRO, LOEWE-Zentrum für Synthetische Mikrobiologie, Hans-Meerwein-Straße, D-35043Marburg, Germany.,Fachbereich Chemie, Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 4, D-35032Marburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|