Comparative transcriptomics in Yersinia pestis: a global view of environmental modulation of gene expression

Regulatory Functions of PurR in Yersinia pestis: Orchestrating Diverse Biological Activities

The bacterium Yersinia pestis has developed various strategies to sense and respond to the complex stresses encountered during its transmission and pathogenic processes. PurR is a common transcriptional regulator of purine biosynthesis among microorganisms, and it modulates the transcription level of the pur operon to suppress the production of hypoxanthine nucleotide (IMP). This study aims to understand the functions and regulatory mechanisms of purR in Y. pestis. Firstly, we constructed a purR knockout mutant of Y. pestis strain 201 and compared certain phenotypes of the null mutant (201-ΔpurR) and the wild-type strain (201-WT). The results show that deleting purR has no significant impact on the biofilm formation, growth rate, or viability of Y. pestis under different stress conditions (heat and cold shock, high salinity, and hyperosmotic pressure). Although the cytotoxicity of the purR knockout mutant on HeLa and 293 cells is reduced, the animal-challenging test found no difference of the virulence in mice between 201-ΔpurR and 201-WT. Furthermore, RNA-seq and EMSA analyses demonstrate that PurR binds to the promoter regions of at least 15 genes in Y. pestis strain 201, primarily involved in purine biosynthesis, along with others not previously observed in other bacteria. Additionally, RNA-seq results suggest the presence of 11 potential operons, including a newly identified co-transcriptional T6SS cluster. Thus, aside from its role as a regulator of purine biosynthesis, purR in Y. pestis may have additional regulatory functions.

Yersinia pestis and Plague: some knowns and unknowns

Since its first identification in 1894 during the third pandemic in Hong Kong, there has been significant progress of understanding the lifestyle of Yersinia pestis, the pathogen that is responsible for plague. Although we now have some understanding of the pathogen's physiology, genetics, genomics, evolution, gene regulation, pathogenesis and immunity, there are many unknown aspects of the pathogen and its disease development. Here, we focus on some of the knowns and unknowns relating to Y. pestis and plague. We notably focus on some key Y. pestis physiological and virulence traits that are important for its mammal-flea-mammal life cycle but also its emergence from the enteropathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Some aspects of the genetic diversity of Y. pestis, the distribution and ecology of plague as well as the medical countermeasures to protect our population are also provided. Lastly, we present some biosafety and biosecurity information related to Y. pestis and plague.

Low Cytoplasmic Magnesium Increases the Specificity of the Lon and ClpAP Proteases

Proteolysis is a fundamental property of all living cells. In the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, the HspQ protein controls the specificities of the Lon and ClpAP proteases. Upon acetylation, HspQ stops being a Lon substrate and no longer enhances proteolysis of the Lon substrate Hha. The accumulated HspQ protein binds to the protease adaptor ClpS, hindering proteolysis of ClpS-dependent substrates of ClpAP, such as Oat, a promoter of antibiotic persistence. HspQ is acetylated by the protein acetyltransferase Pat from acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) bound to the acetyl-CoA binding protein Qad. We now report that low cytoplasmic Mg²⁺ promotes qad expression, which protects substrates of Lon and ClpSAP by increasing HspQ amounts. The qad promoter is activated by PhoP, a regulatory protein highly activated in low cytoplasmic Mg²⁺ that also represses clpS transcription. Both the qad gene and PhoP repression of the clpS promoter are necessary for antibiotic persistence. PhoP also promotes qad transcription in Escherichia coli, which shares a similar PhoP box in the qad promoter region with S. Typhimurium, Salmonella bongori, and Enterobacter cloacae. Our findings identify cytoplasmic Mg²⁺ and the PhoP protein as critical regulators of protease specificity in multiple enteric bacteria. IMPORTANCE The bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium narrows down the spectrum of substrates degraded by the proteases Lon and ClpAP in response to low cytoplasmic Mg²⁺, a condition that decreases protein synthesis. This control is exerted by PhoP, a transcriptional regulator activated in low cytoplasmic Mg²⁺ that governs proteostasis and is conserved in enteric bacteria. The uncovered mechanism enables bacteria to control the abundance of preexisting proteins.

Transcriptomic studies and assessment of Yersinia pestis reference genes in various conditions

Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a very sensitive widespread technique considered as the gold standard to explore transcriptional variations. While a particular methodology has to be followed to provide accurate results many published studies are likely to misinterpret results due to lack of minimal quality requirements. Yersinia pestis is a highly pathogenic bacterium responsible for plague. It has been used to propose a ready-to-use and complete approach to mitigate the risk of technical biases in transcriptomic studies. The selection of suitable reference genes (RGs) among 29 candidates was performed using four different methods (GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and the Delta-Ct method). An overall comprehensive ranking revealed that 12 following candidate RGs are suitable for accurate normalization: gmk, proC, fabD, rpoD, nadB, rho, thrA, ribD, mutL, rpoB, adk and tmk. Some frequently used genes like 16S RNA had even been found as unsuitable to study Y. pestis. This methodology allowed us to demonstrate, under different temperatures and states of growth, significant transcriptional changes of six efflux pumps genes involved in physiological aspects as antimicrobial resistance or virulence. Previous transcriptomic studies done under comparable conditions had not been able to highlight these transcriptional modifications. These results highlight the importance of validating RGs prior to the normalization of transcriptional expression levels of targeted genes. This accurate methodology can be extended to any gene of interest in Y. pestis. More generally, the same workflow can be applied to identify and validate appropriate RGs in other bacteria to study transcriptional variations.

Differential Gene Expression Patterns of Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis during Infection and Biofilm Formation in the Flea Digestive Tract

Yersinia pestis, the etiologic agent of plague, emerged as a fleaborne pathogen only within the last 6,000 years. Just five simple genetic changes in the Yersinia pseudotuberculosis progenitor, which served to eliminate toxicity to fleas and to enhance survival and biofilm formation in the flea digestive tract, were key to the transition to the arthropodborne transmission route. To gain a deeper understanding of the genetic basis for the development of a transmissible biofilm infection in the flea foregut, we evaluated additional gene differences and performed in vivo transcriptional profiling of Y. pestis, a Y. pseudotuberculosis wild-type strain (unable to form biofilm in the flea foregut), and a Y. pseudotuberculosis mutant strain (able to produce foregut-blocking biofilm in fleas) recovered from fleas 1 day and 14 days after an infectious blood meal. Surprisingly, the Y. pseudotuberculosis mutations that increased c-di-GMP levels and enabled biofilm development in the flea did not change the expression levels of the hms genes responsible for the synthesis and export of the extracellular polysaccharide matrix required for mature biofilm formation. The Y. pseudotuberculosis mutant uniquely expressed much higher levels of Yersinia type VI secretion system 4 (T6SS-4) in the flea, and this locus was required for flea blockage by Y. pseudotuberculosis but not for blockage by Y. pestis. Significant differences between the two species in expression of several metabolism genes, the Psa fimbrial genes, quorum sensing-related genes, transcription regulation genes, and stress response genes were evident during flea infection. IMPORTANCE Y. pestis emerged as a highly virulent, arthropod-transmitted pathogen on the basis of relatively few and discrete genetic changes from Y. pseudotuberculosis. Parallel comparisons of the in vitro and in vivo transcriptomes of Y. pestis and two Y. pseudotuberculosis variants that produce a nontransmissible infection and a transmissible infection of the flea vector, respectively, provided insights into how Y. pestis has adapted to life in its flea vector and point to evolutionary changes in the regulation of metabolic and biofilm development pathways in these two closely related species.

Transcriptional Regulation Between the Two Global Regulators RovA and CRP in Yersinia pestis biovar Microtus

Yersinia pestis is a dangerous bacterial pathogen that can cause plague. Both RovA and cyclic AMP receptor protein (cAMP-CRP) are required for regulating biofilm- and virulence-related genes in Y. pestis. In this study, the transcriptional regulation between RovA and cAMP-CRP were analyzed by using primer extension, quantitative RT-PCR, LacZ fusion, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The results indicated that RovA repressed crp transcription in an indirect manner, while that RovA had no regulatory action on cyaA at the transcriptional level. In addition, cAMP-CRP did not regulate the transcription of rovA. Taken together with our previous results, complex regulatory interactions of RovA, cAMP-CRP, and PhoP/PhoQ in Y. pestis were revealed, which would promote us gain deeper understanding about coordinative modulation of biofilm- and virulence-related regulator genes.

The crystal structure of the Yersinia pestis iron chaperone YiuA reveals a basic triad binding motif for the chelated metal

Biological chelating molecules called siderophores are used to sequester iron and maintain its ferric state. Bacterial substrate-binding proteins (SBPs) bind iron-siderophore complexes and deliver these complexes to ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters for import into the cytoplasm, where the iron can be transferred from the siderophore to catalytic enzymes. In Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, the Yersinia iron-uptake (Yiu) ABC transporter has been shown to improve iron acquisition under iron-chelated conditions. The Yiu transporter has been proposed to be an iron-siderophore transporter; however, the precise siderophore substrate is unknown. Therefore, the precise role of the Yiu transporter in Y. pestis survival remains uncharacterized. To better understand the function of the Yiu transporter, the crystal structure of YiuA (YPO1310/y2875), an SBP which functions to present the iron-siderophore substrate to the transporter for import into the cytoplasm, was determined. The 2.20 and 1.77 Å resolution X-ray crystal structures reveal a basic triad binding motif at the YiuA canonical substrate-binding site, indicative of a metal-chelate binding site. Structural alignment and computational docking studies support the function of YiuA in binding chelated metal. Additionally, YiuA contains two mobile helices, helix 5 and helix 10, that undergo 2-3 Å shifts across crystal forms and demonstrate structural breathing of the c-clamp architecture. The flexibility in both c-clamp lobes suggest that YiuA substrate transfer resembles the Venus flytrap mechanism that has been proposed for other SBPs.

Differential impact of lipopolysaccharide defects caused by loss of RfaH in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia pestis

RfaH enhances transcription of a select group of operons controlling bacterial surface features such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Previous studies have suggested that rfaH may be required for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis resistance to antimicrobial chemokines and survival during mouse infections. In order to further investigate the role of RfaH in LPS synthesis, resistance to host defense peptides, and virulence of Yersinia, we constructed ΔrfaH mutants of Y. pseudotuberculosis IP32953 and Y. pestis KIM6+. Loss of rfaH affected LPS synthesis in both species, resulting in a shorter core oligosaccharide. Susceptibility to polymyxin and the antimicrobial chemokine CCL28 was increased by loss of rfaH in Y. pseudotuberculosis but not in Y. pestis. Transcription of genes in the ddhD-wzz O-antigen gene cluster, but not core oligosaccharide genes, was reduced in ΔrfaH mutants. In addition, mutants with disruptions in specific ddhD-wzz O-antigen cluster genes produced LPS that was indistinguishable from the ΔrfaH mutant. This suggests that both Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. pestis produce an oligosaccharide core with a single O-antigen unit attached in an RfaH-dependent fashion. Despite enhanced sensitivity to host defense peptides, the Y. pseudotuberculosis ΔrfaH strain was not attenuated in mice, suggesting that rfaH is not required for acute infection.

Role of the PhoP-PhoQ gene regulatory system in adaptation of Yersinia pestis to environmental stress in the flea digestive tract

The Yersinia pestis PhoPQ gene regulatory system is induced during infection of the flea digestive tract and is required to produce adherent biofilm in the foregut, which greatly enhances bacterial transmission during a flea bite. To understand the in vivo context of PhoPQ induction and to determine PhoP-regulated targets in the flea, we undertook whole-genome comparative transcriptional profiling of Y. pestis WT and ΔphoP strains isolated from infected fleas and from temperature-matched in vitro planktonic and flow-cell biofilm cultures. In the absence of PhoP regulation, the gene expression program indicated that the bacteria experienced diverse physiological stresses and were in a metabolically less active state. Multiple stress response genes, including several toxin–antitoxin loci and YhcN family genes responsible for increased acid tolerance, were upregulated in the phoP mutant during flea infection. The data implied that PhoPQ was induced by low pH in the flea gut, and that PhoP modulated physiological adaptation to acid and other stresses encountered during infection of the flea. This adaptive response, together with PhoP-dependent modification of the bacterial outer surface that includes repression of pH 6 antigen fimbriae, supports stable biofilm development in the flea foregut.

Sequence determinants of prokaryotic gene expression level under heat stress

Prokaryotic gene expression is environment-dependent and temperature plays an important role in shaping the gene expression profile. Revealing the regulation mechanisms of gene expression pertaining to temperature has attracted tremendous efforts in recent years particularly owning to the yielding of transcriptome and proteome data by high-throughput techniques. However, most of the previous works concentrated on the characterization of the gene expression profile of individual organism and little effort has been made to disclose the commonality among organisms, especially for the gene sequence features. In this report, we collected the transcriptome and proteome data measured under heat stress condition from recently published literature and studied the sequence determinants for the expression level of heat-responsive genes on multiple layers. Our results showed that there indeed exist commonness and consistent patterns of the sequence features among organisms for the differentially expressed genes under heat stress condition. Some features are attributed to the requirement of thermostability while some are dominated by gene function. The revealed sequence determinants of bacterial gene expression level under heat stress complement the knowledge about the regulation factors of prokaryotic gene expression responding to the change of environmental conditions. Furthermore, comparisons to thermophilic adaption have been performed to reveal the similarity and dissimilarity of the sequence determinants for the response to heat stress and for the adaption to high habitat temperature, which elucidates the complex landscape of gene expression related to the same physical factor of temperature.

Genome-wide mutant fitness profiling identifies nutritional requirements for optimal growth of Yersinia pestis in deep tissue

Rapid growth in deep tissue is essential to the high virulence of Yersinia pestis, causative agent of plague. To better understand the mechanisms underlying this unusual ability, we used transposon mutagenesis and high-throughput sequencing (Tn-seq) to systematically probe the Y. pestis genome for elements contributing to fitness during infection. More than a million independent insertion mutants representing nearly 200,000 unique genotypes were generated in fully virulent Y. pestis. Each mutant in the library was assayed for its ability to proliferate in vitro on rich medium and in mice following intravenous injection. Virtually all genes previously established to contribute to virulence following intravenous infection showed significant fitness defects, with the exception of genes for yersiniabactin biosynthesis, which were masked by strong intercellular complementation effects. We also identified more than 30 genes with roles in nutrient acquisition and metabolism as experiencing strong selection during infection. Many of these genes had not previously been implicated in Y. pestis virulence. We further examined the fitness defects of strains carrying mutations in two such genes—encoding a branched-chain amino acid importer (brnQ) and a glucose importer (ptsG)—both in vivo and in a novel defined synthetic growth medium with nutrient concentrations matching those in serum. Our findings suggest that diverse nutrient limitations in deep tissue play a more important role in controlling bacterial infection than has heretofore been appreciated. Because much is known about Y. pestis pathogenesis, this study also serves as a test case that assesses the ability of Tn-seq to detect virulence genes.

Our understanding of the functions required by bacteria to grow in deep tissues is limited, in part because most growth studies of pathogenic bacteria are conducted on laboratory media that do not reflect conditions prevailing in infected animal tissues. Improving our knowledge of this aspect of bacterial biology is important as a potential pathway to the development of novel therapeutics. Yersinia pestis, the plague bacterium, is highly virulent due to its rapid dissemination and growth in deep tissues, making it a good model for discovering bacterial adaptations that promote rapid growth during infection. Using Tn-seq, a genome-wide fitness profiling technique, we identified several functions required for fitness of Y. pestis in vivo that were not previously known to be important. Most of these functions are needed to acquire or synthesize nutrients. Interference with these critical nutrient acquisition pathways may be an effective strategy for designing novel antibiotics and vaccines.

hARACNe: improving the accuracy of regulatory model reverse engineering via higher-order data processing inequality tests

A key goal of systems biology is to elucidate molecular mechanisms associated with physiologic and pathologic phenotypes based on the systematic and genome-wide understanding of cell context-specific molecular interaction models. To this end, reverse engineering approaches have been used to systematically dissect regulatory interactions in a specific tissue, based on the availability of large molecular profile datasets, thus improving our mechanistic understanding of complex diseases, such as cancer. In this paper, we introduce high-order Algorithm for the Reconstruction of Accurate Cellular Network (hARACNe), an extension of the ARACNe algorithm for the dissection of transcriptional regulatory networks. ARACNe uses the data processing inequality (DPI), from information theory, to detect and prune indirect interactions that are unlikely to be mediated by an actual physical interaction. Whereas ARACNe considers only first-order indirect interactions, i.e. those mediated by only one extra regulator, hARACNe considers a generalized form of indirect interactions via two, three or more other regulators. We show that use of higher-order DPI resulted in significantly improved performance, based on transcription factor (TF)-specific ChIP-chip data, as well as on gene expression profile following RNAi-mediated TF silencing.

Determination of sRNA expressions by RNA-seq in Yersinia pestis grown in vitro and during infection

Background

Small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) facilitate host-microbe interactions. They have a central function in the post-transcriptional regulation during pathogenic lifestyles. Hfq, an RNA-binding protein that many sRNAs act in conjunction with, is required for Y. pestis pathogenesis. However, information on how Yersinia pestis modulates the expression of sRNAs during infection is largely unknown.

Methodology and Principal Findings

We used RNA-seq technology to identify the sRNA candidates expressed from Y. pestis grown invitro and in the infected lungs of mice. A total of 104 sRNAs were found, including 26 previously annotated sRNAs, by searching against the Rfam database with 78 novel sRNA candidates. Approximately 89% (93/104) of these sRNAs from Y. pestis are shared with its ancestor Y. pseudotuberculosis. Ninety-seven percent of these sRNAs (101/104) are shared among more than 80 sequenced genomes of 135 Y. pestis strains. These 78 novel sRNAs include 62 intergenic and 16 antisense sRNAs. Fourteen sRNAs were selected for verification by independent Northern blot analysis. Results showed that nine selected sRNA transcripts were Hfq-dependent. Interestingly, three novel sRNAs were identified as new members of the transcription factor CRP regulon. Semi-quantitative analysis revealed that Y. pestis from the infected lungs induced the expressions of six sRNAs including RyhB1, RyhB2, CyaR/RyeE, 6S RNA, RybB and sR039 and repressed the expressions of four sRNAs, including CsrB, CsrC, 4.5S RNA and sR027.

Conclusions and Significance

This study is the first attempt to subject RNA from Y. pestis-infected samples to direct high-throughput sequencing. Many novel sRNAs were identified and the expression patterns of relevant sRNAs in Y. pestis during invitro growth and invivo infection were revealed. The annotated sRNAs accounted for the most abundant sRNAs either expressed in bacteria grown invitro or differentially expressed in the infected lungs. These findings suggested these sRNAs may have important functions in Y. pestis physiology or pathogenesis.

Reciprocal regulation of pH 6 antigen gene loci by PhoP and RovA in Yersinia pestis biovar Microtus

AIM

To explore the transcriptional regulation of the psaEF and psaABC loci by the RovA and PhoP regulators in Yersinia pestis.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Primer extension, LacZ fusion, gel mobility shift and DNase I footprinting assays were conducted in combination for this gene regulation study.

RESULTS

It was determined that PhoP and RovA recognized the promoter-proximal regions of psaEF and psaABC in order to repress and stimulate their transcription, respectively. The translation/transcription start sites, Shine-Dalgarno sequences (ribosomal binding site), core promoter -10 and -35 elements, PhoP and RovA sites and PhoP/RovA consensus-like sequences were identified to determine the structural organization of PhoP/RovA-dependent promoters of psaEF and psaABC.

CONCLUSION

RovA stimulated psaEF and psaABC, while PhoP repressed these two operons involving the direct association between RovA/PhoP and target promoter regions. The reciprocal regulation of psa genes by PhoP and RovA could contribute to the tightly controlled expression of the pH 6 antigen during infection.

Omics strategies for revealing Yersinia pestis virulence

Omics has remarkably changed the way we investigate and understand life. Omics differs from traditional hypothesis-driven research because it is a discovery-driven approach. Mass datasets produced from omics-based studies require experts from different fields to reveal the salient features behind these data. In this review, we summarize omics-driven studies to reveal the virulence features of Yersinia pestis through genomics, trascriptomics, proteomics, interactomics, etc. These studies serve as foundations for further hypothesis-driven research and help us gain insight into Y. pestis pathogenesis.

Hunger for iron: the alternative siderophore iron scavenging systems in highly virulent Yersinia

Low molecular weight siderophores are used by many living organisms to scavenge scarcely available ferric iron. Presence of at least a single siderophore-based iron acquisition system is usually acknowledged as a virulence-associated trait and a pre-requisite to become an efficient and successful pathogen. Currently, it is assumed that yersiniabactin (Ybt) is the solely functional endogenous siderophore iron uptake system in highly virulent Yersinia (Yersinia pestis, Y. pseudotuberculosis, and Y. enterocolitica biotype 1B). Genes responsible for biosynthesis, transport, and regulation of the yersiniabactin (ybt) production are clustered on a mobile genetic element, the High-Pathogenicity Island (HPI) that is responsible for broad dissemination of the ybt genes in Enterobacteriaceae. However, the ybt gene cluster is absent from nearly half of Y. pseudotuberculosis O3 isolates and epidemic Y. pseudotuberculosis O1 isolates responsible for the Far East Scarlet-like Fever. Several potential siderophore-mediated iron uptake gene clusters are documented in Yersinia genomes, however, neither of them have been proven to be functional. It has been suggested that at least two siderophores alternative to Ybt may operate in the highly virulent Yersinia pestis/Y. pseudotuberculosis group, and are referred to as pseudochelin (Pch) and yersiniachelin (Ych). Furthermore, most sporadic Y. pseudotuberculosis O1 strains possess gene clusters encoding all three iron scavenging systems. Thus, the Ybt system appears not to be the sole endogenous siderophore iron uptake system in the highly virulent yersiniae and may be efficiently substituted and/or supplemented by alternative iron siderophore scavenging systems.

A Toll/interleukin (IL)-1 receptor domain protein from Yersinia pestis interacts with mammalian IL-1/Toll-like receptor pathways but does not play a central role in the virulence of Y. pestis in a mouse model of bubonic plague

The Toll/interleukin (IL)-1 receptor (TIR) domain is an essential component of eukaryotic innate immune signalling pathways. Interaction between TIR domains present in Toll-like receptors and associated adaptors initiates and propagates an immune signalling cascade. Proteins containing TIR domains have also been discovered in bacteria. Studies have subsequently shown that these proteins are able to modulate mammalian immune signalling pathways dependent on TIR interactions and that this may represent an evasion strategy for bacterial pathogens. Here, we investigate a TIR domain protein from the highly virulent bacterium Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. When overexpressed in vitro this protein is able to downregulate IL-1β- and LPS-dependent signalling to NFκB and to interact with the TIR adaptor protein MyD88. This interaction is dependent on a single proline residue. However, a Y. pestis knockout mutant lacking the TIR domain protein was not attenuated in virulence in a mouse model of bubonic plague. Minor alterations in the host cytokine response to the mutant were indicated, suggesting a potential subtle role in pathogenesis. The Y. pestis mutant also showed increased auto-aggregation and reduced survival in high-salinity conditions, phenotypes which may contribute to pathogenesis or survival.

Insight into bacterial virulence mechanisms against host immune response via the Yersinia pestis-human protein-protein interaction network

A Yersinia pestis-human protein interaction network is reported here to improve our understanding of its pathogenesis. Up to 204 interactions between 66 Y. pestis bait proteins and 109 human proteins were identified by yeast two-hybrid assay and then combined with 23 previously published interactions to construct a protein-protein interaction network. Topological analysis of the interaction network revealed that human proteins targeted by Y. pestis were significantly enriched in the proteins that are central in the human protein-protein interaction network. Analysis of this network showed that signaling pathways important for host immune responses were preferentially targeted by Y. pestis, including the pathways involved in focal adhesion, regulation of cytoskeleton, leukocyte transendoepithelial migration, and Toll-like receptor (TLR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. Cellular pathways targeted by Y. pestis are highly relevant to its pathogenesis. Interactions with host proteins involved in focal adhesion and cytoskeketon regulation pathways could account for resistance of Y. pestis to phagocytosis. Interference with TLR and MAPK signaling pathways by Y. pestis reflects common characteristics of pathogen-host interaction that bacterial pathogens have evolved to evade host innate immune response by interacting with proteins in those signaling pathways. Interestingly, a large portion of human proteins interacting with Y. pestis (16/109) also interacted with viral proteins (Epstein-Barr virus [EBV] and hepatitis C virus [HCV]), suggesting that viral and bacterial pathogens attack common cellular functions to facilitate infections. In addition, we identified vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) as a novel interaction partner of YpkA and showed that YpkA could inhibit in vitro actin assembly mediated by VASP.

Yersinia pestis TIR-domain protein forms dimers that interact with the human adaptor protein MyD88

Recent research has highlighted the presence of Toll/Interleukin 1 receptor (TIR)-domain proteins (Tdps) in a range of bacteria, suggested to form interactions with the human adaptor protein MyD88 and inhibit intracellular signaling from Toll-like receptors (TLRs). A Tdp has been identified in Yersinia pestis (YpTdp), a highly pathogenic bacterium responsible for plague. Expression of a number of YpTIR constructs of differing lengths (YpTIR1, S130-A285; YpTIR2, I137-I273; YpTIR3, I137-246; YpTIR4, D107-S281) as fusions with an N-terminal GB1 tag (the B1 immunoglobulin domain of Streptococcal protein G) yielded high levels of soluble protein. Subsequent purification yielded 4-6 mg/L pure, folded protein. Thrombin cleavage allowed separation of the GB1 tag from YpTIR4 resulting in folded protein after cleavage. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, SDS-PAGE analysis and static light scattering all indicate that the YpTIR forms dimers. Generation of a double Cys-less mutant resulted in an unstable protein containing mainly monomers indicating the importance of disulphide bonds in dimer formation. In addition, the YpTIR constructs have been shown to interact with the human adaptor protein MyD88 using 2D NMR and GST pull down. YpTIR is an excellent candidate for further study of the mechanism of action of pathogenic bacterial Tdps.

Evaluation of the humoral immune response in mice orally vaccinated with live recombinant attenuated Salmonella enterica delivering a secreted form of Yersinia pestis PsaA

Yersinia pestis PsaA is an adhesin that is synthesized inside macrophages. Here, we evaluated the immune profile of codon-optimized Y. pestis PsaA synthesized in a live recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccine (RASV) strain chi9558. Oral immunization of BALB/c mice with chi9558(pYA3705) delivering a secreted form of PsaA, elicited a systemic PsaA-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) response but offered limited protection against lethal challenge with the intranasally introduced Y. pestis CO92 strain. Our results suggest that appropriate fine-tuning of Y. pestis PsaA delivery by RASV could improve its protective role in curtailing plague colonization and infection.

Global gene expression profiling of Yersinia pestis replicating inside macrophages reveals the roles of a putative stress-induced operon in regulating type III secretion and intracellular cell division

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is a facultative intracellular pathogen. Previous studies have indicated that the ability of Y. pestis to survive inside macrophages may be critical during the early stages of plague pathogenesis. To gain insights into the biology of intracellular Y. pestis and its environment following phagocytosis, we determined the genome-wide transcriptional profile of Y. pestis KIM5 replicating inside J774.1 macrophage-like cells using DNA microarrays. At 1.5, 4, and 8 h postinfection, a total of 801, 464, and 416 Y. pestis genes were differentially regulated, respectively, compared to the level of gene expression of control bacteria grown in tissue culture medium. A number of stress-response genes, including those involved in detoxification of reactive oxygen species, as well as several metabolic genes involved in macromolecule synthesis, were significantly induced in intracellular Y. pestis, consistent with the presence of oxidative stress and nutrient starvation inside Yersinia-containing vacuoles. A putative stress-induced operon consisting of y2313, y2315, and y2316 (y2313-y2316), and a previously unidentified open reading frame, orfX, was studied further on the basis of its high level of intracellular expression. Mutant strains harboring either deletion, Deltay2313-y2316 or DeltaorfX, exhibited diverse phenotypes, including reduced effector secretion by the type III secretion system, increased intracellular replication, and filamentous morphology of the bacteria growing inside macrophages. The results suggest a possible role for these genes in regulating cell envelope characteristics in the intracellular environment.

The Yersinia pestis chromosome encodes active addiction toxins

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) loci consist of two genes in an operon, encoding a stable toxin and an unstable antitoxin. The expression of toxin leads to cell growth arrest and sometimes bacterial death, while the antitoxin prevents the cytotoxic activity of the toxin. In this study, we show that the chromosome of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, carries 10 putative TA modules and two solitary antitoxins that belong to five different TA families (HigBA, HicAB, RelEB, Phd/Doc, and MqsRA). Two of these toxin genes (higB2 and hicA1) could not be cloned in Escherichia coli unless they were coexpressed with their cognate antitoxin gene, indicating that they are highly toxic for this species. One of these toxin genes (higB2) could, however, be cloned directly and expressed in Y. pestis, where it was highly toxic, while the other one (hicA1) could not, probably because of its extreme toxicity. All eight other toxin genes were successfully cloned into the expression vector pBAD-TOPO. For five of them (higB1, higB3, higB5, hicA2, and tox), no toxic activity was detected in either E. coli or Y. pestis despite their overexpression. The three remaining toxin genes (relE1, higB4, and doc) were toxic for E. coli, and this toxic activity was abolished when the cognate antitoxin was coexpressed, showing that these three TA modules are functional in E. coli. Curiously, only one of these three toxins (RelE1) was active in Y. pestis. Cross-interaction between modules of the same family was observed but occurred only when the antitoxins were almost identical. Therefore, our study demonstrates that of the 10 predicted TA modules encoded by the Y. pestis chromosome, at least 5 are functional in E. coli and/or in Y. pestis. This is the first demonstration of active addiction toxins produced by the plague agent.

Proteomic analysis of iron acquisition, metabolic and regulatory responses of Yersinia pestis to iron starvation

Background

The Gram-negative bacterium Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of the bubonic plague. Efficient iron acquisition systems are critical to the ability of Y. pestis to infect, spread and grow in mammalian hosts, because iron is sequestered and is considered part of the innate host immune defence against invading pathogens. We used a proteomic approach to determine expression changes of iron uptake systems and intracellular consequences of iron deficiency in the Y. pestis strain KIM6+ at two physiologically relevant temperatures (26°C and 37°C).

Results

Differential protein display was performed for three Y. pestis subcellular fractions. Five characterized Y. pestis iron/siderophore acquisition systems (Ybt, Yfe, Yfu, Yiu and Hmu) and a putative iron/chelate outer membrane receptor (Y0850) were increased in abundance in iron-starved cells. The iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster assembly system Suf, adapted to oxidative stress and iron starvation in E. coli, was also more abundant, suggesting functional activity of Suf in Y. pestis under iron-limiting conditions. Metabolic and reactive oxygen-deactivating enzymes dependent on Fe-S clusters or other iron cofactors were decreased in abundance in iron-depleted cells. This data was consistent with lower activities of aconitase and catalase in iron-starved vs. iron-rich cells. In contrast, pyruvate oxidase B which metabolizes pyruvate via electron transfer to ubiquinone-8 for direct utilization in the respiratory chain was strongly increased in abundance and activity in iron-depleted cells.

Conclusions

Many protein abundance differences were indicative of the important regulatory role of the ferric uptake regulator Fur. Iron deficiency seems to result in a coordinated shift from iron-utilizing to iron-independent biochemical pathways in the cytoplasm of Y. pestis. With growth temperature as an additional variable in proteomic comparisons of the Y. pestis fractions (26°C and 37°C), there was little evidence for temperature-specific adaptation processes to iron starvation.

Divergence among genes encoding the elongation factor Tu of Yersinia Species

Elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), encoded by tuf genes, carries aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome during protein synthesis. Duplicated tuf genes (tufA and tufB), which are commonly found in enterobacterial species, usually coevolve via gene conversion and are very similar to one another. However, sequence analysis of tuf genes in our laboratory has revealed highly divergent copies in 72 strains spanning the genus Yersinia (representing 12 Yersinia species). The levels of intragenomic divergence between tufA and tufB sequences ranged from 8.3 to 16.2% for the genus Yersinia, which is significantly greater than the 0.0 to 3.6% divergence observed for other enterobacterial genera. We further explored tuf gene evolution in Yersinia and other Enterobacteriaceae by performing directed sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic trees constructed using concatenated tufA and tufB sequences revealed a monophyletic genus Yersinia in the family Enterobacteriaceae. Moreover, Yersinia strains form clades within the genus that mostly correlate with their phenotypic and genetic classifications. These genetic analyses revealed an unusual divergence between Yersinia tufA and tufB sequences, a feature unique among sequenced Enterobacteriaceae and indicative of a genus-wide loss of gene conversion. Furthermore, they provided valuable phylogenetic information for possible reclassification and identification of Yersinia species.

The iron-responsive Fur regulon in Yersinia pestis

The ferric uptake regulator (Fur) is a predominant bacterial regulator controlling the iron assimilation functions in response to iron availability. Our previous microarray analysis on Yersinia pestis defined the iron-Fur modulon. In the present work, we reannotated the iron assimilation genes in Y. pestis, and the resulting genes in complementation with those disclosed by microarray constituted a total of 34 genome loci (putative operons) that represent the potential iron-responsive targets of Fur. The subsequent real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) in conjunction with the primer extension analysis showed that 32 of them were regulated by Fur in response to iron starvation. A previously predicted Fur box sequence was then used to search against the promoter regions of the 34 operons; the homologue of the above box could be predicted in each promoter tested. The subsequent electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) demonstrated that a purified His(6) tag-fused Fur protein was able to bind in vitro to each of these promoter regions. Therefore, Fur is a global regulator, both an activator and a repressor, and directly controls not only almost all of the iron assimilation functions but also a variety of genes involved in various non-iron functions for governing a complex regulatory cascade in Y. pestis. In addition, real-time RT-PCR, primer extension, EMSA, and DNase I footprinting assay were used to elucidate the Fur regulation of the ybt locus encoding a virulence-required iron uptake system. By combining the published data on the YbtA regulation of ybt, we constructed a concise Fur/YbtA regulatory network with a map of the Fur-promoter DNA interactions within the ybt locus. The data presented here give us an overview of the iron-responsive Fur regulon in Y. pestis.