Stress-induced chaperones: a first line of defense against the powerful oxidant hypochlorous acid

Surviving chlorinated waters: bleaching sensitivity and persistence of free-living amoebae

Recent advancements in membrane technologies and disinfection methods have enhanced drinking water quality significantly. However, microorganisms, including free-living amoebae (FLA), persist and pose potential threats to humans. FLA are linked to severe neuro-ophthalmic infections and serve as hosts of pathogenic bacteria. This study examined FLA presence in chlorinated and ultrafiltration drinking water and evaluated chlorine's disinfectant. Of 115 water samples, 21 tested positive for Acanthamoeba sp., Allovahlkampfia sp., and Vermamoeba vermiformis, originating from chlorinated sources. FLA trophozoites withstand temperatures up to 37 °C, while the cysts tolerate heat shocks of 60-70 °C. Trophozoites are susceptible to 5 mg L-1 chlorine, but cysts remain viable at concentrations up to 10 mg L-1. FLAs' survival in chlorinated waters is attributed to high cyst tolerance and lower residual chlorine concentrations. These findings highlight the need for ultrafiltration or enhanced chlorination protocols to ensure safer drinking water.

Disinfectant-induced ammonia oxidation disruption in microbial N-cycling process in aquatic ecosystem after the COVID-19 outbreak

Anthropogenic activities significantly impact the elemental cycles in aquatic ecosystems, with the N-cycling playing a critical role in potential nutrient turnover and substance cycling. We hypothesized that measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission profoundly altered the nitrogen cycle in riverine ecosystems. To investigate this, we re-analyzed metagenomic data and identified 60 N-cycling genes and 21 host metagenomes from four urban reaches (one upstream city, Wuhan, and two downstream cities) along the Yangtze River. Our analyses revealed a marked decrease in the abundance of bacterial ammonia monooxygenase genes, as well as in the host, ammonia-oxidizing autotrophic Nitrosomonas, followed by a substantial recovery post-pandemic. We posited that discharge of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) disinfectant may be a primary factor in the reduction of N-cycling process. To test this hypothesis, we exposed pure cultures of Nitrosomonas europaea to NaOCl to explore the microbial stress response. Results indicated that NaOCl exposure rapidly compromised the cell structure and inhibited ammonia oxidation of N. europaea, likely due to oxidative stress damage and reduced expression of nitrogen metabolism-related ammonia monooxygenase. Using the functional tagging technique, we determined that NaOCl directly destroyed the ammonia monooxygenase protein and DNA structure. This study highlights the negative impacts of chlorine disinfectants on the function of aquatic ecosystems and elucidates potential mechanisms of action.

The Thioredoxin Fold Protein (TFP2) from Extreme Acidophilic Leptospirillum sp. CF-1 Is a Chaperedoxin-like Protein That Prevents the Aggregation of Proteins under Oxidative Stress

Extreme acidophilic bacteria like Leptospirillum sp. require an efficient enzyme system to counteract strong oxygen stress conditions in their natural habitat. The genome of Leptospirillum sp. CF-1 encodes the thioredoxin-fold protein TFP2, which exhibits a high structural similarity to the thioredoxin domain of E. coli CnoX. CnoX from Escherichia coli is a chaperedoxin that protects protein substrates from oxidative stress conditions using its holdase function and a subsequent transfer to foldase chaperones for refolding. Recombinantly produced and purified Leptospirillum sp. TFP2 possesses both thioredoxin and chaperone holdase activities in vitro. It can be reduced by thioredoxin reductase (TrxR). The tfp2 gene co-locates with genes for the chaperone foldase GroES/EL on the chromosome. The "tfp2 cluster" (ctpA-groES-groEL-hyp-tfp2-recN) was found between 1.9 and 8.8-fold transcriptionally up-regulated in response to 1 mM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Leptospirillum sp. tfp2 heterologously expressed in E. coli wild type and cnoX mutant strains lead to an increased tolerance of these E. coli strains to H2O2 and significantly reduced intracellular protein aggregates. Finally, a proteomic analysis of protein aggregates produced in E. coli upon exposition to oxidative stress with 4 mM H2O2, showed that Leptospirillum sp. tfp2 expression caused a significant decrease in the aggregation of 124 proteins belonging to fifteen different metabolic categories. These included several known substrates of DnaK and GroEL/ES. These findings demonstrate that Leptospirillum sp. TFP2 is a chaperedoxin-like protein, acting as a key player in the control of cellular proteostasis under highly oxidative conditions that prevail in extreme acidic environments.

From ubiquity to specificity: The diverse functions of bacterial thioredoxin systems

The thioredoxin (Trx) system, found universally, is responsible for the regeneration of reversibly oxidized protein thiols in living cells. This system is made up of a Trx and a Trx reductase, and it plays a central role in maintaining thiol-based redox homeostasis by reducing oxidized protein thiols, such as disulfide bonds in proteins. Some Trxs also possess a chaperone function that is independent of thiol-disulfide exchange, in addition to their thiol-disulfide reductase activity. These two activities of the Trx system are involved in numerous physiological processes in bacteria. This review describes the diverse physiological roles of the Trx system that have emerged throughout bacterial evolution. The Trx system is essential for responding to oxidative and nitrosative stress. Beyond this primary function, the Trx system also participates in redox regulation and signal transduction, and in controlling metabolism, motility, biofilm formation, and virulence. This range of functions has evolved alongside the diversity of bacterial lifestyles and their specific constraints. This evolution can be characterized by the multiplication of the systems and by the specialization of cofactors or targets to adapt to the constraints of atypical lifestyles, such as photosynthesis, insect endosymbiosis, or spore-forming bacteria.

Candida albicans resistance to hypochlorous acid

IMPORTANCE

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl), commonly known as bleach, is generated during the respiratory burst by phagocytes and is a key weapon used to attack Candida albicans and other microbial pathogens. However, the effects of hypochlorous acid on C. albicans have been less well studied than H2O2, a different type of oxidant produced by phagocytes. HOCl kills C. albicans more effectively than H2O2 and results in disruption of the plasma membrane. HOCl induced a very different transcriptional response than H2O2, and there were significant differences in the susceptibility of mutant strains of C. albicans to these oxidants. Altogether, these results indicate that HOCl has distinct effects on cells that could be targeted in novel therapeutic strategies to enhance the killing of C. albicans and other pathogens.

The secondary metabolite hydrogen cyanide protects Pseudomonas aeruginosa against sodium hypochlorite-induced oxidative stress

The high pathogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is attributed to the production of many virulence factors and its resistance to several antimicrobials. Among them, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is a widely used disinfectant due to its strong antimicrobial effect. However, bacteria develop many mechanisms to survive the damage caused by this agent. Therefore, this study aimed to identify novel mechanisms employed by P. aeruginosa to resist oxidative stress induced by the strong oxidizing agent NaOCl. We analyzed the growth of the P. aeruginosa mutants ΔkatA, ΔkatE, ΔahpC, ΔahpF, ΔmsrA at 1 μg/mL NaOCl, and showed that these known H2O2 resistance mechanisms are also important for the survival of P. aeruginosa under NaOCl stress. We then conducted a screening of the P. aeruginosa PA14 transposon insertion mutant library and identified 48 mutants with increased susceptibility toward NaOCl. Among them were 10 mutants with a disrupted nrdJa, bvlR, hcnA, orn, sucC, cysZ, nuoJ, PA4166, opmQ, or thiC gene, which also exhibited a significant growth defect in the presence of NaOCl. We focussed our follow-up experiments (i.e., growth analyzes and kill-kinetics) on mutants with defect in the synthesis of the secondary metabolite hydrogen cyanide (HCN). We showed that HCN produced by P. aeruginosa contributes to its resistance toward NaOCl as it acts as a scavenger molecule, quenching the toxic effects of NaOCl.

Redox-regulated chaperones in cell stress responses

Proteostasis and redox homeostasis are tightly interconnected and most protein quality control pathways are under direct redox regulation which allow cells to immediately respond to oxidative stress conditions. The activation of ATP-independent chaperones serves as a first line of defense to counteract oxidative unfolding and aggregation of proteins. Conserved cysteine residues evolved as redox-sensitive switches which upon reversible oxidation induce substantial conformational rearrangements and the formation of chaperone-active complexes. In addition to harnessing unfolding proteins, these chaperone holdases interact with ATP-dependent chaperone systems to facilitate client refolding and restoring proteostasis during stress recovery. This minireview gives an insight into highly orchestrated mechanisms regulating the stress-specific activation and inactivation of redox-regulated chaperones and their role in cell stress responses.

In Vitro and In Vivo Antimicrobial Activity of Hypochlorous Acid against Drug-Resistant and Biofilm-Producing Strains

The aims of this study were as follows. First, we determined the antimicrobial efficacy of hypochlorous acid (HClO) against bacterial, fungal, and yeast strains growing planktonically and growing in biofilms. Second, we sought to compare the activity of the combination of daptomycin and HClO versus those of the antimicrobial agents alone for the treatment of experimental catheter-related Staphylococcus epidermidis infection (CRI) using the antibiotic lock technique (ALT) in a rabbit model. HClO was generated through direct electric current (DC) shots at determined amperages and times. For planktonic susceptibility studies, 1 to 3 DC shots of 2, 5, and 10 mA from 0 to 300 s were applied. A DC shot of 20 mA from 0 to 20 min was applied to biofilm-producing strains. Central venous catheters were inserted into New Zealand White rabbits, inoculated with an S. epidermidis strain, and treated with saline solution or ALT using daptomycin (50 mg/mL), HClO (20 mA for 45 min), or daptomycin plus HClO. One hundred percent of the planktonic bacterial, fungal, and yeast strains were killed by applying one DC shot of 2, 5, and 10 mA, respectively. One DC shot of 20 mA for 20 min was sufficient to eradicate 100% of the tested biofilm-producing strains. Daptomycin plus HClO lock therapy showed the highest activity for experimental CRI with S. epidermidis. HClO could be an effective strategy for treating infections caused by extensively drug-resistant or multidrug-resistant and biofilm-producing strains in medical devices and chronic wounds. The results of the ALT using daptomycin plus HClO may be promising. IMPORTANCE Currently, drug-resistant infections are increasing and there are fewer antibiotics available to treat them. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new antibiotics and nonantimicrobial strategies to treat these infections. We present a new nonantibiotic strategy based on hypochlorous acid generation to treat long-term catheter-related and chronic wounds infections.

From guide to guard-activation mechanism of the stress-sensing chaperone Get3

Oxidative stress conditions can cause ATP depletion, oxidative protein unfolding, and potentially toxic protein aggregation. To alleviate this proteotoxic stress, the highly conserved yeast protein, Get3, switches from its guiding function as an ATP-dependent targeting factor for tail-anchored proteins to its guarding function as an ATP-independent molecular chaperone that prevents irreversible protein aggregation. Here, we demonstrate that activation of Get3's chaperone function follows a tightly orchestrated multi-step process, centered around the redox status of two conserved cysteines, whose reactivity is directly controlled by Get3's nucleotide-binding state. Thiol oxidation causes local unfolding and the transition into chaperone-active oligomers. Vice versa, inactivation requires the reduction of Get3's cysteines followed by ATP-binding, which allows the transfer of bound client proteins to ATP-dependent chaperone systems for their effective refolding. Manipulating this fine-tuned cycle of activation and inactivation in yeast impairs oxidative stress resistance and growth, illustrating the necessity to tightly control Get3's intrinsic chaperone function.

Escherichia coli RclA is a highly active hypothiocyanite reductase

Hypothiocyanite and hypothiocyanous acid (OSCN^-/HOSCN) are pseudohypohalous acids released by the innate immune system which are capable of rapidly oxidizing sulfur-containing amino acids, causing significant protein aggregation and damage to invading bacteria. HOSCN is abundant in saliva and airway secretions and has long been considered a highly specific antimicrobial that is nearly harmless to mammalian cells. However, certain bacteria, commensal and pathogenic, are able to escape damage by HOSCN and other harmful antimicrobials during inflammation, which allows them to continue to grow and, in some cases, cause severe disease. The exact genes or mechanisms by which bacteria respond to HOSCN have not yet been elucidated. We have found, in Escherichia coli, that the flavoprotein RclA, previously implicated in reactive chlorine resistance, reduces HOSCN to thiocyanate with near-perfect catalytic efficiency and strongly protects E. coli against HOSCN toxicity. This is notable in E. coli because this species thrives in the chronically inflamed environment found in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and is able to compete with and outgrow other important commensal organisms, suggesting that HOSCN may be a relevant antimicrobial in the gut, which has not previously been explored. RclA is conserved in a variety of epithelium-colonizing bacteria, implicating its HOSCN reductase activity in a variety of host-microbe interactions. We show that an rclA mutant of the probiotic Limosilactobacillus reuteri is sensitive to HOSCN and that RclA homologs from Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron all have potent protective activity against HOSCN when expressed in E. coli.

Does Chlorination Promote Antimicrobial Resistance in Waterborne Pathogens? Mechanistic Insight into Co-Resistance and Its Implication for Public Health

Chemical agents including chlorine and antibiotics are used extensively to control infectious microorganisms. While antibiotics are mainly used to treat bacterial infections, chlorine is widely used for microbial inactivation in the post-secondary disinfection steps of water treatment. The extensive use of these agents has been acknowledged as a driving force for the expansion of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and has prompted discourse on their roles in the evolution and proliferation of resistant pathogens in the aquatic milieus. We live in a possible “post-antibiotic” era when resistant microbes spread at startling levels with dire predictions relating to a potential lack of effective therapeutic antibacterial drugs. There have been reports of enhancement of resistance among some waterborne pathogens due to chlorination. In this context, it is pertinent to investigate the various factors and mechanisms underlying the emergence and spread of resistance and the possible association between chlorination and AMR. We, therefore, reflect on the specifics of bacterial resistance development, the mechanisms of intrinsic and acquired resistance with emphasis on their environmental and public health implications, the co-selection for antibiotic resistance due to chlorination, biofilm microbiology, and multidrug efflux activity. In-depth knowledge of the molecular basis of resistance development in bacteria will significantly contribute to the more rational utilization of these biocidal agents and aid in filling identified knowledge gap toward curbing resistance expansion.

A Novel Role for Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type-2 as a Hypochlorite-Resistant Serine Protease Inhibitor and Holdase Chaperone

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type-2 (PAI-2), a member of the serpin family, is dramatically upregulated during pregnancy and in response to inflammation. Although PAI-2 exists in glycosylated and non-glycosylated forms in vivo, the majority of in vitro studies of PAI-2 have exclusively involved the intracellular non-glycosylated form. This study shows that exposure to inflammation-associated hypochlorite induces the oligomerisation of PAI-2 via a mechanism involving dityrosine formation. Compared to plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1), both forms of PAI-2 are more resistant to hypochlorite-induced inactivation of its protease inhibitory activity. Holdase-type extracellular chaperone activity plays a putative non-canonical role for PAI-2. Our data demonstrate that glycosylated PAI-2 more efficiently inhibits the aggregation of Alzheimer’s disease and preeclampsia-associated amyloid beta peptide (Aβ), compared to non-glycosylated PAI-2 in vitro. However, hypochlorite-induced modification of non-glycosylated PAI-2 dramatically enhances its holdase activity by promoting the formation of very high-molecular-mass chaperone-active PAI-2 oligomers. Both PAI-2 forms protect against Aβ-induced cytotoxicity in the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line in vitro. In the villous placenta, PAI-2 is localised primarily to syncytiotrophoblast with wide interpersonal variation in women with preeclampsia and in gestational-age-matched controls. Although intracellular PAI-2 and Aβ staining localised to different placental cell types, some PAI-2 co-localised with Aβ in the extracellular plaque-like aggregated deposits abundant in preeclamptic placenta. Thus, PAI-2 potentially contributes to controlling aberrant fibrinolysis and the accumulation of misfolded proteins in states characterised by oxidative and proteostasis stress, such as in Alzheimer’s disease and preeclampsia.

Genome-Wide Screening of Oxidizing Agent Resistance Genes in Escherichia coli

The use of oxidizing agents is one of the most favorable approaches to kill bacteria in daily life. However, bacteria have been evolving to survive in the presence of different oxidizing agents. In this study, we aimed to obtain a comprehensive list of genes whose expression can make Escherichiacoli cells resistant to different oxidizing agents. For this purpose, we utilized the ASKA library and performed a genome-wide screening of ~4200 E. coli genes. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and hypochlorite (HOCl) were tested as representative oxidizing agents in this study. To further validate our screening results, we used different E. coli strains as host cells to express or inactivate selected resistance genes individually. More than 100 genes obtained in this screening were not known to associate with oxidative stress responses before. Thus, this study is expected to facilitate both basic studies on oxidative stress and the development of antibacterial agents.

Fort CnoX: Protecting Bacterial Proteins From Misfolding and Oxidative Damage

How proteins fold and are protected from stress-induced aggregation is a long-standing mystery and a crucial question in biology. Here, we present the current knowledge on the chaperedoxin CnoX, a novel type of protein folding factor that combines holdase chaperone activity with a redox protective function. Focusing on Escherichia coli CnoX, we explain the essential role played by this protein under HOCl (bleach) stress, discussing how it protects its substrates from both aggregation and irreversible oxidation, which could otherwise interfere with refolding. Finally, we highlight the unique ability of CnoX, apparently conserved during evolution, to cooperate with the GroEL/ES folding machinery.

Methionine Redox Homeostasis in Protein Quality Control

Bacteria live in different environments and are subject to a wide variety of fluctuating conditions. During evolution, they acquired sophisticated systems dedicated to maintaining protein structure and function, especially during oxidative stress. Under such conditions, methionine residues are converted into methionine sulfoxide (Met-O) which can alter protein function. In this review, we focus on the role in protein quality control of methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msr) which repair oxidatively protein-bound Met-O. We discuss our current understanding of the importance of Msr systems in rescuing protein function under oxidative stress and their ability to work in coordination with chaperone networks. Moreover, we highlight that bacterial chaperones, like GroEL or SurA, are also targeted by oxidative stress and under the surveillance of Msr. Therefore, integration of methionine redox homeostasis in protein quality control during oxidative stress gives a complete picture of this bacterial adaptive mechanism.

Redox regulation in host-pathogen interactions: thiol switches and beyond

Our organism is exposed to pathogens on a daily basis. Owing to this age-old interaction, both pathogen and host evolved strategies to cope with these encounters. Here, we focus on the consequences of the direct encounter of cells of the innate immune system with bacteria. First, we will discuss the bacterial strategies to counteract powerful reactive species. Our emphasis lies on the effects of hypochlorous acid (HOCl), arguably the most powerful oxidant produced inside the phagolysosome of professional phagocytes. We will highlight individual examples of proteins in gram-negative bacteria activated by HOCl via thiol-disulfide switches, methionine sulfoxidation, and N-chlorination of basic amino acid side chains. Second, we will discuss the effects of HOCl on proteins of the host. Recent studies have shown that both host and bacteria address failing protein homeostasis by activation of chaperone-like holdases through N-chlorination. After discussing the role of individual proteins in the HOCl-defense, we will turn our attention to the examination of effects on host and pathogen on a systemic level. Recent studies using genetically encoded redox probes and redox proteomics highlight differences in redox homeostasis in host and pathogen and give first hints at potential cellular HOCl signaling beyond thiol-disulfide switch mechanisms.

Surviving Reactive Chlorine Stress: Responses of Gram-Negative Bacteria to Hypochlorous Acid

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and its active ingredient, hypochlorous acid (HOCl), are the most commonly used chlorine-based disinfectants. HOCl is a fast-acting and potent antimicrobial agent that interacts with several biomolecules, such as sulfur-containing amino acids, lipids, nucleic acids, and membrane components, causing severe cellular damage. It is also produced by the immune system as a first-line of defense against invading pathogens. In this review, we summarize the adaptive responses of Gram-negative bacteria to HOCl-induced stress and highlight the role of chaperone holdases (Hsp33, RidA, Cnox, and polyP) as an immediate response to HOCl stress. We also describe the three identified transcriptional regulators (HypT, RclR, and NemR) that specifically respond to HOCl. Besides the activation of chaperones and transcriptional regulators, the formation of biofilms has been described as an important adaptive response to several stressors, including HOCl. Although the knowledge on the molecular mechanisms involved in HOCl biofilm stimulation is limited, studies have shown that HOCl induces the formation of biofilms by causing conformational changes in membrane properties, overproducing the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix, and increasing the intracellular concentration of cyclic-di-GMP. In addition, acquisition and expression of antibiotic resistance genes, secretion of virulence factors and induction of the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state has also been described as an adaptive response to HOCl. In general, the knowledge of how bacteria respond to HOCl stress has increased over time; however, the molecular mechanisms involved in this stress response is still in its infancy. A better understanding of these mechanisms could help understand host-pathogen interactions and target specific genes and molecules to control bacterial spread and colonization.