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Chaurasia R, Liang C, How K, Vieira DS, Vinetz JM. Production and Purification of Cysteine-Rich Leptospiral Virulence-Modifying Proteins with or Without mCherry Fusion. Protein J 2023; 42:792-801. [PMID: 37653175 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-023-10152-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant fluorescent fusion proteins are fundamental to advancing many aspects of protein science. Such proteins are typically used to enable the visualization of functional proteins in experimental systems, particularly cell biology. An important problem in biotechnology is the production of functional, soluble proteins. Here we report the use of mCherry-fusions of soluble, cysteine-rich, Leptospira-secreted exotoxins in the PF07598 gene family, the so-called virulence modifying (VM) proteins. The mCherry fusion proteins facilitated the visual detection of pink colonies of the VM proteins (LA3490 and LA1402) and following them through lysis and sequential chromatography steps. CD-spectroscopy analysis confirmed the stability and robustness of the mCherry-fusion protein, with a structure comparable to AlphaFold structural predictions. LA0591, a unique member of the PF07598 gene family that lacks N-terminal ricin B-like domains, was produced without mCherry tag that strengthens the recombinant protein production protocol without fusion protein as well. The current study provides the approaches for the synthesis of 50-125 kDa soluble, cysteine-rich, high-quality fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC)-purified protein, with and without a mCherry tag. The use of mCherry-fusion proteins enables a streamlined, efficient process of protein production and qualitative and quantitative downstream analytical and functional studies. Approaches for troubleshooting and optimization were evaluated to overcome difficulties in recombinant protein expression and purification, demonstrating biotechnology utility in accelerating recombinant protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reetika Chaurasia
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Cathleen Liang
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kenneth How
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dielson S Vieira
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Joseph M Vinetz
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Grillova L, Cokelaer T, Mariet JF, da Fonseca JP, Picardeau M. Core genome sequencing and genotyping of Leptospira interrogans in clinical samples by target capture sequencing. BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:157. [PMID: 36918832 PMCID: PMC10012794 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08126-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The life-threatening pathogen Leptospira interrogans is the most common agent of leptospirosis, an emerging zoonotic disease. However, little is known about the strains that are currently circulating worldwide due to the fastidious nature of the bacteria and the difficulty to isolate cultures. In addition, the paucity of bacteria in blood and other clinical samples has proven to be a considerable challenge for directly genotyping the agent of leptospirosis directly from patient material. Our understanding of the genetic diversity of strains during human infection is therefore limited. METHODS Here, we carried out hybridization capture followed by Illumina sequencing of the core genome directly from 20 clinical samples that were PCR positive for pathogenic Leptospira to elucidate the genetic diversity of currently circulating Leptospira strains in mainland France. RESULTS Capture with RNA probes covering the L. interrogans core genome resulted in a 72 to 13,000-fold increase in pathogen reads relative to standard sequencing without capture. Variant analysis of the genomes sequenced from the biological samples using 273 Leptospira reference genomes was then carried out to determine the genotype of the infecting strain. For samples with sufficient coverage (19/20 samples with coverage > 8×), we could unambiguously identify L. interrogans serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae and Copenhageni (14 samples), L. kirschneri serovar Grippotyphosa (4 samples), and L. interrogans serovar Pyrogenes (1 sample) as the infecting strains. CONCLUSIONS We obtained high-quality genomic data with suitable coverage for confident core genome genotyping of the agent of leptospirosis for most of our clinical samples. The recovery of the genome of the serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae and Copenhageni directly from multiple clinical samples revealed low adaptive diversification of the core genes during human infection. The ability to generate culture-free genomic data opens new opportunities for better understanding of the epidemiology of this fastidious pathogen and pathogenesis of this neglected disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Grillova
- Biology of Spirochetes Unit, French National Reference Centre for Leptospirosis, CNRS UMR 6047, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, 75015, Paris, France.,Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Thomas Cokelaer
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Plate-Forme Technologique Biomics, 75015, Paris, France.,Département Biologie Computationnelle, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Hub de Bioinformatique et Biostatistique, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Jean-François Mariet
- Biology of Spirochetes Unit, French National Reference Centre for Leptospirosis, CNRS UMR 6047, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, 75015, Paris, France
| | | | - Mathieu Picardeau
- Biology of Spirochetes Unit, French National Reference Centre for Leptospirosis, CNRS UMR 6047, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, 75015, Paris, France.
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3
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Chaurasia R, Vinetz JM. In silico prediction of molecular mechanisms of toxicity mediated by the leptospiral PF07598 gene family-encoded virulence-modifying proteins. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 9:1092197. [PMID: 36756251 PMCID: PMC9900628 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1092197] [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: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms of leptospirosis pathogenesis remain unclear despite the identification of a number of potential leptospiral virulence factors. We recently demonstrated potential mechanisms by which the virulence-modifying (VM) proteins-defined as containing a Domain of Unknown function (DUF1561), encoded by the PF07598 gene family-found only in group 1 pathogenic Leptospira-might mediate the clinical pathogenesis of leptospirosis. VM proteins belongs to classical AB toxin paradigm though have a unique AB domain architecture, unlike other AB toxins such as diphtheria toxin, pertussis toxin, shiga toxin, or ricin toxin which are typically encoded by two or more genes and self-assembled into a multi-domain holotoxin. Leptospiral VM proteins are secreted R-type lectin domain-containing exotoxins with discrete N-terminal ricin B-like domains involved in host cell surface binding, and a C-terminal DNase/toxin domain. Here we use the artificial intelligence-based AlphaFold algorithm and other computational tools to predict and elaborate on details of the VM protein structure-function relationship. Comparative AlphaFold and CD-spectroscopy defined the consistent secondary structure (Helix and ß-sheet) content, and the stability of the functional domains were further supported by molecular dynamics simulation. VM proteins comprises distinctive lectic family (QxW)3 motifs, the Mycoplasma CARDS toxin (D3 domain, aromatic patches), C-terminal similarity with mammalian DNase I. In-silico study proposed that Gln412, Gln523, His533, Thr59 are the high binding energy or ligand binding residues plausibly anticipates in the functional activities. Divalent cation (Mg+2-Gln412) and phosphate ion (PO4]-3-Arg615) interaction further supports the functional activities driven by C-terminal domain. Computation-driven structure-function studies of VM proteins will guide experimentation towards mechanistic understandings of leptospirosis pathogenesis, which underlie development of new therapeutic and preventive measures for this devastating disease.
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Vieira DS, Chaurasia R, Vinetz JM. Comparison of the PF07598-Encoded Virulence-Modifying Proteins of L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 8:tropicalmed8010014. [PMID: 36668921 PMCID: PMC9863803 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8010014] [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: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease, with increasing frequency and severity of outbreaks, a changing epidemiology of populations at risk, and the emergence of new strains, serovars, serogroups, and species. Virulence-modifying (VM) proteins encoded by the PF07598 gene family are hypothesized to be Leptospira-secreted exotoxins that mediate the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of severe and fatal leptospirosis. If confirmed experimentally, this concept could revolutionize the treatment, diagnosis, prognosis, and vaccine-mediated prevention of leptospirosis by enabling a novel array of targeted interventions. VM proteins, as with other bacterial-secreted protein exotoxins, mediate their virulence effects by attaching to eukaryotic cells, competing with other microorganisms for limited resources in environmental niches, directly intoxicating target cells, and disrupting their function in the mammalian host. In contrast with the most pathogenic group of Lept ospira, particularly L. interrogans, whose genomes contain 12-15 PF07598 paralogs, strains of the livestock and human pathogen L. borgpetersenii have two PF07598 paralogs. Given the possible non-environmentally mediated transmission of some L. borgpetersenii strains and the much smaller number of VM proteins in this species, their role in infection and disease may well differ from other leptospiral species. Comparison of VM proteins from different clades of pathogenic Leptospira may deepen our understanding of leptospirosis's pathogenesis, leading to novel approaches to ameliorating Leptospira infection in humans and animals.
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Lauretti-Ferreira F, Teixeira AAR, Giordano RJ, da Silva JB, Abreu PAE, Barbosa AS, Akamatsu MA, Ho PL. Characterization of a virulence-modifying protein of Leptospira interrogans identified by shotgun phage display. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1051698. [PMID: 36519163 PMCID: PMC9742253 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1051698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic species of Leptospira are etiologic agents of leptospirosis, an emerging zoonotic disease of worldwide extent and endemic in tropical regions. The growing number of identified leptospiral species sheds light to their genetic diversity and unique virulence mechanisms, many of them still remain unknown. Toxins and adhesins are important virulence factors in several pathogens, constituting promising antigens for the development of vaccines with cross-protection and long-lasting effect against leptospirosis. For this aim, we used the shotgun phage display technique to unravel new proteins with adhesive properties. A shotgun library was constructed using fragmented genomic DNA from Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130 and pG8SAET phagemid vector. Selection of phages bearing new possible cell-binding antigens was performed against VERO cells, using BRASIL biopanning methodology. Analysis of selected clones revealed the hypothetical protein LIC10778, a potentially exposed virulence factor that belongs to the virulence-modifying (VM) protein family (PF07598), composed of 13 members in the leptospiral strain Fiocruz L1-130. Prediction of LIC10778 tertiary structure indicates that the protein contains a cellular-binding domain (N-terminal portion) and an unknown domain of no assigned activity (C-terminal portion). The predicted N-terminal domain shared structural similarities with the cell-binding and internalization domain of toxins like Ricin and Abrin, as well as to the Community-Acquired Respiratory Distress Syndrome (CARDS) toxin in Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Interestingly, recombinant portions of the N-terminal region of LIC10778 protein showed binding to laminin, collagens I and IV, vitronectin, and plasma and cell fibronectins using overlay blotting technique, especially regarding the binding site identified by phage display. These data validate our preliminary phage display biopanning and support the predicted three-dimensional models of LIC10778 protein and other members of PF07598 protein family, confirming the identification of the N-terminal cell-binding domains that are similar to ricin-like toxins. Moreover, fluorescent fused proteins also confirmed that N-terminal region of LIC10778 is capable of binding to VERO and A549 cell lines, further highlighting its virulence role during host-pathogen interaction in leptospirosis probably mediated by its C-terminal domain. Indeed, recent results in the literature confirmed this assumption by demonstrating the cytotoxicity of a closely related PF07598 member.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana Lauretti-Ferreira
- Bioindustrial Division, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo José Giordano
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Paulo Lee Ho
- Bioindustrial Division, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Chaurasia R, Salovey A, Guo X, Desir G, Vinetz JM. Vaccination With Leptospira interrogans PF07598 Gene Family-Encoded Virulence Modifying Proteins Protects Mice From Severe Leptospirosis and Reduces Bacterial Load in the Liver and Kidney. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:926994. [PMID: 35837473 PMCID: PMC9274288 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.926994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular and cellular pathogenesis of leptospirosis remains poorly understood. Based on comparative bacterial genomics data, we recently identified the hypothetical PF07598 gene family as encoding secreted exotoxins (VM proteins) that mediate cytotoxicity in vitro. To address whether VM proteins mediate in vivo leptospirosis pathogenesis, we tested the hypothesis that VM protein immunization of mice would protect against lethal challenge infection and reduce bacterial load in key target organs. C3H/HeJ mice were immunized with recombinant E. coli-produced, endotoxin-free, leptospiral VM proteins (derived from L. interrogans serovar Lai) in combination with the human-compatible adjuvant, glucopyranoside lipid A/squalene oil-in-water. Mice receiving full length recombinant VM proteins were protected from lethal challenge infection by L. interrogans serovar Canicola and had a 3-4 log10 reduction in bacterial load in the liver and kidney. These experiments show that immunization with recombinant VM proteins prevents leptospirosis clinical pathogenesis and leads to markedly reduced key target organ infection in this animal model. These data support the role of leptospiral VM proteins as virulence factors and suggest the possibility that a VM protein-based, serovar-independent, pan-leptospirosis vaccine may be feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reetika Chaurasia
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Aryeh Salovey
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Xiaojia Guo
- Section of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Gary Desir
- Section of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Joseph M. Vinetz
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- *Correspondence: Joseph M. Vinetz,
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7
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Chaurasia R, Marroquin AS, Vinetz JM, Matthias MA. Pathogenic Leptospira Evolved a Unique Gene Family Comprised of Ricin B-Like Lectin Domain-Containing Cytotoxins. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:859680. [PMID: 35422779 PMCID: PMC9002632 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.859680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a globally important neglected zoonotic disease. Previous data suggest that a family of virulence-modifying (VM) proteins (PF07598) is a distinctive feature of group I pathogenic Leptospira that evolved as important virulence determinants. Here, we show that one such VM protein, LA3490 (also known as Q8F0K3), is expressed by Leptospira interrogans serovar Lai, as a secreted genotoxin that is potently cytotoxic to human cells. Structural homology searches using Phyre2 suggested that VM proteins are novel R-type lectins containing tandem N-terminal ricin B-chain-like β-trefoil domains. Recombinant LA3490 (rLA3490) and an N-terminal fragment, t3490, containing only the predicted ricin B domain, bound to the terminal galactose and N-acetyl-galactosamine residues, asialofetuin, and directly competed for asialofetuin-binding sites with recombinant ricin B chain. t3490 alone was sufficient for binding, both to immobilized asialofetuin and to the HeLa cell surface but was neither internalized nor cytotoxic. Treatment of HeLa cells with rLA3490 led to cytoskeleton disassembly, caspase-3 activation, and nuclear fragmentation, and was rapidly cytolethal. rLA3490 had DNase activity on mammalian and bacterial plasmid DNA. The combination of cell surface binding, internalization, nuclear translocation, and DNase functions indicate that LA3490 and other VM proteins evolved as novel forms of the bacterial AB domain-containing toxin paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reetika Chaurasia
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Alan S Marroquin
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Joseph M Vinetz
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Michael A Matthias
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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8
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Caimi K, Ruybal P. Leptospira spp., a genus in the stage of diversity and genomic data expansion. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 81:104241. [PMID: 32061688 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a widespread global zoonotic bacterial disease with a noteworthy human-animal-ecosystem interface. The disease presents different clinical manifestations and a high mortality and morbidity rates in humans and animals throughout the world. Characterization and correct classification of Leptospira isolates is essential for a better understanding the epidemiological properties of the disease. In the last ten years, molecular typing tools have been developed and applied to this field. These methods together with the availability of hundreds of new whole genome sequences that belong to known and new described species are shaping the understanding and structure of the entire genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Caimi
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABiMo), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - P Ruybal
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica (IMPaM), Facultad de Medicina, Paraguay 2155 Piso: 12, CABA 1121, Argentina
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9
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Zhang R, Zhou W, Ye Q, Song S, Wang Y, Xu Y, Zeng L. Comparative genomic analysis of Chinese human leptospirosis vaccine strain and circulating isolate. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2020; 16:1345-1353. [PMID: 32045318 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1720439] [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: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
LEPTOSPIRA INTERROGANS serogroup Canicola is one of the most important pathogens causing leptospirosis and is used as a vaccine strain of the current Chinese human leptospirosis vaccine. To characterize leptospiral pathogens, L. interrogans serogroup Canicola vaccine strain 611 and circulating isolate LJ178 from different hosts at different periods were sequenced using a combined strategy of Illumina X10 and PacBio technologies, and a comprehensive comparative analysis with other published Leptospira strains was conducted in this study. High levels of genomic similarities were observed between vaccine strain 611 and circulating isolate LJ178; both had two circular chromosomes and two circular extrachromosomal replicons. Compared with the strain 611 genome, 132 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 92 indels were found in strain LJ178. The larger lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis locus of serogroup Canicola was identified in both genomes. The phylogenetic analysis based on whole-genome sequences revealed that serogroup Canicola was not restricted to a specific host or geographic location, suggesting adaptive evolution associated with the ecologic diversity. In summary, our findings provide insights into a better molecular understanding of the component strains of human leptospirosis vaccine in China. Furthermore, these data detail the genetic composition and evolutionary relatedness of Leptospira strains that pose a health risk to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruipeng Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University , Nanchang, People's Republic of China.,Scholl of Medicine, Nanchang University , Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenkai Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University , Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Ye
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes of Food and Drug Control , Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Sichao Song
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai , Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuezhu Wang
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai , Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yinghua Xu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes of Food and Drug Control , Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingbing Zeng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University , Nanchang, People's Republic of China
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Abstract
This chapter covers the progress made in the Leptospira field since the application of mutagenesis techniques and how they have allowed the study of virulence factors and, more generally, the biology of Leptospira. The last decade has seen advances in our ability to perform molecular genetic analysis of Leptospira. Major achievements include the generation of large collections of mutant strains and the construction of replicative plasmids, enabling complementation of mutations. However, there are still no practical tools for routine genetic manipulation of pathogenic Leptospira strains, slowing down advances in pathogenesis research. This review summarizes the status of the molecular genetic toolbox for Leptospira species and highlights new challenges in the nascent field of Leptospira genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Picardeau
- Biology of Spirochetes Unit, Institut Pasteur, 28 Rue Du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France.
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11
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Bovine macrophages responses to the infection with virulent and attenuated Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona. Vet Microbiol 2019; 233:124-132. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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12
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Revisiting the taxonomy and evolution of pathogenicity of the genus Leptospira through the prism of genomics. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007270. [PMID: 31120895 PMCID: PMC6532842 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 279] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The causative agents of leptospirosis are responsible for an emerging zoonotic disease worldwide. One of the major routes of transmission for leptospirosis is the natural environment contaminated with the urine of a wide range of reservoir animals. Soils and surface waters also host a high diversity of non-pathogenic Leptospira and species for which the virulence status is not clearly established. The genus Leptospira is currently divided into 35 species classified into three phylogenetic clusters, which supposedly correlate with the virulence of the bacteria. In this study, a total of 90 Leptospira strains isolated from different environments worldwide including Japan, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Algeria, mainland France, and the island of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean were sequenced. A comparison of average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of genomes of the 90 isolates and representative genomes of known species revealed 30 new Leptospira species. These data also supported the existence of two clades and 4 subclades. To avoid classification that strongly implies assumption on the virulence status of the lineages, we called them P1, P2, S1, S2. One of these subclades has not yet been described and is composed of Leptospira idonii and 4 novel species that are phylogenetically related to the saprophytes. We then investigated genome diversity and evolutionary relationships among members of the genus Leptospira by studying the pangenome and core gene sets. Our data enable the identification of genome features, genes and domains that are important for each subclade, thereby laying the foundation for refining the classification of this complex bacterial genus. We also shed light on atypical genomic features of a group of species that includes the species often associated with human infection, suggesting a specific and ongoing evolution of this group of species that will require more attention. In conclusion, we have uncovered a massive species diversity and revealed a novel subclade in environmental samples collected worldwide and we have redefined the classification of species in the genus. The implication of several new potentially infectious Leptospira species for human and animal health remains to be determined but our data also provide new insights into the emergence of virulence in the pathogenic species.
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Guglielmini J, Bourhy P, Schiettekatte O, Zinini F, Brisse S, Picardeau M. Genus-wide Leptospira core genome multilocus sequence typing for strain taxonomy and global surveillance. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007374. [PMID: 31026256 PMCID: PMC6513109 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospira is a highly heterogeneous bacterial genus that can be divided into three evolutionary lineages and >300 serovars. The causative agents of leptospirosis are responsible of an emerging zoonotic disease worldwide. To advance our understanding of the biodiversity of Leptospira strains at the global level, we evaluated the performance of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) as a genus-wide strain classification and genotyping tool. Herein we propose a set of 545 highly conserved loci as a core genome MLST (cgMLST) genotyping scheme applicable to the entire Leptospira genus, including non-pathogenic species. Evaluation of cgMLST genotyping was undertaken with 509 genomes, including 327 newly sequenced genomes, from diverse species, sources and geographical locations. Phylogenetic analysis showed that cgMLST defines species, clades, subclades, clonal groups and cgMLST sequence types (cgST), with high precision and robustness to missing data. Novel Leptospira species, including a novel subclade named S2 (saprophytes 2), were identified. We defined clonal groups (CG) optimally using a single-linkage clustering threshold of 40 allelic mismatches. While some CGs such as L. interrogans CG6 (serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae) are globally distributed, others are geographically restricted. cgMLST was congruent with classical MLST schemes, but had greatly improved resolution and broader applicability. Single nucleotide polymorphisms within single cgST groups was limited to <30 SNPs, underlining a potential role for cgMLST in epidemiological surveillance. Finally, cgMLST allowed identification of serogroups and closely related serovars. In conclusion, the proposed cgMLST strategy allows high-resolution genotyping of Leptospira isolates across the phylogenetic breadth of the genus. The unified genomic taxonomy of Leptospira strains, available publicly at http://bigsdb.pasteur.fr/leptospira, will facilitate global harmonization of Leptospira genotyping, strain emergence follow-up and novel collaborative studies of the epidemiology and evolution of this emerging pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Guglielmini
- Institut Pasteur, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, C3BI, USR 3756 IP CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Pascale Bourhy
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Spirochetes unit, National Reference Center for Leptospirosis, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Schiettekatte
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Spirochetes unit, National Reference Center for Leptospirosis, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Ecole Doctorale BioSPC, Paris, France
| | - Farida Zinini
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Spirochetes unit, National Reference Center for Leptospirosis, Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Brisse
- Institut Pasteur, Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Picardeau
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Spirochetes unit, National Reference Center for Leptospirosis, Paris, France
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14
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Zeptomole per milliliter detection and quantification of edema factor in plasma by LC-MS/MS yields insights into toxemia and the progression of inhalation anthrax. Anal Bioanal Chem 2019; 411:2493-2509. [PMID: 30911800 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-019-01730-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Inhalation of Bacillus anthracis spores can cause a rapidly progressing fatal infection. B. anthracis secretes three protein toxins: lethal factor (LF), edema factor (EF), and protective antigen (PA). EF and LF may circulate as free or PA-bound forms. Both free EF (EF) and PA-bound-EF (ETx) have adenylyl cyclase activity converting ATP to cAMP. We developed an adenylyl cyclase activity-based method for detecting and quantifying total EF (EF+ETx) in plasma. The three-step method includes magnetic immunocapture with monoclonal antibodies, reaction with ATP generating cAMP, and quantification of cAMP by isotope-dilution HPLC-MS/MS. Total EF was quantified from 5PL regression of cAMP vs ETx concentration. The detection limit was 20 fg/mL (225 zeptomoles/mL for the 89 kDa protein). Relative standard deviations for controls with 0.3, 6.0, and 90 pg/mL were 11.7-16.6% with 91.2-99.5% accuracy. The method demonstrated 100% specificity in 238 human serum/plasma samples collected from unexposed healthy individuals, and 100% sensitivity in samples from 3 human and 5 rhesus macaques with inhalation anthrax. Analysis of EF in the rhesus macaques showed that it was detected earlier post-exposure than B. anthracis by culture and PCR. Similar to LF, the kinetics of EF over the course of infection were triphasic, with an initial rise (phase-1), decline (phase-2), and final rapid rise (phase-3). EF levels were ~ 2-4 orders of magnitude lower than LF during phase-1 and phase-2 and only ~ 6-fold lower at death/euthanasia. Analysis of EF improves early diagnosis and adds to our understanding of anthrax toxemia throughout infection. The LF/EF ratio may also indicate the stage of infection and need for advanced treatments.
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Yamaguchi T, Higa N, Okura N, Matsumoto A, Hermawan I, Yamashiro T, Suzuki T, Toma C. Characterizing interactions of Leptospira interrogans with proximal renal tubule epithelial cells. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:64. [PMID: 29973159 PMCID: PMC6030750 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1206-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leptospira interrogans is a pathogenic, spirochetal bacterium that is responsible for leptospirosis, an emerging worldwide zoonosis. Leptospires colonize the renal proximal tubules and chronically infect the kidney. Live bacteria are excreted into urine, contaminating the environment. While it is well known that leptospires can persist in the kidneys without signs of disease for several months, the interactions of leptospires with the proximal renal epithelial tubule cells that allow the chronic renal colonization have not been elucidated yet. In the present study, we compared the interactions between a virulent, low passage (LP) strain and a cultured-attenuated, high passage (HP) strain with renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (RPTECs) to elucidate the strategies used by Leptospira to colonize the kidney. RESULTS Kinetics analysis of kidney colonization in a mouse model of chronic infection performed by quantitative real-time PCR and immunofluorescence, showed that the LP strain reached the kidney by 3 days post infection (pi) and attached to the basal membrane side of the renal epithelial cells. At 10 days pi, some leptospires were attached to the luminal side of the tubular epithelia and the number of colonizing leptospires gradually increased. On the other hand, the HP strain was cleared during hematogenous dissemination and did not colonize the kidney. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of LP-infected kidneys at 25 days pi showed aggregated leptospires and membrane vesicles attached to the epithelial brush border. Leptospiral kidney colonization altered the organization of the RPTEC brush border. An in vitro model of infection using TCMK-1 cells, showed that leptospiral infection induced a host stress response, which is delayed in LP-infected cells. CONCLUSIONS After hematogenous dissemination, leptospires create protective and replicative niches in the base membrane and luminal sides of the RPTECs. During the long-term colonization, leptospires attached to the RPTEC brush borders and membrane vesicles might be involved in the formation of a biofilm-like structure in vivo. Our results also suggested that the virulent strain is able to manipulate host cell stress responses to promote renal colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayoshi Yamaguchi
- Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, 903-0215 Japan
- Present address: Department of Food and Nutrition Science, Junior College, Sagami Women’s University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0383 Japan
| | - Naomi Higa
- Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, 903-0215 Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Okura
- Department of Molecular Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, 903-0215 Japan
| | - Arina Matsumoto
- Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, 903-0215 Japan
- Present address: Okinawa Industrial Technology Center, Okinawa, 904-2234 Japan
| | - Idam Hermawan
- Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, 903-0215 Japan
| | - Tetsu Yamashiro
- Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, 903-0215 Japan
| | - Toshihiko Suzuki
- Department of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Infection and Host Response, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, 113-8510 Japan
| | - Claudia Toma
- Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, 903-0215 Japan
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16
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Myllykallio H, Sournia P, Heliou A, Liebl U. Unique Features and Anti-microbial Targeting of Folate- and Flavin-Dependent Methyltransferases Required for Accurate Maintenance of Genetic Information. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:918. [PMID: 29867829 PMCID: PMC5954106 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative genome analyses have led to the discovery and characterization of novel flavin- and folate-dependent methyltransferases that mainly function in DNA precursor synthesis and post-transcriptional RNA modification by forming (ribo) thymidylate and its derivatives. Here we discuss the recent literature on the novel mechanistic features of these enzymes sometimes referred to as “uracil methyltransferases,” albeit we prefer to refer to them as (ribo) thymidylate synthases. These enzyme families attest to the convergent evolution of nucleic acid methylation. Special focus is given to describing the unique characteristics of these flavin- and folate-dependent enzymes that have emerged as new models for studying the non-canonical roles of reduced flavin co-factors (FADH2) in relaying carbon atoms between enzyme substrates. This ancient enzymatic methylation mechanism with a very wide phylogenetic distribution may be more commonly used for biological methylation reactions than previously anticipated. This notion is exemplified by the recent discovery of additional substrates for these enzymes. Moreover, similar reaction mechanisms can be reversed by demethylases, which remove methyl groups e.g., from human histones. Future work is now required to address whether the use of different methyl donors facilitates the regulation of distinct methylation reactions in the cell. It will also be of great interest to address whether the low activity flavin-dependent thymidylate synthases ThyX represent ancestral enzymes that were eventually replaced by the more active thymidylate synthases of the ThyA family to facilitate the maintenance of larger genomes in fast-growing microbes. Moreover, we discuss the recent efforts from several laboratories to identify selective anti-microbial compounds that target flavin-dependent thymidylate synthase ThyX. Altogether we underline how the discovery of the alternative flavoproteins required for methylation of DNA and/or RNA nucleotides, in addition to providing novel targets for antibiotics, has provided new insight into microbial physiology and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannu Myllykallio
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau, France
| | - Pierre Sournia
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau, France
| | - Alice Heliou
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau, France.,Laboratoire d'Informatique de l'École Polytechnique, Ecole Polytechnique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau, France
| | - Ursula Liebl
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau, France
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17
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Thibeaux R, Girault D, Bierque E, Soupé-Gilbert ME, Rettinger A, Douyère A, Meyer M, Iraola G, Picardeau M, Goarant C. Biodiversity of Environmental Leptospira: Improving Identification and Revisiting the Diagnosis. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:816. [PMID: 29765361 PMCID: PMC5938396 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is an important environmental disease and a major threat to human health causing at least 1 million clinical infections annually. There has recently been a growing interest in understanding the environmental lifestyle of Leptospira. However, Leptospira isolation from complex environmental samples is difficult and time-consuming and few tools are available to identify Leptospira isolates at the species level. Here, we propose a polyphasic isolation and identification scheme, which might prove useful to recover and identify environmental isolates and select those to be submitted to whole-genome sequencing. Using this approach, we recently described 12 novel Leptospira species for which we propose names. We also show that MALDI-ToF MS allows rapid and reliable identification and provide an extensive database of Leptospira MALDI-ToF mass spectra, which will be valuable to researchers in the leptospirosis community for species identification. Lastly, we also re-evaluate some of the current techniques for the molecular diagnosis of leptospirosis taking into account the extensive and recently revealed biodiversity of Leptospira in the environment. In conclusion, we describe our method for isolating Leptospira from the environment, confirm the usefulness of mass spectrometry for species identification and propose names for 12 novel species. This also offers the opportunity to refine current molecular diagnostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Thibeaux
- Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Institut Pasteur in New Caledonia, Institut Pasteur International Network, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Dominique Girault
- Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Institut Pasteur in New Caledonia, Institut Pasteur International Network, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Emilie Bierque
- Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Institut Pasteur in New Caledonia, Institut Pasteur International Network, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Marie-Estelle Soupé-Gilbert
- Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Institut Pasteur in New Caledonia, Institut Pasteur International Network, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Anna Rettinger
- Bacteriology and Mycology, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Anthony Douyère
- Institut des Sciences Exactes et Appliquées, Plateau MET/MEB, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Michael Meyer
- Institut des Sciences Exactes et Appliquées, Plateau MET/MEB, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Gregorio Iraola
- Bioinformatics Unit, Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Mathieu Picardeau
- Biology of Spirochetes Unit, Institut Pasteur, National Reference Centre and WHO Collaborating Center for Leptospirosis, Paris, France
| | - Cyrille Goarant
- Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Institut Pasteur in New Caledonia, Institut Pasteur International Network, Noumea, New Caledonia
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18
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Eslabão MR, Kremer FS, Ramos RTJ, Silva ALDCD, Azevedo VADC, Pinto LDS, Silva ÉFD, Dellagostin OA. Genome of Leptospira borgpetersenii strain 4E, a highly virulent isolate obtained from Mus musculus in southern Brazil. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018; 113:137-141. [PMID: 29236926 PMCID: PMC5722270 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760170111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A previous study by our group reported the isolation and characterisation of Leptospira borgpetersenii serogroup Ballum strain 4E. This strain is of particular interest because it is highly virulent in the hamster model. In this study, we performed whole-genome shotgun genome sequencing of the strain using the SOLiD sequencing platform. By assembling and analysing the new genome, we were able to identify novel features that have been previously overlooked in genome annotations of other strains belonging to the same species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Redü Eslabão
- Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Capão do Leão, RS, Brasil
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19
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Jorge S, Kremer FS, Oliveira NRD, Navarro GDOSV, Guimarães AM, Sanchez CD, Woloski RDDS, Ridieri KF, Campos VF, Pinto LDS, Dellagostin OA. Whole-genome sequencing of Leptospira interrogans from southern Brazil: genetic features of a highly virulent strain. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018; 113:80-86. [PMID: 29236923 PMCID: PMC5722262 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760170130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonotic disease. It is caused by
infection with pathogenic Leptospira species, of which over
300 serovars have been described. The accurate identification of the
causative Leptospira spp. is required to ascertain the
pathogenic status of the local isolates. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to obtain the complete genome sequence of a virulent
Leptospira interrogans strain isolated from southern
Brazil and to describe its genetic features. METHODS The whole genome was sequenced by next-generation sequencing (Ion Torrent).
The genome was assembled, scaffolded, annotated, and manually reviewed.
Mutations were identified based on a variant calling analysis using the
genome of L. interrogans strain Fiocruz L1-130 as a
reference. FINDINGS The entire genome had an average GC content of 35%. The variant calling
analysis identified 119 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), from which
30 led to a missense mutation. The structural analyses identified potential
evidence of genomic inversions, translocations, and deletions in both the
chromosomes. MAIN CONCLUSIONS The genome properties provide comprehensive information about the local
isolates of Leptospira spp., and thereby, could facilitate
the identification of new targets for the development of diagnostic kits and
vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio Jorge
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Karine Forster Ridieri
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Vinícius Farias Campos
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Luciano da Silva Pinto
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
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20
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Mullins KE, Hang J, Clifford RJ, Onmus-Leone F, Yang Y, Jiang J, Leguia M, Kasper MR, Maguina C, Lesho EP, Jarman RG, Richards A, Blazes D. Whole-Genome Analysis of Bartonella ancashensis, a Novel Pathogen Causing Verruga Peruana, Rural Ancash Region, Peru. Emerg Infect Dis 2018; 23:430-438. [PMID: 28221130 PMCID: PMC5382735 DOI: 10.3201/eid2303.161476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Bartonella contains >40 species, and an increasing number of these Bartonella species are being implicated in human disease. One such pathogen is Bartonella ancashensis, which was isolated in blood samples from 2 patients living in Caraz, Peru, during a clinical trial of treatment for bartonellosis. Three B. ancashensis strains were analyzed by using whole-genome restriction mapping and high-throughput pyrosequencing. Genome-wide comparative analysis of Bartonella species showed that B. ancashensis has features seen in modern and ancient lineages of Bartonella species and is more related to B. bacilliformis. The divergence between B. ancashensis and B. bacilliformis is much greater than what is seen between known Bartonella genetic lineages. In addition, B. ancashensis contains type IV secretion system proteins, which are not present in B. bacilliformis. Whole-genome analysis indicates that B. ancashensis might represent a distinct Bartonella lineage phylogenetically related to B. bacilliformis.
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21
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Ghazaei C. Pathogenic Leptospira: Advances in understanding the molecular pathogenesis and virulence. Open Vet J 2018; 8:13-24. [PMID: 29445617 PMCID: PMC5806663 DOI: 10.4314/ovj.v8i1.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is a common zoonotic disease has emerged as a major public health problem, with developing countries bearing disproportionate burdens. Although the diverse range of clinical manifestations of the leptospirosis in humans is widely documented, the mechanisms through which the pathogen causes disease remain undetermined. In addition, leptospirosis is a much-neglected life-threatening disease although it is one of the most important zoonoses occurring in a diverse range of epidemiological distribution. Recent advances in molecular profiling of pathogenic species of the genus Leptospira have improved our understanding of the evolutionary factors that determine virulence and mechanisms that the bacteria employ to survive. However, a major impediment to the formulation of intervention strategies has been the limited understanding of the disease determinants. Consequently, the association of the biological mechanisms to the pathogenesis of Leptospira, as well as the functions of numerous essential virulence factors still remain implicit. This review examines recent advances in genetic screening technologies, the underlying microbiological processes, the virulence factors and associated molecular mechanisms driving pathogenesis of Leptospira species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciamak Ghazaei
- Department of Microbiology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, P.O. Box 179, Ardabil, Iran
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22
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Grassmann AA, Kremer FS, Dos Santos JC, Souza JD, Pinto LDS, McBride AJA. Discovery of Novel Leptospirosis Vaccine Candidates Using Reverse and Structural Vaccinology. Front Immunol 2017; 8:463. [PMID: 28496441 PMCID: PMC5406399 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospira spp. are diderm (two membranes) bacteria that infect mammals causing leptospirosis, a public health problem with global implications. Thousands of people die every year due to leptospirosis, especially in developing countries with tropical climates. Prophylaxis is difficult due to multiple factors, including the large number of asymptomatic hosts that transmit the bacteria, poor sanitation, increasing numbers of slum dwellers, and the lack of an effective vaccine. Several leptospiral recombinant antigens were evaluated as a replacement for the inactivated (bacterin) vaccine; however, success has been limited. A prospective vaccine candidate is likely to be a surface-related protein that can stimulate the host immune response to clear leptospires from blood and organs. In this study, a comprehensive bioinformatics approach based on reverse and structural vaccinology was applied toward the discovery of novel leptospiral vaccine candidates. The Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain L1-130 genome was mined in silico for the enhanced identification of conserved β-barrel (βb) transmembrane proteins and outer membrane (OM) lipoproteins. Orthologs of the prospective vaccine candidates were screened in the genomes of 20 additional Leptospira spp. Three-dimensional structural models, with a high degree of confidence, were created for each of the surface-exposed proteins. Major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II) epitopes were identified, and their locations were mapped on the structural models. A total of 18 βb transmembrane proteins and 8 OM lipoproteins were identified. These proteins were conserved among the pathogenic Leptospira spp. and were predicted to have epitopes for several variants of MHC-II receptors. A structural and functional analysis of the sequence of these surface proteins demonstrated that most βb transmembrane proteins seem to be TonB-dependent receptors associated with transportation. Other proteins identified included, e.g., TolC efflux pump proteins, a BamA-like OM component of the βb transmembrane protein assembly machinery, and the LptD-like LPS assembly protein. The structural mapping of the immunodominant epitopes identified the location of conserved, surface-exposed, immunogenic regions for each vaccine candidate. The proteins identified in this study are currently being evaluated for experimental evidence for their involvement in virulence, disease pathogenesis, and physiology, in addition to vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Alex Grassmann
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Frederico Schmitt Kremer
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Júlia Cougo Dos Santos
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jéssica Dias Souza
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Luciano da Silva Pinto
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Alan John Alexander McBride
- Biotechnology Unit, Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.,Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Ministry of Health, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
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24
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Gomes-Solecki M, Santecchia I, Werts C. Animal Models of Leptospirosis: Of Mice and Hamsters. Front Immunol 2017; 8:58. [PMID: 28270811 PMCID: PMC5318464 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic Leptospira sp. are spirochetal bacteria responsible for leptospirosis, an emerging worldwide zoonosis. These spirochetes are very successful pathogens that infect a wide range of hosts such as fish, reptiles, birds, marsupials, and mammals. Transmission occurs when chronically infected animals excrete live bacteria in their urine, contaminating the environment. Leptospira sp. enter their hosts through damaged skin and mucosa. Chronically infected rats and mice are asymptomatic and are considered as important reservoirs of the disease. Infected humans may develop either a flu-like, usually mild illness with or without chronic asymptotic renal colonization, or a severe acute disease with kidney, liver, and heart failure, potentially leading to death. Leptospirosis is an economic burden on society due to health-care costs related to elevated morbidity of humans and loss of animals of agricultural interest. There are no effective vaccines against leptospirosis. Leptospira sp. are difficult to genetically manipulate which delays the pace of research progress. In this review, we discuss in an historical perspective how animal models have contributed to further our knowledge of leptospirosis. Hamsters, guinea pigs, and gerbils have been instrumental to study the pathophysiology of acute lethal leptospirosis and the Leptospira sp. genes involved in virulence. Chronic renal colonization has been mostly studied using experimentally infected rats. A special emphasis will be placed on mouse models, long thought to be irrelevant since they survive lethal infection. However, mice have recently been shown to be good models of sublethal infection leading to chronic colonization. Furthermore, congenic and transgenic mice have proven essential to study how innate immune cells interact with the pathogen and to understand the role of the toll-like receptor 4, which is important to control Leptospira sp. load and disease. The use of inbred and transgenic mouse models opens up the field to the comprehensive study of immune responses to Leptospira sp. infection and subsequent pathophysiology of inflammation. It also allows for testing of drugs and vaccines in a biological system that can avail of a wealth of molecular tools that enable understanding of the mechanisms of action of protective vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gomes-Solecki
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center , Memphis, TN , USA
| | - Ignacio Santecchia
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Génétique de la Paroi Bactérienne, Paris, France; INSERM, équipe Avenir, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Werts
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Génétique de la Paroi Bactérienne, Paris, France; INSERM, équipe Avenir, Paris, France
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25
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Xu Y, Zheng H, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Zhang J, Li Z, Cui S, Xin X, Ye Q, Chang YF, Wang J. Genomic Analysis of a New Serovar of Leptospira weilii Serogroup Manhao. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:149. [PMID: 28210253 PMCID: PMC5288384 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp., is recognized as an important emerging zoonotic disease throughout the world. In this study, multiple approaches were used to characterize the recently discovered serovar Heyan strain L231. This strain can infect guinea pigs and belonged to the pathogenic species L. weilii. Genome sequencing analysis revealed the draft genome of 4.2 M bp with a G+C content of 40.67% for strain L231, and a total of 4,794 ORFs were identified. The strain L231 genome was found to have a larger LPS biosynthesis locus than that of strains L. interrogans serovar Lai and L. borgpetersenii serovar Hardjobovis. Phylogenomic reconstructions showed that the evolutionary position of L. weilii serovar Heyan was different from that of other serovars from serogroup Manhao. These findings may lead us to a better understanding of Leptospira pathogenesis and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghua Xu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control Beijing, China
| | - Huajun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, IRD, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China; Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech ParkShanghai, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control Beijing, China
| | - Yuezhu Wang
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Shanghai, China
| | - Jinlong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Li
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control Beijing, China
| | - Shenghui Cui
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofang Xin
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Ye
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control Beijing, China
| | - Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, USA
| | - Junzhi Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control Beijing, China
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26
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Kremer FS, Eslabão MR, Jorge S, Oliveira NR, Labonde J, Santos MNP, Monte LG, Grassmann AA, Cunha CEP, Forster KM, Moreno LZ, Moreno AM, Campos VF, McBride AJA, Pinto LS, Dellagostin OA. Draft genome of the Leptospira interrogans strains, Acegua, RCA, Prea, and Capivara, obtained from wildlife maintenance hosts and infected domestic animals. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2016; 111:280-3. [PMID: 27074260 PMCID: PMC4830120 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760160010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present paper, we announce new draft genomes of four Leptospira interrogans strains named Acegua, RCA, Prea, and Capivara. These strains were isolated in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from cattle, dog, Brazilian guinea pig, and capybara, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederico S Kremer
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Marcus R Eslabão
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Sérgio Jorge
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Natasha R Oliveira
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Julia Labonde
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Monize N P Santos
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Leonardo G Monte
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - André A Grassmann
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Carlos E P Cunha
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Karine M Forster
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | | | | | - Vinicius F Campos
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Alan J A McBride
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Luciano S Pinto
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
| | - Odir A Dellagostin
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
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27
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Lourdault K, Matsunaga J, Haake DA. High-Throughput Parallel Sequencing to Measure Fitness of Leptospira interrogans Transposon Insertion Mutants during Acute Infection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0005117. [PMID: 27824878 PMCID: PMC5100919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic species of Leptospira are the causative agents of leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease that causes mortality and morbidity worldwide. The understanding of the virulence mechanisms of Leptospira spp is still at an early stage due to the limited number of genetic tools available for this microorganism. The development of random transposon mutagenesis in pathogenic strains a decade ago has contributed to the identification of several virulence factors. In this study, we used the transposon sequencing (Tn-Seq) technique, which combines transposon mutagenesis with massive parallel sequencing, to study the in vivo fitness of a pool of Leptospira interrogans mutants. We infected hamsters with a pool of 42 mutants (input pool), which included control mutants with insertions in four genes previously analyzed by virulence testing (loa22, ligB, flaA1, and lic20111) and 23 mutants with disrupted signal transduction genes. We quantified the mutants in different tissues (blood, kidney and liver) at 4 days post-challenge by high-throughput sequencing and compared the frequencies of mutants recovered from tissues to their frequencies in the input pool. Control mutants that were less fit in the Tn-Seq experiment were attenuated for virulence when tested separately in the hamster model of lethal leptospirosis. Control mutants with unaltered fitness were as virulent as the wild-type strain. We identified two mutants with the transposon inserted in the same putative adenylate/guanylate cyclase gene (lic12327) that had reduced in vivo fitness in blood, kidney and liver. Both lic12327 mutants were attenuated for virulence when tested individually in hamsters. Growth of the control mutants and lic12327 mutants in culture medium were similar to that of the wild-type strain. These results demonstrate the feasibility of screening large pools of L. interrogans transposon mutants for those with altered fitness, and potentially attenuated virulence, by transposon sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristel Lourdault
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Departments of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - James Matsunaga
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Departments of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - David A. Haake
- Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Departments of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Departments of Urology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Departments of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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28
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Xu Y, Zhang J, Cui S, Li M, Zhang Y, Xue H, Xin X, Wang J. Genetic stability of vaccine strains by multilocus sequence typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis: Implications for quality control of the leptospiral vaccine. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2016; 11:1272-6. [PMID: 25806658 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2015.1020266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Quality control of vaccine strains is directly associated with the safety and efficacy of inactivated whole bacterial vaccines. The assessment of genetic stability is one of the essential elements to guarantee the quality of vaccine strains. The multiple-valence inactivated leptospiral vaccine, comprising the main circulating serogroups, has played an important role in the control of Leptospira infection in China. In the present study, to assess the genetic stability of vaccine strains and develop novel quality control tests that enhance and extend the existing procedures, 7 Chinese leptospiral vaccine strains were characterized during in vivo and in vitro passages by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis. The seven vaccine strains were found to have distinct sequence types (STs) and PFGE profiles. Further analysis showed that the ST and PFGE pattern of each vaccine strain, after in vivo or serial in vitro passages (up to 20 passages), were identical to those of the initial strain, demonstrating that these strains were genetically stable and homogeneous. Taken together, PFGE and MLST provide a reproducible and reliable means for confirming the identity and genetic stability of vaccine seeds, suggesting that these approaches can be used to evaluate the quality of leptospiral vaccine strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghua Xu
- a National Institutes for Food and Drug Control ; Beijing , PR China
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29
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Schons-Fonseca L, da Silva JB, Milanez JS, Domingos RH, Smith JL, Nakaya HI, Grossman AD, Ho PL, da Costa RMA. Analysis of LexA binding sites and transcriptomics in response to genotoxic stress in Leptospira interrogans. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:1179-91. [PMID: 26762976 PMCID: PMC4756842 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2015] [Revised: 12/15/2015] [Accepted: 12/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We determined the effects of DNA damage caused by ultraviolet radiation on gene expression in Leptospira interrogans using DNA microarrays. These data were integrated with DNA binding in vivo of LexA1, a regulator of the DNA damage response, assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation and massively parallel DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq). In response to DNA damage, Leptospira induced expression of genes involved in DNA metabolism, in mobile genetic elements and defective prophages. The DNA repair genes involved in removal of photo-damage (e.g. nucleotide excision repair uvrABC, recombinases recBCD and resolvases ruvABC) were not induced. Genes involved in various metabolic pathways were down regulated, including genes involved in cell growth, RNA metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. From ChIP-seq data, we observed 24 LexA1 binding sites located throughout chromosome 1 and one binding site in chromosome 2. Expression of many, but not all, genes near those sites was increased following DNA damage. Binding sites were found as far as 550 bp upstream from the start codon, or 1 kb into the coding sequence. Our findings indicate that there is a shift in gene expression following DNA damage that represses genes involved in cell growth and virulence, and induces genes involved in mutagenesis and recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciane Schons-Fonseca
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, MA 02139, USA
| | - Josefa B da Silva
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Juliana S Milanez
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Renan H Domingos
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Janet L Smith
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, MA 02139, USA
| | - Helder I Nakaya
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Alan D Grossman
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, MA 02139, USA
| | - Paulo L Ho
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Renata M A da Costa
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, São Paulo 09210580, Brazil
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30
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Whole genome sequencing revealed host adaptation-focused genomic plasticity of pathogenic Leptospira. Sci Rep 2016; 6:20020. [PMID: 26833181 PMCID: PMC4735792 DOI: 10.1038/srep20020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp., has recently been recognized as an emerging infectious disease worldwide. Despite its severity and global importance, knowledge about the molecular pathogenesis and virulence evolution of Leptospira spp. remains limited. Here we sequenced and analyzed 102 isolates representing global sources. A high genomic variability were observed among different Leptospira species, which was attributed to massive gene gain and loss events allowing for adaptation to specific niche conditions and changing host environments. Horizontal gene transfer and gene duplication allowed the stepwise acquisition of virulence factors in pathogenic Leptospira evolved from a recent common ancestor. More importantly, the abundant expansion of specific virulence-related protein families, such as metalloproteases-associated paralogs, were exclusively identified in pathogenic species, reflecting the importance of these protein families in the pathogenesis of leptospirosis. Our observations also indicated that positive selection played a crucial role on this bacteria adaptation to hosts. These novel findings may lead to greater understanding of the global diversity and virulence evolution of Leptospira spp.
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31
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Fouts DE, Matthias MA, Adhikarla H, Adler B, Amorim-Santos L, Berg DE, Bulach D, Buschiazzo A, Chang YF, Galloway RL, Haake DA, Haft DH, Hartskeerl R, Ko AI, Levett PN, Matsunaga J, Mechaly AE, Monk JM, Nascimento ALT, Nelson KE, Palsson B, Peacock SJ, Picardeau M, Ricaldi JN, Thaipandungpanit J, Wunder EA, Yang XF, Zhang JJ, Vinetz JM. What Makes a Bacterial Species Pathogenic?:Comparative Genomic Analysis of the Genus Leptospira. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004403. [PMID: 26890609 PMCID: PMC4758666 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis, caused by spirochetes of the genus Leptospira, is a globally widespread, neglected and emerging zoonotic disease. While whole genome analysis of individual pathogenic, intermediately pathogenic and saprophytic Leptospira species has been reported, comprehensive cross-species genomic comparison of all known species of infectious and non-infectious Leptospira, with the goal of identifying genes related to pathogenesis and mammalian host adaptation, remains a key gap in the field. Infectious Leptospira, comprised of pathogenic and intermediately pathogenic Leptospira, evolutionarily diverged from non-infectious, saprophytic Leptospira, as demonstrated by the following computational biology analyses: 1) the definitive taxonomy and evolutionary relatedness among all known Leptospira species; 2) genomically-predicted metabolic reconstructions that indicate novel adaptation of infectious Leptospira to mammals, including sialic acid biosynthesis, pathogen-specific porphyrin metabolism and the first-time demonstration of cobalamin (B12) autotrophy as a bacterial virulence factor; 3) CRISPR/Cas systems demonstrated only to be present in pathogenic Leptospira, suggesting a potential mechanism for this clade's refractoriness to gene targeting; 4) finding Leptospira pathogen-specific specialized protein secretion systems; 5) novel virulence-related genes/gene families such as the Virulence Modifying (VM) (PF07598 paralogs) proteins and pathogen-specific adhesins; 6) discovery of novel, pathogen-specific protein modification and secretion mechanisms including unique lipoprotein signal peptide motifs, Sec-independent twin arginine protein secretion motifs, and the absence of certain canonical signal recognition particle proteins from all Leptospira; and 7) and demonstration of infectious Leptospira-specific signal-responsive gene expression, motility and chemotaxis systems. By identifying large scale changes in infectious (pathogenic and intermediately pathogenic) vs. non-infectious Leptospira, this work provides new insights into the evolution of a genus of bacterial pathogens. This work will be a comprehensive roadmap for understanding leptospirosis pathogenesis. More generally, it provides new insights into mechanisms by which bacterial pathogens adapt to mammalian hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derrick E. Fouts
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Matthias
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Haritha Adhikarla
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Ben Adler
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Structural and Functional Microbial Genomics, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Luciane Amorim-Santos
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/MS, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Douglas E. Berg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Dieter Bulach
- Victorian Bioinformatics Consortium, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alejandro Buschiazzo
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Microbiology, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Institut Pasteur, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Paris, France
| | - Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine & Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Renee L. Galloway
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (DHHS, CDC, OID, NCEZID, DHCPP, BSPB), Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - David A. Haake
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel H. Haft
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Rudy Hartskeerl
- WHO/FAO/OIE and National Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis, KIT Biomedical Research, Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Albert I. Ko
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/MS, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Paul N. Levett
- Government of Saskatchewan, Disease Control Laboratory Regina, Canada
| | - James Matsunaga
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Ariel E. Mechaly
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Microbiology, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Jonathan M. Monk
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Ana L. T. Nascimento
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Programa Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Karen E. Nelson
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Bernhard Palsson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Sharon J. Peacock
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mathieu Picardeau
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Spirochetes Unit, National Reference Centre and WHO Collaborating Center for Leptospirosis, Paris, France
| | - Jessica N. Ricaldi
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt; Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado, Universidd Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Elsio A. Wunder
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/MS, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - X. Frank Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Jun-Jie Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Joseph M. Vinetz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt; Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado, Universidd Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Instituto de Medicina “Alexander von Humboldt,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
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32
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Lehmann JS, Corey VC, Ricaldi JN, Vinetz JM, Winzeler EA, Matthias MA. Whole Genome Shotgun Sequencing Shows Selection on Leptospira Regulatory Proteins During in vitro Culture Attenuation. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015; 94:302-313. [PMID: 26711524 PMCID: PMC4751964 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis is the most common zoonotic disease worldwide with an estimated 500,000 severe cases reported annually, and case fatality rates of 12–25%, due primarily to acute kidney and lung injuries. Despite its prevalence, the molecular mechanisms underlying leptospirosis pathogenesis remain poorly understood. To identify virulence-related genes in Leptospira interrogans, we delineated cumulative genome changes that occurred during serial in vitro passage of a highly virulent strain of L. interrogans serovar Lai into a nearly avirulent isogenic derivative. Comparison of protein coding and computationally predicted noncoding RNA (ncRNA) genes between these two polyclonal strains identified 15 nonsynonymous single nucleotide variant (nsSNV) alleles that increased in frequency and 19 that decreased, whereas no changes in allelic frequency were observed among the ncRNA genes. Some of the nsSNV alleles were in six genes shown previously to be transcriptionally upregulated during exposure to in vivo-like conditions. Five of these nsSNVs were in evolutionarily conserved positions in genes related to signal transduction and metabolism. Frequency changes of minor nsSNV alleles identified in this study likely contributed to the loss of virulence during serial in vitro culture. The identification of new virulence-associated genes should spur additional experimental inquiry into their potential role in Leptospira pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Michael A. Matthias
- *Address correspondence to Michael A. Matthias, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, BRF 2, Room 4A15, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760. E-mail:
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33
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Martins-Pinheiro M, Schons-Fonseca L, da Silva JB, Domingos RH, Momo LHS, Simões ACQ, Ho PL, da Costa RMA. Genomic survey and expression analysis of DNA repair genes in the genus Leptospira. Mol Genet Genomics 2015; 291:703-22. [PMID: 26527082 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-015-1135-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonosis with important economic and public health consequences and is caused by pathogenic leptospires. The genus Leptospira belongs to the order Spirochaetales and comprises saprophytic (L. biflexa), pathogenic (L. interrogans) and host-dependent (L. borgpetersenii) members. Here, we present an in silico search for DNA repair pathways in Leptospira spp. The relevance of such DNA repair pathways was assessed through the identification of mRNA levels of some genes during infection in animal model and after exposition to spleen cells. The search was performed by comparison of available Leptospira spp. genomes in public databases with known DNA repair-related genes. Leptospires exhibit some distinct and unexpected characteristics, for instance the existence of a redundant mechanism for repairing a chemically diverse spectrum of alkylated nucleobases, a new mutS-like gene and a new shorter version of uvrD. Leptospira spp. shares some characteristics from Gram-positive, as the presence of PcrA, two RecQ paralogs and two SSB proteins; the latter is considered a feature shared by naturally competent bacteria. We did not find a significant reduction in the number of DNA repair-related genes in both pathogenic and host-dependent species. Pathogenic leptospires were enriched for genes dedicated to base excision repair and non-homologous end joining. Their evolutionary history reveals a remarkable importance of lateral gene transfer events for the evolution of the genus. Up-regulation of specific DNA repair genes, including components of SOS regulon, during infection in animal model validates the critical role of DNA repair mechanisms for the complex interplay between host/pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marinalva Martins-Pinheiro
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-900, Brazil.,Departamento de Engenharia Química, Escola Politécnica, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luciane Schons-Fonseca
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Josefa B da Silva
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Renan H Domingos
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Carolina Quirino Simões
- Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, 09210-170, Brazil
| | - Paulo Lee Ho
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Renata M A da Costa
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, 09210-170, Brazil.
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34
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Pradeepkiran JA, Sainath SB, Kumar KK, Bhaskar M. Complete genome-wide screening and subtractive genomic approach revealed new virulence factors, potential drug targets against bio-war pathogen Brucella melitensis 16M. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2015; 9:1691-706. [PMID: 25834405 PMCID: PMC4371898 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s76948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Brucella melitensis 16M is a Gram-negative coccobacillus that infects both animals and humans. It causes a disease known as brucellosis, which is characterized by acute febrile illness in humans and causes abortions in livestock. To prevent and control brucellosis, identification of putative drug targets is crucial. The present study aimed to identify drug targets in B. melitensis 16M by using a subtractive genomic approach. We used available database repositories (Database of Essential Genes, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Automatic Annotation Server, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) to identify putative genes that are nonhomologous to humans and essential for pathogen B. melitensis 16M. The results revealed that among 3 Mb genome size of pathogen, 53 putative characterized and 13 uncharacterized hypothetical genes were identified; further, from Basic Local Alignment Search Tool protein analysis, one hypothetical protein showed a close resemblance (50%) to Silicibacter pomeroyi DUF1285 family protein (2RE3). A further homology model of the target was constructed using MODELLER 9.12 and optimized through variable target function method by molecular dynamics optimization with simulating annealing. The stereochemical quality of the restrained model was evaluated by PROCHECK, VERIFY-3D, ERRAT, and WHATIF servers. Furthermore, structure-based virtual screening was carried out against the predicted active site of the respective protein using the glycerol structural analogs from the PubChem database. We identified five best inhibitors with strong affinities, stable interactions, and also with reliable drug-like properties. Hence, these leads might be used as the most effective inhibitors of modeled protein. The outcome of the present work of virtual screening of putative gene targets might facilitate design of potential drugs for better treatment against brucellosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sri Bhashyam Sainath
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas, Porto, Portugal ; Department of Biotechnology, Vikrama Simhapuri University, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Konidala Kranthi Kumar
- Division of Animal Biotechnology, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India
| | - Matcha Bhaskar
- Division of Animal Biotechnology, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India
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Zeng LB, Zhuang XR, Huang LL, Zhang YY, Chen CY, Dong K, Zhang Y, Cui ZL, Ding XL, Chang YF, Guo XK, Zhu YZ. Comparative subproteome analysis of three representative Leptospira interrogans vaccine strains reveals cross-reactive antigens and novel virulence determinants. J Proteomics 2015; 112:27-37. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2014.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Revised: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Abstract
The mechanisms of disease pathogenesis in leptospirosis are poorly defined. Recent developments in the application of genetic tools in the study of Leptospira have advanced our understanding by allowing the assessment of mutants in animal models. As a result, a small number of essential virulence factors have been identified, though most do not have a clearly defined function. Significant advances have also been made in the in vitro characterization of leptospiral interaction with host structures, including extracellular matrix proteins (such as laminin, elastin, fibronectin, collagens), proteins related to hemostasis (fibrinogen, plasmin), and soluble mediators of complement resistance (factor H, C4b-binding protein), although none of these in vitro findings has been translated to the host animal. Binding to host structures may permit colonization of the host, prevention of blood clotting may contribute to hemorrhage, while interaction with complement resistance mediators may contribute to survival in serum. While not a classical intracellular pathogen, the interaction of leptospires and phagocytic cells appears complex, with bacteria surviving uptake and promoting apoptosis; mutants relating to these processes (such as cell invasion and oxidative stress resistance) are attenuated in vivo. Another feature of leptospiral biology is the high degree of functional redundancy and the surprising lack of attenuation of mutants in what appear to be certain virulence factors, such as LipL32 and LigB. While many advances have been made, there remains a lack of understanding of how Leptospira causes tissue pathology. It is likely that leptospires have many novel pathogenesis mechanisms that are yet to be identified.
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Lehmann JS, Matthias MA, Vinetz JM, Fouts DE. Leptospiral pathogenomics. Pathogens 2014; 3:280-308. [PMID: 25437801 PMCID: PMC4243447 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens3020280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2014] [Revised: 03/22/2014] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic spirochetes belonging to the genus Leptospira, is a zoonosis with important impacts on human and animal health worldwide. Research on the mechanisms of Leptospira pathogenesis has been hindered due to slow growth of infectious strains, poor transformability, and a paucity of genetic tools. As a result of second generation sequencing technologies, there has been an acceleration of leptospiral genome sequencing efforts in the past decade, which has enabled a concomitant increase in functional genomics analyses of Leptospira pathogenesis. A pathogenomics approach, by coupling of pan-genomic analysis of multiple isolates with sequencing of experimentally attenuated highly pathogenic Leptospira, has resulted in the functional inference of virulence factors. The global Leptospira Genome Project supported by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to which key scientific contributions have been made from the international leptospirosis research community has provided a new roadmap for comprehensive studies of Leptospira and leptospirosis well into the future. This review describes functional genomics approaches to apply the data generated by the Leptospira Genome Project towards deepening our knowledge of virulence factors of Leptospira using the emerging discipline of pathogenomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S Lehmann
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093-0741, USA.
| | - Michael A Matthias
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093-0741, USA.
| | - Joseph M Vinetz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093-0741, USA.
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Toma C, Murray GL, Nohara T, Mizuyama M, Koizumi N, Adler B, Suzuki T. Leptospiral outer membrane protein LMB216 is involved in enhancement of phagocytic uptake by macrophages. Cell Microbiol 2014; 16:1366-77. [DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Revised: 03/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Toma
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology; Graduate School of Medicine; University of the Ryukyus; Okinawa 903-0215 Japan
| | - Gerald L. Murray
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Structural and Functional Microbial Genomics; Department of Microbiology; Monash University; Clayton Vic. 3800 Australia
| | - Toshitsugu Nohara
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology; Graduate School of Medicine; University of the Ryukyus; Okinawa 903-0215 Japan
| | - Masaru Mizuyama
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology; Graduate School of Medicine; University of the Ryukyus; Okinawa 903-0215 Japan
| | - Nobuo Koizumi
- Department of Bacteriology I; National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Tokyo 162-8640 Japan
| | - Ben Adler
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Structural and Functional Microbial Genomics; Department of Microbiology; Monash University; Clayton Vic. 3800 Australia
| | - Toshihiko Suzuki
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology and Immunology; Graduate School of Medicine; University of the Ryukyus; Okinawa 903-0215 Japan
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Kersulyte D, Rossi M, Berg DE. Sequence divergence and conservation in genomes of Helicobacter cetorum strains from a dolphin and a whale. PLoS One 2013; 8:e83177. [PMID: 24358262 PMCID: PMC3866246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 11/08/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives Strains of Helicobacter cetorum have been cultured from several marine mammals and have been found to be closely related in 16 S rDNA sequence to the human gastric pathogen H. pylori, but their genomes were not characterized further. Methods The genomes of H. cetorum strains from a dolphin and a whale were sequenced completely using 454 technology and PCR and capillary sequencing. Results These genomes are 1.8 and 1.95 mb in size, some 7–26% larger than H. pylori genomes, and differ markedly from one another in gene content, and sequences and arrangements of shared genes. However, each strain is more related overall to H. pylori and its descendant H. acinonychis than to other known species. These H. cetorum strains lack cag pathogenicity islands, but contain novel alleles of the virulence-associated vacuolating cytotoxin (vacA) gene. Of particular note are (i) an extra triplet of vacA genes with ≤50% protein-level identity to each other in the 5′ two-thirds of the gene needed for host factor interaction; (ii) divergent sets of outer membrane protein genes; (iii) several metabolic genes distinct from those of H. pylori; (iv) genes for an iron-cofactored urease related to those of Helicobacter species from terrestrial carnivores, in addition to genes for a nickel co-factored urease; and (v) members of the slr multigene family, some of which modulate host responses to infection and improve Helicobacter growth with mammalian cells. Conclusions Our genome sequence data provide a glimpse into the novelty and great genetic diversity of marine helicobacters. These data should aid further analyses of microbial genome diversity and evolution and infection and disease mechanisms in vast and often fragile ocean ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dangeruta Kersulyte
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University Medical School, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Mirko Rossi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Douglas E Berg
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University Medical School, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
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