1
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Chen H, Zhou X, Dai W. Identification of antimicrobial-susceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa RpoA variant strains through positional conservation pattern. J Antimicrob Chemother 2024; 79:2298-2305. [PMID: 38990679 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkae228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) is a promising target for antimicrobial chemotherapy due to its indispensable role in bacterial growth and survival. Among its components, only the rpoB gene encoding the β-subunit is known for its association with rifampicin resistance. We recently identified a variant of the RNAP α-subunit (RpoA) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, conferring heightened bacterial susceptibility to antimicrobials. This susceptibility was attributed to the specific down-regulation of the MexEF-OprN efflux pump. OBJECTIVES We asked how to distinguish antimicrobial-susceptible variant strains from clinical isolates. METHODS In this study, we identified various P. aeruginosa RpoA variants from clinical sources. Using the sequence alignment of different bacterial RpoA species, we computed the positional conservation of substitutions in RpoA variants using Shannon Entropy. RESULTS Our findings revealed that selective RpoA variant strains exhibited distinct profiles of antimicrobial susceptibility. Notably, RpoA variant strains, containing single-substitutions in the C-terminal domain (α-CTD) but not the N-terminal domain (α-NTD), showed attenuated MexEF-OprN expression and increased susceptibility to MexEF-OprN-specific antibiotics. Furthermore, we observed a close correlation between the susceptibility of these α-CTD RpoA variant strains to antibiotics and the conservation degrees of positional substitutions. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate the prevalence of antimicrobial-susceptible RpoA variant strains among P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. The identified positional conservation pattern in our study facilitates the rapid classification of RpoA variant strains with distinct drug resistances. Given the high conservation of RNAP across bacterial species, our findings open a new therapeutic perspective for precisely and efficiently combating pathogenic RpoA variant strains with specific antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huali Chen
- Integrative Microbiology Research Center, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xiaoqing Zhou
- Integrative Microbiology Research Center, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Weijun Dai
- Integrative Microbiology Research Center, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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2
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Dulanto Chiang A, Dekker JP. Efflux pump-mediated resistance to new beta lactam antibiotics in multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:170. [PMID: 39210044 PMCID: PMC11362173 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00591-y] [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: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence and spread of bacteria resistant to commonly used antibiotics poses a critical threat to modern medical practice. Multiple classes of bacterial efflux pump systems play various roles in antibiotic resistance, and members of the resistance-nodulation-division (RND) transporter superfamily are among the most important determinants of efflux-mediated resistance in gram-negative bacteria. RND pumps demonstrate broad substrate specificities, facilitating extrusion of multiple chemical classes of antibiotics from the bacterial cell. Several newer beta-lactams and beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations (BL/BLI) have been developed to treat infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria. Here we review recent studies that suggest RND efflux pumps in clinically relevant gram-negative bacteria may play critical but underappreciated roles in the development of resistance to beta-lactams and novel BL/BLI combinations. Improved understanding of the genetic and structural basis of RND efflux pump-mediated resistance may identify new antibiotic targets as well as strategies to minimize the emergence of resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augusto Dulanto Chiang
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1211 Medical Center Drive, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - John P Dekker
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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3
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Ma X, Zeng J, Xiao W, Li W, Cheng J, Lin J. Relationship between Pyochelin and Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: A Direction for Future Research. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8611. [PMID: 39201297 PMCID: PMC11354437 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25168611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2024] [Revised: 08/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that requires iron to survive in the host; however, the host immune system limits the availability of iron. Pyochelin (PCH) is a major siderophore produced by P. aeruginosa during infection, which can help P. aeruginosa survive in an iron-restricted environment and cause infection. The infection activity of P. aeruginosa is regulated by the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) quorum-sensing system. The system uses 2-heptyl-3-hydroxy-4-quinolone (PQS) or its precursor, 2-heptyl-4-quinolone (HHQ), as the signal molecule. PQS can control specific life processes such as mediating quorum sensing, cytotoxicity, and iron acquisition. This review summarizes the biosynthesis of PCH and PQS, the shared transport system of PCH and PQS, and the regulatory relationship between PCH and PQS. The correlation between the PQS and PCH is emphasized to provide a new direction for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Juanli Cheng
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Jujube, College of Life Sciences, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China; (X.M.); (J.Z.); (W.X.); (W.L.)
| | - Jinshui Lin
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Jujube, College of Life Sciences, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China; (X.M.); (J.Z.); (W.X.); (W.L.)
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4
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Sendra E, Fernández-Muñoz A, Zamorano L, Oliver A, Horcajada JP, Juan C, Gómez-Zorrilla S. Impact of multidrug resistance on the virulence and fitness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a microbiological and clinical perspective. Infection 2024; 52:1235-1268. [PMID: 38954392 PMCID: PMC11289218 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-024-02313-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most common nosocomial pathogens and part of the top emergent species associated with antimicrobial resistance that has become one of the greatest threat to public health in the twenty-first century. This bacterium is provided with a wide set of virulence factors that contribute to pathogenesis in acute and chronic infections. This review aims to summarize the impact of multidrug resistance on the virulence and fitness of P. aeruginosa. Although it is generally assumed that acquisition of resistant determinants is associated with a fitness cost, several studies support that resistance mutations may not be associated with a decrease in virulence and/or that certain compensatory mutations may allow multidrug resistance strains to recover their initial fitness. We discuss the interplay between resistance profiles and virulence from a microbiological perspective but also the clinical consequences in outcomes and the economic impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Sendra
- Infectious Diseases Service, Hospital del Mar, Infectious Pathology and Antimicrobials Research Group (IPAR), Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CEXS-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Passeig Marítim 25-27, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Almudena Fernández-Muñoz
- Research Unit, University Hospital Son Espases-Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Microbiology Department, University Hospital Son Espases, Crtra. Valldemossa 79, 07010, Palma, Spain
| | - Laura Zamorano
- Research Unit, University Hospital Son Espases-Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Microbiology Department, University Hospital Son Espases, Crtra. Valldemossa 79, 07010, Palma, Spain
| | - Antonio Oliver
- Research Unit, University Hospital Son Espases-Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Microbiology Department, University Hospital Son Espases, Crtra. Valldemossa 79, 07010, Palma, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research in Infectious Diseases Network (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Pablo Horcajada
- Infectious Diseases Service, Hospital del Mar, Infectious Pathology and Antimicrobials Research Group (IPAR), Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CEXS-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Passeig Marítim 25-27, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research in Infectious Diseases Network (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Juan
- Research Unit, University Hospital Son Espases-Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Microbiology Department, University Hospital Son Espases, Crtra. Valldemossa 79, 07010, Palma, Spain.
- Center for Biomedical Research in Infectious Diseases Network (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Silvia Gómez-Zorrilla
- Infectious Diseases Service, Hospital del Mar, Infectious Pathology and Antimicrobials Research Group (IPAR), Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), CEXS-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Passeig Marítim 25-27, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
- Center for Biomedical Research in Infectious Diseases Network (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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5
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Lechtenberg T, Wynands B, Müller MF, Polen T, Noack S, Wierckx N. Improving 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) tolerance of Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 by automated adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE). Metab Eng Commun 2024; 18:e00235. [PMID: 38832093 PMCID: PMC11144800 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2024.e00235] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The aldehyde 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) is of great importance for a circular bioeconomy. It is a renewable platform chemical that can be converted into a range of useful compounds to replace petroleum-based products such as the green plastic monomer 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). However, it also exhibits microbial toxicity for example hindering the efficient biotechnological valorization of lignocellulosic hydrolysates. Thus, there is an urgent need for tolerance-improved organisms applicable to whole-cell biocatalysis. Here, we engineer an oxidation-deficient derivative of the naturally robust and emerging biotechnological workhorse P. taiwanensis VLB120 by robotics-assisted adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE). The deletion of HMF-oxidizing enzymes enabled for the first time evolution under constant selection pressure by the aldehyde, yielding strains with consistently improved growth characteristics in presence of the toxicant. Genome sequencing of evolved clones revealed loss-of function mutations in the LysR-type transcriptional regulator-encoding mexT preventing expression of the associated efflux pump mexEF-oprN. This knowledge allowed reverse engineering of strains with enhanced aldehyde tolerance, even in a background of active or overexpressed HMF oxidation machinery, demonstrating a synergistic effect of two distinct tolerance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Lechtenberg
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Benedikt Wynands
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Moritz-Fabian Müller
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Tino Polen
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Stephan Noack
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Nick Wierckx
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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6
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Laborda P, Molin S, Johansen HK, Martínez JL, Hernando-Amado S. Role of bacterial multidrug efflux pumps during infection. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 40:226. [PMID: 38822187 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-04042-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Multidrug efflux pumps are protein complexes located in the cell envelope that enable bacteria to expel, not only antibiotics, but also a wide array of molecules relevant for infection. Hence, they are important players in microbial pathogenesis. On the one hand, efflux pumps can extrude exogenous compounds, including host-produced antimicrobial molecules. Through this extrusion, pathogens can resist antimicrobial agents and evade host defenses. On the other hand, efflux pumps also have a role in the extrusion of endogenous compounds, such as bacterial intercommunication signaling molecules, virulence factors or metabolites. Therefore, efflux pumps are involved in the modulation of bacterial behavior and virulence, as well as in the maintenance of the bacterial homeostasis under different stresses found within the host. This review delves into the multifaceted roles that efflux pumps have, shedding light on their impact on bacterial virulence and their contribution to bacterial infection. These observations suggest that strategies targeting bacterial efflux pumps could both reinvigorate the efficacy of existing antibiotics and modulate the bacterial pathogenicity to the host. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of bacterial efflux pumps can be pivotal for the development of new effective strategies for the management of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Laborda
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, 9301, Denmark.
| | - Søren Molin
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Helle Krogh Johansen
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, 9301, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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7
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Chain C, Sheehan JP, Xu X, Ghaffari S, Godbole A, Kim H, Freundlich JS, Rabinowitz JD, Gitai Z. A folate inhibitor exploits metabolic differences in Pseudomonas aeruginosa for narrow-spectrum targeting. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:1207-1219. [PMID: 38594311 PMCID: PMC11087268 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01665-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections for which the development of antibiotics is urgently needed. Unlike most enteric bacteria, P. aeruginosa lacks enzymes required to scavenge exogenous thymine. An appealing strategy to selectively target P. aeruginosa is to disrupt thymidine synthesis while providing exogenous thymine. However, known antibiotics that perturb thymidine synthesis are largely inactive against P. aeruginosa.Here we characterize fluorofolin, a dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitor derived from Irresistin-16, that exhibits significant activity against P. aeruginosa in culture and in a mouse thigh infection model. Fluorofolin is active against a wide range of clinical P. aeruginosa isolates resistant to known antibiotics. Metabolomics and in vitro assays using purified folA confirm that fluorofolin inhibits P. aeruginosa DHFR. Importantly, in the presence of thymine supplementation, fluorofolin activity is selective for P. aeruginosa. Resistance to fluorofolin can emerge through overexpression of the efflux pumps MexCD-OprJ and MexEF-OprN, but these mutants also decrease pathogenesis. Our findings demonstrate how understanding species-specific genetic differences can enable selective targeting of important pathogens while revealing trade-offs between resistance and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Chain
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Joseph P Sheehan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Xincheng Xu
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Soodabeh Ghaffari
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Aneesh Godbole
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University - New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Hahn Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Small Molecule Screening Center, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Joel S Freundlich
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University - New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine and the Ruy V. Lourenço Center for the Study of Emerging and Re-emerging Pathogens, Rutgers University - New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Joshua D Rabinowitz
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Princeton Branch, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Zemer Gitai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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8
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Jiang B, Qiu H, Lu C, Lu M, Li Y, Dai W. Uncovering the GacS-mediated role in evolutionary progression through trajectory reconstruction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:3856-3869. [PMID: 38477346 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The genetic diversities of subpopulations drive the evolution of pathogens and affect their ability to infect hosts and cause diseases. However, most studies to date have focused on the identification and characterization of adaptive mutations in single colonies, which do not accurately reflect the phenotypes of an entire population. Here, to identify the composition of variant subpopulations within a pathogen population, we developed a streamlined approach that combines high-throughput sequencing of the entire population cells with genotyping of single colonies. Using this method, we reconstructed a detailed quorum-sensing (QS) evolutionary trajectory in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our results revealed a new adaptive mutation in the gacS gene, which codes for a histidine kinase sensor of a two-component system (TCS), during QS evolution. This mutation reduced QS activity, allowing the variant to sweep throughout the whole population, while still being vulnerable to invasion by the emerging QS master regulator LasR-null mutants. By tracking the evolutionary trajectory, we found that mutations in gacS facilitated QS-rewiring in the LasR-null mutant. This rapid QS revertant caused by inactive GacS was found to be associated with the promotion of ribosome biogenesis and accompanied by a trade-off of reduced bacterial virulence on host cells. In conclusion, our findings highlight the crucial role of the global regulator GacS in modulating the progression of QS evolution and the virulence of the pathogen population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Jiang
- Integrative Microbiology Research Center, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Huifang Qiu
- Integrative Microbiology Research Center, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Chenghui Lu
- Integrative Microbiology Research Center, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Mingqi Lu
- Integrative Microbiology Research Center, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yuanhao Li
- Integrative Microbiology Research Center, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Weijun Dai
- Integrative Microbiology Research Center, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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9
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Ren J, Wang M, Zhou W, Liu Z. Efflux pumps as potential targets for biofilm inhibition. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1315238. [PMID: 38596384 PMCID: PMC11002903 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1315238] [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: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Biofilms account for a great deal of infectious diseases and contribute significantly to antimicrobial resistance. Efflux pumps confer antimicrobial resistance to microorganisms and involve multiple processes of biofilm formation. Efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) are attracting considerable attention as a biofilm inhibition strategy. The regulatory functions of efflux pumps in biofilm formation such as mediating adherence, quorum sensing (QS) systems, and the expression of biofilm-associated genes have been increasingly identified. The versatile properties confer efflux pumps both positive and negative effects on biofilm formation. Furthermore, the expression and function of efflux pumps in biofilm formation are species-specific. Therefore, this review aims to detail the double-edged sword role of efflux pumps in biofilm formation to provide potential inhibition targets and give an overview of the effects of EPIs on biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Wenjuan Zhou
- Department of Implantology, Yantai Stomatological Hospital Affiliated to Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
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10
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Kristensen R, Andersen JB, Rybtke M, Jansen CU, Fritz BG, Kiilerich RO, Uhd J, Bjarnsholt T, Qvortrup K, Tolker-Nielsen T, Givskov M, Jakobsen TH. Inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing by chemical induction of the MexEF-oprN efflux pump. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0138723. [PMID: 38189278 PMCID: PMC10848761 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01387-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The cell-to-cell communication system quorum sensing (QS), used by various pathogenic bacteria to synchronize gene expression and increase host invasion potentials, is studied as a potential target for persistent infection control. To search for novel molecules targeting the QS system in the Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a chemical library consisting of 3,280 small compounds from LifeArc was screened. A series of 10 conjugated phenones that have not previously been reported to target bacteria were identified as inhibitors of QS in P. aeruginosa. Two lead compounds (ethylthio enynone and propylthio enynone) were re-synthesized for verification of activity and further elucidation of the mode of action. The isomeric pure Z-ethylthio enynone was used for RNA sequencing, revealing a strong inhibitor of QS-regulated genes, and the QS-regulated virulence factors rhamnolipid and pyocyanin were significantly decreased by treatment with the compounds. A transposon mutagenesis screen performed in a newly constructed lasB-gfp monitor strain identified the target of Z-ethylthio enynone in P. aeruginosa to be the MexEF-OprN efflux pump, which was further established using defined mex knockout mutants. Our data indicate that the QS inhibitory capabilities of Z-ethylthio enynone were caused by the drainage of intracellular signal molecules as a response to chemical-induced stimulation of the MexEF-oprN efflux pump, thereby inhibiting the autogenerated positive feedback and its enhanced signal-molecule synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasmus Kristensen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Bo Andersen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Rybtke
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Blaine Gabriel Fritz
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rikke Overgaard Kiilerich
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jesper Uhd
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Thomas Bjarnsholt
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katrine Qvortrup
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tim Tolker-Nielsen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Givskov
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tim Holm Jakobsen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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11
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He W, Jiang M, Li Y, Ge X. Identification of the Major Facilitator Superfamily Efflux Pump KpsrMFS in Klebsiella pneumoniae That Is Down-Regulated in the Presence of Multi-Stress Factors. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1466. [PMID: 38338743 PMCID: PMC10855805 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Efflux pumps play important roles in bacterial detoxification and some of them are stress-response elements that are up-regulated when the host is treated with antibiotics. However, efflux pumps that are down-regulated by stimulations are rarely discovered. Herein, we analyzed multiple transcriptome data and discovered a special (Major Facilitator Superfamily) MFS efflux pump, KpsrMFS, from Klebsiella pneumoniae, which was down-regulated when treated with antibiotics or extra carbon sources. Interestingly, overexpression of kpsrmfs resulted in halted cell growth in normal conditions, while the viable cells were rarely affected. The function of KpsrMFS was further analyzed and this efflux pump was determined to be a proton-driven transporter that can reduce the intracellular tetracycline concentration. In normal conditions, the expression of kpsrmfs was at a low level, while artificial overexpression of it led to increased endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Moreover, by comparing the functions of adjacent genes of kpsrmfs, we further discovered another four genes that can confer similar phenotypes, indicating a special regulon that regulates cell growth. Our work provides new insights into the roles of efflux pumps and suggests a possible regulon that may regulate cell growth and endogenous ROS levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ying Li
- College of Biochemical Engineering, Beijing Union University, Beijing 100023, China
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12
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Kostylev M, Smalley NE, Chao MH, Greenberg EP. Relationship of the transcription factor MexT to quorum sensing and virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0022623. [PMID: 38032211 PMCID: PMC10729655 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00226-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen. Many of its virulence genes are regulated by quorum sensing (QS), a form of cell-to-cell communication. P. aeruginosa QS consists of three interlinked circuits, LasI-R, Rhl-R, and Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS). Additionally, its QS system is interconnected with other regulatory networks, which help optimize gene expression under variable conditions. The numbers of genes regulated by QS differ substantially among P. aeruginosa strains. We show that a regulatory factor MexT, which is activated in response to certain antibiotics, downregulates the RhlI-R circuit and in turn measurably lowers virulence in a nematode worm infection model. Our findings help understand how existing and future therapeutic interventions for P. aeruginosa infections may impact this bacterium's gene regulation and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim Kostylev
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Nicole E. Smalley
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Man Hou Chao
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - E. Peter Greenberg
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
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13
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Cai W, Liao H, Lu M, Zhou X, Cheng X, Staehelin C, Dai W. New Evolutionary Insights into RpoA: A Novel Quorum Sensing Reprograming Factor in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad203. [PMID: 37708386 PMCID: PMC10566545 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Quorum-sensing (QS) coordinates the expression of virulence factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen known for causing severe infections in immunocompromised patients. QS has a master regulator, the lasR gene, but in clinical settings, P. aeruginosa isolates have been found that are QS-active but LasR-null. In this study, we developed an experimental evolutionary approach to identify additional QS-reprogramming determinants. We began the study with a LasR-null mutant with an extra copy of mexT, a transcriptional regulator gene that is known to be able to reprogram QS in laboratory LasR-null strains. In this strain, spontaneous single mexT mutations are expected to have no or little phenotypic consequences. Using this novel method, which we have named "targeted gene duplication followed by mutant screening", we identified QS-active revertants with mutations in genes other than mexT. One QS-active revertant had a point mutation in rpoA, a gene encoding the α-subunit of RNA polymerase. QS activation in this mutant was found to be associated with the downregulated expression of mexEF-oprN efflux pump genes. Our study therefore uncovers a new functional role for RpoA in regulating QS activity. Our results indicate that a RpoA-dependent regulatory circuit controlling the expression of the mexEF-oprN operon is critical for QS-reprogramming. In conclusion, our study reports on the identification of non-MexT proteins associated with QS-reprogramming in a laboratory strain, shedding light on possible QS activation mechanisms in clinical P. aeruginosa isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Cai
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Plant Protection, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huimin Liao
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Plant Protection, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mingqi Lu
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Plant Protection, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiangting Zhou
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Plant Protection, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Cheng
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Plant Protection, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Christian Staehelin
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weijun Dai
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Plant Protection, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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14
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Jordana-Lluch E, Barceló IM, Escobar-Salom M, Estévez MA, Zamorano L, Gómez-Zorrilla S, Sendra E, Oliver A, Juan C. The balance between antibiotic resistance and fitness/virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: an update on basic knowledge and fundamental research. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1270999. [PMID: 37840717 PMCID: PMC10569695 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1270999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The interplay between antibiotic resistance and bacterial fitness/virulence has attracted the interest of researchers for decades because of its therapeutic implications, since it is classically assumed that resistance usually entails certain biological costs. Reviews on this topic revise the published data from a general point of view, including studies based on clinical strains or in vitro-evolved mutants in which the resistance phenotype is seen as a final outcome, i.e., a combination of mechanisms. However, a review analyzing the resistance/fitness balance from the basic research perspective, compiling studies in which the different resistance pathways and respective biological costs are individually approached, was missing. Here we cover this gap, specifically focusing on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen that stands out because of its extraordinary capacity for resistance development and for which a considerable number of recent and particular data on the interplay with fitness/virulence have been released. The revised information, split into horizontally-acquired vs. mutation-driven resistance, suggests a great complexity and even controversy in the resistance-fitness/virulence balance in the acute infection context, with results ranging from high costs linked to certain pathways to others that are seemingly cost-free or even cases of resistance mechanisms contributing to increased pathogenic capacities. The elusive mechanistic basis for some enigmatic data, knowledge gaps, and possibilities for therapeutic exploitation are discussed. The information gathered suggests that resistance-fitness/virulence interplay may be a source of potential antipseudomonal targets and thus, this review poses the elementary first step for the future development of these strategies harnessing certain resistance-associated biological burdens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Jordana-Lluch
- Research Unit, University Hospital Son Espases-Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Son Espases, Palma, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Mª Barceló
- Research Unit, University Hospital Son Espases-Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Son Espases, Palma, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Escobar-Salom
- Research Unit, University Hospital Son Espases-Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Son Espases, Palma, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A. Estévez
- Research Unit, University Hospital Son Espases-Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Son Espases, Palma, Spain
| | - Laura Zamorano
- Research Unit, University Hospital Son Espases-Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Son Espases, Palma, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia Gómez-Zorrilla
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
- Infectious Diseases Service, Hospital del Mar, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelóna (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Sendra
- Infectious Diseases Service, Hospital del Mar, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelóna (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Oliver
- Research Unit, University Hospital Son Espases-Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Son Espases, Palma, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Juan
- Research Unit, University Hospital Son Espases-Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Son Espases, Palma, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
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15
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Zhang S, Wang J, Ahn J. Advances in the Discovery of Efflux Pump Inhibitors as Novel Potentiators to Control Antimicrobial-Resistant Pathogens. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1417. [PMID: 37760714 PMCID: PMC10525980 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12091417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The excessive use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens in clinical settings and food-producing animals, posing significant challenges to clinical management and food control. Over the past few decades, the discovery of antimicrobials has slowed down, leading to a lack of treatment options for clinical infectious diseases and foodborne illnesses. Given the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance and the limited availability of effective antibiotics, the discovery of novel antibiotic potentiators may prove useful for the treatment of bacterial infections. The application of antibiotics combined with antibiotic potentiators has demonstrated successful outcomes in bench-scale experiments and clinical settings. For instance, the use of efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) in combination with antibiotics showed effective inhibition of MDR pathogens. Thus, this review aims to enable the possibility of using novel EPIs as potential adjuvants to effectively control MDR pathogens. Specifically, it provides a comprehensive summary of the advances in novel EPI discovery and the underlying mechanisms that restore antimicrobial activity. In addition, we also characterize plant-derived EPIs as novel potentiators. This review provides insights into current challenges and potential strategies for future advancements in fighting antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jun Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
| | - Juhee Ahn
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea;
- Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
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16
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Hajiagha MN, Kafil HS. Efflux pumps and microbial biofilm formation. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023:105459. [PMID: 37271271 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Biofilm-related infections are resistant forms of pathogens that are regarded as a medical problem, particularly due to the spread of multiple drug resistance. One of the factors associated with biofilm drug resistance is the presence of various types of efflux pumps in bacteria. Efflux pumps also play a role in biofilm formation by influencing Physical-chemical interactions, mobility, gene regulation, quorum sensing (QS), extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and toxic compound extrusion. According to the findings of studies based on efflux pump expression analysis, their role in the anatomical position within the biofilm will differ depending on the biofilm formation stage, encoding gene expression level, the type and concentration of substrate. In some cases, the function of the efflux pumps can overlap with each other, so it seems necessary to accurate identify the efflux pumps of biofilm-forming bacteria along with their function in this process. Such studies will help to choose treatment strategy, at least in combination with antibiotics. Furthermore, if the goal of treatment is an efflux pump manipulation, we should not limit it to inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdyeh Neghabi Hajiagha
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Samadi Kafil
- Drug Applied Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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17
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Yamasaki S, Zwama M, Yoneda T, Hayashi-Nishino M, Nishino K. Drug resistance and physiological roles of RND multidrug efflux pumps in Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169:001322. [PMID: 37319001 PMCID: PMC10333786 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Drug efflux pumps transport antimicrobial agents out of bacteria, thereby reducing the intracellular antimicrobial concentration, which is associated with intrinsic and acquired bacterial resistance to these antimicrobials. As genome analysis has advanced, many drug efflux pump genes have been detected in the genomes of bacterial species. In addition to drug resistance, these pumps are involved in various essential physiological functions, such as bacterial adaptation to hostile environments, toxin and metabolite efflux, biofilm formation and quorum sensing. In Gram-negative bacteria, efflux pumps in the resistance–nodulation–division (RND) superfamily play a clinically important role. In this review, we focus on Gram-negative bacteria, including Salmonella enterica , Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and discuss the role of RND efflux pumps in drug resistance and physiological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seiji Yamasaki
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Osaka University, 1-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Martijn Zwama
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Yoneda
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Mitsuko Hayashi-Nishino
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Nishino
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, 2-8 Yamadaoka, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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18
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De Gaetano GV, Lentini G, Famà A, Coppolino F, Beninati C. Antimicrobial Resistance: Two-Component Regulatory Systems and Multidrug Efflux Pumps. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:965. [PMID: 37370284 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12060965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of multidrug-resistant bacteria is rapidly spreading worldwide. Among the various mechanisms determining resistance to antimicrobial agents, multidrug efflux pumps play a noteworthy role because they export extraneous and noxious substrates from the inside to the outside environment of the bacterial cell contributing to multidrug resistance (MDR) and, consequently, to the failure of anti-infective therapies. The expression of multidrug efflux pumps can be under the control of transcriptional regulators and two-component systems (TCS). TCS are a major mechanism by which microorganisms sense and reply to external and/or intramembrane stimuli by coordinating the expression of genes involved not only in pathogenic pathways but also in antibiotic resistance. In this review, we describe the influence of TCS on multidrug efflux pump expression and activity in some Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Taking into account the strict correlation between TCS and multidrug efflux pumps, the development of drugs targeting TCS, alone or together with already discovered efflux pump inhibitors, may represent a beneficial strategy to contribute to the fight against growing antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Germana Lentini
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98124 Messina, Italy
| | - Agata Famà
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98124 Messina, Italy
| | - Francesco Coppolino
- Department of Biomedical, Dental and Imaging Sciences, University of Messina, 98124 Messina, Italy
| | - Concetta Beninati
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98124 Messina, Italy
- Scylla Biotech Srl, 98124 Messina, Italy
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19
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Moore-Machacek A, Gloe A, O'Leary N, Reen FJ. Efflux, Signaling and Warfare in a Polymicrobial World. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12040731. [PMID: 37107093 PMCID: PMC10135244 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12040731] [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] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery void of antimicrobial development has occurred at a time when the world has seen a rapid emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, the 'perfect storm' as it has often been described. While the discovery and development of new antibiotics has continued in the research sphere, the pipeline to clinic has largely been fed by derivatives of existing classes of antibiotics, each prone to pre-existing resistance mechanisms. A novel approach to infection management has come from the ecological perspective whereby microbial networks and evolved communities already possess small molecular capabilities for pathogen control. The spatiotemporal nature of microbial interactions is such that mutualism and parasitism are often two ends of the same stick. Small molecule efflux inhibitors can directly target antibiotic efflux, a primary resistance mechanism adopted by many species of bacteria and fungi. However, a much broader anti-infective capability resides within the action of these inhibitors, borne from the role of efflux in key physiological and virulence processes, including biofilm formation, toxin efflux, and stress management. Understanding how these behaviors manifest within complex polymicrobial communities is key to unlocking the full potential of the advanced repertoires of efflux inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antje Gloe
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University of Bonn, D-53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Niall O'Leary
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland
| | - F Jerry Reen
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland
- Synthesis and Solid-State Pharmaceutical Centre, University College Cork, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland
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20
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Wang M, Lian Y, Wang Y, Zhu L. The role and mechanism of quorum sensing on environmental antimicrobial resistance. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 322:121238. [PMID: 36758922 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
As more environmental contaminants emerging, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have caused a substantial increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in environment. Quorum sensing (QS) is a bacterial cell-to-cell communication process that regulates many traits and gene expression, including ARGs and the related genes that contribute to AMR development. Herein, we summarize the role, physiology, and genetic mechanisms of bacterial QS in AMR development in the environment. First, the effect of QS on AMR is introduced. Next, the role of QS in bacterial physiological behaviors that promote AMR development, including membrane permeability, tactic movement, biofilm formation, persister formation, and small colony variants (SCVs), is systematically analyzed. Furthermore, the regulation of QS on the expression of ARGs, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which affects ARGs formation, and horizontal gene transfer (HGT), which accelerates the transmission of ARGs, are discussed to reveal the molecular mechanism for AMR development. This review provides a reference for a better understanding of AMR evolution and novel insights into AMR prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meizhen Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Yulu Lian
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Yujie Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China.
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21
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Lorusso AB, Carrara JA, Barroso CDN, Tuon FF, Faoro H. Role of Efflux Pumps on Antimicrobial Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:15779. [PMID: 36555423 PMCID: PMC9779380 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is an old and silent pandemic. Resistant organisms emerge in parallel with new antibiotics, leading to a major global public health crisis over time. Antibiotic resistance may be due to different mechanisms and against different classes of drugs. These mechanisms are usually found in the same organism, giving rise to multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacteria. One resistance mechanism that is closely associated with the emergence of MDR and XDR bacteria is the efflux of drugs since the same pump can transport different classes of drugs. In Gram-negative bacteria, efflux pumps are present in two configurations: a transmembrane protein anchored in the inner membrane and a complex formed by three proteins. The tripartite complex has a transmembrane protein present in the inner membrane, a periplasmic protein, and a porin associated with the outer membrane. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one of the main pathogens associated with respiratory tract infections, four main sets of efflux pumps have been associated with antibiotic resistance: MexAB-OprM, MexXY, MexCD-OprJ, and MexEF-OprN. In this review, the function, structure, and regulation of these efflux pumps in P. aeruginosa and their actions as resistance mechanisms are discussed. Finally, a brief discussion on the potential of efflux pumps in P. aeruginosa as a target for new drugs is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre Bittencourt Lorusso
- Laboratory for Applied Science and Technology in Health, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Curitiba 81350-010, Brazil
- School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba 80215-901, Brazil
| | - João Antônio Carrara
- Laboratory for Applied Science and Technology in Health, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Curitiba 81350-010, Brazil
| | | | - Felipe Francisco Tuon
- Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba 80215-901, Brazil
| | - Helisson Faoro
- Laboratory for Applied Science and Technology in Health, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Curitiba 81350-010, Brazil
- CHU de Quebec Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Disease and Immunology, University Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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22
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Low Ciprofloxacin Concentrations Select Multidrug-Resistant Mutants Overproducing Efflux Pumps in Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0072322. [PMID: 36000896 PMCID: PMC9603996 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00723-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Low antibiotic concentrations present in natural environments are a severe and often neglected threat to public health. Even if they are present below their MICs, they may select for antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Notably, the minimal subinhibitory concentrations that select resistant bacteria, and define the respective sub-MIC selective windows, differ between antibiotics. The establishment of these selective concentrations is needed for risk-assessment studies regarding the presence of antibiotics in different habitats. Using short-term evolution experiments in a set of 12 Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates (including high-risk clones with ubiquitous distribution), we have determined that ciprofloxacin sub-MIC selective windows are strain specific and resistome dependent. Nonetheless, in all cases, clinically relevant multidrug-resistant (MDR) mutants emerged upon exposure to low ciprofloxacin concentrations, with these concentrations being below the levels reported in ciprofloxacin-polluted natural habitats where P. aeruginosa can be present. This feature expands the conditions and habitats where clinically relevant quinolone-resistant mutants can emerge. In addition, we established the lowest concentration threshold beyond which P. aeruginosa, regardless of the strain, becomes resistant to ciprofloxacin. Three days of exposure under this sub-MIC "risk concentration" led to the selection of MDR mutants that displayed resistance mechanisms usually ascribed to high selective pressures, i.e., the overproduction of the efflux pumps MexCD-OprJ and MexEF-OprN. From a One-Health viewpoint, these data stress the transcendent role of low drug concentrations, which can be encountered in natural ecosystems, in aggravating the antibiotic resistance problem, especially when it comes to pathogens of environmental origin. IMPORTANCE It has been established that antibiotic concentrations below MICs can select antibiotic-resistant pathogens, a feature of relevance for analyzing the role of nonclinical ecosystems in antibiotic resistance evolution. The range of concentrations where this selection occurs defines the sub-MIC selective window, whose width depends on the antibiotic. Herein, we have determined the ciprofloxacin sub-MIC selective windows of a set of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates (including high-risk clones with worldwide distribution) and established the lowest concentration threshold, notably an amount reported to be present in natural ecosystems, beyond which this pathogen acquires resistance. Importantly, our results show that this ciprofloxacin sub-MIC selects for multidrug-resistant mutants overproducing clinically relevant efflux pumps. From a One-Health angle, this information supports that low antimicrobial concentrations, present in natural environments, may have a relevant role in worsening the antibiotic resistance crisis, particularly regarding pathogens with environmental niches, such as P. aeruginosa.
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23
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Zgurskaya HI, Adamiak JW, Leus IV. Making sense of drug-efflux transporters in the physiological environment. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 69:102179. [PMID: 35882103 PMCID: PMC9942525 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial drug-efflux transporters act synergistically with diffusion barriers of cellular membranes and other resistance mechanisms to protect cells from antibiotics and toxic metabolites. Their critical roles in clinical antibiotic and multidrug resistance are well established. In addition, a large body of evidence has been accumulated in support of their important contributions to bacterial growth and proliferation during infections. However, how these diverse functions of drug transporters are integrated at the level of bacterial cell physiology remains unclear. This opinion briefly summarizes the current understanding of substrate specificities and physiological roles of drug-efflux pumps from Resistance-Nodulation-Division (RND) superfamily of proteins in two ESKAPE pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Based on the analysis of phenotypic and transcriptomic studies in vitro and in vivo, we propose that RND pumps of Gram-negative bacteria fall into three categories: constitutively expressed, regulated, and silent. These three categories of efflux pumps participate in different physiological programs, which are not involved in the central metabolism and bacterial growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen I Zgurskaya
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USA.
| | - Justyna W Adamiak
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USA
| | - Inga V Leus
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USA
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24
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Rajput A, Tsunemoto H, Sastry AV, Szubin R, Rychel K, Chauhan SM, Pogliano J, Palsson BO. Advanced transcriptomic analysis reveals the role of efflux pumps and media composition in antibiotic responses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:9675-9688. [PMID: 36095122 PMCID: PMC9508857 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen and major cause of hospital-acquired infections. The virulence of P. aeruginosa is largely determined by its transcriptional regulatory network (TRN). We used 411 transcription profiles of P. aeruginosa from diverse growth conditions to construct a quantitative TRN by identifying independently modulated sets of genes (called iModulons) and their condition-specific activity levels. The current study focused on the use of iModulons to analyze the biofilm production and antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa. Our analysis revealed: (i) 116 iModulons, 81 of which show strong association with known regulators; (ii) novel roles of regulators in modulating antibiotics efflux pumps; (iii) substrate-efflux pump associations; (iv) differential iModulon activity in response to beta-lactam antibiotics in bacteriological and physiological media; (v) differential activation of 'Cell Division' iModulon resulting from exposure to different beta-lactam antibiotics and (vi) a role of the PprB iModulon in the stress-induced transition from planktonic to biofilm lifestyle. In light of these results, the construction of an iModulon-based TRN provides a transcriptional regulatory basis for key aspects of P. aeruginosa infection, such as antibiotic stress responses and biofilm formation. Taken together, our results offer a novel mechanistic understanding of P. aeruginosa virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Rajput
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hannah Tsunemoto
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Anand V Sastry
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Richard Szubin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kevin Rychel
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Siddharth M Chauhan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joe Pogliano
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Bernhard O Palsson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 220, 2800 Kongens, Lyngby, Denmark
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Ding F, Han L, Xue Y, Yang IT, Fan X, Tang R, Zhang C, Zhu M, Tian X, Shao P, Zhang M. Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is predisposed to lasR mutation through up-regulated activity of efflux pumps in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis patients. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:934439. [PMID: 35967851 PMCID: PMC9363577 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.934439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundMultidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a frequent opportunistic pathogen that causes significant mortality in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB). Although the quorum sensing (QS) system is a potential target for treatment, lasR mutants that present with a QS-deficient phenotype have been frequently reported among clinical P. aeruginosa isolates. We aimed to investigate whether antibiotic resistance would select for lasR mutants during chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection and determine the mechanism underlying the phenomenon.MethodsWe prospectively evaluated episodes of chronic P. aeruginosa lung infections in NCFB patients over a 2-year period at two centers of our institution. QS phenotypic assessments and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of P. aeruginosa isolates were performed. Evolution experiments were conducted to confirm the emergence of lasR mutants in clinical MDR P. aeruginosa cultures.ResultsWe analyzed episodes of P. aeruginosa infection among 97 NCFB patients and found only prior carbapenem exposure independently predictive of the isolation of MDR P. aeruginosa strains. Compared with non-MDR isolates, MDR isolates presented significantly QS-deficient phenotypes, which could not be complemented by the exogenous addition of 3OC12-HSL. The paired isolates showed that their QS-phenotype deficiency occurred after MDR was developed. Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed that lasR nonsynonymous mutations were significantly more frequent in MDR isolates, and positive correlations of mutation frequencies were observed between genes of lasR and negative-efflux-pump regulators (nalC and mexZ). The addition of the efflux pump inhibitor PAβN could not only promote QS phenotypes of these MDR isolates but also delay the early emergence of lasR mutants in evolution experiments.ConclusionsOur data indicated that MDR P. aeruginosa was predisposed to lasR mutation through the upregulated activity of efflux pumps. These findings suggest that anti-QS therapy combined with efflux pump inhibitors might be a potential strategy for NCFB patients in the challenge of MDR P. aeruginosa infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengming Ding
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Han
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yishu Xue
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Iris Tingshiuan Yang
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Xinxin Fan
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Tuberculosis, Fuzhou Pulmonary Hospital of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, China
| | - Rong Tang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Dinfectome Inc., Nanjing, China
| | - Miao Zhu
- Department of Bioinformatics and System Development, Dinfectome Inc., Nanjing, China
| | - Xue Tian
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Shao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Min Zhang,
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Amieva R, Gil-Gil T, Martínez JL, Alcalde-Rico M. The MexJK Multidrug Efflux Pump Is Not Involved in Acquired or Intrinsic Antibiotic Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but Modulates the Bacterial Quorum Sensing Response. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:7492. [PMID: 35886841 PMCID: PMC9323910 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidrug efflux pumps are critical elements in both intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance of bacterial populations. Consequently, most studies regarding these protein machineries focus on this specific phenotype. Nevertheless, different works show that efflux pumps participate in other aspects of bacterial physiology too. Herein, we study the Pseudomonas aeruginosa multidrug efflux pump MexJK. Previous studies, using model strains lacking MexAB-OprM and MexCD-OprJ efflux pumps, support that MexJK can extrude erythromycin, tetracycline, and triclosan. However, the results here reported indicate that this potential increased extrusion, in a mutant overexpressing mexJK, does not alter the antibiotics susceptibility in a wild-type genetic background where all intrinsic multidrug efflux pumps remain functional. Nevertheless, a clear impact on the quorum sensing (QS) response, mainly in the Pqs-dependent QS regulation network and in the expression of Pqs-regulated virulence factors, was observed linked to mexJK overexpression. The production of the siderophore pyoverdine strongly depended on the level of mexJK expression, suggesting that MexJK might participate in P. aeruginosa pyoverdine-dependent iron homeostasis. All in all, the results presented in the current article support that the functions of multidrug efflux pumps, as MexJK, go beyond antibiotic resistance and can modulate other relevant aspects of bacterial physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Amieva
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.A.); (T.G.-G.)
- SALUVET Group, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa Gil-Gil
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.A.); (T.G.-G.)
- Programa de Doctorado en Biociencias Moleculares, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Luis Martínez
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.A.); (T.G.-G.)
| | - Manuel Alcalde-Rico
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.A.); (T.G.-G.)
- Grupo de Resistencia Antimicrobiana en Bacterias Patógenas y Ambientales (GRABPA), Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2373223, Chile
- Millennium Initiative for Collaborative Research on Bacterial Resistance (MICROB-R), Santiago 7550000, Chile
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Sionov RV, Steinberg D. Targeting the Holy Triangle of Quorum Sensing, Biofilm Formation, and Antibiotic Resistance in Pathogenic Bacteria. Microorganisms 2022; 10:1239. [PMID: 35744757 PMCID: PMC9228545 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic and recurrent bacterial infections are frequently associated with the formation of biofilms on biotic or abiotic materials that are composed of mono- or multi-species cultures of bacteria/fungi embedded in an extracellular matrix produced by the microorganisms. Biofilm formation is, among others, regulated by quorum sensing (QS) which is an interbacterial communication system usually composed of two-component systems (TCSs) of secreted autoinducer compounds that activate signal transduction pathways through interaction with their respective receptors. Embedded in the biofilms, the bacteria are protected from environmental stress stimuli, and they often show reduced responses to antibiotics, making it difficult to eradicate the bacterial infection. Besides reduced penetration of antibiotics through the intricate structure of the biofilms, the sessile biofilm-embedded bacteria show reduced metabolic activity making them intrinsically less sensitive to antibiotics. Moreover, they frequently express elevated levels of efflux pumps that extrude antibiotics, thereby reducing their intracellular levels. Some efflux pumps are involved in the secretion of QS compounds and biofilm-related materials, besides being important for removing toxic substances from the bacteria. Some efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) have been shown to both prevent biofilm formation and sensitize the bacteria to antibiotics, suggesting a relationship between these processes. Additionally, QS inhibitors or quenchers may affect antibiotic susceptibility. Thus, targeting elements that regulate QS and biofilm formation might be a promising approach to combat antibiotic-resistant biofilm-related bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronit Vogt Sionov
- The Biofilm Research Laboratory, The Institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, The Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel;
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Garcia ÍR, de Oliveira Garcia FA, Pereira PS, Coutinho HDM, Siyadatpanah A, Norouzi R, Wilairatana P, de Lourdes Pereira M, Nissapatorn V, Tintino SR, Rodrigues FFG. Microbial resistance: The role of efflux pump superfamilies and their respective substrates. Life Sci 2022; 295:120391. [PMID: 35149116 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The microorganism resistance to antibiotics has become one of the most worrying issues for science due to the difficulties related to clinical treatment and the rapid spread of diseases. Efflux pumps are classified into six groups of carrier proteins that are part of the different types of mechanisms that contribute to resistance in microorganisms, allowing their survival. The present study aimed to carry out a bibliographic review on the superfamilies of carriers in order to understand their compositions, expressions, substrates, and role in intrinsic resistance. At first, a search for manuscripts was carried out in the databases Medline, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, and Scielo, using as descriptors: efflux pump, expression, pump inhibitors and efflux superfamily. For article selection, two criteria were taken into account: for inclusion, those published between 2000 and 2020, including textbooks, and for exclusion, duplicates and academic collections. In this research, 139,615 published articles were obtained, with 312 selected articles and 7 book chapters that best met the aim. From the comprehensive analysis, it was possible to consider that the chromosomes and genetic elements can contain genes encoding efflux pumps and are responsible for multidrug resistance. Even though this is a well-explored topic in the scientific community, understanding the behavior of antibiotics as substrates that increase the expression of pump-encoding genes has challenged medicine. This review study succinctly summarizes the most relevant features of these systems, as well as their contribution to multidrug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Abolghasem Siyadatpanah
- Ferdows School of Paramedical and Health, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Roghayeh Norouzi
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Polrat Wilairatana
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Maria de Lourdes Pereira
- CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials & Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Veeranoot Nissapatorn
- School of Allied Health Sciences and Research Excellence Center for Innovation and Health, Walailak University, Thailand
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Cheng X, Lu M, Qiu H, Li Y, Huang L, Dai W. Spontaneous quorum-sensing hierarchy reprogramming in Pseudomonas aeruginosa laboratory strain PAO1. AMB Express 2022; 12:6. [PMID: 35083573 PMCID: PMC8792115 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-022-01344-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1 has been commonly used in the laboratory, with frequent genome variations reported. Quorum sensing (QS), a cell–cell communication system, plays important role in controlling a variety of virulence factors. However, the evolution and adaptability of QS in those laboratory strains are still poorly understood. Here we used the QS reporter and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to systematically investigate the QS phenotypes and corresponding genetic basis in collected laboratory PAO1 strains. We found that the PAO1-z strain has an inactive LasR protein, while bearing an active Rhl QS system and exhibiting QS-controlled protease-positive activity. Our study revealed that an 18-bp insertion in mexT gene gave rise to the active QS system in the PAO1-z strain. This MexT inactivation restored the QS activity caused by the inactive LasR, showing elevated production of pyocyanin, cyanide and elastase. Our results implied the evolutionary trajectory for the PAO1-z strain, with the evulutionary order from the first Las QS inactivation to the final Rhl QS activation. Our findings point out that QS homeostasis occurs in the laboratory P. aeruginosa strain, offering a potential platform for the QS study in clinical isolates.
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Laborda P, Hernando-Amado S, Martínez JL, Sanz-García F. Antibiotic Resistance in Pseudomonas. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1386:117-143. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-08491-1_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Burkholderiaceae and Multidrug Resistance Genes Are Key Players in Resistome Development in a Germfree Soil Model. mSystems 2021; 6:e0098821. [PMID: 34726494 PMCID: PMC8562478 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00988-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Assembly of a resistome in parallel with the establishment of a microbial community is not well understood. Germfree models can reveal microbiota interactions and shed light on bacterial colonization and resistance development under antibiotic pressure. In this study, we exposed germfree soil (GS), GS with diluted nontreated soil (DS), and nontreated soil (NS) to various concentrations of tetracycline (TET) in a nongermfree environment for 10 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of exposure to water. High-throughput sequencing was used to profile bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the soils. The initial bacterial loads were found to shape the profiles of bacterial communities and the resistomes. GS and DS treated with TET and the same soils left untreated had similar profiles, whereas NS showed different profiles. Soils with the same initial bacterial loads had their profiles shifted by TET treatment. Multidrug resistance (MDR) genes were the most abundant ARG types in all soils, with multidrug efflux pump genes being the discriminatory ARGs in GS regardless of different TET treatments and in GS, DS, and NS after TET. Furthermore, MDR genes were significantly enriched by TET treatment. In contrast, tetracycline resistance genes were either absent or low in relative abundance. The family Burkholderiaceae was predominant in all soils (except in NS treated with water) and was positively selected for by TET treatment. Most importantly, Burkholderiaceae were the primary carrier of ARGs, including MDR genes. IMPORTANCE This is the first study to examine how resistomes develop and evolve using GS. GS can be used to study the colonization and establishment of bacterial communities under antibiotic selection. Surprisingly, MDR genes were the main ARGs detected in GS, and TET treatments did not positively select for specific tetracycline resistance genes. Additionally, Burkholderiaceae were the key bacterial hosts for MDR genes in the current GS model under the conditions investigated. These results show that the family Burkholderiaceae underpins the development of resistome and serves as a source of ARGs. The ease of establishment of Burkholderiaceae and MDR genes in soils has serious implications for human health, since these bacteria are versatile and ubiquitous in the environment.
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The Two-Component System RstA/RstB Regulates Expression of Multiple Efflux Pumps and Influences Anaerobic Nitrate Respiration in Pseudomonas fluorescens. mSystems 2021; 6:e0091121. [PMID: 34726491 PMCID: PMC8562477 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00911-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidrug resistance (MDR) efflux pumps are involved in bacterial intrinsic resistance to multiple antimicrobials. Expression of MDR efflux pumps can be either constitutive or transiently induced by various environmental signals, which are typically perceived by bacterial two-component systems (TCSs) and relayed to the bacterial nucleoid, where gene expression is modulated for niche adaptation. Here, we demonstrate that RstA/RstB, a TCS previously shown to control acid-induced and biofilm-related genes in Escherichiacoli, confers resistance to multiple antibiotics in Pseudomonas fluorescens by directly regulating the MDR efflux pumps EmhABC and MexCD-OprJ. Moreover, we show that phosphorylation of the conserved Asp52 residue in RstA greatly enhances RstA-DNA interaction, and regulation of the multidrug resistance by RstA/RstB is dependent on the phosphorylation of the RstA Asp52 residue by RstB. Proteome analysis reveals RstA/RstB also positively regulates the efflux pump MexEF-OprN and enzymes involved in anaerobic nitrate respiration and pyoverdine biosynthesis. Our results suggest that, by coupling the expression of multiple efflux pumps and anaerobic nitrate respiration, RstA/RstB could play a role in defense against nitrosative stress caused by anaerobic nitrate respiration. IMPORTANCE Microenvironmental hypoxia typically increases bacterial multidrug resistance by elevating expression of multidrug efflux pumps, but the precise mechanism is currently not well understood. Here, we showed that the two-component system RstA/RstB not only positively regulated expression of several efflux pumps involved in multidrug resistance, but also promoted expression of enzymes involved in anaerobic nitrate respiration and pyoverdine biosynthesis. These results suggested that, by upregulating expression of efflux pumps and pyoverdine biosynthesis-related enzymes, RstA/RstB could play a role in promoting bacterial tolerance to hypoxia by providing protection against nitrosative stress.
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Chadha J, Harjai K, Chhibber S. Revisiting the virulence hallmarks of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a chronicle through the perspective of quorum sensing. Environ Microbiol 2021; 24:2630-2656. [PMID: 34559444 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen and the leading cause of mortality among immunocompromised patients in clinical setups. The hallmarks of virulence in P. aeruginosa encompass six biologically competent attributes that cumulatively drive disease progression in a multistep manner. These multifaceted hallmarks lay the principal foundation for rationalizing the complexities of pseudomonal infections. They include factors for host colonization and bacterial motility, biofilm formation, production of destructive enzymes, toxic secondary metabolites, iron-chelating siderophores and toxins. This arsenal of virulence hallmarks is fostered and stringently regulated by the bacterial signalling system called quorum sensing (QS). The central regulatory functions of QS in controlling the timely expression of these virulence hallmarks for adaptation and survival drive the disease outcome. This review describes the intricate mechanisms of QS in P. aeruginosa and its role in shaping bacterial responses, boosting bacterial fitness. We summarize the virulence hallmarks of P. aeruginosa, relating them with the QS circuitry in clinical infections. We also examine the role of QS in the development of drug resistance and propose a novel antivirulence therapy to combat P. aeruginosa infections. This can prove to be a next-generation therapy that may eventually become refractory to the use of conventional antimicrobial treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jatin Chadha
- Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Kusum Harjai
- Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Sanjay Chhibber
- Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
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Sanz-García F, Gil-Gil T, Laborda P, Ochoa-Sánchez LE, Martínez JL, Hernando-Amado S. Coming from the Wild: Multidrug Resistant Opportunistic Pathogens Presenting a Primary, Not Human-Linked, Environmental Habitat. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8080. [PMID: 34360847 PMCID: PMC8347278 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The use and misuse of antibiotics have made antibiotic-resistant bacteria widespread nowadays, constituting one of the most relevant challenges for human health at present. Among these bacteria, opportunistic pathogens with an environmental, non-clinical, primary habitat stand as an increasing matter of concern at hospitals. These organisms usually present low susceptibility to antibiotics currently used for therapy. They are also proficient in acquiring increased resistance levels, a situation that limits the therapeutic options for treating the infections they cause. In this article, we analyse the most predominant opportunistic pathogens with an environmental origin, focusing on the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance they present. Further, we discuss the functions, beyond antibiotic resistance, that these determinants may have in the natural ecosystems that these bacteria usually colonize. Given the capacity of these organisms for colonizing different habitats, from clinical settings to natural environments, and for infecting different hosts, from plants to humans, deciphering their population structure, their mechanisms of resistance and the role that these mechanisms may play in natural ecosystems is of relevance for understanding the dissemination of antibiotic resistance under a One-Health point of view.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - José L. Martínez
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (F.S.-G.); (T.G.-G.); (P.L.); (L.E.O.-S.); (S.H.-A.)
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Abstract
The P. aeruginosa reference strain PAO1 has been used to delineate much of the physiology, metabolism, and fundamental biology of the species. The wild-type parent of PAO1 was lost, and PAO1 carries a regulatory mutation introduced for positive genetic selection that affects antibiotic resistance, virulence, quorum sensing, and other traits. The mutation is a loss-of-function change in an oxidoreductase gene (mexS), which constitutively activates a stress response controlled by a positive regulator (MexT). Fitness defects associated with the constitutive response have led to the inadvertent selection of mexT-minus suppressor mutations, creating genetic heterogeneity in PAO1 sublines studied in different laboratories. To help circumvent complications due to the mexS-minus phenotypes, we created a wild-type version of PAO1 (called LPAO) by "reverting" its mexS to the functional allele likely to have been in its parent. Phenotypic analysis revealed that the mexS-minus allele in PAO1 makes growth sensitive to salt (NaCl) and is lethal when combined with mutations inactivating the major sodium antiporter (ShaABCDEF). The salt sensitivity of PAO1 may underlie some complex mexS-minus phenotypes and help explain the selection of mexT-minus suppressor mutations. To facilitate genetic comparisons of PAO1, LPAO, and other P. aeruginosa strains, we developed a transformation procedure to transfer selectable alleles, such as transposon insertion alleles, between strains. Overall, the study helps explain phenotypic heterogeneity of PAO1-derived strains and provides resources to help recognize and eliminate difficulties due to it. IMPORTANCE The P. aeruginosa reference strain PAO1 carries a regulatory mutation that may affect processes characterized in it. To eliminate complications due to the mutation, we constructed a version of the missing wild-type parent strain and developed methods to transfer mutations between PAO1 and the new strain. The methods are likely to be applicable to other isolates of P. aeruginosa as well.
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ToxR Mediates the Antivirulence Activity of Phenyl-Arginine-β-Naphthylamide To Attenuate Vibrio cholerae Virulence. Infect Immun 2021; 89:e0014721. [PMID: 33941578 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00147-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidrug efflux systems belonging to the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) family are ubiquitous in Gram-negative bacteria and are critical for antimicrobial resistance. This realization has led to efforts to develop efflux pump inhibitors (EPI) for use as adjuvants for antibiotic treatment of resistant organisms. However, the functions of RND transporters extend beyond antimicrobial resistance to include physiological functions that are critical for pathogenesis, suggesting that EPIs could also be used as antivirulence therapeutics. This was documented in the enteric pathogen Vibrio cholerae, in which EPIs were shown to attenuate the production of the critical virulence factors cholera toxin (CT) and the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP). In this study, we investigated the antivirulence mechanism of action of the EPI phenyl-arginine-β-naphthylamide (PAβN) on V. cholerae. Using bioassays, we documented that PAβN inhibited virulence factor production in three epidemic V. cholerae isolates. Transcriptional reporter studies and mutant analysis indicated that PAβN initiated a ToxR-dependent regulatory circuit to activate leuO expression and that LeuO repressed the expression of the critical virulence activator aphA to attenuate CT and TCP production. The antivirulence activity of PAβN was found to be dependent on the ToxR periplasmic sensing domain (PPD), suggesting that a feedback mechanism was involved in its activity. Collectively, the data indicated that PAβN inhibited V. cholerae virulence factor production by activating a ToxR-dependent metabolic feedback mechanism to repress the expression of the ToxR virulence regulon. This suggests that efflux pump inhibitors could be used as antivirulence therapeutics for the treatment of cholera and perhaps that of other Gram-negative pathogens.
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Alav I, Kobylka J, Kuth MS, Pos KM, Picard M, Blair JMA, Bavro VN. Structure, Assembly, and Function of Tripartite Efflux and Type 1 Secretion Systems in Gram-Negative Bacteria. Chem Rev 2021; 121:5479-5596. [PMID: 33909410 PMCID: PMC8277102 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Tripartite efflux pumps and the related type 1 secretion systems (T1SSs) in Gram-negative organisms are diverse in function, energization, and structural organization. They form continuous conduits spanning both the inner and the outer membrane and are composed of three principal components-the energized inner membrane transporters (belonging to ABC, RND, and MFS families), the outer membrane factor channel-like proteins, and linking the two, the periplasmic adaptor proteins (PAPs), also known as the membrane fusion proteins (MFPs). In this review we summarize the recent advances in understanding of structural biology, function, and regulation of these systems, highlighting the previously undescribed role of PAPs in providing a common architectural scaffold across diverse families of transporters. Despite being built from a limited number of basic structural domains, these complexes present a staggering variety of architectures. While key insights have been derived from the RND transporter systems, a closer inspection of the operation and structural organization of different tripartite systems reveals unexpected analogies between them, including those formed around MFS- and ATP-driven transporters, suggesting that they operate around basic common principles. Based on that we are proposing a new integrated model of PAP-mediated communication within the conformational cycling of tripartite systems, which could be expanded to other types of assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilyas Alav
- Institute
of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica Kobylka
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe Universität
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Miriam S. Kuth
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe Universität
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Klaas M. Pos
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe Universität
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Martin Picard
- Laboratoire
de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, CNRS
UMR 7099, Université de Paris, 75005 Paris, France
- Fondation
Edmond de Rothschild pour le développement de la recherche
Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jessica M. A. Blair
- Institute
of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Vassiliy N. Bavro
- School
of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ United Kingdom
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38
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Gbian DL, Omri A. The Impact of an Efflux Pump Inhibitor on the Activity of Free and Liposomal Antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13040577. [PMID: 33919624 PMCID: PMC8072581 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13040577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The eradication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients has become continuously difficult due to its increased resistance to treatments. This study assessed the efficacy of free and liposomal gentamicin and erythromycin, combined with Phenylalanine arginine beta-naphthylamide (PABN), a broad-spectrum efflux pump inhibitor, against P. aeruginosa isolates. Liposomes were prepared and characterized for their sizes and encapsulation efficiencies. The antimicrobial activities of formulations were determined by the microbroth dilution method. Their activity on P. aeruginosa biofilms was assessed, and the effect of sub-inhibitory concentrations on bacterial virulence factors, quorum sensing (QS) signals and bacterial motility was also evaluated. The average diameters of liposomes were 562.67 ± 33.74 nm for gentamicin and 3086.35 ± 553.95 nm for erythromycin, with encapsulation efficiencies of 13.89 ± 1.54% and 51.58 ± 2.84%, respectively. Liposomes and PABN combinations potentiated antibiotics by reducing minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations by 4–32 fold overall. The formulations significantly inhibited biofilm formation and differentially attenuated virulence factor production as well as motility. Unexpectedly, QS signal production was not affected by treatments. Taken together, the results indicate that PABN shows potential as an adjuvant of liposomal macrolides and aminoglycosides in the management of lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Abdelwahab Omri
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-705-675-1151-2190; Fax: +1-705-675-4844
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Metabolomics Reveal Potential Natural Substrates of AcrB in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium. mBio 2021; 12:mBio.00109-21. [PMID: 33785633 PMCID: PMC8092203 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00109-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria pose a global threat to human health. The AcrB efflux pump confers inherent and evolved drug resistance to Enterobacterales, including Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. In the fight against antibiotic resistance, drugs that target resistance mechanisms in bacteria can be used to restore the therapeutic effectiveness of antibiotics. The multidrug resistance efflux complex AcrAB-TolC is the most clinically relevant efflux pump in Enterobacterales and is a target for drug discovery. Inhibition of the pump protein AcrB allows the intracellular accumulation of a wide variety of antibiotics, effectively restoring their therapeutic potency. To facilitate the development of AcrB efflux inhibitors, it is desirable to discover the native substrates of the pump, as these could be chemically modified to become inhibitors. We analyzed the native substrate profile of AcrB in Escherichia coli MG1655 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SL1344 using an untargeted metabolomics approach. We analyzed the endo- and exometabolome of the wild-type strain and their respective AcrB loss-of-function mutants (AcrB D408A) to determine the metabolites that are native substrates of AcrB. Although there is 95% homology between the AcrB proteins of S. Typhimurium and E. coli, we observed mostly different metabolic responses in the exometabolomes of the S. Typhimurium and E. coli AcrB D408A mutants relative to those in the wild type, potentially indicating a differential metabolic adaptation to the same mutation in these two species. Additionally, we uncovered metabolite classes that could be involved in virulence of S. Typhimurium and a potential natural substrate of AcrB common to both species.
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40
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Gorter FA, Tabares-Mafla C, Kassen R, Schoustra SE. Experimental Evolution of Interference Competition. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:613450. [PMID: 33841345 PMCID: PMC8027309 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.613450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of interference competition, where individuals compete through antagonistic traits such as the production of toxins, has long been recognized by ecologists, yet understanding how these types of interactions evolve remains limited. Toxin production is thought to be beneficial when competing with a competitor. Here, we explore if antagonism can evolve by long-term selection of the toxin (pyocin) producing strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 in the presence (or absence) of one of three clinical isolates of the same species (Recipient) over ten serial transfers. We find that inhibition decreases in the absence of a recipient. In the presence of a recipient, antagonism evolved to be different depending on the recipient used. Our study shows that the evolution of interference competition by toxins can decrease or increase, experimentally demonstrating the importance of this type of interaction for the evolution of species interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florien A Gorter
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | | | - Rees Kassen
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sijmen E Schoustra
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands.,Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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41
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Henderson PJF, Maher C, Elbourne LDH, Eijkelkamp BA, Paulsen IT, Hassan KA. Physiological Functions of Bacterial "Multidrug" Efflux Pumps. Chem Rev 2021; 121:5417-5478. [PMID: 33761243 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial multidrug efflux pumps have come to prominence in human and veterinary pathogenesis because they help bacteria protect themselves against the antimicrobials used to overcome their infections. However, it is increasingly realized that many, probably most, such pumps have physiological roles that are distinct from protection of bacteria against antimicrobials administered by humans. Here we undertake a broad survey of the proteins involved, allied to detailed examples of their evolution, energetics, structures, chemical recognition, and molecular mechanisms, together with the experimental strategies that enable rapid and economical progress in understanding their true physiological roles. Once these roles are established, the knowledge can be harnessed to design more effective drugs, improve existing microbial production of drugs for clinical practice and of feedstocks for commercial exploitation, and even develop more sustainable biological processes that avoid, for example, utilization of petroleum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J F Henderson
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Maher
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Liam D H Elbourne
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, New South Wales, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney 2019, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bart A Eijkelkamp
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park 5042, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ian T Paulsen
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, New South Wales, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney 2019, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Karl A Hassan
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, New South Wales, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney 2019, New South Wales, Australia
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42
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PA1426 regulates Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing and virulence: an in vitro study. JOURNAL OF BIO-X RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1097/jbr.0000000000000088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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43
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Signal Synthase-Type versus Catabolic Monooxygenases: Retracing 3-Hydroxylation of 2-Alkylquinolones and Their N-Oxides by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Other Pulmonary Pathogens. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:AEM.02241-20. [PMID: 33452035 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02241-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The multiple biological activities of 2-alkylquinolones (AQs) are crucial for virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, conferring advantages during infection and in polymicrobial communities. Whereas 2-heptyl-3-hydroxyquinolin-4(1H)-one (the "Pseudomonas quinolone signal" [PQS]) is an important quorum sensing signal molecule, 2-alkyl-1-hydroxyquinolin-4(1H)-ones (also known as 2-alkyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxides [AQNOs]) are antibiotics inhibiting respiration. Hydroxylation of the PQS precursor 2-heptylquinolin-4(1H)-one (HHQ) by the signal synthase PqsH boosts AQ quorum sensing. Remarkably, the same reaction, catalyzed by the ortholog AqdB, is used by Mycobacteroides abscessus to initiate degradation of AQs. The antibiotic 2-heptyl-1-hydroxyquinolin-4(1H)-one (HQNO) is hydroxylated by Staphylococcus aureus to the less toxic derivative PQS-N-oxide (PQS-NO), a reaction probably also catalyzed by a PqsH/AqdB ortholog. In this study, we provide a comparative analysis of four AQ 3-monooxygenases of different organisms. Due to the major impact of AQ/AQNO 3-hydroxylation on the biological activities of the compounds, we surmised adaptations on the enzymatic and/or physiological level to serve either the producer or target organisms. Our results indicate that all enzymes share similar features and are incapable of discriminating between AQs and AQNOs. PQS-NO, hence, occurs as a native metabolite of P. aeruginosa although the unfavorable AQNO 3-hydroxylation is minimized by export as shown for HQNO, involving at least one multidrug efflux pump. Moreover, M. abscessus is capable of degrading the AQNO heterocycle by concerted action of AqdB and dioxygenase AqdC. However, S. aureus and M. abscessus orthologs disfavor AQNOs despite their higher toxicity, suggesting that catalytic constraints restrict evolutionary adaptation and lead to the preference of non-N-oxide substrates by AQ 3-monooxygenases.IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Mycobacteroides abscessus are major players in bacterial chronic infections and particularly common colonizers of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung tissue. Whereas S. aureus is an early onset pathogen in CF, P. aeruginosa establishes at later stages. M. abscessus occurs at all stages but has a lower epidemiological incidence. The dynamics of how these pathogens interact can affect survival and therapeutic success. 2-Alkylquinolone (AQ) and 2-alkylhydroxyquinoline N-oxide (AQNO) production is a major factor of P. aeruginosa virulence. The 3-position of the AQ scaffold is critical, both for attenuation of AQ toxicity or degradation by competitors, as well as for full unfolding of quorum sensing. Despite lacking signaling functionality, AQNOs have the strongest impact on suppression of Gram-positives. Because evidence for 3-hydroxylation of AQNOs has been reported, it is desirable to understand the extent by which AQ 3-monooxygenases contribute to manipulation of AQ/AQNO equilibrium, resistance, and degradation.
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Response of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to the Innate Immune System-Derived Oxidants Hypochlorous Acid and Hypothiocyanous Acid. J Bacteriol 2020; 203:JB.00300-20. [PMID: 33106346 PMCID: PMC7950407 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00300-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes devastating infections in immunocompromised hosts, including chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. To combat infection, the host’s immune system produces the antimicrobial oxidants hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypothiocyanous acid (HOSCN). Little is known about how P. aeruginosa responds to and survives attack from these oxidants. To address this, we carried out two approaches: a mutant screen and transcriptional study. We identified the P. aeruginosa transcriptional regulator, RclR, which responds specifically to HOCl and HOSCN stress and is essential for protection against both oxidants. We uncovered a link between the P. aeruginosa transcriptional response to these oxidants and physiological processes associated with pathogenicity, including antibiotic resistance and the type 3 secretion system. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a significant nosocomial pathogen and is associated with lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF). Once established, P. aeruginosa infections persist and are rarely eradicated despite host immune cells producing antimicrobial oxidants, including hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypothiocyanous acid (HOSCN). There is limited knowledge as to how P. aeruginosa senses, responds to, and protects itself against HOCl and HOSCN and the contribution of such responses to its success as a CF pathogen. To investigate the P. aeruginosa response to these oxidants, we screened 707 transposon mutants, with mutations in regulatory genes, for altered growth following HOCl exposure. We identified regulators of antibiotic resistance, methionine biosynthesis, catabolite repression, and PA14_07340, the homologue of the Escherichia coli HOCl-sensor RclR (30% identical), which are required for protection against HOCl. We have shown that RclR (PA14_07340) protects specifically against HOCl and HOSCN stress and responds to both oxidants by upregulating the expression of a putative peroxiredoxin, rclX (PA14_07355). Transcriptional analysis revealed that while there was specificity in the response to HOCl (231 genes upregulated) and HOSCN (105 genes upregulated), there was considerable overlap, with 74 genes upregulated by both oxidants. These included genes encoding the type 3 secretion system, sulfur and taurine transport, and the MexEF-OprN efflux pump. RclR coordinates part of the response to both oxidants, including upregulation of pyocyanin biosynthesis genes, and, in the presence of HOSCN, downregulation of chaperone genes. These data indicate that the P. aeruginosa response to HOCl and HOSCN is multifaceted, with RclR playing an essential role. IMPORTANCE The bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes devastating infections in immunocompromised hosts, including chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. To combat infection, the host’s immune system produces the antimicrobial oxidants hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypothiocyanous acid (HOSCN). Little is known about how P. aeruginosa responds to and survives attack from these oxidants. To address this, we carried out two approaches: a mutant screen and transcriptional study. We identified the P. aeruginosa transcriptional regulator, RclR, which responds specifically to HOCl and HOSCN stress and is essential for protection against both oxidants. We uncovered a link between the P. aeruginosa transcriptional response to these oxidants and physiological processes associated with pathogenicity, including antibiotic resistance and the type 3 secretion system.
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45
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AlMatar M, Albarri O, Makky EA, Köksal F. Efflux pump inhibitors: new updates. Pharmacol Rep 2020; 73:1-16. [PMID: 32946075 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-020-00160-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of antibiotics ought to have ended the issue of bacterial infections, but this was not the case as it has led to the evolution of various mechanisms of bacterial resistance against various antibiotics. The efflux pump remains one of the mechanisms through which organisms develop resistance against antibiotics; this is because organisms can extrude most of the clinically relevant antibiotics from the interior cell environment to the exterior environment via the efflux pumps. Efflux pumps are thought to contribute significantly to biofilm formation as highlighted by various studies. Therefore, the inhibition of these efflux pumps can be a potential way of improving the activity of antibiotics, particularly now that the discovery of novel antibiotics is becoming tedious. Efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) are molecules that can inhibit efflux pumps; they have been considered potential therapeutic agents for rejuvenating the activity of antibiotics that have already lost their activity against bacteria. However, studies are yet to determine the specific substrates for such pumps; the effect of altered efflux activity of these pumps on biofilm formation is still being investigated. A clear knowledge of the involvement of efflux pumps in biofilm development could aid in developing new agents that can interfere with their function and help to prevent biofilms formation; thereby, improving the outcome of treatment strategies. This review focuses on the novel update of EPIs and discusses the evidence of the roles of efflux pumps in biofilm formation; the potential approaches towards overcoming the increasing problem of biofilm-based infections are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manaf AlMatar
- Faculty of Industrial Sciences and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), 26300, Gambang, Kuantan, Malaysia.
| | - Osman Albarri
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences (Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü), Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Essam A Makky
- Faculty of Industrial Sciences and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), 26300, Gambang, Kuantan, Malaysia.
| | - Fatih Köksal
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
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46
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Iftikhar A, Asif A, Manzoor A, Azeem M, Sarwar G, Rashid N, Qaisar U. Mutation in pvcABCD operon of Pseudomonas aeruginosa modulates MexEF-OprN efflux system and hence resistance to chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin. Microb Pathog 2020; 149:104491. [PMID: 32941967 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa harbors pvcABCD operon that is responsible for the synthesis of paerucumarin. Here we report the involvement of pvcABCD operon in chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin resistance. P. aeruginosa mutant defective in pvcB (PW4832) was more sensitive to chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin in comparison with its parent strain (MPAO1). A mutation in pvcA gene in MPAO1 (PW4830) did not alter the sensitivity to either antibiotic. As chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin are substrates of MexEF-OprN efflux pump, so we decided to investigate the modulation of MexEF-OprN and its transcriptional regulator MexT in PW4832, PW4830 and MPAO1 strains. We isolated and sequenced mexT gene from MPAO1, PW4830 and PW4832. The nucleotide sequence of mexT gene in all three strains was identical. Expression levels of mexEF-oprN, mexT and mexS genes were checked via quantitative real-time RT-PCR. All these genes showed significant repression in mRNA levels in PW4832 as compared to MPAO1. These results indicate that chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin sensitivity in PW4832 is due to transcriptional repression of mexT and mexEF-oprN genes. Exogenous addition of paerucumarin resumed the expression of mexT and mexEF-oprN genes as well as resistance against chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin in PW4832 strain. This is a novel finding linking pvcB gene of P. aeruginosa with chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin resistance and MexEF-OprN pump modulation which needs to be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anam Iftikhar
- School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Azka Asif
- School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Asma Manzoor
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Azeem
- Botany Department, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ghulam Sarwar
- Cotton Research Station, Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Naeem Rashid
- School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Uzma Qaisar
- School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
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47
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Vrla GD, Esposito M, Zhang C, Kang Y, Seyedsayamdost MR, Gitai Z. Cytotoxic alkyl-quinolones mediate surface-induced virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008867. [PMID: 32925969 PMCID: PMC7515202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Surface attachment, an early step in the colonization of multiple host environments, activates the virulence of the human pathogen P. aeruginosa. However, the downstream toxins that mediate surface-dependent P. aeruginosa virulence remain unclear, as do the signaling pathways that lead to their activation. Here, we demonstrate that alkyl-quinolone (AQ) secondary metabolites are rapidly induced upon surface association and act directly on host cells to cause cytotoxicity. Surface-induced AQ cytotoxicity is independent of other AQ functions like quorum sensing or PQS-specific activities like iron sequestration. We further show that packaging of AQs in outer-membrane vesicles (OMVs) increases their cytotoxicity to host cells but not their ability to stimulate downstream quorum sensing pathways in bacteria. OMVs lacking AQs are significantly less cytotoxic, suggesting these molecules play a role in OMV cytotoxicity, in addition to their previously characterized role in OMV biogenesis. AQ reporters also enabled us to dissect the signal transduction pathways downstream of the two known regulators of surface-dependent virulence, the quorum sensing receptor, LasR, and the putative mechanosensor, PilY1. Specifically, we show that PilY1 regulates surface-induced AQ production by repressing the AlgR-AlgZ two-component system. AlgR then induces RhlR, which can induce the AQ biosynthesis operon under specific conditions. These findings collectively suggest that the induction of AQs upon surface association is both necessary and sufficient to explain surface-induced P. aeruginosa virulence. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most intensely studied bacterial pathogens and is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections in the United States. An intriguing aspect of P. aeruginosa is its ability increase its virulence following attachment to a solid surface, suggesting that these bacteria use mechano-transduction to regulate pathogenesis. However, the cytotoxins that mediate host-cell killing in response to surface attachment remain unknown. Here, we use a microscopy-based host-cell killing assay to show that the alkyl-quinolone (AQ) family of secreted small molecules is both necessary and sufficient to explain surface-induced virulence. We further show that these compounds are upregulated rapidly following bacterial surface attachment and that packaging of AQs into secreted outer membrane vesicles enhances AQ cytotoxicity. This work thus fills a major gap in our understanding of surface sensing in P. aeruginosa and provides new methods for investigating surface-dependent signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey D. Vrla
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Unites States of America
| | - Mark Esposito
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Unites States of America
| | - Chen Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Unites States of America
| | - Yibin Kang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Unites States of America
| | | | - Zemer Gitai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, Unites States of America
- * E-mail:
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48
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Alcalde-Rico M, Olivares-Pacheco J, Halliday N, Cámara M, Martínez JL. The impaired quorum sensing response of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MexAB-OprM efflux pump overexpressing mutants is not due to non-physiological efflux of 3-oxo-C12-HSL. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:5167-5188. [PMID: 32715566 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Multidrug (MDR) efflux pumps are ancient and conserved molecular machineries with relevant roles in different aspects of the bacterial physiology, besides antibiotic resistance. In the case of the environmental opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, it has been shown that overexpression of different efflux pumps is linked to the impairment of the quorum sensing (QS) response. Nevertheless, the causes of such impairment are different for each analysed efflux pump. Herein, we performed an in-depth analysis of the QS-mediated response of a P. aeruginosa antibiotic resistant mutant that overexpresses MexAB-OprM. Although previous work claimed that this efflux pump extrudes the QS signal 3-oxo-C12-HSL, we show otherwise. Our results evidence that the observed attenuation in the QS response when overexpressing this pump is related to an impaired production of alkyl quinolone QS signals, likely prompted by the reduced availability of one of their precursors, the octanoate. Together with previous studies, this indicates that, although the consequences of overexpressing efflux pumps are similar (impaired QS response), the underlying mechanisms are different. This 'apparent redundancy' of MDR efflux systems can be understood as a P. aeruginosa strategy to keep the robustness of the QS regulatory network and modulate its output in response to different signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Alcalde-Rico
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Madrid, 28049, Spain.,Grupo de Resistencia Antimicrobiana en Bacterias Patógenas y Ambientales GRABPA, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, 2340025, Chile.,Millennium Nucleus for Collaborative Research on Bacterial Resistance (MICROB-R), Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge Olivares-Pacheco
- Grupo de Resistencia Antimicrobiana en Bacterias Patógenas y Ambientales GRABPA, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, 2340025, Chile.,Millennium Nucleus for Collaborative Research on Bacterial Resistance (MICROB-R), Santiago, Chile
| | - Nigel Halliday
- National Biofilms Innovation Centre, Nottingham University Biodiscovery Institute, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Miguel Cámara
- National Biofilms Innovation Centre, Nottingham University Biodiscovery Institute, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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Colclough AL, Alav I, Whittle EE, Pugh HL, Darby EM, Legood SW, McNeil HE, Blair JM. RND efflux pumps in Gram-negative bacteria; regulation, structure and role in antibiotic resistance. Future Microbiol 2020; 15:143-157. [PMID: 32073314 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2019-0235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rresistance-nodulation-division (RND) efflux pumps in Gram-negative bacteria remove multiple, structurally distinct classes of antimicrobials from inside bacterial cells therefore directly contributing to multidrug resistance. There is also emerging evidence that many other mechanisms of antibiotic resistance rely on the intrinsic resistance conferred by RND efflux. In addition to their role in antibiotic resistance, new information has become available about the natural role of RND pumps including their established role in virulence of many Gram-negative organisms. This review also discusses the recent advances in understanding the regulation and structure of RND efflux pumps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail L Colclough
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Ilyas Alav
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Emily E Whittle
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Hannah L Pugh
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Darby
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Simon W Legood
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Helen E McNeil
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jessica Ma Blair
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
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García-Reyes S, Soberón-Chávez G, Cocotl-Yanez M. The third quorum-sensing system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Pseudomonas quinolone signal and the enigmatic PqsE protein. J Med Microbiol 2020; 69:25-34. [PMID: 31794380 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that produces several virulence factors such as lectin A, pyocyanin, elastase and rhamnolipids. These compounds are controlled transcriptionally by three quorum-sensing circuits, two based on the synthesis and detection of N-acyl-homoserine-lactone termed the Las and Rhl system and a third system named the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) system, which is responsible for generating 2-alkyl-4(1 h)-quinolones (AQs). The transcriptional regulator called PqsR binds to the promoter of pqsABCDE in the presence of PQS or HHQ creating a positive feedback-loop. PqsE, encoded in the operon for AQ synthesis, is a crucial protein for pyocyanin production, activating the Rhl system by a still not fully understood mechanism. In turn, the regulation of the PQS system is modulated by Las and Rhl systems, which act positively and negatively, respectively. This review focuses on the PQS system, from its discovery to its role in Pseudomonas pathogenesis, such as iron depletion and pyocyanin synthesis that involves the PqsE protein - an intriguing player of this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene García-Reyes
- Departamento de Biología molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Apdo Postal 70228, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Gloria Soberón-Chávez
- Departamento de Biología molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Apdo Postal 70228, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Miguel Cocotl-Yanez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. Universidad 3000, Cd. Universitaria, C.P. 04510, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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