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Hoshino T, Fujiwara T. The findings of glucosyltransferase enzymes derived from oral streptococci. JAPANESE DENTAL SCIENCE REVIEW 2022; 58:328-335. [PMID: 36340584 PMCID: PMC9630777 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdsr.2022.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucosyltransferase enzymes (Gtfs) distribute among some streptococcal species in oral cavity and are known as key enzymes contributing to the development of oral biofilm such as dental plaque. In 18 streptococcal species, 45 glucosyltransferase genes (gtf) are detected from genome database. Gtfs catalyze the synthesis of the glucans, which are polymers of glucose, from sucrose and they are main component of oral biofilm. Especially, the Gtfs from Streptococcus mutans are recognized as one of dental caries pathogens since they contribute to the formation of dental plaque and the establishment of S. mutans in the tooth surface. Therefore, Gtfs has been studied particularly by many researchers in the dentistry field to develop the anti- caries vaccine. However, it is not still accomplished. In these days, the phylogenetic and crystal structure analyses of Gtfs were performed and the study of Gtfs will enter new situation from the technique in the past old viewpoint. The findings from those analyses will affect the development of the anti-caries vaccine very much after this. In this review, we summarize the findings of oral streptococcal Gtfs and consider the perspectives of the dental caries prevention which targeted Gtf.
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2
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Dhaked HPS, Biswas I. Distribution of two-component signal transduction systems BlpRH and ComDE across streptococcal species. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:960994. [PMID: 36353461 PMCID: PMC9638458 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.960994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Two-component signal transduction (TCS) systems are important regulatory pathways in streptococci. A typical TCS encodes a membrane-anchored sensor kinase (SK) and a cytoplasmic response regulator (RR). Approximately, 20 different types of TCSs are encoded by various streptococci. Among them, two TCSs, in particular BlpRH and ComDE, are required for bacteriocins production and competence development. The SK component of these two TCSs is highly similar and belongs to the protein kinase-10 (HPK-10) subfamily. While these two TCSs are present in streptococci, no systematic studies have been done to differentiate between these two TCSs, and the existence of these pathways in several species of the genus Streptococcus is also unknown. The lack of information about these pathways misguided researchers for decades into believing that the Streptococcus mutans BlpRH system is a ComDE system. Here, we have attempted to distinguish between the BlpRH and ComDE systems based on the location of the chromosome, genomic arrangement, and conserved residues. Using the SyntTax and NCBI databases, we investigated the presence of both TCS systems in the genome of several streptococcal species. We noticed that the NCBI database did not have proper annotations for these pathways in several species, and many of them were wrongly annotated, such as CitS or DpiB instead of BlpH. Nevertheless, our critical analyses led us to classify streptococci into two groups: class A (only the BlpRH system) and class B (both the BlpRH and ComDE systems). Most of the streptococcal groups, including bovis, pyogenic, mutans, salivarius, and suis, encode only the BlpRH system. In contrast, only in the mitis and anginosus groups were both the TCS systems present. The focus of this review is to identify and differentiate between the BlpRH and ComDE systems, and discuss these two pathways in various streptococci.
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3
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Tram G, Jennings MP, Blackall PJ, Atack JM. Streptococcus suis pathogenesis-A diverse array of virulence factors for a zoonotic lifestyle. Adv Microb Physiol 2021; 78:217-257. [PMID: 34147186 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ampbs.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Streptococcus suis is a major cause of respiratory tract and invasive infections in pigs and is responsible for a substantial disease burden in the pig industry. S. suis is also a significant cause of bacterial meningitis in humans, particularly in South East Asia. S. suis expresses a wide array of virulence factors, and although many are described as being required for disease, no single factor has been demonstrated to be absolutely required. The lack of uniform distribution of known virulence factors among individual strains and lack of evidence that any particular virulence factor is essential for disease makes the development of vaccines and treatments challenging. Here we review the current understanding of S. suis virulence factors and their role in the pathogenesis of this important zoonotic pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg Tram
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Michael P Jennings
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Patrick J Blackall
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - John M Atack
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
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4
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Ni H, Li M, Wang Q, Wang J, Liu X, Zheng F, Hu D, Yu X, Han Y, Zhang Q, Zhou T, Wang Y, Wang C, Gao J, Shao ZQ, Pan X. Inactivation of the htpsA gene affects capsule development and pathogenicity of Streptococcus suis. Virulence 2020; 11:927-940. [PMID: 32815473 PMCID: PMC7567435 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1792080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (S. suis 2) is an important swine pathogen and also an emerging zoonotic agent. HtpsA has been reported as an immunogenic cell surface protein on the bacterium. In the present study, we constructed an isogenic mutant strain of htpsA, namely ΔhtpsA, to study its role in the development and virulence of S. suis 2. Our results showed that the mutant strain lost its typical encapsulated structure with decreased concentrations of sialic acid. Furthermore, the survival rate in whole blood, the anti-phagocytosis by RAW264.7 murine macrophage, and the adherence ability to HEp-2 cells were all significantly affected in the ΔhtpsA. In addition, the deletion of htpsA sharply attenuated the virulence of S. suis 2 in an infection model of mouse. RNA-seq analysis revealed that 126 genes were differentially expressed between the ΔhtpsA and the wild-type strains, including 28 upregulated and 98 downregulated genes. Among the downregulated genes, many were involved in carbohydrate metabolism and synthesis of virulence-associated factors. Taken together, htpsA was demonstrated to play a role in the morphological development and pathogenesis of the highly virulent S. suis 2 05ZYH33 strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Ni
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Ecology of Pamirs Plateau in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, College of Life and Geographic Sciences, Kashi University , Kashi, China
| | - Min Li
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China.,Clinical Laboratory Department of Changzhi, People's Hospital , Changzhi, China
| | - Qiaoqiao Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University , Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University , Wuxi, China
| | - Xumiao Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University , Nanjing, China
| | - Feng Zheng
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Dan Hu
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Xu Yu
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Yifang Han
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Tingting Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Yiwen Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Chunhui Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China
| | - Jimin Gao
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University , Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhu-Qing Shao
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University , Nanjing, China
| | - Xiuzhen Pan
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics , Nanjing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University , Nanjing, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University , Wenzhou, China
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5
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Xu B, Zhang P, Zhou H, Sun Y, Tang J, Fan H. Identification of novel genes associated with anti-phagocytic functions in Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus. Vet Microbiol 2019; 233:28-38. [PMID: 31176409 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The anti-phagocytic abilities of bacteria often affect bacterial pathogenicity. Here, random mutant library of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (SEZ) was constructed using transposon mutagenesis. After careful screening, 30 transposon mutants with different transposon insertion sites were identified by conducting quantitative phagocytosis and insertion-site confirmation assays, whose anti-phagocytic abilities were significantly reduced relative to the wild-type strain. Insertion sites of 19 strains were monocistronic, including genes coding membrane proteins, transporters, and enzymes with unknown pathological function, such as sadM, adhP, purD, guaA, alpha-galactosidase coding gene, ABC transporter permease coding gene, metallo-beta-lactamase coding gene, and three secreted enzyme coding genes spuZ, slaB, and endoS, as well as known virulence factor coding genes, such as hasA and szM. The insertion sites of another 11 strains were polycistronic. We focused on four monocistronic-mutant strains: MhtpZ, MspuZ, MslaB, and MendoS. The anti-phagocytic abilities of not only the mutants that were precoincubated with the recombinant proteins, but also the complement strains were significantly more pronounced than those of all four corresponding mutants. The polyclonal antiserum against SlaB or EndoS also significantly decreased the anti-phagocytic capacity of wild-type SEZ. All four mutants exhibited significantly decreased viability in whole blood and reduced lethality in mice relative to the wild-type strain. Thus, we identified a variety of new anti-phagocytic factors, particularly multiple SEZ secreted enzymes. These factors are instrumental in the phagocytic resistance of SEZ in the absence of opsonin. Our results provide a framework for further studies of SEZ pathogenesis and relevant vaccine development for novel potential targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Xu
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China; National Research Center of Veterinary Biologicals engineering and Technology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China; Poultry Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yangzhou, China
| | - Hong Zhou
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yu Sun
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinsheng Tang
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongjie Fan
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China.
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6
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Defining the Role of the Streptococcus agalactiae Sht-Family Proteins in Zinc Acquisition and Complement Evasion. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:JB.00757-18. [PMID: 30745371 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00757-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus agalactiae is not only part of the human intestinal and urogenital microbiota but is also a leading cause of septicemia and meningitis in neonates. Its ability to cause disease depends upon the acquisition of nutrients from its environment, including the transition metal ion zinc. The primary zinc acquisition system of the pathogen is the Adc/Lmb ABC permease, which is essential for viability in zinc-restricted environments. Here, we show that in addition to the AdcCB transporter and the three zinc-binding proteins, Lmb, AdcA, and AdcAII, S. agalactiae zinc homeostasis also involves two streptococcal histidine triad (Sht) proteins. Sht and ShtII are required for zinc uptake via the Lmb and AdcAII proteins with apparent overlapping functionality and specificity. Both Sht-family proteins possess five-histidine triad motifs with similar hierarchies of importance for Zn homeostasis. Independent of its contribution to zinc homeostasis, Sht has previously been reported to bind factor H leading to predictions of a contribution to complement evasion. Here, we investigated ShtII to ascertain whether it had similar properties. Analysis of recombinant Sht and ShtII reveals that both proteins have similar affinities for factor H binding. However, neither protein aided in resistance to complement in human blood. These findings challenge prior inferences regarding the in vivo role of the Sht proteins in resisting complement-mediated clearance.IMPORTANCE This study examined the role of the two streptococcal histidine triad (Sht) proteins of Streptococcus agalactiae in zinc homeostasis and complement resistance. We showed that Sht and ShtII facilitate zinc homeostasis in conjunction with the metal-binding proteins Lmb and AdcAII. Here, we show that the Sht-family proteins are functionally redundant with overlapping roles in zinc uptake. Further, this work reveals that although the Sht-family proteins bind to factor H in vitro this did not influence survival in human blood.
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7
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Xu RR, Yang WD, Niu KX, Wang B, Wang WM. An Update on the Evolution of Glucosyltransferase ( Gtf) Genes in Streptococcus. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2979. [PMID: 30568640 PMCID: PMC6290343 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In many caries-promoting Streptococcus species, glucosyltransferases (Gtfs) are recognized as key enzymes contributing to the modification of biofilm structures, disruption of homeostasis of healthy microbiota community and induction of caries development. It is therefore of great interest to investigate how Gtf genes have evolved in Streptococcus. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive survey of Gtf genes among 872 streptococci genomes of 37 species and identified Gtf genes from 364 genomes of 18 species. To clarify the relationships of these Gtf genes, 45 representative sequences were used for phylogenic analysis, which revealed two clear clades. Clade I included 12 Gtf genes from nine caries-promoting species of the Mutans and Downei groups, which produce enzymes known to synthesize sticky, water-insoluble glucans (WIG) that are critical for modifying biofilm structures. Clade II primarily contained Gtf genes responsible for synthesizing water-soluble glucans (WSG) from all 18 species, and this clade further diverged into three subclades (IIA, IIB, and IIC). An analysis of 16 pairs of duplicated Gtf genes revealed high divergence levels at the C-terminal repeat regions, with ratios of the non-synonymous substitution rate (dN) to synonymous substitution rate (dS) ranging from 0.60 to 1.03, indicating an overall relaxed constraint in this region. However, among the clade I Gtf genes, some individual repeat units possessed strong functional constraints by the same criterion. Structural variations in the repeat regions were also observed, with detection of deletions or recent duplications of individual repeat units. Overall, by establishing an updated phylogeny and further elucidating their evolutionary patterns, this work enabled us to gain a greater understanding of the origination and divergence of Gtf genes in Streptococcus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Rong Xu
- Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei-Dong Yang
- Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Ke-Xin Niu
- Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Molecular Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Molecular Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wen-Mei Wang
- Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
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8
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Luo Z, Pederick VG, Paton JC, McDevitt CA, Kobe B. Structural characterisation of the HT3 motif of the polyhistidine triad protein D from Streptococcus pneumoniae. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:2341-2350. [PMID: 29856892 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a major human pathogen that requires Zn2+ for its survival and virulence in the host environment. Polyhistidine triad protein D (PhtD) has a known role in pneumococcal Zn2+ homeostasis. However, the mechanistic basis of PhtD function remains unclear, partly due to a lack of structural information. Here, we determined the crystal structure of the fragment PhtD269-339 , containing the third Zn2+ -binding histidine triad (HT) motif of the protein. Analysis of the structure suggests that Zn2+ binding occurs at the surface of the protein and that all five HT motifs in the protein bind Zn2+ and share similar structures. These new structural insights aid in our understanding of how the Pht proteins facilitate pneumococcal Zn2+ acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyao Luo
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Victoria G Pederick
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - James C Paton
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Christopher A McDevitt
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Bostjan Kobe
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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9
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Zheng F, Shao ZQ, Hao X, Wu Q, Li C, Hou H, Hu D, Wang C, Pan X. Identification of oligopeptide-binding protein (OppA) and its role in the virulence of Streptococcus suis serotype 2. Microb Pathog 2018; 118:322-329. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2018.03.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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10
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Ni H, Fan W, Li C, Wu Q, Hou H, Hu D, Zheng F, Zhu X, Wang C, Cao X, Shao ZQ, Pan X. Streptococcus suis DivIVA Protein Is a Substrate of Ser/Thr Kinase STK and Involved in Cell Division Regulation. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:85. [PMID: 29616196 PMCID: PMC5869912 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus suis serotype 2 is an important swine pathogen and an emerging zoonotic agent that causes severe infections. Recent studies have reported a eukaryotic-like Ser/Thr protein kinase (STK) gene and characterized its role in the growth and virulence of different S. suis 2 strains. In the present study, phosphoproteomic analysis was adopted to identify substrates of the STK protein. Seven proteins that were annotated to participate in different cell processes were identified as potential substrates, which suggests the pleiotropic effects of stk on S. suis 2 by targeting multiple pathways. Among them, a protein characterized as cell division initiation protein (DivIVA) was further investigated. In vitro analysis demonstrated that the recombinant STK protein directly phosphorylates threonine at amino acid position 199 (Thr-199) of DivIVA. This effect could be completely abolished by the T199A mutation. To determine the specific role of DivIVA in growth and division, a divIVA mutant was constructed. The ΔdivIVA strain exhibited impaired growth and division, including lower viability, enlarged cell mass, asymmetrical division caused by aberrant septum, and extremely weak pathogenicity in a mouse infection model. Collectively, our results reveal that STK regulates the cell growth and virulence of S. suis 2 by targeting substrates that are involved in different biological pathways. The inactivation of DivIVA leads to severe defects in cell division and strongly attenuates pathogenicity, thereby indicating its potential as a molecular drug target against S. suis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Ni
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics, Nanjing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.,The Key Laboratory of Ecology and Biological Resources in Yarkand Oasis at Colleges and Universities Under the Department of Education of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Kashgar University, Kashgar, China
| | - Weiwei Fan
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics, Nanjing, China.,Department of Pharmacy, Changzhou Wujin People's Hospital, Changzhou, China
| | - Chaolong Li
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics, Nanjing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qianqian Wu
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongfen Hou
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics, Nanjing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dan Hu
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics, Nanjing, China
| | - Feng Zheng
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics, Nanjing, China
| | - Xuhui Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics, Nanjing, China
| | - Changjun Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiangrong Cao
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhu-Qing Shao
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiuzhen Pan
- Department of Microbiology, Hua Dong Research Institute for Medicine and Biotechnics, Nanjing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
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11
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Li M, Shao ZQ, Guo Y, Wang L, Hou T, Hu D, Zheng F, Tang J, Wang C, Feng Y, Gao J, Pan X. The type II histidine triad protein HtpsC is a novel adhesion with the involvement of Streptococcus suis virulence. Virulence 2016; 6:631-41. [PMID: 26151575 PMCID: PMC4720241 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2015.1056971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcal histidine triad proteins HTPs are widely distributed within the Streptococcus genus. Based on the phylogenetic relationship and domain composition, HTPs are classified into type I and type II subfamilies. Previous studies revealed that several pathogenic streptococci contain more than one htp gene. We found that the highly virulent strain of Streptococcus suis 2 (S. suis 2), 05ZYH33 encodes 3 HTPs, designated HtpsA (previously described as HtpS), HtpsB, and HtpsC. Among them, HtpsC is the only member that contains leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domains at the C-terminal. In this study, we demonstrated that the recombinant HtpsC could bind to 2 different components of human ECM complex laminin and fibronectin in vitro, suggesting that it is a novel adhesin of S. suis 2. Having constructed an htpsC mutant, we evaluated its role in the pathogenesis of the highly virulent S. suis 2 strain 05ZYH33. Our data showed that inactivation of htpsC significantly affected adherence of S. suis 2 to Hep-2 cells and shortened the survival of the bacteria in whole blood. Furthermore, deletion of htpsC significantly attenuated the virulence of S. suis 2 in mice. These results demonstrated that htpsC was involved in the pathogenesis of the highly virulent S. suis 2 strain 05ZYH33. In line with the observation, immunization with HtpsC significantly prolonged mice's survival after S. suis 05ZYH33 challenge, indicating its potential use in the vaccine development against S. suis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- a School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science ; Wenzhou Medical University ; Wenzhou , China.,b Department of Epidemiology ; Research Institute for Medicine of Nanjing Command ; Nanjing , China
| | - Zhu-Qing Shao
- b Department of Epidemiology ; Research Institute for Medicine of Nanjing Command ; Nanjing , China.,c State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology ; School of Life Sciences ; Nanjing University ; Nanjing , China
| | - Yuqing Guo
- a School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science ; Wenzhou Medical University ; Wenzhou , China.,b Department of Epidemiology ; Research Institute for Medicine of Nanjing Command ; Nanjing , China
| | - Ling Wang
- b Department of Epidemiology ; Research Institute for Medicine of Nanjing Command ; Nanjing , China.,d School of Life Sciences ; Nanjing Normal University ; Nanjing , China
| | - Tianqing Hou
- b Department of Epidemiology ; Research Institute for Medicine of Nanjing Command ; Nanjing , China
| | - Dan Hu
- b Department of Epidemiology ; Research Institute for Medicine of Nanjing Command ; Nanjing , China
| | - Feng Zheng
- b Department of Epidemiology ; Research Institute for Medicine of Nanjing Command ; Nanjing , China
| | - Jiaqi Tang
- b Department of Epidemiology ; Research Institute for Medicine of Nanjing Command ; Nanjing , China.,e Institute of Laboratory Medicine ; Jinling Hospital ; Nanjing , China
| | - Changjun Wang
- b Department of Epidemiology ; Research Institute for Medicine of Nanjing Command ; Nanjing , China
| | - Youjun Feng
- f Center for Infection & Immunity ; Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology ; Zhejiang University School of Medicine ; Hangzhou, Zhejiang , China
| | - Jimin Gao
- a School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science ; Wenzhou Medical University ; Wenzhou , China
| | - Xiuzhen Pan
- a School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science ; Wenzhou Medical University ; Wenzhou , China.,b Department of Epidemiology ; Research Institute for Medicine of Nanjing Command ; Nanjing , China
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12
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Tedde V, Rosini R, Galeotti CL. Zn2+ Uptake in Streptococcus pyogenes: Characterization of adcA and lmb Null Mutants. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152835. [PMID: 27031880 PMCID: PMC4816340 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
An effective regulation of metal ion homeostasis is essential for the growth of microorganisms in any environment and in pathogenic bacteria is strongly associated with their ability to invade and colonise their hosts. To gain a better insight into zinc acquisition in Group A Streptococcus (GAS) we characterized null deletion mutants of the adcA and lmb genes of Streptococcus pyogenes strain MGAS5005 encoding the orthologues of AdcA and AdcAII, the two surface lipoproteins with partly redundant roles in zinc homeostasis in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Null adcA and lmb mutants were analysed for their capability to grow in zinc-depleted conditions and were found to be more susceptible to zinc starvation, a phenotype that could be rescued by the addition of Zn2+ ions to the growth medium. Expression of AdcA, Lmb and HtpA, the polyhistidine triad protein encoded by the gene adjacent to lmb, during growth under conditions of limited zinc availability was examined by Western blot analysis in wild type and null mutant strains. In the wild type strain, AdcA was always present with little variation in expression levels between conditions of excess or limited zinc availability. In contrast, Lmb and HtpA were expressed at detectable levels only during growth in the presence of low zinc concentrations or in the null adcA mutant, when expression of lmb is required to compensate for the lack of adcA expression. In the latter case, Lmb and HtpA were overexpressed by several fold, thus indicating that also in GAS AdcA is a zinc-specific importer and, although it shares this function with Lmb, the two substrate-binding proteins do not show fully overlapping roles in zinc homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittorio Tedde
- Research Centre, GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines S.r.l., Siena, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosini
- Research Centre, GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines S.r.l., Siena, Italy
| | - Cesira L. Galeotti
- Research Centre, GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines S.r.l., Siena, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Overlapping functionality of the Pht proteins in zinc homeostasis of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Infect Immun 2014; 82:4315-24. [PMID: 25069983 DOI: 10.1128/iai.02155-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a globally significant pathogen that causes a range of diseases, including pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis, and otitis media. Its ability to cause disease depends upon the acquisition of nutrients from its environment, including transition metal ions such as zinc. The pneumococcus employs a number of surface proteins to achieve this, among which are four highly similar polyhistidine triad (Pht) proteins. It has previously been established that these proteins collectively aid in the delivery of zinc to the ABC transporter substrate-binding protein AdcAII. Here we have investigated the contribution of each individual Pht protein to pneumococcal zinc homeostasis by analyzing mutant strains expressing only one of the four pht genes. Under conditions of low zinc availability, each of these mutants showed superior growth and zinc accumulation profiles relative to a mutant strain lacking all four genes, indicating that any of the four Pht proteins are able to facilitate delivery of zinc to AdcAII. However, optimal growth and zinc accumulation in vitro and pneumococcal survival and proliferation in vivo required production of all four Pht proteins, indicating that, despite their overlapping functionality, the proteins are not dispensable without incurring a fitness cost. We also show that surface-attached forms of the Pht proteins are required for zinc recruitment and that they do not contribute to defense against extracellular zinc stress.
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Zhang YM, Shao ZQ, Wang J, Wang L, Li X, Wang C, Tang J, Pan X. Prevalent distribution and conservation of Streptococcus suis Lmb protein and its protective capacity against the Chinese highly virulent strain infection. Microbiol Res 2014; 169:395-401. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2013.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2013] [Revised: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Role of Pht proteins in attachment of Streptococcus pneumoniae to respiratory epithelial cells. Infect Immun 2014; 82:1683-91. [PMID: 24491577 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00699-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumococcal adherence to mucosal surfaces is a critical step in nasopharyngeal colonization, but so far few pneumococcal adhesins involved in the interaction with host cells have been identified. PhtA, PhtB, PhtD, and PhtE are conserved pneumococcal surface proteins that have proven promising as vaccine candidates. One suggested virulence function of Pht proteins is to mediate adherence at the respiratory mucosa. In this study, we assessed the role of Pht proteins in pneumococcal binding to respiratory epithelial cells. Pneumococci were incubated with human nasopharyngeal epithelial cells (Detroit-562) and lung epithelial cells (A549 and NCI-H292), and the proportion of bound bacteria was measured by plating viable counts. Strains R36A (unencapsulated), D39 (serotype 2), 43 (serotype 3), 4-CDC (serotype 4), and 2737 (serotype 19F) with one or more of the four homologous Pht proteins deleted were compared with their wild-type counterparts. Also, the effect of anti-PhtD antibodies on the adherence of strain 2737 to the respiratory epithelial cells was studied. Our results suggest that Pht proteins play a role in pneumococcal adhesion to the respiratory epithelium. We also found that antibody to PhtD is able to inhibit bacterial attachment to the cells, suggesting that antibodies against PhtD present at mucosal surfaces might protect from pneumococcal attachment and subsequent colonization. However, the relative significance of Pht proteins to the ability of pneumococci to bind in vitro to epithelial cells depends on the genetic background and the capsular serotype of the strain.
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Wu Z, Wang W, Tang M, Shao J, Dai C, Zhang W, Fan H, Yao H, Zong J, Chen D, Wang J, Lu C. Comparative genomic analysis shows that Streptococcus suis meningitis isolate SC070731 contains a unique 105K genomic island. Gene 2013; 535:156-64. [PMID: 24316490 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2013.11.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2013] [Revised: 11/16/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Streptococcus suis (SS) is an important swine pathogen worldwide that occasionally causes serious infections in humans. SS infection may result in meningitis in pigs and humans. The pathogenic mechanisms of SS are poorly understood. Here, we provide the complete genome sequence of S. suis serotype 2 (SS2) strain SC070731 isolated from a pig with meningitis. The chromosome is 2,138,568bp in length. There are 1933 predicted protein coding sequences and 96.7% (57/59) of the known virulence-associated genes are present in the genome. Strain SC070731 showed similar virulence with SS2 virulent strains HA9801 and ZY05719, but was more virulent than SS2 virulent strain P1/7 in the zebrafish infection model. Comparative genomic analysis revealed a unique 105K genomic island in strain SC070731 that is absent in seven other sequenced SS2 strains. Further analysis of the 105K genomic island indicated that it contained a complete nisin locus similar to the nisin U locus in S. uberis strain 42, a prophage similar to S. oralis phage PH10 and several antibiotic resistance genes. Several proteins in the 105K genomic island, including nisin and RelBE toxin-antitoxin system, contribute to the bacterial fitness and virulence in other pathogenic bacteria. Further investigation of newly identified gene products, including four putative new virulence-associated surface proteins, will improve our understanding of SS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongfu Wu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China; OIE Reference Lab for Swine Streptococcosis, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Weixue Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China; OIE Reference Lab for Swine Streptococcosis, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Min Tang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China; OIE Reference Lab for Swine Streptococcosis, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jing Shao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China; OIE Reference Lab for Swine Streptococcosis, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Chen Dai
- Experimental Teaching Center of Life Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China; OIE Reference Lab for Swine Streptococcosis, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Hongjie Fan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China; OIE Reference Lab for Swine Streptococcosis, Nanjing 210095, China; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Huochun Yao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China; OIE Reference Lab for Swine Streptococcosis, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jie Zong
- Novel Bioinformatics Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Dai Chen
- Novel Bioinformatics Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Chengping Lu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China; OIE Reference Lab for Swine Streptococcosis, Nanjing 210095, China.
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Bersch B, Bougault C, Roux L, Favier A, Vernet T, Durmort C. New insights into histidine triad proteins: solution structure of a Streptococcus pneumoniae PhtD domain and zinc transfer to AdcAII. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81168. [PMID: 24312273 PMCID: PMC3842936 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Zinc (Zn2+) homeostasis is critical for pathogen host colonization and invasion. Polyhistidine triad (Pht) proteins, located at the surface of various streptococci, have been proposed to be involved in Zn2+ homeostasis. The phtD gene, coding for a Zn2+-binding protein, is organized in an operon with adcAII coding for the extracellular part of a Zn2+ transporter. In the present work, we investigate the relationship between PhtD and AdcAII using biochemical and structural biology approaches. Immuno-precipitation experiments on purified membranes of Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) demonstrate that native PhtD and AdcAII interact in vivo confirming our previous in vitro observations. NMR was used to demonstrate Zn2+ transfer from the Zn2+-bound form of a 137 amino acid N-terminal domain of PhtD (t-PhtD) to AdcAII. The high resolution NMR structure of t-PhtD shows that Zn2+ is bound in a tetrahedral site by histidines 83, 86, and 88 as well as by glutamate 63. Comparison of the NMR parameters measured for apo- and Zn2+-t-PhtD shows that the loss of Zn2+ leads to a diminished helical propensity at the C-terminus and increases the local dynamics and overall molecular volume. Structural comparison with the crystal structure of a 55-long fragment of PhtA suggests that Pht proteins are built from short repetitive units formed by three β-strands containing the conserved HxxHxH motif. Taken together, these results support a role for S. pneumoniae PhtD as a Zn2+ scavenger for later release to the surface transporter AdcAII, leading to Zn2+ uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beate Bersch
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France ; Institut de Biologie Structurale, Direction des Sciences du Vivant, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Grenoble, France ; Institut de Biologie Structurale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Grenoble, France
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Zhang YM, Shao ZQ, Yang LT, Sun XQ, Mao YF, Chen JQ, Wang B. Non-random arrangement of synonymous codons in archaea coding sequences. Genomics 2013; 101:362-7. [PMID: 23603537 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2013.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2012] [Revised: 04/08/2013] [Accepted: 04/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Non-random arrangement of synonymous codons in coding sequences has been recently reported in eukaryotic and bacterial genomes, but the case in archaeal genomes is largely undetermined. Here, we systematically investigated 122 archaeal genomes for their synonymous codon co-occurrence patterns. We found that in most archaeal coding sequences, the order of synonymous codons is not arranged randomly, but rather some successive codon pairs appear significantly more often than expected. Importantly, such codon pairing bias (CPB) pattern in archaea does not seem to completely follow the co-tRNA codon pairing (CCP) rule previously reported for eukaryotes, but largely obeys an identical codon pairing (ICP) rule. Further, synonymous codon permutation test demonstrated that in many archaeal genomes, random mutation alone is unable to cause the observed high level of ICP bias, which strongly indicates that selection force has been involved to shape synonymous codon orders, potentially meeting a global requirement to optimize translation rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Mei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210093, China.
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