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Top J, Zhang X, Hendrickx APA, Boeren S, van Schaik W, Huebner J, Willems RJL, Leavis HL, Paganelli FL. YajC, a predicted membrane protein, promotes Enterococcus faecium biofilm formation in vitro and in a rat endocarditis model. FEMS MICROBES 2024; 5:xtae017. [PMID: 38860142 PMCID: PMC11163983 DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtae017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Biofilm formation is a critical step in the pathogenesis of difficult-to-treat Gram-positive bacterial infections. We identified that YajC, a conserved membrane protein in bacteria, plays a role in biofilm formation of the clinically relevant Enterococcus faecium strain E1162. Deletion of yajC conferred significantly impaired biofilm formation in vitro and was attenuated in a rat endocarditis model. Mass spectrometry analysis of supernatants of washed ΔyajC cells revealed increased amounts in cytoplasmic and cell-surface-located proteins, including biofilm-associated proteins, suggesting that proteins on the surface of the yajC mutant are only loosely attached. In Streptococcus mutans YajC has been identified in complex with proteins of two cotranslational membrane protein-insertion pathways; the signal recognition particle (SRP)-SecYEG-YajC-YidC1 and the SRP-YajC-YidC2 pathway, but its function is unknown. In S. mutans mutation of yidC1 and yidC2 resulted in impaired protein insertion in the cell membrane and secretion in the supernatant. The E. faecium genome contains all homologous genes encoding for the cotranslational membrane protein-insertion pathways. By combining the studies in S. mutans and E. faecium, we propose that YajC is involved in the stabilization of the SRP-SecYEG-YajC-YidC1 and SRP-YajC-Yid2 pathway or plays a role in retaining proteins for proper docking to the YidC insertases for translocation in and over the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janetta Top
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO box 85500, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Xinglin Zhang
- College of Agriculture and Forestry, Linyi University, Building 60, Yujingwan, Linyi City, Shandong Province, 276000, China
| | - Antoni P A Hendrickx
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control (Clb), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Sjef Boeren
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, PO box 8128, 6700 ET Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Willem van Schaik
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Johannes Huebner
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian Universität München, Lindwurmstr. 4, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Rob J L Willems
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO box 85500, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Helen L Leavis
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO box 85500, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Fernanda L Paganelli
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO box 85500, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
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2
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Chang Q, Chen H, Li Y, Li H, Yang Z, Zeng J, Zhang P, Ge J, Gao M. The Synergistic Activity of Rhamnolipid Combined with Linezolid against Linezolid-Resistant Enterococcus faecium. Molecules 2023; 28:7630. [PMID: 38005351 PMCID: PMC10674639 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28227630] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Enterococci resistance is increasing sharply, which poses a serious threat to public health. Rhamnolipids are a kind of amphiphilic compound used for its bioactivities, while the combination of nontraditional drugs to restore linezolid activity is an attractive strategy to treat infections caused by these pathogens. This study aimed to investigate the activity of linezolid in combination with the rhamnolipids against Enterococcus faecium. Here, we determined that the rhamnolipids could enhance the efficacy of linezolid against enterococci infections by a checkerboard MIC assay, a time-kill assay, a combined disk test, an anti-biofilm assay, molecular simulation dynamics, and mouse infection models. We identified that the combination of rhamnolipids and linezolid restored the linezolid sensitivity. Anti-biofilm experiments show that our new scheme can effectively inhibit biofilm generation. The mouse infection model demonstrated that the combination therapy significantly reduced the bacterial load in the feces, colons, and kidneys following subcutaneous administration. This study showed that rhamnolipids could play a synergistic role with linezolid against Enterococcus. Our combined agents could be appealing candidates for developing new combinatorial agents to restore antibiotic efficacy in the treatment of linezolid-resistant Enterococcus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingru Chang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Huinan Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yifan Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Hai Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Zaixing Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Jiankai Zeng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Junwei Ge
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Mingchun Gao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Harbin 150030, China
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Borowicz M, Krzyżanowska DM, Jafra S. Crystal violet-based assay for the assessment of bacterial biofilm formation in medical tubing. J Microbiol Methods 2023; 204:106656. [PMID: 36526040 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2022.106656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Crystal violet-based assay is widely used to evaluate the early stages of bacterial biofilm formation. Here, we modified it to study biofilm formation in medical tubing. While cost-effective and requiring no sophisticated equipment, our method provided quantitative and qualitative distinctions between the ability of four bacterial strains to colonize PVC catheters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Borowicz
- Laboratory of Plant Microbiology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of the University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, University of Gdańsk, ul. A. Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Dorota M Krzyżanowska
- Laboratory of Biologically Active Compounds, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of the University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, University of Gdańsk, ul. A. Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Sylwia Jafra
- Laboratory of Plant Microbiology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of the University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, University of Gdańsk, ul. A. Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland.
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Kim D, Kim KY. Pectolinarin Inhibits the Bacterial Biofilm Formation and Thereby Reduces Bacterial Pathogenicity. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11050598. [PMID: 35625242 PMCID: PMC9137516 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11050598] [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: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms are a growing problem as it is a major cause of nosocomial infection from urinary catheters to chronic tissue infections and provide resistance to a variety of antibiotics and the host’s immune system. The effect of pectolinarin on the biofilm formation in Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Cutibacterium acnes, and Porphyromonas gingivalis was studied in TSBg (tryptic soy broth supplemented with 1% glucose). Pectolinarin inhibited biofilm formation of E. faecalis (IC50 = 0.39 μg/mL), E. faecium (IC50 = 0.19 μg/mL), E. coli (IC50 = 0.25 μg/mL), S. mutans (IC50 = 1.2 μg/mL), S. sobrinus (IC50 = 1.4 μg/mL), S. aureus (IC50 = 0.39 μg/mL), P. aeruginosa (IC50 = 0.9 μg/mL), P. acnes (IC50 = 12.5 μg/mL), and P. gingivalis (IC50 = 9.0 μg/mL) without inhibiting the bacterial growth. Pectolinarin also showed increased susceptibility of antibacterial activity with commercially available antibiotics including ampicillin, vancomycin, streptomycin, and oxytetracyclin against E. faecalis and E. faecium. Finally, pectolinarin dose-dependently reduced the expression of genes including cytolysin genes (cylLS, cylR2 and cylM), quorum sensing (QS) genes (fsrB, fsrC, gelE, ebpA, ebpB, acm, scm and bps), and biofilm virulence genes (esp) of E. faecalis and E. faecium. Pectolinarin reduced the bacterial biofilm formation, activated the antibacterial susceptibility, and reduced the bacterial adherence. These results suggest that bacterial biofilm formation is a good target to develop the antibacterial agents against biofilm-related infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daseul Kim
- Graduate School of Biotechnology, Kyung Hee University, Seocheon, Giheung, Yongin 17104, Korea;
| | - Ki-Young Kim
- Graduate School of Biotechnology, Kyung Hee University, Seocheon, Giheung, Yongin 17104, Korea;
- College of Life Science, Kyung Hee University, Seocheon, Giheung, Yongin 17104, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-312012633
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Antimicrobial Peptides as an Alternative for the Eradication of Bacterial Biofilms of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14030642. [PMID: 35336016 PMCID: PMC8950055 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14030642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial resistance is an emergency public health problem worldwide, compounded by the ability of bacteria to form biofilms, mainly in seriously ill hospitalized patients. The World Health Organization has published a list of priority bacteria that should be studied and, in turn, has encouraged the development of new drugs. Herein, we explain the importance of studying new molecules such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with potential against multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacteria and focus on the inhibition of biofilm formation. This review describes the main causes of antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation, as well as the main and potential AMP applications against these bacteria. Our results suggest that the new biomacromolecules to be discovered and studied should focus on this group of dangerous and highly infectious bacteria. Alternative molecules such as AMPs could contribute to eradicating biofilm proliferation by MDR/XDR bacteria; this is a challenging undertaking with promising prospects.
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Ferchichi M, Sebei K, Boukerb AM, Karray-Bouraoui N, Chevalier S, Feuilloley MGJ, Connil N, Zommiti M. Enterococcus spp.: Is It a Bad Choice for a Good Use-A Conundrum to Solve? Microorganisms 2021; 9:2222. [PMID: 34835352 PMCID: PMC8622268 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Since antiquity, the ubiquitous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Enterococci, which are just as predominant in both human and animal intestinal commensal flora, have been used (and still are) as probiotics in food and feed production. Their qualities encounter several hurdles, particularly in terms of the array of virulence determinants, reflecting a notorious reputation that nearly prevents their use as probiotics. Additionally, representatives of the Enterococcus spp. genus showed intrinsic resistance to several antimicrobial agents, and flexibility to acquire resistance determinants encoded on a broad array of conjugative plasmids, transposons, and bacteriophages. The presence of such pathogenic aspects among some species represents a critical barrier compromising their use as probiotics in food. Thus, the genus neither has Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status nor has it been included in the Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) list implying drastic legislation towards these microorganisms. To date, the knowledge of the virulence factors and the genetic structure of foodborne enterococcal strains is rather limited. Although enterococcal infections originating from food have never been reported, the consumption of food carrying virulence enterococci seems to be a risky path of transfer, and hence, it renders them poor choices as probiotics. Auspiciously, enterococcal virulence factors seem to be strain specific suggesting that clinical isolates carry much more determinants that food isolates. The latter remain widely susceptible to clinically relevant antibiotics and subsequently, have a lower potential for pathogenicity. In terms of the ideal enterococcal candidate, selected strains deemed for use in foods should not possess any virulence genes and should be susceptible to clinically relevant antibiotics. Overall, implementation of an appropriate risk/benefit analysis, in addition to the case-by-case assessment, the establishment of a strain's innocuity, and consideration for relevant guidelines, legislation, and regulatory aspects surrounding functional food development seem to be the crucial elements for industries, health-staff and consumers to accept enterococci, like other LAB, as important candidates for useful and beneficial applications in food industry and food biotechnology. The present review aims at shedding light on the world of hurdles and limitations that hampers the Enterococcus spp. genus and its representatives from being used or proposed for use as probiotics. The future of enterococci use as probiotics and legislation in this field are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mounir Ferchichi
- Unité de Protéomique Fonctionnelle et Potentiel Nutraceutique de la Biodiversité de Tunisie, Institut Supérieur des Sciences Biologiques Appliquées de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1006, Tunisia; (M.F.); (K.S.)
| | - Khaled Sebei
- Unité de Protéomique Fonctionnelle et Potentiel Nutraceutique de la Biodiversité de Tunisie, Institut Supérieur des Sciences Biologiques Appliquées de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1006, Tunisia; (M.F.); (K.S.)
| | - Amine Mohamed Boukerb
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM) EA 4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, 27000 Evreux, France; (A.M.B.); (S.C.); (M.G.J.F.); (N.C.)
| | - Najoua Karray-Bouraoui
- Laboratoire de Productivité Végétale et Contraintes Abiotiques, LR18ES04, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, Tunisia;
| | - Sylvie Chevalier
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM) EA 4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, 27000 Evreux, France; (A.M.B.); (S.C.); (M.G.J.F.); (N.C.)
| | - Marc G. J. Feuilloley
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM) EA 4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, 27000 Evreux, France; (A.M.B.); (S.C.); (M.G.J.F.); (N.C.)
| | - Nathalie Connil
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM) EA 4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, 27000 Evreux, France; (A.M.B.); (S.C.); (M.G.J.F.); (N.C.)
| | - Mohamed Zommiti
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Signaux et Microenvironnement (LMSM) EA 4312, Université de Rouen Normandie, 27000 Evreux, France; (A.M.B.); (S.C.); (M.G.J.F.); (N.C.)
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Top J, Baan J, Bisschop A, Arredondo-Alonso S, van Schaik W, Willems RJL. Functional characterization of a gene cluster responsible for inositol catabolism associated with hospital-adapted isolates of Enterococcus faecium. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2021; 167. [PMID: 34491894 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Enterococcus faecium is a nosocomial, multidrug-resistant pathogen. Whole genome sequence studies revealed that hospital-associated E. faecium isolates are clustered in a separate clade A1. Here, we investigated the distribution, integration site and function of a putative iol gene cluster that encodes for myo-inositol (MI) catabolism. This iol gene cluster was found as part of an ~20 kbp genetic element (iol element), integrated in ICEEfm1 close to its integrase gene in E. faecium isolate E1679. Among 1644 E. faecium isolates, ICEEfm1 was found in 789/1227 (64.3 %) clade A1 and 3/417 (0.7 %) non-clade A1 isolates. The iol element was present at a similar integration site in 180/792 (22.7 %) ICEEfm1-containing isolates. Examination of the phylogenetic tree revealed genetically closely related isolates that differed in presence/absence of ICEEfm1 and/or iol element, suggesting either independent acquisition or loss of both elements. E. faecium iol gene cluster containing isolates E1679 and E1504 were able to grow in minimal medium with only myo-inositol as carbon source, while the iolD-deficient mutant in E1504 (E1504∆iolD) lost this ability and an iol gene cluster negative recipient strain gained this ability after acquisition of ICEEfm1 by conjugation from donor strain E1679. Gene expression profiling revealed that the iol gene cluster is only expressed in the absence of other carbon sources. In an intestinal colonization mouse model the colonization ability of E1504∆iolD mutant was not affected relative to the wild-type E1504 strain. In conclusion, we describe and functionally characterise a gene cluster involved in MI catabolism that is associated with the ICEEfm1 island in hospital-associated E. faecium isolates. We were unable to show that this gene cluster provides a competitive advantage during gut colonisation in a mouse model. Therefore, to what extent this gene cluster contributes to the spread and ecological specialisation of ICEEfm1-carrying hospital-associated isolates remains to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janetta Top
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jery Baan
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Adinda Bisschop
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sergio Arredondo-Alonso
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Willem van Schaik
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Rob J L Willems
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Patil A, Banerji R, Kanojiya P, Saroj SD. Foodborne ESKAPE Biofilms and Antimicrobial Resistance: lessons Learned from Clinical Isolates. Pathog Glob Health 2021; 115:339-356. [PMID: 33851566 PMCID: PMC8592604 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2021.1916158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) are identified to be multidrug-resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR), and pan drug-resistant (PDR); thereby, imposing severe challenges in the treatment of associated infections. ESKAPE pathogens colonize on various biotic and abiotic surfaces; biofilms formed by these pathogens are a potential source for food contamination. Moreover, biofilms play a pivotal role in the development of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) strains. Hence, the frequent isolation of antimicrobial-resistant ESKAPE pathogens from food products across the globe imposes a threat to public health. A comprehensive understanding of the adhesion signaling involved in the polymicrobial and single-species biofilm will assist in developing alternative preservation techniques and novel therapeutic strategies to combat ESKAPE pathogens. The review provides a comprehensive overview of the signaling mechanisms that prevail in the ESKAPE pathogens for adhesion to abiotic and biotic surfaces and molecular mechanisms associated with poly-microbial biofilm-assisted AMR in ESKAPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Patil
- Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Symbiosis Knowledge Village, PuneMaharashtra, India
| | - Rajashri Banerji
- Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Symbiosis Knowledge Village, PuneMaharashtra, India
| | - Poonam Kanojiya
- Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Symbiosis Knowledge Village, PuneMaharashtra, India
| | - Sunil D. Saroj
- Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Symbiosis Knowledge Village, PuneMaharashtra, India
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Michaux C, Hansen EE, Jenniches L, Gerovac M, Barquist L, Vogel J. Single-Nucleotide RNA Maps for the Two Major Nosocomial Pathogens Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:600325. [PMID: 33324581 PMCID: PMC7724050 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.600325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterococcus faecalis and faecium are two major representative clinical strains of the Enterococcus genus and are sadly notorious to be part of the top agents responsible for nosocomial infections. Despite their critical implication in worldwide public healthcare, essential and available resources such as deep transcriptome annotations remain poor, which also limits our understanding of post-transcriptional control small regulatory RNA (sRNA) functions in these bacteria. Here, using the dRNA-seq technique in combination with ANNOgesic analysis, we successfully mapped and annotated transcription start sites (TSS) of both E. faecalis V583 and E. faecium AUS0004 at single nucleotide resolution. Analyzing bacteria in late exponential phase, we capture ~40% (E. faecalis) and 43% (E. faecium) of the annotated protein-coding genes, determine 5′ and 3′ UTR (untranslated region) length, and detect instances of leaderless mRNAs. The transcriptome maps revealed sRNA candidates in both bacteria, some found in previous studies and new ones. Expression of candidate sRNAs is being confirmed under biologically relevant environmental conditions. This comprehensive global TSS mapping atlas provides a valuable resource for RNA biology and gene expression analysis in the Enterococci. It can be accessed online at www.helmholtz-hiri.de/en/datasets/enterococcus through an instance of the genomic viewer JBrowse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Michaux
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth E Hansen
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Laura Jenniches
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Milan Gerovac
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lars Barquist
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
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Park YK, Jin YH, Lee JH, Byun BY, Lee J, Jeong KC, Mah JH. The Role of Enterococcus faecium as a Key Producer and Fermentation Condition as an Influencing Factor in Tyramine Accumulation in Cheonggukjang. Foods 2020; 9:foods9070915. [PMID: 32664514 PMCID: PMC7405019 DOI: 10.3390/foods9070915] [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: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The study evaluated the role of Enterococcus faecium in tyramine production and its response to fermentation temperature in a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste, Cheonggukjang. Tyramine content was detected in retail Cheonggukjang products at high concentrations exceeding the recommended limit up to a factor of 14. All retail Cheonggukjang products contained Enterococcus spp. at concentrations of at least 6 Log CFU/g. Upon isolation of Enterococcus strains, approximately 93% (157 strains) produced tyramine at over 100 µg/mL. The strains that produced the highest concentrations of tyramine (301.14–315.29 μg/mL) were identified as E. faecium through 16S rRNA sequencing. The results indicate that E. faecium is one of the major contributing factors to high tyramine content in Cheonggukjang. During fermentation, tyramine content in Cheonggukjang groups co-inoculated with E. faecium strains was highest at 45 °C, followed by 37 °C and 25 °C. The tyramine content of most Cheonggukjang groups continually increased as fermentation progressed, except groups fermented at 25 °C. At 45 °C, the tyramine content occasionally exceeded the recommended limit within 3 days of fermentation. The results suggest that lowering fermentation temperature and shortening duration may reduce the tyramine content of Cheonggukjang, thereby reducing the safety risks that may arise when consuming food with high tyramine concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Kyoung Park
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong 30019, Korea; (Y.K.P.); (Y.H.J.); (J.-H.L.); (B.Y.B.); (J.L.)
| | - Young Hun Jin
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong 30019, Korea; (Y.K.P.); (Y.H.J.); (J.-H.L.); (B.Y.B.); (J.L.)
| | - Jun-Hee Lee
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong 30019, Korea; (Y.K.P.); (Y.H.J.); (J.-H.L.); (B.Y.B.); (J.L.)
| | - Bo Young Byun
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong 30019, Korea; (Y.K.P.); (Y.H.J.); (J.-H.L.); (B.Y.B.); (J.L.)
| | - Junsu Lee
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong 30019, Korea; (Y.K.P.); (Y.H.J.); (J.-H.L.); (B.Y.B.); (J.L.)
| | - KwangCheol Casey Jeong
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jae-Hyung Mah
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong 30019, Korea; (Y.K.P.); (Y.H.J.); (J.-H.L.); (B.Y.B.); (J.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-44-860-1431
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Effects of Lmo2672 Deficiency on Environmental Adaptability, Biofilm Formation, and Motility of Listeria monocytogenes. Jundishapur J Microbiol 2020. [DOI: 10.5812/jjm.95758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
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12
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Risks associated with enterococci as probiotics. Food Res Int 2019; 129:108788. [PMID: 32036912 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Probiotics are naturally occurring microorganisms that confer health benefits by altering host commensal microbiota, modulating immunity, enhancing intestinal barrier function, or altering pain perception. Enterococci are human and animal intestinal commensals that are used as probiotics and in food production. These microorganisms, however, express many virulence traits including cytolysin, proteases, aggregation substance, capsular polysaccharide, enterococcal surface protein, biofilm formation, extracellular superoxide, intestinal translocation, and resistance to innate immunity that can lead to serious hospital-acquired infections. In addition, enterococci are facile in acquiring antibiotic resistance genes to many clinically important antibiotics encoded on a wide variety of conjugative plasmids, transposons, and bacteriophages. The pathogenicity and disease burden caused by enterococci render them poor choices as probiotics. No large, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of any enterococcal probiotic. As a result, no enterococcal probiotic has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment, cure, or amelioration of human disease. In 2007, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that enterococci do not meet the standard for "Qualified Presumption of Safety". Enterococcal strains used or proposed for use as probiotics should be carefully screened for efficacy and safety.
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13
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Sortase-Dependent Proteins Promote Gastrointestinal Colonization by Enterococci. Infect Immun 2019; 87:IAI.00853-18. [PMID: 30804098 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00853-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is inhabited by a dense microbial community of symbionts. Enterococci are among the earliest members of this community and remain core members of the GIT microbiota throughout life. Enterococci have also recently emerged as opportunistic pathogens and major causes of nosocomial infections. Although recognized as a prerequisite for infection, colonization of the GIT by enterococci remains poorly understood. One way that bacteria adapt to dynamic ecosystems like the GIT is through the use of their surface proteins to sense and interact with components of their immediate environment. In Gram-positive bacteria, a subset of surface proteins relies on an enzyme called sortase for covalent attachment to the cell wall. Here, we show that the housekeeping sortase A (SrtA) enzyme promotes intestinal colonization by enterococci. Furthermore, we show that the enzymatic activity of SrtA is key to the ability of Enterococcus faecalis to bind mucin (a major component of the GIT mucus). We also report the GIT colonization phenotypes of E. faecalis mutants lacking selected sortase-dependent proteins (SDPs). Further examination of the mucin binding ability of these mutants suggests that adhesion to mucin contributes to intestinal colonization by E. faecalis.
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14
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Banla LI, Salzman NH, Kristich CJ. Colonization of the mammalian intestinal tract by enterococci. Curr Opin Microbiol 2018; 47:26-31. [PMID: 30439685 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Enterococci are colonizers of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and normally live in healthy association with their human host. However, enterococci are also major causes of healthcare-acquired infections, prompting the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to declare vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) a serious threat to public health. Because of both intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance, enterococci proliferate in the GIT during antibiotic therapy, leading to dissemination and disease. The recognition that colonization of the GIT is a pre-requisite for enterococcal infections has prompted research to study mechanisms used by enterococci to colonize this niche. This review discusses major findings of recent research to understand GIT colonization by enterococci using diverse experimental models, each of which exhibits unique strengths. This work has revealed enterococcal transcriptional reprogramming in the GIT, contributions of specific enterococcal genes encoded by the core genome to GIT colonization, the impact of genome plasticity, and roles for intra-species and inter-species interactions in modulation of GIT colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leou Ismael Banla
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Nita H Salzman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States.
| | - Christopher J Kristich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States.
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15
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Ch’ng JH, Chong KKL, Lam LN, Wong JJ, Kline KA. Biofilm-associated infection by enterococci. Nat Rev Microbiol 2018; 17:82-94. [DOI: 10.1038/s41579-018-0107-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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16
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Fang H, Liu L, Zhang Y, Yang H, Yan Y, Ding X, Han Y, Zhou D, Yang R. BfvR, an AraC-Family Regulator, Controls Biofilm Formation and pH6 Antigen Production in Opposite Ways in Yersinia pestis Biovar Microtus. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:347. [PMID: 30333962 PMCID: PMC6176095 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilm formation is critical for blocking flea foregut and hence for transmission of Y. pestis by flea biting. In this study, we identified the regulatory role of the AraC-family transcriptional regulator BfvR (YPO1737 in strain CO92) in biofilm formation and virulence of Yersinia pestis biovar Microtus. Crystal violet staining, Caenorhabditis elegans biofilm assay, colony morphology assay, intracellular c-di-GMP concentration determination, and BALB/c mice challenge were employed to reveal that BfvR enhanced Y. pestis biofilm formation while repressed its virulence in mice. Further molecular biological assays demonstrated that BfvR directly stimulated the expression of hmsHFRS, waaAE-coaD, and hmsCDE, which, in turn, affected the production of exopolysaccharide, LPS, and c-di-GMP, respectively. In addition, BfvR directly and indirectly repressed psaABC and psaEF transcription, respectively. We concluded that the modulation of biofilm- and virulence-related genes by BfvR led to increased biofilm formation and reduced virulence of Y. pestis biovar Microtus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haihong Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China.,Division of Biology, Beijing Academy, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Wuhan General Hospital of PLA, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiquan Zhang
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Huiying Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yanfeng Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojuan Ding
- Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yanping Han
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Dongsheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Ruifu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
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17
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Banla IL, Kommineni S, Hayward M, Rodrigues M, Palmer KL, Salzman NH, Kristich CJ. Modulators of Enterococcus faecalis Cell Envelope Integrity and Antimicrobial Resistance Influence Stable Colonization of the Mammalian Gastrointestinal Tract. Infect Immun 2018; 86:e00381-17. [PMID: 29038125 PMCID: PMC5736811 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00381-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gram-positive bacterium Enterococcus faecalis is both a colonizer of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and an agent of serious nosocomial infections. Although it is typically required for pathogenesis, GIT colonization by E. faecalis is poorly understood. E. faecalis tolerates high concentrations of GIT antimicrobials, like cholate and lysozyme, leading us to hypothesize that resistance to intestinal antimicrobials is essential for long-term GIT colonization. Analyses of E. faecalis mutants exhibiting defects in antimicrobial resistance revealed that IreK, a determinant of envelope integrity and antimicrobial resistance, is required for long-term GIT colonization. IreK is a member of the PASTA kinase protein family, bacterial transmembrane signaling proteins implicated in the regulation of cell wall homeostasis. Among several determinants of cholate and lysozyme resistance in E. faecalis, IreK was the only one found to be required for intestinal colonization, emphasizing the importance of this protein to enterococcal adaptation to the GIT. By studying ΔireK suppressor mutants that recovered the ability to colonize the GIT, we identified two conserved enterococcal proteins (OG1RF_11271 and OG1RF_11272) that function antagonistically to IreK and interfere with cell envelope integrity, antimicrobial resistance, and GIT colonization. Our data suggest that IreK, through its kinase activity, inhibits the actions of these proteins. IreK, OG1RF_11271, and OG1RF_11272 are found in all enterococci, suggesting that their effect on GIT colonization is universal across enterococci. Thus, we have defined conserved genes in the enterococcal core genome that influence GIT colonization through their effect on enterococcal envelope integrity and antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael L Banla
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sushma Kommineni
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Michael Hayward
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Marinelle Rodrigues
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Kelli L Palmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Nita H Salzman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Christopher J Kristich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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18
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High Level of Biofilm Formation and Virulence Factors in Enterococci Species Isolated From Clinical and Normal Flora Samples. INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE 2018. [DOI: 10.1097/ipc.0000000000000519] [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]
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19
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Goh HMS, Yong MHA, Chong KKL, Kline KA. Model systems for the study of Enterococcal colonization and infection. Virulence 2017; 8:1525-1562. [PMID: 28102784 PMCID: PMC5810481 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2017.1279766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are common inhabitants of the human gastrointestinal tract, as well as frequent opportunistic pathogens. Enterococci cause a range of infections including, most frequently, infections of the urinary tract, catheterized urinary tract, bloodstream, wounds and surgical sites, and heart valves in endocarditis. Enterococcal infections are often biofilm-associated, polymicrobial in nature, and resistant to antibiotics of last resort. Understanding Enterococcal mechanisms of colonization and pathogenesis are important for identifying new ways to manage and intervene with these infections. We review vertebrate and invertebrate model systems applied to study the most common E. faecalis and E. faecium infections, with emphasis on recent findings examining Enterococcal-host interactions using these models. We discuss strengths and shortcomings of each model, propose future animal models not yet applied to study mono- and polymicrobial infections involving E. faecalis and E. faecium, and comment on the significance of anti-virulence strategies derived from a fundamental understanding of host-pathogen interactions in model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. M. Sharon Goh
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - M. H. Adeline Yong
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Kelvin Kian Long Chong
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Kimberly A. Kline
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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20
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Sinel C, Augagneur Y, Sassi M, Bronsard J, Cacaci M, Guérin F, Sanguinetti M, Meignen P, Cattoir V, Felden B. Small RNAs in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium involved in daptomycin response and resistance. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11067. [PMID: 28894187 PMCID: PMC5593968 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11265-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections and outbreaks. Regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) are major players in adaptive responses, including antibiotic resistance. They were extensively studied in gram-negative bacteria, but less information is available for gram-positive pathogens. No sRNAs are described in E. faecium. We sought to identify a set of sRNAs expressed in vancomycin-resistant E. faecium Aus0004 strain to assess their roles in daptomycin response and resistance. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed a set of 61 sRNA candidates, including 10 that were further tested and validated by Northern and qPCR. RNA-seq was performed with and without subinhibitory concentrations (SICs) of daptomycin, an antibiotic used to treat enterococcal infections. After daptomycin SIC exposure, the expression of 260 coding and srna genes was altered, with 80 upregulated and 180 downregulated, including 51% involved in carbohydrate and transport metabolisms. Daptomycin SIC exposure significantly affected the expression of seven sRNAs, including one experimentally confirmed, sRNA_0160. We studied sRNA expression in isogenic mutants with increasing levels of daptomycin resistance and observed that expression of several sRNAs, including sRNA_0160, was modified in the stepwise mutants. This first genome-wide sRNA identification in E. faecium suggests that some sRNAs are linked to antibiotic stress response and resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Sinel
- University of Caen Normandie, EA4655, Caen, France
| | - Yoann Augagneur
- Inserm U1230-Biochimie pharmaceutique, Rennes University, Rennes, France
| | - Mohamed Sassi
- Inserm U1230-Biochimie pharmaceutique, Rennes University, Rennes, France
| | - Julie Bronsard
- Inserm U1230-Biochimie pharmaceutique, Rennes University, Rennes, France
| | - Margherita Cacaci
- Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Institute of Microbiology, Rome, Italy
| | - François Guérin
- University of Caen Normandie, EA4655, Caen, France.,Caen University Hospital, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Caen, France
| | | | - Pierrick Meignen
- University of Caen Normandie, IUT (department "STID"), Caen, France
| | - Vincent Cattoir
- University of Caen Normandie, EA4655, Caen, France. .,Caen University Hospital, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Caen, France. .,National Reference Center for Antimicrobial Resistance (lab Enterococci), Caen, France. .,Inserm U1230-Biochimie pharmaceutique, Rennes University, Rennes, France.
| | - Brice Felden
- Inserm U1230-Biochimie pharmaceutique, Rennes University, Rennes, France.
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21
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Paganelli FL, Huebner J, Singh KV, Zhang X, van Schaik W, Wobser D, Braat JC, Murray BE, Bonten MJM, Willems RJL, Leavis HL. Genome-wide Screening Identifies Phosphotransferase System Permease BepA to Be Involved in Enterococcus faecium Endocarditis and Biofilm Formation. J Infect Dis 2016; 214:189-95. [PMID: 26984142 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiw108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Enterococcus faecium is a common cause of nosocomial infections, of which infective endocarditis is associated with substantial mortality. In this study, we used a microarray-based transposon mapping (M-TraM) approach to evaluate a rat endocarditis model and identified a gene, originally annotated as "fruA" and renamed "bepA," putatively encoding a carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) permease (biofilm and endocarditis-associated permease A [BepA]), as important in infective endocarditis. This gene is highly enriched in E. faecium clinical isolates and absent in commensal isolates that are not associated with infection. Confirmation of the phenotype was established in a competition experiment of wild-type and a markerless bepA mutant in a rat endocarditis model. In addition, deletion of bepA impaired biofilm formation in vitro in the presence of 100% human serum and metabolism of β-methyl-D-glucoside. β-glucoside metabolism has been linked to the metabolism of glycosaminoglycans that are exposed on injured heart valves, where bacteria attach and form vegetations. Therefore, we propose that the PTS permease BepA is directly implicated in E. faecium pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda L Paganelli
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes Huebner
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwigs-Maximilian Universität München Center for Infectious Disease and Travel Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kavindra V Singh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Center for the Study of Emerging and Re-emerging Pathogens
| | - Xinglin Zhang
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Willem van Schaik
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dominique Wobser
- Center for Infectious Disease and Travel Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Germany
| | - Johanna C Braat
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara E Murray
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Center for the Study of Emerging and Re-emerging Pathogens Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Marc J M Bonten
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rob J L Willems
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Helen L Leavis
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
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22
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Ali L, Spiess M, Wobser D, Rodriguez M, Blum HE, Sakιnç T. Identification and functional characterization of the putative polysaccharide biosynthesis protein (CapD) of Enterococcus faecium U0317. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2015; 37:215-24. [PMID: 26611826 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2015.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Revised: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Most bacterial species produce capsular polysaccharides that contribute to disease pathogenesis through evasion of the host innate immune system and are also involved in inhibiting leukocyte killing. In the present study, we identified a gene in Enterococcus faecium U0317 with homologies to the polysaccharide biosynthesis protein CapD that is made up of 336 amino acids and putatively catalyzes N-linked glycosylation. A capD deletion mutant was constructed and complemented by homologous recombination that was confirmed by PCR and sequencing. The mutant revealed different growth behavior and morphological changes compared to wild-type by scanning electron microscopy, also the capD mutant showed a strong hydrophobicity and that was reversed in the reconstituted mutant. For further characterization and functional analyses, in-vitro cell culture and in-vivo a mouse infection models were used. Antibodies directed against alpha lipotechoic acid (αLTA) and the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (αPpiC), effectively mediated the opsonophagocytic killing in the capD knock-out mutant, while this activity was not observed in the wild-type and reconstituted mutant. By comparison more than 2-fold decrease was seen in mutant colonization and adherence to both T24 and Caco2 cells. However, a significant higher bacterial colonization was observed in capD mutant during bacteremia in the animal model, while virulence in a mouse UTI (urinary tract infection) model, there were no obvious differences. Further studies are needed to elucidate the function of capsular polysaccharide synthesis gene clusters and its involvement in the disease pathogenesis with the aim to develop targeted therapies to treat multidrug-resistant E. faecium infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liaqat Ali
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hugstetter Straße 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Meike Spiess
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hugstetter Straße 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dominique Wobser
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hugstetter Straße 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marta Rodriguez
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hubert E Blum
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hugstetter Straße 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Türkân Sakιnç
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hugstetter Straße 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany.
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23
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Sinnige JC, de Been M, Zhou M, Bonten MJM, Willems RJL, Top J. Growth condition-dependent cell surface proteome analysis of Enterococcus faecium. Proteomics 2015; 15:3806-14. [PMID: 26316380 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201500138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Revised: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The last 30 years Enterococcus faecium has become an important nosocomial pathogen in hospitals worldwide. The aim of this study was to obtain insight in the cell surface proteome of E. faecium when grown in laboratory and clinically relevant conditions. Enterococcus faecium E1162, a clinical blood stream isolate, was grown until mid-log phase in brain heart infusion medium (BHI) with, or without 0.02% bile salts, Tryptic Soy Broth with 1% glucose (TSBg) and urine, and its cell surface was "shaved" using immobilized trypsin. Peptides were identified using MS/MS. Mapping against the translated E1162 whole genome sequence identified 67 proteins that were differentially detected in different conditions. In urine, 14 proteins were significantly more and nine proteins less abundant relative to the other conditions. Growth in BHI-bile and TSBg, revealed four and six proteins, respectively, which were uniquely present in these conditions while two proteins were uniquely present in both conditions. Thus, proteolytic shaving of E. faecium cells identified differentially surface exposed proteins in different growth conditions. These proteins are of special interest as they provide more insight in the adaptive mechanisms and may serve as targets for the development of novel therapeutics against this multi-resistant emerging pathogen. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD002497 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD002497).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan C Sinnige
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mark de Been
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Miaomiao Zhou
- Fungal Biodiversity Centre, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marc J M Bonten
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rob J L Willems
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Janetta Top
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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24
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Deletion mutant library for investigation of functional outputs of cyclic diguanylate metabolism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14. Appl Environ Microbiol 2014; 80:3384-93. [PMID: 24657857 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00299-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We constructed a library of in-frame deletion mutants targeting each gene in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 predicted to participate in cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) metabolism (biosynthesis or degradation) to provide a toolkit to assist investigators studying c-di-GMP-mediated regulation by this microbe. We present phenotypic assessments of each mutant, including biofilm formation, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, swimming motility, swarming motility, and twitch motility, as a means to initially characterize these mutants and to demonstrate the potential utility of this library.
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25
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Maryam D, Ozlem GE, M. NA, Fatma NY, Evrim GA, Nefise A. The interactions between esp, fsr, gelE genes and biofilm formation and pfge analysis of clinical Enterococcus faecium strains. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.5897/ajmr2013.6257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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26
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Scientific Opinion on the maintenance of the list of QPS biological agents intentionally added to food and feed (2013 update). EFSA J 2013. [DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2013.3449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
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27
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Lam MMC, Seemann T, Tobias NJ, Chen H, Haring V, Moore RJ, Ballard S, Grayson LM, Johnson PDR, Howden BP, Stinear TP. Comparative analysis of the complete genome of an epidemic hospital sequence type 203 clone of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:595. [PMID: 24004955 PMCID: PMC3846456 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In this report we have explored the genomic and microbiological basis for a sustained increase in bloodstream infections at a major Australian hospital caused by Enterococcus faecium multi-locus sequence type (ST) 203, an outbreak strain that has largely replaced a predecessor ST17 sequence type. Results To establish a ST203 reference sequence we fully assembled and annotated the genome of Aus0085, a 2009 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) bloodstream isolate, and the first example of a completed ST203 genome. Aus0085 has a 3.2 Mb genome, comprising a 2.9 Mb circular chromosome and six circular plasmids (2 kb–130 kb). Twelve percent of the 3222 coding sequences (CDS) in Aus0085 are not present in ST17 E. faecium Aus0004 and ST18 E. faecium TX16. Extending this comparison to an additional 12 ST17 and 14 ST203 E. faecium hospital isolate genomes revealed only six genomic regions spanning 41 kb that were present in all ST203 and absent from all ST17 genomes. The 40 CDS have predicted functions that include ion transport, riboflavin metabolism and two phosphotransferase systems. Comparison of the vancomycin resistance-conferring Tn1549 transposon between Aus0004 and Aus0085 revealed differences in transposon length and insertion site, and van locus sequence variation that correlated with a higher vancomycin MIC in Aus0085. Additional phenotype comparisons between ST17 and ST203 isolates showed that while there were no differences in biofilm-formation and killing of Galleria mellonella, ST203 isolates grew significantly faster and out-competed ST17 isolates in growth assays. Conclusions Here we have fully assembled and annotated the first ST203 genome, and then characterized the genomic differences between ST17 and ST203 E. faecium. We also show that ST203 E. faecium are faster growing and can out-compete ST17 E. faecium. While a causal genetic basis for these phenotype differences is not provided here, this study revealed conserved genetic differences between the two clones, differences that can now be tested to explain the molecular basis for the success and emergence of ST203 E. faecium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M C Lam
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia.
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