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Cai H, Zhu Y, Liu Y, Yan Z, Shen H, Fang S, Wang D, Liao S, Li J, Lv M, Lin X, Hu J, Song Y, Chen X, Yin L, Zhang J, Qi N, Sun M. Selection of a suitable reference gene for gene-expression studies in Trichomonas gallinae under various biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Gene 2024; 920:148522. [PMID: 38703865 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Trichomonas gallinae, a globally distributed protozoan parasite, significantly affects the pigeon-breeding industry. T. gallinae infection mainly causes yellow ulcerative nodules on the upper respiratory tract and crop mucosa of pigeons, impeding normal breathing and feeding and ultimately causing death. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is a crucial technique for gene-expression analysis in molecular biology. Reference-gene selection for normalization is critical for ensuring this technique's accuracy. However, no systematic screening or validation of T. gallinae reference genes has been reported. This study quantified the transcript levels of ten candidate reference genes in T. gallinae isolates with different genotypes and culture conditions using qPCR. Using the geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper algorithms, we assessed these reference genes' stabilities and ranked them using RankAggreg analysis. The most stable reference gene was tubulin beta chain (TUBB), while the widely used reference genes TUBG and GAPDH demonstrated poor stability. Additionally, we evaluated these candidate reference genes' stabilities using the T. gallinae TgaAtg8 gene. On using TUBB as a reference gene, TgaAtg8's expression profiles in T. gallinae isolates with different genotypes remained relatively consistent under various culture conditions. Conversely, using ACTB as a reference gene distorted the data. These findings provide valuable reference-gene-selection guidance for functional gene research and gene-expression analysis in T. gallinae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiming Cai
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Yibin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Yu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Zhuanqiang Yan
- Wen's Group Academy, Wen's Foodstuffs Group Co., Ltd., Xinxing, Guangdong 527400, China
| | - Hanqin Shen
- Guangdong Jingjie Inspection and Testing Co., Ltd., Xinxing, Guangdong 527400, China
| | - Siyun Fang
- Wen's Group Academy, Wen's Foodstuffs Group Co., Ltd., Xinxing, Guangdong 527400, China
| | - Dingai Wang
- Wen's Group Academy, Wen's Foodstuffs Group Co., Ltd., Xinxing, Guangdong 527400, China
| | - Shenquan Liao
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Juan Li
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Minna Lv
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Xuhui Lin
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Junjing Hu
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Yongle Song
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Xiangjie Chen
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Lijun Yin
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Jianfei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Nanshan Qi
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Mingfei Sun
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Avian Influenza and Other Major Poultry Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
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Liu GL, Wu SL, Sun Z, Xing MD, Chi ZM, Liu YJ. ι-Carrageenan catabolism is initiated by key sulfatases in the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis LL1. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024:e0025524. [PMID: 38874338 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00255-24] [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: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Marine bacteria contribute substantially to cycle macroalgae polysaccharides in marine environments. Carrageenans are the primary cell wall polysaccharides of red macroalgae. The carrageenan catabolism mechanism and pathways are still largely unclear. Pseudoalteromonas is a representative bacterial genus that can utilize carrageenan. We previously isolated the strain Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis LL1 that could grow on ι-carrageenan but produce no ι-carrageenase. Here, through a combination of bioinformatic, biochemical, and genetic analyses, we determined that P. haloplanktis LL1 processed a desulfurization-depolymerization sequential pathway for ι-carrageenan utilization, which was initiated by key sulfatases PhSulf1 and PhSulf2. PhSulf2 acted as an endo/exo-G4S (4-O-sulfation-β-D-galactopyranose) sulfatase, while PhSulf1 was identified as a novel endo-DA2S sulfatase that could function extracellularly. Because of the unique activity of PhSulf1 toward ι-carrageenan rather than oligosaccharides, P. haloplanktis LL1 was considered to have a distinct ι-carrageenan catabolic pathway compared to other known ι-carrageenan-degrading bacteria, which mainly employ multifunctional G4S sulfatases and exo-DA2S (2-O-sulfation-3,6-anhydro-α-D-galactopyranose) sulfatase for sulfate removal. Furthermore, we detected widespread occurrence of PhSulf1-encoding gene homologs in the global ocean, indicating the prevalence of such endo-acting DA2S sulfatases as well as the related ι-carrageenan catabolism pathway. This research provides valuable insights into the enzymatic processes involved in carrageenan catabolism within marine ecological systems.IMPORTANCECarrageenan is a type of linear sulfated polysaccharide that plays a significant role in forming cell walls of marine algae and is found extensively distributed throughout the world's oceans. To the best of our current knowledge, the ι-carrageenan catabolism in marine bacteria either follows the depolymerization-desulfurization sequential process initiated by ι-carrageenase or starts from the desulfurization step catalyzed by exo-acting sulfatases. In this study, we found that the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis LL1 processes a distinct pathway for ι-carrageenan catabolism employing a specific endo-acting DA2S-sulfatase PhSulf1 and a multifunctional G4S sulfatase PhSulf2. The unique PhSulf1 homologs appear to be widely present on a global scale, indicating the indispensable contribution of the marine bacteria containing the distinct ι-carrageenan catabolism pathway. Therefore, this study would significantly enrich our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying carrageenan utilization, providing valuable insights into the intricate roles of marine bacteria in polysaccharide cycling in marine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Lei Liu
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Qingdao, China
| | - Sheng-Lei Wu
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhe Sun
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Qingdao, China
| | - Meng-Dan Xing
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhen-Ming Chi
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Qingdao, China
| | - Ya-Jun Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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de Oliveira PAA, Baboghlian J, Ramos COA, Mançano ASF, Porcari ADM, Girardello R, Ferraz LFC. Selection and validation of reference genes suitable for gene expression analysis by Reverse Transcription Quantitative real-time PCR in Acinetobacter baumannii. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3830. [PMID: 38360762 PMCID: PMC10869792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51499-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative bacterium considered an emerging multi-drug-resistant pathogen. Furthermore, this bacterium can survive in extreme environmental conditions, which makes it a frequent cause of nosocomial infection outbreaks. Gene expression analyses by Reverse Transcription Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) depend on a reference gene, also called an endogenous gene, which is used to normalize the generated data and thus ensure an accurate analysis with minimal errors. Currently, gene expression analyses in A. baumannii are compromised, as there are no reports in the literature describing the identification of validated reference genes for use in RT-qPCR analyses. For this reason, we selected twelve candidate reference genes of A. baumannii and assessed their expression profile under different experimental and culture conditions. The expression stability of the candidate genes was evaluated by using statistical algorithms such as BestKeeper, geNorm, NormFinder, Delta CT, and RefFinder, in order to identify the most suitable candidate reference genes for RT-qPCR analyses. The statistical analyses indicated rpoB, rpoD, and fabD genes as the most adequate to ensure accurate normalization of RT-qPCR data in A. baumannii. The accuracy of the proposed reference genes was validated by using them to normalize the expression of the ompA gene, encoding the outer membrane protein A, in A. baumannii sensible and resistant to the antibiotic polymyxin. The present work provides suitable reference genes for precise RT-qPCR data normalization on future gene expression studies with A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juliana Baboghlian
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, SP, CEP 12916-900, Brazil
| | | | | | - Andréia de Melo Porcari
- Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, SP, CEP 12916-900, Brazil
| | - Raquel Girardello
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, SP, CEP 12916-900, Brazil
| | - Lúcio Fábio Caldas Ferraz
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, SP, CEP 12916-900, Brazil.
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Rashid FZM, Crémazy FGE, Hofmann A, Forrest D, Grainger DC, Heermann DW, Dame RT. The environmentally-regulated interplay between local three-dimensional chromatin organisation and transcription of proVWX in E. coli. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7478. [PMID: 37978176 PMCID: PMC10656529 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43322-y] [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: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Nucleoid associated proteins (NAPs) maintain the architecture of bacterial chromosomes and regulate gene expression. Thus, their role as transcription factors may involve three-dimensional chromosome re-organisation. While this model is supported by in vitro studies, direct in vivo evidence is lacking. Here, we use RT-qPCR and 3C-qPCR to study the transcriptional and architectural profiles of the H-NS (histone-like nucleoid structuring protein)-regulated, osmoresponsive proVWX operon of Escherichia coli at different osmolarities and provide in vivo evidence for transcription regulation by NAP-mediated chromosome re-modelling in bacteria. By consolidating our in vivo investigations with earlier in vitro and in silico studies that provide mechanistic details of how H-NS re-models DNA in response to osmolarity, we report that activation of proVWX in response to a hyperosmotic shock involves the destabilization of H-NS-mediated bridges anchored between the proVWX downstream and upstream regulatory elements (DRE and URE), and between the DRE and ygaY that lies immediately downstream of proVWX. The re-establishment of these bridges upon adaptation to hyperosmolarity represses the operon. Our results also reveal additional structural features associated with changes in proVWX transcript levels such as the decompaction of local chromatin upstream of the operon, highlighting that further complexity underlies the regulation of this model operon. H-NS and H-NS-like proteins are wide-spread amongst bacteria, suggesting that chromosome re-modelling may be a typical feature of transcriptional control in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatema-Zahra M Rashid
- Macromolecular Biochemistry, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333CC, The Netherlands
- Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333CC, The Netherlands
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Genome Research, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333CC, The Netherlands
| | - Frédéric G E Crémazy
- Macromolecular Biochemistry, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333CC, The Netherlands
- Laboratoire Infection et Inflammation, INSERM, UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Versailles, 78180, France
| | - Andreas Hofmann
- Statistical Physics and Theoretical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, D-69120, Germany
| | - David Forrest
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK
| | - David C Grainger
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Dieter W Heermann
- Statistical Physics and Theoretical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, D-69120, Germany
| | - Remus T Dame
- Macromolecular Biochemistry, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333CC, The Netherlands.
- Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333CC, The Netherlands.
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Genome Research, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333CC, The Netherlands.
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Meng L, Cao X, Li C, Li J, Xie H, Shi J, Han M, Shen H, Liu C. Housekeeping gene stability in Pesudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 under the pressure of commonly used antibiotics in molecular microbiology assays. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1140515. [PMID: 36992935 PMCID: PMC10040570 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1140515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen notorious for its remarkable capacity of multi-drug resistance, and has become one of the most important model bacteria in clinical bacteriology research. Quantitative real-time PCR is a reliable method widely used in gene expression analysis, for which the selection of a set of appropriate housekeeping genes is a key prerequisite for the accuracy of the results. However, it is easy to overlook that the expression level of housekeeping gene may vary in different conditions, especially in the condition of molecular microbiology assays, where tested strains are generally cultured under the pre-set antibiotic selection pressures, and how this affects the stability of commonly used housekeeping genes remains unclear. In this study, the expression stability of ten classic housekeeping genes (algD, gyrA, anr, nadB, recA, fabD, proC, ampC, rpoS, and rpsL) under the pressure of eight laboratory commonly used antibiotics (kanamycin, gentamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, hygromycin B, apramycin, tellurite, and zeocin) were tested. Results showed that the stability of housekeeping gene expression was indeed affected by the types of antibiotics added, and of course the best reference gene set varied for different antibiotics. This study provides a comprehensive summary of the effects of laboratory antibiotics on the stability of housekeeping genes in P. aeruginosa, highlighting the necessity to select housekeeping genes according to the type of antibiotics used in the initial stage of experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingning Meng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoli Cao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chuchu Li
- Department of Acute Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China
| | - Jia Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hui Xie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiping Shi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mei Han
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Han Shen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Han Shen,
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- *Correspondence: Chang Liu,
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Mirzaei R, Esmaeili Gouvarchin Ghaleh H, Ranjbar R. Antibiofilm effect of melittin alone and in combination with conventional antibiotics toward strong biofilm of MDR-MRSA and - Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1030401. [PMID: 36910230 PMCID: PMC9994733 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1030401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens are being recognized as a critical threat to human health if they can form biofilm and, in this sense, biofilm-forming MDR-methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and -Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains are a worse concern. Hence, a growing body of documents has introduced antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as a substitute candidate for conventional antimicrobial agents against drug-resistant and biofilm-associated infections. We evaluated melittin's antibacterial and antibiofilm activity alone and/or in combination with gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, rifampin, and vancomycin on biofilm-forming MDR-P. aeruginosa and MDR-MRSA strains. Methods Antibacterial tests [antibiogram, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)], anti-biofilm tests [minimum biofilm inhibition concentration (MBIC), and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC)], as well as synergistic antibiofilm activity of melittin and antibiotics, were performed. Besides, the influence of melittin alone on the biofilm encoding genes and the cytotoxicity and hemolytic effects of melittin were examined. Results MIC, MBC, MBIC, and MBEC indices for melittin were in the range of 0.625-5, 1.25-10, 2.5-20, and 10-40 μg/ml, respectively. The findings found that the combination of melittin AMP with antibiotics was synergistic and fractional biofilm inhibitory concentration index (FBICi) for most tested concentrations was <0.5, resulting in a significant reduction in melittin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, vancomycin, and rifampin concentrations by 2-256.4, 2-128, 2-16, 4-64 and 4-8 folds, respectively. This phenomenon reduced the toxicity of melittin, whereby its synergist concentration required for biofilm inhibition did not show cytotoxicity and hemolytic activity. Our findings found that melittin decreased the expression of icaA in S. aureus and LasR in P. aeruginosa genes from 0.1 to 4.11 fold for icaA, and 0.11 to 3.7 fold for LasR, respectively. Conclusion Overall, the results obtained from our study show that melittin alone is effective against the strong biofilm of MDR pathogens and also offers sound synergistic effects with antibiotics without toxicity. Hence, combining melittin and antibiotics can be a potential candidate for further evaluation of in vivo infections by MDR pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasoul Mirzaei
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | | | - Reza Ranjbar
- Molecular Biology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Sviridova DA, Smirnova SV, Abilev SK. Deuterium Oxide Enhances Expression of the ada, alkA, and luxA Genes of Escherichia coli Induced by Methyl Methanesulfonate. RUSS J GENET+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795422040135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Nuwong W, Kittiwongwattana C. Validation of reference genes for the normalization of RT-qPCR gene expression in Bacillus siamensis 1021 grown in different culture media. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY 2022; 14:194-202. [PMID: 35765559 PMCID: PMC9168254 DOI: 10.18502/ijm.v14i2.9188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background and Objectives House-keeping genes are generally selected as reference genes in gene expression analysis. However, some genes may not be stably expressed across all experimental conditions. Thus, this study aimed to validate seven house-keeping genes for gene expression analysis in Bacillus siamensis 1021. Materials and Methods Strain 1021 was grown in potato dextrose broth, nutrient broth and mineral salt medium. Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR was used to determine Cq values of seven reference genes including gyrA, gyrB, ssb and dnaB, rpsU, gat_Yqey and udp in these media. Expression stability of these genes was analyzed, using geNorm and Normfinder applications. The target gene ftsZ was used for assessment of the best candidate genes. Results Based on geNorm and Normfinder, ssb was the most-stably expressed gene, while udp was the least-stably expressed gene. Pairwise variation indicated the combination of ssb, gyrA, gyrB and gatB_Yqey was suitable for the normalization of ftsZ expression. ftsZ expression in potato dextrose broth and mineral salt medium was higher than that in nutrient broth. In contrast, the normalization against udp resulted in an under- and overestimation of ftsZ expression in potato dextrose broth and mineral salt medium, respectively. Conclusion The combination of ssb, gyrA, gyrB and gatB_Yqey was the best candidate for normalization of target gene expression in B. siamensis 1021 in these media. This study emphasized the significance of reference gene validation for gene expression analysis and provided a guideline for future gene expression studies in B. siamensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warinya Nuwong
- Department of Biology, School of Science, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chokchai Kittiwongwattana
- Department of Biology, School of Science, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand
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Selection and stability validation of reference gene candidates for transcriptional analysis in Rousettus aegyptiacus. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21662. [PMID: 34737406 PMCID: PMC8568961 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01260-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats are the only mammals capable of powered flight and their body temperature can reach up to 42 °C during flight. Additionally, bats display robust type I IFN interferon (IFN-I) responses and some species constitutively express IFN-α. Reference genes with stable expression under temperature oscillations and IFN-I release are therefore critical for normalization of quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) data in bats. The expression stability of reference genes in Rousettus aegyptiacus remains elusive, although this species is frequently used in the infection research. We selected ACTB, EEF1A1, GAPDH and PGK1 as candidate reference genes and evaluated their expression stability in various tissues and cells from this model bat species upon IFN-I treatment at 35 °C, 37 °C and 40 °C by qRT-PCR. We employed two statistical algorithms, BestKeeper and NormFinder, and found that EEF1A1 exhibited the highest expression stability under all tested conditions. ACTB and GAPDH displayed unstable expression upon temperature change and IFN-I treatment, respectively. By normalizing to EEF1A1, we uncovered that GAPDH expression was significantly induced by IFN-I in R. aegyptiacus. Our study identifies EEF1A1 as the most suitable reference gene for qRT-PCR studies upon temperature changes and IFN-I treatment and unveils the induction of GAPDH expression by IFN-I in R. aegyptiacus. These findings are pertinent to other bat species and may be relevant for non-volant mammals that show physiological fluctuations of core body temperature.
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Le HTQ, Nguyen AD, Park YR, Lee EY. Sustainable biosynthesis of chemicals from methane and glycerol via reconstruction of multi-carbon utilizing pathway in obligate methanotrophic bacteria. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:2552-2565. [PMID: 33830652 PMCID: PMC8601198 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Obligate methanotrophic bacteria can utilize methane, an inexpensive carbon feedstock, as a sole energy and carbon substrate, thus are considered as the only nature-provided biocatalyst for sustainable biomanufacturing of fuels and chemicals from methane. To address the limitation of native C1 metabolism of obligate type I methanotrophs, we proposed a novel platform strain that can utilize methane and multi-carbon substrates, such as glycerol, simultaneously to boost growth rates and chemical production in Methylotuvimicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z. To demonstrate the uses of this concept, we reconstructed a 2,3-butanediol biosynthetic pathway and achieved a fourfold higher titer of 2,3-butanediol production by co-utilizing methane and glycerol compared with that of methanotrophic growth. In addition, we reported the creation of a methanotrophic biocatalyst for one-step bioconversion of methane to methanol in which glycerol was used for cell growth, and methane was mainly used for methanol production. After the deletion of genes encoding methanol dehydrogenase (MDH), 11.6 mM methanol was obtained after 72 h using living cells in the absence of any chemical inhibitors of MDH and exogenous NADH source. A further improvement of this bioconversion was attained by using resting cells with a significantly increased titre of 76 mM methanol after 3.5 h with the supply of 40 mM formate. The work presented here provides a novel framework for a variety of approaches in methane-based biomanufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoa Thi Quynh Le
- Department of Chemical Engineering (Integrated Engineering)Kyung Hee University17104Yongin‐siGyeonggi‐doSouth Korea
| | - Anh Duc Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering (Integrated Engineering)Kyung Hee University17104Yongin‐siGyeonggi‐doSouth Korea
| | - Ye Rim Park
- Department of Chemical Engineering (Integrated Engineering)Kyung Hee University17104Yongin‐siGyeonggi‐doSouth Korea
| | - Eun Yeol Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering (Integrated Engineering)Kyung Hee University17104Yongin‐siGyeonggi‐doSouth Korea
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11
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Chen L, Wang Y, Miao J, Wang Q, Liu Z, Xie W, Liu X, Feng Z, Cheng S, Chi X, Ge Y. LysR-type transcriptional regulator FinR is required for phenazine and pyrrolnitrin biosynthesis in biocontrol Pseudomonas chlororaphis strain G05. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:7825-7839. [PMID: 34562115 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11600-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and pyrrolnitrin, the two secondary metabolites produced by Pseudomonas chlororaphis G05, serve as biocontrol agents that mainly contribute to the growth repression of several fungal phytopathogens. Although some regulators of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid biosynthesis have been identified, the regulatory pathway involving phenazine-1-carboxylic acid synthesis is not fully understood. We isolated a white conjugant G05W03 on X-Gal-containing LB agar during our screening of novel regulator candidates using transposon mutagenesis with a fusion mutant G05Δphz::lacZ as a recipient. By cloning of DNA adjacent to the site of the transposon insertion, we revealed that a LysR-type transcriptional regulator (LTTR) gene, finR, was disrupted in the conjugant G05W03. To confirm the regulatory function of FinR, we constructed the finR-knockout mutant G05ΔfinR, G05Δphz::lacZΔfinR, and G05Δprn::lacZΔfinR, using the wild-type strain G05 and its fusion mutant derivatives as recipient strains, respectively. We found that the expressions of phz and prn operons were dramatically reduced in the finR-deleted mutant. With quantification of the production of antifungal metabolites biosynthesized by the finR-negative strain G05ΔfinR, it was shown that FinR deficiency also led to decreased yield of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and pyrrolnitrin. In addition, the pathogen inhibition assay confirmed that the production of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid was severely reduced in the absence of FinR. Transcriptional fusions and qRT-PCR verified that FinR could positively govern the transcription of the phz and prn operons. Taken together, FinR is required for antifungal metabolite biosynthesis and crop protection against some fungal pathogens.Key points• A novel regulator FinR was identified by transposon mutagenesis.• FinR regulates antifungal metabolite production.• FinR regulates the phz and prn expression by binding to their promoter regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Chen
- Affiliated Hospital of Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China.,The Department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264000, China
| | - Yanhua Wang
- The Department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264000, China
| | - Jing Miao
- The Department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264000, China
| | - Qijun Wang
- The Department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264000, China
| | - Zili Liu
- The Department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264000, China
| | - Wenqi Xie
- The Department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264000, China
| | - Xinsheng Liu
- Affiliated Hospital of Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China.,The Department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264000, China
| | - Zhibin Feng
- The Department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264000, China.,Biological Fermentation and Separation Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Shiwei Cheng
- The Department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264000, China.,Biological Fermentation and Separation Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Xiaoyan Chi
- The Department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264000, China.
| | - Yihe Ge
- The Department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264000, China. .,Biological Fermentation and Separation Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China.
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12
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Matuszewska M, Maciąg T, Rajewska M, Wierzbicka A, Jafra S. The carbon source-dependent pattern of antimicrobial activity and gene expression in Pseudomonas donghuensis P482. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10994. [PMID: 34040089 PMCID: PMC8154892 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90488-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas donghuensis P482 is a tomato rhizosphere isolate with the ability to inhibit growth of bacterial and fungal plant pathogens. Herein, we analysed the impact of the carbon source on the antibacterial activity of P482 and expression of the selected genes of three genomic regions in the P482 genome. These regions are involved in the synthesis of pyoverdine, 7-hydroxytropolone (7-HT) and an unknown compound ("cluster 17") and are responsible for the antimicrobial activity of P482. We showed that the P482 mutants, defective in these regions, show variations and contrasting patterns of growth inhibition of the target pathogen under given nutritional conditions (with glucose or glycerol as a carbon source). We also selected and validated the reference genes for gene expression studies in P. donghuensis P482. Amongst ten candidate genes, we found gyrB, rpoD and mrdA the most stably expressed. Using selected reference genes in RT-qPCR, we assessed the expression of the genes of interest under minimal medium conditions with glucose or glycerol as carbon sources. Glycerol was shown to negatively affect the expression of genes necessary for 7-HT synthesis. The significance of this finding in the light of the role of nutrient (carbon) availability in biological plant protection is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Matuszewska
- Laboratory of Plant Microbiology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Tomasz Maciąg
- Laboratory of Plant Microbiology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Magdalena Rajewska
- Laboratory of Plant Microbiology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Aldona Wierzbicka
- Laboratory of Plant Microbiology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Sylwia Jafra
- Laboratory of Plant Microbiology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
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Wang W, Zhu Y, Sun Z, Jin C, Wang X. Positive feedback regulation between USP15 and ERK2 inhibits osteoarthritis progression through TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling. Arthritis Res Ther 2021; 23:84. [PMID: 33726807 PMCID: PMC7962367 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-021-02456-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis in joints affected by osteoarthritis (OA). However, the specific mechanism of non-SMAD and classical SMAD signaling interactions is still unclear, which needs to be further explored. Methods In ATDC5 cells, USP15 overexpression and knockout were performed using the transfected lentivirus USP15 and Crispr/Cas9. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining were used to test p-SMAD2 and cartilage phenotype-related molecular markers. In rat OA models, immunohistochemistry, hematoxylin and eosin (HE)/Safranin-O fast green staining, and histology were used to examine the regulatory activity of USP15 in TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling and the cartilage phenotype. Then, ERK2 overexpression and knockout were performed. The expressions of USP15, p-SMAD2, and the cartilage phenotype were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. To address whether USP15 is required for ERK2 and TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling, we performed rescue experiments in vitro and in vivo. Immunoprecipitation and deubiquitination assays were used to examine whether USP15 could bind to ERK2 and affect the deubiquitination of ERK2. Finally, whether USP15 regulates the level of p-ERK1/2 was evaluated by western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and immunohistochemistry in vitro and in vivo. Results Our results indicated that USP15 stimulated TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling and the cartilage phenotype. Moreover, ERK2 required USP15 to influence TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling for regulating the cartilage phenotype in vivo and in vitro. And USP15 can form a complex with ERK2 to regulate ubiquitination of ERK2. Interestingly, USP15 did not regulate the stability of ERK2 but increased the level of p-ERK1/2 to further enhance the TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling pathway. Conclusions Taken together, our study revealed positive feedback regulation between USP15 and ERK2, which played a critical role in TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling to inhibit OA progression. Therefore, this specific mechanism can guide the clinical treatment of OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic Implants, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanhui Zhu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenyu Sun
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic Implants, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Jin
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiang Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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14
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Validation of stable reference genes in Staphylococcus aureus to study gene expression under photodynamic treatment: a case study of SEB virulence factor analysis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16354. [PMID: 33004977 PMCID: PMC7530716 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73409-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), encoded by the seb gene, is a virulence factor produced by Staphylococcus aureus that is involved mainly in food poisoning and is known to act as an aggravating factor in patients with atopic dermatitis. Research results in animal infection models support the concept that superantigens, including SEB contribute to sepsis and skin and soft tissue infections. In contrast to antibiotics, antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) is a promising method to combat both bacterial cells and virulence factors. The main aims of this research were to (1) select the most stable reference genes under sublethal aPDI treatments and (2) evaluate the impact of aPDI on seb. Two aPDI combinations were applied under sublethal conditions: rose bengal (RB) and green light (λmax = 515 nm) and new methylene blue (NMB) and red light (λmax = 632 nm). The stability of ten candidate reference genes (16S rRNA, fabD, ftsZ, gmk, gyrB, proC, pyk, rho, rpoB and tpiA) was evaluated upon aPDI using four software packages—BestKeeper, geNorm, NormFinder and RefFinder. Statistical analyses ranked ftsZ and gmk (RB + green light) and ftsZ, proC, and fabD (NMB + red light) as the most stable reference genes upon photodynamic treatment. Our studies showed downregulation of seb under both aPDI conditions, suggesting that aPDI could decrease the level of virulence factors.
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