1
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Addo MA, Zang Z, Gerdt JP. Chemical inhibition of cell surface modification sensitizes bacteria to phage infection. RSC Chem Biol 2024:d4cb00070f. [PMID: 39308478 PMCID: PMC11409987 DOI: 10.1039/d4cb00070f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 09/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Many bacteriophages that infect Gram-positive bacteria rely on the bacterial cell surface polymer wall teichoic acid (WTA) as a receptor. However, some bacteria modulate their cell wall with d-alanine residues, which can disrupt phage adsorption. The prevalence and significance of WTA alanylation as an anti-phage defense is unknown. A chemical inhibitor of WTA d-alanylation could be employed to efficiently screen phage-host combinations for those that exhibit alanylation-dependent infections. Since the incorporation of d-alanine residues into the cell wall requires the activity of d-alanine:alanyl carrier protein ligase (DltA), a DltA inhibitor was employed as this tool. Herein, we found that a chemical probe inhibiting DltA activity impeded bacterial cell wall alanylation and enhanced infectivity of many phages against Bacillus subtilis, including phages Phi29, SPP1, SPO1, SP50, and Goe2. This finding reveals the breadth of immunity conferred by WTA alanylation in B. subtilis, which was previously known to impact only phages Phi29 and SPP1, but not SPO1, SP50, or Goe2. DltA inhibition selectively promoted infection by several phages that bind WTA, having no impact on the flagellotropic phage PBS1. Unexpectedly, DltA inhibition also had no effect on phage SP10, which binds to WTA. This selective chemical tool has the potential to unravel bacteriophage interactions with bacteria, leading to improved phage therapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian Aba Addo
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University Bloomington IN 47405 USA
| | - Zhiyu Zang
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University Bloomington IN 47405 USA
| | - Joseph P Gerdt
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University Bloomington IN 47405 USA
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2
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Shao L, Li T, Yang S, Ma L, Cai B, Jia Q, Jiang H, Bai T, Li Y. The prebiotic effects of fructooligosaccharides enhance the growth characteristics of Staphylococcus epidermidis and enhance the inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation. Int J Cosmet Sci 2024. [PMID: 39246292 DOI: 10.1111/ics.13020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Oligosaccharides have been shown to enhance the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) by gut probiotics and regulate gut microbiota, to improve intestinal health. Recent research indicates that oligosaccharides may also positively impact skin microbiota by selectively promoting the growth of skin commensal bacteria and inhibiting pathogenic bacteria. However, the specific metabolic and regulatory mechanisms of skin commensal bacteria in response to oligosaccharides remain unclear. This study aims to explore the influence of four oligosaccharides on the growth and metabolism of Staphylococcus epidermidis and further identify skin prebiotics that can enhance its probiotic effects on the skin. METHODS Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), isomaltooligosaccharide (IMO), galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and inulin were compared in terms of their impact on cell proliferation, SCFAs production of S. epidermidis CCSM0287 and the biofilm inhibition effect of their fermentation supernatants on Staphylococcus aureus CCSM0424. Furthermore, the effect of FOS on S. epidermidis CCSM0287 was analysed by the transcriptome analysis. RESULTS All four oligosaccharides effectively promoted the growth of S. epidermidis CCSM0287 cells, increased the production of SCFAs, with FOS demonstrating the most significant effect. Analysis of the SCFAs indicated that S. epidermidis CCSM0287 predominantly employs oligosaccharides to produce acetic acid and isovaleric acid, differing from the SCFAs produced by gut microbiota. Among the four oligosaccharides, the addition of 2% FOS fermentation supernatant significantly inhibited S. aureus CCSM0424 biofilm formation. Furthermore, RNA sequencing revealed 162 differentially expressed genes (84 upregulated and 78 downregulated) of S. epidermidis CCSM0287 upon FOS treatment compared with glucose treatment. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis highlighted differences in the amino acid synthesis pathway, particularly in terms of arginine biosynthesis. CONCLUSION FOS promotes cell proliferation, increases the SCFA production of S. epidermidis CCSM0287 and enhance the inhibition of S. aureus biofilm formation, suggesting that FOS serves as a potential prebiotic for strain S. epidermidis CCSM0287.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Shao
- School of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Li
- School of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Suzhen Yang
- R&D Innovation Center, Shandong Freda Biotech Co., Ltd., Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Laiji Ma
- School of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Banruo Cai
- School of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingwen Jia
- R&D Innovation Center, Shandong Freda Biotech Co., Ltd., Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- R&D Innovation Center, Shandong Freda Biotech Co., Ltd., Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Tianming Bai
- R&D Innovation Center, Shandong Freda Biotech Co., Ltd., Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yan Li
- R&D Innovation Center, Shandong Freda Biotech Co., Ltd., Jinan, Shandong, China
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3
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Joyce LR, Kim S, Spencer BL, Christensen PM, Palmer KL, Guan Z, Siegenthaler JA, Doran KS. Streptococcus agalactiae glycolipids promote virulence by thwarting immune cell clearance. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn7848. [PMID: 38809989 PMCID: PMC11135403 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn7848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Streptococcus agalactiae [group B Streptococcus (GBS)] is a leading cause of neonatal meningitis, with late-onset disease (LOD) occurring after gastrointestinal tract colonization in infants. Bacterial membrane lipids are essential for host-pathogen interactions, and the functions of glycolipids are yet to be fully elucidated. GBS synthesizes three major glycolipids: glucosyl-diacylglycerol (Glc-DAG), diglucosyl-DAG (Glc2-DAG), and lysyl-Glc-DAG (Lys-Glc-DAG). Here, we identify the enzyme, IagB, as responsible for biosynthesis of Glc-DAG, the precursor for the two other glycolipids in GBS. To examine the collective role of glycolipids to GBS virulence, we adapted a murine model of neonatal meningitis to simulate LOD. The GBS∆iagB mutant traversed the gut-epithelial barrier comparable to wild type but was severely attenuated in bloodstream survival, resulting in decreased bacterial loads in the brain. The GBS∆iagB mutant was more susceptible to neutrophil killing and membrane targeting by host antimicrobial peptides. This work reveals an unexplored function of GBS glycolipids with their ability to protect the bacterial cell from host antimicrobial killing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke R. Joyce
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Sol Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Brady L. Spencer
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Priya M. Christensen
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Kelli L. Palmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Julie A. Siegenthaler
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kelly S. Doran
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
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4
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Goh KGK, Desai D, Thapa R, Prince D, Acharya D, Sullivan MJ, Ulett GC. An opportunistic pathogen under stress: how Group B Streptococcus responds to cytotoxic reactive species and conditions of metal ion imbalance to survive. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2024; 48:fuae009. [PMID: 38678005 PMCID: PMC11098048 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuae009] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Group B Streptococcus (GBS; also known as Streptococcus agalactiae) is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that causes sepsis, meningitis, pneumonia, and skin and soft tissue infections in neonates and healthy or immunocompromised adults. GBS is well-adapted to survive in humans due to a plethora of virulence mechanisms that afford responses to support bacterial survival in dynamic host environments. These mechanisms and responses include counteraction of cell death from exposure to excess metal ions that can cause mismetallation and cytotoxicity, and strategies to combat molecules such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that are generated as part of innate host defence. Cytotoxicity from reactive molecules can stem from damage to proteins, DNA, and membrane lipids, potentially leading to bacterial cell death inside phagocytic cells or within extracellular spaces within the host. Deciphering the ways in which GBS responds to the stress of cytotoxic reactive molecules within the host will benefit the development of novel therapeutic and preventative strategies to manage the burden of GBS disease. This review summarizes knowledge of GBS carriage in humans and the mechanisms used by the bacteria to circumvent killing by these important elements of host immune defence: oxidative stress, nitrosative stress, and stress from metal ion intoxication/mismetallation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelvin G K Goh
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Devika Desai
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Ruby Thapa
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Darren Prince
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Dhruba Acharya
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Matthew J Sullivan
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Glen C Ulett
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
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5
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Faozia S, Hossain T, Cho KH. The Dlt and LiaFSR systems derepress SpeB production independently in the Δpde2 mutant of Streptococcus pyogenes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1293095. [PMID: 38029265 PMCID: PMC10679467 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1293095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The second messenger molecule, c-di-AMP, plays a critical role in pathogenesis and virulence in S. pyogenes. We previously reported that deleting the c-di-AMP phosphodiesterase gene pde2 severely suppresses SpeB production at the transcriptional level. We performed transposon mutagenesis to gain insight into the mechanism of how Pde2 is involved in SpeB regulation. We identified one of the genes of the dlt operon, dltX, as a suppressor of the SpeB-null phenotype of the Δpde2 mutant. The dlt operon consists of five genes, dltX, dltA, dltB, dltC, and dltD in many Gram-positive bacteria, and its function is to incorporate D-alanine into lipoteichoic acids. DltX, a small membrane protein, is a newly identified member of the operon. The in-frame deletion of dltX or insertional inactivation of dltA in the Δpde2 mutant restored SpeB production, indicating that D-alanylation is crucial for the suppressor phenotype. These mutations did not affect the growth in lab media but showed increased negative cell surface charge and enhanced sensitivity to polymyxin B. Considering that dlt mutations change cell surface charge and sensitivity to cationic antimicrobial peptides, we examined the LiaFSR system that senses and responds to cell envelope stress. The ΔliaR mutation in the Δpde2 mutant also derepressed SpeB production, like the ΔdltX mutation. LiaFSR controls speB expression by regulating the expression of the transcriptional regulator SpxA2. However, the Dlt system did not regulate spxA2 expression. The SpeB phenotype of the Δpde2ΔdltX mutant in higher salt media differed from that of the Δpde2ΔliaR mutant, suggesting a unique pathway for the Dlt system in SpeB production, possibly related to ion transport or turgor pressure regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kyu Hong Cho
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, United States
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6
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Schultz BJ, Snow ED, Walker S. Mechanism of D-alanine transfer to teichoic acids shows how bacteria acylate cell envelope polymers. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:1318-1329. [PMID: 37308592 PMCID: PMC10664464 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01411-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial cell envelope polymers are often modified with acyl esters that modulate physiology, enhance pathogenesis and provide antibiotic resistance. Here, using the D-alanylation of lipoteichoic acid (Dlt) pathway as a paradigm, we have identified a widespread strategy for how acylation of cell envelope polymers occurs. In this strategy, a membrane-bound O-acyltransferase (MBOAT) protein transfers an acyl group from an intracellular thioester onto the tyrosine of an extracytoplasmic C-terminal hexapeptide motif. This motif shuttles the acyl group to a serine on a separate transferase that moves the cargo to its destination. In the Dlt pathway, here studied in Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus thermophilus, the C-terminal 'acyl shuttle' motif that forms the crucial pathway intermediate is found on a transmembrane microprotein that holds the MBOAT protein and the other transferase together in a complex. In other systems, found in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as some archaea, the motif is fused to the MBOAT protein, which interacts directly with the other transferase. The conserved chemistry uncovered here is widely used for acylation throughout the prokaryotic world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey J Schultz
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric D Snow
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Suzanne Walker
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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7
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Joyce LR, Doran KS. Gram-positive bacterial membrane lipids at the host-pathogen interface. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011026. [PMID: 36602959 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luke R Joyce
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Kelly S Doran
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
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8
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Kuijk MM, Wu Y, van Hensbergen VP, Shanlitourk G, Payré C, Lambeau G, Man-Bovenkerk S, Herrmann J, Müller R, van Strijp JAG, Pannekoek Y, Touqui L, van Sorge NM. Interference with Lipoprotein Maturation Sensitizes Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus to Human Group IIA-Secreted Phospholipase A2 and Daptomycin. J Innate Immun 2022; 15:333-350. [PMID: 36473432 PMCID: PMC10643906 DOI: 10.1159/000527549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been classified as a high priority pathogen by the World Health Organization underlining the high demand for new therapeutics to treat infections. Human group IIA-secreted phospholipase A2 (hGIIA) is among the most potent bactericidal proteins against Gram-positive bacteria, including S. aureus. To determine hGIIA-resistance mechanisms of MRSA, we screened the Nebraska Transposon Mutant Library using a sublethal concentration of recombinant hGIIA. We identified and confirmed the role of lspA, encoding the lipoprotein signal peptidase LspA, as a new hGIIA resistance gene in both in vitro assays and an infection model in hGIIA-transgenic mice. Increased susceptibility of the lspA mutant was associated with enhanced activity of hGIIA on the cell membrane. Moreover, lspA deletion increased susceptibility to daptomycin, a last-resort antibiotic to treat MRSA infections. MRSA wild type could be sensitized to hGIIA and daptomycin killing through exposure to LspA-specific inhibitors globomycin and myxovirescin A1. Analysis of >26,000 S. aureus genomes showed that LspA is highly sequence-conserved, suggesting universal application of LspA inhibition. The role of LspA in hGIIA resistance was not restricted to MRSA since Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis were also more hGIIA-susceptible after lspA deletion or LspA inhibition, respectively. Overall, our data suggest that pharmacological interference with LspA may disarm Gram-positive pathogens, including MRSA, to enhance clearance by innate host defense molecules and clinically applied antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke M Kuijk
- Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
| | - Yongzheng Wu
- Unité de Biologie Cellulaire de l'Infection Microbionne, CNRS UMR3691, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Vincent P van Hensbergen
- Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Gizem Shanlitourk
- Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christine Payré
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Gérard Lambeau
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Sandra Man-Bovenkerk
- Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jennifer Herrmann
- Department of Pharmacy at Saarland University, Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Rolf Müller
- Department of Pharmacy at Saarland University, Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Jos A G van Strijp
- Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne Pannekoek
- Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lhousseine Touqui
- Mucoviscidose et Bronchopathies Chroniques, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMR S 938, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine (CRSA), Paris, France
| | - Nina M van Sorge
- Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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9
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Ben Hur D, Kapach G, Wani NA, Kiper E, Ashkenazi M, Smollan G, Keller N, Efrati O, Shai Y. Antimicrobial Peptides against Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm from Cystic Fibrosis Patients. J Med Chem 2022; 65:9050-9062. [PMID: 35759644 PMCID: PMC9289885 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00270] [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] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Lung
infection is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality
in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and is mainly dominated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Treatment of CF-associated lung
infections is problematic because the drugs are vulnerable to multidrug-resistant
pathogens, many of which are major biofilm producers like P. aeruginosa. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential
components in all life forms and exhibit antimicrobial activity. Here
we investigated a series of AMPs (d,l-K6L9), each composed of six lysines and nine leucines but
differing in their sequence composed of l- and d-amino acids. The d,l-K6L9 peptides showed antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against
P. aeruginosa from CF patients. Furthermore, the
data revealed that the d,l-K6L9 peptides are stable and resistant to degradation by CF sputum proteases
and maintain their activity in a CF sputum environment. Additionally,
the d,l-K6L9 peptides do not
induce bacterial resistance. Overall, these findings should assist
in the future development of alternative treatments against resistant
bacterial biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ben Hur
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Gal Kapach
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Naiem Ahmad Wani
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Edo Kiper
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Moshe Ashkenazi
- Pediatric Pulmonary Institute and National CF Center, Edmond and Lilly Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan 52621, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Gill Smollan
- Microbiology Laboratories, Edmond and Lili Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Ariel University, Ramat Gan 52621, Israel
| | - Natan Keller
- The Department of Health Management, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel.,Microbiology Laboratories, Edmond and Lili Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Ariel University, Ramat Gan 52621, Israel
| | - Ori Efrati
- Pediatric Pulmonary Institute and National CF Center, Edmond and Lilly Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan 52621, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Yechiel Shai
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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10
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Öhlmann S, Krieger AK, Gisch N, Meurer M, de Buhr N, von Köckritz-Blickwede M, Schütze N, Baums CG. d-Alanylation of Lipoteichoic Acids in Streptococcus suis Reduces Association With Leukocytes in Porcine Blood. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:822369. [PMID: 35509315 PMCID: PMC9058155 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.822369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a common swine pathogen but also poses a threat to human health in causing meningitis and severe cases of streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome (STSLS). Therefore, it is crucial to understand how S. suis interacts with the host immune system during bacteremia. As S. suis has the ability to introduce d-alanine into its lipoteichoic acids (LTAs), we investigated the working hypothesis that cell wall modification by LTA d-alanylation influences the interaction of S. suis with porcine blood immune cells. We created an isogenic mutant of S. suis strain 10 by in-frame deletion of the d-alanine d-alanyl carrier ligase (DltA). d-alanylation of LTAs was associated with reduced phagocytosis of S. suis by porcine granulocytes, reduced deposition of complement factor C3 on the bacterial surface, increased hydrophobicity of streptococci, and increased resistance to cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs). At the same time, survival of S. suis was not significantly increased by LTA d-alanylation in whole blood of conventional piglets with specific IgG. However, we found a distinct cytokine pattern as IL-1β but not tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels were significantly reduced in blood infected with the ΔdltA mutant. In contrast to TNF-α, activation and secretion of IL-1β are inflammasome-dependent, suggesting a possible influence of LTA d-alanylation on inflammasome regulation. Especially in the absence of specific antibodies, the association of S. suis with porcine monocytes was reduced by d-alanylation of its LTAs. This dltA-dependent phenotype was also observed with a non-encapsulated dltA double mutant indicating that it is independent of capsular polysaccharides. High antibody levels caused high levels of S. suis—monocyte—association followed by inflammatory cell death and strong production of both IL-1β and TNF-α, while the influence of LTA d-alanylation of the streptococci became less visible. In summary, the results of this study expand previous findings on d-alanylation of LTAs in S. suis and suggest that this pathogen specifically modulates association with blood leukocytes through this modification of its surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Öhlmann
- Institute of Bacteriology and Mycology, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Krieger
- Institute of Bacteriology and Mycology, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicolas Gisch
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Priority Area Infections, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
| | - Marita Meurer
- Institute for Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nicole de Buhr
- Institute for Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede
- Institute for Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nicole Schütze
- Institute of Immunology, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christoph Georg Baums
- Institute of Bacteriology and Mycology, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Christoph Georg Baums,
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11
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Walker LR, Marty MT. Lipid tails modulate antimicrobial peptide membrane incorporation and activity. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2022; 1864:183870. [PMID: 35077676 PMCID: PMC8818043 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2022.183870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Membrane disrupting antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are often amphipathic peptides that interact directly with lipid bilayers. AMPs are generally thought to interact mostly with lipid head groups, but it is less clear how the lipid alkyl chain length and saturation modulate interactions with membranes. Here, we used native mass spectrometry to measure the stoichiometry of three different AMPs-LL-37, indolicidin, and magainin-2-in lipid nanodiscs. We also measured the activity of these AMPs in unilamellar vesicle leakage assays. We found that LL-37 formed specific hexamer complexes but with different intermediates and affinities that depended on the bilayer thickness. LL-37 was also most active in lipid bilayers containing longer, unsaturated lipids. In contrast, indolicidin incorporated to a higher degree into more fluid lipid bilayers but was more active with bilayers with thinner, less fluid lipids. Finally, magainin-2 incorporated to a higher degree into bilayers with longer, unsaturated alkyl chains and showed more activity in these same conditions. Together, these data show that higher amounts of peptide incorporation generally led to higher activity and that AMPs tend to incorporate more into longer unsaturated lipid bilayers. However, the activity of AMPs was not always directly related to amount of peptide incorporated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence R Walker
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States.
| | - Michael T Marty
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States; Bio5 Institute, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States.
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12
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von Köckritz-Blickwede M, Winstel V. Molecular Prerequisites for Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation and Evasion Mechanisms of Staphylococcus aureus. Front Immunol 2022; 13:836278. [PMID: 35237275 PMCID: PMC8884242 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.836278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
NETosis is a multi-facetted cellular process that promotes the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs as web-like structures consist of DNA fibers armed with granular proteins, histones, and microbicidal peptides, thereby exhibiting pathogen-immobilizing and antimicrobial attributes that maximize innate immune defenses against invading microbes. However, clinically relevant pathogens often tolerate entrapment and even take advantage of the remnants of NETs to cause persistent infections in mammalian hosts. Here, we briefly summarize how Staphylococcus aureus, a high-priority pathogen and causative agent of fatal diseases in humans as well as animals, catalyzes and concurrently exploits NETs during pathogenesis and recurrent infections. Specifically, we focus on toxigenic and immunomodulatory effector molecules produced by staphylococci that prime NET formation, and further highlight the molecular and underlying principles of suicidal NETosis compared to vital NET-formation by viable neutrophils in response to these stimuli. We also discuss the inflammatory potential of NET-controlled microenvironments, as excessive expulsion of NETs from activated neutrophils provokes local tissue injury and may therefore amplify staphylococcal disease severity in hospitalized or chronically ill patients. Combined with an overview of adaptation and counteracting strategies evolved by S. aureus to impede NET-mediated killing, these insights may stimulate biomedical research activities to uncover novel aspects of NET biology at the host-microbe interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Volker Winstel
- Research Group Pathogenesis of Bacterial Infections, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- *Correspondence: Volker Winstel,
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13
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Carey AB, Ashenden A, Köper I. Model architectures for bacterial membranes. Biophys Rev 2022; 14:111-143. [PMID: 35340604 PMCID: PMC8921416 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00913-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The complex composition of bacterial membranes has a significant impact on the understanding of pathogen function and their development towards antibiotic resistance. In addition to the inherent complexity and biosafety risks of studying biological pathogen membranes, the continual rise of antibiotic resistance and its significant economical and clinical consequences has motivated the development of numerous in vitro model membrane systems with tuneable compositions, geometries, and sizes. Approaches discussed in this review include liposomes, solid-supported bilayers, and computational simulations which have been used to explore various processes including drug-membrane interactions, lipid-protein interactions, host-pathogen interactions, and structure-induced bacterial pathogenesis. The advantages, limitations, and applicable analytical tools of all architectures are summarised with a perspective for future research efforts in architectural improvement and elucidation of resistance development strategies and membrane-targeting antibiotic mechanisms. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12551-021-00913-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley B. Carey
- Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, College for Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042 Australia
| | - Alex Ashenden
- Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, College for Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042 Australia
| | - Ingo Köper
- Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, College for Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042 Australia
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14
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Tzipilevich E, Pollak‐Fiyaksel O, Shraiteh B, Ben‐Yehuda S. Bacteria elicit a phage tolerance response subsequent to infection of their neighbors. EMBO J 2022; 41:e109247. [PMID: 34878184 PMCID: PMC8804946 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2021109247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Appearance of plaques on a bacterial lawn is a sign of successive rounds of bacteriophage infection. Yet, mechanisms evolved by bacteria to limit plaque spread have been hardly explored. Here, we investigated the dynamics of plaque development by lytic phages infecting the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. We report that plaque expansion is followed by a constriction phase owing to bacterial growth into the plaque zone. This phenomenon exposed an adaptive process, herein termed "phage tolerance response", elicited by non-infected bacteria upon sensing infection of their neighbors. The temporary phage tolerance is executed by the stress-response RNA polymerase sigma factor σX (SigX). Artificial expression of SigX prior to phage attack largely eliminates infection. SigX tolerance is primarily conferred by activation of the dlt operon, encoding enzymes that catalyze D-alanylation of cell wall teichoic acid polymers, the major attachment sites for phages infecting Gram-positive bacteria. D-alanylation impedes phage binding and hence infection, thus enabling the uninfected bacteria to form a protective shield opposing phage spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elhanan Tzipilevich
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsInstitute for Medical Research Israel‐Canada (IMRIC)The Hebrew University‐Hadassah Medical SchoolThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
- Present address:
Department of Biology and Howard Hughes Medical InstituteDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Osher Pollak‐Fiyaksel
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsInstitute for Medical Research Israel‐Canada (IMRIC)The Hebrew University‐Hadassah Medical SchoolThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
| | - Bushra Shraiteh
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsInstitute for Medical Research Israel‐Canada (IMRIC)The Hebrew University‐Hadassah Medical SchoolThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
| | - Sigal Ben‐Yehuda
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsInstitute for Medical Research Israel‐Canada (IMRIC)The Hebrew University‐Hadassah Medical SchoolThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
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15
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Ledger EVK, Sabnis A, Edwards AM. Polymyxin and lipopeptide antibiotics: membrane-targeting drugs of last resort. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2022; 168:001136. [PMID: 35118938 PMCID: PMC8941995 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The polymyxin and lipopeptide classes of antibiotics are membrane-targeting drugs of last resort used to treat infections caused by multi-drug-resistant pathogens. Despite similar structures, these two antibiotic classes have distinct modes of action and clinical uses. The polymyxins target lipopolysaccharide in the membranes of most Gram-negative species and are often used to treat infections caused by carbapenem-resistant species such as Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. By contrast, the lipopeptide daptomycin requires membrane phosphatidylglycerol for activity and is only used to treat infections caused by drug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. However, despite having distinct targets, both antibiotic classes cause membrane disruption, are potently bactericidal in vitro and share similarities in resistance mechanisms. Furthermore, there are concerns about the efficacy of these antibiotics, and there is increasing interest in using both polymyxins and daptomycin in combination therapies to improve patient outcomes. In this review article, we will explore what is known about these distinct but structurally similar classes of antibiotics, discuss recent advances in the field and highlight remaining gaps in our knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth V. K. Ledger
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, Armstrong Rd, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Akshay Sabnis
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, Armstrong Rd, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Andrew M. Edwards
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, Armstrong Rd, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
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16
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Joyce LR, Manzer HS, da C. Mendonça J, Villarreal R, Nagao PE, Doran KS, Palmer KL, Guan Z. Identification of a novel cationic glycolipid in Streptococcus agalactiae that contributes to brain entry and meningitis. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001555. [PMID: 35180210 PMCID: PMC8893666 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial membrane lipids are critical for membrane bilayer formation, cell division, protein localization, stress responses, and pathogenesis. Despite their critical roles, membrane lipids have not been fully elucidated for many pathogens. Here, we report the discovery of a novel cationic glycolipid, lysyl-glucosyl-diacylglycerol (Lys-Glc-DAG), which is synthesized in high abundance by the bacterium Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS). To our knowledge, Lys-Glc-DAG is more positively charged than any other known lipids. Lys-Glc-DAG carries 2 positive net charges per molecule, distinct from the widely described lysylated phospholipid lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol (Lys-PG) that carries one positive net charge due to the presence of a negatively charged phosphate moiety. We use normal phase liquid chromatography (NPLC) coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI) high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS/MS) and genetic approaches to determine that Lys-Glc-DAG is synthesized by the enzyme MprF in GBS, which covalently modifies the neutral glycolipid Glc-DAG with the cationic amino acid lysine. GBS is a leading cause of neonatal meningitis, which requires traversal of the endothelial blood–brain barrier (BBB). We demonstrate that GBS strains lacking mprF exhibit a significant decrease in the ability to invade BBB endothelial cells. Further, mice challenged with a GBSΔmprF mutant developed bacteremia comparably to wild-type (WT) infected mice yet had less recovered bacteria from brain tissue and a lower incidence of meningitis. Thus, our data suggest that Lys-Glc-DAG may contribute to bacterial uptake into host cells and disease progression. Importantly, our discovery provides a platform for further study of cationic lipids at the host–pathogen interface. Bacterial membrane lipids are critical for membrane bilayer formation, cell division, protein localization, stress responses, and pathogenesis. This study shows that the enzyme MprF in Streptococcus agalactiae synthesizes a novel cationic lipid, Lysyl-Glucosyl-Diacylglycerol, which aids meningitis progression in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke R. Joyce
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Haider S. Manzer
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Jéssica da C. Mendonça
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Rio de Janeiro State University, Roberto Alcântara Gomes Biology Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Villarreal
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Prescilla E. Nagao
- Rio de Janeiro State University, Roberto Alcântara Gomes Biology Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Kelly S. Doran
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KSD); (KLP); (ZG)
| | - Kelli L. Palmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KSD); (KLP); (ZG)
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KSD); (KLP); (ZG)
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17
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Listeriolysin S: A bacteriocin from Listeria monocytogenes that induces membrane permeabilization in a contact-dependent manner. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2108155118. [PMID: 34599102 PMCID: PMC8501752 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2108155118] [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] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a bacterial pathogen that causes listeriosis, a foodborne disease characterized by gastroenteritis, meningitis, bacteremia, and abortions in pregnant women. The most severe human listeriosis outbreaks are associated with a subset of Lm hypervirulent clones that encode the bacteriocin Listeriolysin S (LLS), which modifies the gut microbiota and allows efficient Lm gut colonization and invasion of deeper organs. Our present work identifies the killing mechanism displayed by LLS to outcompete gut commensal bacteria, demonstrating that it induces membrane permeabilization and membrane depolarization of target bacteria. Moreover, we show that LLS is a thiazole/oxazole–modified microcin that displays a contact-dependent inhibition mechanism. Listeriolysin S (LLS) is a thiazole/oxazole–modified microcin (TOMM) produced by hypervirulent clones of Listeria monocytogenes. LLS targets specific gram-positive bacteria and modulates the host intestinal microbiota composition. To characterize the mechanism of LLS transfer to target bacteria and its bactericidal function, we first investigated its subcellular distribution in LLS-producer bacteria. Using subcellular fractionation assays, transmission electron microscopy, and single-molecule superresolution microscopy, we identified that LLS remains associated with the bacterial cell membrane and cytoplasm and is not secreted to the bacterial extracellular space. Only living LLS-producer bacteria (and not purified LLS-positive bacterial membranes) display bactericidal activity. Applying transwell coculture systems and microfluidic-coupled microscopy, we determined that LLS requires direct contact between LLS-producer and -target bacteria in order to display bactericidal activity, and thus behaves as a contact-dependent bacteriocin. Contact-dependent exposure to LLS leads to permeabilization/depolarization of the target bacterial cell membrane and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release. Additionally, we show that lipoteichoic acids (LTAs) can interact with LLS and that LTA decorations influence bacterial susceptibility to LLS. Overall, our results suggest that LLS is a TOMM that displays a contact-dependent inhibition mechanism.
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18
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Amiss AS, Henriques ST, Lawrence N. Antimicrobial peptides provide wider coverage for targeting drug‐resistant bacterial pathogens. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna S. Amiss
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Sónia Troeira Henriques
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences Queensland University of Technology, Translational Research Institute Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Nicole Lawrence
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
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19
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van Staden ADP, van Zyl WF, Trindade M, Dicks LMT, Smith C. Therapeutic Application of Lantibiotics and Other Lanthipeptides: Old and New Findings. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0018621. [PMID: 33962984 PMCID: PMC8231447 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00186-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Lanthipeptides are ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides, with modifications that are incorporated during biosynthesis by dedicated enzymes. Various modifications of the peptides are possible, resulting in a highly diverse group of bioactive peptides that offer a potential reservoir for use in the fight against a plethora of diseases. Their activities range from the antimicrobial properties of lantibiotics, especially against antibiotic-resistant strains, to antiviral activity, immunomodulatory properties, antiallodynic effects, and the potential to alleviate cystic fibrosis symptoms. Lanthipeptide biosynthetic genes are widespread within bacterial genomes, providing a substantial repository for novel bioactive peptides. Using genome mining tools, novel bioactive lanthipeptides can be identified, and coupled with rapid screening and heterologous expression technologies, the lanthipeptide drug discovery pipeline can be significantly sped up. Lanthipeptides represent a group of bioactive peptides that hold great potential as biotherapeutics, especially at a time when novel and more effective therapies are required. With this review, we provide insight into the latest developments made toward the therapeutic applications and production of lanthipeptides, specifically looking at heterologous expression systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Du Preez van Staden
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department Medicine, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Winschau F. van Zyl
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Marla Trindade
- Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Leon M. T. Dicks
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Carine Smith
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department Medicine, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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20
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Jones JB, Liu L, Rank LA, Wetzel D, Woods EC, Biok N, Anderson SE, Lee MR, Liu R, Huth S, Sandhu BK, Gellman SH, McBride SM. Cationic Homopolymers Inhibit Spore and Vegetative Cell Growth of Clostridioides difficile. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:1236-1247. [PMID: 33739823 PMCID: PMC8130196 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A wide range of synthetic polymers have been explored for antimicrobial activity. These materials usually contain both cationic and hydrophobic subunits because these two characteristics are prominent among host-defense peptides. Here, we describe a series of nylon-3 polymers containing only cationic subunits and their evaluation against the gastrointestinal, spore-forming pathogen Clostridioides difficile. Despite their highly hydrophilic nature, these homopolymers showed efficacy against both the vegetative and spore forms of the bacterium, including an impact on C. difficile spore germination. The polymer designated P34 demonstrated the greatest efficacy against C. difficile strains, along with low propensities to lyse human red blood cells or intestinal epithelial cells. To gain insight into the mechanism of P34 action, we evaluated several cell-surface mutant strains of C. difficile to determine the impacts on growth, viability, and cell morphology. The results suggest that P34 interacts with the cell wall, resulting in severe cell bending and death in a concentration-dependent manner. The unexpected finding that nylon-3 polymers composed entirely of cationic subunits display significant activities toward C. difficile should expand the range of other polymers considered for antibacterial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B. Jones
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Daniela Wetzel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Emily C. Woods
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Naomi Biok
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Myung-ryul Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Runhui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Sean Huth
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Brindar K. Sandhu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Samuel H. Gellman
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Shonna M. McBride
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
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21
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Cardoso P, Glossop H, Meikle TG, Aburto-Medina A, Conn CE, Sarojini V, Valery C. Molecular engineering of antimicrobial peptides: microbial targets, peptide motifs and translation opportunities. Biophys Rev 2021; 13:35-69. [PMID: 33495702 PMCID: PMC7817352 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00784-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The global public health threat of antimicrobial resistance has led the scientific community to highly engage into research on alternative strategies to the traditional small molecule therapeutics. Here, we review one of the most popular alternatives amongst basic and applied research scientists, synthetic antimicrobial peptides. The ease of peptide chemical synthesis combined with emerging engineering principles and potent broad-spectrum activity, including against multidrug-resistant strains, has motivated intense scientific focus on these compounds for the past decade. This global effort has resulted in significant advances in our understanding of peptide antimicrobial activity at the molecular scale. Recent evidence of molecular targets other than the microbial lipid membrane, and efforts towards consensus antimicrobial peptide motifs, have supported the rise of molecular engineering approaches and design tools, including machine learning. Beyond molecular concepts, supramolecular chemistry has been lately added to the debate; and helped unravel the impact of peptide self-assembly on activity, including on biofilms and secondary targets, while providing new directions in pharmaceutical formulation through taking advantage of peptide self-assembled nanostructures. We argue that these basic research advances constitute a solid basis for promising industry translation of rationally designed synthetic peptide antimicrobials, not only as novel drugs against multidrug-resistant strains but also as components of emerging antimicrobial biomaterials. This perspective is supported by recent developments of innovative peptide-based and peptide-carrier nanobiomaterials that we also review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Cardoso
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hugh Glossop
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | | | | | | | - Celine Valery
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
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22
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Bistable Bacterial Growth Dynamics in the Presence of Antimicrobial Agents. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10010087. [PMID: 33477524 PMCID: PMC7831100 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10010087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The outcome of an antibiotic treatment on the growth capacity of bacteria is largely dependent on the initial population size (Inoculum Effect). We characterized and built a model of this effect in E. coli cultures using a large variety of antimicrobials, including conventional antibiotics, and for the first time, cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs). Our results show that all classes of antimicrobial drugs induce an inoculum effect, which, as we explain, implies that the dynamic is bistable: For a range of anti-microbial densities, a very small inoculum decays whereas a larger inoculum grows, and the threshold inoculum depends on the drug concentration. We characterized three distinct classes of drug-induced bistable growth dynamics and demonstrate that in rich medium, CAMPs correspond to the simplest class, bacteriostatic antibiotics to the second class, and all other traditional antibiotics to the third, more complex class. These findings provide a unifying universal framework for describing the dynamics of the inoculum effect induced by antimicrobials with inherently different killing mechanisms.
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23
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Gigon L, Yousefi S, Karaulov A, Simon HU. Mechanisms of toxicity mediated by neutrophil and eosinophil granule proteins. Allergol Int 2021; 70:30-38. [PMID: 33277190 DOI: 10.1016/j.alit.2020.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils and eosinophils are granulocytes which are characterized by the presence of granules in the cytoplasm. Granules provide a safe storage site for granule proteins that play important roles in the immune function of granulocytes. Upon granulocytes activation, diverse proteins are released from the granules into the extracellular space and contribute to the fight against infections. In this article, we describe granule proteins of both neutrophils and eosinophils able to kill pathogens and review their anticipated mechanism of antimicrobial toxicity. It should be noted that an excess of granules protein release can lead to tissue damage of the host resulting in chronic inflammation and organ dysfunction.
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24
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Assoni L, Milani B, Carvalho MR, Nepomuceno LN, Waz NT, Guerra MES, Converso TR, Darrieux M. Resistance Mechanisms to Antimicrobial Peptides in Gram-Positive Bacteria. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:593215. [PMID: 33193264 PMCID: PMC7609970 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.593215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
With the alarming increase of infections caused by pathogenic multidrug-resistant bacteria over the last decades, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been investigated as a potential treatment for those infections, directly through their lytic effect or indirectly, due to their ability to modulate the immune system. There are still concerns regarding the use of such molecules in the treatment of infections, such as cell toxicity and host factors that lead to peptide inhibition. To overcome these limitations, different approaches like peptide modification to reduce toxicity and peptide combinations to improve therapeutic efficacy are being tested. Human defense peptides consist of an important part of the innate immune system, against a myriad of potential aggressors, which have in turn developed different ways to overcome the AMPs microbicidal activities. Since the antimicrobial activity of AMPs vary between Gram-positive and Gram-negative species, so do the bacterial resistance arsenal. This review discusses the mechanisms exploited by Gram-positive bacteria to circumvent killing by antimicrobial peptides. Specifically, the most clinically relevant genera, Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Enterococcus spp. and Gram-positive bacilli, have been explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Assoni
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Barbara Milani
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Marianna Ribeiro Carvalho
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Lucas Natanael Nepomuceno
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Natalha Tedeschi Waz
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Maria Eduarda Souza Guerra
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Thiago Rojas Converso
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Michelle Darrieux
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
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25
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Wambui J, Eshwar AK, Aalto-Araneda M, Pöntinen A, Stevens MJA, Njage PMK, Tasara T. The Analysis of Field Strains Isolated From Food, Animal and Clinical Sources Uncovers Natural Mutations in Listeria monocytogenes Nisin Resistance Genes. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:549531. [PMID: 33123101 PMCID: PMC7574537 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.549531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Nisin is a commonly used bacteriocin for controlling spoilage and pathogenic bacteria in food products. Strains possessing high natural nisin resistance that reduce or increase the potency of this bacteriocin against Listeria monocytogenes have been described. Our study sought to gather more insights into nisin resistance mechanisms in natural L. monocytogenes populations by examining a collection of 356 field strains that were isolated from different foods, food production environments, animals and human infections. A growth curve analysis-based approach was used to access nisin inhibition levels and assign the L. monocytogenes strains into three nisin response phenotypic categories; resistant (66%), intermediate (26%), and sensitive (8%). Using this categorization isolation source, serotype, genetic lineage, clonal complex (CC) and strain-dependent natural variation in nisin phenotypic resistance among L. monocytogenes field strains was revealed. Whole genome sequence analysis and comparison of high nisin resistant and sensitive strains led to the identification of new naturally occurring mutations in nisin response genes associated with increased nisin resistance and sensitivity in this bacterium. Increased nisin resistance was detected in strains harboring RsbUG77S and PBPB3V240F amino acid substitution mutations, which also showed increased detergent stress resistance as well as increased virulence in a zebra fish infection model. On the other hand, increased natural nisin sensitivity was detected among strains with mutations in sigB, vir, and dlt operons that also showed increased lysozyme sensitivity and lower virulence. Overall, our study identified naturally selected mutations involving pbpB3 (lm0441) as well as sigB, vir, and dlt operon genes that are associated with intrinsic nisin resistance in L. monocytogenes field strains recovered from various food and human associated sources. Finally, we show that combining growth parameter-based phenotypic analysis and genome sequencing is an effective approach that can be useful for the identification of novel nisin response associated genetic variants among L. monocytogenes field strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Wambui
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Athmanya K Eshwar
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mariella Aalto-Araneda
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Pöntinen
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marc J A Stevens
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick M K Njage
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, Division for Global Surveillance, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kengens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Taurai Tasara
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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26
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Rocha-Granados MC, Zenick B, Englander HE, Mok WWK. The social network: Impact of host and microbial interactions on bacterial antibiotic tolerance and persistence. Cell Signal 2020; 75:109750. [PMID: 32846197 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2020.109750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotics have vastly improved our quality of life since their discovery and introduction into modern medicine. Yet, widespread use and misuse have compromised the efficacy of these compounds and put our ability to cure infectious diseases in jeopardy. To defend themselves against antibiotics, bacteria have evolved an arsenal of survival strategies. In addition to acquiring mutations and genetic determinants that confer antibiotic resistance, bacteria can respond to environmental cues and adopt reversible phenotypic changes that transiently enhance their ability to survive adverse conditions, including those brought on by antibiotics. These antibiotic tolerant and persistent bacteria, which are prevalent in biofilms and can survive antimicrobial therapy without inheriting resistance, are thought to underlie treatment failure and infection relapse. At infection sites, bacteria encounter a range of signals originating from host immunity and the local microbiota that can induce transcriptomic and metabolic reprogramming. In this review, we will focus on the impact of host factors and microbial interactions on antibiotic tolerance and persistence. We will also outline current efforts in leveraging the knowledge of host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions in designing therapies that potentiate antibiotic activity and reduce the burden caused by recurrent infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Blesing Zenick
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biophysics, UCONN Health, Farmington, CT, 06032, USA
| | - Hanna E Englander
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biophysics, UCONN Health, Farmington, CT, 06032, USA; Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3156, United States of America
| | - Wendy W K Mok
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biophysics, UCONN Health, Farmington, CT, 06032, USA.
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27
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Kelly B, Pearce EL. Amino Assets: How Amino Acids Support Immunity. Cell Metab 2020; 32:154-175. [PMID: 32649859 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2020.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 239] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Amino acids are fundamental building blocks supporting life. Their role in protein synthesis is well defined, but they contribute to a host of other intracellular metabolic pathways, including ATP generation, nucleotide synthesis, and redox balance, to support cellular and organismal function. Immune cells critically depend on such pathways to acquire energy and biomass and to reprogram their metabolism upon activation to support growth, proliferation, and effector functions. Amino acid metabolism plays a key role in this metabolic rewiring, and it supports various immune cell functions beyond increased protein synthesis. Here, we review the mechanisms by which amino acid metabolism promotes immune cell function, and how these processes could be targeted to improve immunity in pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Kelly
- Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg 79108, Germany
| | - Erika L Pearce
- Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg 79108, Germany.
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28
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Schneider R, Primon-Barros M, Von Borowski RG, Chat S, Nonin-Lecomte S, Gillet R, Macedo AJ. Pseudonajide peptide derived from snake venom alters cell envelope integrity interfering on biofilm formation in Staphylococcus epidermidis. BMC Microbiol 2020; 20:237. [PMID: 32746783 PMCID: PMC7397659 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-020-01921-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The increase in bacterial resistance phenotype cases is a global health problem. New strategies must be explored by the scientific community in order to create new treatment alternatives. Animal venoms are a good source for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are excellent candidates for new antimicrobial drug development. Cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptides (CRAMPs) from snake venoms have been studied as a model for the design of new antimicrobial pharmaceuticals against bacterial infections. Results In this study we present an 11 amino acid-long peptide, named pseudonajide, which is derived from a Pseudonaja textilis venom peptide and has antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis. Pseudonajide was selected based on the sequence alignments of various snake venom peptides that displayed activity against bacteria. Antibiofilm activity assays with pseudonajide concentrations ranging from 3.12 to 100 μM showed that the lowest concentration to inhibit biofilm formation was 25 μM. Microscopy analysis demonstrated that pseudonajide interacts with the bacterial cell envelope, disrupting the cell walls and membranes, leading to morphological defects in prokaryotes. Conclusions Our results suggest that pseudonajide’s positives charges interact with negatively charged cell wall components of S. epidermidis, leading to cell damage and inhibiting biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Schneider
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), UMR 6290, Rennes, France.,Laboratório de Biofilmes e Diversidade Microbiana, Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Muriel Primon-Barros
- Laboratório de Biofilmes e Diversidade Microbiana, Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rafael Gomes Von Borowski
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), UMR 6290, Rennes, France.,Laboratório de Biofilmes e Diversidade Microbiana, Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Sophie Chat
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), UMR 6290, Rennes, France
| | - Sylvie Nonin-Lecomte
- Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Paris, CNRS, CiTCoM, UMR 8038, Paris, France
| | - Reynald Gillet
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), UMR 6290, Rennes, France.
| | - Alexandre José Macedo
- Laboratório de Biofilmes e Diversidade Microbiana, Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
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29
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Savini F, Loffredo M, Troiano C, Bobone S, Malanovic N, Eichmann T, Caprio L, Canale V, Park Y, Mangoni M, Stella L. Binding of an antimicrobial peptide to bacterial cells: Interaction with different species, strains and cellular components. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183291. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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30
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Liu T, Liu J, Liu J, Yang R, Lu X, He X, Shi W, Guo L. Interspecies Interactions Between Streptococcus Mutans and Streptococcus Agalactiae in vitro. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:344. [PMID: 32733820 PMCID: PMC7358462 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus mutans is an oral species closely associated with dental caries. As an early oral colonizer, S. mutans utilizes interspecies coaggregation to promote the colonization of subsequent species and affect polymicrobial pathogenesis. Previous studies have confirmed several adhering partner species of S. mutans, including Candida albicans and Fusobacterium nucleatum. In this study, we discovered new intergeneric co-adherence between S. mutans and the saliva isolate Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS-SI101). Research shows that GBS typically colonizes the human gastrointestinal and vaginal tracts. It is responsible for adverse pregnancy outcomes and life-threatening infections in neonates and immunocompromised people. Our results revealed that GtfB and GtfC of S. mutans, which contributed to extracellular polysaccharide synthesis, promoted coaggregation of S. mutans with GBS-SI101. In addition, oral streptococci, including Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus gordonii and S. mutans, barely inhibited the growth of GBS-SI101. This study indicated that S. mutans could help GBS integrate into the Streptococcus-associated oral polymicrobial community and become a resident species in the oral cavity, increasing the risk of oral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingjun Liu
- Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianwei Liu
- Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruiqi Yang
- Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianjun Lu
- Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuesong He
- The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Wenyuan Shi
- The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lihong Guo
- Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guangzhou, China
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31
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Two-Component Signal Transduction Systems in the Human Pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae. Infect Immun 2020; 88:IAI.00931-19. [PMID: 31988177 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00931-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus [GBS]) is an important cause of invasive infection in newborns, maternal women, and older individuals with underlying chronic illnesses. GBS has many mechanisms to adapt and survive in its host, and these mechanisms are often controlled via two-component signal transduction systems. In GBS, more than 20 distinct two-component systems (TCSs) have been classified to date, consisting of canonical TCSs as well as orphan and atypical sensors and regulators. These signal transducing systems are necessary for metabolic regulation, resistance to antibiotics and antimicrobials, pathogenesis, and adhesion to the mucosal surfaces to colonize the host. This minireview discusses the structures of these TCSs in GBS as well as how selected systems regulate essential cellular processes such as survival and colonization. GBS contains almost double the number of TCSs compared to the closely related Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus pneumoniae, and while research on GBS TCSs has been increasing in recent years, no comprehensive reviews of these TCSs exist, making this review especially relevant.
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32
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Cooper VS, Honsa E, Rowe H, Deitrick C, Iverson AR, Whittall JJ, Neville SL, McDevitt CA, Kietzman C, Rosch JW. Experimental Evolution In Vivo To Identify Selective Pressures during Pneumococcal Colonization. mSystems 2020; 5:e00352-20. [PMID: 32398278 PMCID: PMC7219553 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00352-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental evolution is a powerful technique to understand how populations evolve from selective pressures imparted by the surrounding environment. With the advancement of whole-population genomic sequencing, it is possible to identify and track multiple contending genotypes associated with adaptations to specific selective pressures. This approach has been used repeatedly with model species in vitro, but only rarely in vivo Herein we report results of replicate experimentally evolved populations of Streptococcus pneumoniae propagated by repeated murine nasal colonization with the aim of identifying gene products under strong selection as well as the population genetic dynamics of infection cycles. Frameshift mutations in one gene, dltB, responsible for incorporation of d-alanine into teichoic acids on the bacterial surface, evolved repeatedly and swept to high frequency. Targeted deletions of dltB produced a fitness advantage during initial nasal colonization coupled with a corresponding fitness disadvantage in the lungs during pulmonary infection. The underlying mechanism behind the fitness trade-off between these two niches was found to be enhanced adherence to respiratory cells balanced by increased sensitivity to host-derived antimicrobial peptides, a finding recapitulated in the murine model. Additional mutations that are predicted to affect trace metal transport, central metabolism, and regulation of biofilm production and competence were also selected. These data indicate that experimental evolution can be applied to murine models of pathogenesis to gain insight into organism-specific tissue tropisms.IMPORTANCE Evolution is a powerful force that can be experimentally harnessed to gain insight into how populations evolve in response to selective pressures. Herein we tested the applicability of experimental evolutionary approaches to gain insight into how the major human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae responds to repeated colonization events using a murine model. These studies revealed the population dynamics of repeated colonization events and demonstrated that in vivo experimental evolution resulted in highly reproducible trajectories that reflect the environmental niche encountered during nasal colonization. Mutations impacting the surface charge of the bacteria were repeatedly selected during colonization and provided a fitness benefit in this niche that was counterbalanced by a corresponding fitness defect during lung infection. These data indicate that experimental evolution can be applied to models of pathogenesis to gain insight into organism-specific tissue tropisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaughn S Cooper
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Erin Honsa
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Hannah Rowe
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Christopher Deitrick
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Amy R Iverson
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jonathan J Whittall
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Stephanie L Neville
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher A McDevitt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Colin Kietzman
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jason W Rosch
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
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33
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Theodorou I, Courtin P, Sadovskaya I, Palussière S, Fenaille F, Mahony J, Chapot-Chartier MP, van Sinderen D. Three distinct glycosylation pathways are involved in the decoration of Lactococcus lactis cell wall glycopolymers. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:5519-5532. [PMID: 32169901 PMCID: PMC7170526 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracytoplasmic sugar decoration of glycopolymer components of the bacterial cell wall contributes to their structural diversity. Typically, the molecular mechanism that underpins such a decoration process involves a three-component glycosylation system (TGS) represented by an undecaprenyl-phosphate (Und-P) sugar-activating glycosyltransferase (Und-P GT), a flippase, and a polytopic glycosyltransferase (PolM GT) dedicated to attaching sugar residues to a specific glycopolymer. Here, using bioinformatic analyses, CRISPR-assisted recombineering, structural analysis of cell wall-associated polysaccharides (CWPS) through MALDI-TOF MS and methylation analysis, we report on three such systems in the bacterium Lactococcus lactis On the basis of sequence similarities, we first identified three gene pairs, csdAB, csdCD, and csdEF, each encoding an Und-P GT and a PolM GT, as potential TGS component candidates. Our experimental results show that csdAB and csdCD are involved in Glc side-chain addition on the CWPS components rhamnan and polysaccharide pellicle (PSP), respectively, whereas csdEF plays a role in galactosylation of lipoteichoic acid (LTA). We also identified a potential flippase encoded in the L. lactis genome (llnz_02975, cflA) and confirmed that it participates in the glycosylation of the three cell wall glycopolymers rhamnan, PSP, and LTA, thus indicating that its function is shared by the three TGSs. Finally, we observed that glucosylation of both rhamnan and PSP can increase resistance to bacteriophage predation and that LTA galactosylation alters L. lactis resistance to bacteriocin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilias Theodorou
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork T12 K8AF, Ireland
| | - Pascal Courtin
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Irina Sadovskaya
- Équipe BPA, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, Institut Régional Charles Violette EA 7394, USC Anses-ULCO, 62202 Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Simon Palussière
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - François Fenaille
- Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, INRAE, Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (MTS), MetaboHUB, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jennifer Mahony
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork T12 K8AF, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12 K8AF, Ireland
| | | | - Douwe van Sinderen
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork T12 K8AF, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12 K8AF, Ireland
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34
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Oyanedel D, Labreuche Y, Bruto M, Amraoui H, Robino E, Haffner P, Rubio T, Charrière GM, Le Roux F, Destoumieux-Garzón D. Vibrio splendidus O-antigen structure: a trade-off between virulence to oysters and resistance to grazers. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:4264-4278. [PMID: 32219965 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
A major debate in evolutionary biology is whether virulence is maintained as an adaptive trait and/or evolves to non-virulence. In the environment, virulence traits of non-obligatory parasites are subjected to diverse selective pressures and trade-offs. Here, we focus on a population of Vibrio splendidus that displays moderate virulence for oysters. A MARTX (Multifunctional-autoprocessing repeats-in-toxin) and a type-six secretion system (T6SS) were found to be necessary for virulence toward oysters, while a region (wbe) involved in O-antigen synthesis is necessary for resistance to predation against amoebae. Gene inactivation within the wbe region had major consequences on the O-antigen structure, conferring lower immunogenicity, competitive advantage and increased virulence in oyster experimental infections. Therefore, O-antigen structures that favour resistance to environmental predators result in an increased activation of the oyster immune system and a reduced virulence in that host. These trade-offs likely contribute to maintaining O-antigen diversity in the marine environment by favouring genomic plasticity of the wbe region. The results of this study indicate an evolution of V. splendidus towards moderate virulence as a compromise between fitness in the oyster as a host, and resistance to its predators in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oyanedel
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Montpellier, France
| | - Yannick Labreuche
- Ifremer, Unité Physiologie Fonctionnelle des Organismes Marins, ZI de la Pointe du Diable, CS 10070, F-29280, Plouzané, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Paris 06, CNRS, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff cedex, France
| | - Maxime Bruto
- Ifremer, Unité Physiologie Fonctionnelle des Organismes Marins, ZI de la Pointe du Diable, CS 10070, F-29280, Plouzané, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Paris 06, CNRS, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff cedex, France
| | - Hajar Amraoui
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Montpellier, France
| | - Etienne Robino
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Montpellier, France
| | - Philippe Haffner
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Montpellier, France
| | - Tristan Rubio
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Montpellier, France.,Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (UMR 5086). CNRS, University of Lyon, 69367, Lyon, France
| | - Guillaume M Charrière
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Montpellier, France
| | - Frédérique Le Roux
- Ifremer, Unité Physiologie Fonctionnelle des Organismes Marins, ZI de la Pointe du Diable, CS 10070, F-29280, Plouzané, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Paris 06, CNRS, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff cedex, France
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35
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Lysis of a Lactococcus lactis Dipeptidase Mutant and Rescue by Mutation in the Pleiotropic Regulator CodY. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.02937-19. [PMID: 32005740 PMCID: PMC7117943 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02937-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris MG1363 is a model for the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) used in the dairy industry. The proteolytic system, consisting of a proteinase, several peptide and amino acid uptake systems, and a host of intracellular peptidases, plays a vital role in nitrogen metabolism and is of eminent importance for flavor formation in dairy products. The dipeptidase PepV functions in the last stages of proteolysis. A link between nitrogen metabolism and peptidoglycan (PG) biosynthesis was underlined by the finding that deletion of the dipeptidase gene pepV (creating strain MGΔpepV) resulted in a prolonged lag phase when the mutant strain was grown with a high concentration of glycine. In addition, most MGΔpepV cells lyse and have serious defects in their shape. This phenotype is due to a shortage of alanine, since adding alanine can rescue the growth and shape defects. Strain MGΔpepV is more resistant to vancomycin, an antibiotic targeting peptidoglycan d-Ala-d-Ala ends, which confirmed that MGΔpepV has an abnormal PG composition. A mutant of MGΔpepV was obtained in which growth inhibition and cell shape defects were alleviated. Genome sequencing showed that this mutant has a single point mutation in the codY gene, resulting in an arginine residue at position 218 in the DNA-binding motif of CodY being replaced by a cysteine residue. Thus, this strain was named MGΔpepVcodY R218C Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) data revealed a dramatic derepression in peptide uptake and amino acid utilization in MGΔpepVcodY R218C A model of the connections among PepV activity, CodY regulation, and PG synthesis of L. lactis is proposed.IMPORTANCE Precise control of peptidoglycan synthesis is essential in Gram-positive bacteria for maintaining cell shape and integrity as well as resisting stresses. Although neither the dipeptidase PepV nor alanine is essential for L. lactis MG1363, adequate availability of either ensures proper cell wall synthesis. We broaden the knowledge about the dipeptidase PepV, which acts as a linker between nitrogen metabolism and cell wall synthesis in L. lactis.
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Mechanisms of bactericidal action and resistance of polymyxins for Gram-positive bacteria. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:3771-3780. [PMID: 32157424 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10525-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Polymyxins are cationic antimicrobial peptides used as the last-line therapy to treat multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. The bactericidal activity of polymyxins against Gram-negative bacteria relies on the electrostatic interaction between the positively charged polymyxins and the negatively charged lipid A of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Given that Gram-positive bacteria lack an LPS-containing outer membrane, it is generally acknowledged that polymyxins are less active against Gram-positive bacteria. However, Gram-positive bacteria produce negatively charged teichoic acids, which may act as the target of polymyxins. More and more studies suggest that polymyxins have potential as a treatment for Gram-positive bacterial infection. This mini-review discusses recent advances in the mechanism of the antibacterial activity and resistance of polymyxins in Gram-positive bacteria.Key Points• Teichoic acids play a key role in the action of polymyxins on Gram-positive bacteria.• Polymyxin kills Gram-positive bacteria by disrupting cell surface and oxidative damage.• Modification of teichoic acids and phospholipids contributes to polymyxin resistance in Gram-positive bacteria.• Polymyxins have potential as a treatment for Gram-positive bacterial infection.
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Zhang B, Perez C. Stabilization and Crystallization of a Membrane Protein Involved in Lipid Transport. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2127:283-292. [PMID: 32112329 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0373-4_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Lipoteichoic acids (LTA) are ubiquitous cell wall components of Gram-positive bacteria. In Staphylococcus aureus LTA are composed of a polymer with 1,3-linked glycerol phosphate repeating units anchored to the plasma membrane. The anchor molecule is a lipid-linked disaccharide (anchor-LLD) synthesized at the cytoplasmic leaflet of the membrane. The anchor lipid becomes accessible at the outer leaflet of the membrane after the flippase LtaA catalyzes translocation. Recently we have elucidated the structure of LtaA using vapor diffusion X-ray crystallography and in situ annealing. We were able to obtain LtaA crystals after optimization of purification protocols that led to stabilization of LtaA isolated in detergent micelles. Here we report a protocol that describes the purification, stabilization, crystallization, and data collection strategies carried out to determine the structure of LtaA. We highlight key points that can be used to determine crystal structures of other membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Zhang
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Camilo Perez
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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Hassan AA, Vitorino MV, Robalo T, Rodrigues MS, Sá-Correia I. Variation of Burkholderia cenocepacia cell wall morphology and mechanical properties during cystic fibrosis lung infection, assessed by atomic force microscopy. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16118. [PMID: 31695169 PMCID: PMC6834607 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52604-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence that Burkholderia cenocepacia adaptive evolution during long-term infection in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients has on cell wall morphology and mechanical properties is poorly understood despite their crucial role in cell physiology, persistent infection and pathogenesis. Cell wall morphology and physical properties of three B. cenocepacia isolates collected from a CF patient over a period of 3.5 years were compared using atomic force microscopy (AFM). These serial clonal variants include the first isolate retrieved from the patient and two late isolates obtained after three years of infection and before the patient's death with cepacia syndrome. A consistent and progressive decrease of cell height and a cell shape evolution during infection, from the typical rods to morphology closer to cocci, were observed. The images of cells grown in biofilms showed an identical cell size reduction pattern. Additionally, the apparent elasticity modulus significantly decreases from the early isolate to the last clonal variant retrieved from the patient but the intermediary highly antibiotic resistant clonal isolate showed the highest elasticity values. Concerning the adhesion of bacteria surface to the AFM tip, the first isolate was found to adhere better than the late isolates whose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure loss the O-antigen (OAg) during CF infection. The OAg is known to influence Gram-negative bacteria adhesion and be an important factor in B. cenocepacia adaptation to chronic infection. Results reinforce the concept of the occurrence of phenotypic heterogeneity and adaptive evolution, also at the level of cell size, form, envelope topography and physical properties during long-term infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Amir Hassan
- iBB - Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1049-001, Portugal
- Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1049-001, Portugal
| | - Miguel V Vitorino
- BioISI - Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
- Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Tiago Robalo
- BioISI - Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mário S Rodrigues
- BioISI - Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
- Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Isabel Sá-Correia
- iBB - Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1049-001, Portugal.
- Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1049-001, Portugal.
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Sun C, Gu L, Hussain MA, Chen L, Lin L, Wang H, Pang S, Jiang C, Jiang Z, Hou J. Characterization of the Bioactivity and Mechanism of Bactenecin Derivatives Against Food-Pathogens. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2593. [PMID: 31749789 PMCID: PMC6848382 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
With the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are regarded as potential alternatives to traditional antibiotics or chemicals. We designed and synthesized six derivatives of bactenecin (L2C3V10C11, RLCRIVVIRVCR), including R2F3W10L11 (RRFRIVVIRWLR), R2W3W10R11 (RRWRIVVIRWRR), K2W3V10R11 (RKWRIVVIRVRR), W2R3V10R11 (RWRRIVVIRVRR), W2K3K10R11 (RWKRIVVIRKRR), and K2R3R10K11 (RKRRIVVIRRKR), by amino acid substitution to increase the net charge and reduce hydrophobicity gradually. The bioactivity and mechanisms of action of the designed peptides were investigated. The results indicated that the antimicrobial activity of the designed peptides was higher than that of bactenecin. The hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity of the designed peptides were significantly lower than those of bactenecin. The designed peptides exhibited a wide range of antimicrobial activity against food-pathogens, particularly peptides K2W3V10R11 and W2R3V10R11; in addition, the activity was maintained under physiological salt and heat conditions. Mechanism studies indicated that AMPs interacted with negatively charged bacterial cell membranes, resulting in the destruction of cell membrane integrity by increasing membrane permeability and changing transmembrane potential, leading to cell death. The present study suggested that peptides K2W3V10R11 and W2R3V10R11 exhibited potential as alternatives to traditional antibiotics or chemicals for the treatment of food-pathogens. These findings lead to the development of a potential method for the design of novel AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changbao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Liya Gu
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Muhammad Altaf Hussain
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Lijun Chen
- National Engineering Research Center of Dairy for Maternal and Child Health, Beijing Sanyuan Foods Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Li Lin
- National Engineering Research Center of Dairy for Maternal and Child Health, Beijing Sanyuan Foods Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Haimei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Shiyue Pang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Chenggang Jiang
- Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Zhanmei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Juncai Hou
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
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Colle JH, Périchon B, Garcia A. Antitumor and antibacterial properties of virally encoded cationic sequences. Biologics 2019; 13:117-126. [PMID: 31417238 PMCID: PMC6599856 DOI: 10.2147/btt.s201287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study was to test our Viral Quinta Columna Strategy (VQCS), a new biological hypothesis predicting that specific multifunctional virally encoded cationic domains may have the capacity to penetrate human cells and interact with PP2A proteins to deregulate important human intracellular pathways, and may display LL37 cathelicidin-like antagonistic effects against multiple pathogens such as bacteria or viruses. Methods: We comparatively analyzed the host defense properties of adenodiaphorins and of some specific cationic sequences encoded by different viruses using two distinct biological models: U87G, a well-characterized cell tumor model; and a group B Streptococcus agalactiae NEM316 ΔdltA, highly sensitive to LL37 cathelicidin. Results: We found that the adenovirus type 2 E4orf4 is a cell-permeable protein containing a new E4orf464–95 protein transduction domain, named large adenodiaphorin or LadD64–95. Interestingly, the host defense LL37 peptide is the unique cathelicidin in humans. In this context, we also demonstrated that similarly to LL37 LadD64–95, several virally encoded cationic sequences including the C-terminus HIV-1 89.6 Vpr77–92, shorter adenodiaphorins AdD67–84/AdD/69–84/AdD69–83, as well as HIV-2 Tat67–90 and JC polyomavirus small t115–134, displayed similar toxicity against Gram-positive S. agalactiae NEM316 ΔdltA strain. Finally, LadD64–95, adenodiaphorin AdD67–84, AdD69–84, and LL37 and LL17–32 cathelicidin peptides also inhibited the survival of human U87G glioblastoma cells. Conclusion: In this study, we demonstrated that specific cationic sequences encoded by four different viruses displayed antibacterial activities against S. agalactiae NEM316 ΔdltA strain. In addition, HIV-1 Vpr71–92 and adenovirus 2 E4orf464–95, two cationic penetrating sequences that bind PP2A, inhibited the survival of U87G glioblastoma cells. These results illustrate the host defense properties of virally encoded sequences and could represent an initial step for future complete validation of the VQCS hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Hervé Colle
- Laboratoire E3 des Phosphatases-Unité RMN, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Périchon
- Unité de Biologie des Bactéries pathogènes à Gram-positif, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Alphonse Garcia
- Laboratoire E3 des Phosphatases-Unité RMN, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Département de Biologie Structurale et Chimie et pôle Dde-Design de la Biologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Barreto-Santamaría A, Patarroyo ME, Curtidor H. Designing and optimizing new antimicrobial peptides: all targets are not the same. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 2019; 56:351-373. [DOI: 10.1080/10408363.2019.1631249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Barreto-Santamaría
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia - FIDIC, Receptor-Ligand Department, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
- Universidad del Rosario, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
| | - Manuel E. Patarroyo
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia - FIDIC, Receptor-Ligand Department, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Bogotá, Faculty of Medicine, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
| | - Hernando Curtidor
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia - FIDIC, Receptor-Ligand Department, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
- Universidad del Rosario, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
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Jeong S, Kim HY, Kim AR, Yun CH, Han SH. Propionate Ameliorates Staphylococcus aureus Skin Infection by Attenuating Bacterial Growth. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1363. [PMID: 31275281 PMCID: PMC6591440 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus causes various diseases including skin and soft tissue infections, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, and sepsis. Antibiotic-resistant S. aureus such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant S. aureus is a serious threat in healthcare-associated settings and in the communities. In this study, we investigated the effects of short-chain fatty acids, metabolites produced by commensal bacteria, on the growth of S. aureus both in vitro and in vivo. Sodium propionate (NaP) most potently inhibited the growth of MRSA and multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. Of note, only NaP, but not sodium acetate (NaA) or sodium butyrate (NaB), ameliorated MRSA skin infection, significantly lowering bacterial load, excessive cytokine production, and the size and weight of abscesses approximately by twofold. In addition, interestingly, S. aureus deficient of lipoteichoic acids (LTA) or wall teichoic acids (WTA), which are important in bacterial physiology and antimicrobial susceptibility, was more susceptible to NaP than the wild-type. Furthermore, S. aureus deficient of D-alanine motifs common in LTA and WTA was more susceptible to NaP, its growth being almost completely inhibited. Concordantly, MRSA treated with an inhibitor of D-alanylation on LTA and WTA was more susceptible to NaP, and co-treatment of NaP and a D-alanylation inhibitor further decreased the pathology of MRSA skin infection. Collectively, these results demonstrate that NaP ameliorates MRSA skin infection by attenuating the growth of S. aureus, and suggest an alternative combination treatment strategy against S. aureus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoung Jeong
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, DRI, and BK21 Plus Program, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyun Young Kim
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, DRI, and BK21 Plus Program, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - A Reum Kim
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, DRI, and BK21 Plus Program, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Cheol-Heui Yun
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Seung Hyun Han
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, DRI, and BK21 Plus Program, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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Identification of Pneumococcal Factors Affecting Pneumococcal Shedding Shows that the dlt Locus Promotes Inflammation and Transmission. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.01032-19. [PMID: 31213554 PMCID: PMC6581856 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01032-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a common cause of respiratory tract and invasive infection. The overall effectiveness of immunization with the organism’s capsular polysaccharide depends on its ability to block colonization of the upper respiratory tract and thereby prevent host-to-host transmission. Because of the limited coverage of current pneumococcal vaccines, we carried out an unbiased in vivo transposon mutagenesis screen to identify pneumococcal factors other than its capsular polysaccharide that affect transmission. One such candidate was expressed by the dlt locus, previously shown to add d-alanine onto the pneumococcal lipoteichoic acid present on the bacterial cell surface. This modification protects against host antimicrobials and augments host inflammatory responses. The latter increases secretions and bacterial shedding from the upper respiratory tract to allow for transmission. Thus, this study provides insight into a mechanism employed by the pneumococcus to successfully transit from one host to another. Host-to-host transmission is a necessary but poorly understood aspect of microbial pathogenesis. Herein, we screened a genomic library of mutants of the leading respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae generated by mariner transposon mutagenesis (Tn-Seq) to identify genes contributing to its exit or shedding from the upper respiratory tract (URT), the limiting step in the organism’s transmission in an infant mouse model. Our analysis focused on genes affecting the bacterial surface that directly impact interactions with the host. Among the multiple factors identified was the dlt locus, which adds d-alanine onto lipoteichoic acids (LTA) and thereby increases Toll-like receptor 2-mediated inflammation and resistance to antimicrobial peptides. The more robust proinflammatory response in the presence of d-alanylation promotes secretions that facilitate pneumococcal shedding and allows for transmission. Expression of the dlt locus is controlled by the CiaRH system, which senses cell wall stress in response to antimicrobial activity, including in response to lysozyme, the most abundant antimicrobial along the URT mucosa. Accordingly, in a lysM−/− host, there was no longer an effect of the dlt locus on pneumococcal shedding. Thus, our findings demonstrate how a pathogen senses the URT milieu and then modifies its surface characteristics to take advantage of the host response for transit to another host.
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Armistead B, Oler E, Adams Waldorf K, Rajagopal L. The Double Life of Group B Streptococcus: Asymptomatic Colonizer and Potent Pathogen. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:2914-2931. [PMID: 30711542 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.01.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a β-hemolytic gram-positive bacterium that colonizes the lower genital tract of approximately 18% of women globally as an asymptomatic member of the gastrointestinal and/or vaginal flora. If established in other host niches, however, GBS is highly pathogenic. During pregnancy, ascending GBS infection from the vagina to the intrauterine space is associated with preterm birth, stillbirth, and fetal injury. In addition, vertical transmission of GBS during or after birth results in life-threatening neonatal infections, including pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. Although the mechanisms by which GBS traffics from the lower genital tract to vulnerable host niches are not well understood, recent advances have revealed that many of the same bacterial factors that promote asymptomatic vaginal carriage also facilitate dissemination and virulence. Furthermore, highly pathogenic GBS strains have acquired unique factors that enhance survival in invasive niches. Several host factors also exist that either subdue GBS upon vaginal colonization or alternatively permit invasive infection. This review summarizes the GBS and host factors involved in GBS's state as both an asymptomatic colonizer and an invasive pathogen. Gaining a better understanding of these mechanisms is key to overcoming the challenges associated with vaccine development and identification of novel strategies to mitigate GBS virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blair Armistead
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, WA, USA; Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle 98101, WA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Oler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98195, WA, USA
| | - Kristina Adams Waldorf
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, WA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98195, WA, USA; Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, University of Washington, Seattle 98109, WA, USA; Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg 413 90, Sweden
| | - Lakshmi Rajagopal
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, WA, USA; Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle 98101, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98195, WA, USA.
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Yang Y, Luo M, Zhou H, Li C, Luk A, Zhao G, Fung K, Ip M. Role of Two-Component System Response Regulator bceR in the Antimicrobial Resistance, Virulence, Biofilm Formation, and Stress Response of Group B Streptococcus. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:10. [PMID: 30728810 PMCID: PMC6351488 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Group B Streptococcus (GBS; Streptococcus agalactiae) is a leading cause of sepsis in neonates and pregnant mothers worldwide. Whereas the hyper-virulent serogroup III clonal cluster 17 has been associated with neonatal disease and meningitis, serogroup III ST283 was recently implicated in invasive disease among non-pregnant adults in Asia. Here, through comparative genome analyses of invasive and non-invasive ST283 strains, we identified a truncated DNA-binding regulator of a two-component system in a non-invasive strain that was homologous to Bacillus subtilis bceR, encoding the bceRSAB response regulator, which was conserved among GBS strains. Using isogenic knockout and complementation mutants of the ST283 strain, we demonstrated that resistance to bacitracin and the human antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin LL-37 was reduced in the ΔbceR strain with MICs changing from 64 and 256 μg/ml to 0.25 and 64 μg/ml, respectively. Further, the ATP-binding cassette transporter was upregulated by sub-inhibitory concentrations of bacitracin in the wild-type strain. Upregulation of dltA in the wild-type strain was also observed and thought to explain the increased resistance to antimicrobial peptides. DltA, an enzyme involved in D-alanylation during the synthesis of wall teichoic acids, which mediates reduced antimicrobial susceptibility, was previously shown to be regulated by the bceR-type regulator in Staphylococcus aureus. In a murine infection model, we found that the ΔbceR mutation significantly reduced the mortality rate compared to that with the wild-type strain (p < 0.01). Moreover, this mutant was more susceptible to oxidative stress compared to the wild-type strain (p < 0.001) and was associated with reduced biofilm formation (p < 0.0001). Based on 2-DGE and mass spectrometry, we showed that downregulation of alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (AhpC), a Gls24 family stress protein, and alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) in the ΔbceR strain might explain the attenuated virulence and compromised stress response. Together, we showed for the first time that the bceR regulator in GBS plays an important role in bacitracin and antimicrobial peptide resistance, virulence, survival under oxidative stress, and biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yang
- Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Mingjing Luo
- Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Haokui Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Carmen Li
- Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Alison Luk
- Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - GuoPing Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Kitty Fung
- Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Margaret Ip
- Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
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Design of Antimicrobial Peptides: Progress Made with Human Cathelicidin LL-37. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1117:215-240. [PMID: 30980360 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-3588-4_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The incorporation of the innate immune system into humans is essential for survival and health due to the rapid replication of invading microbes and the delayed action of the adaptive immune system. Antimicrobial peptides are important components of human innate immunity. Over 100 such peptides have been identified in various human tissues. Human cathelicidin LL-37 is best studied, and there has been a growing interest in designing new peptides based on LL-37. This chapter describes the alternative processing of the human cathelicidin precursor, protease digestion, and lab cutting of LL-37. Both a synthetic peptide library and structure-based design are utilized to identify the active regions. Although challenging, the determination of the 3D structure of LL-37 enabled the identification of the core antimicrobial region. The minimal region of LL-37 can be function-dependent. We discuss the design and potential applications of LL-37 into antibacterial, antibiofilm, antiviral, antifungal, immune modulating, and anticancer peptides. LL-37 has been engineered into 17BIPHE2, a stable, selective, and potent antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and anticancer peptide. Both 17BIPHE2 and SAAP-148 can eliminate the ESKAPE pathogens and show topical in vivo antibiofilm efficacy. Also discussed are other application strategies, including peptide formulation, antimicrobial implants, and peptide-inducing factors such as vitamin D and sunlight. Finally, we summarize what we learned from peptide design based on human LL-37.
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van Hensbergen VP, Movert E, de Maat V, Lüchtenborg C, Le Breton Y, Lambeau G, Payré C, Henningham A, Nizet V, van Strijp JAG, Brügger B, Carlsson F, McIver KS, van Sorge NM. Streptococcal Lancefield polysaccharides are critical cell wall determinants for human Group IIA secreted phospholipase A2 to exert its bactericidal effects. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007348. [PMID: 30321240 PMCID: PMC6201954 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human Group IIA secreted phospholipase A2 (hGIIA) is an acute phase protein with bactericidal activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Infection models in hGIIA transgenic mice have suggested the importance of hGIIA as an innate defense mechanism against the human pathogens Group A Streptococcus (GAS) and Group B Streptococcus (GBS). Compared to other Gram-positive bacteria, GAS is remarkably resistant to hGIIA activity. To identify GAS resistance mechanisms, we exposed a highly saturated GAS M1 transposon library to recombinant hGIIA and compared relative mutant abundance with library input through transposon-sequencing (Tn-seq). Based on transposon prevalence in the output library, we identified nine genes, including dltA and lytR, conferring increased hGIIA susceptibility. In addition, seven genes conferred increased hGIIA resistance, which included two genes, gacH and gacI that are located within the Group A Carbohydrate (GAC) gene cluster. Using GAS 5448 wild-type and the isogenic gacI mutant and gacI-complemented strains, we demonstrate that loss of the GAC N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) side chain in the ΔgacI mutant increases hGIIA resistance approximately 10-fold, a phenotype that is conserved across different GAS serotypes. Increased resistance is associated with delayed penetration of hGIIA through the cell wall. Correspondingly, loss of the Lancefield Group B Carbohydrate (GBC) rendered GBS significantly more resistant to hGIIA-mediated killing. This suggests that the streptococcal Lancefield antigens, which are critical determinants for streptococcal physiology and virulence, are required for the bactericidal enzyme hGIIA to exert its bactericidal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent P. van Hensbergen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elin Movert
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Section for Immunology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Vincent de Maat
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Yoann Le Breton
- Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics and Maryland Pathogen Research Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Gérard Lambeau
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Department of Biochemistry, Valbonne, France
| | - Christine Payré
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Department of Biochemistry, Valbonne, France
| | - Anna Henningham
- Department of Pediatrics and Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Victor Nizet
- Department of Pediatrics and Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Jos A. G. van Strijp
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Britta Brügger
- Heidelberg University, Biochemistry Center (BZH), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fredric Carlsson
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Section for Immunology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Biology, Section for Molecular Cell Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kevin S. McIver
- Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics and Maryland Pathogen Research Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Nina M. van Sorge
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Stable Expression of Modified Green Fluorescent Protein in Group B Streptococci To Enable Visualization in Experimental Systems. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.01262-18. [PMID: 30006391 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01262-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a Gram-positive bacterium associated with various diseases in humans and animals. Many studies have examined GBS physiology, virulence, and microbe-host interactions using diverse imaging approaches, including fluorescence microscopy. Strategies to label and visualize GBS using fluorescence biomarkers have been limited to antibody-based methods or nonspecific stains that bind DNA or protein; an effective plasmid-based system to label GBS with a fluorescence biomarker would represent a useful visualization tool. In this study, we developed and validated a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-variant-expressing plasmid, pGU2664, which can be applied as a marker to visualize GBS in experimental studies. The synthetic constitutively active CP25 promoter drives strong and stable expression of the GFPmut3 biomarker in GBS strains carrying pGU2664. GBS maintains GFPmut3 activity at different phases of growth. The application of fluorescence polarization enables easy discrimination of GBS GFPmut3 activity from the autofluorescence of culture media commonly used to grow GBS. Differential interference contrast microscopy, in combination with epifluorescence microscopy to detect GFPmut3 in GBS, enabled visualization of bacterial attachment to live human epithelial cells in real time. Plasmid pGU2664 was also used to visualize phenotypic differences in the adherence of wild-type GBS and an isogenic gene-deficient mutant strain lacking CovR (the control of virulence regulator) in adhesion assays. The system for GFPmut3 expression in GBS described in this study provides a new tool for the visualization of this organism in diverse research applications. We discuss the advantages and consider the limitations of this fluorescent biomarker system developed for GBS.IMPORTANCE Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a bacterium associated with various diseases in humans and animals. This study describes the development of a strategy to label and visualize GBS using a fluorescence biomarker, termed GFPmut3. We show that this biomarker can be successfully applied to track the growth of bacteria in liquid medium, and it enables the detailed visualization of GBS in the context of live human cells in real-time microscopic analysis. The system for GFPmut3 expression in GBS described in this study provides a new tool for the visualization of this organism in diverse research applications.
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Chen Y, Cai D, He P, Mo F, Zhang Q, Ma X, Chen S. Enhanced production of heterologous proteins by Bacillus licheniformis with defective d-alanylation of lipoteichoic acid. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 34:135. [DOI: 10.1007/s11274-018-2520-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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The Opp (AmiACDEF) Oligopeptide Transporter Mediates Resistance of Serotype 2 Streptococcus pneumoniae D39 to Killing by Chemokine CXCL10 and Other Antimicrobial Peptides. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:JB.00745-17. [PMID: 29581408 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00745-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), including chemokines, are produced during infections to kill pathogenic bacteria. To fill in gaps in knowledge about the sensitivities of Streptococcus pneumoniae and related Streptococcus species to chemokines and AMPs, we performed a systematic, quantitative study of inhibition by chemokine CXCL10 and the AMPs LL-37 and nisin. In a standard Tris-glucose buffer (TGS), all strains assayed lacked metabolic activity, as determined by resazurin (alamarBlue) reduction, and were extremely sensitive to CXCL10 and AMPs (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50], ∼0.04 μM). In TGS, changes in sensitivities caused by mutations were undetectable. In contrast, strains that retained reductive metabolic activity in a different assay buffer (NPB [10 mM sodium phosphate {pH 7.4}, 1% {vol/vol} brain heart infusion {BHI} broth]) were less sensitive to CXCL10 and AMPs than in TGS. In NPB, mutants known to respond to AMPs, such as Δdlt mutants lacking d-alanylation of teichoic acids, exhibited the expected increased sensitivity. S. pneumoniae serotype 2 strain D39 was much (∼10-fold) less sensitive to CXCL10 killing in NPB than serotype 4 strain TIGR4, and the sensitivity of TIGR4 was unaffected by the absence of capsule. Candidate screening of strain D39 revealed that mutants lacking Opp (ΔamiACDEF) oligopeptide permease were significantly more resistant to CXCL10 than the wild-type strain. This increased resistance could indicate that Opp is a target for CXCL10 binding or that it transports CXCL10 into cells. Finally, ΔftsX or ΔftsE mutants of Bacillus subtilis or amino acid changes that interfere with FtsX function in S. pneumoniae did not impart resistance to CXCL10, in contrast to previous results for Bacillus anthracis, indicating that FtsX is not a general target for CXCL10 binding.IMPORTANCES. pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a human commensal bacterium and major opportunistic respiratory pathogen that causes serious invasive diseases, killing millions of people worldwide annually. Because of its increasing antibiotic resistance, S. pneumoniae is now listed as a "superbug" for which new antibiotics are urgently needed. This report fills in knowledge gaps and resolves inconsistencies in the scientific literature about the sensitivity of S. pneumoniae and related Streptococcus pathogens to chemokines and AMPs. It also reveals a new mechanism by which S. pneumoniae can acquire resistance to chemokine CXCL10. This mechanism involves the Opp (AmiACDEF) oligopeptide transporter, which plays additional pleiotropic roles in pneumococcal physiology, quorum sensing, and virulence. Taking the results together, this work provides new information about the way chemokines kill pneumococcal cells.
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