1
|
Mitsi E, Nikolaou E, Goncalves A, Blizard A, Hill H, Farrar M, Hyder-Wright A, Akeju O, Hamilton J, Howard A, Elterish F, Solorzano C, Robinson R, Reiné J, Collins AM, Gordon SB, Moxon RE, Weiser JN, Bogaert D, Ferreira DM. RSV and rhinovirus increase pneumococcal carriage acquisition and density, whereas nasal inflammation is associated with bacterial shedding. Cell Host Microbe 2024:S1931-3128(24)00283-X. [PMID: 39181126 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies report the impact of co-infection with pneumococcus and respiratory viruses upon disease rates and outcomes, but their effect on pneumococcal carriage acquisition and bacterial load is scarcely described. Here, we assess this by combining natural viral infection with controlled human pneumococcal infection in 581 healthy adults screened for upper respiratory tract viral infection before intranasal pneumococcal challenge. Across all adults, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus asymptomatic infection confer a substantial increase in secondary infection with pneumococcus. RSV also has a major impact on pneumococcal density up to 9 days post challenge. We also study rates and kinetics of bacterial shedding through the nose and oral route in a subset. High levels of pneumococcal colonization density and nasal inflammation are strongly correlated with increased odds of nasal shedding as opposed to cough shedding. Protection against respiratory viral infections and control of pneumococcal density may contribute to preventing pneumococcal disease and reducing bacterial spread.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Mitsi
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK; Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK.
| | - Elissavet Nikolaou
- Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Andre Goncalves
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK; Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Annie Blizard
- Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Helen Hill
- Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Madlen Farrar
- Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Angela Hyder-Wright
- Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Oluwasefunmi Akeju
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Josh Hamilton
- Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Ashleigh Howard
- Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Filora Elterish
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Carla Solorzano
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK; Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Ryan Robinson
- Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Jesus Reiné
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK; Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Andrea M Collins
- Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Stephen B Gordon
- Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; Malawi Liverpool Wellcome-Trust Programme, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital Campus, P.O. Box 30096, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Richard E Moxon
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Jeffrey N Weiser
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Debby Bogaert
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK; Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 EA Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Daniela M Ferreira
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK; Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chan JM, Ramos-Sevillano E, Betts M, Wilson HU, Weight CM, Houhou-Ousalah A, Pollara G, Brown JS, Heyderman RS. Bacterial surface lipoproteins mediate epithelial microinvasion by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Infect Immun 2024; 92:e0044723. [PMID: 38629841 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00447-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae, a common colonizer of the upper respiratory tract, invades nasopharyngeal epithelial cells without causing disease in healthy participants of controlled human infection studies. We hypothesized that surface expression of pneumococcal lipoproteins, recognized by the innate immune receptor TLR2, mediates epithelial microinvasion. Mutation of lgt in serotype 4 (TIGR4) and serotype 6B (BHN418) pneumococcal strains abolishes the ability of the mutants to activate TLR2 signaling. Loss of lgt also led to the concomitant decrease in interferon signaling triggered by the bacterium. However, only BHN418 lgt::cm but not TIGR4 lgt::cm was significantly attenuated in epithelial adherence and microinvasion compared to their respective wild-type strains. To test the hypothesis that differential lipoprotein repertoires in TIGR4 and BHN418 lead to the intraspecies variation in epithelial microinvasion, we employed a motif-based genome analysis and identified an additional 525 a.a. lipoprotein (pneumococcal accessory lipoprotein A; palA) encoded by BHN418 that is absent in TIGR4. The gene encoding palA sits within a putative genetic island present in ~10% of global pneumococcal isolates. While palA was enriched in the carriage and otitis media pneumococcal strains, neither mutation nor overexpression of the gene encoding this lipoprotein significantly changed microinvasion patterns. In conclusion, mutation of lgt attenuates epithelial inflammatory responses during pneumococcal-epithelial interactions, with intraspecies variation in the effect on microinvasion. Differential lipoprotein repertoires encoded by the different strains do not explain these differences in microinvasion. Rather, we postulate that post-translational modifications of lipoproteins may account for the differences in microinvasion.IMPORTANCEStreptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an important mucosal pathogen, estimated to cause over 500,000 deaths annually. Nasopharyngeal colonization is considered a necessary prerequisite for disease, yet many people are transiently and asymptomatically colonized by pneumococci without becoming unwell. It is therefore important to better understand how the colonization process is controlled at the epithelial surface. Controlled human infection studies revealed the presence of pneumococci within the epithelium of healthy volunteers (microinvasion). In this study, we focused on the regulation of epithelial microinvasion by pneumococcal lipoproteins. We found that pneumococcal lipoproteins induce epithelial inflammation but that differing lipoprotein repertoires do not significantly impact the magnitude of microinvasion. Targeting mucosal innate immunity and epithelial microinvasion alongside the induction of an adaptive immune response may be effective in preventing pneumococcal colonization and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Mun Chan
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elisa Ramos-Sevillano
- UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Modupeh Betts
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Holly U Wilson
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline M Weight
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ambrine Houhou-Ousalah
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriele Pollara
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy S Brown
- UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert S Heyderman
- Research Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Manning J, Manna S, Dunne EM, Bongcaron V, Pell CL, Patterson NL, Kuil SD, Dhar P, Goldblatt D, Kim Mulholland E, Licciardi PV, Robins-Browne RM, Malley R, Wijburg O, Satzke C. Immunization with a whole cell vaccine reduces pneumococcal nasopharyngeal density and shedding, and middle ear infection in mice. Vaccine 2024; 42:1714-1722. [PMID: 38350767 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.01.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines (PCVs) have substantially reduced the burden of disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus). However, protection is limited to vaccine serotypes, and when administered to children who are colonized with pneumococci at the time of vaccination, immune responses to the vaccine are blunted. Here, we investigate the potential of a killed whole cell pneumococcal vaccine (WCV) to reduce existing pneumococcal carriage and mucosal disease when given therapeutically to infant mice colonized with pneumococci. We show that a single dose of WCV reduced pneumococcal carriage density in an antibody-dependent manner. Therapeutic vaccination induced robust immune responses to pneumococcal surface antigens CbpA, PspA (family 1) and PiaA. In a co-infection model of otitis media, a single dose of WCV reduced pneumococcal middle ear infection. Lastly, in a two-dose model, therapeutic administration of WCV reduced nasal shedding of pneumococci. Taken together, our data demonstrate that WCV administered in colonized mice reduced pneumococcal density in the nasopharynx and the middle ear, and decreased shedding. WCVs would be beneficial in low and middle-income settings where pneumococcal carriage in children is high.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Manning
- Translational Microbiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sam Manna
- Translational Microbiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eileen M Dunne
- Translational Microbiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Viktoria Bongcaron
- Translational Microbiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Casey L Pell
- Translational Microbiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Natalie L Patterson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sacha D Kuil
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Poshmaal Dhar
- Faculty of Health, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Goldblatt
- Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - E Kim Mulholland
- New Vaccines, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul V Licciardi
- Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; New Vaccines, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Roy M Robins-Browne
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Infectious Diseases, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Richard Malley
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States of America
| | - Odilia Wijburg
- Translational Microbiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Catherine Satzke
- Translational Microbiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nanushaj D, Kono M, Sakatani H, Murakami D, Hotomi M. Nucleic acid sensing Toll-like receptors 3 and 9 play complementary roles in the development of bacteremia after nasal colonization associated with influenza co-infection. Exp Anim 2024; 73:50-60. [PMID: 37532523 PMCID: PMC10877144 DOI: 10.1538/expanim.23-0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause mortality in infant, elderly, and immunocompromised individuals owing to invasion of bacteria to the lungs, the brain, and the blood. In building strategies against invasive infections, it is important to achieve greater understanding of how the pneumococci are able to survive in the host. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), critically important components in the innate immune system, have roles in various stages of the development of infectious diseases. Endosomal TLRs recognize nucleic acids of the pathogen, but the impact on the pneumococcal diseases of immune responses from signaling them remains unclear. To investigate their role in nasal colonization and invasive disease with/without influenza co-infection, we established a mouse model of invasive pneumococcal diseases directly developing from nasal colonization. TLR9 KO mice had bacteremia more frequently than wildtype in the pneumococcal mono-infection model, while the occurrence of bacteremia was higher among TLR3 KO mice after infection with influenza in advance of pneumococcal inoculation. All TLR KO strains showed poorer survival than wildtype after the mice had bacteremia. The specific and protective role of TLR3 and TLR9 was shown in developing bacteremia with/without influenza co-infection respectively, and all nucleic sensing TLRs would contribute equally to protecting sepsis after bacteremia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Denisa Nanushaj
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Research Building 9F, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-8510, Japan
| | - Masamitsu Kono
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Research Building 9F, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-8510, Japan
| | - Hideki Sakatani
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Research Building 9F, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-8510, Japan
| | - Daichi Murakami
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Research Building 9F, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-8510, Japan
| | - Muneki Hotomi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Research Building 9F, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-8510, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Rueff AS, van Raaphorst R, Aggarwal SD, Santos-Moreno J, Laloux G, Schaerli Y, Weiser JN, Veening JW. Synthetic genetic oscillators demonstrate the functional importance of phenotypic variation in pneumococcal-host interactions. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7454. [PMID: 37978173 PMCID: PMC10656556 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43241-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic variation is the phenomenon in which clonal cells display different traits even under identical environmental conditions. This plasticity is thought to be important for processes including bacterial virulence, but direct evidence for its relevance is often lacking. For instance, variation in capsule production in the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae has been linked to different clinical outcomes, but the exact relationship between variation and pathogenesis is not well understood due to complex natural regulation. In this study, we use synthetic oscillatory gene regulatory networks (GRNs) based on CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) together with live cell imaging and cell tracking within microfluidics devices to mimic and test the biological function of bacterial phenotypic variation. We provide a universally applicable approach for engineering intricate GRNs using only two components: dCas9 and extended sgRNAs (ext-sgRNAs). Our findings demonstrate that variation in capsule production is beneficial for pneumococcal fitness in traits associated with pathogenesis providing conclusive evidence for this longstanding question.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Stéphanie Rueff
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Renske van Raaphorst
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- de Duve Institute, UCLouvain, 75 Avenue Hippocrate, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Surya D Aggarwal
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Javier Santos-Moreno
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Géraldine Laloux
- de Duve Institute, UCLouvain, 75 Avenue Hippocrate, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yolanda Schaerli
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jeffrey N Weiser
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jan-Willem Veening
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhu J, Abruzzo AR, Wu C, Bee GCW, Pironti A, Putzel G, Aggarwal SD, Eichner H, Weiser JN. Effects of Capsular Polysaccharide amount on Pneumococcal-Host interactions. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011509. [PMID: 37540710 PMCID: PMC10431664 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011509] [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: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the many oral streptococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) stands out for the capacity of encapsulated strains to cause invasive infection. Spread beyond upper airways, however, is a biological dead end for the organism, raising the question of the benefits of expending energy to coat its surface in a thick layer of capsular polysaccharide (CPS). In this study, we compare mutants of two serotypes expressing different amounts of CPS and test these in murine models of colonization, invasion infection and transmission. Our analysis of the effect of CPS amount shows that Spn expresses a capsule of sufficient thickness to shield its surface from the deposition of complement and binding of antibody to underlying epitopes. While effective shielding is permissive for invasive infection, its primary contribution to the organism appears to be in the dynamics of colonization. A thicker capsule increases bacterial retention in the nasopharynx, the first event in colonization, and also impedes IL-17-dependent clearance during late colonization. Enhanced colonization is associated with increased opportunity for host-to-host transmission. Additionally, we document substantial differences in CPS amount among clinical isolates of three common serotypes. Together, our findings show that CPS amount is highly variable among Spn and could be an independent determinant affecting host interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Annie R. Abruzzo
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Cindy Wu
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Gavyn Chern Wei Bee
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Alejandro Pironti
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- Microbial Computational Genomic Core Lab, Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Gregory Putzel
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- Microbial Computational Genomic Core Lab, Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Surya D. Aggarwal
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Hannes Eichner
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, and Clinical Microbiology, Bioclinicum, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Solna, Sweden
| | - Jeffrey N. Weiser
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Rueff AS, van Raaphorst R, Aggarwal S, Santos-Moreno J, Laloux G, Schaerli Y, Weiser JN, Veening JW. Rewiring capsule production by CRISPRi-based genetic oscillators demonstrates a functional role of phenotypic variation in pneumococcal-host interactions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.03.543575. [PMID: 37398107 PMCID: PMC10312626 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.03.543575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic variation is the phenomenon in which clonal cells display different traits even under identical environmental conditions. This plasticity is thought to be important for processes including bacterial virulence1-8, but direct evidence for its relevance is often lacking. For instance, variation in capsule production in the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae has been linked to different clinical outcomes9-14, but the exact relationship between variation and pathogenesis is not well understood due to complex natural regulation15-20. In this study, we used synthetic oscillatory gene regulatory networks (GRNs) based on CRISPR interference together with live cell microscopy and cell tracking within microfluidics devices to mimic and test the biological function of bacterial phenotypic variation. We provide a universally applicable approach for engineering intricate GRNs using only two components: dCas9 and extended sgRNAs (ext-sgRNAs). Our findings demonstrate that variation in capsule production is beneficial for pneumococcal fitness in traits associated with pathogenesis providing conclusive evidence for this longstanding question.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Stéphanie Rueff
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Renske van Raaphorst
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- de Duve Institute, UCLouvain, 75 Avenue Hippocrate, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Surya Aggarwal
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Javier Santos-Moreno
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Present address: Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Géraldine Laloux
- de Duve Institute, UCLouvain, 75 Avenue Hippocrate, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yolanda Schaerli
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jeffrey N. Weiser
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jan-Willem Veening
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bogomolov A, Filonov S, Chadaeva I, Rasskazov D, Khandaev B, Zolotareva K, Kazachek A, Oshchepkov D, Ivanisenko VA, Demenkov P, Podkolodnyy N, Kondratyuk E, Ponomarenko P, Podkolodnaya O, Mustafin Z, Savinkova L, Kolchanov N, Tverdokhleb N, Ponomarenko M. Candidate SNP Markers Significantly Altering the Affinity of TATA-Binding Protein for the Promoters of Human Hub Genes for Atherogenesis, Atherosclerosis and Atheroprotection. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109010. [PMID: 37240358 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease in which focal lesions in arteries promote the build-up of lipoproteins and cholesterol they are transporting. The development of atheroma (atherogenesis) narrows blood vessels, reduces the blood supply and leads to cardiovascular diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death, which has been especially boosted since the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a variety of contributors to atherosclerosis, including lifestyle factors and genetic predisposition. Antioxidant diets and recreational exercises act as atheroprotectors and can retard atherogenesis. The search for molecular markers of atherogenesis and atheroprotection for predictive, preventive and personalized medicine appears to be the most promising direction for the study of atherosclerosis. In this work, we have analyzed 1068 human genes associated with atherogenesis, atherosclerosis and atheroprotection. The hub genes regulating these processes have been found to be the most ancient. In silico analysis of all 5112 SNPs in their promoters has revealed 330 candidate SNP markers, which statistically significantly change the affinity of the TATA-binding protein (TBP) for these promoters. These molecular markers have made us confident that natural selection acts against underexpression of the hub genes for atherogenesis, atherosclerosis and atheroprotection. At the same time, upregulation of the one for atheroprotection promotes human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anton Bogomolov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Sergey Filonov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- The Natural Sciences Department, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Irina Chadaeva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Dmitry Rasskazov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Bato Khandaev
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- The Natural Sciences Department, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Karina Zolotareva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- The Natural Sciences Department, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Anna Kazachek
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- The Natural Sciences Department, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Dmitry Oshchepkov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Vladimir A Ivanisenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Pavel Demenkov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Nikolay Podkolodnyy
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Kondratyuk
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Petr Ponomarenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Olga Podkolodnaya
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Zakhar Mustafin
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Ludmila Savinkova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Nikolay Kolchanov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Natalya Tverdokhleb
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Mikhail Ponomarenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wong A, Barrero Guevara LA, Goult E, Briga M, Kramer SC, Kovacevic A, Opatowski L, Domenech de Cellès M. The interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with cocirculating pathogens: Epidemiological implications and current knowledge gaps. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011167. [PMID: 36888684 PMCID: PMC9994710 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the availability of effective vaccines, the persistence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) suggests that cocirculation with other pathogens and resulting multiepidemics (of, for example, COVID-19 and influenza) may become increasingly frequent. To better forecast and control the risk of such multiepidemics, it is essential to elucidate the potential interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with other pathogens; these interactions, however, remain poorly defined. Here, we aimed to review the current body of evidence about SARS-CoV-2 interactions. Our review is structured in four parts. To study pathogen interactions in a systematic and comprehensive way, we first developed a general framework to capture their major components: sign (either negative for antagonistic interactions or positive for synergistic interactions), strength (i.e., magnitude of the interaction), symmetry (describing whether the interaction depends on the order of infection of interacting pathogens), duration (describing whether the interaction is short-lived or long-lived), and mechanism (e.g., whether interaction modifies susceptibility to infection, transmissibility of infection, or severity of disease). Second, we reviewed the experimental evidence from animal models about SARS-CoV-2 interactions. Of the 14 studies identified, 11 focused on the outcomes of coinfection with nonattenuated influenza A viruses (IAVs), and 3 with other pathogens. The 11 studies on IAV used different designs and animal models (ferrets, hamsters, and mice) but generally demonstrated that coinfection increased disease severity compared with either monoinfection. By contrast, the effect of coinfection on the viral load of either virus was variable and inconsistent across studies. Third, we reviewed the epidemiological evidence about SARS-CoV-2 interactions in human populations. Although numerous studies were identified, only a few were specifically designed to infer interaction, and many were prone to multiple biases, including confounding. Nevertheless, their results suggested that influenza and pneumococcal conjugate vaccinations were associated with a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Finally, fourth, we formulated simple transmission models of SARS-CoV-2 cocirculation with an epidemic viral pathogen or an endemic bacterial pathogen, showing how they can naturally incorporate the proposed framework. More generally, we argue that such models, when designed with an integrative and multidisciplinary perspective, will be invaluable tools to resolve the substantial uncertainties that remain about SARS-CoV-2 interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anabelle Wong
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology group, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Public Health, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Laura Andrea Barrero Guevara
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology group, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Public Health, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elizabeth Goult
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology group, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Briga
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology group, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah C. Kramer
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology group, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Aleksandra Kovacevic
- Epidemiology and Modelling of Antibiotic Evasion, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Anti-infective Evasion and Pharmacoepidemiology Team, CESP, Université Paris-Saclay, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, INSERM U1018 Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France
| | - Lulla Opatowski
- Epidemiology and Modelling of Antibiotic Evasion, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Anti-infective Evasion and Pharmacoepidemiology Team, CESP, Université Paris-Saclay, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, INSERM U1018 Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zafar MA, Costa-Terryl A, Young TM. The Two-Component System YesMN Promotes Pneumococcal Host-to-Host Transmission and Regulates Genes Involved in Zinc Homeostasis. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0037522. [PMID: 36537790 PMCID: PMC9872629 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00375-22] [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: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to sense and respond rapidly to the dynamic environment of the upper respiratory tract (URT) makes Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) a highly successful human pathogen. Two-component systems (TCSs) of Spn sense and respond to multiple signals it encounters allowing Spn to adapt and thrive in various host sites. Spn TCS have been implicated in their ability to promote pneumococcal colonization of the URT and virulence. As the disease state can be a dead-end for a pathogen, we considered whether TCS would contribute to pneumococcal transmission. Herein, we determined the role of YesMN, an understudied TCS of Spn, and observe that YesMN contributes toward pneumococcal shedding and transmission but is not essential for colonization. The YesMN regulon includes genes involved in zinc homeostasis and glycan metabolism, which are upregulated during reduced zinc availability in a YesMN-dependent fashion. Thus, we identified the YesMN regulon and a potential molecular signal it senses that lead to the activation of genes involved in zinc homeostasis and glycan metabolism. Furthermore, in contrast to Spn monoinfection, we demonstrate that YesMN is critical for high pneumococcal density in the URT during influenza A virus (IAV) coinfection. We attribute reduced colonization of the yesMN mutant possibly due to increased association with and clearance by the mucus covering the URT epithelial surface. Thus, our results highlight the dynamic interactions that occur between Spn and IAV in the URT, and the role that TCSs play in modulation of these interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M. Ammar Zafar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alicia Costa-Terryl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Taylor M. Young
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Aggarwal SD, Lees JA, Jacobs NT, Bee GCW, Abruzzo AR, Weiser JN. BlpC-mediated selfish program leads to rapid loss of Streptococcus pneumoniae clonal diversity during infection. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:124-134.e5. [PMID: 36395758 PMCID: PMC9839470 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Successful colonization of a host requires bacterial adaptation through genetic and population changes that are incompletely defined. Using chromosomal barcoding and high-throughput sequencing, we investigate the population dynamics of Streptococcus pneumoniae during infant mouse colonization. Within 1 day post inoculation, diversity was reduced >35-fold with expansion of a single clonal lineage. This loss of diversity was not due to immune factors, microbiota, or exclusive genetic drift. Rather, bacteriocins induced by the BlpC-quorum sensing pheromone resulted in predation of kin cells. In this intra-strain competition, the subpopulation reaching a quorum likely eliminates others that have yet to activate the blp locus. Additionally, this reduced diversity restricts the number of unique clones that establish colonization during transmission between hosts. Genetic variation in the blp locus was also associated with altered transmissibility in a human population, further underscoring the importance of BlpC in clonal selection and its role as a selfish element.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Surya D Aggarwal
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - John A Lees
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; European Bioinformatics Institute, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hinxton CB10 1SD, UK; MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W12 7TA, UK
| | - Nathan T Jacobs
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Gavyn Chern Wei Bee
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Annie R Abruzzo
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Weiser
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Nguyen NTD, Pathak AK, Cattadori IM. Gastrointestinal helminths increase Bordetella bronchiseptica shedding and host variation in supershedding. eLife 2022; 11:e70347. [PMID: 36346138 PMCID: PMC9642997 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Co-infected hosts, individuals that carry more than one infectious agent at any one time, have been suggested to facilitate pathogen transmission, including the emergence of supershedding events. However, how the host immune response mediates the interactions between co-infecting pathogens and how these affect the dynamics of shedding remains largely unclear. We used laboratory experiments and a modeling approach to examine temporal changes in the shedding of the respiratory bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica in rabbits with one or two gastrointestinal helminth species. Experimental data showed that rabbits co-infected with one or both helminths shed significantly more B. bronchiseptica, by direct contact with an agar petri dish, than rabbits with bacteria alone. Co-infected hosts generated supershedding events of higher intensity and more frequently than hosts with no helminths. To explain this variation in shedding an infection-immune model was developed and fitted to rabbits of each group. Simulations suggested that differences in the magnitude and duration of shedding could be explained by the effect of the two helminths on the relative contribution of neutrophils and specific IgA and IgG to B. bronchiseptica neutralization in the respiratory tract. However, the interactions between infection and immune response at the scale of analysis that we used could not capture the rapid variation in the intensity of shedding of every rabbit. We suggest that fast and local changes at the level of respiratory tissue probably played a more important role. This study indicates that co-infected hosts are important source of variation in shedding, and provides a quantitative explanation into the role of helminths to the dynamics of respiratory bacterial infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nhat TD Nguyen
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
| | - Ashutosh K Pathak
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of GeorgiaAthensUnited States
| | - Isabella M Cattadori
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Abruzzo AR, Aggarwal SD, Sharp ME, Bee GCW, Weiser JN. Serotype-Dependent Effects on the Dynamics of Pneumococcal Colonization and Implications for Transmission. mBio 2022; 13:e0015822. [PMID: 35289642 PMCID: PMC9040870 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00158-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Capsule-switch mutants were compared to analyze how serotype affects the success of Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) during colonization and transmission. Strains of multiple serotypes were tested in highly susceptible infant mice, both singly and in competitive assays. Our findings demonstrated a role of serotype, apart from genetic background, in competitive success of strains, but this depended on timing postinoculation. As is the case for natural carriage, there was a hierarchy of success among serotypes using capsule-switch strains. The long-term dominance of a serotype was established within the first 4 h after acquisition, suggesting an effect independent of Spn-induced host responses. The hierarchy of serotype dominance correlated with decreased clearance rather than increased growth in vivo. Competitive assays staggering the timing of challenge showed that the first strain to dominate the niche sustained its competitive advantage, potentially explaining how increased density from delayed early clearance could result in serotype-dependent success. Effector molecules of intrastrain competition (fratricide), regulated by the competence operon in a quorum-sensing mechanism, were required for early niche dominance. This suggested a winner-takes-all scenario in which serotype is a major factor in achieving early niche dominance, such that once a strain reaches a threshold density it is able to exclude competitors through fratricide. Serotype was also an important determinant of transmission dynamics, although transit to a recipient host depended on effects of serotype different from its contribution to the dominance of colonization in the donor host. IMPORTANCE Capsule is the major virulence factor and surface antigen of the opportunistic respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn). Strains of Spn express at least 100 structurally and immunologically distinct types (serotypes) of capsule, but for unknown reasons only a few are common. The effect of serotypes during the commensal interactions of Spn and its host, colonization and transmission, was tested. This was carried out by comparing genetically modified strains differing only in serotype in infant mouse models. Results show that serotype is an important factor in a strain's success during colonization. This was attributed to the effect of serotype on early clearance of the organism in the host. Competitive factors expressed by Spn (in a mechanism referred to as fratricide) allow the strain gaining this initial advantage to then dominate the upper respiratory tract niche. Serotype also plays an important role in a strain's success during transmission from one host to another.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annie R. Abruzzo
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Surya D. Aggarwal
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Molly E. Sharp
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gavyn Chern Wei Bee
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jeffrey N. Weiser
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Manna S, McAuley J, Jacobson J, Nguyen CD, Ullah MA, Sebina I, Williamson V, Mulholland EK, Wijburg O, Phipps S, Satzke C. Synergism and Antagonism of Bacterial-Viral Coinfection in the Upper Respiratory Tract. mSphere 2022; 7:e0098421. [PMID: 35044807 PMCID: PMC8769199 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00984-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a leading cause of pneumonia in children under 5 years of age. Coinfection by pneumococci and respiratory viruses enhances disease severity. Little is known about pneumococcal coinfections with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Here, we developed a novel infant mouse model of coinfection using pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), a murine analogue of RSV, to examine the dynamics of coinfection in the upper respiratory tract, an anatomical niche that is essential for host-to-host transmission and progression to disease. Coinfection increased damage to the nasal tissue and increased production of the chemokine CCL3. Nasopharyngeal pneumococcal density and shedding in nasal secretions were increased by coinfection. In contrast, coinfection reduced PVM loads in the nasopharynx, an effect that was independent of pneumococcal strain and the order of infection. We showed that this "antagonistic" effect was absent using either ethanol-killed pneumococci or a pneumococcal mutant deficient in capsule production and incapable of nasopharyngeal carriage. Colonization with a pneumococcal strain naturally unable to produce capsule also reduced viral loads. The pneumococcus-mediated reduction in PVM loads was caused by accelerated viral clearance from the nasopharynx. Although these synergistic and antagonistic effects occurred with both wild-type pneumococcal strains used in this study, the magnitude of the effects was strain dependent. Lastly, we showed that pneumococci can also antagonize influenza virus. Taken together, our study has uncovered multiple novel facets of bacterial-viral coinfection. Our findings have important public health implications, including for bacterial and viral vaccination strategies in young children. IMPORTANCE Respiratory bacterial-viral coinfections (such as pneumococci and influenza virus) are often synergistic, resulting in enhanced disease severity. Although colonization of the nasopharynx is the precursor to disease and transmission, little is known about bacterial-viral interactions that occur within this niche. In this study, we developed a novel mouse model to examine pneumococcal-viral interactions in the nasopharynx with pneumonia virus of mice (PVM) and influenza. We found that PVM infection benefits pneumococci by increasing their numbers in the nasopharynx and shedding of these bacteria in respiratory secretions. In contrast, we discovered that pneumococci decrease PVM numbers by accelerating viral clearance. We also report a similar effect of pneumococci on influenza. By showing that coinfections lead to both synergistic and antagonistic outcomes, our findings challenge the existing dogma in the field. Our work has important applications and implications for bacterial and viral vaccines that target these microbes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sam Manna
- Infection and Immunity, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Julie McAuley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jonathan Jacobson
- Infection and Immunity, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cattram D. Nguyen
- Infection and Immunity, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Md. Ashik Ullah
- Respiratory Immunology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ismail Sebina
- Respiratory Immunology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Victoria Williamson
- Infection and Immunity, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - E. Kim Mulholland
- Infection and Immunity, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Odilia Wijburg
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simon Phipps
- Respiratory Immunology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Catherine Satzke
- Infection and Immunity, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Burstein R, Althouse BM, Adler A, Akullian A, Brandstetter E, Cho S, Emanuels A, Fay K, Gamboa L, Han P, Huden K, Ilcisin M, Izzo M, Jackson ML, Kim AE, Kimball L, Lacombe K, Lee J, Logue JK, Rogers J, Chung E, Sibley TR, Van Raay K, Wenger E, Wolf CR, Boeckh M, Chu H, Duchin J, Rieder M, Shendure J, Starita LM, Viboud C, Bedford T, Englund JA, Famulare M. Interactions among 17 respiratory pathogens: a cross-sectional study using clinical and community surveillance data. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2022:2022.02.04.22270474. [PMID: 35169816 PMCID: PMC8845514 DOI: 10.1101/2022.02.04.22270474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Background Co-circulating respiratory pathogens can interfere with or promote each other, leading to important effects on disease epidemiology. Estimating the magnitude of pathogen-pathogen interactions from clinical specimens is challenging because sampling from symptomatic individuals can create biased estimates. Methods We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study using samples collected by the Seattle Flu Study between 11 November 2018 and 20 August 2021. Samples that tested positive via RT-qPCR for at least one of 17 potential respiratory pathogens were included in this study. Semi-quantitative cycle threshold (Ct) values were used to measure pathogen load. Differences in pathogen load between monoinfected and coinfected samples were assessed using linear regression adjusting for age, season, and recruitment channel. Results 21,686 samples were positive for at least one potential pathogen. Most prevalent were rhinovirus (33·5%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (SPn, 29·0%), SARS-CoV-2 (13.8%) and influenza A/H1N1 (9·6%). 140 potential pathogen pairs were included for analysis, and 56 (40%) pairs yielded significant Ct differences (p < 0.01) between monoinfected and co-infected samples. We observed no virus-virus pairs showing evidence of significant facilitating interactions, and found significant viral load decrease among 37 of 108 (34%) assessed pairs. Samples positive with SPn and a virus were consistently associated with increased SPn load. Conclusions Viral load data can be used to overcome sampling bias in studies of pathogen-pathogen interactions. When applied to respiratory pathogens, we found evidence of viral-SPn facilitation and several examples of viral-viral interference. Multipathogen surveillance is a cost-efficient data collection approach, with added clinical and epidemiological informational value over single-pathogen testing, but requires careful analysis to mitigate selection bias.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roy Burstein
- Institute for Disease Modeling, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle WA USA
| | - Benjamin M. Althouse
- Institute for Disease Modeling, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle WA USA
- Institute for Disease Modeling, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle WA USA
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
| | - Amanda Adler
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle WA USA
| | - Adam Akullian
- Institute for Disease Modeling, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle WA USA
| | | | - Shari Cho
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle WA USA
| | - Anne Emanuels
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA
| | - Kairsten Fay
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA USA
| | - Luis Gamboa
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle WA USA
| | - Peter Han
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle WA USA
| | - Kristen Huden
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA
| | - Misja Ilcisin
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA USA
| | - Mandy Izzo
- Institute for Disease Modeling, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle WA USA
| | | | - Ashley E. Kim
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA
| | - Louise Kimball
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA USA
| | | | - Jover Lee
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA USA
| | | | - Julia Rogers
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA
| | - Erin Chung
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle
| | - Thomas R. Sibley
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA USA
| | | | - Edward Wenger
- Institute for Disease Modeling, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle WA USA
| | - Caitlin R. Wolf
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA
| | - Michael Boeckh
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle WA USA
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA USA
| | - Helen Chu
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA USA
| | - Jeff Duchin
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA
- Public Health Seattle & King County, Seattle WA USA
| | - Mark Rieder
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle WA USA
| | - Jay Shendure
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle WA USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle WA USA
| | - Lea M. Starita
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle WA USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA
| | - Cecile Viboud
- Division of International Epidemiology and Population Studies, Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Trevor Bedford
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle WA USA
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle WA USA
| | - Janet A. Englund
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle WA USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle WA USA
| | - Michael Famulare
- Institute for Disease Modeling, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle WA USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
A novel pneumococcal surface protein K of nonencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae promotes transmission among littermates in an infant mouse model with influenza A virus co-infection. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0062221. [PMID: 34978928 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00622-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We established an infant mouse model for colonization and transmission by nonencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae (NESp) strains to gain important information about its virulence among children. Invasive pneumococcal diseases have decreased dramatically since the worldwide introduction of pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccines. Increasing prevalence of non-vaccine serotypes including NESp has been highlighted as a challenge in treatment strategy, but the virulence of NESp is not well understood. Protective strategy against NESp colonization and transmission between children require particularly urgent evaluation. NESp lacks capsules, a major virulent factor of pneumococci, but can cause a variety of infections in children and older people. PspK, a specific surface protein of NESp, is a key factor in establishing nasal colonization. In our infant mouse model for colonization and transmission by NESp strains, NESp could establish stable nasal colonization at the same level as encapsulated serotype 6A in infant mice, and could be transmitted between littermates. Transmission was promoted by NESp surface virulence factor PspK and influenza virus co-infection. However, PspK-deletion mutants lost the ability to colonize and transmit to new hosts. Promotion of NESp transmission by influenza was due to increased susceptibility of the new hosts. PspK was a key factor not only in establishment of nasal colonization, but also in transmission to new hosts. PspK may be targeted as a new candidate vaccine for NESp infection in children.
Collapse
|
17
|
Wang Y, Xia L, Wang G, Lu H, Wang H, Luo S, Zhang T, Gao S, Huang J, Min X. Subcutaneous immunization with the fusion protein ΔA146Ply-SP0148 confers protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Microb Pathog 2021; 162:105325. [PMID: 34848296 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Pneumococcal SP0148 and pneumolysin (Ply) derivatives are important vaccine candidates. SP0148 is a conserved lipoprotein with high immunogenicity produced by Streptococcus pneumoniae. We have previously demonstrated that SP0148 can confer protection against fatal infections caused by S. pneumoniae. ΔA146Ply is a noncytotoxic mutant of Ply that retains the TLR4 agonistic effect and has mucosal and subcutaneous adjuvant activities suggested to induce protective immunity against S. pneumoniae infection. In this study, we constructed the fusion protein ΔA146Ply-SP0148, composed of ΔA146Ply and SP0148, and evaluated the immunoprotective effect of the fusion protein. When mice were subcutaneously immunized with the fusion protein ΔA146Ply-SP0148, high levels of anti-ΔA146Ply and anti-SP0148 IgG antibodies were induced in the serum. Specific antibodies can bind to a variety of different serotypes of S. pneumoniae. Compared with mice immunized with ΔA146Ply and SP0148 alone, mice immunized subcutaneously with the fusion protein ΔA146Ply-SP0148 with Al(OH)3 had a higher survival rate when challenged by a lethal dose of S. pneumoniae, and they also had significantly lower lung bacterial loads and milder lung inflammation. In addition, mice immunized subcutaneously with the fusion protein ΔA146Ply-SP0148 stimulated strong Th1, Th2, and Th17 cell responses. In summary, these results suggest that subcutaneous immunization with the ΔA146Ply-SP0148 fusion protein can protect mice against fatal pneumococcal infection and lung infection. The fusion protein ΔA146ply-SP0148 can be a new pneumococcal vaccine target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yao Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Lingyin Xia
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Guangli Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Huifang Lu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Shilu Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Song Gao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Jian Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.
| | - Xun Min
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Maguire PT, Loughran ST, Harvey R, Johnson PA. A TLR5 mono-agonist restores inhibited immune responses to Streptococcus pneumoniae during influenza virus infection in human monocytes. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258261. [PMID: 34644311 PMCID: PMC8513880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza A virus (IAV) predisposes individuals to often more severe secondary bacterial infections with Streptococcus pneumonia (S. pneumoniae). The outcomes of these infections may be made worse with the increase in antimicrobial resistance and a lack of new treatments to combat this. Th17 responses are crucial in clearing S. pneumoniae from the lung. We previously demonstrated that early IAV infection of human monocytes significantly reduced levels of S. pneumoniae-driven cytokines involved in the Th17 response. Here, we have further identified that IAV targets specific TLRs (TLR2, TLR4, TLR9) involved in sensing S. pneumoniae infection resulting, in a reduction in TLR agonist-induced IL-23 and TGF-β. The effect of IAV is more profound on the TLR2 and TLR9 pathways. We have established that IAV-mediated inhibition of TLR9-induction is related to a downregulation of RORC, a Th17 specific transcription factor. Other studies using mouse models demonstrated that TLR5 agonism improved the efficacy of antibiotics in the treatment of IAV/S. pneumoniae co-infections. Therefore, we investigated if TLR5 agonism could restore inhibited Th17 responses in human monocytes. Levels of pneumococcus-driven cytokines, which had previously been inhibited by IAV were not reduced in the presence of the TLR5 mono-agonist, suggesting that such treatment may overcome IAV inhibition of Th17 responses. The importance of our research is in demonstrating the IAV directly targets S. pneumoniae-associated TLR pathways. Additionally, the IAV-inhibition of Th17 responses can be restored by TLR5 agonism, which indicates that there may be a different Th17 signalling pathway which is not affected by IAV infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula T Maguire
- Viral Immunology Laboratory, School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sinéad T Loughran
- Department of Applied Science, Dundalk Institute of Technology, County Louth, Ireland
| | - Ruth Harvey
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Controls, Potters Bar, Herts, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia A Johnson
- Viral Immunology Laboratory, School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kaneko F, Kono M, Sunose H, Hotomi M. Neutrophil infiltration in co-housed littermates plays a key role in nasal transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae in an infant mouse model. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2021; 67:45-54. [PMID: 34480257 DOI: 10.1007/s12223-021-00901-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Transmission plays an important role in establishing pneumococcal colonization. It comprises three key events: shedding to transmit, entering into a susceptible new host, and adhering to the mucosal surface. Shedding of pneumococci from the respiratory tract of a colonized host is a pivotal step in transmission. Using a co-housed littermate mouse model, we evaluated the importance of the susceptibility to colonization of Streptococcus pneumoniae TIGR4 strain shed from index pups to non-colonized naïve contact pups. Despite sufficient pneumococcal shedding from the colonized host, S. pneumoniae was not contagious between littermates. Neutrophils infiltrated the nasal mucosa of contact pups and contributed to susceptibility of pneumococcal colonization during the course of transmission. Rejection of pneumococcal colonization in the contact pups was associated with accumulation of neutrophils in the nasal mucosa. Inflammation, characterized by neutrophil infiltration, prevents newly entering pneumococci from adhering to the respiratory epithelium in contact mice, suggesting that it plays an important role in reducing the rate of transmission in the initial response of naïve susceptible hosts to pneumococcal acquisition. The initial response of contact mice may regulate neutrophil and/or macrophage infiltration and control the acquisition of existing pneumococci.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fumie Kaneko
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama-shi, Wakayama, 640-8501, Japan.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tokyo Women's Medical University Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, 116-0011, Japan
| | - Masamitsu Kono
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama-shi, Wakayama, 640-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sunose
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tokyo Women's Medical University Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, 116-0011, Japan
| | - Muneki Hotomi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama-shi, Wakayama, 640-8501, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Viral and Bacterial Co-Infections in the Lungs: Dangerous Liaisons. Viruses 2021; 13:v13091725. [PMID: 34578306 PMCID: PMC8472850 DOI: 10.3390/v13091725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Respiratory tract infections constitute a significant public health problem, with a therapeutic arsenal that remains relatively limited and that is threatened by the emergence of antiviral and/or antibiotic resistance. Viral–bacterial co-infections are very often associated with the severity of these respiratory infections and have been explored mainly in the context of bacterial superinfections following primary influenza infection. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the mechanisms underlying these co-infections between respiratory viruses (influenza viruses, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2) and bacteria, at both the physiological and immunological levels. This review also explores the importance of the microbiome and the pathological context in the evolution of these respiratory tract co-infections and presents the different in vitro and in vivo experimental models available. A better understanding of the complex functional interactions between viruses/bacteria and host cells will allow the development of new, specific, and more effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
Collapse
|
21
|
Ma L, Dewan KK, Taylor-Mulneix DL, Wagner SM, Linz B, Rivera I, Su Y, Caulfield AD, Blas-Machado U, Harvill ET. Pertactin contributes to shedding and transmission of Bordetella bronchiseptica. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009735. [PMID: 34347835 PMCID: PMC8336816 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Whooping cough is resurging in the United States despite high vaccine coverage. The rapid rise of Bordetella pertussis isolates lacking pertactin (PRN), a key vaccine antigen, has led to concerns about vaccine-driven evolution. Previous studies showed that pertactin can mediate binding to mammalian cells in vitro and act as an immunomodulatory factor in resisting neutrophil-mediated clearance. To further investigate the role of PRN in vivo, we examined the functions of pertactin in the context of a more naturally low dose inoculation experimental system using C3H/HeJ mice that is more sensitive to effects on colonization, growth and spread within the respiratory tract, as well as an experimental approach to measure shedding and transmission between hosts. A B. bronchiseptica pertactin deletion mutant was found to behave similarly to its wild-type (WT) parental strain in colonization of the nasal cavity, trachea, and lungs of mice. However, the pertactin-deficient strain was shed from the nares of mice in much lower numbers, resulting in a significantly lower rate of transmission between hosts. Histological examination of respiratory epithelia revealed that pertactin-deficient bacteria induced substantially less inflammation and mucus accumulation than the WT strain and in vitro assays verified the effect of PRN on the induction of TNF-α by murine macrophages. Interestingly, only WT B. bronchiseptica could be recovered from the spleen of infected mice and were further observed to be intracellular among isolated splenocytes, indicating that pertactin contributes to systemic dissemination involving intracellular survival. These results suggest that pertactin can mediate interactions with immune cells and augments inflammation that contributes to bacterial shedding and transmission between hosts. Understanding the relative contributions of various factors to inflammation, mucus production, shedding and transmission will guide novel strategies to interfere with the reemergence of pertussis. B. pertussis strains lacking pertactin have been rising in prevalence especially in countries using acellular vaccines containing pertactin as a key, membrane-associated surface antigen. Previous in vivo studies revealed immunomodulatory properties of pertactin in conventional B. pertussis infection models in which roughly one million bacteria are delivered into lungs, leading to severe pneumonic disease and a strong immune response. However, natural infections begin in the nasopharyngeal region, progress slowly during a prolonged catarrhal stage, only later reaching the trachea and rarely involve the lungs. In this study, a more natural experimental system takes advantage of the ability of B. bronchiseptica, a closely related species, to naturally colonize mice with inocula as low as 5 colony forming units (CFU). In this system B. bronchiseptica can be observed to efficiently colonize, grow, spread within the respiratory tract, is shed from the nares, and transmits between hosts, allowing each of these steps to be measured and studied. Under these conditions, an isogenic pertactin deletion strain was indistinguishable from its parental strain in its abilities to colonize, grow in numbers and spread within the respiratory tract. However, the pertactin-deficient mutant was shed from these mice in lower numbers than wild type, and was defective in transmission between mice. These assays reveal novel roles of pertactin in the induction of inflammation, mucus production, shedding and transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Longhuan Ma
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kalyan K. Dewan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Dawn L. Taylor-Mulneix
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Shannon M. Wagner
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Bodo Linz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Israel Rivera
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yang Su
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Amanda D. Caulfield
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Uriel Blas-Machado
- Department of Pathology, Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Eric T. Harvill
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Polymicrobial Interactions Operative during Pathogen Transmission. mBio 2021; 12:mBio.01027-21. [PMID: 34006664 PMCID: PMC8262881 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01027-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogen transmission is a key point not only for infection control and public health interventions but also for understanding the selective pressures in pathogen evolution. The “success” of a pathogen lies not in its ability to cause signs and symptoms of illness but in its ability to be shed from the initial hosts, survive between hosts, and then establish infection in a new host. Recent insights have shown the importance of the interaction between the pathogen and both the commensal microbiome and coinfecting pathogens on shedding, environmental survival, and acquisition of infection. Pathogens have evolved in the context of cooperation and competition with other microbes, and the roles of these cooperations and competitions in transmission can inform novel preventative and therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
|
23
|
Morimura A, Hamaguchi S, Akeda Y, Tomono K. Mechanisms Underlying Pneumococcal Transmission and Factors Influencing Host-Pneumococcus Interaction: A Review. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:639450. [PMID: 33996623 PMCID: PMC8113816 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.639450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (also called pneumococcus) is not only a commensal that frequently colonizes the human upper respiratory tract but also a pathogen that causes pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. The mechanism of pneumococcal infection has been extensively studied, but the process of transmission has not been fully elucidated because of the lack of tractable animal models. Novel animal models of transmission have enabled further progress in investigating pneumococcal transmission mechanisms including the processes such as pneumococcal shedding, survival in the external environment, and adherence to the nasopharynx of a new host. Herein, we present a review on these animal models, recent research findings about pneumococcal transmission, and factors influencing the host-pneumococcus interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ayumi Morimura
- Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shigeto Hamaguchi
- Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.,Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Akeda
- Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.,Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka, Japan.,Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazunori Tomono
- Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.,Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Prasasty VD, Hutagalung RA, Gunadi R, Sofia DY, Rosmalena R, Yazid F, Sinaga E. Prediction of human-Streptococcus pneumoniae protein-protein interactions using logistic regression. Comput Biol Chem 2021; 92:107492. [PMID: 33964803 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2021.107492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of mortality in children under five years old. In recent years, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of S. pneumoniae increases the threat level of this pathogen. For that reason, the exploration of S. pneumoniae protein virulence factors should be considered in developing new drugs or vaccines, for instance by the analysis of host-pathogen protein-protein interactions (HP-PPIs). In this research, prediction of protein-protein interactions was performed with a logistic regression model with the number of protein domain occurrences as features. By utilizing HP-PPIs of three different pathogens as training data, the model achieved 57-77 % precision, 64-75 % recall, and 96-98 % specificity. Prediction of human-S. pneumoniae protein-protein interactions using the model yielded 5823 interactions involving thirty S. pneumoniae proteins and 324 human proteins. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that most of the pathways involved in the predicted interactions are immune system pathways. Network topology analysis revealed β-galactosidase (BgaA) as the most central among the S. pneumoniae proteins in the predicted HP-PPI networks, with a degree centrality of 1.0 and a betweenness centrality of 0.451853. Further experimental studies are required to validate the predicted interactions and examine their roles in S. pneumoniae infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vivitri Dewi Prasasty
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta, 12930, Indonesia.
| | - Rory Anthony Hutagalung
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta, 12930, Indonesia
| | - Reinhart Gunadi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Universitas Surya, Tangerang, Banten, 15143, Indonesia
| | - Dewi Yustika Sofia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Universitas Surya, Tangerang, Banten, 15143, Indonesia
| | - Rosmalena Rosmalena
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, 10430, Indonesia
| | - Fatmawaty Yazid
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, 10430, Indonesia
| | - Ernawati Sinaga
- Faculty of Biology, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta, 12520, Indonesia.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Murakami D, Kono M, Nanushaj D, Kaneko F, Zangari T, Muragaki Y, Weiser JN, Hotomi M. Exposure to Cigarette Smoke Enhances Pneumococcal Transmission Among Littermates in an Infant Mouse Model. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:651495. [PMID: 33869082 PMCID: PMC8045753 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.651495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae, one of the most common commensal pathogens among children, is spread by close contact in daycare centers or within a family. Host innate immune responses and bacterial virulence factors promote pneumococcal transmission. However, investigations into the effects of environmental factors on transmission have been limited. Passive smoking, a great concern for children's health, has been reported to exacerbate pneumococcal diseases. Here, we describe the effect of cigarette smoke exposure on an infant mouse model of pneumococcal transmission. Our findings reveal that the effect of cigarette smoke exposure significantly promotes pneumococcal transmission by enhancing bacterial shedding from the colonized host and by increasing susceptibility to pneumococcal colonization in the new host, both of which are critical steps of transmission. Local inflammation, followed by mucosal changes (such as mucus hypersecretion and disruption of the mucosal barrier), are important underlying mechanisms for promotion of transmission by smoke exposure. These effects were attributable to the constituents of cigarette smoke rather than smoke itself. These findings provide the first experimental evidence of the impact of environmental factors on pneumococcal transmission and the mechanism of pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daichi Murakami
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Masamitsu Kono
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Denisa Nanushaj
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Fumie Kaneko
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.,Department of Otolaryngology, Tokyo Women's Medical University Medical Center East, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tonia Zangari
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Yasuteru Muragaki
- Department of Pathology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Jeffrey N Weiser
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Muneki Hotomi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Carniel BF, Marcon F, Rylance J, German EL, Zaidi S, Reiné J, Negera E, Nikolaou E, Pojar S, Solórzano C, Collins AM, Connor V, Bogaert D, Gordon SB, Nakaya HI, Ferreira DM, Jochems SP, Mitsi E. Pneumococcal colonization impairs mucosal immune responses to live attenuated influenza vaccine. JCI Insight 2021; 6:141088. [PMID: 33497364 PMCID: PMC7934923 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.141088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza virus infections affect millions of people annually, and current available vaccines provide varying rates of protection. However, the way in which the nasal microbiota, particularly established pneumococcal colonization, shape the response to influenza vaccination is not yet fully understood. In this study, we inoculated healthy adults with live Streptococcuspneumoniae and vaccinated them 3 days later with either tetravalent-inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) or live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV). Vaccine-induced immune responses were assessed in nose, blood, and lung. Nasal pneumococcal colonization had no impact upon TIV-induced antibody responses to influenza, which manifested in all compartments. However, experimentally induced pneumococcal colonization dampened LAIV-mediated mucosal antibody responses, primarily IgA in the nose and IgG in the lung. Pulmonary influenza-specific cellular responses were more apparent in the LAIV group compared with either the TIV or an unvaccinated group. These results indicate that TIV and LAIV elicit differential immunity to adults and that LAIV immunogenicity is diminished by the nasal presence of S. pneumoniae. Therefore, nasopharyngeal pneumococcal colonization may affect LAIV efficacy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz F Carniel
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Fernando Marcon
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie Rylance
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Esther L German
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Seher Zaidi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Jesus Reiné
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Edessa Negera
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Elissavet Nikolaou
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Sherin Pojar
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Carla Solórzano
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea M Collins
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Connor
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Debbie Bogaert
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Stephen B Gordon
- Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Helder I Nakaya
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paolo, Brazil
| | - Daniela M Ferreira
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Simon P Jochems
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Mitsi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Zangari T, Ortigoza MB, Lokken-Toyli KL, Weiser JN. Type I Interferon Signaling Is a Common Factor Driving Streptococcus pneumoniae and Influenza A Virus Shedding and Transmission. mBio 2021; 12:e03589-20. [PMID: 33593970 PMCID: PMC8545127 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03589-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The dynamics underlying respiratory contagion (the transmission of infectious agents from the airways) are poorly understood. We investigated host factors involved in the transmission of the leading respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae Using an infant mouse model, we examined whether S. pneumoniae triggers inflammatory pathways shared by influenza A virus (IAV) to promote nasal secretions and shedding from the upper respiratory tract to facilitate transit to new hosts. Here, we show that amplification of the type I interferon (IFN-I) response is a critical host factor in this process, as shedding and transmission by both IAV and S. pneumoniae were decreased in pups lacking the common IFN-I receptor (Ifnar1-/- mice). Additionally, providing exogenous recombinant IFN-I to S. pneumoniae-infected pups was sufficient to increase bacterial shedding. The expression of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) was upregulated in S. pneumoniae-infected wild-type (WT) but not Ifnar1-/- mice, including genes involved in mucin type O-glycan biosynthesis; this correlated with an increase in secretions in S. pneumoniae- and IAV-infected WT compared to Ifnar1-/- pups. S. pneumoniae stimulation of ISGs was largely dependent on its pore-forming toxin, pneumolysin, and coinfection with IAV and S. pneumoniae resulted in synergistic increases in ISG expression. We conclude that the induction of IFN-I signaling appears to be a common factor driving viral and bacterial respiratory contagion.IMPORTANCE Respiratory tract infections are a leading cause of childhood mortality and, globally, Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of mortality due to pneumonia. Transmission of S. pneumoniae primarily occurs through direct contact with respiratory secretions, although the host and bacterial factors underlying transmission are poorly understood. We examined transmission dynamics of S. pneumoniae in an infant mouse model and here show that S. pneumoniae colonization of the upper respiratory tract stimulates host inflammatory pathways commonly associated with viral infections. Amplification of this response was shown to be a critical host factor driving shedding and transmission of both S. pneumoniae and influenza A virus, with infection stimulating expression of a wide variety of genes, including those involved in the biosynthesis of mucin, a major component of respiratory secretions. Our findings suggest a mechanism facilitating S. pneumoniae contagion that is shared by viral infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tonia Zangari
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mila B Ortigoza
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kristen L Lokken-Toyli
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Weiser
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Munia M, Mahmud S, Mohasin M, Kibria KK. In silico design of an epitope-based vaccine against choline binding protein A of Streptococcus pneumoniae. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2021.100546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
|
29
|
Xiang L, Hu X, Zhang J, She J, Li M, Zhou T. Immunodepression induced by influenza A virus (H1N1) in lymphoid organs functions as a pathogenic mechanism. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2020; 47:1664-1673. [PMID: 32496586 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.13358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the frequency of influenza epidemics around the world has posed a great threat to the lives of people, especially those in developing countries. However, it is unclear which organs are the targets of influenza A viruses (IAVs) and what histopathology is caused by IAVs. In this study, BALB/c female mice were infected with H1N1 by nasal inoculation for 5 days. After euthanasia, the brain, heart, lungs, thymus, liver, spleen, hilar lymph nodes, pancreas, kidneys, and adrenal glands were collected. Among these organs, only the lungs, thymus, spleen, and hilar lymph nodes showed lesions. Lung histopathology was characterized by widening of the septum, lymphocyte infiltration, alveolar effusion, and alveolar hyaline membrane formation. The thymus and spleen exhibited atrophy due to the apoptosis of numerous lymphocytes. Although the hilar lymph nodes were enlarged, lymphocyte apoptosis still occurred. The nucleocapsid protein (NP) of IAVs was present not only in the lungs but also in the thymus, spleen, and hilar lymph nodes. In peripheral blood, CD19+ B lymphocyte levels clearly decreased whileCD3+ CD8+ T and CD3+ CD4+ T lymphocyte levels temporarily decreased but subsequently increased. These results demonstrate that H1N1 in the lungs could reach lymphoid organs, induce the depletion of B and T lymphocytes in peripheral blood and lymphoid organs, and suppress adaptive immunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Xiang
- Department of pathogenic biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Hu
- Department of pathogenic biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jinping Zhang
- Department of pathogenic biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Junping She
- Department of pathogenic biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Mingyuan Li
- Department of Microbiology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tiejun Zhou
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Abstract
Influenza A virus (IAV) is a major pathogen of the human respiratory tract, where the virus coexists and interacts with bacterial populations comprising the respiratory tract microbiome. Synergies between IAV and respiratory bacterial pathogens promote enhanced inflammation and disease burden that exacerbate morbidity and mortality. We demonstrate that direct interactions between IAV and encapsulated bacteria commonly found in the respiratory tract promote environmental stability and infectivity of IAV. Antibiotic-mediated depletion of the respiratory bacterial flora abrogated IAV transmission in ferret models, indicating that these virus-bacterium interactions are operative for airborne transmission of IAV. Restoring IAV airborne transmission in antibiotic-treated ferrets by coinfection with Streptococcus pneumoniae confirmed a role for specific members of the bacterial respiratory community in promoting IAV transmission. These results implicate a role for the bacterial respiratory flora in promoting airborne transmission of IAV.IMPORTANCE Infection with influenza A virus (IAV), especially when complicated with a secondary bacterial infection, is a leading cause of global mortality and morbidity. Gaining a greater understanding of the transmission dynamics of IAV is important during seasonal IAV epidemics and in the event of a pandemic. Direct bacterium-virus interactions are a recently appreciated aspect of infectious disease biology. Direct interactions between IAV and specific bacterial species of the human upper respiratory tract were found to promote the stability and infectivity of IAV during desiccation stress. Viral environmental stability is an important aspect during transmission, suggesting a potential role for bacterial respiratory communities in IAV transmission. Airborne transmission of IAV was abrogated upon depletion of nasal bacterial flora with topical antibiotics. This defect could be functionally complemented by S. pneumoniae coinfection. These data suggest that bacterial coinfection may be an underappreciated aspect of IAV transmission dynamics.
Collapse
|
31
|
Yamaguchi M, Hirose Y, Takemura M, Ono M, Sumitomo T, Nakata M, Terao Y, Kawabata S. Streptococcus pneumoniae Evades Host Cell Phagocytosis and Limits Host Mortality Through Its Cell Wall Anchoring Protein PfbA. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:301. [PMID: 31482074 PMCID: PMC6710382 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-positive bacterium belonging to the oral streptococcus species, mitis group. This pathogen is a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia, which often evades host immunity and causes systemic diseases, such as sepsis and meningitis. Previously, we reported that PfbA is a β-helical cell surface protein contributing to pneumococcal adhesion to and invasion of human epithelial cells in addition to its survival in blood. In the present study, we investigated the role of PfbA in pneumococcal pathogenesis. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the pfbA gene is highly conserved in S. pneumoniae and Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae within the mitis group. Our in vitro assays showed that PfbA inhibits neutrophil phagocytosis, leading to pneumococcal survival. We found that PfbA activates NF-κB through TLR2, but not TLR4. In addition, TLR2/4 inhibitor peptide treatment of neutrophils enhanced the survival of the S. pneumoniae ΔpfbA strain as compared to a control peptide treatment, whereas the treatment did not affect survival of a wild-type strain. In a mouse pneumonia model, the host mortality and level of TNF-α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were comparable between wild-type and ΔpfbA-infected mice, while deletion of pfbA decreased the bacterial burden in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In a mouse sepsis model, the ΔpfbA strain demonstrated significantly increased host mortality and TNF-α levels in plasma, but showed reduced bacterial burden in lung and liver. These results indicate that PfbA may contribute to the success of S. pneumoniae species by inhibiting host cell phagocytosis, excess inflammation, and mortality by interacting with TLR2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masaya Yamaguchi
- Department of Oral and Molecular Microbiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yujiro Hirose
- Department of Oral and Molecular Microbiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Moe Takemura
- Department of Oral and Molecular Microbiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery II, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masayuki Ono
- Department of Oral and Molecular Microbiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Fixed Prosthodontics, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoko Sumitomo
- Department of Oral and Molecular Microbiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masanobu Nakata
- Department of Oral and Molecular Microbiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yutaka Terao
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Shigetada Kawabata
- Department of Oral and Molecular Microbiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
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.
Collapse
|
33
|
Sohail I, Ghosh S, Mukundan S, Zelewski S, Khan MN. Role of Inflammatory Risk Factors in the Pathogenesis of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2275. [PMID: 30333833 PMCID: PMC6176091 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) is a colonizer of the human nasopharynx (NP), causing a variety of infections in humans including otitis media, pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. The NP is an immune permissive site which allows for the persistence of commensal bacteria. Acute or chronic respiratory airway inflammation constitutes a significant risk factor for the manifestation of Spn infections. The inflammatory conditions caused by an upper respiratory viral infection or respiratory conditions such as allergic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders (COPDs) are implicated in the dysregulation of airway inflammation and tissue damage, which compromise the respiratory barrier integrity. These immune events promote bacterial outgrowth leading to Spn dissemination and invasion into the bloodstream. Therefore, suppression of inflammation and restoration of respiratory barrier integrity could contain Spn infections manifesting in the backdrop of an inflammatory disease condition. The gained knowledge could be harnessed in the design of novel therapeutic interventions to circumvent Spn bacterial infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ifrah Sohail
- Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, United States
| | - Sumit Ghosh
- Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, United States
| | - Santhosh Mukundan
- Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, United States
| | - Susan Zelewski
- Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, United States
| | - M Nadeem Khan
- Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, United States
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Brooks LRK, Mias GI. Streptococcus pneumoniae's Virulence and Host Immunity: Aging, Diagnostics, and Prevention. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1366. [PMID: 29988379 PMCID: PMC6023974 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is an infectious pathogen responsible for millions of deaths worldwide. Diseases caused by this bacterium are classified as pneumococcal diseases. This pathogen colonizes the nasopharynx of its host asymptomatically, but overtime can migrate to sterile tissues and organs and cause infections. Pneumonia is currently the most common pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal pneumonia is a global health concern and vastly affects children under the age of five as well as the elderly and individuals with pre-existing health conditions. S. pneumoniae has a large selection of virulence factors that promote adherence, invasion of host tissues, and allows it to escape host immune defenses. A clear understanding of S. pneumoniae's virulence factors, host immune responses, and examining the current techniques available for diagnosis, treatment, and disease prevention will allow for better regulation of the pathogen and its diseases. In terms of disease prevention, other considerations must include the effects of age on responses to vaccines and vaccine efficacy. Ongoing work aims to improve on current vaccination paradigms by including the use of serotype-independent vaccines, such as protein and whole cell vaccines. Extending our knowledge of the biology of, and associated host immune response to S. pneumoniae is paramount for our improvement of pneumococcal disease diagnosis, treatment, and improvement of patient outlook.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lavida R. K. Brooks
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science & Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - George I. Mias
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science & Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Weiser JN, Ferreira DM, Paton JC. Streptococcus pneumoniae: transmission, colonization and invasion. Nat Rev Microbiol 2018; 16:355-367. [PMID: 29599457 PMCID: PMC5949087 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-018-0001-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 521] [Impact Index Per Article: 86.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae has a complex relationship with its obligate human host. On the one hand, the pneumococci are highly adapted commensals, and their main reservoir on the mucosal surface of the upper airways of carriers enables transmission. On the other hand, they can cause severe disease when bacterial and host factors allow them to invade essentially sterile sites, such as the middle ear spaces, lungs, bloodstream and meninges. Transmission, colonization and invasion depend on the remarkable ability of S. pneumoniae to evade or take advantage of the host inflammatory and immune responses. The different stages of pneumococcal carriage and disease have been investigated in detail in animal models and, more recently, in experimental human infection. Furthermore, widespread vaccination and the resulting immune pressure have shed light on pneumococcal population dynamics and pathogenesis. Here, we review the mechanistic insights provided by these studies on the multiple and varied interactions of the pneumococcus and its host.
Collapse
|
36
|
Abstract
Colonization of the human nasopharynx by pneumococcus is extremely common and is both the primary reservoir for transmission and a prerequisite for disease. Current vaccines targeting the polysaccharide capsule effectively prevent colonization, conferring herd protection within vaccinated communities. However, these vaccines cover only a subset of all circulating pneumococcal strains, and serotype replacement has been observed. Given the success of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in preventing colonization in unvaccinated adults within vaccinated communities, reducing nasopharyngeal colonization has become an outcome of interest for novel vaccines. Here, we discuss the immunological mechanisms that control nasopharyngeal colonization, with an emphasis on findings from human studies. Increased understanding of these immunological mechanisms is required to identify correlates of protection against colonization that will facilitate the early testing and design of novel vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon P. Jochems
- Department of Clinicial Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (SPJ); (DMF)
| | - Jeffrey N. Weiser
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Richard Malley
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children′s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Daniela M. Ferreira
- Department of Clinicial Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (SPJ); (DMF)
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Zafar MA, Wang Y, Hamaguchi S, Weiser JN. Host-to-Host Transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae Is Driven by Its Inflammatory Toxin, Pneumolysin. Cell Host Microbe 2017; 21:73-83. [PMID: 28081446 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2016.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Host-to-host transmission is a critical step for infection. Here we studied transmission of the opportunistic pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae in an infant mouse model. Transmission from nasally colonized pups required high levels of bacterial shedding in nasal secretions and was temporally correlated with, and dependent upon, the acute inflammatory response. Pneumolysin, a pore-forming cytotoxin and major virulence determinant, was both necessary and sufficient to promote inflammation, which increased shedding and allowed for intralitter transmission. Direct contact between pups was not required for transmission indicating the importance of an environmental reservoir. An additional in vivo effect of pneumolysin was to enhance bacterial survival outside of the host. Our findings provide experimental evidence of a microbial strategy for transit to new hosts and explain why an organism expresses a toxin that damages the host upon which it depends.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Ammar Zafar
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yang Wang
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China; Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Shigeto Hamaguchi
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Weiser
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Abstract
The capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of Streptococcus pneumoniae is characterized by its diversity, as it has over 95 known serotypes, and the variation in its thickness as it surrounds an organism. While within-host effects of CPS have been studied in detail, there is no information about its contribution to host-to-host transmission. In this study, we used an infant mouse model of intralitter transmission, together with isogenic capsule switch and cps promoter switch constructs, to explore the effects of CPS type and amount. The determining factor in the transmission rate in this model is the number of pneumococci shed in nasal secretions by colonized hosts. Two of seven capsule switch constructs showed reduced shedding. These constructs were unimpaired in colonization and expressed capsules similar in size to those of the wild-type strain. A cps promoter switch mutant expressing ~50% of wild-type amounts of CPS also displayed reduced shedding without a defect in colonization. Since shedding from the mucosal surface may require escape from mucus entrapment, a mucin-binding assay was used to compare capsule switch and cps promoter switch mutants. The CPS type or amount constructs that shed poorly were bound more robustly by immobilized mucin. These capsule switch and cps promoter switch constructs with increased mucin-binding affinity and reduced shedding also had lower rates of pup-to-pup transmission. Our results demonstrate that CPS type and amount affect transmission dynamics and may contribute to the marked differences in prevalence among pneumococcal types.IMPORTANCEStreptococcus pneumoniae, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, is readily transmitted, especially among young children. Its structurally and antigenically diverse capsular polysaccharide is the target of currently licensed pneumococcal vaccines. Epidemiology studies show that only a subset of the >95 distinct serotypes are prevalent in the human population, suggesting that certain capsular polysaccharide types might be more likely to be transmitted within the community. Herein, we used an infant mouse model to show that both capsule type and amount are important determinants in the spread of pneumococci from host to host. Transmission rates correlate with those capsule types that are better at escaping mucus entrapment, a key step in exiting the host upper respiratory tract. Hence, our study provides a better mechanistic understanding of why certain pneumococcal serotypes are more common in the human population.
Collapse
|
39
|
Nasopharyngeal polymicrobial colonization during health, viral upper respiratory infection and upper respiratory bacterial infection. J Infect 2017; 75:26-34. [PMID: 28412081 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We sought to understand how polymicrobial colonization varies during health, viral upper respiratory infection (URI) and acute upper respiratory bacterial infection to understand differences in infection-prone vs. non-prone patients. METHODS Nasopharyngeal (NP) samples were collected from 74 acute otitis media (AOM) infection-prone and 754 non-prone children during 2094 healthy visits, 673 viral URI visits and 631 AOM visits. Three otopathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn), Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), and Moraxella catarrhalis (Mcat) were identified by culture. RESULTS NP colonization rates of multiple otopathogens during health were significantly lower than during viral URI, and during URI they were lower than at onset of upper respiratory bacterial infection in both AOM infection-prone and non-prone children. AOM infection-prone children had higher polymicrobial colonization rates than non-prone children during health, viral URI and AOM. Polymicrobial colonization rates of AOM infection-prone children during health were equivalent to that of non-prone children during viral URI, and during viral URI were equivalent to that of non-prone during AOM infection. Spn colonization was positively associated with NTHi and Mcat colonization during health, but negatively during AOM infection. CONCLUSION The infection-prone patients more frequently have multiple potential bacterial pathogens in the NP than the non-prone patients. Polymicrobial interaction in the NP differs during health and at onset of infection.
Collapse
|
40
|
Odutola A, Ota MOC, Antonio M, Ogundare EO, Saidu Y, Foster-Nyarko E, Owiafe PK, Ceesay F, Worwui A, Idoko OT, Owolabi O, Bojang A, Jarju S, Drammeh I, Kampmann B, Greenwood BM, Alderson M, Traskine M, Devos N, Schoonbroodt S, Swinnen K, Verlant V, Dobbelaere K, Borys D. Efficacy of a novel, protein-based pneumococcal vaccine against nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae in infants: A phase 2, randomized, controlled, observer-blind study. Vaccine 2017; 35:2531-2542. [PMID: 28389097 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.03.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conserved pneumococcal proteins are potential candidates for inclusion in vaccines against pneumococcal diseases. In the first part of a two-part study, an investigational vaccine (PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD-30) containing 10 pneumococcal serotype-specific polysaccharide conjugates (10VT) combined with pneumolysin toxoid and pneumococcal histidine triad protein D (30μg each) was well tolerated by Gambian children. Part two, presented here, assessed the efficacy of two PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD formulations against pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage (NPC) prevalence in infants. METHODS In this phase 2, randomized, controlled, observer-blind trial, healthy infants aged 8-10weeks, recruited from a peri-urban health center, were randomized (1:1:1:1:1:1) into six groups. Four groups received PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD (10 or 30μg of each protein), PHiD-CV, or 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine at ages 2-3-4months (3+0 infant schedule) and two groups PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD-30 or PHiD-CV at 2-4-9months (2+1 infant schedule). The primary objective was impact on non-10VT NPC at ages 5-9-12months. Secondary objectives included confirmatory analysis of protein dose superiority and safety/reactogenicity. Impact on pneumococcal NPC acquisition, bacterial load, and ply and phtD gene sequencing were explored. RESULTS 1200 infants were enrolled between June 2011 and May 2012. Prevalences of pneumococcal (60-67%) and non-10VT (55-61%) NPC were high at baseline. Across all post-vaccination time points, efficacy of PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD-10 and PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD-30 against non-10VT NPC (3+0 schedule) was 1.1% (95% CI -21.5, 19.5) and 2.1% (-20.3, 20.3), respectively; efficacy of PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD-30 (2+1 schedule) was 0.5% (-22.1, 18.9) versus PHiD-CV. No differences were observed in pneumococcal NPC acquisition, clearance, or bacterial load. Both protein-based vaccines elicited immune responses to pneumococcal proteins. CONCLUSIONS In this high carriage prevalence setting, inclusion of pneumococcal proteins in the PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD investigational vaccine had no impact on pneumococcal NPC in infants, regardless of protein dose or schedule. Future evaluations will assess its impact against pneumococcal disease endpoints. FUNDING PATH, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01262872.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aderonke Odutola
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Martin O C Ota
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Martin Antonio
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Ezra O Ogundare
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Yauba Saidu
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | | | - Patrick K Owiafe
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Fatima Ceesay
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Archibald Worwui
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Olubukola T Idoko
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Olumuyiwa Owolabi
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Abdoulie Bojang
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Sheikh Jarju
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Isatou Drammeh
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Beate Kampmann
- Medical Research Council Unit, Vaccines & Immunity Theme, Banjul, Gambia.
| | - Brian M Greenwood
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Abstract
Epidemiological studies on Streptococcus pneumoniae show that rates of carriage are highest in early childhood and that the major benefit of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) is a reduction in the incidence of nasopharyngeal colonization through decreased transmission within a population. In this study, we sought to understand how anti-S. pneumoniae immunity affects nasal shedding of bacteria, the limiting step in experimental pneumococcal transmission. Using an infant mouse model, we examined the role of immunity (passed from mother to pup) on shedding and within-litter transmission of S. pneumoniae by pups infected at 4 days of life. Pups from both previously colonized immune and PCV-vaccinated mothers had higher levels of anti-S. pneumoniae IgG than pups from non-immune or non-vaccinated mothers and shed significantly fewer S. pneumoniae over the first 5 days of infection. By setting up cross-foster experiments, we demonstrated that maternal passage of antibody to pups either in utero or post-natally decreases S. pneumoniae shedding. Passive immunization experiments showed that type-specific antibody to capsular polysaccharide is sufficient to decrease shedding and that the agglutinating function of immunoglobulin is required for this effect. Finally, we established that anti-pneumococcal immunity and anti-PCV vaccination block host-to-host transmission of S. pneumoniae Moreover, immunity in either the donor or recipient pups alone was sufficient to reduce rates of transmission, indicating that decreased shedding and protection from acquisition of colonization are both contributing factors. Our findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the reduced levels of S. pneumoniae transmission between hosts immune from prior exposure and among vaccinated children.IMPORTANCE Rates of carriage of the bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae are highest among young children, and this is the target group for the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). Epidemiological studies have suggested that a major benefit of the PCV is a reduction in host-to-host transmission, which also protects the non-vaccinated population ("herd immunity"). In this study, we examined the role of anti-pneumococcal immunity on nasal shedding and transmission of the pathogen using an infant mouse model. We found that shedding is decreased and transmission is blocked by anti-pneumococcal immunity and PCV vaccination. Additionally, transmission rates decreased if either the infected or contact pups were immune, indicating that reduced shedding and protection from the establishment of colonization are both contributing factors. Our study provides a mechanistic explanation for the herd immunity effect seen after the introduction of PCV and identifies potential points of intervention, which may have implications for future vaccine development.
Collapse
|
42
|
Xu Q, Casey JR, Almudevar A, Pichichero ME. Correlation of higher antibody levels to pneumococcal proteins with protection from pneumococcal acute otitis media but not protection from nasopharyngeal colonization in young children. Clin Microbiol Infect 2017; 23:487.e1-487.e6. [PMID: 28143785 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We previously found that nasopharyngeal (NP) colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae elicits mucosal antibody responses to three protein vaccine candidates: pneumococcal histidine triad protein D (PhtD), pneumococcal choline-binding protein A (PcpA), and detoxified pneumolysin (PlyD1). Here we sought to determine if mucosal antibody levels to the proteins correlated with protection from acute otitis media (AOM) and NP colonization. METHODS A total of 228 NP samples were prospectively collected from 100 healthy infants at 6-24 months of age. Whenever children were diagnosed with AOM, middle ear fluids were collected to confirm the diagnosis by microbiological culture. NP mucosal IgG and IgA were quantified by ELISA. RESULTS Higher NP mucosal antibody levels to S. pneumoniae proteins correlated with significantly decreased likelihood of developing AOM caused by S. pneumoniae during 3 to 12 months of subsequent prospective monitoring. Specifically, children who did not experience AOM (n=111samples) caused by S. pneumoniae had two- to five-fold higher mucosal IgG levels to PcpA (all p values <0.01), six- to eight-fold higher IgA to PhtD (all p values <0.05); two- to three-folder higher IgA to PcpA (all p values <0.05), and two- to three-fold higher IgA to PlyD1 (p 0.08, p 0.03 and p 0.08) compared with children who did experience AOM (n=18samples). No association between mucosal antibody levels to the three proteins and NP colonization with S. pneumoniae was found. CONCLUSION Higher NP mucosal IgG levels to PcpA, and IgA to PhtD, PcpA and PlyD1 correlate with reduced risk of development of S. pneumoniae AOM infection but not with reduced risk of NP colonization in young children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Q Xu
- Rochester General Hospital Research Institute, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - J R Casey
- Legacy Pediatrics, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - A Almudevar
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - M E Pichichero
- Rochester General Hospital Research Institute, Rochester, NY, USA; Legacy Pediatrics, Rochester, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Kono M, Zafar MA, Zuniga M, Roche AM, Hamaguchi S, Weiser JN. Single Cell Bottlenecks in the Pathogenesis of Streptococcus pneumoniae. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005887. [PMID: 27732665 PMCID: PMC5061371 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein, we studied a virulent isolate of the leading bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae in an infant mouse model of colonization, disease and transmission, both with and without influenza A (IAV) co-infection. To identify vulnerable points in the multiple steps involved in pneumococcal pathogenesis, this model was utilized for a comprehensive analysis of population bottlenecks. Our findings reveal that in the setting of IAV co-infection the organism must pass through single cell bottlenecks during bloodstream invasion from the nasopharynx within the host and in transmission between hosts. Passage through these bottlenecks was not associated with genetic adaptation by the pathogen. The bottleneck in transmission occurred between bacterial exit from one host and establishment in another explaining why the number of shed organisms in secretions is critical to overcoming it. These observations demonstrate how viral infection, and TLR-dependent innate immune responses it stimulates and that are required to control it, drive bacterial contagion. Many discrete steps are involved in the progression of infectious diseases. Bottlenecks represent key points where the population size/genetic diversity is at a minimum and the pathogen is most vulnerable to intervention strategies. Our study used an infant mouse model for a comprehensive analysis of bottlenecks in infection by the major pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. In our model, we also considered influenza A virus, a clinically important and common co-infection. The main findings reveal i) a single cell bottleneck during host-to-host transmission and ii) the bottleneck in transmission occurs during events between bacterial exit from one host and establishment in another host. We manipulated innate immune responses involved in viral control and inflammation to show that viral co-infection allows the bottleneck in transmission to be overcome by increasing bacterial exit. Finally, we demonstrate that a specific host response stimulated by influenza A is sufficient to recapitulate effects of viral co-infection. Thus, our study identifies key vulnerable stages during S. pneumoniae infection and provides mechanistic understanding for how viral infection promotes bacterial contagion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masamitsu Kono
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - M. Ammar Zafar
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Marisol Zuniga
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Aoife M. Roche
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Shigeto Hamaguchi
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey N. Weiser
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Melvin JA, Bomberger JM. Compromised Defenses: Exploitation of Epithelial Responses During Viral-Bacterial Co-Infection of the Respiratory Tract. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005797. [PMID: 27631788 PMCID: PMC5025022 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A. Melvin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jennifer M. Bomberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Zafar MA, Kono M, Wang Y, Zangari T, Weiser JN. Infant Mouse Model for the Study of Shedding and Transmission during Streptococcus pneumoniae Monoinfection. Infect Immun 2016; 84:2714-22. [PMID: 27400721 PMCID: PMC4995895 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00416-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the least understood aspects of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is its transmission from host to host, the critical first step in both the carrier state and the disease state. To date, transmission models have depended on influenza A virus coinfection, which greatly enhances pneumococcal shedding to levels that allow acquisition by a new host. Here, we describe an infant mouse model that can be utilized to study pneumococcal colonization, shedding, and transmission during bacterial monoinfection. Using this model, we demonstrated that the level of bacterial shedding is highest in pups infected intranasally at age 4 days and peaks over the first 4 days postchallenge. Shedding results differed among isolates of five different pneumococcal types. Colonization density was found to be a major factor in the level of pneumococcal shedding and required expression of capsule. Transmission within a litter occurred when there was a high ratio of colonized "index" pups to uncolonized "contact" pups. Transmission was observed for each of the well-colonizing pneumococcal isolates, with the rate of transmission proportional to the level of shedding. This model can be used to examine bacterial and host factors that contribute to pneumococcal transmission without the effects of viral coinfection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Ammar Zafar
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Masamitsu Kono
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, New York, USA Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, New York, USA School of Medicine, Tsing Hua University, Beijing, China
| | - Tonia Zangari
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Weiser
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Gordon S, Ferreira DM. When Do Coughs and Sneezes Cause Diseases? Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2016; 193:1329-30. [PMID: 27304239 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201601-0130ed] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Gordon
- 1 Respiratory Infection Group Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Liverpool, United Kingdom and.,2 The Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Daniela M Ferreira
- 1 Respiratory Infection Group Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Liverpool, United Kingdom and
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
Respiratory tract infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Chief among these are infections involving the lower airways. The opportunistic bacterial pathogens responsible for most cases of pneumonia can cause a range of local and invasive infections. However, bacterial colonization (or carriage) in the upper airway is the prerequisite of all these infections. Successful colonizers must attach to the epithelial lining, grow on the nutrient-limited mucosal surface, evade the host immune response, and transmit to a susceptible host. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms underlying these conserved stages of carriage. We also examine how the demands of colonization influence progression to disease. A range of bacteria can colonize the upper airway; nevertheless, we focus on strategies shared by many respiratory tract opportunistic pathogens. Understanding colonization opens a window to the evolutionary pressures these pathogens face within their animal hosts and that have selected for attributes that contribute to virulence and pathogenesis.
Collapse
|
48
|
Rudd JM, Ashar HK, Chow VT, Teluguakula N. Lethal Synergism between Influenza and Streptococcus pneumoniae. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 2. [PMID: 27981251 PMCID: PMC5154682 DOI: 10.16966/2470-3176.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The devastating synergism of bacterial pneumonia with influenza viral infections left its mark on the world over the last century. Although the details of pathogenesis remain unclear, the synergism is related to a variety of factors including pulmonary epithelial barrier damage which exposes receptors that influence bacterial adherence and the triggering of an exaggerated innate immune response and cytokine storm, which further acts to worsen the injury. Several therapeutics and combination therapies of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories including corticosteroids and toll-like receptor modifiers, and anti-virals are being discussed. This mini review summarizes recent developments in unearthing the pathogenesis of the lethal synergism of pneumococcal co-infection following influenza, as well as addresses potential therapeutic options and combinations of therapies currently being evaluated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Rudd
- Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, OK, USA
| | - Harshini K Ashar
- Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, OK, USA
| | - Vincent Tk Chow
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Hergott CB, Roche AM, Naidu NA, Mesaros C, Blair IA, Weiser JN. Bacterial exploitation of phosphorylcholine mimicry suppresses inflammation to promote airway infection. J Clin Invest 2015; 125:3878-90. [PMID: 26426079 DOI: 10.1172/jci81888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of neutrophil activity is critical for immune evasion among extracellular pathogens, yet the mechanisms by which many bacteria disrupt phagocyte function remain unclear. Here, we have shown that the respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae disables neutrophils by exploiting molecular mimicry to degrade platelet-activating factor (PAF), a host-derived inflammatory phospholipid. Using mass spectrometry and murine upper airway infection models, we demonstrated that phosphorylcholine (ChoP) moieties that are shared by PAF and the bacterial cell wall allow S. pneumoniae to leverage a ChoP-remodeling enzyme (Pce) to remove PAF from the airway. S. pneumoniae-mediated PAF deprivation impaired viability, activation, and bactericidal capacity among responding neutrophils. In the absence of Pce, neutrophils rapidly cleared S. pneumoniae from the airway and impeded invasive disease and transmission between mice. Abrogation of PAF signaling rendered Pce dispensable for S. pneumoniae persistence, reinforcing that this enzyme deprives neutrophils of essential PAF-mediated stimulation. Accordingly, exogenous activation of neutrophils overwhelmed Pce-mediated phagocyte disruption. Haemophilus influenzae also uses an enzyme, GlpQ, to hydrolyze ChoP and subvert PAF function, suggesting that mimicry-driven immune evasion is a common paradigm among respiratory pathogens. These results identify a mechanism by which shared molecular structures enable microbial enzymes to subvert host lipid signaling, suppress inflammation, and ensure bacterial persistence at the mucosa.
Collapse
|
50
|
Vashishta M, Khan N, Mehto S, Sehgal D, Natarajan K. Pneumococal Surface Protein A (PspA) Regulates Programmed Death Ligand 1 Expression on Dendritic Cells in a Toll-Like Receptor 2 and Calcium Dependent Manner. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26214513 PMCID: PMC4516265 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Pneumonia leads to high mortality in children under the age of five years worldwide, resulting in close to 20 percent of all deaths in this age group. Therefore, investigations into host-pathogen interactions during Streptococcus pneumoniae infection are key in devising strategies towards the development of better vaccines and drugs. To that end, in this study we investigated the role of S. pneumoniae and its surface antigen Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) in modulating the expression of co-stimulatory molecule Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on dendritic cells (DCs) and the subsequent effects of increased PD-L1 on key defence responses. Our data indicate that stimulation of DCs with PspA increases the surface expression of PD-L1 in a time and dose dependent manner. Characterization of mechanisms involved in PspA induced expression of PD-L1 indicate the involvement of Toll-Like Receptor 2 (TLR2) and calcium homeostasis. While calcium release from intracellular stores positively regulated PD-L1 expression, calcium influx from external milieu negatively regulated PD-L1 expression. Increase in PD-L1 expression, when costimulated with PspA and through TLR2 was higher than when stimulated with PspA or through TLR2. Further, knockdown of TLR2 and the intermediates in the TLR signaling machinery pointed towards the involvement of a MyD88 dependent pathway in PspA induced PD-L1 expression. Incubation of DCs with S. pneumoniae resulted in the up-regulation of PD-L1 expression, while infection with a strain lacking surface PspA failed to do so. Our data also suggests the role of PspA in ROS generation. These results suggest a novel and specific role for PspA in modulating immune responses against S. pneumoniae by regulating PD-L1 expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Vashishta
- Infectious Disease Immunology Laboratory, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- * E-mail: (MV); (KN); (DS)
| | - Naeem Khan
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India
| | - Subhash Mehto
- Infectious Disease Immunology Laboratory, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Devinder Sehgal
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India
- * E-mail: (MV); (KN); (DS)
| | - Krishnamurthy Natarajan
- Infectious Disease Immunology Laboratory, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- * E-mail: (MV); (KN); (DS)
| |
Collapse
|