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Stamm CE, McFarland AP, Locke MN, Tabakh H, Tang Q, Thomason MK, Woodward JJ. RECON gene disruption enhances host resistance to enable genome-wide evaluation of intracellular pathogen fitness during infection. mBio 2024; 15:e0133224. [PMID: 38940553 PMCID: PMC11323731 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01332-24] [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: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Transposon sequencing (Tn-seq) is a powerful genome-wide technique to assess bacterial fitness under varying growth conditions. However, screening via Tn-seq in vivo is challenging. Dose limitations and host restrictions create bottlenecks that diminish the transposon mutant pool being screened. Here, we have developed a murine model with a disruption in Akr1c13 that renders the resulting RECON-/- mouse resistant to high-dose infection. We leveraged this model to perform a Tn-seq screen of the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in vivo. We identified 135 genes which were required for L. monocytogenes growth in mice including novel genes not previously identified for host survival. We identified organ-specific requirements for L. monocytogenes survival and investigated the role of the folate enzyme FolD in L. monocytogenes liver pathogenesis. A mutant lacking folD was impaired for growth in murine livers by 2.5-log10 compared to wild type and failed to spread cell-to-cell in fibroblasts. In contrast, a mutant in alsR, which encodes a transcription factor that represses an operon involved in D-allose catabolism, was attenuated in both livers and spleens of mice by 4-log10 and 3-log10, respectively, but showed modest phenotypes in in vitro models. We confirmed that dysregulation of the D-allose catabolism operon is responsible for the in vivo growth defect, as deletion of the operon in the ∆alsR background rescued virulence. By undertaking an unbiased, genome-wide screen in mice, we have identified novel fitness determinants for L. monocytogenes host infection, which highlights the utility of the RECON-/- mouse model for future screening efforts. IMPORTANCE Listeria monocytogenes is the gram-positive bacterium responsible for the food-borne disease listeriosis. Although infections with L. monocytogenes are limiting in healthy hosts, vulnerable populations, including pregnant and elderly people, can experience high rates of mortality. Thus, understanding the breadth of genetic requirements for L. monocytogenes in vivo survival will present new opportunities for treatment and prevention of listeriosis. We developed a murine model of infection using a RECON-/- mouse that is restrictive to systemic L. monocytogenes infection. We utilized this model to screen for L. monocytogenes genes required in vivo via transposon sequencing. We identified the liver-specific gene folD and a repressor, alsR, that only exhibits an in vivo growth defect. AlsR controls the expression of the D-allose operon which is a marker in diagnostic techniques to identify pathogenic Listeria. A better understanding of the role of the D-allose operon in human disease may further inform diagnostic and prevention measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea E. Stamm
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Adelle P. McFarland
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Melissa N. Locke
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Hannah Tabakh
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Qing Tang
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Maureen K. Thomason
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Joshua J. Woodward
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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2
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Miller AH, Marks F, Chan L, Botella H, Schnappinger D, Ehrt S. Interruption of mycothiol synthesis and intracellular redox status impact iron-regulated reporter activation in Mycobacterium smegmatis. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0048724. [PMID: 38860795 PMCID: PMC11218476 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00487-24] [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: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Iron scavenging is required for full virulence of mycobacterial pathogens. During infection, the host immune response restricts mycobacterial access to iron, which is essential for bacterial respiration and DNA synthesis. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis iron-dependent regulator (IdeR) responds to changes in iron accessibility by repressing iron-uptake genes when iron is available. In contrast, iron-uptake gene transcription is induced when iron is depleted. The ideR gene is essential in M. tuberculosis and is required for bacterial growth. To further study how iron regulates transcription, wee developed an iron responsive reporter system that relies on an IdeR-regulated promoter to drive Cre and loxP mediated recombination in Mycobacterium smegmatis. Recombination leads to the expression of an antibiotic resistance gene so that mutations that activate the IdeR-regulated promoter can be selected. A transposon library in the background of this reporter system was exposed to media containing iron and hemin, and this resulted in the selection of mutants in the antioxidant mycothiol synthesis pathway. We validated that inactivation of the mycothiol synthesis gene mshA results in increased recombination and increased IdeR-regulated promoter activity in the reporter system. Further, we show that vitamin C, which has been shown to oxidize iron through the Fenton reaction, can decrease promoter activity in the mshA mutant. We conclude that the intracellular redox state balanced by mycothiol can alter IdeR activity in the presence of iron.IMPORTANCEMycobacterium smegmatis is a tractable organism to study mycobacterial gene regulation. We used M. smegmatis to construct a novel recombination-based reporter system that allows for the selection of mutations that deregulate a promoter of interest. Transposon mutagenesis and insertion sequencing (TnSeq) in the recombination reporter strain identified genes that impact iron regulated promoter activity in mycobacteria. We found that the mycothiol synthesis gene mshA is required for IdeR mediated transcriptional regulation by maintaining intracellular redox balance. By affecting the oxidative state of the intracellular environment, mycothiol can modulate iron-dependent transcriptional activity. Taken more broadly, this novel reporter system can be used in combination with transposon mutagenesis to identify genes that are required by Mycobacterium tuberculosis to overcome temporary or local changes in iron availability during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra H Miller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Frances Marks
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology, and Molecular Biology Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Luming Chan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Helene Botella
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Dirk Schnappinger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sabine Ehrt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
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3
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Zeng Z, Wijnands LM, Boeren S, Smid EJ, Notebaart RA, Abee T. Impact of vitamin B 12 on rhamnose metabolism, stress defense and in-vitro virulence of Listeria monocytogenes. Int J Food Microbiol 2024; 410:110486. [PMID: 37992553 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110486] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative anaerobe which can cause a severe food-borne infection known as listeriosis. L. monocytogenes is capable of utilizing various nutrient sources including rhamnose, a naturally occurring deoxy sugar abundant in foods. L. monocytogenes can degrade rhamnose into lactate, acetate and 1,2-propanediol. Our previous study showed that addition of vitamin B12 stimulated anaerobic growth of L. monocytogenes on rhamnose due to the activation of bacterial microcompartments for 1,2-propanediol utilization (pdu BMC) with concomitant production of propionate and propanol. Notably, anaerobic 1,2-propanediol metabolism has been linked to virulence of enteric pathogens including Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes. In this study we investigated the impact of B12 and BMC activation on i) aerobic and anerobic growth of L. monocytogenes on rhamnose and ii) the level of virulence. We observed B12-induced pdu BMC activation and growth stimulation only in anaerobically grown cells. Comparative Caco-2 virulence assays showed that these pdu BMC-induced cells have significantly higher translocation efficiency compared to non-induced cells (anaerobic growth without B12; aerobic growth with or without B12), while adhesion and invasion capacity is similar for all cells. Comparative proteome analysis showed specific and overlapping responses linked to metabolic shifts, activation of stress defense proteins and virulence factors, with RNA polymerase sigma factor SigL, teichoic acid export ATP-binding protein TagH, DNA repair and protection proteins, RadA and DPS, and glutathione synthase GshAB, previously linked to activation of virulence response in L. monocytogenes, uniquely upregulated in anaerobically rhamnose grown pdu-induced cells. Our results shed light on possible effects of B12 on L. monocytogenes competitive fitness and virulence activation when utilizing rhamnose in anaerobic conditions encountered during transmission and the human intestine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Zeng
- Food Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Lucas M Wijnands
- National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Sjef Boeren
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Eddy J Smid
- Food Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Richard A Notebaart
- Food Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Tjakko Abee
- Food Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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Siletti C, Freeman M, Tu Z, Stevenson DM, Amador-Noguez D, Sauer JD, Huynh TN. C-di-AMP accumulation disrupts glutathione metabolism and inhibits virulence program expression in Listeria monocytogenes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.18.576247. [PMID: 38293011 PMCID: PMC10827153 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.18.576247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
C-di-AMP is an essential second messenger in many bacteria but its levels must be regulated. Unregulated c-di-AMP accumulation attenuates the virulence of many bacterial pathogens, including those that do not require c-di-AMP for growth. However, the mechanisms by which c-di-AMP regulates bacterial pathogenesis remain poorly understood. In Listeria monocytogenes , a mutant lacking both c-di-AMP phosphodiesterases, denoted as the ΔPDE mutant, accumulates a high c-di-AMP level and is significantly attenuated in the mouse model of systemic infection. All key L. monocytogenes virulence genes are transcriptionally upregulated by the master transcription factor PrfA, which is activated by reduced glutathione (GSH) during infection. Our transcriptomic analysis revealed that the ΔPDE mutant is significantly impaired for the expression of virulence genes within the PrfA core regulon. Subsequent quantitative gene expression analyses validated this phenotype both at the basal level and upon PrfA activation by GSH. A constitutively active PrfA * variant, PrfA G145S, which mimics the GSH-bound conformation, restores virulence gene expression in ΔPDE but only partially rescues virulence defect. Through GSH quantification and uptake assays, we found that the ΔPDE strain is significantly depleted for GSH, and that c-di-AMP inhibits GSH uptake. Constitutive expression of gshF (encoding a GSH synthetase) does not restore GSH levels in the ΔPDE strain, suggesting that c-di-AMP inhibits GSH synthesis activity or promotes GSH catabolism. Taken together, our data reveals GSH metabolism as another pathway that is regulated by c-di-AMP. C-di-AMP accumulation depletes cytoplasmic GSH levels within L. monocytogenes that leads to impaired virulence program expression. IMPORTANCE C-di-AMP regulates both bacterial pathogenesis and interactions with the host. Although c-di-AMP is essential in many bacteria, its accumulation also attenuates the virulence of many bacterial pathogens. Therefore, disrupting c-di-AMP homeostasis is a promising antibacterial treatment strategy, and has inspired several studies that screened for chemical inhibitors of c-di-AMP phosphodiesterases. However, the mechanisms by which c-di-AMP accumulation diminishes bacterial pathogenesis are poorly understood. Such understanding will reveal the molecular function of c-di-AMP, and inform therapeutic development strategies. Here, we identify GSH metabolism as a pathway regulated by c-di-AMP that is pertinent to L. monocytogenes replication in the host. Given the role of GSH as a virulence signal, nutrient, and antioxidant, GSH depletion impairs virulence program expression and likely diminishes host adaptation.
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Ładziak M, Prochwicz E, Gut K, Gomza P, Jaworska K, Ścibek K, Młyńska-Witek M, Kadej-Zajączkowska K, Lillebaek EMS, Kallipolitis BH, Krawczyk-Balska A. Inactivation of lmo0946 ( sif) induces the SOS response and MGEs mobilization and silences the general stress response and virulence program in Listeria monocytogenes. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1324062. [PMID: 38239729 PMCID: PMC10794523 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1324062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved numerous regulatory pathways to survive in changing environments. The SOS response is an inducible DNA damage repair system that plays an indispensable role in bacterial adaptation and pathogenesis. Here we report a discovery of the previously uncharacterized protein Lmo0946 as an SOS response interfering factor (Sif) in the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Functional genetic studies demonstrated that sif is indispensable for normal growth of L. monocytogenes in stress-free as well as multi-stress conditions, and sif contributes to susceptibility to β-lactam antibiotics, biofilm formation and virulence. Absence of Sif promoted the SOS response and elevated expression of mobilome genes accompanied by mobilization of the A118 prophage and ICELm-1 mobile genetic elements (MGEs). These changes were found to be associated with decreased expression of general stress response genes from the σB regulon as well as virulence genes, including the PrfA regulon. Together, this study uncovers an unexpected role of a previously uncharacterized factor, Sif, as an inhibitor of the SOS response in L. monocytogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Ładziak
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Emilia Prochwicz
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karina Gut
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Patrycja Gomza
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karolina Jaworska
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Ścibek
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Młyńska-Witek
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kadej-Zajączkowska
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Eva M. S. Lillebaek
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Birgitte H. Kallipolitis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Agata Krawczyk-Balska
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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6
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Xia J, Luo Y, Chen M, Liu Y, Wang Z, Deng S, Xu J, Han Y, Sun J, Jiang L, Song H, Cheng C. Characterization of a DsbA family protein reveals its crucial role in oxidative stress tolerance of Listeria monocytogenes. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0306023. [PMID: 37823664 PMCID: PMC10715225 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03060-23] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The adaption and tolerance to various environmental stresses are the fundamental factors for the widespread existence of Listeria monocytogenes. Anti-oxidative stress is the critical mechanism for the survival and pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes. The thioredoxin (Trx) and glutaredoxin (Grx) systems are known to contribute to the anti-oxidative stress of L. monocytogenes, but whether the Dsb system has similar roles remains unknown. This study demonstrated that the DsbA family protein Lmo1059 of L. monocytogenes participates in bacterial oxidative stress tolerance, with Cys36 as the key amino acid of its catalytic activity and anti-oxidative stress ability. It is worth noting that Lmo1059 was involved in the invading and cell-to-cell spread of L. monocytogenes. This study lays a foundation for further understanding the specific mechanisms of oxidative cysteine repair and antioxidant stress regulation of L. monocytogenes, which contributes to an in-depth understanding of the environmental adaptation mechanisms for foodborne bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xia
- College of Animal Science and Technology &College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Animal Health Diagnostics & Advanced Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yaru Luo
- College of Animal Science and Technology &College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Animal Health Diagnostics & Advanced Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mianmian Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology &College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Animal Health Diagnostics & Advanced Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuqing Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology &College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Animal Health Diagnostics & Advanced Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology &College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Animal Health Diagnostics & Advanced Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Simin Deng
- College of Animal Science and Technology &College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Animal Health Diagnostics & Advanced Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiali Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology &College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Animal Health Diagnostics & Advanced Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yue Han
- College of Animal Science and Technology &College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Animal Health Diagnostics & Advanced Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jing Sun
- College of Animal Science and Technology &College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Animal Health Diagnostics & Advanced Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lingli Jiang
- Ningbo College of Health Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Houhui Song
- College of Animal Science and Technology &College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Animal Health Diagnostics & Advanced Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Changyong Cheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology &College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Animal Health Diagnostics & Advanced Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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7
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Morrison HM, Craft J, Rivera-Lugo R, Johnson JR, Golovkine GR, Bell SL, Dodd CE, Van Dis E, Beatty WL, Margolis SR, Repasy T, Shaker I, Lee AY, Vance RE, Stanley SA, Watson RO, Krogan NJ, Portnoy DA, Penn BH, Cox JS. Deficiency in Galectin-3, -8, and -9 impairs immunity to chronic Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection but not acute infection with multiple intracellular pathogens. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011088. [PMID: 37352334 PMCID: PMC10325092 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011088] [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: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrophages employ an array of pattern recognition receptors to detect and eliminate intracellular pathogens that access the cytosol. The cytosolic carbohydrate sensors Galectin-3, -8, and -9 (Gal-3, Gal-8, and Gal-9) recognize damaged pathogen-containing phagosomes, and Gal-3 and Gal-8 are reported to restrict bacterial growth via autophagy in cultured cells. However, the contribution of these galectins to host resistance during bacterial infection in vivo remains unclear. We found that Gal-9 binds directly to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (Stm) and localizes to Mtb in macrophages. To determine the combined contribution of membrane damage-sensing galectins to immunity, we generated Gal-3, -8, and -9 triple knockout (TKO) mice. Mtb infection of primary macrophages from TKO mice resulted in defective autophagic flux but normal bacterial replication. Surprisingly, these mice had no discernable defect in resistance to acute infection with Mtb, Stm or Listeria monocytogenes, and had only modest impairments in bacterial growth restriction and CD4 T cell activation during chronic Mtb infection. Collectively, these findings indicate that while Gal-3, -8, and -9 respond to an array of intracellular pathogens, together these membrane damage-sensing galectins play a limited role in host resistance to bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huntly M. Morrison
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Julia Craft
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Rafael Rivera-Lugo
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Jeffery R. Johnson
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco; Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Guillaume R. Golovkine
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Samantha L. Bell
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health, School of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, United States of America
| | - Claire E. Dodd
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Erik Van Dis
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Wandy L. Beatty
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Shally R. Margolis
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Teresa Repasy
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Isaac Shaker
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Angus Y. Lee
- Cancer Research Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Russell E. Vance
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Sarah A. Stanley
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- School of Public Health, Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Robert O. Watson
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health, School of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, United States of America
| | - Nevan J. Krogan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco; Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel A. Portnoy
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Bennett H. Penn
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Jeffery S. Cox
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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8
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Oliveira AH, Tiensuu T, Guerreiro D, Tükenmez H, Dessaux C, García-Del Portillo F, O'Byrne C, Johansson J. The Virulence and Infectivity of Listeria monocytogenes Are Not Substantially Altered by Elevated SigB Activity. Infect Immun 2023:e0057122. [PMID: 37125941 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00571-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen capable of causing severe infections but also thriving outside the host. To respond to different stress conditions, L. monocytogenes mainly utilizes the general stress response regulon, which largely is controlled by the alternative sigma factor Sigma B (SigB). In addition, SigB is important for virulence gene expression and infectivity. Upon encountering stress, a large multicomponent protein complex known as the stressosome becomes activated, ultimately leading to SigB activation. RsbX is a protein needed to reset a "stressed" stressosome and prevent unnecessary SigB activation in nonstressed conditions. Consequently, absence of RsbX leads to constitutive activation of SigB even without prevailing stress stimulus. To further examine the involvement of SigB in the virulence of this pathogen, we investigated whether a strain with constitutively active SigB would be affected in virulence factor expression and/or infectivity in cultured cells and in a chicken embryo infection model. Our results suggest that increased SigB activity does not substantially alter virulence gene expression compared with the wild-type (WT) strain at transcript and protein levels. Bacteria lacking RsbX were taken up by phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells at a similar frequency to WT bacteria, both in stressed and nonstressed conditions. Finally, the absence of RsbX only marginally affected the ability of bacteria to infect chicken embryos. Our results suggest only a minor role of RsbX in controlling virulence factor expression and infectivity under these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana H Oliveira
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Centre of Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Teresa Tiensuu
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Centre of Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Duarte Guerreiro
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Centre of Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Bacterial Stress Response Group, Microbiology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Hasan Tükenmez
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Centre of Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Charlotte Dessaux
- Laboratory of Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens, National Center of Biotechnology, (CNB)-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Conor O'Byrne
- Bacterial Stress Response Group, Microbiology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Jörgen Johansson
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Centre of Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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9
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Pensinger DA, Gutierrez KV, Smith HB, Vincent WJB, Stevenson DS, Black KA, Perez-Medina KM, Dillard JP, Rhee KY, Amador-Noguez D, Huynh TN, Sauer JD. Listeria monocytogenes GlmR Is an Accessory Uridyltransferase Essential for Cytosolic Survival and Virulence. mBio 2023; 14:e0007323. [PMID: 36939339 PMCID: PMC10128056 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00073-23] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The cytosol of eukaryotic host cells is an intrinsically hostile environment for bacteria. Understanding how cytosolic pathogens adapt to and survive in the cytosol is critical to developing novel therapeutic interventions against these pathogens. The cytosolic pathogen Listeria monocytogenes requires glmR (previously known as yvcK), a gene of unknown function, for resistance to cell-wall stress, cytosolic survival, inflammasome avoidance, and, ultimately, virulence in vivo. In this study, a genetic suppressor screen revealed that blocking utilization of UDP N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) by a nonessential wall teichoic acid decoration pathway restored resistance to lysozyme and partially restored virulence of ΔglmR mutants. In parallel, metabolomic analysis revealed that ΔglmR mutants are impaired in the production of UDP-GlcNAc, an essential peptidoglycan and wall teichoic acid (WTA) precursor. We next demonstrated that purified GlmR can directly catalyze the synthesis of UDP-GlcNAc from GlcNAc-1P and UTP, suggesting that it is an accessory uridyltransferase. Biochemical analysis of GlmR orthologues suggests that uridyltransferase activity is conserved. Finally, mutational analysis resulting in a GlmR mutant with impaired catalytic activity demonstrated that uridyltransferase activity was essential to facilitate cell-wall stress responses and virulence in vivo. Taken together, these studies indicate that GlmR is an evolutionary conserved accessory uridyltransferase required for cytosolic survival and virulence of L. monocytogenes. IMPORTANCE Bacterial pathogens must adapt to their host environment in order to cause disease. The cytosolic bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes requires a highly conserved protein of unknown function, GlmR (previously known as YvcK), to survive in the host cytosol. GlmR is important for resistance to some cell-wall stresses and is essential for virulence. The ΔglmR mutant is deficient in production of an essential cell-wall metabolite, UDP-GlcNAc, and suppressors that increase metabolite levels also restore virulence. Purified GlmR can directly catalyze the synthesis of UDP-GlcNAc, and this enzymatic activity is conserved in both Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. These results highlight the importance of accessory cell wall metabolism enzymes in responding to cell-wall stress in a variety of Gram-positive bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. Pensinger
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kimberly V. Gutierrez
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Hans B. Smith
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - William J. B. Vincent
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - David S. Stevenson
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Krizia M. Perez-Medina
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Joseph P. Dillard
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kyu Y. Rhee
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daniel Amador-Noguez
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - TuAnh N. Huynh
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Food Science, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - John-Demian Sauer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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10
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Monothiol Glutaredoxin Is Essential for Oxidative Stress Protection and Virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0171422. [PMID: 36533942 PMCID: PMC9888271 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01714-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutaredoxins (Grxs), ubiquitous redox enzymes belonging to the thioredoxin family, catalyze the reduction of thiol-disulfide exchange reactions in a glutathione-dependent manner. A Pseudomonas aeruginosa ΔgrxD mutant exhibited hypersensitivity to oxidative stress-generating agents, such as paraquat (PQ) and cumene hydroperoxide (CHP). In vitro studies showed that P. aeruginosa GrxD acts as an electron donor for organic hydroperoxide resistance enzyme (Ohr) during CHP degradation. The ectopic expression of iron-sulfur cluster ([Fe-S]) carrier proteins, including ErpA, IscA, and NfuA, complements the function of GrxD in the ΔgrxD mutant under PQ toxicity. Constitutively high expression of iscR, nfuA, tpx, and fprB was observed in the ΔgrxD mutant. These results suggest that GrxD functions as a [Fe-S] cluster carrier protein involved in [Fe-S] cluster maturation. Moreover, the ΔgrxD mutant demonstrates attenuated virulence in a Drosophila melanogaster host model. Altogether, the data shed light on the physiological role of GrxD in oxidative stress protection and virulence of the human pathogen, P. aeruginosa. IMPORTANCE Glutaredoxins (Grxs) are ubiquitous disulfide reductase enzymes. Monothiol Grxs, containing a CXXS motif, play an essential role in iron homeostasis and maturation of [Fe-S] cluster proteins in various organisms. We now establish that the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa GrxD is crucial for bacterial virulence, maturation of [Fe-S] clusters and facilitation of Ohr enzyme activity. GrxD contains a conserved signature monothiol motif (C29GFS), in which C29 is essential for its function in an oxidative stress protection. Our findings reveal the physiological roles of GrxD in oxidative stress protection and virulence of P. aeruginosa.
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11
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The Transcriptional Regulator SpxA1 Influences the Morphology and Virulence of Listeria monocytogenes. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0021122. [PMID: 36102657 PMCID: PMC9584327 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00211-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative anaerobe and an excellent model pathogen for investigating regulatory changes that occur during infection of a mammalian host. SpxA1 is a widely conserved transcriptional regulator that induces expression of peroxide-detoxifying genes in L. monocytogenes and is thus required for aerobic growth. SpxA1 is also required for L. monocytogenes virulence, although the SpxA1-dependent genes important in this context remain to be identified. Here, we sought to investigate the role of SpxA1 in a tissue culture model of infection and made the surprising discovery that ΔspxA1 cells are dramatically elongated during growth in the host cytosol. Quantitative microscopy revealed that ΔspxA1 cells also form elongated filaments extracellularly during early exponential phase in rich medium. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analysis found that the likely cause of this morphological phenotype is aberrantly placed division septa localized outside cell midpoints. Quantitative mass spectrometry of whole-cell lysates identified SpxA1-dependent changes in protein abundance, including a significant number of motility and flagellar proteins that were depleted in the ΔspxA1 mutant. Accordingly, we found that both the filamentation and the lack of motility contributed to decreased phagocytosis of ΔspxA1 cells by macrophages. Overall, we identify a novel role for SpxA1 in regulating cell elongation and motility, both of which impact L. monocytogenes virulence.
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Meireles DA, da Silva Neto JF, Domingos RM, Alegria TGP, Santos LCM, Netto LES. Ohr - OhrR, a neglected and highly efficient antioxidant system: Structure, catalysis, phylogeny, regulation, and physiological roles. Free Radic Biol Med 2022; 185:6-24. [PMID: 35452809 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Ohrs (organic hydroperoxide resistance proteins) are antioxidant enzymes that play central roles in the response of microorganisms to organic peroxides. Here, we describe recent advances in the structure, catalysis, phylogeny, regulation, and physiological roles of Ohr proteins and of its transcriptional regulator, OhrR, highlighting their unique features. Ohr is extremely efficient in reducing fatty acid peroxides and peroxynitrite, two oxidants relevant in host-pathogen interactions. The highly reactive Cys residue of Ohr, named peroxidatic Cys (Cp), composes together with an arginine and a glutamate the catalytic triad. The catalytic cycle of Ohrs involves a condensation between a sulfenic acid (Cp-SOH) and the thiol of the second conserved Cys, leading to the formation of an intra-subunit disulfide bond, which is then reduced by dihydrolipoamide or lipoylated proteins. A structural switch takes place during catalysis, with the opening and closure of the active site by the so-called Arg-loop. Ohr is part of the Ohr/OsmC super-family that also comprises OsmC and Ohr-like proteins. Members of the Ohr, OsmC and Ohr-like subgroups present low sequence similarities among themselves, but share a high structural conservation, presenting two Cys residues in their active site. The pattern of gene expression is also distinct among members of the Ohr/OsmC subfamilies. The expression of ohr genes increases upon organic hydroperoxides treatment, whereas the signals for the upregulation of osmC are entry into the stationary phase and/or osmotic stress. For many ohr genes, the upregulation by organic hydroperoxides is mediated by OhrR, a Cys-based transcriptional regulator that only binds to its target DNAs in its reduced state. Since Ohrs and OhrRs are involved in virulence of some microorganisms and are absent in vertebrate and vascular plants, they may represent targets for novel therapeutic approaches based on the disruption of this key bacterial organic peroxide defense system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo A Meireles
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos (LFBM) da Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Brazil
| | - José F da Silva Neto
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Brazil
| | | | - Thiago G P Alegria
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lene Clara M Santos
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luis Eduardo S Netto
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
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13
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Listeria monocytogenes TcyKLMN Cystine/Cysteine Transporter Facilitates Glutathione Synthesis and Virulence Gene Expression. mBio 2022; 13:e0044822. [PMID: 35435705 PMCID: PMC9239247 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00448-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial pathogens sense the repertoire of metabolites in the mammalian niche and use this information to shift into the pathogenic state to accomplish a successful infection. Glutathione is a virulence-activating signal that is synthesized by
L. monocytogenes
during infection of mammalian cells.
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14
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Rivera-Lugo R, Deng D, Anaya-Sanchez A, Tejedor-Sanz S, Tang E, Reyes Ruiz VM, Smith HB, Titov DV, Sauer JD, Skaar EP, Ajo-Franklin CM, Portnoy DA, Light SH. Listeria monocytogenes requires cellular respiration for NAD + regeneration and pathogenesis. eLife 2022; 11:e75424. [PMID: 35380108 PMCID: PMC9094743 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular respiration is essential for multiple bacterial pathogens and a validated antibiotic target. In addition to driving oxidative phosphorylation, bacterial respiration has a variety of ancillary functions that obscure its contribution to pathogenesis. We find here that the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes encodes two respiratory pathways which are partially functionally redundant and indispensable for pathogenesis. Loss of respiration decreased NAD+ regeneration, but this could be specifically reversed by heterologous expression of a water-forming NADH oxidase (NOX). NOX expression fully rescued intracellular growth defects and increased L. monocytogenes loads >1000-fold in a mouse infection model. Consistent with NAD+ regeneration maintaining L. monocytogenes viability and enabling immune evasion, a respiration-deficient strain exhibited elevated bacteriolysis within the host cytosol and NOX expression rescued this phenotype. These studies show that NAD+ regeneration represents a major role of L. monocytogenes respiration and highlight the nuanced relationship between bacterial metabolism, physiology, and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Rivera-Lugo
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - David Deng
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Andrea Anaya-Sanchez
- Graduate Group in Microbiology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Sara Tejedor-Sanz
- Department of Biosciences, Rice UniversityHoustonUnited States
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Eugene Tang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Valeria M Reyes Ruiz
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
| | - Hans B Smith
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
| | - Denis V Titov
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - John-Demian Sauer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
| | - Eric P Skaar
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
| | - Caroline M Ajo-Franklin
- Department of Biosciences, Rice UniversityHoustonUnited States
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Daniel A Portnoy
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Samuel H Light
- Department of Microbiology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
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15
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Cheng C, Han X, Xu J, Sun J, Li K, Han Y, Chen M, Song H. YjbH mediates the oxidative stress response and infection by regulating SpxA1 and the phosphoenolpyruvate-carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) in Listeria monocytogenes. Gut Microbes 2022; 13:1-19. [PMID: 33573432 PMCID: PMC7889195 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2021.1884517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes relies on its ability to fine-tune the expression of virulence factors and stress regulators in response to rapidly changing environments. Here, we reveal that YjbH, a putative thioredoxin family oxidoreductase, plays a pivotal role in bacterial adaption to oxidative stress and host infection. YjbH directly interacts with SpxA1, an ArsC family oxidative stress response regulator, and the deletion of YjbH compromised the oxidative stress tolerance of L. monocytogenes. Also, YjbH is required for the bacterial spread in host cells and proliferation in mouse organs, thereby contributing to virulence. Transcriptomic analysis of strains treated with Cd2+ revealed that most virulence genes and phosphoenolpyruvate-carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) genes were significantly downregulated in the absence of YjbH. However, YjbH inhibits PrfA expression when bacteria were grown in the media, suggesting that YjbH participates in regulating the virulence genes via a complicated regulatory network involving PrfA and PTS. Collectively, these findings provide a valuable model for clarifying the roles of thioredoxins from foodborne pathogens regarding improving survival in the external environment and, more importantly, successfully establishing infection within the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changyong Cheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Xiao Han
- College of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Jiali Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Jing Sun
- College of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Kang Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Yue Han
- College of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Mianmian Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Houhui Song
- College of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China,CONTACT Houhui Song College of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F University, Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang311300, P. R. China
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16
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Paudel A, Panthee S, Hamamoto H, Grunert T, Sekimizu K. YjbH regulates virulence genes expression and oxidative stress resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Virulence 2021; 12:470-480. [PMID: 33487122 PMCID: PMC7849776 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1875683] [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: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that disruption of the yjbI gene reduced virulence of Staphylococcus aureus. In this study, we found virulence in both silkworms and mice was restored by introducing the yjbH gene but not the yjbI gene to both yjbI and yjbH genes-disrupted mutants, suggesting that yjbH, the gene downstream to the yjbI gene in a two-gene operon-yjbIH, is responsible for this phenomenon. We further observed a decrease in various surface-associated proteins and changes in cell envelope glycostructures in the mutants. RNA-seq analysis revealed that disruption of the yjbI and the yjbH genes resulted in differential expression of a broad range of genes, notably, significant downregulation of genes involved in virulence and oxidative stress. Administration of N-acetyl-L-cysteine, a free-radical scavenger, restored the virulence in both the mutants. Our findings suggested that YjbH plays a role in staphylococcal pathogenicity by regulating virulence gene expression, affecting the bacterial surface structure, and conferring resistance to oxidative stress in a host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atmika Paudel
- Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Suresh Panthee
- Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Hamamoto
- Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tom Grunert
- Functional Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kazuhisa Sekimizu
- Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
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17
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NrnA is a linear dinucleotide phosphodiesterase with limited function in cyclic dinucleotide metabolism in Listeria monocytogenes. J Bacteriol 2021; 204:e0020621. [PMID: 34662239 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00206-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes produces both c-di-AMP and c-di-GMP to mediate many important cellular processes, but the levels of both nucleotides must be regulated. C-di-AMP accumulation attenuates virulence and diminishes stress response, and c-di-GMP accumulation impairs bacterial motility. An important regulatory mechanism to maintain c-di-AMP and c-di-GMP homeostasis is to hydrolyze them to the linear dinucleotides pApA and pGpG, respectively, but the fates of these hydrolytic products have not been examined in L. monocytogenes. We found that NrnA, a stand-alone DHH-DHHA1 phosphodiesterase, has a broad substrate range, but with a strong preference for linear dinucleotides over cyclic dinucleotides. Although NrnA exhibited detectable cyclic dinucleotide hydrolytic activities in vitro, NrnA had negligible effects on their levels in the bacterial cell, even in the absence of the c-di-AMP phosphodiesterases PdeA and PgpH. The ΔnrnA mutant had a mammalian cell infection defect that was fully restored by E. coli Orn. Together, our data indicate that L. monocytogenes NrnA is functionally orthologous to Orn, and its preferred physiological substrates are most likely linear dinucleotides. Furthermore, our findings revealed that, unlike some other c-di-AMP and c-di-GMP-producing bacteria, L. monocytogenes does not employ their hydrolytic products to regulate their phosphodiesterases, at least at the pApA and pGpG levels in the ΔnrnA mutant. Finally, the ΔnrnA infection defect was overcome by constitutive activation of PrfA, the master virulence regulator, suggesting that accumulated linear dinucleotides might inhibit the expression, stability, or function of PrfA-regulated virulence factors. IMPORTANCE Listeria monocytogenes produces both c-di-AMP and c-di-GMP, and encodes specific phosphodiesterases that degrade them into pApA and pGpG, respectively, but the metabolism of these products has not been characterized in this bacterium. We found that L. monocytogenes NrnA degrades a broad range of nucleotides. Among the tested cyclic and linear substrates, it exhibits a strong biochemical and physiological preference the linear dinucleotides pApA, pGpG, and pApG. Unlike in some other bacteria, these oligoribonucleotides do not appear to interfere with cyclic dinucleotide hydrolysis. The absence of NrnA is well tolerated by L. monocytogenes in broth cultures but impairs its ability to infect mammalian cells. These findings indicate a separation of cyclic dinucleotide signaling and oligoribonucleotide metabolism in L. monocytogenes.
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18
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Cesinger MR, Schwardt NH, Halsey CR, Thomason MK, Reniere ML. Investigating the Roles of Listeria monocytogenes Peroxidases in Growth and Virulence. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0044021. [PMID: 34287055 PMCID: PMC8552690 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00440-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria have necessarily evolved a protective arsenal of proteins to contend with peroxides and other reactive oxygen species generated in aerobic environments. Listeria monocytogenes encounters an onslaught of peroxide both in the environment and during infection of the mammalian host, where it is the causative agent of the foodborne illness listeriosis. Despite the importance of peroxide for the immune response to bacterial infection, the strategy by which L. monocytogenes protects against peroxide toxicity has yet to be illuminated. Here, we investigated the expression and essentiality of all the peroxidase-encoding genes during L. monocytogenes growth in vitro and during infection of murine cells in tissue culture. We found that chdC and kat were required for aerobic growth in vitro, and fri and ahpA were each required for L. monocytogenes to survive acute peroxide stress. Despite increased expression of fri, ahpA, and kat during infection of macrophages, only fri proved necessary for cytosolic growth. In contrast, the proteins encoded by lmo0367, lmo0983, tpx, lmo1609, and ohrA were dispensable for aerobic growth, acute peroxide detoxification, and infection. Together, our results provide insight into the multifaceted L. monocytogenes peroxide detoxification strategy and demonstrate that L. monocytogenes encodes a functionally diverse set of peroxidase enzymes. IMPORTANCE Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of the foodborne illness listeriosis. L. monocytogenes must contend with reactive oxygen species generated extracellularly during aerobic growth and intracellularly by the host immune system. However, the mechanisms by which L. monocytogenes defends against peroxide toxicity have not yet been defined. Here, we investigated the roles of each of the peroxidase-encoding genes in L. monocytogenes growth, peroxide stress response, and virulence in mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica R. Cesinger
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Nicole H. Schwardt
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Cortney R. Halsey
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Maureen K. Thomason
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Michelle L. Reniere
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
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19
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Halsey CR, Glover RC, Thomason MK, Reniere ML. The redox-responsive transcriptional regulator Rex represses fermentative metabolism and is required for Listeria monocytogenes pathogenesis. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009379. [PMID: 34398937 PMCID: PMC8389512 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of the foodborne disease listeriosis, one of the deadliest bacterial infections known. In order to cause disease, L. monocytogenes must properly coordinate its metabolic and virulence programs in response to rapidly changing environments within the host. However, the mechanisms by which L. monocytogenes senses and adapts to the many stressors encountered as it transits through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and disseminates to peripheral organs are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the role of the redox-responsive transcriptional regulator Rex in L. monocytogenes growth and pathogenesis. Rex is a conserved canonical transcriptional repressor that monitors the intracellular redox state of the cell by sensing the ratio of reduced and oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides (NADH and NAD+, respectively). Here, we demonstrated that L. monocytogenes Rex represses fermentative metabolism and is therefore required for optimal growth in the presence of oxygen. We also show that in vitro, Rex represses the production of virulence factors required for survival and invasion of the GI tract, as a strain lacking rex was more resistant to acidified bile and invaded host cells better than wild type. Consistent with these results, Rex was dispensable for colonizing the GI tract and disseminating to peripheral organs in an oral listeriosis model of infection. However, Rex-dependent regulation was required for colonizing the spleen and liver, and L. monocytogenes lacking the Rex repressor were nearly sterilized from the gallbladder. Taken together, these results demonstrated that Rex functions as a repressor of fermentative metabolism and suggests a role for Rex-dependent regulation in L. monocytogenes pathogenesis. Importantly, the gallbladder is the bacterial reservoir during listeriosis, and our data suggest redox sensing and Rex-dependent regulation are necessary for bacterial survival and replication in this organ. Listeriosis is a foodborne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes and is one of the deadliest bacterial infections known, with a mortality rate of up to 30%. Following ingestion of contaminated food, L. monocytogenes disseminates from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to peripheral organs, including the spleen, liver, and gallbladder. In this work, we investigated the role of the redox-responsive regulator Rex in L. monocytogenes growth and pathogenesis. We demonstrated that alleviation of Rex repression coordinates expression of genes necessary in the GI tract during infection, including fermentative metabolism, bile resistance, and invasion of host cells. Accordingly, Rex was dispensable for colonizing the GI tract of mice during an oral listeriosis infection. Interestingly, Rex-dependent regulation was required for bacterial replication in the spleen, liver, and gallbladder. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Rex-mediated redox sensing and transcriptional regulation are important for L. monocytogenes metabolic adaptation and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cortney R. Halsey
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Rochelle C. Glover
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Maureen K. Thomason
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Michelle L. Reniere
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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20
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Anaya-Sanchez A, Feng Y, Berude JC, Portnoy DA. Detoxification of methylglyoxal by the glyoxalase system is required for glutathione availability and virulence activation in Listeria monocytogenes. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009819. [PMID: 34407151 PMCID: PMC8372916 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive, food-borne pathogen that lives a biphasic lifestyle, cycling between the environment and as a facultative intracellular pathogen of mammals. Upon entry into host cells, L. monocytogenes upregulates expression of glutathione synthase (GshF) and its product, glutathione (GSH), which is an allosteric activator of the master virulence regulator PrfA. Although gshF mutants are highly attenuated for virulence in mice and form very small plaques in host cell monolayers, these virulence defects can be fully rescued by mutations that lock PrfA in its active conformation, referred to as PrfA*. While PrfA activation can be recapitulated in vitro by the addition of reducing agents, the precise biological cue(s) experienced by L. monocytogenes that lead to PrfA activation are not known. Here we performed a genetic screen to identify additional small-plaque mutants that were rescued by PrfA* and identified gloA, which encodes glyoxalase A, a component of a GSH-dependent methylglyoxal (MG) detoxification system. MG is a toxic byproduct of metabolism produced by both the host and pathogen, which if accumulated, causes DNA damage and protein glycation. As a facultative intracellular pathogen, L. monocytogenes must protect itself from MG produced by its own metabolic processes and that of its host. We report that gloA mutants grow normally in broth, are sensitive to exogenous MG and severely attenuated upon IV infection in mice, but are fully rescued for virulence in a PrfA* background. We demonstrate that transcriptional activation of gshF increased upon MG challenge in vitro, and while this resulted in higher levels of GSH for wild-type L. monocytogenes, the glyoxalase mutants had decreased levels of GSH, presumably due to the accumulation of the GSH-MG hemithioacetal adduct. These data suggest that MG acts as a host cue that leads to GSH production and activation of PrfA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Anaya-Sanchez
- Graduate Group in Microbiology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Ying Feng
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - John C. Berude
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel A. Portnoy
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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21
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Ku JWK, Gan YH. New roles for glutathione: Modulators of bacterial virulence and pathogenesis. Redox Biol 2021; 44:102012. [PMID: 34090244 PMCID: PMC8182430 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2021.102012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Low molecular weight (LMW) thiols contain reducing sulfhydryl groups that are important for maintaining antioxidant defense in the cell. Aside from the traditional roles of LMW thiols as redox regulators in bacteria, glutathione (GSH) has been reported to affect virulence and bacterial pathogenesis. The role of GSH in virulence is diverse, including the activation of virulence gene expression and contributing to optimal biofilm formation. GSH can also be converted to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) which is important for the pathogenesis of certain bacteria. Besides GSH, some bacteria produce other LMW thiols such as mycothiol and bacillithiol that affect bacterial virulence. We discuss these newer reported functions of LMW thiols modulating bacterial pathogenesis either directly or indirectly and via modulation of the host immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Wei Kay Ku
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, 117596, Singapore
| | - Yunn-Hwen Gan
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, 117596, Singapore.
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22
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Pasechnek A, Rabinovich L, Stadnyuk O, Azulay G, Mioduser J, Argov T, Borovok I, Sigal N, Herskovits AA. Active Lysogeny in Listeria Monocytogenes Is a Bacteria-Phage Adaptive Response in the Mammalian Environment. Cell Rep 2021; 32:107956. [PMID: 32726621 PMCID: PMC7397523 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Some Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) strains harbor a prophage within the comK gene, which renders it inactive. During Lm infection of macrophage cells, the prophage turns into a molecular switch, promoting comK gene expression and therefore Lm intracellular growth. During this process, the prophage does not produce infective phages or cause bacterial lysis, suggesting it has acquired an adaptive behavior suited to the pathogenic lifestyle of its host. In this study, we demonstrate that this non-classical phage behavior, named active lysogeny, relies on a transcriptional response that is specific to the intracellular niche. While the prophage undergoes lytic induction, the process is arrested midway, preventing the transcription of the late genes. Further, we demonstrate key phage factors, such as LlgA transcription regulator and a DNA replicase, that support the phage adaptive behavior. This study provides molecular insights into the adaptation of phages to their pathogenic hosts, uncovering unusual cooperative interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Pasechnek
- The School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel- Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Lev Rabinovich
- The School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel- Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Olga Stadnyuk
- The School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel- Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Gil Azulay
- The School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel- Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Jessica Mioduser
- The School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel- Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Tal Argov
- The School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel- Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ilya Borovok
- The School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel- Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Nadejda Sigal
- The School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel- Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Anat A Herskovits
- The School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel- Aviv 69978, Israel.
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23
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Tabakh H, McFarland AP, Thomason MK, Pollock AJ, Glover RC, Zaver SA, Woodward JJ. 4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal antimicrobial toxicity is neutralized by an intracellular pathogen. eLife 2021; 10:59295. [PMID: 33955352 PMCID: PMC8174450 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogens encounter numerous antimicrobial responses during infection, including
the reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst. ROS-mediated oxidation of host membrane
poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) generates the toxic alpha-beta carbonyl
4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE). Although studied extensively in the context of
sterile inflammation, research into 4-HNE’s role during infection remains
limited. Here, we found that 4-HNE is generated during bacterial infection, that
it impacts growth and survival in a range of bacteria, and that the
intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes induces many
genes in response to 4-HNE exposure. A component of the L.
monocytogenes 4-HNE response is the expression of the genes
lmo0103 and lmo0613, deemed
rha1 and rha2 (reductase of
host alkenals), respectively, which code for two
NADPH-dependent oxidoreductases that convert 4-HNE to the product
4-hydroxynonanal (4-HNA). Loss of these genes had no impact on L.
monocytogenes bacterial burdens during murine or tissue culture
infection. However, heterologous expression of rha1/2 in
Bacillus subtilis significantly increased bacterial
resistance to 4-HNE in vitro and promoted bacterial survival following
phagocytosis by murine macrophages in an ROS-dependent manner. Thus, Rha1 and
Rha2 are not necessary for 4-HNE resistance in L. monocytogenes
but are sufficient to confer resistance to an otherwise sensitive organism in
vitro and in host cells. Our work demonstrates that 4-HNE is a previously
unappreciated component of ROS-mediated toxicity encountered by bacteria within
eukaryotic hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Tabakh
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Adelle P McFarland
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Maureen K Thomason
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Alex J Pollock
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Rochelle C Glover
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Shivam A Zaver
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Joshua J Woodward
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
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24
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Characterization of the roles of activated charcoal and Chelex in the induction of PrfA regulon expression in complex medium. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250989. [PMID: 33914817 PMCID: PMC8084165 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is able to survive across a wide range of intra- and extra-host environments by appropriately modulating gene expression patterns in response to different stimuli. Positive Regulatory Factor A (PrfA) is the major transcriptional regulator of virulence gene expression in L. monocytogenes. It has long been known that activated charcoal is required to induce the expression of PrfA-regulated genes in complex media, such as Brain Heart Infusion (BHI), but not in chemically defined media. In this study, we show that the expression of the PrfA-regulated hly, which encodes listeriolysin O, is induced 5- and 8-fold in L. monocytogenes cells grown in Chelex-treated BHI (Ch-BHI) and in the presence of activated charcoal (AC-BHI), respectively, relative to cells grown in BHI medium. Specifically, we show that metal ions present in BHI broth plays a role in the reduced expression of the PrfA regulon. In addition, we show that expression of hly is induced when the levels of bioavailable extra- or intercellular iron are reduced. L. monocytogenes cells grown Ch-BHI and AC-BHI media showed similar levels of resistance to the iron-activated antibiotic, streptonigrin, indicating that activated charcoal reduces the intracellular labile iron pool. Metal depletion and exogenously added glutathione contributed synergistically to PrfA-regulated gene expression since glutathione further increased hly expression in metal-depleted BHI but not in BHI medium. Analyses of transcriptional reporter fusion expression patterns revealed that genes in the PrfA regulon are differentially expressed in response to metal depletion, metal excess and exogenous glutathione. Our results suggest that metal ion abundance plays a role in modulating expression of PrfA-regulated virulence genes in L. monocytogenes.
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25
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Krawczyk-Balska A, Ładziak M, Burmistrz M, Ścibek K, Kallipolitis BH. RNA-Mediated Control in Listeria monocytogenes: Insights Into Regulatory Mechanisms and Roles in Metabolism and Virulence. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:622829. [PMID: 33935989 PMCID: PMC8079631 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.622829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is an intracellular pathogen that is well known for its adaptability to life in a broad spectrum of different niches. RNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms in L. monocytogenes play important roles in successful adaptation providing fast and versatile responses to a changing environment. Recent findings indicate that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) regulate a variety of processes in this bacterium, such as environmental sensing, metabolism and virulence, as well as immune responses in eukaryotic cells. In this review, the current knowledge on RNA-mediated regulation in L. monocytogenes is presented, with special focus on the roles and mechanisms underlying modulation of metabolism and virulence. Collectively, these findings point to ncRNAs as important gene regulatory elements in L. monocytogenes, both outside and inside an infected host. However, the involvement of regulatory ncRNAs in bacterial physiology and virulence is still underestimated and probably will be better assessed in the coming years, especially in relation to discovering the regulatory functions of 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions and excludons, and by exploring the role of ncRNAs in interaction with both bacterial and host proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Krawczyk-Balska
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Ładziak
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Burmistrz
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Ścibek
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Birgitte H Kallipolitis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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26
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Galicia-Carmona T, Arango-Bravo E, Serrano-Olvera JA, Flores-de La Torre C, Cruz-Esquivel I, Villalobos-Valencia R, Morán-Mendoza A, Castro-Eguiluz D, Cetina-Pérez L. ADXS11-001 LM-LLO as specific immunotherapy in cervical cancer. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 17:2617-2625. [PMID: 33793380 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1893036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a well-known cause of cervical cancer. Therapeutic cancer vaccines are part of the current therapeutic options for HPV-associated cancers. Axalimogen filolisbac (ADXS11-001) is an immunotherapy based on live attenuated Listeria monocytogenes-listeriolysin O (Lm-LLO), designed by biological engineering to secrete an antigen-adjuvant fusion protein, composed of a truncated fragment of LLO fused to HPV. The proposed mechanism of action is that Lm-based vectors infect antigen-presenting cells (APC) and secrete HPV-LLO fusion proteins within the APC cytoplasm, these proteins are processed and presented to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), thus generating a new population of CTLs specific to HPV antigens. These HPV-specific CTLs destroy HPV infected cells. ADXS11-001 has demonstrated safety results in phase I-II studies in women with cervical cancer and is being assessed in clinical trials in patients with HPV-positive anal canal and head and neck cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Galicia-Carmona
- Department of Clinical Research, Instituto Nacional De Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico.,Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto Nacional De Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Eder Arango-Bravo
- Department of Clinical Research, Instituto Nacional De Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico.,Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto Nacional De Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Celia Flores-de La Torre
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro Estatal De Oncología Campeche INDESALUD, Campeche, Mexico
| | - Ivan Cruz-Esquivel
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Centro Estatal De Oncología Campeche INDESALUD, Campeche, Mexico
| | - Ricardo Villalobos-Valencia
- Oncology Hospital, Centro Médico Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano Del Seguro Social (IMSS), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Andrés Morán-Mendoza
- Department of Oncology, UMAE Hospital Ginecoobstetricia, Centro Médico Nacional De Occidente, Instituto Mexicano Del Seguro Social (IMSS), Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | | | - Lucely Cetina-Pérez
- Department of Clinical Research, Instituto Nacional De Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico.,Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto Nacional De Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
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27
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Chow JTH, Gall AR, Johnson AK, Huynh TN. Characterization of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from lactating dairy cows in a Wisconsin farm: Antibiotic resistance, mammalian cell infection, and effects on the fecal microbiota. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:4561-4574. [PMID: 33516554 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-18885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is an invasive foodborne pathogen that is ubiquitously present in the dairy farm environment. Although cattle are a reservoir of L. monocytogenes, most adult animals do not exhibit clinical symptoms, suggesting a homeostasis between this pathogen and the bovine gastrointestinal ecosystem. Nevertheless, substantial prevalence of L. monocytogenes fecal shedding by dairy cattle has been reported in many studies, posing threats of transmission within the herd and contamination of the human food supply. Accordingly, understanding the L. monocytogenes ecology within the bovine gastrointestinal tract is important to prevent clinical illness in the animal host, reduce transmission, and guide intervention strategies. In this study, we conducted a longitudinal sampling of fecal samples from 20 lactating dairy cows in one Wisconsin farm over a 29-d period and found a strikingly high incidence of L. monocytogenes shedding, in 90% of sampled animals. The L. monocytogenes isolates were genetically diverse, representing all common serotypes previously identified from cattle. Additionally, most tested isolates were resistant to ampicillin, and a few were also resistant to gentamicin or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Most isolates effectively infected human epithelial cells (Caco-2) and murine fibroblasts (L2), suggesting that they are all capable of causing systemic infection if the intestinal barrier is breached. Finally, we investigated the effects of L. monocytogenes colonization on the gastrointestinal tract microbiota by analyzing the fecal bacterial communities of some shedding and nonshedding cows. Whereas L. monocytogenes did not affect the α and β diversity of tested animals, a subset of shedding cows exhibited different abundances of certain operational taxonomic units within the Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes phyla compared with nonshedding cows. Overall, our findings highlight the threat of antibiotic resistance among some L. monocytogenes isolates, emphasize the need for a strain-specific approach in listeriosis treatment, and suggest the potential negative influence of subclinical L. monocytogenes carriage on animal gut health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin T H Chow
- Department of Food Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706
| | - Aaron R Gall
- Department of Food Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706
| | | | - TuAnh N Huynh
- Department of Food Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706.
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28
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Heidarlo MN, Lotfollahi L, Yousefi S, Lohrasbi V, Irajian G, Talebi M. Analysis of virulence genes and molecular typing of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from human, food, and livestock from 2008 to 2016 in Iran. Trop Anim Health Prod 2021; 53:127. [PMID: 33454847 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02569-7] [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: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The frequency of Listeria monocytogenes isolates collected from a total of 1150 samples including food (n = 300), livestock (n = 50), and human clinical (n = 800) was evaluated during 2008-2016. Antimicrobial resistance patterns, virulence factors, and molecular characteristics of these isolates were analyzed using disk diffusion method, sequencing, serotyping, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The analysis of 44 L. monocytogenes isolates showed that 72.7% (32 of 44) of all the isolates belonged to Serotype 1/2c, and 15.9% (7 of 44) belonged to Serotype 3c. All 44 isolates were resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents with the most frequent resistance to penicillin (75%) and tetracycline (47.7%). Of the 44 L. monocytogenes strains, 100, 69.2, and 62.5% of livestock, human, and food strains were resistant to penicillin, respectively. Using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) technique, the isolates' genetic diversity was determined, and 28 PFGE patterns with 8 common (CT) and 20 single types (ST) were identified. This study highlights the high prevalence of Serotype 1/2c in clinical and livestock samples, while different serotypes were observed in food samples. The presence of rare serotypes such as 4c, belonging to the Lineage III, as well as 4e and 1/2c which are infrequent in Iran indicates that paying attention to uncommon serotypes, especially 1/2c, during the listeriosis outbreaks is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lida Lotfollahi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
| | - Saber Yousefi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Vahid Lohrasbi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Irajian
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Microbial Biotechnology Research Center, University of Medical sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Malihe Talebi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Microbial Biotechnology Research Center, University of Medical sciences, Tehran, Iran
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29
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Leseigneur C, Lê-Bury P, Pizarro-Cerdá J, Dussurget O. Emerging Evasion Mechanisms of Macrophage Defenses by Pathogenic Bacteria. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:577559. [PMID: 33102257 PMCID: PMC7545029 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.577559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrophages participate to the first line of defense against infectious agents. Microbial pathogens evolved sophisticated mechanisms to escape macrophage killing. Here, we review recent discoveries and emerging concepts on bacterial molecular strategies to subvert macrophage immune responses. We focus on the expanding number of fascinating subversive tools developed by Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and pathogenic Yersinia spp., illustrating diversity and commonality in mechanisms used by microorganisms with different pathogenic lifestyles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisse Leseigneur
- Unité de Recherche Yersinia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Lê-Bury
- Unité de Recherche Yersinia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Javier Pizarro-Cerdá
- Unité de Recherche Yersinia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,National Reference Laboratory Plague & Other Yersiniosis, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,WHO Collaborative Research & Reference Centre for Yersinia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Dussurget
- Unité de Recherche Yersinia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
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Cesinger MR, Thomason MK, Edrozo MB, Halsey CR, Reniere ML. Listeria monocytogenes SpxA1 is a global regulator required to activate genes encoding catalase and heme biosynthesis enzymes for aerobic growth. Mol Microbiol 2020; 114:230-243. [PMID: 32255216 PMCID: PMC7496741 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
An imbalance of cellular oxidants and reductants causes redox stress, which must be rapidly detected to restore homeostasis. In bacteria, the Firmicutes encode conserved Spx-family transcriptional regulators that modulate transcription in response to redox stress. SpxA1 is an Spx-family orthologue in the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes that is essential for aerobic growth and pathogenesis. Here, we investigated the role of SpxA1 in growth and virulence by identifying genes regulated by SpxA1 in broth and during macrophage infection. We found SpxA1-activated genes encoding heme biosynthesis enzymes and catalase (kat) were required for L. monocytogenes aerobic growth in rich medium. An Spx-recognition motif previously defined in Bacillus subtilis was identified in the promoters of SpxA1-activated genes and proved necessary for the proper activation of two genes, indicating this regulation by SpxA1 is likely direct. Together, these findings elucidated the mechanism of spxA1 essentiality in vitro and demonstrated that SpxA1 is required for basal expression of scavenging enzymes to combat redox stress generated in the presence of oxygen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica R. Cesinger
- Department of MicrobiologySchool of MedicineUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Maureen K. Thomason
- Department of MicrobiologySchool of MedicineUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Mauna B. Edrozo
- Department of MicrobiologySchool of MedicineUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Cortney R. Halsey
- Department of MicrobiologySchool of MedicineUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Michelle L. Reniere
- Department of MicrobiologySchool of MedicineUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
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YjbH Requires Its Thioredoxin Active Motif for the Nitrosative Stress Response, Cell-to-Cell Spread, and Protein-Protein Interactions in Listeria monocytogenes. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00099-20. [PMID: 32253340 PMCID: PMC7253607 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00099-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a model facultative intracellular pathogen. Tight regulation of virulence proteins is essential for a successful infection, and the gene encoding the annotated thioredoxin YjbH was identified in two forward genetic screens as required for virulence factor production. Accordingly, an L. monocytogenes strain lacking yjbH is attenuated in a murine model of infection. However, the function of YjbH in L. monocytogenes has not been investigated. Here, we provide evidence that L. monocytogenes YjbH is involved in the nitrosative stress response, likely through its interaction with the redox-responsive transcriptional regulator SpxA1. YjbH physically interacted with SpxA1, and our data support a model in which YjbH is a protease adaptor that regulates SpxA1 protein abundance. Whole-cell proteomics identified eight additional proteins whose abundance was altered by YjbH, and we demonstrated that YjbH physically interacted with each in bacterial two-hybrid assays. Thioredoxin proteins canonically require active motif cysteines for function, but thioredoxin activity has not been tested for L. monocytogenes YjbH. We demonstrated that cysteine residues of the YjbH thioredoxin domain active motif are essential for L. monocytogenes sensitivity to nitrosative stress, cell-to-cell spread in a tissue culture model of infection, and several protein-protein interactions. Together, these results demonstrated that the function of YjbH in L. monocytogenes requires its thioredoxin active motif and that YjbH has a role in the posttranslational regulation of several proteins, including SpxA1.IMPORTANCE The annotated thioredoxin YjbH in Listeria monocytogenes has been implicated in virulence, but its function in the cell is unknown. In other bacterial species, YjbH is a protease adaptor that mediates degradation of the transcriptional regulator Spx. Here, we investigated the function of L. monocytogenes YjbH and demonstrated its role in the nitrosative stress response and posttranslational regulation of several proteins with which YjbH physically interacts, including SpxA1. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the cysteine residues of the YjbH thioredoxin active motif are required for the nitrosative stress response, cell-to-cell spread, and some protein-protein interactions. YjbH is widely conserved among Firmicutes, and this work reveals its unique requirement of the thioredoxin-active motif in L. monocytogenes.
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Domingos RM, Teixeira RD, Zeida A, Agudelo WA, Alegria TGP, da Silva Neto JF, Vieira PS, Murakami MT, Farah CS, Estrin DA, Netto LES. Substrate and Product-Assisted Catalysis: Molecular Aspects behind Structural Switches along Organic Hydroperoxide Resistance Protein Catalytic Cycle. ACS Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c01257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Renato M. Domingos
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Raphael D. Teixeira
- Departamento de Biociências, Instituto de Quı́mica, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-000 Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ari Zeida
- Departamento de Quı́mica Inorgánica Analı́tica y Quı́mica Fı́sica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - William A. Agudelo
- Departamento de Quı́mica Inorgánica Analı́tica y Quı́mica Fı́sica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Thiago G. P. Alegria
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José F. da Silva Neto
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Biociências, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-900 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Plínio S. Vieira
- Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Mario T. Murakami
- Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Chuck S. Farah
- Departamento de Biociências, Instituto de Quı́mica, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-000 Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dario A. Estrin
- Departamento de Quı́mica Inorgánica Analı́tica y Quı́mica Fı́sica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Luis E. S. Netto
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 São Paulo, Brazil
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Cortes BW, Naditz AL, Anast JM, Schmitz-Esser S. Transcriptome Sequencing of Listeria monocytogenes Reveals Major Gene Expression Changes in Response to Lactic Acid Stress Exposure but a Less Pronounced Response to Oxidative Stress. Front Microbiol 2020; 10:3110. [PMID: 32038553 PMCID: PMC6985202 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.03110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a well-characterized pathogen that represents a major threat to food safety. In this study, we examine the chromosomal and plasmid transcriptomes of two different L. monocytogenes strains, 6179 [belonging to sequence type (ST) 121] and R479a (ST8), in response to 30 min exposure to oxidative (0.01% hydrogen peroxide) and acid (1% lactic acid, pH 3.4) stress. The exposure to oxidative stress resulted in 102 and 9 differentially expressed (DE) genes in the chromosomal transcriptomes of 6179 and R479a, respectively. In contrast, 2280 and 2151 DE genes were observed in the respective chromosomal transcriptomes of 6179 and R479a in response to lactic acid stress. During lactic acid stress, we observed upregulation of numerous genes known to be involved in the L. monocytogenes stress response, including multiple members of the σB regulon, many of which have not been functionally characterized. Among these genes, homologs of lmo2230 were highly upregulated in both strains. Most notably, the σB-dependent non-coding RNA Rli47 was by far the most highly expressed gene in both 6179 and R479a, accounting for an average of 28 and 38% of all mapped reads in the respective chromosomal transcriptomes. In response to oxidative stress, one DE gene was identified in the 6179 plasmid transcriptome, and no DE genes were observed in the transcriptome of the R479a plasmid. However, lactic acid exposure resulted in upregulation of the stress response gene clpL, among others, on the 6179 plasmid. In R479a, a number of uncharacterized plasmid genes were upregulated, indicating a potential role in stress response. Furthermore, an average of 65% of all mapped transcriptome reads for the R479a plasmid following acid stress were mapped to an intergenic region bearing similarity to riboswitches involved in transition metal resistance. The results of this study support the conclusion that members of the σB regulon, particularly lmo2230 and the non-coding RNA Rli47, play an integral role in the response of L. monocytogenes to acid stress. Furthermore, we report the first global transcriptome sequencing analysis of L. monocytogenes plasmid gene expression and identify a putative, plasmid-encoded riboswitch with potential involvement in response to acid exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bienvenido W Cortes
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States.,Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Annabel L Naditz
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States.,Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Justin M Anast
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States.,Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Stephan Schmitz-Esser
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States.,Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
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Cross Talk between SigB and PrfA in Listeria monocytogenes Facilitates Transitions between Extra- and Intracellular Environments. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2019; 83:83/4/e00034-19. [PMID: 31484692 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00034-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes can modulate its transcriptome and proteome to ensure its survival during transmission through vastly differing environmental conditions. While L. monocytogenes utilizes a large array of regulators to achieve survival and growth in different intra- and extrahost environments, the alternative sigma factor σB and the transcriptional activator of virulence genes protein PrfA are two key transcriptional regulators essential for responding to environmental stress conditions and for host infection. Importantly, emerging evidence suggests that the shift from extrahost environments to the host gastrointestinal tract and, subsequently, to intracellular environments requires regulatory interplay between σB and PrfA at transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and protein activity levels. Here, we review the current evidence for cross talk and interplay between σB and PrfA and their respective regulons and highlight the plasticity of σB and PrfA cross talk and the role of this cross talk in facilitating successful transition of L. monocytogenes from diverse extrahost to diverse extra- and intracellular host environments.
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Abstract
Bacterial metabolism represents the biochemical space that bacteria can manipulate to produce energy, reducing equivalents and building blocks for replication. Gram-positive pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, show remarkable flexibility, which allows for exploitation of diverse biological niches from the soil to the intracytosolic space. Although the human host represents a potentially rich source for nutrient acquisition, competition for nutrients with the host and hostile host defenses can constrain bacterial metabolism by various mechanisms, including nutrient sequestration. Here, we review metabolism in the model Gram-positive bacterium, L. monocytogenes, and highlight pathways that enable the replication, survival, and virulence of this bacterial pathogen.
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A Potent and Effective Suicidal Listeria Vaccine Platform. Infect Immun 2019; 87:IAI.00144-19. [PMID: 31235641 PMCID: PMC6652770 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00144-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Live-attenuated Listeria monocytogenes has shown encouraging potential as an immunotherapy platform in preclinical and clinical settings. However, additional safety measures will enable application across malignant and infectious diseases. Here, we describe a new vaccine platform, termed Lm-RIID (L. monocytogenes recombinase-induced intracellular death), that induces the deletion of genes required for bacterial viability yet maintains potent T cell responses to encoded antigens. Live-attenuated Listeria monocytogenes has shown encouraging potential as an immunotherapy platform in preclinical and clinical settings. However, additional safety measures will enable application across malignant and infectious diseases. Here, we describe a new vaccine platform, termed Lm-RIID (L. monocytogenes recombinase-induced intracellular death), that induces the deletion of genes required for bacterial viability yet maintains potent T cell responses to encoded antigens. Lm-RIID grows normally in broth but commits suicide inside host cells by inducing Cre recombinase and deleting essential genes flanked by loxP sites, resulting in a self-limiting infection even in immunocompromised mice. Lm-RIID vaccination of mice induces potent CD8+ T cells and protects against virulent challenges, similar to live L. monocytogenes vaccines. When combined with α-PD-1, Lm-RIID is as effective as live-attenuated L. monocytogenes in a therapeutic tumor model. This impressive efficacy, together with the increased clearance rate, makes Lm-RIID ideal for prophylactic immunization against diseases that require T cells for protection.
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Rojas-Tapias DF, Helmann JD. Roles and regulation of Spx family transcription factors in Bacillus subtilis and related species. Adv Microb Physiol 2019; 75:279-323. [PMID: 31655740 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ampbs.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis Spx is the prototype for a large family of redox-responsive transcription factors found in many bacteria, most notably those from the phylum Firmicutes. Unusually for a transcription factor, B. subtilis Spx protein modulates gene expression by binding as a monomer to the αCTD domain of RNA polymerase (RNAP), and only interacts with DNA during subsequent promoter engagement. B. subtilis Spx drives the expression of a large regulon in response to proteotoxic conditions, such as heat and disulfide stress, as well as cell wall stress. Here, we review the detailed mechanisms that control the expression, stability, and activity of Spx in response to a variety of stress conditions. We also summarize current knowledge regarding Spx homologs in other Firmicutes, the environmental conditions in which those homologs are activated, and their biological role.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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38
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Johansson J, Freitag NE. Regulation of Listeria monocytogenes Virulence. Microbiol Spectr 2019; 7:10.1128/microbiolspec.gpp3-0064-2019. [PMID: 31441398 PMCID: PMC10957223 DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.gpp3-0064-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Whereas obligate human and animal bacterial pathogens may be able to depend upon the warmth and relative stability of their chosen replication niche, environmental bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes that harbor the ability to replicate both within animal cells and in the outside environment must maintain the capability to manage life under a variety of disparate conditions. Bacterial life in the outside environment requires adaptation to wide ranges of temperature, available nutrients, and physical stresses such as changes in pH and osmolarity as well as desiccation. Following ingestion by a susceptible animal host, the bacterium must adapt to similar changes during transit through the gastrointestinal tract and overcome a variety of barriers associated with host innate immune responses. Rapid alteration of patterns of gene expression and protein synthesis represent one strategy for quickly adapting to a dynamic host landscape. Here, we provide an overview of the impressive variety of strategies employed by the soil-dwelling, foodborne, mammalian pathogen L. monocytogenes to straddle diverse environments and optimize bacterial fitness both inside and outside host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörgen Johansson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) and Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nancy E Freitag
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL
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Liu Y, Orsi RH, Gaballa A, Wiedmann M, Boor KJ, Guariglia-Oropeza V. Systematic review of the Listeria monocytogenes σB regulon supports a role in stress response, virulence and metabolism. Future Microbiol 2019; 14:801-828. [DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2019-0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Among the alternative sigma factors of Listeria monocytogenes, σB controls the largest regulon. The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive review of σB-regulated genes, and the functions they confer. Materials & methods: A systematic search of PubMed and Web of Knowledge was carried out to identify members of the σB regulon based on experimental evidence of σB-dependent transcription and presence of a consensus σB-dependent promoter. Results: The literature review identified σB-dependent transcription units encompassing 304 genes encoding different functions including stress response and virulence. Conclusion: Our review supports the well-known roles of σB in virulence and stress response and provides new insight into novel roles for σB in metabolism and overall resilience of L. monocytogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichang Liu
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Renato H Orsi
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Ahmed Gaballa
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Martin Wiedmann
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Kathryn J Boor
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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Structural Basis for YjbH Adaptor-Mediated Recognition of Transcription Factor Spx. Structure 2019; 27:923-936.e6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2019.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Ruhland BR, Reniere ML. Sense and sensor ability: redox-responsive regulators in Listeria monocytogenes. Curr Opin Microbiol 2018; 47:20-25. [PMID: 30412828 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a Gram-positive bacterium that thrives in nature as a saprophyte and in the mammalian host as an intracellular pathogen. Both environments pose potential danger in the form of redox stress. In addition, endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) are continuously generated as by-products of aerobic metabolism. Redox stress from ROS can damage proteins, lipids, and DNA, making it highly advantageous for bacteria to evolve mechanisms to sense and detoxify ROS. This review focuses on the five redox-responsive regulators in Lm: OhrR (to sense organic hydroperoxides), PerR (peroxides), Rex (NAD+/NADH homeostasis), SpxA1/2 (disulfide stress), and PrfA (redox stress during infection).
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Abstract
The abundance of oxidants and reductants must be balanced for an organism to thrive. Bacteria have evolved methods to prevent redox imbalances and to mitigate their deleterious consequences through the expression of detoxification enzymes, antioxidants, and systems to repair or degrade damaged proteins and DNA. Regulating these processes in response to redox changes requires sophisticated surveillance strategies ranging from metal chelation to direct sensing of toxic reactive oxygen species. In the case of bacterial pathogens, stress that threatens to disrupt redox homeostasis can derive from endogenous sources (produced by the bacteria) or exogenous sources (produced by the host). This minireview summarizes the sources of redox stress encountered during infection, the mechanisms by which bacterial pathogens diminish the damaging effects of redox stress, and the clever ways some organisms have evolved to thrive in the face of redox challenges during infection.
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RECON-Dependent Inflammation in Hepatocytes Enhances Listeria monocytogenes Cell-to-Cell Spread. mBio 2018; 9:mBio.00526-18. [PMID: 29764944 PMCID: PMC5954220 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00526-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The oxidoreductase RECON is a high-affinity cytosolic sensor of bacterium-derived cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs). CDN binding inhibits RECON's enzymatic activity and subsequently promotes inflammation. In this study, we sought to characterize the effects of RECON on the infection cycle of the intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, which secretes cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP) into the cytosol of infected host cells. Here, we report that during infection of RECON-deficient hepatocytes, which exhibit hyperinflammatory responses, L. monocytogenes exhibits significantly enhanced cell-to-cell spread. Enhanced bacterial spread could not be attributed to alterations in PrfA or ActA, two virulence factors critical for intracellular motility and intercellular spread. Detailed microscopic analyses revealed that in the absence of RECON, L. monocytogenes actin tail lengths were significantly longer and there was a larger number of faster-moving bacteria. Complementation experiments demonstrated that the effects of RECON on L. monocytogenes spread and actin tail lengths were linked to its enzymatic activity. RECON enzyme activity suppresses NF-κB activation and is inhibited by c-di-AMP. Consistent with these previous findings, we found that augmented NF-κB activation in the absence of RECON caused enhanced L. monocytogenes cell-to-cell spread and that L. monocytogenes spread correlated with c-di-AMP secretion. Finally, we discovered that, remarkably, increased NF-κB-dependent inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and nitric oxide production were responsible for promoting L. monocytogenes cell-to-cell spread. The work presented here supports a model whereby L. monocytogenes secretion of c-di-AMP inhibits RECON's enzymatic activity, drives augmented NF-κB activation and nitric oxide production, and ultimately enhances intercellular spread.IMPORTANCE To date, bacterial CDNs in eukaryotes are solely appreciated for their capacity to activate cytosolic sensing pathways in innate immunity. However, it remains unclear whether pathogens that actively secrete CDNs benefit from this process. Here, we provide evidence that secretion of CDNs leads to enhancement of L. monocytogenes cell-to-cell spread. This is a heretofore-unknown role of these molecules and suggests L. monocytogenes may benefit from their secretion in certain contexts. Molecular characterization revealed that, surprisingly, nitric oxide was responsible for the enhanced spread. Pathogens act to prevent nitric oxide production or, like L. monocytogenes, they have evolved to resist its direct antimicrobial effects. This study provides evidence that intracellular bacterial pathogens not only tolerate nitric oxide, which is inevitably encountered during infection, but can also capitalize on the changes this pleiotropic molecule enacts on the host cell.
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Kulén M, Lindgren M, Hansen S, Cairns AG, Grundström C, Begum A, van der Lingen I, Brännström K, Hall M, Sauer UH, Johansson J, Sauer-Eriksson AE, Almqvist F. Structure-Based Design of Inhibitors Targeting PrfA, the Master Virulence Regulator of Listeria monocytogenes. J Med Chem 2018; 61:4165-4175. [PMID: 29667825 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen that controls much of its virulence through the transcriptional regulator PrfA. In this study, we describe structure-guided design and synthesis of a set of PrfA inhibitors based on ring-fused 2-pyridone heterocycles. Our most effective compound decreased virulence factor expression, reduced bacterial uptake into eukaryotic cells, and improved survival of chicken embryos infected with L. monocytogenes compared to previously identified compounds. Crystal structures identified an intraprotein "tunnel" as the main inhibitor binding site (AI), where the compounds participate in an extensive hydrophobic network that restricts the protein's ability to form functional DNA-binding helix-turn-helix (HTH) motifs. Our studies also revealed a hitherto unsuspected structural plasticity of the HTH motif. In conclusion, we have designed 2-pyridone analogues that function as site-AI selective PrfA inhibitors with potent antivirulence properties.
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa gshA Mutant Is Defective in Biofilm Formation, Swarming, and Pyocyanin Production. mSphere 2018; 3:3/2/e00155-18. [PMID: 29669887 PMCID: PMC5907650 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00155-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous bacterium that can cause severe opportunistic infections, including many hospital-acquired infections. It is also a major cause of infections in patients with cystic fibrosis. P. aeruginosa is intrinsically resistant to a number of drugs and is capable of forming biofilms that are difficult to eradicate with antibiotics. The number of drug-resistant strains is also increasing, making treatment of P. aeruginosa infections very difficult. Thus, there is an urgent need to understand how P. aeruginosa causes disease in order to find novel ways to treat infections. We show that the principal redox buffer, glutathione (GSH), is involved in intrinsic resistance to the fosfomycin and rifampin antibiotics. We further demonstrate that GSH plays a role in P. aeruginosa disease and infection, since a mutant lacking GSH has less biofilm formation, is less able to swarm, and produces less pyocyanin, a pigment associated with infection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous Gram-negative bacterium that can cause severe opportunistic infections. The principal redox buffer employed by this organism is glutathione (GSH). To assess the role of GSH in the virulence of P. aeruginosa, a number of analyses were performed using a mutant strain deficient in gshA, which does not produce GSH. The mutant strain exhibited a growth delay in minimal medium compared to the wild-type strain. Furthermore, the gshA mutant was defective in biofilm and persister cell formation and in swimming and swarming motility and produced reduced levels of pyocyanin, a key virulence factor. Finally, the gshA mutant strain demonstrated increased sensitivity to methyl viologen (a redox cycling agent) as well as the thiol-reactive antibiotics fosfomycin and rifampin. Taken together, these data suggest a key role for GSH in the virulence of P. aeruginosa. IMPORTANCEPseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous bacterium that can cause severe opportunistic infections, including many hospital-acquired infections. It is also a major cause of infections in patients with cystic fibrosis. P. aeruginosa is intrinsically resistant to a number of drugs and is capable of forming biofilms that are difficult to eradicate with antibiotics. The number of drug-resistant strains is also increasing, making treatment of P. aeruginosa infections very difficult. Thus, there is an urgent need to understand how P. aeruginosa causes disease in order to find novel ways to treat infections. We show that the principal redox buffer, glutathione (GSH), is involved in intrinsic resistance to the fosfomycin and rifampin antibiotics. We further demonstrate that GSH plays a role in P. aeruginosa disease and infection, since a mutant lacking GSH has less biofilm formation, is less able to swarm, and produces less pyocyanin, a pigment associated with infection.
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Quereda JJ, Andersson C, Cossart P, Johansson J, Pizarro-Cerdá J. Role in virulence of phospholipases, listeriolysin O and listeriolysin S from epidemic Listeria monocytogenes using the chicken embryo infection model. Vet Res 2018; 49:13. [PMID: 29409521 PMCID: PMC5801685 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-017-0496-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Most human listeriosis outbreaks are caused by Listeria monocytogenes evolutionary lineage I strains which possess four exotoxins: a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PlcA), a broad-range phospholipase C (PlcB), listeriolysin O (LLO) and listeriolysin S (LLS). The simultaneous contribution of these molecules to virulence has never been explored. Here, the importance of these four exotoxins of an epidemic lineage I L. monocytogenes strain (F2365) in virulence was assessed in chicken embryos infected in the allantoic cavity. We show that LLS does not play a role in virulence while LLO is required to infect and kill chicken embryos both in wild type transcriptional regulator of virulence PrfA (PrfAWT) and constitutively active PrfA (PrfA*) backgrounds. We demonstrate that PlcA, a toxin previously considered as a minor virulence factor, played a major role in virulence in a PrfA* background. Interestingly, GFP transcriptional fusions show that the plcA promoter is less active than the hly promoter in vitro, explaining why the contribution of PlcA to virulence could be observed more importantly in a PrfA* background. Together, our results suggest that PlcA might play a more important role in the infectious lifecycle of L. monocytogenes than previously thought, explaining why all the strains of L. monocytogenes have conserved an intact copy of plcA in their genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Quereda
- Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, Département de Biologie Cellulaire et Infection, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France. .,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U604, 75015, Paris, France. .,Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, USC2020, 75015, Paris, France. .,Grupo Fisiopatología de la Reproducción, Departamento Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública Veterinaria y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Christopher Andersson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden.,Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Pascale Cossart
- Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, Département de Biologie Cellulaire et Infection, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U604, 75015, Paris, France.,Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, USC2020, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Jörgen Johansson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden.,Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Javier Pizarro-Cerdá
- Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, Département de Biologie Cellulaire et Infection, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France. .,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U604, 75015, Paris, France. .,Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, USC2020, 75015, Paris, France. .,Unité de Recherche Yersinia, Département de Microbiologie, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France. .,Centre National de Référence "Peste et autres Yersinioses, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France. .,Centre Collaborateur OMS de Référence et de Recherche "Yersinia", Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France.
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Eshwar AK, Guldimann C, Oevermann A, Tasara T. Cold-Shock Domain Family Proteins (Csps) Are Involved in Regulation of Virulence, Cellular Aggregation, and Flagella-Based Motility in Listeria monocytogenes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:453. [PMID: 29124040 PMCID: PMC5662587 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cold shock-domain family proteins (Csps) are highly conserved nucleic acid binding proteins regulating the expression of various genes including those involved in stress resistance and virulence in bacteria. We show here that Csps are involved in virulence, cell aggregation and flagella-based extracellular motility of Listeria monocytogenes. A L. monocytogenes mutant deleted in all three csp genes (ΔcspABD) is attenuated with respect to human macrophage infection as well as virulence in a zebrafish infection model. Moreover, this mutant is incapable of aggregation and fails to express surface flagella or exhibit swarming motility. An evaluation of double csp gene deletion mutant (ΔcspBD, ΔcspAD and ΔcspAB) strains that produce single csp genes showed that there is redundancy as well as functional differences among the three L. monocytogenes Csps in their contributions to virulence, cellular aggregation, flagella production, and swarming motility. Protein and mRNA expression analysis further showed impaired expression of key virulence and motility genes in the csp mutants. Our observations at protein and mRNA level suggest Csp-dependent expression regulation of these genes at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. In a mutant lacking all csp genes (ΔcspABD) as well as those possessing single csp genes (ΔcspBD, ΔcspAD, and ΔcspAB) we detected reduced levels of proteins or activity as well as transcripts from the prfA, hly, mpl, and plcA genes suggesting a Csp-dependent transcriptional regulation of these genes. These csp mutants also had reduced or completely lacked ActA proteins and cell surface flagella but contained elevated actA and flaA mRNA levels compared to the parental wild type strain suggesting Csp involvement in post-transcriptional regulation of these genes. Overall, our results suggest that Csps contribute to the expression regulation of virulence and flagella-associated genes thereby promoting host pathogenicity, cell aggregation and flagella-based motility processes in L. monocytogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athmanya K. Eshwar
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Guldimann
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna Oevermann
- Neuropathology—Division of Neurological Sciences, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Taurai Tasara
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Abstract
Upon entry into the host cell cytosol, the facultative intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes coordinates the expression of numerous essential virulence factors by allosteric binding of glutathione (GSH) to the Crp-Fnr family transcriptional regulator PrfA. Here, we report that robust virulence gene expression can be recapitulated by growing bacteria in a synthetic medium containing GSH or other chemical reducing agents. Bacteria grown under these conditions were 45-fold more virulent in an acute murine infection model and conferred greater immunity to a subsequent lethal challenge than bacteria grown in conventional media. During cultivation in vitro, PrfA activation was completely dependent on the intracellular levels of GSH, as a glutathione synthase mutant (ΔgshF) was activated by exogenous GSH but not reducing agents. PrfA activation was repressed in a synthetic medium supplemented with oligopeptides, but the repression was relieved by stimulation of the stringent response. These data suggest that cytosolic L. monocytogenes interprets a combination of metabolic and redox cues as a signal to initiate robust virulence gene expression in vivo. Intracellular pathogens are responsible for much of the worldwide morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases. These pathogens have evolved various strategies to proliferate within individual cells of the host and avoid the host immune response. Through cellular invasion or the use of specialized secretion machinery, all intracellular pathogens must access the host cell cytosol to establish their replicative niches. Determining how these pathogens sense and respond to the intracellular compartment to establish a successful infection is critical to our basic understanding of the pathogenesis of each organism and for the rational design of therapeutic interventions. Listeria monocytogenes is a model intracellular pathogen with robust in vitro and in vivo infection models. Studies of the host-sensing and downstream signaling mechanisms evolved by L. monocytogenes often describe themes of pathogenesis that are broadly applicable to less tractable pathogens. Here, we describe how bacteria use external redox states as a cue to activate virulence.
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David DJV, Cossart P. Recent advances in understanding Listeria monocytogenes infection: the importance of subcellular and physiological context. F1000Res 2017; 6. [PMID: 28781746 PMCID: PMC5516218 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.11363.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial pathogen
Listeria monocytogenes (
Lm) is the causative agent of listeriosis, a rare but fatal foodborne disease. During infection,
Lm can traverse several host barriers and enter the cytosol of a variety of cell types. Thus, consideration of the extracellular and intracellular niches of
Lm is critical for understanding the infection process. Here, we review advances in our understanding of
Lm infection and highlight how the interactions between the host and the pathogen are context dependent. We discuss discoveries of how
Lm senses entry into the host cell cytosol. We present findings concerning how the nature of the various cytoskeleton components subverted by
Lm changes depending on both the stage of infection and the subcellular context. We present discoveries of critical components required for
Lm traversal of physiological barriers. Interactions between the host gut microbiota and
Lm will be briefly discussed. Finally, the importance of
Lm biodiversity and post-genomics approaches as a promising way to discover novel virulence factors will be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daryl J V David
- Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, Department of Cell Biology and Infection, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Pascale Cossart
- Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, Department of Cell Biology and Infection, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Sternkopf Lillebæk EM, Lambert Nielsen S, Scheel Thomasen R, Færgeman NJ, Kallipolitis BH. Antimicrobial medium- and long-chain free fatty acids prevent PrfA-dependent activation of virulence genes in Listeria monocytogenes. Res Microbiol 2017; 168:547-557. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2017.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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