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Li Z, Fan H, Ding W. Solving protein structures by combining structure prediction, molecular replacement and direct-methods-aided model completion. IUCRJ 2024; 11:152-167. [PMID: 38214490 PMCID: PMC10916285 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252523010291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Highly accurate protein structure prediction can generate accurate models of protein and protein-protein complexes in X-ray crystallography. However, the question of how to make more effective use of predicted models for completing structure analysis, and which strategies should be employed for the more challenging cases such as multi-helical structures, multimeric structures and extremely large structures, both in the model preparation and in the completion steps, remains open for discussion. In this paper, a new strategy is proposed based on the framework of direct methods and dual-space iteration, which can greatly simplify the pre-processing steps of predicted models both in normal and in challenging cases. Following this strategy, full-length models or the conservative structural domains could be used directly as the starting model, and the phase error and the model bias between the starting model and the real structure would be modified in the direct-methods-based dual-space iteration. Many challenging cases (from CASP14) have been tested for the general applicability of this constructive strategy, and almost complete models have been generated with reasonable statistics. The hybrid strategy therefore provides a meaningful scheme for X-ray structure determination using a predicted model as the starting point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zengru Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People’s Republic of China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haifu Fan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Ding
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People’s Republic of China
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2
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Herzberg O, Moult J. More than just pattern recognition: Prediction of uncommon protein structure features by AI methods. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221745120. [PMID: 37399411 PMCID: PMC10334792 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221745120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The CASP14 experiment demonstrated the extraordinary structure modeling capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) methods. That result has ignited a fierce debate about what these methods are actually doing. One of the criticisms has been that the AI does not have any sense of the underlying physics but is merely performing pattern recognition. Here, we address that issue by analyzing the extent to which the methods identify rare structural motifs. The rationale underlying the approach is that a pattern recognition machine tends to choose the more frequently occurring motifs, whereas some sense of subtle energetic factors is required to choose infrequently occurring ones. To reduce the possibility of bias from related experimental structures and to minimize the effect of experimental errors, we examined only CASP14 target protein crystal structures determined to a resolution limit better than 2 Å, which lacked significant amino acid sequence homology to proteins of known structure. In those experimental structures and in the corresponding models, we track cis peptides, π-helices, 310-helices, and other small 3D motifs that occur in the PDB database at a frequency of lower than 1% of total amino acid residues. The best-performing AI method, AlphaFold2, captured these uncommon structural elements exquisitely well. All discrepancies appeared to be a consequence of crystal environment effects. We propose that the neural network learned a protein structure potential of mean force, enabling it to correctly identify situations where unusual structural features represent the lowest local free energy because of subtle influences from the atomic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osnat Herzberg
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD20850
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, University of Maryland, Chemistry Building, College Park, MD20742
| | - John Moult
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD20850
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, Microbiology Building, College Park, MD20742
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3
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Khayat MT, Abbas HA, Ibrahim TS, Elbaramawi SS, Khayyat AN, Alharbi M, Hegazy WAH, Yehia FAZA. Synergistic Benefits: Exploring the Anti-Virulence Effects of Metformin/Vildagliptin Antidiabetic Combination against Pseudomonas aeruginosa via Controlling Quorum Sensing Systems. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11051442. [PMID: 37239113 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The repurposing of drugs is one of the most competent strategies for discovering new antimicrobial agents. Vildagliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPI-4) that is used effectively in combination with metformin to control blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. This study was designed to evaluate the anti-virulence activities of this combination against one of the most clinically important pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The current findings show a significant ability of the vildagliptin-metformin combination to diminish biofilm formation, bacterial motility, and the production of virulent extracellular enzymes and pyocyanin pigment. Furthermore, this drug combination significantly increased the susceptibility of P. aeruginosa to oxidative stress, indicating immunity enhancement in the eradication of bacterial cells. In compliance with the in vitro findings, the histopathological photomicrographs of mice showed a considerable protective effect of the metformin-vildagliptin combination against P. aeruginosa, revealing relief of inflammation due to P. aeruginosa-induced pathogenesis. P. aeruginosa mainly employs quorum sensing (QS) systems to control the production of its huge arsenal of virulence factors. The anti-virulence activities of the metformin-vildagliptin combination can be interrupted by the anti-QS activities of both metformin and vildagliptin, as both exhibited a considerable affinity to QS receptors. Additionally, the metformin-vildagliptin combination significantly downregulated the expression of the main three QS-encoding genes in P. aeruginosa. These findings show the significant anti-virulence activities of metformin-vildagliptin at very low concentrations (10, 1.25 mg/mL, respectively) compared to the concentrations (850, 50 mg/mL, respectively) used to control diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maan T Khayat
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hisham A Abbas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Tarek S Ibrahim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Samar S Elbaramawi
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Ahdab N Khayyat
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Majed Alharbi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wael A H Hegazy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
- Pharmacy Program, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Oman College of Health Sciences, Muscat 113, Oman
| | - Fatma Al-Zahraa A Yehia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
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4
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Mancuso G, Midiri A, Gerace E, Marra M, Zummo S, Biondo C. Urinary Tract Infections: The Current Scenario and Future Prospects. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12040623. [PMID: 37111509 PMCID: PMC10145414 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12040623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide, occurring in both community and healthcare settings. Although the clinical symptoms of UTIs are heterogeneous and range from uncomplicated (uUTIs) to complicated (cUTIs), most UTIs are usually treated empirically. Bacteria are the main causative agents of these infections, although more rarely, other microorganisms, such as fungi and some viruses, have been reported to be responsible for UTIs. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most common causative agent for both uUTIs and cUTIs, followed by other pathogenic microorganisms, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus spp. In addition, the incidence of UTIs caused by multidrug resistance (MDR) is increasing, resulting in a significant increase in the spread of antibiotic resistance and the economic burden of these infections. Here, we discuss the various factors associated with UTIs, including the mechanisms of pathogenicity related to the bacteria that cause UTIs and the emergence of increasing resistance in UTI pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Mancuso
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Angelina Midiri
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | | | - Maria Marra
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Sebastiana Zummo
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Carmelo Biondo
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
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5
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Elfaky MA, Elbaramawi SS, Eissa AG, Ibrahim TS, Khafagy ES, Ali MAM, Hegazy WAH. Drug repositioning: doxazosin attenuates the virulence factors and biofilm formation in Gram-negative bacteria. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:3763-3778. [PMID: 37079062 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12522-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
The resistance development is an increasing global health risk that needs innovative solutions. Repurposing drugs to serve as anti-virulence agents is suggested as an advantageous strategy to diminish bacterial resistance development. Bacterial virulence is controlled by quorum sensing (QS) system that orchestrates the expression of biofilm formation, motility, and virulence factors production as enzymes and virulent pigments. Interfering with QS could lead to bacterial virulence mitigation without affecting bacterial growth that does not result in bacterial resistance development. This study investigated the probable anti-virulence and anti-QS activities of α-adrenoreceptor blocker doxazosin against Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Besides in silico study, in vitro and in vivo investigations were conducted to assess the doxazosin anti-virulence actions. Doxazosin significantly diminished the biofilm formation and release of QS-controlled Chromobacterium violaceum pigment and virulence factors in P. aeruginosa and P. mirabilis, and downregulated the QS encoding genes in P. aeruginosa. Virtually, doxazosin interfered with QS proteins, and in vivo protected mice against P. mirabilis and P. aeruginosa. The role of the membranal sensors as QseC and PmrA was recognized in enhancing the Gram-negative virulence. Doxazosin downregulated the membranal sensors PmR and QseC encoding genes and could in silico interfere with them. In conclusion, this study preliminary documents the probable anti-QS and anti-virulence activities of doxazosin, which indicate its possible application as an alternative or in addition to antibiotics. However, extended toxicological and pharmacological investigations are essential to approve the feasible clinical application of doxazosin as novel efficient anti-virulence agent. KEY POINTS: • Anti-hypertensive doxazosin acquires anti-quorum sensing activities • Doxazosin diminishes the virulence of Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa • Doxazosin could dimmish the bacterial espionage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud A Elfaky
- Department of Natural Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Precision Medicines, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Samar S Elbaramawi
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt
| | - Ahmed G Eissa
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt
| | - Tarek S Ibrahim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - El-Sayed Khafagy
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, 11942, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A M Ali
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, 11432, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, 11566, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Wael A H Hegazy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt.
- Pharmacy Program, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Oman College of Health Sciences, Muscat, 113, Oman.
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6
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Pradhan R, Panigrahi S, Sahu PK. Conformational Search for the Building Block of Proteins Based on the Gradient Gravitational Search Algorithm (ConfGGS) Using Force Fields: CHARMM, AMBER, and OPLS-AA. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:670-690. [PMID: 36625780 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Proteins are linear polymers built from a repertoire of 20 different amino acids, which are considered building blocks of proteins. The diversity and versatility of these 20 building blocks with regard to their conformations are key to adopting three-dimensional structures that facilitate proteins to undergo important mechanistic biological processes in living systems. The present investigation reports a conformational search of 20 different amino acids, building blocks of proteins, using three different force fields, CHARMM, AMBER, and OPLS-AA, implemented in the gradient gravitational search algorithm. The search technique (ConfGGS) includes the contribution from both bonded and nonbonded terms using Cartesian coordinates. The efficiency of such conformational searches has also been compared with other optimization algorithms: DE/Best, DE/Rand, and PSO algorithms with respect to computational time and accuracy based on the minimum number of iteration steps and computed lowest mean absolute error (MAE) and mean standard deviation (MSD) values for dihedral angles of respective near-optimal structures. Moreover, the ConfGGS technique has also been extended to an ordered protein fragment (PQITL) extracted from HIV-1 protease (PDB ID: 1YTH), an intrinsically disordered protein fragment, i.e., an amyloid-forming segment (AVVTGVTAV), from the NAC domain of Parkinson's disease protein α-synuclein, residues 69-77 (PDB ID: 4RIK), the experimental NMR atomic-resolution structure of α-synuclein fibrils (PDB ID: 2N0A), and a disulfide bond-containing protein fragment sequence (PCYGWPVCY), residues 59-67 (PDB ID: 6Y4F) toward structure prediction as a close homologue compared with experimental accuracy, using the CHARMM force field. The MolProbity validation results for the protein fragment (PQITL) obtained by ConfGGS/CHARMM are in better agreement with the native protein fragment structure of HIV-1 protease (PDB ID: 1YTH). Furthermore, the computed results have also been compared with the coordinates obtained from the AlphaFold network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rojalin Pradhan
- Computational Modeling Research Laboratory, School of Chemistry (Autonomous), Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla768019, India
| | - Sibarama Panigrahi
- Computational Modeling Research Laboratory, School of Chemistry (Autonomous), Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla768019, India
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Sambalpur University Institute of Information Technology, Jyoti Vihar, Burla768019, India
| | - Prabhat K Sahu
- Computational Modeling Research Laboratory, School of Chemistry (Autonomous), Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla768019, India
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Lila ASA, Rajab AAH, Abdallah MH, Rizvi SMD, Moin A, Khafagy ES, Tabrez S, Hegazy WAH. Biofilm Lifestyle in Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:life13010148. [PMID: 36676100 PMCID: PMC9865985 DOI: 10.3390/life13010148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) represent one of the most common infections that are frequently encountered in health care facilities. One of the main mechanisms used by bacteria that allows them to survive hostile environments is biofilm formation. Biofilms are closed bacterial communities that offer protection and safe hiding, allowing bacteria to evade host defenses and hide from the reach of antibiotics. Inside biofilm communities, bacteria show an increased rate of horizontal gene transfer and exchange of resistance and virulence genes. Additionally, bacterial communication within the biofilm allows them to orchestrate the expression of virulence genes, which further cements the infestation and increases the invasiveness of the infection. These facts stress the necessity of continuously updating our information and understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis, and eradication methods of this growing public health concern. This review seeks to understand the role of biofilm formation in recurrent urinary tact infections by outlining the mechanisms underlying biofilm formation in different uropathogens, in addition to shedding light on some biofilm eradication strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr S. Abu Lila
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 81442, Saudi Arabia
- Molecular Diagnostics and Personalized Therapeutics Unit, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 81442, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
- Correspondence: (A.S.A.L.); (W.A.H.H.)
| | - Azza A. H. Rajab
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Marwa H. Abdallah
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 81442, Saudi Arabia
- Molecular Diagnostics and Personalized Therapeutics Unit, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 81442, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Syed Mohd Danish Rizvi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 81442, Saudi Arabia
- Molecular Diagnostics and Personalized Therapeutics Unit, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 81442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Afrasim Moin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 81442, Saudi Arabia
- Molecular Diagnostics and Personalized Therapeutics Unit, University of Ha’il, Ha’il 81442, Saudi Arabia
| | - El-Sayed Khafagy
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| | - Shams Tabrez
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wael A. H. Hegazy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
- Pharmacy Program, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Oman College of Health Sciences, Muscat 113, Oman
- Correspondence: (A.S.A.L.); (W.A.H.H.)
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8
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Govindarajan DK, Kandaswamy K. Virulence factors of uropathogens and their role in host pathogen interactions. Cell Surf 2022; 8:100075. [PMID: 35198842 PMCID: PMC8841375 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcsw.2022.100075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial pathogens are commonly found in Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), particularly infected in females like pregnant women, elder people, sexually active, or individuals prone to other risk factors for UTI. In this article, we review the expression of virulence surface proteins and their interaction with host cells for the most frequently isolated uropathogens: Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. In addition to the host cell interaction, surface protein regulation was also discussed in this article. The surface protein regulation serves as a key tool in differentiating the pathogen isotypes. Furthermore, it might provide insights on novel diagnostic methods to detect uropathogen that are otherwise easily overlooked due to limited culture-based assays. In essence, this review shall provide an in-depth understanding on secretion of virulence factors of various uropathogens and their role in host-pathogen interaction, this knowledge might be useful in the development of therapeutics against uropathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kumaravel Kandaswamy
- Corresponding author at: Department of Biotechnology, Kumaraguru College of Technology (KCT), Chinnavedampatti, Coimbatore 641049, Tamil Nadu, India.
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9
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Improved inter-residue contact prediction via a hybrid generative model and dynamic loss function. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:6138-6148. [DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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10
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Cavalu S, Elbaramawi SS, Eissa AG, Radwan MF, S. Ibrahim T, Khafagy ES, Lopes BS, Ali MAM, Hegazy WAH, Elfaky MA. Characterization of the Anti-Biofilm and Anti-Quorum Sensing Activities of the β-Adrenoreceptor Antagonist Atenolol against Gram-Negative Bacterial Pathogens. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:13088. [PMID: 36361877 PMCID: PMC9656717 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of bacterial resistance to antibiotics is an increasing public health issue that worsens with the formation of biofilms. Quorum sensing (QS) orchestrates the bacterial virulence and controls the formation of biofilm. Targeting bacterial virulence is promising approach to overcome the resistance increment to antibiotics. In a previous detailed in silico study, the anti-QS activities of twenty-two β-adrenoreceptor blockers were screened supposing atenolol as a promising candidate. The current study aims to evaluate the anti-QS, anti-biofilm and anti-virulence activities of the β-adrenoreceptor blocker atenolol against Gram-negative bacteria Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis. An in silico study was conducted to evaluate the binding affinity of atenolol to S. marcescens SmaR QS receptor, P. aeruginosa QscR QS receptor, and P. mirabilis MrpH adhesin. The atenolol anti-virulence activity was evaluated against the tested strains in vitro and in vivo. The present finding shows considerable ability of atenolol to compete with QS proteins and significantly downregulated the expression of QS- and virulence-encoding genes. Atenolol showed significant reduction in the tested bacterial biofilm formation, virulence enzyme production, and motility. Furthermore, atenolol significantly diminished the bacterial capacity for killing and protected mice. In conclusion, atenolol has potential anti-QS and anti-virulence activities against S. marcescens, P. aeruginosa, and P. mirabilis and can be used as an adjuvant in treatment of aggressive bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Cavalu
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, P-ta 1 Decembrie 10, 410087 Oradea, Romania
| | - Samar S. Elbaramawi
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Ahmed G. Eissa
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Mohamed F. Radwan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tarek S. Ibrahim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - El-Sayed Khafagy
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| | - Bruno Silvester Lopes
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BA, UK
- National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington DL1 1HG, UK
| | - Mohamed A. M. Ali
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 11432, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Wael A. H. Hegazy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
- Pharmacy Program, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Oman College of Health Sciences, Muscat 113, Oman
| | - Mahmoud A. Elfaky
- Department of Natural Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Precision Medicines, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
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11
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Thabit AK, Eljaaly K, Zawawi A, Ibrahim TS, Eissa AG, Elbaramawi SS, Hegazy WAH, Elfaky MA. Muting Bacterial Communication: Evaluation of Prazosin Anti-Quorum Sensing Activities against Gram-Negative Bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, and Serratia marcescens. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11091349. [PMID: 36138828 PMCID: PMC9495718 DOI: 10.3390/biology11091349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Bacterial infections are considered one of the main challenges to global health. Bacterial virulence is controlled by interplayed systems to regulate bacterial invasion and infection in host tissues. Quorum sensing (QS) plays a crucial role in regulating virulence factor production, thus could be considered as the bacterial communication system in the bacterial population. The current study aimed to assess the anti-QS and anti-virulence activities of α-adrenoreceptor prazosin against three virulent Gram-negative bacteria. It was demonstrated that prazosin significantly downregulates the expression of QS-encoding genes and shows considered ability to compete on QS proteins in tested strains. Prazosin can significantly diminish biofilm formation and production of virulent enzymes and mitigate the virulence factors of tested strains. However, more testing is required alongside pharmacological and toxicological studies to assure the potential clinical use of prazosin as an adjuvant anti-QS and anti-virulence agent. Abstract Quorum sensing (QS) controls the production of several bacterial virulence factors. There is accumulative evidence to support that targeting QS can ensure a significant diminishing of bacterial virulence. Lessening bacterial virulence has been approved as an efficient strategy to overcome the development of antimicrobial resistance. The current study aimed to assess the anti-QS and anti-virulence activities of α-adrenoreceptor prazosin against three virulent Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonades aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, and Serratia marcescens. The evaluation of anti-QS was carried out on a series of in vitro experiments, while the anti-virulence activities of prazosin were tested in an in vivo animal model. The prazosin anti-QS activity was assessed on the production of QS-controlled Chromobacterium violaceum pigment violacein and the expression of QS-encoding genes in P. aeruginosa. In vitro tests were performed to evaluate the prazosin effects on biofilm formation and production of extracellular enzymes by P. aeruginosa, P. mirabilis, and S. marcescens. A protective assay was conducted to evaluate the in vivo anti-virulence activity of prazosin against P. aeruginosa, P. mirabilis, and S. marcescens. Moreover, precise in silico molecular docking was performed to test the prazosin affinity to different QS receptors. The results revealed that prazosin significantly decreased the production of violacein and the virulent enzymes, protease and hemolysins, in the tested strains. Prazosin significantly diminished biofilm formation in vitro and bacterial virulence in vivo. The prazosin anti-QS activity was proven by its downregulation of QS-encoding genes and its obvious binding affinity to QS receptors. In conclusion, prazosin could be considered an efficient anti-virulence agent to be used as an adjuvant to antibiotics, however, it requires further pharmacological evaluations prior to clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abrar K. Thabit
- Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: (A.K.T.); (M.A.H.H.)
| | - Khalid Eljaaly
- Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ayat Zawawi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Vaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tarek S. Ibrahim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed G. Eissa
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Samar S. Elbaramawi
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Wael A. H. Hegazy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
- Pharmacy Program, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Oman College of Health Sciences, Muscat 113, Oman
- Correspondence: (A.K.T.); (M.A.H.H.)
| | - Mahmoud A. Elfaky
- Department of Natural Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Precision Medicines, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
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Gmiter D, Kaca W. Into the understanding the multicellular lifestyle of Proteus mirabilis on solid surfaces. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:864305. [PMID: 36118021 PMCID: PMC9478170 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.864305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Indwelling urinary catheterization can lead to the development of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), an important type of nosocomial infection, as well as other medical issues among institutionalized adults. Recently, Proteus mirabilis was highlighted as the important cause of CAUTIs. The pathogenicity of P. mirabilis is dependent on two multicellular types of surface colonization: the adherence and swarming motility. Adhesion, mostly mediated by fimbrial and nonfimbrial adhesins, is important for the initiation of biofilm formation. Moreover, the production of urease frequently results in biofilm crystallization, which leads to the blockage of catheters. The heterologous polymeric matrix of the biofilm offers protection against antibiotics and the host immune system. P. mirabilis displays remarkable motility abilities. After contact with solid surfaces, hyper-flagellated cells are able to rapidly migrate. The importance of swarming motility in CAUTIs development remains controversial; however, it was indicated that swarming cells were able to co-express other virulence factors. Furthermore, flagella are strong immunomodulating proteins. On the other hand, both biofilm formation and swarming motility implicates multiple inter- and intraspecies interactions, which might contribute to the pathogenicity.
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de Souza AF, Pigosso LL, Silva LOS, Galo IDC, Paccez JD, e Silva KSF, de Oliveira MAP, Pereira M, Soares CMDA. Iron Deprivation Modulates the Exoproteome in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:903070. [PMID: 35719340 PMCID: PMC9205457 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.903070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi of the Paracoccidioides genus are the etiological agents of the systemic mycosis paracoccidioidomycosis and, when in the host, they find a challenging environment that is scarce in nutrients and micronutrients, such as Fe, which is indispensable for the survival of the pathogen. Previous studies have shown that fungi of this genus, in response to Fe deprivation, are able to synthesize and capture siderophores (Fe3+ chelators), use Fe-containing host proteins as a source of the metal, and use a non-canonical reductive pathway for Fe3+ assimilation. Despite all of these findings, there are still gaps that need to be filled in the pathogen response to metal deprivation. To contribute to the knowledge related to this subject, we obtained the exoproteome of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Pb18) undergoing Fe deprivation and by nanoUPLC-MSE. One hundred forty-one proteins were identified, and out of these, 64 proteins were predicted to be secreted. We also identified the regulation of several virulence factors. Among the results, we highlight Cyb5 as a secreted molecule of Paracoccidioides in the exoproteome obtained during Fe deprivation. Cyb5 is described as necessary for the Fe deprivation response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus fumigatus. Experimental data and molecular modeling indicated that Cyb5 can bind to Fe ions in vitro, suggesting that it can be relevant in the arsenal of molecules related to iron homeostasis in P. brasiliensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparecido Ferreira de Souza
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Laurine Lacerda Pigosso
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Lana O’Hara Souza Silva
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Italo Dany Cavalcante Galo
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Juliano Domiraci Paccez
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Kleber Santiago Freitas e Silva
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | | | - Maristela Pereira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Célia Maria de Almeida Soares,
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Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen that is a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections, including pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and sepsis. Essential to the colonization and infection by K. pneumoniae is the acquisition of nutrients, such as the transition metal ion zinc. Zinc has crucial structural and catalytic roles in the proteome of all organisms. Nevertheless, in excess, it has the potential to mediate significant toxicity by dysregulating the homeostasis of other transition elements, disrupting enzymatic processes, and perturbing metalloprotein cofactor acquisition. Here, we sought to elucidate the zinc detoxification mechanisms of K. pneumoniae, which remain poorly defined. Using the representative K. pneumoniae AJ218 strain, we showed that the P-type ATPase, ZntA, which is upregulated in response to cellular zinc stress, was the primary zinc efflux pathway. Deletion of zntA rendered K. pneumoniae AJ218 highly susceptible to exogenous zinc stress and manifested as an impaired growth phenotype and increased cellular accumulation of the metal. Loss of zntA also increased sensitivity to cadmium stress, indicating a role for this efflux pathway in cadmium resistance. Disruption of zinc homeostasis in the K. pneumoniae AJ218 ΔzntA strain also impacted manganese and iron homeostasis and was associated with increased production of biofilm. Collectively, this work showed the critical role of ZntA in K. pneumoniae zinc tolerance and provided a foundation for further studies on zinc homeostasis and the future development of novel antimicrobials to target this pathway. IMPORTANCE Klebsiella pneumoniae is a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections, including pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and sepsis. Treatment of K. pneumoniae infections is becoming increasingly challenging due to high levels of antibiotic resistance and the rising prevalence of carbapenem-resistant, extended-spectrum β-lactamases producing strains. Zinc is essential to the colonization and infection by many bacterial pathogens but toxic in excess. This work described the first dissection of the pathways associated with resisting extracellular zinc stress in K. pneumoniae. This study revealed that the P-type ATPase ZntA was highly upregulated in response to exogenous zinc stress and played a major role in maintaining bacterial metal homeostasis. Knowledge of how this major bacterial pathogen resists zinc stress provided a foundation for antimicrobial development studies to target and abrogate their essential function.
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Stolarek P, Bernat P, Szczerbiec D, Różalski A. Phospholipids and Fatty Acids Affect the Colonization of Urological Catheters by Proteus mirabilis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168452. [PMID: 34445157 PMCID: PMC8395112 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteus mirabilis-mediated CAUTIs are usually initiated by the adherence of bacteria to a urinary catheter surface. In this paper, three isolates of different origin and exhibiting different adhesion abilities were investigated in search of any changes in lipidome components which might contribute to P. mirabilis adhesion to catheters. Using GC-MS and LC-MS/MS techniques, 21 fatty acids and 27 phospholipids were identified in the examined cells. The comparison of the profiles of phospholipids and fatty acids obtained for catheter-attached cells and planktonic cells of the pathogens indicated C11:0 and PE 37:2 levels as values which could be related to P. mirabilis adhesion to a catheter, as well as cis C16:1, PE 32:0, PE 33:0, PE 38:2, PG 33:1, PG 34:0, PE 30:1, PE 32:1 and PG 30:2 levels as values which could be associated with cell hydrophobicity. Based on DiBAC4 (3) fluorescence intensity and an affinity to p-xylene, it was found that the inner membrane depolarization, as well as strong cell-surface hydrophobicity, were important for P. mirabilis adhesion to a silicone catheter. A generalized polarization of Laurdan showed lower values for P. mirabilis cells attached to the catheter surface than for planktonic cells, suggesting lower packing density of membrane components of the adherent cells compared with tightly packed, stiffened membranes of the planktonic cells. Taken together, these data indicate that high surface hydrophobicity, fluidization and depolarization of P. mirabilis cell membranes enable colonization of a silicone urinary catheter surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Stolarek
- Department of Biology of Bacteria, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland; (D.S.); (A.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-42-635-43-24; Fax: +48-42-665-58-18
| | - Przemysław Bernat
- Department of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Dominika Szczerbiec
- Department of Biology of Bacteria, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland; (D.S.); (A.R.)
| | - Antoni Różalski
- Department of Biology of Bacteria, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland; (D.S.); (A.R.)
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Jumper J, Evans R, Pritzel A, Green T, Figurnov M, Ronneberger O, Tunyasuvunakool K, Bates R, Žídek A, Potapenko A, Bridgland A, Meyer C, Kohl SAA, Ballard AJ, Cowie A, Romera-Paredes B, Nikolov S, Jain R, Adler J, Back T, Petersen S, Reiman D, Clancy E, Zielinski M, Steinegger M, Pacholska M, Berghammer T, Bodenstein S, Silver D, Vinyals O, Senior AW, Kavukcuoglu K, Kohli P, Hassabis D. Highly accurate protein structure prediction with AlphaFold. Nature 2021; 596:583-589. [PMID: 34265844 PMCID: PMC8371605 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03819-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14306] [Impact Index Per Article: 4768.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Proteins are essential to life, and understanding their structure can facilitate a mechanistic understanding of their function. Through an enormous experimental effort1-4, the structures of around 100,000 unique proteins have been determined5, but this represents a small fraction of the billions of known protein sequences6,7. Structural coverage is bottlenecked by the months to years of painstaking effort required to determine a single protein structure. Accurate computational approaches are needed to address this gap and to enable large-scale structural bioinformatics. Predicting the three-dimensional structure that a protein will adopt based solely on its amino acid sequence-the structure prediction component of the 'protein folding problem'8-has been an important open research problem for more than 50 years9. Despite recent progress10-14, existing methods fall far short of atomic accuracy, especially when no homologous structure is available. Here we provide the first computational method that can regularly predict protein structures with atomic accuracy even in cases in which no similar structure is known. We validated an entirely redesigned version of our neural network-based model, AlphaFold, in the challenging 14th Critical Assessment of protein Structure Prediction (CASP14)15, demonstrating accuracy competitive with experimental structures in a majority of cases and greatly outperforming other methods. Underpinning the latest version of AlphaFold is a novel machine learning approach that incorporates physical and biological knowledge about protein structure, leveraging multi-sequence alignments, into the design of the deep learning algorithm.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Martin Steinegger
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Artificial Intelligence Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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Not Only Antimicrobial: Metronidazole Mitigates the Virulence of Proteus mirabilis Isolated from Macerated Diabetic Foot Ulcer. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11156847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Diabetic foot ulcers are recognized to be a severe complication of diabetes, increasing the risk of amputation and death. The bacterial infection of Diabetic foot ulcers with virulent and resistant bacteria as Proteus mirabilis greatly worsens the wound and may not be treated with conventional therapeutics. Developing new approaches to target bacterial virulence can be helpful to conquer such infections. In the current work, we evaluated the anti-virulence activities of the widely used antibacterial metronidazole. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum biofilm eradication concentrations (MEBC) were determined for selected antibiotics which P. mirabilis was resistant to them in the presence and absence of metronidazole in sub-MIC. The effect of metronidazole in sub-MIC on P. mirabilis virulence factors as production of exoenzymes, motilities, adhesion and biofilm formation, were evaluated. Furthermore, molecular docking of metronidazole into P. mirabilis adhesion and essential quorum sensing (QS) proteins, was performed. The results revealed a significant ability of metronidazole to in-vitro inhibit P. mirabilis virulence factors and antagonize its essential proteins. Moreover, metronidazole markedly decreased the MICs and MBECs of tested antibiotics. Conclusively, metronidazole in sub-MIC is a plausible anti-virulence and anti-QS agent that can be combined to other antibiotics as anti-virulence adjuvant to defeat aggressive infections.
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