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Hashemi P, Osanloo M, Farjadfar A, Nasiri-Ghiri M, Zarenezhad E, Mahmoodi S. A multi-epitope protein vaccine encapsulated in alginate nanoparticles as a candidate vaccine against Shigella sonnei. Sci Rep 2024; 14:22484. [PMID: 39341926 PMCID: PMC11438873 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73105-4] [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: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/13/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Shigellosis, caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Shigella, is a major global health challenge. Despite extensive research over the past two decades, no commercial vaccine is available to prevent Shigella infection. Developing multi-epitope vaccines offers a promising and innovative approach to tackling infectious diseases. In this study, we produced a multi-epitope vaccine candidate using E. coli BL21 (DE3) plysS bacteria and purified the vaccine protein with Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. We then prepared alginate nanoparticles containing the vaccine protein, with a particle size of 122 ± 6 nm, PDI 0.17, SPAN 0.83, and zeta potential of -27 ± 2 mV. Successful protein loading was confirmed through nanodrop and ATR-FTIR analyses. To evaluate the immunogenicity of the encapsulated vaccine, mice were orally vaccinated, and their serum was analyzed for IgG, IL-4, and IFN-γ levels cytokines. The results showed a significant increase in IgG level in the vaccinated group compared to controls. Additionally, the vaccinated group exhibited a notable increase in IL-4 and IFN-γ cytokines, indicating a robust Th-cell-mediated immune response essential for combating Shigella. Our nano-vaccine demonstrated high efficacy in activating both humoral and cellular immunity, effectively protecting against the bacteria. The alginate-based oral vaccine candidate thus emerges as a promising strategy for developing a multi-epitope vaccine candidate against Shigella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Hashemi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Osanloo
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Akbar Farjadfar
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Mahdi Nasiri-Ghiri
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Elham Zarenezhad
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Shirin Mahmoodi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
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Raab JE, Hamilton DJ, Harju TB, Huynh TN, Russo BC. Pushing boundaries: mechanisms enabling bacterial pathogens to spread between cells. Infect Immun 2024; 92:e0052423. [PMID: 38661369 PMCID: PMC11385730 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00524-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
For multiple intracellular bacterial pathogens, the ability to spread directly into adjacent epithelial cells is an essential step for disease in humans. For pathogens such as Shigella, Listeria, Rickettsia, and Burkholderia, this intercellular movement frequently requires the pathogens to manipulate the host actin cytoskeleton and deform the plasma membrane into structures known as protrusions, which extend into neighboring cells. The protrusion is then typically resolved into a double-membrane vacuole (DMV) from which the pathogen quickly escapes into the cytosol, where additional rounds of intercellular spread occur. Significant progress over the last few years has begun to define the mechanisms by which intracellular bacterial pathogens spread. This review highlights the interactions of bacterial and host factors that drive mechanisms required for intercellular spread with a focus on how protrusion structures form and resolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie E Raab
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Desmond J Hamilton
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Tucker B Harju
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Thao N Huynh
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Brian C Russo
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, Colorado, USA
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Valenzuela-Valderas KN, Farrashzadeh E, Chang YY, Shi Y, Raudonis R, Leung BM, Rohde JR, Enninga J, Cheng Z. RACK1 promotes Shigella flexneri actin-mediated invasion, motility, and cell-to-cell spreading. iScience 2023; 26:108216. [PMID: 37953961 PMCID: PMC10637933 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108216] [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] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Shigella flexneri is an intracellular bacterium that hijacks the host actin cytoskeleton to invade and disseminate within the colonic epithelium. Shigella's virulence factors induce actin polymerization, leading to bacterial uptake, actin tail formation, actin-mediated motility, and cell-to-cell spreading. Many host factors involved in the Shigella-prompted actin rearrangements remain elusive. Here, we studied the role of a host protein receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) in actin cytoskeleton dynamics and Shigella infection. We used time-lapse imaging to demonstrate that RACK1 facilitates Shigella-induced actin cytoskeleton remodeling at multiple levels during infection of epithelial cells. Silencing RACK1 expression impaired Shigella-induced rapid polymerizing structures, reducing host cell invasion, bacterial motility, and cell-to-cell spreading. In uninfected cells, RACK1 silencing reduced jasplakinolide-mediated filamentous actin aggregate formation and negatively affected actin turnover in fast polymerizing structures, such as membrane ruffles. Our findings provide a role of RACK1 in actin cytoskeleton dynamics and Shigella infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elmira Farrashzadeh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Yuen-Yan Chang
- Unité Dynamique des interactions hôtes-pathogènes, Institut Pasteur and CNRS UMR3691, Université de Paris-Cité, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Yunnuo Shi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Renee Raudonis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Brendan M. Leung
- Department of Applied Oral Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - John R. Rohde
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jost Enninga
- Unité Dynamique des interactions hôtes-pathogènes, Institut Pasteur and CNRS UMR3691, Université de Paris-Cité, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Zhenyu Cheng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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CRISPR-Cas-Guided Mutagenesis of Chromosome and Virulence Plasmid in Shigella flexneri by Cytosine Base Editing. mSystems 2023; 8:e0104522. [PMID: 36541764 PMCID: PMC9948704 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01045-22] [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] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Shigella is a Gram-negative bacterium that invades the human gut epithelium. The resulting infection, shigellosis, is the deadliest bacterial diarrheal disease. Much of the information about the genes dictating the pathophysiology of Shigella, both on the chromosome and the virulence plasmid, was obtained by classical reverse genetics. However, technical limitations of the prevalent mutagenesis techniques restrict the generation of mutants in a single reaction to a small number, preventing large-scale targeted mutagenesis of Shigella and the subsequent assessment of phenotype. We adopted a CRISPR-Cas-dependent approach, where a nickase Cas9 and cytidine deaminase fusion is guided by single guide RNA (sgRNA) to introduce targeted C→T transitions, resulting in internal stop codons and premature termination of translation. In proof-of-principle experiments using an mCherry fluorescent reporter, we were able to generate loss-of-function mutants in both Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri with up to 100% efficacy. Using a modified fluctuation assay, we determined that under optimized conditions, the frequency of untargeted mutations introduced by the Cas9-deaminase fusion was in the same range as spontaneous mutations, making our method a safe choice for bacterial mutagenesis. Furthermore, we programmed the method to mutate well-characterized chromosomal and plasmid-borne Shigella flexneri genes and found the mutant phenotype to be similar to those of the reported gene deletion mutants, with no apparent polar effects at the phenotype level. This method can be used in a 96-well-plate format to increase the throughput and generate an array of targeted loss-of-function mutants in a few days. IMPORTANCE Loss-of-function mutagenesis is critical in understanding the physiological role of genes. Therefore, high-throughput techniques to generate such mutants are important for facilitating the assessment of gene function at a pace that matches systems biology approaches. However, to our knowledge, no such method was available for generating an array of single gene mutants in an important enteropathogen-Shigella. This pathogen causes high morbidity and mortality in children, and antibiotic-resistant strains are quickly emerging. Therefore, determination of the function of unknown Shigella genes is of the utmost importance to develop effective strategies to control infections. Our present work will bridge this gap by providing a rapid method for generating loss-of-function mutants. The highly effective and specific method has the potential to be programmed to generate multiple mutants in a single, massively parallel reaction. By virtue of plasmid compatibility, this method can be extended to other members of Enterobacteriaceae.
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YfiB: An Outer Membrane Protein Involved in the Virulence of Shigella flexneri. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10030653. [PMID: 35336228 PMCID: PMC8948675 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10030653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The intracellular pathogen Shigella flexneri, which is the causative agent of bacillary dysentery, significantly influences the worldwide implication of diarrheal infections, consequentially causing about 1.1 million deaths each year. Due to a nonavailability of an authorized vaccine and the upsurge of multidrug resistance amongst Shigella strains, there has been a huge demand for further genetic analyses which could help in the advancement of new/improved drugs, and finding vaccine candidates against the pathogen. The present study aims to illustrate the role of the yfiB gene in Shigella virulence, part of the periplasmic YfiBNR tripartite signalling system. This system is involved in the regulation of cyclic-di-GMP levels inside the bacterial cells, a vital messenger molecule impacting varied cellular processes such as biofilm formation, cytotoxicity, motility, synthesis of exopolysaccharide, and other virulence mechanisms such as adhesion and invasion of the bacteria. Through a combination of genetic, biochemical, and virulence assays, we show how knocking out the yfiB gene can disrupt the entire YfiBNR system and affect the native c-di-GMP levels. We found that this subsequently causes a negative effect on the biofilm formation, bacterial invasion, host–surface attachment, and the overall virulence of Shigella. This study also carried out a structural and functional assessment of the YfiB protein and determined critical amino acid residues, essential for proper functioning of this signalling system. The present work improves our understanding of the in vivo persistence and survival of Shigella, brings light to the c-di-GMP led regulation of Shigella virulence, and provides a prospective new target to design anti-infection drugs and vaccines against S. flexneri and other bacterial pathogens.
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Abstract
Shigella flexneri is an intracellular human pathogen that invades colonic cells and causes bloody diarrhea. S. flexneri evolved from commensal Escherichia coli, and genome comparisons reveal that S. flexneri has lost approximately 20% of its genes through the process of pathoadaptation, including a disproportionate number of genes associated with the turnover of the nucleotide-based second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP); however, the remaining c-di-GMP turnover enzymes are highly conserved. c-di-GMP regulates many behavioral changes in other bacteria in response to changing environmental conditions, including biofilm formation, but this signaling system has not been examined in S. flexneri. In this study, we expressed VCA0956, a constitutively active c-di-GMP synthesizing diguanylate cyclase (DGC) from Vibrio cholerae, in S. flexneri to determine if virulence phenotypes were regulated by c-di-GMP. We found that expressing VCA0956 in S. flexneri increased c-di-GMP levels, and this corresponds with increased biofilm formation and reduced acid resistance, host cell invasion, and plaque size. We examined the impact of VCA0956 expression on the S. flexneri transcriptome and found that genes related to acid resistance were repressed, and this corresponded with decreased survival to acid shock. We also found that individual S. flexneri DGC mutants exhibit reduced biofilm formation and reduced host cell invasion and plaque size, as well as increased resistance to acid shock. This study highlights the importance of c-di-GMP signaling in regulating S. flexneri virulence phenotypes. IMPORTANCE The intracellular human pathogen Shigella causes dysentery, resulting in as many as one million deaths per year. Currently, there is no approved vaccine for the prevention of shigellosis, and the incidence of antimicrobial resistance among Shigella species is on the rise. Here, we explored how the widely conserved c-di-GMP bacterial signaling system alters Shigella behaviors associated with pathogenesis. We found that expressing or removing enzymes associated with c-di-GMP synthesis results in changes in Shigella's ability to form biofilms, invade host cells, form lesions in host cell monolayers, and resist acid stress.
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