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Zahid MT, Mustafa G, Sajid R, Razzaq A, Waheed M, Khan MA, Hwang JH, Park YK, Chung WJ, Jeon BH. Surviving chlorinated waters: bleaching sensitivity and persistence of free-living amoebae. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-34379-3. [PMID: 39017868 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34379-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Recent advancements in membrane technologies and disinfection methods have enhanced drinking water quality significantly. However, microorganisms, including free-living amoebae (FLA), persist and pose potential threats to humans. FLA are linked to severe neuro-ophthalmic infections and serve as hosts of pathogenic bacteria. This study examined FLA presence in chlorinated and ultrafiltration drinking water and evaluated chlorine's disinfectant. Of 115 water samples, 21 tested positive for Acanthamoeba sp., Allovahlkampfia sp., and Vermamoeba vermiformis, originating from chlorinated sources. FLA trophozoites withstand temperatures up to 37 °C, while the cysts tolerate heat shocks of 60-70 °C. Trophozoites are susceptible to 5 mg L-1 chlorine, but cysts remain viable at concentrations up to 10 mg L-1. FLAs' survival in chlorinated waters is attributed to high cyst tolerance and lower residual chlorine concentrations. These findings highlight the need for ultrafiltration or enhanced chlorination protocols to ensure safer drinking water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Tariq Zahid
- Department of Zoology, Dr. Nazir Ahmad Institute of Biological Sciences, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
- Department of Earth Resources & Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222-Wangsimni-Ro, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Ghulam Mustafa
- Department of Zoology, Dr. Nazir Ahmad Institute of Biological Sciences, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
- Department of Earth Resources & Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222-Wangsimni-Ro, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Romasa Sajid
- Department of Zoology, Dr. Nazir Ahmad Institute of Biological Sciences, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ayesha Razzaq
- Department of Zoology, Dr. Nazir Ahmad Institute of Biological Sciences, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muzdalfa Waheed
- Department of Zoology, Dr. Nazir Ahmad Institute of Biological Sciences, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Moonis Ali Khan
- Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jae-Hoon Hwang
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Young Kwon Park
- School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul, 02504, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo Jin Chung
- Department of Environmental Energy Engineering, Kyonggi University, 154-42 Gwanggyosan-Ro, Yeongtong-Gu, Suwon-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 16227, Republic of Korea
| | - Byong-Hun Jeon
- Department of Earth Resources & Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222-Wangsimni-Ro, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
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Price CTD, Hanford HE, Al-Quadan T, Santic M, Shin CJ, Da'as MSJ, Abu Kwaik Y. Amoebae as training grounds for microbial pathogens. mBio 2024:e0082724. [PMID: 38975782 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00827-24] [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: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Grazing of amoebae on microorganisms represents one of the oldest predator-prey dynamic relationships in nature. It represents a genetic "melting pot" for an ancient and continuous multi-directional inter- and intra-kingdom horizontal gene transfer between amoebae and its preys, intracellular microbial residents, endosymbionts, and giant viruses, which has shaped the evolution, selection, and adaptation of microbes that evade degradation by predatory amoeba. Unicellular phagocytic amoebae are thought to be the ancient ancestors of macrophages with highly conserved eukaryotic processes. Selection and evolution of microbes within amoeba through their evolution to target highly conserved eukaryotic processes have facilitated the expansion of their host range to mammals, causing various infectious diseases. Legionella and environmental Chlamydia harbor an immense number of eukaryotic-like proteins that are involved in ubiquitin-related processes or are tandem repeats-containing proteins involved in protein-protein and protein-chromatin interactions. Some of these eukaryotic-like proteins exhibit novel domain architecture and novel enzymatic functions absent in mammalian cells, such as ubiquitin ligases, likely acquired from amoebae. Mammalian cells and amoebae may respond similarly to microbial factors that target highly conserved eukaryotic processes, but mammalian cells may undergo an accidental response to amoeba-adapted microbial factors. We discuss specific examples of microbes that have evolved to evade amoeba predation, including the bacterial pathogens- Legionella, Chlamydia, Coxiella, Rickettssia, Francisella, Mycobacteria, Salmonella, Bartonella, Rhodococcus, Pseudomonas, Vibrio, Helicobacter, Campylobacter, and Aliarcobacter. We also discuss the fungi Cryptococcus, and Asperigillus, as well as amoebae mimiviruses/giant viruses. We propose that amoeba-microbe interactions will continue to be a major "training ground" for the evolution, selection, adaptation, and emergence of microbial pathogens equipped with unique pathogenic tools to infect mammalian hosts. However, our progress will continue to be highly dependent on additional genomic, biochemical, and cellular data of unicellular eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher T D Price
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Hannah E Hanford
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Tasneem Al-Quadan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | | | - Cheon J Shin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Manal S J Da'as
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Yousef Abu Kwaik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Center for Predictive Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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Hershkovitz D, Chen EJ, Ensminger AW, Dugan AS, Conway KT, Joyce AC, Segal G, Isberg RR. Genetic evidence for a regulated cysteine protease catalytic triad in LegA7, a Legionella pneumophila protein that impinges on a stress response pathway. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.17.585421. [PMID: 38562771 PMCID: PMC10983931 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.17.585421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila grows within membrane-bound vacuoles in phylogenetically diverse hosts. Intracellular growth requires the function of the Icm/Dot type-IVb secretion system, which translocates more than 300 proteins into host cells. A screen was performed to identify L. pneumophila proteins that stimulate MAPK activation, using Icm/Dot translocated proteins ectopically expressed in mammalian cells. In parallel, a second screen was performed to identify L. pneumophila proteins expressed in yeast that cause growth inhibition in MAPK pathway-stimulatory high osmolarity medium. LegA7 was shared in both screens, a protein predicted to be a member of the bacterial cysteine protease family that has five carboxyl-terminal ankyrin repeats. Three conserved residues in the predicted catalytic triad of LegA7 were mutated. These mutations abolished the ability of LegA7 to inhibit yeast growth. To identify other residues important for LegA7 function, a generalizable selection strategy in yeast was devised to isolate mutants that have lost function and no longer cause growth inhibition on high osmolarity medium. Mutations were isolated in the two carboxyl-terminal ankyrin repeats, as well as an inter-domain region located between the cysteine protease domain and the ankyrin repeats. These mutations were predicted by AlphaFold modeling to localize to the face opposite from the catalytic site, arguing that they interfere with the positive regulation of the catalytic activity. Based on our data, we present a model in which LegA7 harbors a cysteine protease domain with an inter-domain and two carboxyl-terminal ankyrin repeat regions that modulate the function of the catalytic domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dar Hershkovitz
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Emy J. Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology
- Program in Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine,150 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Aisling S. Dugan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology
- Current Address: Dept. of Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912
| | - Kaleigh T. Conway
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology
- Program in Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine,150 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Gil Segal
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 6997801, Israel
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4
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Nisar MA, Ross KE, Brown MH, Bentham R, Best G, Eyre NS, Leterme SC, Whiley H. Increased flushing frequency of a model plumbing system initially promoted the formation of viable but non culturable cells but ultimately reduced the concentration of culturable and total Legionella DNA. Heliyon 2024; 10:e32334. [PMID: 38933949 PMCID: PMC11200333 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32334] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Legionella is the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, and its prevalence in potable water is a significant public health issue. Water stagnation within buildings increases the risk of Legionella. However, there are limited studies investigating how stagnation arising through intermittent usage affects Legionella proliferation and the studies that are available do not consider viable but non culturable (VBNC) Legionella. This study used a model plumbing system to examine how intermittent water stagnation affects both VBNC and culturable Legionella. The model plumbing system contained a water tank supplying two biofilm reactors. The model was initially left stagnant for ≈5 months (147 days), after which one reactor was flushed daily, and the other weekly. Biofilm coupons, and water samples were collected for analysis at days 0, 14 and 28. These samples were analysed for culturable and VBNC Legionella, free-living amoebae, and heterotrophic bacteria. After 28 days, once-a-day flushing significantly (p < 0.001) reduced the amount of biofilm-associated culturable Legionella (1.5 log10 reduction) compared with weekly flushing. However, higher counts of biofilm-associated VBNC Legionella (1 log10 higher) were recovered from the reactor with once-a-day flushing compared with weekly flushing. Likewise, once-a-day flushing increased the population of biofilm-associated Vermamoeba vermiformis (approximately 3 log10 higher) compared with weekly flushing, which indicated a positive relationship between VBNC Legionella and V. vermiformis. This is the first study to investigate the influence of stagnation on VBNC Legionella under environmental conditions. Overall, this study showed that a reduction in water stagnation decreased culturable Legionella but not VBNC Legionella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Atif Nisar
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Kirstin E. Ross
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Melissa H. Brown
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
- ARC Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Richard Bentham
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Giles Best
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Nicholas S. Eyre
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Sophie C. Leterme
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
- ARC Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
- Institute for Nanoscience and Technology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Harriet Whiley
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
- ARC Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
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Michaelis S, Chen T, Schmid C, Hilbi H. Nitric oxide signaling through three receptors regulates virulence, biofilm formation, and phenotypic heterogeneity of Legionella pneumophila. mBio 2024; 15:e0071024. [PMID: 38682908 PMCID: PMC11237717 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00710-24] [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: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, Legionella pneumophila, is an environmental bacterium, that replicates in macrophages, parasitizes amoeba, and forms biofilms. L. pneumophila employs the Legionella quorum sensing (Lqs) system and the transcription factor LvbR to control various bacterial traits, including virulence and biofilm architecture. LvbR negatively regulates the nitric oxide (NO) receptor Hnox1, linking quorum sensing to NO signaling. Here, we assessed the response of L. pneumophila to NO and investigated bacterial receptors underlying this process. Chemical NO donors, such as dipropylenetriamine (DPTA) NONOate and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), delayed and reduced the expression of the promoters for flagellin (PflaA) and the 6S small regulatory RNA (P6SRNA). Marker-less L. pneumophila mutant strains lacking individual (Hnox1, Hnox2, or NosP) or all three NO receptors (triple knockout, TKO) grew like the parental strain in media. However, in the TKO strain, the reduction of PflaA expression by DPTA NONOate was less pronounced, suggesting that the NO receptors are implicated in NO signaling. In the ΔnosP mutant, the lvbR promoter was upregulated, indicating that NosP negatively regulates LvbR. The single and triple NO receptor mutant strains were impaired for growth in phagocytes, and phenotypic heterogeneity of non-growing/growing bacteria in amoebae was regulated by the NO receptors. The single NO receptor and TKO mutant strains showed altered biofilm architecture and lack of response of biofilms to NO. In summary, we provide evidence that L. pneumophila regulates virulence, intracellular phenotypic heterogeneity, and biofilm formation through NO and three functionally non-redundant NO receptors, Hnox1, Hnox2, and NosP. IMPORTANCE The highly reactive diatomic gas molecule nitric oxide (NO) is produced by eukaryotes and bacteria to promote short-range and transient signaling within and between neighboring cells. Despite its importance as an inter-kingdom and intra-bacterial signaling molecule, the bacterial response and the underlying components of the signaling pathways are poorly characterized. The environmental bacterium Legionella pneumophila forms biofilms and replicates in protozoan and mammalian phagocytes. L. pneumophila harbors three putative NO receptors, one of which crosstalks with the Legionella quorum sensing (Lqs)-LvbR network to regulate various bacterial traits, including virulence and biofilm architecture. In this study, we used pharmacological, genetic, and cell biological approaches to assess the response of L. pneumophila to NO and to demonstrate that the putative NO receptors are implicated in NO detection, bacterial replication in phagocytes, intracellular phenotypic heterogeneity, and biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Michaelis
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tong Chen
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Camille Schmid
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hubert Hilbi
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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6
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Barbosa A, Azevedo NF, Goeres DM, Cerqueira L. Ecology of Legionella pneumophila biofilms: The link between transcriptional activity and the biphasic cycle. Biofilm 2024; 7:100196. [PMID: 38601816 PMCID: PMC11004079 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2024.100196] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
There has been considerable discussion regarding the environmental life cycle of Legionella pneumophila and its virulence potential in natural and man-made water systems. On the other hand, the bacterium's morphogenetic mechanisms within host cells (amoeba and macrophages) have been well documented and are linked to its ability to transition from a non-virulent, replicative state to an infectious, transmissive state. Although the morphogenetic mechanisms associated with the formation and detachment of the L. pneumophila biofilm have also been described, the capacity of the bacteria to multiply extracellularly is not generally accepted. However, several studies have shown genetic pathways within the biofilm that resemble intracellular mechanisms. Understanding the functionality of L. pneumophila cells within a biofilm is fundamental for assessing the ecology and evaluating how the biofilm architecture influences L. pneumophila survival and persistence in water systems. This manuscript provides an overview of the biphasic cycle of L. pneumophila and its implications in associated intracellular mechanisms in amoeba. It also examines the molecular pathways and gene regulation involved in L. pneumophila biofilm formation and dissemination. A holistic analysis of the transcriptional activities in L. pneumophila biofilms is provided, combining the information of intracellular mechanisms in a comprehensive outline. Furthermore, this review discusses the techniques that can be used to study the morphogenetic states of the bacteria within biofilms, at the single cell and population levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Barbosa
- LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE – Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno F. Azevedo
- LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE – Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
| | - Darla M. Goeres
- LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE – Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
- The Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Laura Cerqueira
- LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE – Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
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7
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Ali M, Rice CA, Byrne AW, Paré PE, Beauvais W. Modelling dynamics between free-living amoebae and bacteria. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16623. [PMID: 38715450 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16623] [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: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Free-living amoebae (FLA) serve as hosts for a variety of endosymbionts, which are microorganisms that reside and multiply within the FLA. Some of these endosymbionts pose a pathogenic threat to humans, animals, or both. The symbiotic relationship with FLA not only offers these microorganisms protection but also enhances their survival outside their hosts and assists in their dispersal across diverse habitats, thereby escalating disease transmission. This review is intended to offer an exhaustive overview of the existing mathematical models that have been applied to understand the dynamics of FLA, especially concerning their interactions with bacteria. An extensive literature review was conducted across Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus databases to identify mathematical models that describe the dynamics of interactions between FLA and bacteria, as published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The literature search revealed several FLA-bacteria model systems, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pasteurella multocida, and Legionella spp. Although the published mathematical models account for significant system dynamics such as predator-prey relationships and non-linear growth rates, they generally overlook spatial and temporal heterogeneity in environmental conditions, such as temperature, and population diversity. Future mathematical models will need to incorporate these factors to enhance our understanding of FLA-bacteria dynamics and to provide valuable insights for future risk assessment and disease control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Ali
- Comparative Pathobiology Department, Purdue Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Christopher A Rice
- Comparative Pathobiology Department, Purdue Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery (PIDD), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease (PI4D), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering (RHCE), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Andrew W Byrne
- One Health Scientific Support Unit, National Disease Control Centre, Agriculture House, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Philip E Paré
- Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Wendy Beauvais
- Comparative Pathobiology Department, Purdue Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease (PI4D), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
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8
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Herrera-Rodríguez D, Jareño-Moreno S, Buch-Cardona C, Mougeot F, Luque-Larena JJ, Vidal D. Water and mosquitoes as key components of the infective cycle of Francisella tularensis in Europe: a review. Crit Rev Microbiol 2024:1-15. [PMID: 38393764 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2024.2319040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Francisella tularensis is the pathogen of tularemia, a zoonotic disease that have a broad range of hosts. Its epidemiology is related to aquatic environments, particularly in the subspecies holarctica. In this review, we explore the role of water and mosquitoes in the epidemiology of Francisella in Europe. F. tularensis epidemiology has been linked to natural waters, where its persistence has been associated with biofilm and amebas. In Sweden and Finland, the European countries where most human cases have been reported, mosquito bites are a main route of transmission. F. tularensis is present in other European countries, but to date positive mosquitoes have not been found. Biofilm and amebas are potential sources of Francisella for mosquito larvae, however, mosquito vector capacity has not been demonstrated experimentally, with the need to be studied using local species to uncover a potential transmission adaptation. Transstadial, for persistence through life stages, and mechanical transmission, suggesting contaminated media as a source for infection, have been studied experimentally for mosquitoes, but their natural occurrence needs to be evaluated. It is important to clear up the role of different local mosquito species in the epidemiology of F. tularensis and their importance in all areas where tularemia is present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Herrera-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Castilla la Mancha (UCLM), Ciudad Real, España
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC - CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ciudad Real, España
| | - Sara Jareño-Moreno
- Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, España
| | - Clara Buch-Cardona
- Facultad de Biociencias, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, España
| | - François Mougeot
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC - CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ciudad Real, España
| | - Juan José Luque-Larena
- Departamento de Ciencias Agroforestales, E.T.S. Ingenierías Agrarias, Universidad de Valladolid (UVa), Palencia, España
- Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute (iuFOR), Universidad de Valladolid (UVa), Palencia, España
| | - Dolors Vidal
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Castilla la Mancha (UCLM), Ciudad Real, España
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9
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Graham CI, MacMartin TL, de Kievit TR, Brassinga AKC. Molecular regulation of virulence in Legionella pneumophila. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:167-195. [PMID: 37908155 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15172] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is a gram-negative bacteria found in natural and anthropogenic aquatic environments such as evaporative cooling towers, where it reproduces as an intracellular parasite of cohabiting protozoa. If L. pneumophila is aerosolized and inhaled by a susceptible person, bacteria may colonize their alveolar macrophages causing the opportunistic pneumonia Legionnaires' disease. L. pneumophila utilizes an elaborate regulatory network to control virulence processes such as the Dot/Icm Type IV secretion system and effector repertoire, responding to changing nutritional cues as their host becomes depleted. The bacteria subsequently differentiate to a transmissive state that can survive in the environment until a replacement host is encountered and colonized. In this review, we discuss the lifecycle of L. pneumophila and the molecular regulatory network that senses nutritional depletion via the stringent response, a link to stationary phase-like metabolic changes via alternative sigma factors, and two-component systems that are homologous to stress sensors in other pathogens, to regulate differentiation between the intracellular replicative phase and more transmissible states. Together, we highlight how this prototypic intracellular pathogen offers enormous potential in understanding how molecular mechanisms enable intracellular parasitism and pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher I Graham
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Teassa L MacMartin
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Teresa R de Kievit
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Ann Karen C Brassinga
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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10
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Shapira N, Zusman T, Segal G. The LysR-type transcriptional regulator LelA co-regulates various effectors in different Legionella species. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:243-259. [PMID: 38153189 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15214] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
The intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila translocates more than 300 effector proteins into its host cells. The expression levels of the genes encoding these effectors are orchestrated by an intricate regulatory network. Here, we introduce LelA, the first L. pneumophila LysR-type transcriptional regulator of effectors. Through bioinformatic and experimental analyses, we identified the LelA target regulatory element and demonstrated that it directly activates the expression of three L. pneumophila effectors (legL7, legL6, and legU1). We further found that the gene encoding LelA is positively regulated by the RpoS sigma factor, thus linking it to the known effector regulatory network. Examination of other species throughout the Legionella genus revealed that this regulatory element is found upstream of 34 genes encoding validated effectors, putative effectors, and hypothetical proteins. Moreover, ten of these genes were examined and found to be activated by the L. pneumophila LelA as well as by their orthologs in the corresponding species. LelA represents a novel type of Legionella effector regulator, which coordinates the expression of both adjacently and distantly located effector-encoding genes, thus forming small groups of co-regulated effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Shapira
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Tal Zusman
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Gil Segal
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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11
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Fan M, Kiefer P, Charki P, Hedberg C, Seibel J, Vorholt JA, Hilbi H. The Legionella autoinducer LAI-1 is delivered by outer membrane vesicles to promote interbacterial and interkingdom signaling. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105376. [PMID: 37866633 PMCID: PMC10692735 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105376] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is an environmental bacterium, which replicates in amoeba but also in macrophages, and causes a life-threatening pneumonia called Legionnaires' disease. The opportunistic pathogen employs the α-hydroxy-ketone compound Legionella autoinducer-1 (LAI-1) for intraspecies and interkingdom signaling. LAI-1 is produced by the autoinducer synthase Legionella quorum sensing A (LqsA), but it is not known, how LAI-1 is released by the pathogen. Here, we use a Vibrio cholerae luminescence reporter strain and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to detect bacteria-produced and synthetic LAI-1. Ectopic production of LqsA in Escherichia coli generated LAI-1, which partitions to outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) and increases OMV size. These E. coli OMVs trigger luminescence of the V. cholerae reporter strain and inhibit the migration of Dictyostelium discoideum amoeba. Overexpression of lqsA in L.pneumophila under the control of strong stationary phase promoters (PflaA or P6SRNA), but not under control of its endogenous promoter (PlqsA), produces LAI-1, which is detected in purified OMVs. These L. pneumophila OMVs trigger luminescence of the Vibrio reporter strain and inhibit D. discoideum migration. L. pneumophila OMVs are smaller upon overexpression of lqsA or upon addition of LAI-1 to growing bacteria, and therefore, LqsA affects OMV production. The overexpression of lqsA but not a catalytically inactive mutant promotes intracellular replication of L. pneumophila in macrophages, indicating that intracellularly produced LA1-1 modulates the interaction in favor of the pathogen. Taken together, we provide evidence that L. pneumophila LAI-1 is secreted through OMVs and promotes interbacterial communication and interactions with eukaryotic host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhen Fan
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Kiefer
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Paul Charki
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Hedberg
- Institute of Chemistry and Umeå Center for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jürgen Seibel
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Hubert Hilbi
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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12
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Leseigneur C, Buchrieser C. Modelling Legionnaires' disease: Lessons learned from invertebrate and vertebrate animal models. Eur J Cell Biol 2023; 102:151369. [PMID: 37926040 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2023.151369] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of virulence of Legionella pneumophila and its interactions with its hosts has been predominantly conducted in cellulo in the past decades. Although easy to implement and allowing the dissection of molecular pathways underlying host-pathogen interactions, these cellular models fail to provide conditions of the complex environments encountered by the bacteria during the infection of multicellular organisms. To improve our understanding of human infection, several animal models have been developed. This review provides an overview of the invertebrate and vertebrate models that have been established to study L. pneumophila infection and that are alternatives to the classical mouse model, which does not recall human infection with L. pneumophila well. Finally we provide insight in the main contributions made by these models along with their pros and cons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisse Leseigneur
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Carmen Buchrieser
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, 75724 Paris, France.
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13
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Allen CNS, Banks DA, Shuster M, Vogel SN, O’Connor TJ, Briken V. Legionella pneumophila inhibits type I interferon signaling to avoid cell-intrinsic host cell defense. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0036523. [PMID: 37843413 PMCID: PMC10652965 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00365-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The host type I interferon (IFN) response protects against Legionella pneumophila infections. Other bacterial pathogens inhibit type I IFN-mediated cell signaling; however, the interaction between this signaling pathway and L. pneumophila has not been well described. Here, we demonstrate that L. pneumophila inhibits the IFN-β signaling pathway but does not inhibit IFN-γ-mediated cell signaling. The addition of IFN-β to L. pneumophila-infected macrophages limited bacterial growth independently of NOS2 and reactive nitrogen species. The type IV secretion system of L. pneumophila is required to inhibit IFN-β-mediated cell signaling. Finally, we show that the inhibition of the IFN-β signaling pathway occurs downstream of STAT1 and STAT2 phosphorylation. In conclusion, our findings describe a novel host cell signaling pathway inhibited by L. pneumophila via its type IV secretion system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles N. S. Allen
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Dallas A. Banks
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael Shuster
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Stefanie N. Vogel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tamara J. O’Connor
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Volker Briken
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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14
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Rolando M, Wah Chung IY, Xu C, Gomez-Valero L, England P, Cygler M, Buchrieser C. The SET and ankyrin domains of the secreted Legionella pneumophila histone methyltransferase work together to modify host chromatin. mBio 2023; 14:e0165523. [PMID: 37795993 PMCID: PMC10653858 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01655-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Legionella pneumophila is an intracellular bacterium responsible of Legionnaires' disease, a severe pneumonia that is often fatal when not treated promptly. The pathogen's ability to efficiently colonize the host resides in its ability to replicate intracellularly. Essential for intracellular replication is translocation of many different protein effectors via a specialized secretion system. One of them, called RomA, binds and directly modifies the host chromatin at a unique site (tri-methylation of lysine 14 of histone H3 [H3K14me]). However, the molecular mechanisms of binding are not known. Here, we resolve this question through structural characterization of RomA together with the H3 peptide. We specifically reveal an active role of the ankyrin repeats located in its C-terminal in the interaction with the histone H3 tail. Indeed, without the ankyrin domains, RomA loses its ability to act as histone methyltransferase. These results discover the molecular mechanisms by which a bacterial histone methyltransferase that is conserved in L. pneumophila strains acts to modify chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Rolando
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, Paris, France
| | - Ivy Yeuk Wah Chung
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Caishuang Xu
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Laura Gomez-Valero
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, Paris, France
| | - Patrick England
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Plateforme de Biophysique Moléculaire, Paris, France
| | - Miroslaw Cygler
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Carmen Buchrieser
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, Paris, France
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15
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Lin JD, Stogios PJ, Abe KT, Wang A, MacPherson J, Skarina T, Gingras AC, Savchenko A, Ensminger AW. Functional diversification despite structural congruence in the HipBST toxin-antitoxin system of Legionella pneumophila. mBio 2023; 14:e0151023. [PMID: 37819088 PMCID: PMC10653801 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01510-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are parasitic genetic elements found in almost all bacterial genomes. They are exchanged horizontally between cells and are typically poorly conserved across closely related strains and species. Here, we report the characterization of a tripartite TA system in the bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila that is highly conserved across Legionella species genomes. This system (denoted HipBSTLp) is a distant homolog of the recently discovered split-HipA system in Escherichia coli (HipBSTEc). We present bioinformatic, molecular, and structural analyses of the divergence between these two systems and the functionality of this newly described TA system family. Furthermore, we provide evidence to refute previous claims that the toxin in this system (HipTLp) possesses bifunctionality as an L. pneumophila virulence protein. Overall, this work expands our understanding of the split-HipA system architecture and illustrates the potential for undiscovered biology in these abundant genetic elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan D. Lin
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter J. Stogios
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kento T. Abe
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Avril Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John MacPherson
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tatiana Skarina
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alexei Savchenko
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases (CSGID), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Alexander W. Ensminger
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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16
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Cambronne ED, Ayres C, Dowdell KS, Lawler DF, Saleh NB, Kirisits MJ. Protozoan-Priming and Magnesium Conditioning Enhance Legionella pneumophila Dissemination and Monochloramine Resistance. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:14871-14880. [PMID: 37756220 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Opportunistic pathogens (OPs) are of concern in drinking water distribution systems because they persist despite disinfectant residuals. While many OPs garner protection from disinfectants via a biofilm lifestyle, Legionella pneumophila (Lp) also gains disinfection resistance by being harbored within free-living amoebae (FLA). It has been long established, but poorly understood, that Lp grown within FLA show increased infectivity toward subsequent FLA or human cells (i.e., macrophage), via a process we previously coined "protozoan-priming". The objectives of this study are (i) to identify in Lp a key genetic determinant of how protozoan-priming increases its infectivity, (ii) to determine the chemical stimulus within FLA to which Lp responds during protozoan-priming, and (iii) to determine if more infectious forms of Lp also exhibit enhanced disinfectant resistance. Using Acanthamoeba castellanii as a FLA host, the priming effect was isolated to Lp's sidGV locus, which is activated upon sensing elevated magnesium concentrations. Supplementing growth medium with 8 mM magnesium is sufficient to produce Lp grown in vitro with an infectivity equivalent to that of Lp grown via the protozoan-primed route. Both Lp forms with increased infectivity (FLA-grown and Mg2+-supplemented) exhibit greater monochloramine resistance than Lp grown in standard media, indicating that passage through FLA not only increases Lp's infectivity but also enhances its monochloramine resistance. Therefore, laboratory-based testing of disinfection strategies should employ conditions that simulate or replicate intracellular growth to accurately assess disinfectant resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D Cambronne
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Craig Ayres
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Katherine S Dowdell
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Desmond F Lawler
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Navid B Saleh
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Mary Jo Kirisits
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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17
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Fischer FB, Bigler M, Mäusezahl D, Hattendorf J, Egli A, Julian TR, Rölli F, Gaia V, Wymann M, Fridez F, Bertschi S. Legionnaires' disease in Switzerland: rationale and study protocol of a prospective national case-control and molecular source attribution study (SwissLEGIO). Infection 2023; 51:1467-1479. [PMID: 36905400 PMCID: PMC10545568 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-023-02014-x] [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: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Switzerland has one of the highest annual Legionnaires' disease (LD) notification rates in Europe (7.8 cases/100,000 population in 2021). The main sources of infection and the cause for this high rate remain largely unknown. This hampers the implementation of targeted Legionella spp. control efforts. The SwissLEGIO national case-control and molecular source attribution study investigates risk factors and infection sources for community-acquired LD in Switzerland. Over the duration of one year, the study is recruiting 205 newly diagnosed LD patients through a network of 20 university and cantonal hospitals. Healthy controls matched for age, sex, and residence at district level are recruited from the general population. Risk factors for LD are assessed in questionnaire-based interviews. Clinical and environmental Legionella spp. isolates are compared using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Direct comparison of sero- and sequence types (ST), core genome multilocus sequencing types (cgMLST), and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between clinical and environmental isolates are used to investigate the infection sources and the prevalence and virulence of different Legionella spp. strains detected across Switzerland. The SwissLEGIO study innovates in combining case-control and molecular typing approaches for source attribution on a national level outside an outbreak setting. The study provides a unique platform for national Legionellosis and Legionella research and is conducted in an inter- and transdisciplinary, co-production approach involving various national governmental and national research stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabienne B Fischer
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Melina Bigler
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Mäusezahl
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Jan Hattendorf
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adrian Egli
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Timothy R Julian
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Franziska Rölli
- Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - Valeria Gaia
- Service of Microbiology, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, National Reference Centre for Legionella, EOC, Bellinzona, Switzerland
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18
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Song Y, Finkelstein R, Rhoads W, Edwards MA, Pruden A. Shotgun Metagenomics Reveals Impacts of Copper and Water Heater Anodes on Pathogens and Microbiomes in Hot Water Plumbing Systems. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:13612-13624. [PMID: 37643149 PMCID: PMC10501123 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03568] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Hot water building plumbing systems are vulnerable to the proliferation of opportunistic pathogens (OPs), including Legionella pneumophila and Mycobacterium avium. Implementation of copper as a disinfectant could help reduce OPs, but a mechanistic understanding of the effects on the microbial community under real-world plumbing conditions is lacking. Here, we carried out a controlled pilot-scale study of hot water systems and applied shotgun metagenomic sequencing to examine the effects of copper dose (0-2 mg/L), orthophosphate corrosion control agent, and water heater anode materials (aluminum vs magnesium vs powered anode) on the bulk water and biofilm microbiome composition. Metagenomic analysis revealed that, even though a copper dose of 1.2 mg/L was required to reduce Legionella and Mycobacterium numbers, lower doses (e.g., ≤0.6 mg/L) measurably impacted the broader microbial community, indicating that the OP strains colonizing these systems were highly copper tolerant. Orthophosphate addition reduced bioavailability of copper, both to OPs and to the broader microbiome. Functional gene analysis indicated that both membrane damage and interruption of nucleic acid replication are likely at play in copper inactivation mechanisms. This study identifies key factors (e.g., orthophosphate, copper resistance, and anode materials) that can confound the efficacy of copper for controlling OPs in hot water plumbing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Song
- Civil
and Environmental Engineering, Virginia
Tech, 1145 Perry St., 418 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
- Utilities
Department, Town of Cary, 316 N. Academy St., Cary, North Carolina 27512, United States
| | - Rachel Finkelstein
- Civil
and Environmental Engineering, Virginia
Tech, 1145 Perry St., 418 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
- AECOM, 3101 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22201, United States
| | - William Rhoads
- Civil
and Environmental Engineering, Virginia
Tech, 1145 Perry St., 418 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
- Black
& Veatch, 8400 Ward
Pkwy, Kansas City, Missouri 64114, United States
| | - Marc A. Edwards
- Civil
and Environmental Engineering, Virginia
Tech, 1145 Perry St., 418 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Amy Pruden
- Civil
and Environmental Engineering, Virginia
Tech, 1145 Perry St., 418 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
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19
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Lopez AE, Grigoryeva LS, Barajas A, Cianciotto NP. Legionella pneumophila Rhizoferrin Promotes Bacterial Biofilm Formation and Growth within Amoebae and Macrophages. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0007223. [PMID: 37428036 PMCID: PMC10429650 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00072-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Previously, we showed that Legionella pneumophila secretes rhizoferrin, a polycarboxylate siderophore that promotes bacterial growth in iron-deplete media and the murine lung. Yet, past studies failed to identify a role for the rhizoferrin biosynthetic gene (lbtA) in L. pneumophila infection of host cells, suggesting the siderophore's importance was solely linked to extracellular survival. To test the possibility that rhizoferrin's relevance to intracellular infection was missed due to functional redundancy with the ferrous iron transport (FeoB) pathway, we characterized a new mutant lacking both lbtA and feoB. This mutant was highly impaired for growth on bacteriological media that were only modestly depleted of iron, confirming that rhizoferrin-mediated ferric iron uptake and FeoB-mediated ferrous iron uptake are critical for iron acquisition. The lbtA feoB mutant, but not its lbtA-containing complement, was also highly defective for biofilm formation on plastic surfaces, demonstrating a new role for the L. pneumophila siderophore in extracellular survival. Finally, the lbtA feoB mutant, but not its complement containing lbtA, proved to be greatly impaired for growth in Acanthamoeba castellanii, Vermamoeba vermiformis, and human U937 cell macrophages, revealing that rhizoferrin does promote intracellular infection by L. pneumophila. Moreover, the application of purified rhizoferrin triggered cytokine production from the U937 cells. Rhizoferrin-associated genes were fully conserved across the many sequenced strains of L. pneumophila examined but were variably present among strains from the other species of Legionella. Outside of Legionella, the closest match to the L. pneumophila rhizoferrin genes was in Aquicella siphonis, another facultative intracellular parasite of amoebae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto E. Lopez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lubov S. Grigoryeva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Armando Barajas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Nicholas P. Cianciotto
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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20
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Cavallaro A, Rhoads WJ, Sylvestre É, Marti T, Walser JC, Hammes F. Legionella relative abundance in shower hose biofilms is associated with specific microbiome members. FEMS MICROBES 2023; 4:xtad016. [PMID: 37705999 PMCID: PMC10496943 DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtad016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Legionella are natural inhabitants of building plumbing biofilms, where interactions with other microorganisms influence their survival, proliferation, and death. Here, we investigated the associations of Legionella with bacterial and eukaryotic microbiomes in biofilm samples extracted from 85 shower hoses of a multiunit residential building. Legionella spp. relative abundance in the biofilms ranged between 0-7.8%, of which only 0-0.46% was L. pneumophila. Our data suggest that some microbiome members were associated with high (e.g. Chthonomonas, Vrihiamoeba) or low (e.g. Aquabacterium, Vannella) Legionella relative abundance. The correlations of the different Legionella variants (30 Zero-Radius OTUs detected) showed distinct patterns, suggesting separate ecological niches occupied by different Legionella species. This study provides insights into the ecology of Legionella with respect to: (i) the colonization of a high number of real shower hoses biofilm samples; (ii) the ecological meaning of associations between Legionella and co-occurring bacterial/eukaryotic organisms; (iii) critical points and future directions of microbial-interaction-based-ecological-investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Cavallaro
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - William J Rhoads
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Émile Sylvestre
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Thierry Marti
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Claude Walser
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Genetic Diversity Centre (GDC), ETH Zurich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Frederik Hammes
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
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21
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Hüsler D, Stauffer P, Hilbi H. Tapping lipid droplets: A rich fat diet of intracellular bacterial pathogens. Mol Microbiol 2023; 120:194-209. [PMID: 37429596 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15120] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Lipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic and versatile organelles present in most eukaryotic cells. LDs consist of a hydrophobic core of neutral lipids, a phospholipid monolayer coat, and a variety of associated proteins. LDs are formed at the endoplasmic reticulum and have diverse roles in lipid storage, energy metabolism, membrane trafficking, and cellular signaling. In addition to their physiological cellular functions, LDs have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including metabolic disorders, cancer, and infections. A number of intracellular bacterial pathogens modulate and/or interact with LDs during host cell infection. Members of the genera Mycobacterium, Legionella, Coxiella, Chlamydia, and Salmonella exploit LDs as a source of intracellular nutrients and membrane components to establish their distinct intracellular replicative niches. In this review, we focus on the biogenesis, interactions, and functions of LDs, as well as on their role in lipid metabolism of intracellular bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Hüsler
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pia Stauffer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hubert Hilbi
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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22
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Nisar MA, Ros KE, Brown MH, Bentham R, Best G, Xi J, Hinds J, Whiley H. Stagnation arising through intermittent usage is associated with increased viable but non culturable Legionella and amoeba hosts in a hospital water system. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1190631. [PMID: 37351181 PMCID: PMC10282743 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1190631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Hospital water systems are a significant source of Legionella, resulting in the potentially fatal Legionnaires' disease. One of the biggest challenges for Legionella management within these systems is that under unfavorable conditions Legionella transforms itself into a viable but non culturable (VBNC) state that cannot be detected using the standard methods. This study used a novel method (flow cytometry-cell sorting and qPCR [VFC+qPCR] assay) concurrently with the standard detection methods to examine the effect of temporary water stagnation, on Legionella spp. and microbial communities present in a hospital water system. Water samples were also analyzed for amoebae using culture and Vermamoeba vermiformis and Acanthamoeba specific qPCR. The water temperature, number and duration of water flow events for the hand basins and showers sampled was measured using the Enware Smart Flow® monitoring system. qPCR analysis demonstrated that 21.8% samples were positive for Legionella spp., 21% for L. pneumophila, 40.9% for V. vermiformis and 4.2% for Acanthamoeba. All samples that were Legionella spp. positive using qPCR (22%) were also positive for VBNC Legionella spp.; however, only 2.5% of samples were positive for culturable Legionella spp. 18.1% of the samples were positive for free-living amoebae (FLA) using culture. All samples positive for Legionella spp. were also positive for FLA. Samples with a high heterotrophic plate count (HPC ≥ 5 × 103 CFU/L) were also significantly associated with high concentrations of Legionella spp. DNA, VBNC Legionella spp./L. pneumophila (p < 0.01) and V. vermiformis (p < 0.05). Temporary water stagnation arising through intermittent usage (< 2 hours of usage per month) significantly (p < 0.01) increased the amount of Legionella spp. DNA, VBNC Legionella spp./L. pneumophila, and V. vermiformis; however, it did not significantly impact the HPC load. In contrast to stagnation, no relationship was observed between the microbes and water temperature. In conclusion, Legionella spp. (DNA and VBNC) was associated with V. vermiformis, heterotrophic bacteria, and stagnation occurring through intermittent usage. This is the first study to monitor VBNC Legionella spp. within a hospital water system. The high percentage of false negative Legionella spp. results provided by the culture method supports the use of either qPCR or VFC+qPCR to monitor Legionella spp. contamination within hospital water systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Atif Nisar
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Kirstin E. Ros
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Melissa H. Brown
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Richard Bentham
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Giles Best
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - James Xi
- Enware Australia Pty Ltd., Caringbah, NSW, Australia
| | - Jason Hinds
- Enware Australia Pty Ltd., Caringbah, NSW, Australia
| | - Harriet Whiley
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
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23
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Boamah D, Gilmore M, Bourget S, Ghosh A, Hossain M, Vogel J, Cava F, O’Connor T. Peptidoglycan deacetylation controls type IV secretion and the intracellular survival of the bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2119658120. [PMID: 37252954 PMCID: PMC10266036 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2119658120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptidoglycan is a critical component of the bacteria cell envelope. Remodeling of the peptidoglycan is required for numerous essential cellular processes and has been linked to bacterial pathogenesis. Peptidoglycan deacetylases that remove the acetyl group of the N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) subunit protect bacterial pathogens from immune recognition and digestive enzymes secreted at the site of infection. However, the full extent of this modification on bacterial physiology and pathogenesis is not known. Here, we identify a polysaccharide deacetylase of the intracellular bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila and define a two-tiered role for this enzyme in Legionella pathogenesis. First, NAG deacetylation is important for the proper localization and function of the Type IVb secretion system, linking peptidoglycan editing to the modulation of host cellular processes through the action of secreted virulence factors. As a consequence, the Legionella vacuole mis-traffics along the endocytic pathway to the lysosome, preventing the formation of a replication permissive compartment. Second, within the lysosome, the inability to deacetylate the peptidoglycan renders the bacteria more sensitive to lysozyme-mediated degradation, resulting in increased bacterial death. Thus, the ability to deacetylate NAG is important for bacteria to persist within host cells and in turn, Legionella virulence. Collectively, these results expand the function of peptidoglycan deacetylases in bacteria, linking peptidoglycan editing, Type IV secretion, and the intracellular fate of a bacterial pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Boamah
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Michael C. Gilmore
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå90187, Sweden
| | - Sarah Bourget
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Anushka Ghosh
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Mohammad J. Hossain
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Joseph P. Vogel
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Felipe Cava
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå90187, Sweden
| | - Tamara J. O’Connor
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
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24
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Jarrah A, Mansour M, Alnasarat A, Abdelrahman A, Damlakhy A, Eltawansy S. Disseminated Legionella Associated With Myocarditis in an Otherwise Immunocompetent Host: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Cureus 2023; 15:e40529. [PMID: 37461776 PMCID: PMC10350323 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.40529] [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] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Legionnaires' disease caused by the bacteria Legionella pneumophila, is considered a type of atypical pneumonia. The disease usually presents with dyspnea, cough, fever, muscle aches, headache, nausea, and vomiting. A milder form of the disease (Pontiac fever) with flu-like illness also exists. In addition to lung infection, extrapulmonary manifestations might occur including sepsis, rhabdomyolysis, neurological impairment, kidney, and liver damage. Myocarditis can be seen as a rare complication in Legionnaires' disease. Here, we are presenting a case of Legionnaires' disease associated with myocarditis in a patient with no predisposing risk factors for severe illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Jarrah
- Internal Medicine, Detroit Medical Center/Sinai Grace Hospital/Wayne State University, Detroit, USA
| | - Mohamed Mansour
- Internal Medicine, Detroit Medical Center/Sinai Grace Hospital/Wayne State University, Detroit, USA
| | - Ahmad Alnasarat
- Internal Medicine, Detroit Medical Center/Sinai Grace Hospital/Wayne State University, Detroit, USA
| | - Ahmed Abdelrahman
- Internal Medicine, Detroit Medical Center/Sinai Grace Hospital/Wayne State University, Detroit, USA
| | - Ahmad Damlakhy
- Internal Medicine, Detroit Medical Center/Sinai Grace Hospital/Wayne State University, Detroit, USA
| | - Sherif Eltawansy
- Internal Medicine, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, USA
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25
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Viana F, Boucontet L, Laghi V, Schator D, Ibranosyan M, Jarraud S, Colucci-Guyon E, Buchrieser C. Hiding in the yolk: A unique feature of Legionella pneumophila infection of zebrafish. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011375. [PMID: 37155695 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish has become a powerful model organism to study host-pathogen interactions. Here, we developed a zebrafish model to dissect the innate immune response to Legionella pneumophila during infection. We show that L. pneumophila cause zebrafish larvae death in a dose dependent manner. Additionally, we show that macrophages are the first line of defence and cooperate with neutrophils to clear the infection. Immunocompromised humans have an increased propensity to develop pneumonia, when either macrophages or neutrophils are depleted, these "immunocompromised" larvae become lethally sensitive to L. pneumophila. Also, as observed in human infections, the adaptor signalling molecule Myd88 is not required to control disease in the larvae. Furthermore, proinflammatory cytokine genes il1β and tnf-α were upregulated during infection, recapitulating key immune responses seen in human infection. Strikingly, we uncovered a previously undescribed infection phenotype in zebrafish larvae, whereby bloodborne, wild type L. pneumophila invade and grow in the larval yolk region, a phenotype not observed with a type IV secretion system deficient mutant that cannot translocate effectors into its host cell. Thus, zebrafish larva represents an innovative L. pneumophila infection model that mimics important aspects of the human immune response to L. pneumophila infection and will allow the elucidation of mechanisms by which type IV secretion effectors allow L. pneumophila to cross host cell membranes and obtain nutrients from nutrient rich environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flávia Viana
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires and CNRS UMR 6047, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Boucontet
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Macrophages et Développement de l'Immunité and CNRS UMR 3738, Paris, France
| | - Valerio Laghi
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Macrophages et Développement de l'Immunité and CNRS UMR 3738, Paris, France
| | - Daniel Schator
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires and CNRS UMR 6047, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Collège doctoral, Paris, France
| | - Marine Ibranosyan
- National Reference Centre of Legionella, Institute of Infectious Agents, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Sophie Jarraud
- National Reference Centre of Legionella, Institute of Infectious Agents, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5308, Inserm U1111, ENS de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Emma Colucci-Guyon
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Macrophages et Développement de l'Immunité and CNRS UMR 3738, Paris, France
| | - Carmen Buchrieser
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires and CNRS UMR 6047, Paris, France
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26
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Machtens DA, Willerding JM, Eschenburg S, Reubold TF. Crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of the effector protein SidI of Legionella pneumophila reveals a glucosyl transferase domain. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 661:50-55. [PMID: 37087798 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacterium Legionella pneumophila is an accidental human pathogen that can cause a life-threatening respiratory infection called Legionellosis. In the course of infection, L. pneumophila injects more than 300 effector proteins into the host cell. The effector proteins modify the intracellular environment in order to create a stable compartment for proliferation within the host cell. The effector protein SidI has been shown to potently inhibit host translation upon translocation. SidI is able to interact with the translation elongation factor eEF1A, which has been hypothesized to be a target of SidI. A postulated glycosyltransferase domain in the C-terminal half may be responsible for the toxic effect of SidI. Here, we present the crystal structure of an N-terminal fragment of SidI containing residues 37-573. The structure is divided into three subdomains, two of which display a novel fold. The third subdomain shows close structural homology to GT-B fold glycosyltransferases. Based on structural analysis we predict that the two previously identified residues R453 and E482 assume roles in the catalytic activity of SidI. Furthermore, we show that the N-terminal fragment of SidI is able to directly interact with a postulated target, the translation elongation factor eEF1A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik A Machtens
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany; Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jonas M Willerding
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Susanne Eschenburg
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany; Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas F Reubold
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
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27
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Vormittag S, Ende RJ, Derré I, Hilbi H. Pathogen vacuole membrane contact sites - close encounters of the fifth kind. MICROLIFE 2023; 4:uqad018. [PMID: 37223745 PMCID: PMC10117887 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqad018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Vesicular trafficking and membrane fusion are well-characterized, versatile, and sophisticated means of 'long range' intracellular protein and lipid delivery. Membrane contact sites (MCS) have been studied in far less detail, but are crucial for 'short range' (10-30 nm) communication between organelles, as well as between pathogen vacuoles and organelles. MCS are specialized in the non-vesicular trafficking of small molecules such as calcium and lipids. Pivotal MCS components important for lipid transfer are the VAP receptor/tether protein, oxysterol binding proteins (OSBPs), the ceramide transport protein CERT, the phosphoinositide phosphatase Sac1, and the lipid phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns(4)P). In this review, we discuss how these MCS components are subverted by bacterial pathogens and their secreted effector proteins to promote intracellular survival and replication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Isabelle Derré
- Corresponding author. Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, 1340 Jefferson Park Ave, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States. Tel: +1-434-924-2330; E-mail:
| | - Hubert Hilbi
- Corresponding author. Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Gloriastrasse 30, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland. Tel: +41-44-634-2650; E-mail:
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28
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Vormittag S, Hüsler D, Haneburger I, Kroniger T, Anand A, Prantl M, Barisch C, Maaß S, Becher D, Letourneur F, Hilbi H. Legionella- and host-driven lipid flux at LCV-ER membrane contact sites promotes vacuole remodeling. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e56007. [PMID: 36588479 PMCID: PMC9986823 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202256007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila replicates in macrophages and amoeba within a unique compartment, the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV). Hallmarks of LCV formation are the phosphoinositide lipid conversion from PtdIns(3)P to PtdIns(4)P, fusion with ER-derived vesicles and a tight association with the ER. Proteomics of purified LCVs indicate the presence of membrane contact sites (MCS) proteins possibly implicated in lipid exchange. Using dually fluorescence-labeled Dictyostelium discoideum amoeba, we reveal that VAMP-associated protein (Vap) and the PtdIns(4)P 4-phosphatase Sac1 localize to the ER, and Vap also localizes to the LCV membrane. Furthermore, Vap as well as Sac1 promote intracellular replication of L. pneumophila and LCV remodeling. Oxysterol binding proteins (OSBPs) preferentially localize to the ER (OSBP8) or the LCV membrane (OSBP11), respectively, and restrict (OSBP8) or promote (OSBP11) bacterial replication and LCV expansion. The sterol probes GFP-D4H* and filipin indicate that sterols are rapidly depleted from LCVs, while PtdIns(4)P accumulates. In addition to Sac1, the PtdIns(4)P-subverting L. pneumophila effector proteins LepB and SidC also support LCV remodeling. Taken together, the Legionella- and host cell-driven PtdIns(4)P gradient at LCV-ER MCSs promotes Vap-, OSBP- and Sac1-dependent pathogen vacuole maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Vormittag
- Institute of Medical MicrobiologyUniversity of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Dario Hüsler
- Institute of Medical MicrobiologyUniversity of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Ina Haneburger
- Institute of Medical MicrobiologyUniversity of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Tobias Kroniger
- Institute of MicrobiologyUniversity of GreifswaldGreifswaldGermany
| | - Aby Anand
- Division of Molecular Infection Biology and Center for Cellular NanoanalyticsUniversity of OsnabrückOsnabrückGermany
| | - Manuel Prantl
- Institute of Medical MicrobiologyUniversity of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Caroline Barisch
- Division of Molecular Infection Biology and Center for Cellular NanoanalyticsUniversity of OsnabrückOsnabrückGermany
| | - Sandra Maaß
- Institute of MicrobiologyUniversity of GreifswaldGreifswaldGermany
| | - Dörte Becher
- Institute of MicrobiologyUniversity of GreifswaldGreifswaldGermany
| | - François Letourneur
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host InteractionsUniversité de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERMMontpellierFrance
| | - Hubert Hilbi
- Institute of Medical MicrobiologyUniversity of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
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García-Rodríguez FJ, Buchrieser C, Escoll P. Legionella and mitochondria, an intriguing relationship. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 374:37-81. [PMID: 36858656 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, a severe pneumonia. L. pneumophila injects via a type-IV-secretion-system (T4SS) more than 300 bacterial proteins into macrophages, its main host cell in humans. Certain of these bacterial effectors target organelles in the infected cell and hijack multiple processes to facilitate all steps of the intracellular life cycle of this pathogen. In this review, we discuss the interplay between L. pneumophila, an intracellular bacterium fully armed with virulence tools, and mitochondria, the extraordinary eukaryotic organelles playing prominent roles in cellular bioenergetics, cell-autonomous immunity and cell death. We present and discuss key findings concerning the multiple interactions of L. pneumophila with mitochondria during infection and the mechanisms employed by T4SS effectors that target mitochondrial functions to subvert infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carmen Buchrieser
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires and CNRS UMR 6047, Paris, France.
| | - Pedro Escoll
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires and CNRS UMR 6047, Paris, France.
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30
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Scheithauer L, Karagöz MS, Mayer BE, Steinert M. Protein sociology of ProA, Mip and other secreted virulence factors at the Legionella pneumophila surface. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1140688. [PMID: 36936764 PMCID: PMC10017501 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1140688] [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: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathogenicity of L. pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, depends on an arsenal of interacting proteins. Here we describe how surface-associated and secreted virulence factors of this pathogen interact with each other or target extra- and intracellular host proteins resulting in host cell manipulation and tissue colonization. Since progress of computational methods like AlphaFold, molecular dynamics simulation, and docking allows to predict, analyze and evaluate experimental proteomic and interactomic data, we describe how the combination of these approaches generated new insights into the multifaceted "protein sociology" of the zinc metalloprotease ProA and the peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase Mip (macrophage infectivity potentiator). Both virulence factors of L. pneumophila interact with numerous proteins including bacterial flagellin (FlaA) and host collagen, and play important roles in virulence regulation, host tissue degradation and immune evasion. The recent progress in protein-ligand analyses of virulence factors suggests that machine learning will also have a beneficial impact in early stages of drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Scheithauer
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Mustafa Safa Karagöz
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Benjamin E. Mayer
- Computational Biology & Simulation, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Michael Steinert
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Michael Steinert,
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31
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The Effect Citrox BCL on Legionella pneumophila Mechanisms of Biofilm Formation, Oxidative Stress and Virulence. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11112186. [DOI: 10.3390/antiox11112186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is responsible for causing Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever, also known as legionellosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanistic effect of a mixture of natural antimicrobials (Citrox BCL) in preventing L. pneumophila biofilm formation and reducing its in vitro virulence. The minimum inhibitory concentrations were detected at 0.06%, and the MBC was established at 0.125%. Based on the growth curve profile, the sub-inhibitory concentration of 0.02% was further used to study the mechanistic implications in the absence of a cytotoxic effect on A549 cells. At 24 h post-infection, Citrox BCL reduced (p = 0.005) the intracellular growth of L. pneumophila when the A549 cells or the bacteria were pre-treated with 0.02% Citrox BCL. This result was replicated when Citrox BCL was added during the 24 h infection assay leading to a reduction in intracellular growth (p = 0.003). Herein we show that at the sub-inhibitory concentration of 0.02%, Citrox CBL lowers the ROS levels in infected A549 cells and causes a 45% reduction in L. pneumophila EPS production, a reduction associated with the decline in biofilm formation. Overall, our results corroborate the low c-di-GMP production with the decrease in biofilm formation and low EPS levels. The low EPS levels seemed to be caused by the downregulation of the tatB and tatC gene expressions. Moreover, inhibition of pvcA and pvcB gene expressions, leading to lower siderophore levels, suggests that Citrox BCL reduces the ability of L. pneumophila to sequester iron and reduce biofilm formation through iron starvation.
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32
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5′ Untranslated mRNA Regions Allow Bypass of Host Cell Translation Inhibition by Legionella pneumophila. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0017922. [DOI: 10.1128/iai.00179-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila
grows within membrane-bound vacuoles in alveolar macrophages during human disease. Pathogen manipulation of the host cell is driven by bacterial proteins translocated through a type IV secretion system (T4SS).
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Nisar MA, Ross KE, Brown MH, Bentham R, Hinds J, Whiley H. Molecular screening and characterization of Legionella pneumophila associated free-living amoebae in domestic and hospital water systems. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 226:119238. [PMID: 36270142 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Free-living amoebae are ubiquitous in the environment and cause both opportunistic and non-opportunistic infections in humans. Some genera of amoebae are natural reservoirs of opportunistic plumbing pathogens, such as Legionella pneumophila. In this study, the presence of free-living amoebae and Legionella was investigated in 140 water and biofilm samples collected from Australian domestic (n = 68) and hospital water systems (n = 72). Each sample was screened in parallel using molecular and culture-based methods. Direct quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays showed that 41% samples were positive for Legionella, 33% for L. pneumophila, 11% for Acanthamoeba, and 55% for Vermamoeba vermiformis gene markers. Only 7% of samples contained culturable L. pneumophila serogroup (sg)1, L. pneumophila sg2-14, and non-pneumophila Legionella. In total, 69% of samples were positive for free-living amoebae using any method. Standard culturing found that 41% of the samples were positive for amoeba (either Acanthamoeba, Allovahlkampfia, Stenamoeba, or V. vermiformis). V. vermiformis showed the highest overall frequency of occurrence. Acanthamoeba and V. vermiformis isolates demonstrated high thermotolerance and osmotolerance and strong broad spectrum bacteriogenic activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Importantly, all Legionella positive samples were also positive for amoeba, and this co-occurrence was statistically significant (p < 0.05). According to qPCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization, V. vermiformis and Allovahlkampfia harboured intracellular L. pneumophila. To our knowledge, this is the first time Allovahlkampfia and Stenamoeba have been demonstrated as hosts of L. pneumophila in potable water. These results demonstrate the importance of amoebae in engineered water systems, both as a pathogen and as a reservoir of Legionella. The high frequency of gymnamoebae detected in this study from Australian engineered water systems identifies an issue of significant public health concern. Future water management protocols should incorporate treatments strategies to control amoebae to reduce the risk to end users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Atif Nisar
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Kirstin E Ross
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Melissa H Brown
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Richard Bentham
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Jason Hinds
- Enware Australia Pty Ltd, Caringbah, NSW, Australia
| | - Harriet Whiley
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
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Kanarek P, Bogiel T, Breza-Boruta B. Legionellosis risk-an overview of Legionella spp. habitats in Europe. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:76532-76542. [PMID: 36161570 PMCID: PMC9511453 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22950-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
An increase in the number of reports of legionellosis in the European Union and the European Economic Area have been recorded in recent years. The increase in cases is significant: from 6947 reports in 2015 to 11,298 in 2019. This is alarming as genus Legionella, which comprises a large group of bacteria inhabiting various aquatic systems, poses a serious threat to human health and life, since more than 20 species can cause legionellosis, with L. pneumophila being responsible for the majority of cases. The ability to colonize diverse ecosystems makes the eradication of these microorganisms difficult. A detailed understanding of the Legionella habitat may be helpful in the effective control of this pathogen. This paper provides an overview of Legionella environments in Europe: natural (lakes, groundwater, rivers, compost, soil) and anthropogenic (fountains, air humidifiers, water supply systems), and the role of Legionella spp. in nosocomial infections, which are potentially fatal for children, the elderly and immunocompromised patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Kanarek
- Department of Microbiology and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 6 Bernardyńska Street, 85-029, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Tomasz Bogiel
- Department of Microbiology, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 9 Skłodowska-Curie Street, 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Barbara Breza-Boruta
- Department of Microbiology and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 6 Bernardyńska Street, 85-029, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
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The microbiome of a bacterivorous marine choanoflagellate contains a resource-demanding obligate bacterial associate. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1466-1479. [PMID: 35970961 PMCID: PMC9418006 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01174-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Microbial predators such as choanoflagellates are key players in ocean food webs. Choanoflagellates, which are the closest unicellular relatives of animals, consume bacteria and also exhibit marked biological transitions triggered by bacterial compounds, yet their native microbiomes remain uncharacterized. Here we report the discovery of a ubiquitous, uncultured bacterial lineage we name Candidatus Comchoanobacterales ord. nov., related to the human pathogen Coxiella and physically associated with the uncultured marine choanoflagellate Bicosta minor. We analyse complete ‘Comchoano’ genomes acquired after sorting single Bicosta cells, finding signatures of obligate host-dependence, including reduction of pathways encoding glycolysis, membrane components, amino acids and B-vitamins. Comchoano encode the necessary apparatus to import energy and other compounds from the host, proteins for host-cell associations and a type IV secretion system closest to Coxiella’s that is expressed in Pacific Ocean metatranscriptomes. Interactions between choanoflagellates and their microbiota could reshape the direction of energy and resource flow attributed to microbial predators, adding complexity and nuance to marine food webs. Choanoflagellates are the closest living unicellular relatives of animals and are important bacterivorous predators in the ocean. Here the authors show that the microbiome of this predator includes an obligate, host resource-dependent bacterial associate.
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Eriksson KIA, Thelaus J, Andersson A, Ahlinder J. Microbial Interactions - Underexplored Links Between Public Health Relevant Bacteria and Protozoa in Coastal Environments. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:877483. [PMID: 35770179 PMCID: PMC9235517 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.877483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The co-existence of bacteria and protozoa in aquatic environments has led to the evolution of predation defense mechanisms by the bacteria. Some of the predation-resistant bacteria (PRB) are also pathogenic to humans and other mammals. The links between PRB and protozoa in natural aquatic systems are poorly known, but they are important in predicting outbreaks and determining the long-term consequences of a contamination event. To elucidate co-occurrence patterns between PRB (16S rRNA) and bacterivorous protozoa (18S rRNA), we performed a field study in a coastal area in the northern Baltic Sea. Interactions between bacteria and protozoa were explored by using two complementary statistical tools. We found co-occurrence patterns between specific PRB and protozoa, such as Legionella and Ciliophora, and we also found that the interactions are genotype-specific as, for example, Rickettsia. The PRB sequence diversity was larger in bays and freshwater inlets compared to offshore sites, indicating local adaptions. Considering the PRB diversity in the freshwater in combination with the large spring floods in the area, freshwater influxes should be considered a potential source of PRB in the coastal northern Baltic Sea. These findings are relevant for the knowledge of survival and dispersal of potential pathogens in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina I. A. Eriksson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Johanna Thelaus
- Division of CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), Umeå, Sweden
| | - Agneta Andersson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University, Hörnefors, Sweden
| | - Jon Ahlinder
- Division of CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), Umeå, Sweden
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Cavallaro A, Rhoads WJ, Huwiler SG, Stachler E, Hammes F. Potential probiotic approaches to control Legionella in engineered aquatic ecosystems. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:6604835. [PMID: 35679082 PMCID: PMC9333994 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Opportunistic pathogens belonging to the genus Legionella are among the most reported waterborne-associated pathogens in industrialized countries. Legionella colonize a variety of engineered aquatic ecosystems and persist in biofilms where they interact with a multitude of other resident microorganisms. In this review, we assess how some of these interactions could be used to develop a biological-driven “probiotic” control approach against Legionella. We focus on: (i) mechanisms limiting the ability of Legionella to establish and replicate within some of their natural protozoan hosts; (ii) exploitative and interference competitive interactions between Legionella and other microorganisms; and (iii) the potential of predatory bacteria and phages against Legionella. This field is still emergent, and we therefore specifically highlight research for future investigations, and propose perspectives on the feasibility and public acceptance of a potential probiotic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Cavallaro
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - William J Rhoads
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Simona G Huwiler
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elyse Stachler
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Frederik Hammes
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
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Lockwood DC, Amin H, Costa TRD, Schroeder GN. The Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm type IV secretion system and its effectors. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2022; 168. [PMID: 35639581 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
To prevail in the interaction with eukaryotic hosts, many bacterial pathogens use protein secretion systems to release virulence factors at the host–pathogen interface and/or deliver them directly into host cells. An outstanding example of the complexity and sophistication of secretion systems and the diversity of their protein substrates, effectors, is the Defective in organelle trafficking/Intracellular multiplication (Dot/Icm) Type IVB secretion system (T4BSS) of
Legionella pneumophila
and related species.
Legionella
species are facultative intracellular pathogens of environmental protozoa and opportunistic human respiratory pathogens. The Dot/Icm T4BSS translocates an exceptionally large number of effectors, more than 300 per
L. pneumophila
strain, and is essential for evasion of phagolysosomal degradation and exploitation of protozoa and human macrophages as replicative niches. Recent technological advancements in the imaging of large protein complexes have provided new insight into the architecture of the T4BSS and allowed us to propose models for the transport mechanism. At the same time, significant progress has been made in assigning functions to about a third of
L. pneumophila
effectors, discovering unprecedented new enzymatic activities and concepts of host subversion. In this review, we describe the current knowledge of the workings of the Dot/Icm T4BSS machinery and provide an overview of the activities and functions of the to-date characterized effectors in the interaction of
L. pneumophila
with host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Lockwood
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Himani Amin
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Tiago R D Costa
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Gunnar N Schroeder
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
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Faucher SP, Matthews S, Nickzad A, Vounba P, Shetty D, Bédard É, Prévost M, Déziel E, Paranjape K. Toxoflavin secreted by Pseudomonas alcaliphila inhibits the growth of Legionella pneumophila and Vermamoeba vermiformis. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 216:118328. [PMID: 35364354 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is a natural inhabitant of water systems. From there, it can be transmitted to humans by aerosolization resulting in severe pneumonia. Most large outbreaks are caused by cooling towers colonized with L. pneumophila. The resident microbiota of the cooling tower is a key determinant for the colonization and growth of L. pneumophila. In our preceding study, the genus Pseudomonas correlated negatively with the presence of L. pneumophila in cooling towers, but it was not clear which species was responsible. Therefore, we identified the Pseudomonas species inhabiting 14 cooling towers using a Pseudomonas-specific 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing strategy. We found that cooling towers that are free of L. pneumophila contained a high relative abundance of members from the Pseudomonas alcaliphila/oleovorans phylogenetic cluster. P. alcaliphila JCM 10630 inhibited the growth of L. pneumophila on agar plates. Analysis of the P. alcaliphila genome revealed the presence of a gene cluster predicted to produce toxoflavin. L. pneumophila growth was inhibited by pure toxoflavin and by extracts from P. alcaliphila culture found to contain toxoflavin by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. In addition, toxoflavin inhibits the growth of Vermameoba vermiformis, a host cell of L. pneumophila. Our study indicates that P. alcaliphila may be important to restrict growth of L. pneumophila in water systems through the production of toxoflavin. A sufficiently high concentration of toxoflavin is likely not achieved in the bulk water but might have a local inhibitory effect such as near or in biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastien P Faucher
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Sara Matthews
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Arvin Nickzad
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Passoret Vounba
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Deeksha Shetty
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Émilie Bédard
- Department of Civil Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Michele Prévost
- Department of Civil Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Eric Déziel
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Kiran Paranjape
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada; Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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40
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Gattuso G, Rizzo R, Lavoro A, Spoto V, Porciello G, Montagnese C, Cinà D, Cosentino A, Lombardo C, Mezzatesta ML, Salmeri M. Overview of the Clinical and Molecular Features of Legionella Pneumophila: Focus on Novel Surveillance and Diagnostic Strategies. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11030370. [PMID: 35326833 PMCID: PMC8944609 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11030370] [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] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) is one of the most threatening nosocomial pathogens. The implementation of novel and more effective surveillance and diagnostic strategies is mandatory to prevent the occurrence of legionellosis outbreaks in hospital environments. On these bases, the present review is aimed to describe the main clinical and molecular features of L. pneumophila focusing attention on the latest findings on drug resistance mechanisms. In addition, a detailed description of the current guidelines for the disinfection and surveillance of the water systems is also provided. Finally, the diagnostic strategies available for the detection of Legionella spp. were critically reviewed, paying the attention to the description of the culture, serological and molecular methods as well as on the novel high-sensitive nucleic acid amplification systems, such as droplet digital PCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Gattuso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Roberta Rizzo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Alessandro Lavoro
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Vincenzoleo Spoto
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Giuseppe Porciello
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy; (G.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Concetta Montagnese
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy; (G.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Diana Cinà
- Health Management of the “Cannizzaro” Emergency Hospital of Catania, 95126 Catania, Italy;
- Clinical Pathology and Clinical Molecular Biology Unit, “Garibaldi Centro” Hospital, ARNAS Garibaldi, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Alessia Cosentino
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Cinzia Lombardo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Maria Lina Mezzatesta
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Mario Salmeri
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-095-478-1244
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The Legionella Lqs-LvbR Regulatory Network Controls Temperature-Dependent Growth Onset and Bacterial Cell Density. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0237021. [PMID: 34985976 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02370-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella species are facultative intracellular pathogens that cause a life-threatening pneumonia termed Legionnaires' disease. Legionella pneumophila employs the Lqs-LvbR (Legionella quorum sensing-Legionella virulence and biofilm regulator) network to regulate virulence and motility, but its role for growth in media is ill-defined. Here, we report that compared to the L. pneumophila reference strain JR32, a ΔlqsR mutant showed a reduced lag phase at 30°C and reached a higher cell density at 45°C, while the ΔlqsA, ΔlqsS, and ΔlqsT mutants showed a longer lag phase and reached a lower cell density. A ΔlvbR mutant resumed growth like the parental strain at 30°C but exhibited a substantially reduced cell density at 45°C. Thus, LvbR is an important cell density regulator at elevated temperatures. Environmental and clinical L. pneumophila strains grew in N-(2-acetamido)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (ACES)-buffered yeast extract (AYE) medium after distinct lag phases with similar rates at 30°C, reached different cell densities at the optimal growth temperature of 40°C, and no longer grew at 50°C. Legionella longbeachae reached a rather low cell density at 40°C and did not grow at and beyond 45°C. Genes encoding components of the Lqs-LvbR network were present in the genomes of the environmental and clinical L. pneumophila isolates, and upon growth at 30°C or 45°C, the PlqsR, PlqsA, PlqsS, and PlvbR promoters from strain JR32 were expressed in these strains with distinct patterns. Taken together, our results indicate that the Lqs-LvbR network governs the temperature-dependent growth onset and cell density of the L. pneumophila reference strain JR32 and possibly also of environmental and clinical L. pneumophila isolates. IMPORTANCE Environmental bacteria of the genus Legionella are the causative agents of the severe pneumonia Legionnaires' disease, the incidence of which is on the rise worldwide. Legionella pneumophila and Legionella longbeachae are the clinically most relevant species. The opportunistic pathogens are inhaled through contaminated aerosols and replicate in human lung macrophages with a mechanism similar to that in their natural hosts, free-living amoebae. Given their prevalence in natural and technical water systems, an efficient control of Legionella spp. by physical, chemical, or biological means will reduce the incidence of Legionnaires' disease. Here, we show that the Legionella quorum sensing (Lqs) system and the pleiotropic transcription factor LvbR govern the temperature-dependent growth onset and cell density of bacterial cultures. Hence, the growth of L. pneumophila in water systems is determined not only by the temperature and nutrient availability but also by quorum sensing, i.e., density- and signaling molecule-dependent gene regulation.
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Martyn JE, Gomez-Valero L, Buchrieser C. The evolution and role of eukaryotic-like domains in environmental intracellular bacteria: the battle with a eukaryotic cell. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6529235. [DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Intracellular pathogens that are able to thrive in different environments, such as Legionella spp. which preferentially live in protozoa in aquatic environments or environmental Chlamydiae which replicate either within protozoa or a range of animals, possess a plethora of cellular biology tools to influence their eukaryotic host. The host manipulation tools that evolved in the interaction with protozoa, confer these bacteria the capacity to also infect phylogenetically distinct eukaryotic cells, such as macrophages and thus they can also be human pathogens. To manipulate the host cell, bacteria use protein secretion systems and molecular effectors. Although these molecular effectors are encoded in bacteria, they are expressed and function in a eukaryotic context often mimicking or inhibiting eukaryotic proteins. Indeed, many of these effectors have eukaryotic-like domains. In this review we propose that the main pathways environmental intracellular bacteria need to subvert in order to establish the host eukaryotic cell as a replication niche are chromatin remodelling, ubiquitination signalling, and modulation of protein-protein interactions via tandem repeat domains. We then provide mechanistic insight into how these proteins might have evolved as molecular weapons. Finally, we highlight that in environmental intracellular bacteria the number of eukaryotic-like domains and proteins is considerably higher than in intracellular bacteria specialised to an isolated niche, such as obligate intracellular human pathogens. As mimics of eukaryotic proteins are critical components of host pathogen interactions, this distribution of eukaryotic-like domains suggests that the environment has selected them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Martyn
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires and CNRS UMR 3525, Paris, France
| | - Laura Gomez-Valero
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires and CNRS UMR 3525, Paris, France
| | - Carmen Buchrieser
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires and CNRS UMR 3525, Paris, France
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Bacterial Antagonistic Species of the Pathogenic Genus Legionella Isolated from Cooling Tower. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020392. [PMID: 35208847 PMCID: PMC8877877 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020392] [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: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease, a severe pneumonia. Cooling towers are a major source of large outbreaks of the disease. The growth of L. pneumophila in these habitats is influenced by the resident microbiota. Consequently, the aim of this study was to isolate and characterize bacterial species from cooling towers capable of inhibiting several strains of L. pneumophila and one strain of L. quinlivanii. Two cooling towers were sampled to isolate inhibiting bacterial species. Seven inhibitory isolates were isolated, through serial dilution plating and streaking on agar plates, belonging to seven distinct species. The genomes of these isolates were sequenced to identify potential genetic elements that could explain the inhibitory effect. The results showed that the bacterial isolates were taxonomically diverse and that one of the isolates may be a novel species. Genome analysis showed a high diversity of antimicrobial gene products identified in the genomes of the bacterial isolates. Finally, testing different strains of Legionella demonstrated varying degrees of susceptibility to the antimicrobial activity of the antagonistic species. This may be due to genetic variability between the Legionella strains. The results demonstrate that though cooling towers are breeding grounds for L. pneumophila, the bacteria must contend with various antagonistic species. Potentially, these species could be used to create an inhospitable environment for L. pneumophila, and thus decrease the probability of outbreaks occurring.
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44
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Watanabe K, Motonaga A, Tachibana M, Shimizu T, Watarai M. Francisella novicida can utilize Paramecium bursaria as its potential host. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2022; 14:50-59. [PMID: 34845838 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Francisella novicida is a facultative intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of tularemia. Although cases of infection caused by exposure to contaminated water have been reported, its natural host and ecology in the environment remain unclear. In this study, we investigated in vitro the possibility that Paramecium bursaria may be a useful tool as a protist host model of F. novicida. Experimental infection with F. novicida resulted in a stable intracellular relationship within P. bursaria. This symbiotic intracellular relationship was not observed in experimental infections with other Francisella species and Legionella pneumophila. We found that F. novicida showed similar behaviour to that of the eukaryotic endosymbiont of P. bursaria, the green algae Chlorella, in the internalization process. In addition, stable intracellular localization of F. novicida was possible only when Chlorella was not present. Although we investigated the type VI secretion system of F. novicida as a candidate for the bacterial factor, we found that it was not involved in the establishment of an intracellular relationship with P. bursaria. These results suggested that P. bursaria is potentially a protist host model for F. novicida and may be a useful tool for understanding the relationship between protist hosts and their symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Watanabe
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Akane Motonaga
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Masato Tachibana
- National BioResource Project Paramecium, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Takashi Shimizu
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Masahisa Watarai
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
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45
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Talapko J, Frauenheim E, Juzbašić M, Tomas M, Matić S, Jukić M, Samardžić M, Škrlec I. Legionella pneumophila-Virulence Factors and the Possibility of Infection in Dental Practice. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020255. [PMID: 35208710 PMCID: PMC8879694 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is defined as a bacterium that can cause severe pneumonia. It is found in the natural environment and in water, and is often found in water tanks. It can be an integral part of biofilms in nature, and the protozoa in which it can live provide it with food and protect it from harmful influences; therefore, it has the ability to move into a sustainable but uncultured state (VBNC). L. pneumophila has been shown to cause infections in dental practices. The most common transmission route is aerosol generated in dental office water systems, which can negatively affect patients and healthcare professionals. The most common way of becoming infected with L. pneumophila in a dental office is through water from dental instruments, and the dental unit. In addition to these bacteria, patients and the dental team may be exposed to other harmful bacteria and viruses. Therefore, it is vital that the dental team regularly maintains and decontaminates the dental unit, and sterilizes all accessories that come with it. In addition, regular water control in dental offices is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasminka Talapko
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; (J.T.); (E.F.); (M.J.); (M.T.); (S.M.); (M.J.); (M.S.)
| | - Erwin Frauenheim
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; (J.T.); (E.F.); (M.J.); (M.T.); (S.M.); (M.J.); (M.S.)
| | - Martina Juzbašić
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; (J.T.); (E.F.); (M.J.); (M.T.); (S.M.); (M.J.); (M.S.)
| | - Matej Tomas
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; (J.T.); (E.F.); (M.J.); (M.T.); (S.M.); (M.J.); (M.S.)
| | - Suzana Matić
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; (J.T.); (E.F.); (M.J.); (M.T.); (S.M.); (M.J.); (M.S.)
- Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Josipa Huttlera 4, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Melita Jukić
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; (J.T.); (E.F.); (M.J.); (M.T.); (S.M.); (M.J.); (M.S.)
- General Hospital Vukovar, Županijska 35, HR-32000 Vukovar, Croatia
| | - Marija Samardžić
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; (J.T.); (E.F.); (M.J.); (M.T.); (S.M.); (M.J.); (M.S.)
| | - Ivana Škrlec
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; (J.T.); (E.F.); (M.J.); (M.T.); (S.M.); (M.J.); (M.S.)
- Correspondence:
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46
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Lotonin K, Bondarenko N, Nassonova E, Rayko M, Smirnov A. Balamuthia spinosa n. sp. (Amoebozoa, Discosea) from the brackish-water sediments of Nivå Bay (Baltic Sea, The Sound) - a novel potential vector of Legionella pneumophila in the environment. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:713-724. [PMID: 35022888 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07425-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
We have found a new free-living amoeba species named Balamuthia spinosa n. sp. (Amoebozoa, Discosea) in the bottom sediments of the brackish-water Nivå Bay (Baltic Sea, The Sound). This species resembles members of the genus Stygamoeba morphologically and was (mis)identified as belonging to this genus during the initial investigation. However, SSU rRNA gene data show that it robustly groups with Balamuthia mandrillaris sequence among Acanthopodida and represents a new species of the genus Balamuthia. Fragments of Legionella pneumophila genome were found among the NGS contigs obtained from B. spinosa n. sp., suggesting that this species may be a vector of Legionella in the environment. We discuss a remarkable morphological and ultrastructural similarity between the genus Balamuthia and the genus Stygamoeba. In addition, our phylogenetic analysis based on the SSU rRNA gene sequences revealed a close relationship between the genera Stygamoeba and Vermistella. It is one more confirmation of the order Stygamoebida, which was formed basing on the morphological evidence. The position of these branches close to Thecamoebida clade is congruent with current phylogenomic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Lotonin
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034, St. Petersburg, Russia.
| | - N Bondarenko
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - E Nassonova
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Laboratory of Cytology of Unicellular Organisms, Institute of Cytology RAS, Tikhoretsky ave. 4, 194064, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - M Rayko
- Center for Algorithmic Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - A Smirnov
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034, St. Petersburg, Russia
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The Legionella genus core effectors display functional conservation among orthologs by themselves or combined with an accessory protein. CURRENT RESEARCH IN MICROBIAL SCIENCES 2022; 3:100105. [PMID: 35059677 PMCID: PMC8760000 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2022.100105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The Legionella genus contains nine core effectors. Three Legionella pneumophila core effectors are required for intracellular growth. The Legionella genus core effectors display functional conservation among orthologs. One Legionella core effector requires an accessory protein to perform its function.
The intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila, as well as other Legionella species, utilize the Icm/Dot type-IV secretion system to translocate an exceptionally large and diverse repertoire of effectors into their host cells. However, only nine core effectors were found to be present in all analyzed Legionella species. In this study, we investigated the core effectors, and used intracellular growth complementation to determine whether orthologs of core effectors perform the same function in different Legionella species. We found that three out of the nine L. pneumophila core effectors are required for maximal intracellular growth. Examination of orthologous core effectors from four Legionella species spread over the Legionella phylogenetic tree revealed that most of them perform the same function. Nevertheless, some of the orthologs of the core effector LegA3 did not complement the L. pneumophila legA3 deletion mutant for intracellular growth. LegA3 is encoded as part of an operon together with another gene, which we named legA3C, encoding a non-translocated protein. We found that LegA3 and LegA3C physically interact with each other, are both required for maximal intracellular growth, and the LegA3-LegA3C orthologous pairs from all the Legionella species examined fully complement the L. pneumophila legA3 deletion mutant for intracellular growth. Our results indicate that the Legionella core effectors orthologs generally perform the same function and establish that LegA3 requires LegA3C to fulfill its conserved function.
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Lee D, Calendo G, Kopec K, Henry R, Coutts S, McCarthy D, Murphy HM. The Impact of Pipe Material on the Diversity of Microbial Communities in Drinking Water Distribution Systems. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:779016. [PMID: 34992587 PMCID: PMC8724538 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.779016] [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: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
As many cities around the world face the prospect of replacing aging drinking water distribution systems (DWDS), water utilities must make careful decisions on new pipe material (e.g., cement-lined or PVC) for these systems. These decisions are informed by cost, physical integrity, and impact on microbiological and physicochemical water quality. Indeed, pipe material can impact the development of biofilm in DWDS that can harbor pathogens and impact drinking water quality. Annular reactors (ARs) with cast iron and cement coupons fed with chloraminated water from a municipal DWDS were used to investigate the impact of pipe material on biofilm development and composition over 16 months. The ARs were plumbed as closely as possible to the water main in the basement of an academic building to simulate distribution system conditions. Biofilm communities on coupons were characterized using 16S rRNA sequencing. In the cast iron reactors, β-proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and α-proteobacteria were similarly relatively abundant (24.1, 22.5, and 22.4%, respectively) while in the cement reactors, α-proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were more relatively abundant (36.3 and 35.2%, respectively) compared to β-proteobacteria (12.8%). Mean alpha diversity (estimated with Shannon H and Faith's Phylogenetic Difference indices) was greater in cast iron reactors (Shannon: 5.00 ± 0.41; Faith's PD: 15.40 ± 2.88) than in cement reactors (Shannon: 4.16 ± 0.78; Faith's PD: 13.00 ± 2.01). PCoA of Bray-Curtis dissimilarities indicated that communities in cast iron ARs, cement ARs, bulk distribution system water, and distribution system pipe biofilm were distinct. The mean relative abundance of Mycobacterium spp. was greater in the cement reactors (34.8 ± 18.6%) than in the cast iron reactors (21.7 ± 11.9%). In contrast, the mean relative abundance of Legionella spp. trended higher in biofilm from cast iron reactors (0.5 ± 0.7%) than biofilm in cement reactors (0.01 ± 0.01%). These results suggest that pipe material is associated with differences in the diversity, bacterial composition, and opportunistic pathogen prevalence in biofilm of DWDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debbie Lee
- Water, Health and Applied Microbiology Laboratory (WHAM Lab), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Gennaro Calendo
- Water, Health and Applied Microbiology Laboratory (WHAM Lab), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kristin Kopec
- Water, Health and Applied Microbiology Laboratory (WHAM Lab), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rebekah Henry
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Laboratory (EPHM Lab), Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Scott Coutts
- Micromon, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - David McCarthy
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Laboratory (EPHM Lab), Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Heather M. Murphy
- Water, Health and Applied Microbiology Laboratory (WHAM Lab), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Water, Health and Applied Microbiology Laboratory (WHAM Lab), Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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49
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Gleason JA, Cohn PD. A review of legionnaires' disease and public water systems - Scientific considerations, uncertainties and recommendations. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2021; 240:113906. [PMID: 34923288 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113906] [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: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Legionella is an opportunistic premise plumbing pathogen and causative agent of a severe pneumonia called Legionnaires' Disease (LD). Cases of LD have been on the rise in the U.S. and globally. Although Legionella was first identified 45 years ago, it remains an 'emerging pathogen." Legionella is part of the normal ecology of a public water system and is frequently detected in regulatory-compliant drinking water. Drinking water utilities, regulators and public health alike are increasingly required to have a productive understanding of the evolving issues and complex discussions of the contribution of the public water utility to Legionella exposure and LD risk. This review provides a brief overview of scientific considerations important for understanding this complex topic, a review of findings from investigations of public water and LD, including data gaps, and recommendations for professionals interested in investigating public water utilities. Although the current literature is inconclusive in identifying a public water utility as a sole source of an LD outbreak, the evidence is clear that minimizing growth of Legionella in public water utilities through proper maintenance and sustained disinfectant residuals, throughout all sections of the water utility, will lead to a less conducive environment for growth of the bacteria in the system and the buildings they serve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie A Gleason
- Environmental and Occupational Health Surveillance Program, New Jersey Department of Health, 135 E. State Street, P.O. Box 369, Trenton, NJ, 08625, USA.
| | - Perry D Cohn
- Retired, Environmental and Occupational Health Surveillance Program, New Jersey Department of Health, PO Box 369, Trenton, NJ, 08625, USA.
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50
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Wee BA, Alves J, Lindsay DSJ, Klatt AB, Sargison FA, Cameron RL, Pickering A, Gorzynski J, Corander J, Marttinen P, Opitz B, Smith AJ, Fitzgerald JR. Population analysis of Legionella pneumophila reveals a basis for resistance to complement-mediated killing. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7165. [PMID: 34887398 PMCID: PMC8660822 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27478-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is the most common cause of the severe respiratory infection known as Legionnaires' disease. However, the microorganism is typically a symbiont of free-living amoeba, and our understanding of the bacterial factors that determine human pathogenicity is limited. Here we carried out a population genomic study of 902 L. pneumophila isolates from human clinical and environmental samples to examine their genetic diversity, global distribution and the basis for human pathogenicity. We find that the capacity for human disease is representative of the breadth of species diversity although some clones are more commonly associated with clinical infections. We identified a single gene (lag-1) to be most strongly associated with clinical isolates. lag-1, which encodes an O-acetyltransferase for lipopolysaccharide modification, has been distributed horizontally across all major phylogenetic clades of L. pneumophila by frequent recent recombination events. The gene confers resistance to complement-mediated killing in human serum by inhibiting deposition of classical pathway molecules on the bacterial surface. Furthermore, acquisition of lag-1 inhibits complement-dependent phagocytosis by human neutrophils, and promoted survival in a mouse model of pulmonary legionellosis. Thus, our results reveal L. pneumophila genetic traits linked to disease and provide a molecular basis for resistance to complement-mediated killing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan A. Wee
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland UK
| | - Joana Alves
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland UK
| | - Diane S. J. Lindsay
- Bacterial Respiratory Infections Service (Ex Mycobacteria), Scottish Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Glasgow, Scotland UK
| | - Ann-Brit Klatt
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fiona A. Sargison
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland UK
| | - Ross L. Cameron
- grid.413893.40000 0001 2232 4338NHS National Services Scotland, Health Protection Scotland, Glasgow, Scotland UK
| | - Amy Pickering
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland UK
| | - Jamie Gorzynski
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland UK
| | - Jukka Corander
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland ,grid.5510.10000 0004 1936 8921Department of Biostatistics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Pekka Marttinen
- grid.500231.50000 0004 0530 9461Helsinki Institute for Information Technology, Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Aalto, Finland
| | - Bastian Opitz
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrew J. Smith
- Bacterial Respiratory Infections Service (Ex Mycobacteria), Scottish Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Glasgow, Scotland UK ,grid.8756.c0000 0001 2193 314XCollege of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Glasgow Dental Hospital & School, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - J. Ross Fitzgerald
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland UK
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