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Barbachowska M, Arimondo PB. To target or not to target? The role of DNA and histone methylation in bacterial infections. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2242689. [PMID: 37731322 PMCID: PMC10515666 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2242689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics describes chemical modifications of the genome that do not alter DNA sequence but participate in the regulation of gene expression and cellular processes such as proliferation, division, and differentiation of eukaryotic cell. Disruption of the epigenome pattern in a human cell is associated with different diseases, including infectious diseases. During infection pathogens induce epigenetic modifications in the host cell. This can occur by controlling expression of genes involved in immune response. That enables bacterial survival and replication within the host and evasion of the immune response. Methylation is an example of epigenetic modification that occurs on DNA and histones. Reasoning that DNA and histone methylation of human host cells plays a crucial role during pathogenesis, these modifications are promising targets for the development of alternative treatment strategies in infectious diseases. Here, we discuss the role of DNA and histone methyltransferases in human host cell upon bacterial infections. We further hypothesize that compounds targeting methyltransferases are tools to study epigenetics in the context of host-pathogen interactions and can open new avenues for the treatment of bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Barbachowska
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR n°3523 Chem4Life, Epigenetic Chemical Biology, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Paris, France
- Universite Paris Cité, Ecole Doctorale MTCI, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Pasteur- Paris University (PPU)- Oxford International Doctoral Program, Paris, France
| | - Paola B. Arimondo
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR n°3523 Chem4Life, Epigenetic Chemical Biology, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Paris, France
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Wahlenmayer ER, Hammers DE. Streptococcal peptides and their roles in host-microbe interactions. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1282622. [PMID: 37915845 PMCID: PMC10617681 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1282622] [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: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Streptococcus encompasses many bacterial species that are associated with hosts, ranging from asymptomatic colonizers and commensals to pathogens with a significant global health burden. Streptococci produce numerous factors that enable them to occupy their host-associated niches, many of which alter their host environment to the benefit of the bacteria. The ability to manipulate host immune systems to either evade detection and clearance or induce a hyperinflammatory state influences whether bacteria are able to survive and persist in a given environment, while also influencing the propensity of the bacteria to cause disease. Several bacterial factors that contribute to this inter-species interaction have been identified. Recently, small peptides have become increasingly appreciated as factors that contribute to Streptococcal relationships with their hosts. Peptides are utilized by streptococci to modulate their host environment in several ways, including by directly interacting with host factors to disrupt immune system function and signaling to other bacteria to control the expression of genes that contribute to immune modulation. In this review, we discuss the many contributions of Streptococcal peptides in terms of their ability to contribute to pathogenesis and disruption of host immunity. This discussion will highlight the importance of continuing to elucidate the functions of these Streptococcal peptides and pursuing the identification of new peptides that contribute to modulation of host environments. Developing a greater understanding of how bacteria interact with their hosts has the potential to enable the development of techniques to inhibit these peptides as therapeutic approaches against Streptococcal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel E. Hammers
- Biology Department, Houghton University, Houghton, NY, United States
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Zhang Y, Yang H, Jiang M, Nie X. Exploring the pathogenesis and treatment of IgA nephropathy based on epigenetics. Epigenomics 2023; 15:1017-1026. [PMID: 37909120 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2023-0318] [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] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
IgA nephropathy is the most common primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. However, its exact cause remains unclear, with known genetic factors explaining only 11% of the variation. Recently, researchers have turned their attention to epigenetic abnormalities in immune-related diseases, recognizing their significance in IgA nephropathy's development and progression. This emerging field has revolutionized our understanding of epigenetics in IgA nephropathy research. Though in its early stages, studying IgA nephropathy's epigenetics holds promise for unraveling its pathogenesis and identifying new biomarkers and therapies. This review aims to comprehensively analyze epigenetics' role in IgA nephropathy's development and suggest avenues for potential therapeutic interventions. In the future, assessing and modulating epigenetics may become integral in diagnosing, tailoring treatments and assessing prognoses for IgA nephropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfan Zhang
- Fuzong Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350025, China
- Department of Pediatrics, The 900th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force, PLA, Fuzhou, 350025, China
| | - Huanhuan Yang
- Fuzong Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350025, China
- Department of Pediatrics, The 900th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force, PLA, Fuzhou, 350025, China
| | - Ming Jiang
- Fuzong Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350025, China
- Department of Pediatrics, The 900th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force, PLA, Fuzhou, 350025, China
| | - Xiaojing Nie
- Fuzong Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350025, China
- Department of Pediatrics, The 900th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force, PLA, Fuzhou, 350025, China
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University, Fuzhou, 350025, China
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Anderson R, Feldman C. The Global Burden of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Adults, Encompassing Invasive Pneumococcal Disease and the Prevalence of Its Associated Cardiovascular Events, with a Focus on Pneumolysin and Macrolide Antibiotics in Pathogenesis and Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11038. [PMID: 37446214 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite innovative advances in anti-infective therapies and vaccine development technologies, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains the most persistent cause of infection-related mortality globally. Confronting the ongoing threat posed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus), the most common bacterial cause of CAP, particularly to the non-immune elderly, remains challenging due to the propensity of the elderly to develop invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), together with the predilection of the pathogen for the heart. The resultant development of often fatal cardiovascular events (CVEs), particularly during the first seven days of acute infection, is now recognized as a relatively common complication of IPD. The current review represents an update on the prevalence and types of CVEs associated with acute bacterial CAP, particularly IPD. In addition, it is focused on recent insights into the involvement of the pneumococcal pore-forming toxin, pneumolysin (Ply), in subverting host immune defenses, particularly the protective functions of the alveolar macrophage during early-stage disease. This, in turn, enables extra-pulmonary dissemination of the pathogen, leading to cardiac invasion, cardiotoxicity and myocardial dysfunction. The review concludes with an overview of the current status of macrolide antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial CAP in general, as well as severe pneumococcal CAP, including a consideration of the mechanisms by which these agents inhibit the production of Ply by macrolide-resistant strains of the pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Anderson
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| | - Charles Feldman
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, 7 York Road, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
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Sundaresh B, Xu S, Noonan B, Mansour MK, Leong JM, van Opijnen T. Host-informed therapies for the treatment of pneumococcal pneumonia. Trends Mol Med 2021; 27:971-989. [PMID: 34376327 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2021.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, traditional antimicrobial strategies have lost efficacy due to a rapid rise in antibiotic resistance and limited success in developing new antibiotics. Rather than relying on therapeutics solely targeting the bacterial pathogen, therapies are emerging that simultaneously focus on host responses. Here, we describe the most promising 'host-informed therapies' (HITs) in two categories: those that aid patients with fully functional immune systems, and those that aid patients with perturbed immune processes. Using Streptococcus pneumoniae, the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, as a case study, we show HITs as an attractive option for supplementing infection management. However, to broaden their applicability and design new strategies, targeted research and clinical trials will be essential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shuying Xu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Graduate Program in Immunology, Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brian Noonan
- Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael K Mansour
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John M Leong
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Tim van Opijnen
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA; Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
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