1
|
Strange N, Luu L, Ong V, Wee BA, Phillips MJA, McCaughey L, Steele JR, Barlow CK, Cranfield CG, Myers G, Mazraani R, Rock C, Timms P, Huston WM. HtrA, fatty acids, and membrane protein interplay in Chlamydia trachomatis to impact stress response and trigger early cellular exit. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0037123. [PMID: 38445896 PMCID: PMC11025325 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00371-23] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis is an intracellular bacterial pathogen that undergoes a biphasic developmental cycle, consisting of intracellular reticulate bodies and extracellular infectious elementary bodies. A conserved bacterial protease, HtrA, was shown previously to be essential for Chlamydia during the reticulate body phase, using a novel inhibitor (JO146). In this study, isolates selected for the survival of JO146 treatment were found to have polymorphisms in the acyl-acyl carrier protein synthetase gene (aasC). AasC encodes the enzyme responsible for activating fatty acids from the host cell or synthesis to be incorporated into lipid bilayers. The isolates had distinct lipidomes with varied fatty acid compositions. A reduction in the lipid compositions that HtrA prefers to bind to was detected, yet HtrA and MOMP (a key outer membrane protein) were present at higher levels in the variants. Reduced progeny production and an earlier cellular exit were observed. Transcriptome analysis identified that multiple genes were downregulated in the variants especially stress and DNA processing factors. Here, we have shown that the fatty acid composition of chlamydial lipids, HtrA, and membrane proteins interplay and, when disrupted, impact chlamydial stress response that could trigger early cellular exit. IMPORTANCE Chlamydia trachomatis is an important obligate intracellular pathogen that has a unique biphasic developmental cycle. HtrA is an essential stress or virulence protease in many bacteria, with many different functions. Previously, we demonstrated that HtrA is critical for Chlamydia using a novel inhibitor. In the present study, we characterized genetic variants of Chlamydia trachomatis with reduced susceptibility to the HtrA inhibitor. The variants were changed in membrane fatty acid composition, outer membrane proteins, and transcription of stress genes. Earlier and more synchronous cellular exit was observed. Combined, this links stress response to fatty acids, membrane proteins, and HtrA interplay with the outcome of disrupted timing of chlamydial cellular exit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Strange
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Laurence Luu
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vanissa Ong
- Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bryan A. Wee
- Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J. A. Phillips
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Laura McCaughey
- Australian Institute for Microbiology and Infection, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Joel R. Steele
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash Proteomics and Metabolomics Platform, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher K. Barlow
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash Proteomics and Metabolomics Platform, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Charles G. Cranfield
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Garry Myers
- Australian Institute for Microbiology and Infection, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rami Mazraani
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Charles Rock
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Peter Timms
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia
| | - Wilhelmina M. Huston
- Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lu B, Wang Y, Wurihan W, Cheng A, Yeung S, Fondell JD, Lai Z, Wan D, Wu X, Li WV, Fan H. Requirement of GrgA for Chlamydia infectious progeny production, optimal growth, and efficient plasmid maintenance. mBio 2024; 15:e0203623. [PMID: 38112466 PMCID: PMC10790707 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02036-23] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Hallmarks of the developmental cycle of the obligate intracellular pathogenic bacterium Chlamydia are the primary differentiation of the infectious elementary body (EB) into the proliferative reticulate body (RB) and the secondary differentiation of RBs back into EBs. The mechanisms regulating these transitions remain unclear. In this report, we developed an effective novel strategy termed dependence on plasmid-mediated expression (DOPE) that allows for the knockdown of essential genes in Chlamydia. We demonstrate that GrgA, a Chlamydia-specific transcription factor, is essential for the secondary differentiation and optimal growth of RBs. We also show that GrgA, a chromosome-encoded regulatory protein, controls the maintenance of the chlamydial virulence plasmid. Transcriptomic analysis further indicates that GrgA functions as a critical regulator of all three sigma factors that recognize different promoter sets at developmental stages. The DOPE strategy outlined here should provide a valuable tool for future studies examining chlamydial growth, development, and pathogenicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Lu
- Department of Parasitology, Central South University Xiangya Medical School, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yuxuan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Wurihan Wurihan
- Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Andrew Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Sydney Yeung
- Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Joseph D. Fondell
- Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Zhao Lai
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Danny Wan
- Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Xiang Wu
- Department of Parasitology, Central South University Xiangya Medical School, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Vivian Li
- Department of Statistics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Huizhou Fan
- Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Jury B, Fleming C, Huston WM, Luu LDW. Molecular pathogenesis of Chlamydia trachomatis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1281823. [PMID: 37920447 PMCID: PMC10619736 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1281823] [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: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis is a strict intracellular human pathogen. It is the main bacterial cause of sexually transmitted infections and the etiologic agent of trachoma, which is the leading cause of preventable blindness. Despite over 100 years since C. trachomatis was first identified, there is still no vaccine. However in recent years, the advancement of genetic manipulation approaches for C. trachomatis has increased our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of C. trachomatis and progress towards a vaccine. In this mini-review, we aimed to outline the factors related to the developmental cycle phase and specific pathogenesis activity of C. trachomatis in order to focus priorities for future genetic approaches. We highlight the factors known to be critical for developmental cycle stages, gene expression regulatory factors, type III secretion system and their effectors, and individual virulence factors with known impacts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Jury
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Charlotte Fleming
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Laurence Don Wai Luu
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|