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Weber A, Neffe L, Diaz LAP, Thoma N, Aghdassi SJS, Denkel LA, Maechler F, Behnke M, Häussler S, Gastmeier P, Kola A. Analysis of transmission-related third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales by electronic data mining and core genome multi-locus sequence typing. J Hosp Infect 2023; 140:96-101. [PMID: 37562589 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2023.07.020] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To contain intra-hospital transmission of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (3GCR-E), contact isolation precautions are recommended. AIM To quantify transmissions of 3GCR Escherichia coli and 3GCR Klebsiella pneumoniae within a hospital. METHODS An automated outbreak detection system (AODS) was used to identify clusters (N≥2) of 3GCR Enterobacterales for the years 2016, 2018 and 2020. Clusters were defined by phenotypic agreement of microbiological results and spatial and temporal relationship. Core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) was used to confirm whether the cluster isolates were transmitted between patients. FINDINGS A total of 4343 3GCR E. coli and 1377 K. pneumoniae isolates were analysed. Among the 3GCR E. coli isolates, the AODS identified 304 isolates as cluster isolates, the median cluster size was two (range: 2-5). The cgMLST analysis revealed that a total of 23 (7.5%) 3GCR E. coli cluster isolates were transmission-associated, of which 20 isolates (87%) were detected in intensive care patients. Among the 3GCR K. pneumoniae isolates, the AODS identified 73 isolates as cluster isolates, the median cluster size was two (range: 2-4). CgMLST revealed that 35 (48%) 3GCR K. pneumoniae cluster isolates were transmission associated, of which 27 isolates (77%) were detected in intensive care patients. CONCLUSION For 3GCR K. pneumoniae, cgMLST confirmed the AODS results more frequently than for 3GCR E. coli. Therefore, contact isolation precautions for 3GCR K. pneumoniae may be appropriate on intensive care units, but only in certain circumstances, such as outbreaks, for Enterobacterales with lower transmissibility, such as E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Weber
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - L Neffe
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - L A P Diaz
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - N Thoma
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - S J S Aghdassi
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy, BIH Charité Digital Clinician Scientist Programme, Berlin, Germany
| | - L A Denkel
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - F Maechler
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Behnke
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - S Häussler
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Braunschweig, Germany; TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture of the HZI and the Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - P Gastmeier
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Kola
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
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2
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Behrens W, Kolte B, Junker V, Frentrup M, Dolsdorf C, Börger M, Jaleta M, Kabelitz T, Amon T, Werner D, Nübel U. Bacterial genome sequencing tracks the housefly-associated dispersal of fluoroquinolone- and cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli from a pig farm. Environ Microbiol 2023. [PMID: 36772962 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
The regular use of antimicrobials in livestock production selects for antimicrobial resistance. The potential impact of this practice on human health needs to be studied in more detail, including the role of the environment for the persistence and transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. During an investigation of a pig farm and its surroundings in Brandenburg, Germany, we detected abundant cephalosporin- and fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli in pig faeces, sedimented dust, and house flies (Musca domestica). Genome sequencing of E. coli isolates revealed large phylogenetic diversity and plasmid-borne extended-spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) genes CTX-M-1 in multiple strains. [Correction added on 28 February 2023, after first online publication: In the preceding sentence, 'and TEM-1' was previously included but has been deleted in this version.] Close genomic relationships indicated frequent transmission of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli between pigs from different herds and across buildings of the farm and suggested dust and flies as vectors for dissemination of faecal pathogens. Strikingly, we repeatedly recovered E. coli from flies collected up to 2 km away from the source, whose genome sequences were identical or closely related to those from pig faeces isolates, indicating the fly-associated transport of diverse ESBL-producing E. coli from the pig farm into urban habitation areas. The observed proximity of contaminated flies to human households poses a risk of transmission of antimicrobial-resistant enteric pathogens from livestock to man.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiebke Behrens
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Baban Kolte
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Vera Junker
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Martinique Frentrup
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Claudia Dolsdorf
- Teaching and Research Station for Animal Breeding and Husbandry (LVAT), Ruhlsdorf, Germany
| | - Maria Börger
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Megarsa Jaleta
- Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Tina Kabelitz
- Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Thomas Amon
- Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Potsdam, Germany.,Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health (ITU), Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Doreen Werner
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Nübel
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Braunschweig-Hannover, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technical University, Braunschweig, Germany
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3
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Marshall A, McGrath JW, Graham R, McMullan G. Food for thought-The link between Clostridioides difficile metabolism and pathogenesis. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011034. [PMID: 36602960 PMCID: PMC9815643 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is an opportunistic pathogen that leads to antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Antibiotic usage is the main risk factor leading to C. difficile infection (CDI), as a dysbiotic gut environment allows colonisation and eventual pathology manifested by toxin production. Although colonisation resistance is mediated by the action of secondary bile acids inhibiting vegetative outgrowth, nutrient competition also plays a role in preventing CDI as the gut microbiota compete for nutrient niches inhibiting C. difficile growth. C. difficile is able to metabolise carbon dioxide, the amino acids proline, hydroxyproline, and ornithine, the cell membrane constituent ethanolamine, and the carbohydrates trehalose, cellobiose, sorbitol, and mucin degradation products as carbon and energy sources through multiple pathways. Zinc sequestration by the host response mediates metabolic adaptation of C. difficile by perhaps signalling an inflamed gut allowing it to acquire abundant nutrients. Persistence within the gut environment is also mediated by the by-products of metabolism through the production of p-cresol, which inhibit gut commensal species growth promoting dysbiosis. This review aims to explore and describe the various metabolic pathways of C. difficile, which facilitate its survival and pathogenesis within the colonised host gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Marshall
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - John W. McGrath
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Graham
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Geoff McMullan
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
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4
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Neffe L, Forde TL, Oravcova K, Köhler U, Bautsch W, Tomasch J, Häussler S. Genomic epidemiology of clinical ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in a German hospital suggests infections are primarily community- and regionally-acquired. Microb Genom 2022; 8:mgen000901. [PMID: 36748515 PMCID: PMC9837565 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates that produce extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) have been increasingly reported at a global scale. However, comprehensive data on the molecular epidemiology of ESBL-producing strains are limited and few studies have been conducted in non-outbreak situations.We used whole-genome sequencing to describe the population structure of 294 ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates that were recovered from a German community hospital throughout a 1 year sampling period in a non-outbreak situation.We found a high proportion of E. coli isolates (61.5 %) belonged to the globally disseminated extraintestinal pathogenic ST131, whereas a wider diversity of STs was observed among K. pneumoniae isolates. The E. coli ST131 population in this study was shaped by multiple introductions of strains as demonstrated by contextual genomic analysis including ST131 strains from other geographical sources. While no recent common ancestor of the isolates of the current study and other international isolates was found, our clinical isolates clustered with those previously recovered in the region. Furthermore, we found that the isolation of ESBL-producing clinical strains in hospitalized patients could only rarely be associated with likely patient-to-patient transmission, indicating primarily a community and regional acquisition of strains.Further genomic analyses of clinical, carriage and environmental isolates is needed to uncover hidden transmissions and thus discover the most common sources of ESBL-producing pathogen infections in our hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Neffe
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany,Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE GmbH, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research, a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Taya L. Forde
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Katarina Oravcova
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Ute Köhler
- Städtisches Klinikum Braunschweig gGmbH, Germany
| | | | - Jürgen Tomasch
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Susanne Häussler
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany,Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE GmbH, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research, a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany,Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark,Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany,*Correspondence: Susanne Häussler,
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5
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Neffe L, Abendroth L, Bautsch W, Häussler S, Tomasch J. High plasmidome diversity of extended-spectrum beta-lactam-resistant Escherichia coli isolates collected during one year in one community hospital. Genomics 2022; 114:110368. [PMID: 35447310 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110368] [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] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance encompasses many classes of currently used antibiotics. In globally distributed Escherichia coli lineages plasmids, which spread via horizontal gene transfer, are responsible for the dissemination of genes encoding extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL). In this study, we combined 2nd and 3rd generation sequencing techniques to reconstruct the plasmidome of overall 97 clinical ESBL-E. coli isolates. Our results highlight the enormous plasmid diversity in respect to size, replicon-type and genetic content. Furthermore, we emphasize the diverse plasmid distribution patterns among the clinical isolates and the high intra- and extracellular mobility potential of resistance conferring genes. While the majority of resistance conferring genes were located on large plasmids of known replicon type, small cryptic plasmids seem to be underestimated resistance gene vectors. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the dissemination of resistance-conferring genes through horizontal gene transfer as well as clonal spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Neffe
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lisa Abendroth
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Susanne Häussler
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany; Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, Twincore, Centre for Clinical and Experimental Infection Research, Hannover, Germany; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, 30265 Hannover, Germany.
| | - Jürgen Tomasch
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
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6
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Daisley BA, Koenig D, Engelbrecht K, Doney L, Hards K, Al KF, Reid G, Burton JP. Emerging connections between gut microbiome bioenergetics and chronic metabolic diseases. Cell Rep 2021; 37:110087. [PMID: 34879270 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The conventional viewpoint of single-celled microbial metabolism fails to adequately depict energy flow at the systems level in host-adapted microbial communities. Emerging paradigms instead support that distinct microbiomes develop interconnected and interdependent electron transport chains that rely on cooperative production and sharing of bioenergetic machinery (i.e., directly involved in generating ATP) in the extracellular space. These communal resources represent an important subset of the microbial metabolome, designated here as the "pantryome" (i.e., pantry or external storage compartment), that critically supports microbiome function and can exert multifunctional effects on host physiology. We review these interactions as they relate to human health by detailing the genomic-based sharing potential of gut-derived bacterial and archaeal reference strains. Aromatic amino acids, metabolic cofactors (B vitamins), menaquinones (vitamin K2), hemes, and short-chain fatty acids (with specific emphasis on acetate as a central regulator of symbiosis) are discussed in depth regarding their role in microbiome-related metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan A Daisley
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; Canadian Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics Research, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
| | - David Koenig
- Kimberly Clark Corporation, Global Research and Engineering-Life Science, Neenah, WI, USA
| | - Kathleen Engelbrecht
- Kimberly Clark Corporation, Global Research and Engineering-Life Science, Neenah, WI, USA
| | - Liz Doney
- Kimberly Clark Corporation, Global Research and Engineering-Life Science, Neenah, WI, USA
| | - Kiel Hards
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Kait F Al
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; Canadian Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics Research, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
| | - Gregor Reid
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; Canadian Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics Research, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada; Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, Schulich School of Medicine, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Jeremy P Burton
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; Canadian Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics Research, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada; Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, Schulich School of Medicine, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
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7
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Harrison MA, Strahl H, Dawson LF. Regulation of para-cresol production in Clostridioides difficile. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 65:131-137. [PMID: 34856509 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The human pathogen Clostridioides difficile colonises the gastrointestinal tract following antibiotic exposure, which causes perturbations in the beneficial microbiome. An unusual feature of C. difficile among the gut microbiota is its ability to produce high concentrations of the antimicrobial compound para-cresol, which selectively targets Gram-negative bacteria. Production of p-cresol occurs either by: (a) tyrosine fermentation via the intermediate para-hydroxyphenylacetate (p-HPA), or (b) direct turnover of exogenous p-HPA in the human gut. p-HPA is decarboxylated to produce p-cresol, by the action of HpdBCA decarboxylase encoded by the hpdBCA operon. HpdBCA decarboxylase production is induced at the transcriptional level by elevated p-HPA, which causes elevated p-cresol production, that significantly reduces microbiome diversity and richness. This deleterious effect of p-cresol on the beneficial gut microbiome is advantageous for C. difficile pathogenesis and infection relapse. Inhibiting this pathway would provide a highly specific therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Harrison
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Henrik Strahl
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Baddiley-Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4AX, UK
| | - Lisa F Dawson
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
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8
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Girinathan BP, DiBenedetto N, Worley JN, Peltier J, Arrieta-Ortiz ML, Immanuel SRC, Lavin R, Delaney ML, Cummins CK, Hoffman M, Luo Y, Gonzalez-Escalona N, Allard M, Onderdonk AB, Gerber GK, Sonenshein AL, Baliga NS, Dupuy B, Bry L. In vivo commensal control of Clostridioides difficile virulence. Cell Host Microbe 2021; 29:1693-1708.e7. [PMID: 34637781 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Leveraging systems biology approaches, we illustrate how metabolically distinct species of Clostridia protect against or worsen Clostridioides difficile infection in mice by modulating the pathogen's colonization, growth, and virulence to impact host survival. Gnotobiotic mice colonized with the amino acid fermenter Paraclostridium bifermentans survive infection with reduced disease severity, while mice colonized with the butyrate-producer, Clostridium sardiniense, succumb more rapidly. Systematic in vivo analyses revealed how each commensal alters the gut-nutrient environment to modulate the pathogen's metabolism, gene regulatory networks, and toxin production. Oral administration of P. bifermentans rescues conventional, clindamycin-treated mice from lethal C. difficile infection in a manner similar to that of monocolonized animals, thereby supporting the therapeutic potential of this commensal species. Our findings lay the foundation for mechanistically informed therapies to counter C. difficile disease using systems biology approaches to define host-commensal-pathogen interactions in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brintha P Girinathan
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nicholas DiBenedetto
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jay N Worley
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; National Center of Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Johann Peltier
- Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries Anaérobies, Institut Pasteur, UMR CNRS 2001, Université de Paris, 25-28 Rue du Dr. Roux, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris Cedex, France; Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198, Gif-sur-yvette Cedex, France
| | | | | | - Richard Lavin
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mary L Delaney
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christopher K Cummins
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Maria Hoffman
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Department of Microbiology, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Yan Luo
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Department of Microbiology, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Narjol Gonzalez-Escalona
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Department of Microbiology, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Marc Allard
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, Department of Microbiology, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Andrew B Onderdonk
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Georg K Gerber
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard-MIT Health Sciences & Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Abraham L Sonenshein
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | | | - Bruno Dupuy
- Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries Anaérobies, Institut Pasteur, UMR CNRS 2001, Université de Paris, 25-28 Rue du Dr. Roux, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris Cedex, France
| | - Lynn Bry
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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9
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Arrieta-Ortiz ML, Immanuel SRC, Turkarslan S, Wu WJ, Girinathan BP, Worley JN, DiBenedetto N, Soutourina O, Peltier J, Dupuy B, Bry L, Baliga NS. Predictive regulatory and metabolic network models for systems analysis of Clostridioides difficile. Cell Host Microbe 2021; 29:1709-1723.e5. [PMID: 34637780 PMCID: PMC8595754 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
We present predictive models for comprehensive systems analysis of Clostridioides difficile, the etiology of pseudomembranous colitis. By leveraging 151 published transcriptomes, we generated an EGRIN model that organizes 90% of C. difficile genes into a transcriptional regulatory network of 297 co-regulated modules, implicating genes in sporulation, carbohydrate transport, and metabolism. By advancing a metabolic model through addition and curation of metabolic reactions including nutrient uptake, we discovered 14 amino acids, diverse carbohydrates, and 10 metabolic genes as essential for C. difficile growth in the intestinal environment. Finally, we developed a PRIME model to uncover how EGRIN-inferred combinatorial gene regulation by transcription factors, such as CcpA and CodY, modulates essential metabolic processes to enable C. difficile growth relative to commensal colonization. The C. difficile interactive web portal provides access to these model resources to support collaborative systems-level studies of context-specific virulence mechanisms in C. difficile.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Wei-Ju Wu
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Brintha P Girinathan
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jay N Worley
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nicholas DiBenedetto
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Olga Soutourina
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-yvette 91198, France
| | - Johann Peltier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-yvette 91198, France
| | - Bruno Dupuy
- Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries anaérobies, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, UMR CNRS 2001, Paris 75015, France
| | - Lynn Bry
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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10
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Harrison MA, Kaur H, Wren BW, Dawson LF. Production of p-cresol by Decarboxylation of p-HPA by All Five Lineages of Clostridioides difficile Provides a Growth Advantage. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:757599. [PMID: 34778108 PMCID: PMC8588808 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.757599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and is capable of causing severe symptoms, such as pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon. An unusual feature of C. difficile is the distinctive production of high levels of the antimicrobial compound para-cresol. p-Cresol production provides C. difficile with a competitive colonization advantage over gut commensal species, in particular, Gram-negative species. p-Cresol is produced by the conversion of para-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (p-HPA) via the actions of HpdBCA decarboxylase coded by the hpdBCA operon. Host cells and certain bacterial species produce p-HPA; however, the effects of p-HPA on the viability of C. difficile and other gut microbiota are unknown. Here we show that representative strains from all five C. difficile clades are able to produce p-cresol by two distinct mechanisms: (i) via fermentation of p-tyrosine and (ii) via uptake and turnover of exogenous p-HPA. We observed strain-specific differences in p-cresol production, resulting from differential efficiency of p-tyrosine fermentation; representatives of clade 3 (CD305) and clade 5 (M120) produced the highest levels of p-cresol via tyrosine metabolism, whereas the toxin A-/B+ isolate from clade 4 (M68) produced the lowest level of p-cresol. All five lineages share at least 97.3% homology across the hpdBCA operon, responsible for decarboxylation of p-HPA to p-cresol, suggesting that the limiting step in p-cresol production may result from tyrosine to p-HPA conversion. We identified that elevated intracellular p-HPA, modulated indirectly via CodY, controls p-cresol production via inducing the expression of HpdBCA decarboxylase ubiquitously in C. difficile populations. Efficient turnover of p-HPA is advantageous to C. difficile as p-HPA has a deleterious effect on the growth of C. difficile and other representative Gram-negative gut bacteria, transduced potentially by the disruption of membrane permeability and release of intracellular phosphate. This study provides insights into the importance of HpdBCA decarboxylase in C. difficile pathogenesis, both in terms of p-cresol production and detoxification of p-HPA, highlighting its importance to cell survival and as a highly specific therapeutic target for the inhibition of p-cresol production across C. difficile species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Harrison
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Harparkash Kaur
- Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brendan W. Wren
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa F. Dawson
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Frentrup M, Thiel N, Junker V, Behrens W, Münch S, Siller P, Kabelitz T, Faust M, Indra A, Baumgartner S, Schepanski K, Amon T, Roesler U, Funk R, Nübel U. Agricultural fertilization with poultry manure results in persistent environmental contamination with the pathogen Clostridioides difficile. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:7591-7602. [PMID: 33998128 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
During a field experiment applying broiler manure for fertilization of agricultural land, we detected viable Clostridioides (also known as Clostridium) difficile in broiler faeces, manure, dust and fertilized soil. A large diversity of toxigenic C. difficile isolates was recovered, including PCR ribotypes common from human disease. Genomic relatedness of C. difficile isolates from dust and from soil, recovered more than 2 years after fertilization, traced their origins to the specific chicken farm that had delivered the manure. We present evidence of long-term contamination of agricultural soil with manure-derived C. difficile and demonstrate the potential for airborne dispersal of C. difficile through dust emissions during manure application. Clostridioides genome sequences virtually identical to those from manure had been recovered from chicken meat and from human infections in previous studies, suggesting broiler-associated C. difficile are capable of zoonotic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martinique Frentrup
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Nadine Thiel
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Vera Junker
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Wiebke Behrens
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Steffen Münch
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Paul Siller
- Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health (ITU), Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tina Kabelitz
- Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Matthias Faust
- Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alexander Indra
- AGES-Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria.,Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | | | - Thomas Amon
- Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health (ITU), Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Uwe Roesler
- Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health (ITU), Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Roger Funk
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Nübel
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Braunschweig-Hannover, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technical University, Braunschweig, Germany
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12
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Thiel N, Münch S, Behrens W, Junker V, Faust M, Biniasch O, Kabelitz T, Siller P, Boedeker C, Schumann P, Roesler U, Amon T, Schepanski K, Funk R, Nübel U. Airborne bacterial emission fluxes from manure-fertilized agricultural soil. Microb Biotechnol 2020; 13:1631-1647. [PMID: 32697046 PMCID: PMC7415373 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
This is the first study to quantify the dependence on wind velocity of airborne bacterial emission fluxes from soil. It demonstrates that manure bacteria get aerosolized from fertilized soil more easily than soil bacteria, and it applies bacterial genomic sequencing for the first time to trace environmental faecal contamination back to its source in the chicken barn. We report quantitative, airborne emission fluxes of bacteria during and following the fertilization of agricultural soil with manure from broiler chickens. During the fertilization process, the concentration of airborne bacteria culturable on blood agar medium increased more than 600 000-fold, and 1 m3 of air carried 2.9 × 105 viable enterococci, i.e. indicators of faecal contamination which had been undetectable in background air samples. Trajectory modelling suggested that atmospheric residence times and dispersion pathways were dependent on the time of day at which fertilization was performed. Measurements in a wind tunnel indicated that airborne bacterial emission fluxes from freshly fertilized soil under local climatic conditions on average were 100-fold higher than a previous estimate of average emissions from land. Faecal bacteria collected from soil and dust up to seven weeks after fertilization could be traced to their origins in the poultry barn by genomic sequencing. Comparative analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences from manure, soil and dust showed that manure bacteria got aerosolized preferably, likely due to their attachment to low-density manure particles. Our data show that fertilization with manure may cause substantial increases of bacterial emissions from agricultural land. After mechanical incorporation of manure into soil, however, the associated risk of airborne infection is low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Thiel
- German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell CulturesLeibniz Institute DSMZBraunschweigGermany
| | - Steffen Münch
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)MünchebergGermany
| | - Wiebke Behrens
- German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell CulturesLeibniz Institute DSMZBraunschweigGermany
| | - Vera Junker
- German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell CulturesLeibniz Institute DSMZBraunschweigGermany
| | - Matthias Faust
- Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS)LeipzigGermany
| | - Oliver Biniasch
- Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB)PotsdamGermany
| | - Tina Kabelitz
- Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB)PotsdamGermany
| | - Paul Siller
- Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental HealthFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Christian Boedeker
- German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell CulturesLeibniz Institute DSMZBraunschweigGermany
| | - Peter Schumann
- German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell CulturesLeibniz Institute DSMZBraunschweigGermany
| | - Uwe Roesler
- Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental HealthFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Thomas Amon
- Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB)PotsdamGermany
- Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental HealthFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | | | - Roger Funk
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)MünchebergGermany
| | - Ulrich Nübel
- German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell CulturesLeibniz Institute DSMZBraunschweigGermany
- Partner Site Braunschweig‐HannoverGerman Center for Infection Research (DZIF)BraunschweigGermany
- Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS)Technical UniversityBraunschweigGermany
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13
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Clostridioides difficile para-Cresol Production Is Induced by the Precursor para-Hydroxyphenylacetate. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00282-20. [PMID: 32631945 PMCID: PMC7925072 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00282-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is an etiological agent for antibiotic-associated diarrheal disease. C. difficile produces a phenolic compound, para-cresol, which selectively targets gammaproteobacteria in the gut, facilitating dysbiosis. C. difficile decarboxylates para-hydroxyphenylacetate (p-HPA) to produce p-cresol by the action of the HpdBCA decarboxylase encoded by the hpdBCA operon. Here, we investigate regulation of the hpdBCA operon and directly compare three independent reporter systems; SNAP-tag, glucuronidase gusA, and alkaline phosphatase phoZ reporters to detect basal and inducible expression. We show that expression of hpdBCA is upregulated in response to elevated p-HPA. In silico analysis identified three putative promoters upstream of hpdBCA operon-P1, P2, and Pσ54; only the P1 promoter was responsible for both basal and p-HPA-inducible expression of hpdBCA We demonstrated that turnover of tyrosine, a precursor for p-HPA, is insufficient to induce expression of the hpdBCA operon above basal levels because it is inefficiently converted to p-HPA in minimal media. We show that induction of the hpdBCA operon in response to p-HPA occurs in a dose-dependent manner. We also identified an inverted palindromic repeat (AAAAAG-N13-CTTTTT) upstream of the hpdBCA start codon (ATG) that is essential for inducing transcription of the hpdBCA operon in response to p-HPA, which drives the production of p-cresol. This provides insights into the regulatory control of p-cresol production, which affords a competitive advantage for C. difficile over other intestinal bacteria, promoting dysbiosis.IMPORTANCE Clostridioides difficile infection results from antibiotic-associated dysbiosis. para-Cresol, a phenolic compound produced by C. difficile, selectively targets gammaproteobacteria in the gut, facilitating dysbiosis. Here, we demonstrate that expression of the hpdBCA operon, encoding the HpdBCA decarboxylase which converts p-HPA to p-cresol, is upregulated in response to elevated exogenous p-HPA, with induction occurring between >0.1 and ≤0.25 mg/ml. We determined a single promoter and an inverted palindromic repeat responsible for basal and p-HPA-inducible hpdBCA expression. We identified turnover of tyrosine, a p-HPA precursor, does not induce hpdBCA expression above basal level, indicating that exogenous p-HPA was required for p-cresol production. Identifying regulatory controls of p-cresol production will provide novel therapeutic targets to prevent p-cresol production, reducing C. difficile's competitive advantage.
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14
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Frentrup M, Zhou Z, Steglich M, Meier-Kolthoff JP, Göker M, Riedel T, Bunk B, Spröer C, Overmann J, Blaschitz M, Indra A, von Müller L, Kohl TA, Niemann S, Seyboldt C, Klawonn F, Kumar N, Lawley TD, García-Fernández S, Cantón R, del Campo R, Zimmermann O, Groß U, Achtman M, Nübel U. A publicly accessible database for Clostridioides difficile genome sequences supports tracing of transmission chains and epidemics. Microb Genom 2020; 6:mgen000410. [PMID: 32726198 PMCID: PMC7641423 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the primary infectious cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Local transmissions and international outbreaks of this pathogen have been previously elucidated by bacterial whole-genome sequencing, but comparative genomic analyses at the global scale were hampered by the lack of specific bioinformatic tools. Here we introduce a publicly accessible database within EnteroBase (http://enterobase.warwick.ac.uk) that automatically retrieves and assembles C. difficile short-reads from the public domain, and calls alleles for core-genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST). We demonstrate that comparable levels of resolution and precision are attained by EnteroBase cgMLST and single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis. EnteroBase currently contains 18 254 quality-controlled C. difficile genomes, which have been assigned to hierarchical sets of single-linkage clusters by cgMLST distances. This hierarchical clustering is used to identify and name populations of C. difficile at all epidemiological levels, from recent transmission chains through to epidemic and endemic strains. Moreover, it puts newly collected isolates into phylogenetic and epidemiological context by identifying related strains among all previously published genome data. For example, HC2 clusters (i.e. chains of genomes with pairwise distances of up to two cgMLST alleles) were statistically associated with specific hospitals (P<10-4) or single wards (P=0.01) within hospitals, indicating they represented local transmission clusters. We also detected several HC2 clusters spanning more than one hospital that by retrospective epidemiological analysis were confirmed to be associated with inter-hospital patient transfers. In contrast, clustering at level HC150 correlated with k-mer-based classification and was largely compatible with PCR ribotyping, thus enabling comparisons to earlier surveillance data. EnteroBase enables contextual interpretation of a growing collection of assembled, quality-controlled C. difficile genome sequences and their associated metadata. Hierarchical clustering rapidly identifies database entries that are related at multiple levels of genetic distance, facilitating communication among researchers, clinicians and public-health officials who are combatting disease caused by C. difficile.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhemin Zhou
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, UK
| | - Matthias Steglich
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | | | - Thomas Riedel
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Boyke Bunk
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
- Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technical University, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Marion Blaschitz
- AGES-Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Indra
- AGES-Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Thomas A. Kohl
- Research Center Borstel, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel, Germany
| | - Stefan Niemann
- Research Center Borstel, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel, Germany
| | | | - Frank Klawonn
- Biostatistics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute for Information Engineering, Ostfalia University, Wolfenbüttel, Germany
| | | | | | - Sergio García-Fernández
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Red Española de Investigación en Patología Infecciosa (REIPI), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Cantón
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Red Española de Investigación en Patología Infecciosa (REIPI), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosa del Campo
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Red Española de Investigación en Patología Infecciosa (REIPI), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Uwe Groß
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mark Achtman
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, UK
| | - Ulrich Nübel
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
- Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technical University, Braunschweig, Germany
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15
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Siller P, Daehre K, Thiel N, Nübel U, Roesler U. Impact of short-term storage on the quantity of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in broiler litter under practical conditions. Poult Sci 2020; 99:2125-2135. [PMID: 32241498 PMCID: PMC7587761 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2019.11.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Applying broiler litter containing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) to arable land poses a potential risk for humans to get colonized by contact with contaminated soil or vegetables. Therefore, an inactivation of these bacteria before land application of litter is crucial. We performed 2 short-term litter storage trials (one in summer and winter, respectively), each covering a time span of 5 D to investigate the effectiveness of this method for inactivation of ESBL-producing E. coli in chicken litter. Surface and deep litter samples were taken from a stacked, ESBL-positive chicken litter heap in triplicates in close sampling intervals at the beginning and daily for the last 3 D of the experiments. Samples were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively for ESBL-producing E. coli, total E. coli, and enterococci. Selected isolates were further characterized by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). In the depth of the heap ESBL-producing E. coli were detected quantitatively until 72 h and qualitatively until the end of the trial in winter. In summer detection was possible quantitatively up to 36 h and qualitatively until 72 h. For surface litter samples a qualitative detection of ESBL-producing E. coli was possible in all samples taken in both trials. In the deep samples a significant decrease in the bacterial counts of over 2 Log10 was observed for total E. coli in the winter and for total E. coli and enterococci in the summer. Genetic differences of the isolates analyzed by WGS did not correlate with survival advantage. In conclusion, short-term storage of chicken litter stacked in heaps is a useful tool for the reduction of bacterial counts including ESBL-producing E. coli. However, incomplete inactivation was observed at the surface of the heap and at low ambient temperatures. Therefore, an extension of the storage period in winter as well as turning of the heap to provide aerobic composting conditions should be considered if working and storage capacities are available on the farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Siller
- Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Katrin Daehre
- Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Food, Feed and Commodities, Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nadine Thiel
- Department of Microbial Genome Research, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Miroorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ulrich Nübel
- Department of Microbial Genome Research, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Miroorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany; Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technical University, Braunschweig, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Uwe Roesler
- Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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16
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Sapkota M, Marreddy RKR, Wu X, Kumar M, Hurdle JG. The early stage peptidoglycan biosynthesis Mur enzymes are antibacterial and antisporulation drug targets for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection. Anaerobe 2019; 61:102129. [PMID: 31760080 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2019.102129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sporulation during Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) contributes to recurrent disease. Cell division and sporulation both require peptidoglycan biosynthesis. We show C. difficile growth and sporulation is attenuated by antisenses to murA and murC or the MurA inhibitor fosfomycin. Thus, targeting the early steps of peptidoglycan biosynthesis might reduce the onset of recurrent CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhab Sapkota
- University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Biology, Arlington, TX, 76019, United States
| | - Ravi K R Marreddy
- Texas A & M University Health Science Center, Biosciences and Technology, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Xiaoqian Wu
- Texas A & M University Health Science Center, Biosciences and Technology, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Manish Kumar
- University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Biology, Arlington, TX, 76019, United States
| | - Julian G Hurdle
- Texas A & M University Health Science Center, Biosciences and Technology, Houston, TX, 77030, United States.
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17
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Hamprecht A, Sommer J, Willmann M, Brender C, Stelzer Y, Krause FF, Tsvetkov T, Wild F, Riedel-Christ S, Kutschenreuter J, Imirzalioglu C, Gonzaga A, Nübel U, Göttig S. Pathogenicity of Clinical OXA-48 Isolates and Impact of the OXA-48 IncL Plasmid on Virulence and Bacterial Fitness. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2509. [PMID: 31736929 PMCID: PMC6838017 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
OXA-48 is the most common carbapenemase in Enterobacterales in Germany and one of the most frequent carbapenemases worldwide. Several reports have associated blaOXA–48 with a virulent host phenotype. To challenge this hypothesis, 35 OXA-48-producing clinical isolates of Escherichia coli (n = 15) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 20) were studied in vitro, in vivo employing the Galleria mellonella infection model and by whole-genome sequencing. Clinical isolates belonged to 7 different sequence types (STs) in E. coli and 12 different STs in K. pneumoniae. In 26/35 isolates blaOXA–48 was located on a 63 kb IncL plasmid. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) to E. coli J53 was high in isolates with the 63 kb IncL plasmid (transconjugation frequency: ∼103/donor) but low in isolates with non-IncL plasmids (<10–6/donor). Several clinical isolates were both highly cytotoxic against human cells and virulent in vivo. However, 63 kb IncL transconjugants generated from these highly virulent isolates were not more cytotoxic or virulent when compared to the recipient strain. Additionally, no genes associated with virulence were detected by in silico analysis of OXA-48 plasmids. The 63 kb plasmid was highly stable and did not impair growth or fitness in E. coli J53. In conclusion, OXA-48 clinical isolates in Germany are diverse but typically harbor the same 63 kb IncL plasmid which has been reported worldwide. We demonstrate that this 63 kb IncL plasmid has a low fitness burden, high plasmid stability and can be transferred by highly efficient HGT which is likely the cause of the rapid dissemination of OXA-48 rather than the expansion of a single clone or gain of virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Hamprecht
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF Partner Site Bonn-Cologne), University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julian Sommer
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Matthias Willmann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF Partner Site Tübingen), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christina Brender
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Yvonne Stelzer
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF Partner Site Bonn-Cologne), University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Felix F Krause
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Tsvetan Tsvetkov
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF Partner Site Bonn-Cologne), University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Florian Wild
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sara Riedel-Christ
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julia Kutschenreuter
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Can Imirzalioglu
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF Partner Site Gießen-Marburg-Langen), Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Aitor Gonzaga
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig), Brunswick, Germany
| | - Ulrich Nübel
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig), Brunswick, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Stephan Göttig
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
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18
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Bradshaw WJ, Bruxelle JF, Kovacs-Simon A, Harmer NJ, Janoir C, Péchiné S, Acharya KR, Michell SL. Molecular features of lipoprotein CD0873: A potential vaccine against the human pathogen Clostridioides difficile. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:15850-15861. [PMID: 31420448 PMCID: PMC6816091 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the primary cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis, a healthcare-associated intestinal disease resulting in a significant fatality rate. Colonization of the gut is critical for C. difficile pathogenesis. The bacterial molecules essential for efficient colonization therefore offer great potential as vaccine candidates. Here we present findings demonstrating that the C. difficile immunogenic lipoprotein CD0873 plays a critical role in pathogen success in vivo. We found that in a dixenic colonization model, a CD0873-positive strain of C. difficile significantly outcompeted a CD0873-negative strain. Immunization of mice with recombinant CD0873 prevented long-term gut colonization and was correlated with a strong secretory IgA immune response. We further present high-resolution crystal structures of CD0873, at 1.35–2.50 Å resolutions, offering a first view of the ligand-binding pocket of CD0873 and provide evidence that this lipoprotein adhesin is part of a tyrosine import system, an amino acid key in C. difficile infection. These findings suggest that CD0873 could serve as an effective component in a vaccine against C. difficile.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Bradshaw
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-François Bruxelle
- EA4043 Unité Bactéries Pathogènes et Santé (UBaPS), University Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry Cedex, France
| | - Andrea Kovacs-Simon
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J Harmer
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.,Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Janoir
- EA4043 Unité Bactéries Pathogènes et Santé (UBaPS), University Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry Cedex, France
| | - Severine Péchiné
- EA4043 Unité Bactéries Pathogènes et Santé (UBaPS), University Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry Cedex, France
| | - K Ravi Acharya
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen L Michell
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
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19
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Tietgen M, Kramer JS, Brunst S, Djahanschiri B, Wohra S, Higgins PG, Weidensdorfer M, Riedel-Christ S, Pos KM, Gonzaga A, Steglich M, Nübel U, Ebersberger I, Proschak E, Göttig S. Identification of the novel class D β-lactamase OXA-679 involved in carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. J Antimicrob Chemother 2019; 74:1494-1502. [PMID: 30844059 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkz080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to characterize the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus clinical isolate AC_2117 with the novel carbapenem-hydrolysing class D β-lactamase (CHDL) OXA-679. METHODS Identification of the species and β-lactamases was verified by genome sequencing (PacBio) and phylogenetic analyses. Antibiotic susceptibility of AC_2117 and transformants harbouring cloned blaOXA-679 was evaluated using antibiotic gradient strips and microbroth dilution. OXA-679 was purified heterologously and kinetic parameters were determined using spectrometry or isothermal titration calorimetry. The impact of OXA-679 production during imipenem therapy was evaluated in the Galleria mellonella infection model. RESULTS Sequencing of the complete genome of the clinical A. calcoaceticus isolate AC_2117 identified a novel CHDL, termed OXA-679. This enzyme shared sequence similarity of 71% to each of the families OXA-143 and OXA-24/40. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that OXA-679 represents a member of a new OXA family. Cloning and expression of blaOXA-679 as well as measurement of kinetic parameters revealed the effective hydrolysis of carbapenems which resulted in reduced susceptibility to carbapenems in Escherichia coli and A. calcoaceticus, and high-level carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii. Infection of larvae of G. mellonella with a sublethal dose of blaOXA-679-expressing A. baumannii could not be cured by high-dose imipenem therapy, indicating carbapenem resistance in vivo. CONCLUSIONS We identified blaOXA-679 in a clinical A. calcoaceticus isolate that represents a member of the new OXA-679 family and that conferred high-level carbapenem resistance in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Tietgen
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Faculty of Biological Sciences of the Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jan S Kramer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Steffen Brunst
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Bardya Djahanschiri
- Applied Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sonali Wohra
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Paul G Higgins
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Bonn-Cologne, Germany
| | - Marko Weidensdorfer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sara Riedel-Christ
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Klaas M Pos
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Aitor Gonzaga
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Matthias Steglich
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ulrich Nübel
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ingo Ebersberger
- Applied Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt (BIK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ewgenij Proschak
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stephan Göttig
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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20
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García-Fernández S, Frentrup M, Steglich M, Gonzaga A, Cobo M, López-Fresneña N, Cobo J, Morosini MI, Cantón R, Del Campo R, Nübel U. Whole-genome sequencing reveals nosocomial Clostridioides difficile transmission and a previously unsuspected epidemic scenario. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6959. [PMID: 31061423 PMCID: PMC6502822 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43464-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
To trace the routes and frequencies of transmission of Clostridioides difficile in a tertiary-care hospital in Madrid (Spain), we sequenced the genomes from all C. difficile isolates collected over 36 months (2014-2016) that were indistinguishable from any other isolate by PCR ribotyping. From a total of 589 C. difficile infection cases, we cultivated and PCR-ribotyped 367 C. difficile isolates (62%), of which 265 were genome-sequenced. Based on close relatedness of successively collected isolates (≤2 SNPs difference in their genomes), whole-genome sequencing revealed a total of 17 independent, putative transmission clusters, caused by various C. difficile strains and each containing 2 to 18 cases, none of which had been detected previously by standard epidemiological surveillance. Proportions of linked isolates varied widely among PCR ribotypes, from 3% (1/36) for ribotype 014/020 to 60% (12/20) for ribotype 027, suggesting differential aptitudes for nosocomial spread. Remarkably, only a minority (17%) of transmission recipients had direct ward contact to their presumed donors and specific C. difficile genome types frequently went undetectable for several months before re-emerging later, suggesting reservoirs for the pathogen outside of symptomatic patients. Taken together, our analysis based on genome sequencing suggested considerable within-hospital epidemic spread of C. difficile, even though epidemiological data initially had been inconspicuous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio García-Fernández
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Red Española de Investigación en Patología Infecciosa (REIPI), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Matthias Steglich
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center of Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Marta Cobo
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nieves López-Fresneña
- Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Cobo
- Red Española de Investigación en Patología Infecciosa (REIPI), Madrid, Spain.,Servicio de Enfermedades Infecciosas, and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - María-Isabel Morosini
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Red Española de Investigación en Patología Infecciosa (REIPI), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Cantón
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Red Española de Investigación en Patología Infecciosa (REIPI), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosa Del Campo
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,Red Española de Investigación en Patología Infecciosa (REIPI), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ulrich Nübel
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany. .,German Center of Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, Germany. .,Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technical University, Braunschweig, Germany.
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21
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Szafrańska AK, Junker V, Steglich M, Nübel U. Rapid cell division of Staphylococcus aureus during colonization of the human nose. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:229. [PMID: 30894139 PMCID: PMC6425579 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5604-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Staphylococcus aureus is an important opportunistic pathogen and a commensal bacterium, thriving in the nasal cavities of 20% of the human population. Little is known about the dynamics of asymptomatic colonization and the occasional transition to infectious disease. RESULTS In this study, we inferred that S. aureus cells replicate every one to three hours on average while colonizing the human nose, based on two independent lines of genomic evidence. First, we collected nasal swab samples from human subjects, extracted and sequenced metagenomic DNA, and analyzed the distribution of sequencing coverage along the staphylococcal chromosome. Calibration of this data by comparison to a laboratory culture enabled measuring S. aureus cell division rates in nasal samples. Second, we applied mutation accumulation experiments paired with genome sequencing to measure spontaneous mutation rates at a genome scale. Relating these mutation rates to annual evolutionary rates confirmed that nasal S. aureus continuously pass several thousand cell divisions per year when averaged over large, globally distributed populations and over many years, corresponding to generation times of less than two hours. CONCLUSIONS The cell division rates we determined were higher than the fastest documented rates during fulminant disease progression (in a mouse model of systemic infection) and much higher than those previously measured in expectorated sputum from cystic fibrosis patients. This paper supplies absolute in-vivo generation times for an important bacterial commensal, indicating that colonization of the human upper respiratory tract is characterized by a highly dynamic equilibrium between bacterial growth and removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K Szafrańska
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig site, Germany
| | - Vera Junker
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Matthias Steglich
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig site, Germany
| | - Ulrich Nübel
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany. .,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig site, Germany. .,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
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22
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Will SE, Henke P, Boedeker C, Huang S, Brinkmann H, Rohde M, Jarek M, Friedl T, Seufert S, Schumacher M, Overmann J, Neumann-Schaal M, Petersen J. Day and Night: Metabolic Profiles and Evolutionary Relationships of Six Axenic Non-Marine Cyanobacteria. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:270-294. [PMID: 30590650 PMCID: PMC6349668 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are dominant primary producers of various ecosystems and they colonize marine as well as freshwater and terrestrial habitats. On the basis of their oxygenic photosynthesis they are known to synthesize a high number of secondary metabolites, which makes them promising for biotechnological applications. State-of-the-art sequencing and analytical techniques and the availability of several axenic strains offer new opportunities for the understanding of the hidden metabolic potential of cyanobacteria beyond those of single model organisms. Here, we report comprehensive genomic and metabolic analyses of five non-marine cyanobacteria, that is, Nostoc sp. DSM 107007, Anabaena variabilis DSM 107003, Calothrix desertica DSM 106972, Chroococcidiopsis cubana DSM 107010, Chlorogloeopsis sp. PCC 6912, and the reference strain Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Five strains that are prevalently belonging to the order Nostocales represent the phylogenetic depth of clade B1, a morphologically highly diverse sister lineage of clade B2 that includes strain PCC 6803. Genome sequencing, light and scanning electron microscopy revealed the characteristics and axenicity of the analyzed strains. Phylogenetic comparisons showed the limits of the 16S rRNA gene for the classification of cyanobacteria, but documented the applicability of a multilocus sequence alignment analysis based on 43 conserved protein markers. The analysis of metabolites of the core carbon metabolism showed parts of highly conserved metabolic pathways as well as lineage specific pathways such as the glyoxylate shunt, which was acquired by cyanobacteria at least twice via horizontal gene transfer. Major metabolic changes were observed when we compared alterations between day and night samples. Furthermore, our results showed metabolic potential of cyanobacteria beyond Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 as model organism and may encourage the cyanobacterial community to broaden their research to related organisms with higher metabolic activity in the desired pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Eva Will
- Nachwuchsgruppe Bakterielle Metabolomik, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Petra Henke
- Abteilung Mikrobielle Ökologie und Diversität, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Christian Boedeker
- Abteilung Mikrobielle Ökologie und Diversität, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sixing Huang
- Abteilung Mikrobielle Ökologie und Diversität, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Henner Brinkmann
- Abteilung Protisten und Cyanobakterien, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Manfred Rohde
- Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Jarek
- Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Thomas Friedl
- Sammlung von Algenkulturen der Universität Göttingen (SAG), Germany
| | - Steph Seufert
- Abteilung Protisten und Cyanobakterien, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Martin Schumacher
- Abteilung Protisten und Cyanobakterien, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Abteilung Mikrobielle Ökologie und Diversität, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Nachwuchsgruppe Bakterielle Metabolomik, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörn Petersen
- Abteilung Protisten und Cyanobakterien, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
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