1
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Masset Z, Gunaratnam S, Millette M, McFarland LV, Lacroix M. Environmental and Nutritional Parameters Modulating Genetic Expression for Virulence Factors of Clostridioides difficile. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:365. [PMID: 38667041 PMCID: PMC11047382 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13040365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) continue to be a persistent healthcare concern despite newer antibiotic treatments, enhanced infection control practices, and preventive strategies focused on restoring the protective intestinal microbial barrier. Recent strides in gene sequencing research have identified many genes regulating diverse virulence factors for CDIs. These genes may be over- or under-expressed when triggered by various environmental and nutritional factors. The aims of this paper are to review the important genes involved in C. difficile pathogenesis and to identify modifiable environmental, nutritional, and other factors that may trigger the expression of these genes and thus offer new strategies to prevent CDIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Masset
- INRS Armand-Frappier Health Biotechnology Research Centre, Research Laboratories in Sciences, 531 des Prairies Blvd, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada; (Z.M.); (M.L.)
| | - Sathursha Gunaratnam
- Bio-K+, a Kerry Company, Preclinical Research Division, 495 Armand-Frappier Blvd, Laval, QC H7V 4B3, Canada; (S.G.); (M.M.)
| | - Mathieu Millette
- Bio-K+, a Kerry Company, Preclinical Research Division, 495 Armand-Frappier Blvd, Laval, QC H7V 4B3, Canada; (S.G.); (M.M.)
| | - Lynne V. McFarland
- Public Health Reserves Corps, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
- McFarland Consulting, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
| | - Monique Lacroix
- INRS Armand-Frappier Health Biotechnology Research Centre, Research Laboratories in Sciences, 531 des Prairies Blvd, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada; (Z.M.); (M.L.)
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2
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Auria E, Deschamps J, Briandet R, Dupuy B. Extracellular succinate induces spatially organized biofilm formation in Clostridioides difficile. Biofilm 2023; 5:100125. [PMID: 37214349 PMCID: PMC10192414 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2023.100125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection associated to gut microbiome dysbiosis is the leading cause for nosocomial diarrhea. The ability of C. difficile to form biofilms has been progressively linked to its pathogenesis as well as its persistence in the gut. Although C. difficile has been reported to form biofilms in an increasing number of conditions, little is known about how these biofilms are formed in the gut and what factors may trigger their formation. Here we report that succinate, a metabolite abundantly produced by the dysbiotic gut microbiota, induces in vitro biofilm formation of C. difficile strains. We characterized the morphology and spatial composition of succinate-induced biofilms, and compared to non-induced or deoxycholate (DCA) induced biofilms. Biofilms induced by succinate are significantly thicker, structurally more complex, and poorer in proteins and exopolysaccharides (EPS). We then applied transcriptomics and genetics to characterize the early stages of succinate-induced biofilm formation and we showed that succinate-induced biofilm results from major metabolic shifts and cell-wall composition changes. Similar to DCA-induced biofilms, biofilms induced by succinate depend on the presence of a rapidly metabolized sugar. Finally, although succinate can be consumed by the bacteria, we found that the extracellular succinate is in fact responsible for the induction of biofilm formation through complex regulation involving global metabolic regulators and the osmotic stress response. Thus, our work suggests that as a gut signal, succinate may drive biofilm formation and help persistence of C. difficile in the gut, increasing the risk of relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emile Auria
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, UMR-CNRS 6047, Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries Anaérobies, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Julien Deschamps
- Institut Micalis, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Romain Briandet
- Institut Micalis, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Bruno Dupuy
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, UMR-CNRS 6047, Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries Anaérobies, F-75015, Paris, France
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3
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Azimirad M, Noori M, Amirkamali S, Nasiri G, Asadzadeh Aghdaei H, Yadegar A, Klionsky DJ, Zali MR. Clostridioides difficile PCR ribotypes 001 and 084 can trigger autophagy process in human intestinal Caco-2 cells. Microb Pathog 2023; 185:106450. [PMID: 37979713 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106450] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Autophagy is a homeostatic process that can promote cell survival or death. However, the exact role of autophagy in Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is still not precisely elucidated. Here, we investigate the role of distinct C. difficile ribotypes (RTs) in autophagy induction using Caco-2 cells. The expression analysis of autophagy-associated genes and related miRNAs were examined following treatment of Caco-2 cells with C. difficile after 4 and 8 h using RT-qPCR. Toxin production was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Immunofluorescence analysis was performed to detect MAP1LC3B/LC3B, followed by an autophagic flux analysis. C. difficile significantly reduced the viability of Caco-2 cells in comparison with untreated cells. Elevated levels of LC3-II and SQSTM1/p62 by C. difficile RT001 and RT084 in the presence of E64d/leupeptin confirmed the induction of autophagy activity. Similarly, the immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that C. difficile RT001 and RT084 significantly increased the amount of LC3-positive structures in Caco-2 cells. The induction of autophagy was further demonstrated by increased levels of LC3B, ULK1, ATG12, PIK3C3/VPS34, BECN1 (beclin 1), ATG5, and ATG16L1 transcripts and reduced levels of AKT and MTOR gene expression. The expression levels of MIR21 and MIR30B, microRNAs that suppress autophagy, were differentially affected by C. difficile. In conclusion, the present work revealed that C. difficile bacteria can induce autophagy through both toxin-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Also, our results suggest the potential role of other C. difficile virulence factors in autophagy modulation using intestinal cells in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Azimirad
- Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Noori
- Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Amirkamali
- Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gelareh Nasiri
- Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Asadzadeh Aghdaei
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Yadegar
- Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Daniel J Klionsky
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Mohammad Reza Zali
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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4
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Bosnjak M, Karpe AV, Van TTH, Kotsanas D, Jenkin GA, Costello SP, Johanesen P, Moore RJ, Beale DJ, Srikhanta YN, Palombo EA, Larcombe S, Lyras D. Multi-omics analysis of hospital-acquired diarrhoeal patients reveals biomarkers of enterococcal proliferation and Clostridioides difficile infection. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7737. [PMID: 38007555 PMCID: PMC10676382 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43671-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hospital-acquired diarrhoea (HAD) is common, and often associated with gut microbiota and metabolome dysbiosis following antibiotic administration. Clostridioides difficile is the most significant antibiotic-associated diarrhoeal (AAD) pathogen, but less is known about the microbiota and metabolome associated with AAD and C. difficile infection (CDI) with contrasting antibiotic treatment. We characterised faecal microbiota and metabolome for 169 HAD patients (33 with CDI and 133 non-CDI) to determine dysbiosis biomarkers and gain insights into metabolic strategies C. difficile might use for gut colonisation. The specimen microbial community was analysed using 16 S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, coupled with untargeted metabolite profiling using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiling using GC-MS. AAD and CDI patients were associated with a spectrum of dysbiosis reflecting non-antibiotic, short-term, and extended-antibiotic treatment. Notably, extended antibiotic treatment was associated with enterococcal proliferation (mostly vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium) coupled with putative biomarkers of enterococcal tyrosine decarboxylation. We also uncovered unrecognised metabolome dynamics associated with concomitant enterococcal proliferation and CDI, including biomarkers of Stickland fermentation and amino acid competition that could distinguish CDI from non-CDI patients. Here we show, candidate metabolic biomarkers for diagnostic development with possible implications for CDI and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marijana Bosnjak
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Avinash V Karpe
- Environment, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Thi Thu Hao Van
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Despina Kotsanas
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Grant A Jenkin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Samuel P Costello
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville South, South Australia, Australia
| | - Priscilla Johanesen
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Robert J Moore
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - David J Beale
- Environment, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yogitha N Srikhanta
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Enzo A Palombo
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah Larcombe
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dena Lyras
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
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5
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Rizvi A, Vargas-Cuebas G, Edwards AN, DiCandia MA, Carter ZA, Lee CD, Monteiro MP, McBride SM. Glycine fermentation by C. difficile promotes virulence and spore formation, and is induced by host cathelicidin. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0031923. [PMID: 37754683 PMCID: PMC10580938 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00319-23] [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: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is a leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrheal disease. C. difficile colonization, growth, and toxin production in the intestine is strongly associated with its ability to use amino acids to generate energy, but little is known about the impact of specific amino acids on C. difficile pathogenesis. The amino acid glycine is enriched in the dysbiotic gut and is suspected to contribute to C. difficile infection. We hypothesized that the use of glycine as an energy source contributes to colonization of the intestine and pathogenesis of C. difficile. To test this hypothesis, we deleted the glycine reductase (GR) genes grdAB, rendering C. difficile unable to ferment glycine, and investigated the impact on growth and pathogenesis. Our data show that the grd pathway promotes growth, toxin production, and sporulation. Glycine fermentation also had a significant impact on toxin production and pathogenesis of C. difficile in the hamster model of disease. Furthermore, we determined that the grd locus is regulated by host cathelicidin (LL-37) and the cathelicidin-responsive regulator, ClnR, indicating that the host peptide signals to control glycine catabolism. The induction of glycine fermentation by LL-37 demonstrates a direct link between the host immune response and the bacterial reactions of toxin production and spore formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arshad Rizvi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Germán Vargas-Cuebas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Adrianne N. Edwards
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Michael A. DiCandia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Zavier A. Carter
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Cheyenne D. Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Marcos P. Monteiro
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Shonna M. McBride
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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6
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Baldassare MA, Bhattacharjee D, Coles JD, Nelson S, McCollum CA, Seekatz AM. Butyrate enhances Clostridioides difficile sporulation in vitro. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0013823. [PMID: 37655912 PMCID: PMC10521354 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00138-23] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are products of bacterial fermentation that help maintain important gut functions such as maintenance of the intestinal barrier, cell signaling, and immune homeostasis. The main SCFAs acetate, propionate, and butyrate have demonstrated beneficial effects for the host, including its importance in alleviating infections caused by pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile. Despite the potential role of SCFAs in mitigating C. difficile infection, their direct effect on C. difficile remains unclear. Through a set of in vitro experiments, we investigated how SCFAs influence C. difficile growth, sporulation, and toxin production. Similar to previous studies, we observed that butyrate decreased growth of C. difficile strain 630 in a dose-dependent manner. The presence of butyrate also increased C. difficile sporulation, with minimal increases in toxin production. RNA-Seq analysis validated our experimental results, demonstrating increased expression of sporulation-related genes in conjunction with changes in metabolic and regulatory genes, such as a putative carbon starvation protein, CstA. Collectively, these data suggest that butyrate may induce alternative C. difficile survival pathways, modifying its growth ability and virulence to persist in the gut environment. IMPORTANCE Several studies suggest that butyrate may modulate gut infections, such as reducing inflammation caused by the healthcare-associated Clostridioides difficile. While studies in both animal models and human studies correlate high levels of butyrate with reduced C. difficile burden, the direct impact of butyrate on C. difficile remains unclear. Our study demonstrates that butyrate directly influences C. difficile by increasing its sporulation and modifying its metabolism, potentially using butyrate as a biomarker to shift survival strategies in a changing gut environment. These data point to additional therapeutic approaches to combat C. difficile in a butyrate-directed manner.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Disha Bhattacharjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Julian D. Coles
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Sydney Nelson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - C. Alexis McCollum
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Anna M. Seekatz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
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7
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Fuchs M, Lamm-Schmidt V, Lenče T, Sulzer J, Bublitz A, Wackenreuter J, Gerovac M, Strowig T, Faber F. A network of small RNAs regulates sporulation initiation in Clostridioides difficile. EMBO J 2023:e112858. [PMID: 37140366 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022112858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The obligate anaerobic, enteric pathogen Clostridioides difficile persists in the intestinal tract by forming antibiotic-resistant endospores that contribute to relapsing and recurrent infections. Despite the importance of sporulation for C. difficile pathogenesis, environmental cues and molecular mechanisms that regulate sporulation initiation remain ill-defined. Here, by using RIL-seq to globally capture the Hfq-dependent RNA-RNA interactome, we discovered a network of small RNAs that bind to mRNAs encoding sporulation-related genes. We show that two of these small RNAs, SpoX and SpoY, regulate translation of the master regulator of sporulation, Spo0A, in an opposing manner, which ultimately leads to altered sporulation rates. Infection of antibiotic-treated mice with SpoX and SpoY deletion mutants revealed a global effect on gut colonization and intestinal sporulation. Our work uncovers an elaborate RNA-RNA interactome controlling the physiology and virulence of C. difficile and identifies a complex post-transcriptional layer in the regulation of spore formation in this important human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Fuchs
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Würzburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg (JMU), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Vanessa Lamm-Schmidt
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Würzburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg (JMU), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tina Lenče
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg (JMU), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Sulzer
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg (JMU), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Arne Bublitz
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Janet Wackenreuter
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Milan Gerovac
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg (JMU), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Till Strowig
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Franziska Faber
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Würzburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg (JMU), Würzburg, Germany
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8
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Pavao A, Girinathan B, Peltier J, Altamirano Silva P, Dupuy B, Muti IH, Malloy C, Cheng LL, Bry L. Elucidating dynamic anaerobe metabolism with HRMAS 13C NMR and genome-scale modeling. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:556-564. [PMID: 36894723 PMCID: PMC10154198 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01275-9] [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: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic microbial metabolism drives critical functions within global ecosystems, host-microbiota interactions, and industrial applications, yet remains ill-defined. Here we advance a versatile approach to elaborate cellular metabolism in obligate anaerobes using the pathogen Clostridioides difficile, an amino acid and carbohydrate-fermenting Clostridia. High-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of C. difficile, grown with fermentable 13C substrates, informed dynamic flux balance analysis (dFBA) of the pathogen's genome-scale metabolism. Analyses identified dynamic recruitment of oxidative and supporting reductive pathways, with integration of high-flux amino acid and glycolytic metabolism at alanine's biosynthesis to support efficient energy generation, nitrogen handling and biomass generation. Model predictions informed an approach leveraging the sensitivity of 13C NMR spectroscopy to simultaneously track cellular carbon and nitrogen flow from [U-13C]glucose and [15N]leucine, confirming the formation of [13C,15N]alanine. Findings identify metabolic strategies used by C. difficile to support its rapid colonization and expansion in gut ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan Pavao
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brintha Girinathan
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Ginkgo Bioworks, The Innovation and Design Building, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Johann Peltier
- Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries Anaérobies, F-75015, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, UMR-CNRS 6047, Paris, France
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, University of Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pamela Altamirano Silva
- Centre for Investigations in Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Bruno Dupuy
- Laboratoire Pathogenèse des Bactéries Anaérobies, F-75015, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, UMR-CNRS 6047, Paris, France
| | - Isabella H Muti
- Departments of Radiology and Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Craig Malloy
- Department of Radiology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Leo L Cheng
- Departments of Radiology and Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Lynn Bry
- Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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9
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Baldassare MA, Bhattacharjee D, Coles JD, Nelson S, McCollum CA, Seekatz AM. Butyrate enhances Clostridioides difficile sporulation in vitro. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.27.538596. [PMID: 37163089 PMCID: PMC10168334 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.27.538596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are products of bacterial fermentation that help maintain important gut functions such as the intestinal barrier, signaling, and immune homeostasis. The main SCFAs acetate, propionate, and butyrate have demonstrated beneficial effects for the host, including importance in combatting infections caused by pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile . Despite the potential role of SCFAs in mitigating C. difficile infection, their direct effect on C. difficile remains unclear. Through a set of in vitro experiments, we investigated how SCFAs influence C. difficile growth, sporulation, and toxin production. Similar to previous studies, we observed that butyrate decreased growth of C. difficile strain 630 in a dose-dependent manner. The presence of butyrate also increased C. difficile sporulation, with minimal increases in toxin production. RNA-Seq analysis validated our experimental results, demonstrating increased expression of sporulation-related genes in conjunction with alternative metabolic and related C. difficile regulatory pathways, such as the carbon catabolite repressor, CcpA. Collectively, these data suggest that butyrate may signal alternative C. difficile metabolic pathways, thus modifying its growth and virulence to persist in the gut environment. IMPORTANCE Several studies suggest that butyrate may be important in alleviating gut infections, such as reducing inflammation caused by the healthcare-associated Clostridioides difficile . While studies in both animal models and human studies correlate high levels of butyrate with reduced C. difficile burden, the direct impact of butyrate on C. difficile remains unclear. Our study demonstrates that butyrate directly influences C. difficile by increasing its sporulation and modifying its metabolism, potentially using butyrate as a biomarker to shift survival strategies in a changing gut environment. These data point to additional therapeutic approaches to combat C. difficile in a butyrate-directed manner.
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10
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Bublitz A, Brauer M, Wagner S, Hofer W, Müsken M, Deschner F, Lesker TR, Neumann-Schaal M, Paul LS, Nübel U, Bartel J, Kany AM, Zühlke D, Bernecker S, Jansen R, Sievers S, Riedel K, Herrmann J, Müller R, Fuchs TM, Strowig T. The natural product chlorotonil A preserves colonization resistance and prevents relapsing Clostridioides difficile infection. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:734-750.e8. [PMID: 37098342 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) remain a healthcare problem due to high rates of relapsing/recurrent CDIs (rCDIs). Breakdown of colonization resistance promoted by broad-spectrum antibiotics and the persistence of spores contribute to rCDI. Here, we demonstrate antimicrobial activity of the natural product class of chlorotonils against C. difficile. In contrast to vancomycin, chlorotonil A (ChA) efficiently inhibits disease and prevents rCDI in mice. Notably, ChA affects the murine and porcine microbiota to a lesser extent than vancomycin, largely preserving microbiota composition and minimally impacting the intestinal metabolome. Correspondingly, ChA treatment does not break colonization resistance against C. difficile and is linked to faster recovery of the microbiota after CDI. Additionally, ChA accumulates in the spore and inhibits outgrowth of C. difficile spores, thus potentially contributing to lower rates of rCDI. We conclude that chlorotonils have unique antimicrobial properties targeting critical steps in the infection cycle of C. difficile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Bublitz
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Madita Brauer
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; Institute of Marine Biotechnology e.V., Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stefanie Wagner
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Jena, Germany
| | - Walter Hofer
- Department of Microbial Natural Products, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarbrücken, Germany; Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Mathias Müsken
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Felix Deschner
- Department of Microbial Natural Products, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarbrücken, Germany; Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Till R Lesker
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Bacterial Metabolomics, Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany; Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technical University, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lena-Sophie Paul
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Jena, Germany
| | - Ulrich Nübel
- Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technical University, Braunschweig, Germany; Microbial Genome Research, Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jürgen Bartel
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Proteomics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Andreas M Kany
- Department of Microbial Natural Products, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarbrücken, Germany; Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Daniela Zühlke
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Steffen Bernecker
- Department of Microbial Drugs, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rolf Jansen
- Department of Microbial Drugs, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Susanne Sievers
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Katharina Riedel
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; Institute of Marine Biotechnology e.V., Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jennifer Herrmann
- Department of Microbial Natural Products, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarbrücken, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany; Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Rolf Müller
- Department of Microbial Natural Products, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarbrücken, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany; Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Thilo M Fuchs
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Jena, Germany.
| | - Till Strowig
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany; Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM), Hannover, Germany.
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11
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Bustin KA, Abbas A, Wang X, Abt MC, Zackular JP, Matthews ML. Characterizing metabolic drivers of Clostridioides difficile infection with activity-based hydrazine probes. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1074619. [PMID: 36778002 PMCID: PMC9908766 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1074619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Many enzymes require post-translational modifications or cofactor machinery for primary function. As these catalytically essential moieties are highly regulated, they act as dual sensors and chemical handles for context-dependent metabolic activity. Clostridioides difficile is a major nosocomial pathogen that infects the colon. Energy generating metabolism, particularly through amino acid Stickland fermentation, is central to colonization and persistence of this pathogen during infection. Here using activity-based protein profiling (ABPP), we revealed Stickland enzyme activity is a biomarker for C. difficile infection (CDI) and annotated two such cofactor-dependent Stickland reductases. We structurally characterized the cysteine-derived pyruvoyl cofactors of D-proline and glycine reductase in C. difficile cultures and showed through cofactor monitoring that their activity is regulated by their respective amino acid substrates. Proline reductase was consistently active in toxigenic C. difficile, confirming the enzyme to be a major metabolic driver of CDI. Further, activity-based hydrazine probes were shown to be active site-directed inhibitors of proline reductase. As such, this enzyme activity, via its druggable cofactor modality, is a promising therapeutic target that could allow for the repopulation of bacteria that compete with C. difficile for proline and therefore restore colonization resistance against C. difficile in the gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn A. Bustin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Arwa Abbas
- Division of Protective Immunity, Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Xie Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michael C. Abt
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Joseph P. Zackular
- Division of Protective Immunity, Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Megan L. Matthews
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States,*Correspondence: Megan L. Matthews,
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12
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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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13
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Dang T, Kumaishi K, Usui E, Kobori S, Sato T, Toda Y, Yamasaki Y, Tsujimoto H, Ichihashi Y, Iwata H. Stochastic variational variable selection for high-dimensional microbiome data. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:236. [PMID: 36566203 PMCID: PMC9789572 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01439-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The rapid and accurate identification of a minimal-size core set of representative microbial species plays an important role in the clustering of microbial community data and interpretation of clustering results. However, the huge dimensionality of microbial metagenomics datasets is a major challenge for the existing methods such as Dirichlet multinomial mixture (DMM) models. In the approach of the existing methods, the computational burden of identifying a small number of representative species from a large number of observed species remains a challenge. RESULTS We propose a novel approach to improve the performance of the widely used DMM approach by combining three ideas: (i) we propose an indicator variable to identify representative operational taxonomic units that substantially contribute to the differentiation among clusters; (ii) to address the computational burden of high-dimensional microbiome data, we propose a stochastic variational inference, which approximates the posterior distribution using a controllable distribution called variational distribution, and stochastic optimization algorithms for fast computation; and (iii) we extend the finite DMM model to an infinite case by considering Dirichlet process mixtures and estimating the number of clusters as a variational parameter. Using the proposed method, stochastic variational variable selection (SVVS), we analyzed the root microbiome data collected in our soybean field experiment, the human gut microbiome data from three published datasets of large-scale case-control studies and the healthy human microbiome data from the Human Microbiome Project. CONCLUSIONS SVVS demonstrates a better performance and significantly faster computation than those of the existing methods in all cases of testing datasets. In particular, SVVS is the only method that can analyze massive high-dimensional microbial data with more than 50,000 microbial species and 1000 samples. Furthermore, a core set of representative microbial species is identified using SVVS that can improve the interpretability of Bayesian mixture models for a wide range of microbiome studies. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tung Dang
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kie Kumaishi
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Erika Usui
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shungo Kobori
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Takumi Sato
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yusuke Toda
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Yamasaki
- Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan
| | | | | | - Hiroyoshi Iwata
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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14
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d-Proline Reductase Underlies Proline-Dependent Growth of Clostridioides difficile. J Bacteriol 2022; 204:e0022922. [PMID: 35862761 PMCID: PMC9380539 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00229-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is a nosocomial pathogen that colonizes the gut and causes diarrhea, colitis, and severe inflammation. Recently, C. difficile has been shown to use toxin-mediated inflammation to promote host collagen degradation, which releases several amino acids into the environment. Amino acids act as electron donors and acceptors in Stickland metabolism, an anaerobic process involving redox reactions between pairs of amino acids. Proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline are the three main constituents of collagen and are assumed to act as electron acceptors, but their exact effects on the growth and physiology of C. difficile are still unclear. Using three standard culture media (supplemented brain heart infusion [BHIS], tryptone-yeast [TY], and C. difficile minimal medium [CDMM]) supplemented with proline, glycine, or hydroxyproline, we grew C. difficile strains R20291, JIR8094, and a panel of mutants unable to express the Stickland selenoenzymes d-proline reductase and glycine reductase. In the wild-type strains, growth yields in rich media (BHIS and TY) were higher with proline and hydroxyproline but not glycine; moreover, proline-stimulated growth yields required the activity of d-proline reductase, whereas hydroxyproline-stimulated growth yields were independent of its activity. While assumed to be a proline auxotroph, C. difficile could surprisingly grow in a defined medium (CDMM) without proline but only if d-proline reductase was absent. We believe the mere presence of this enzyme ultimately determines the organism's strict dependence on proline and likely defines the bioenergetic priorities for thriving in the host. Finally, we demonstrated that addition of proline and hydroxyproline to the culture medium could reduce toxin production but not in cells lacking selenoproteins. IMPORTANCE Stickland metabolism is a core facet of C. difficile physiology that likely plays a major role in host colonization. Here, we carefully delineate the effects of each amino acid on the growth of C. difficile with respect to the selenoenzymes d-proline reductase and glycine reductase. Moreover, we report that d-proline reductase forces C. difficile to strictly depend on proline for growth. Finally, we provide evidence that proline and hydroxyproline suppress toxin production and that selenoproteins are involved in this mechanism. Our findings highlight the significance of selenium-dependent Stickland reactions and may provide insight on what occurs during host infection, especially as it relates to the decision to colonize based on proline as a nutrient.
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15
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Reconsidering the in vivo functions of Clostridial Stickland amino acid fermentations. Anaerobe 2022; 76:102600. [PMID: 35709938 PMCID: PMC9831356 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Stickland amino acid fermentations occur primarily among species of Clostridia. An ancient form of metabolism, Stickland fermentations use amino acids as electron acceptors in the absence of stronger oxidizing agents and provide metabolic capabilities to support growth when other fermentable substrates, such as carbohydrates, are lacking. The reactions were originally described as paired fermentations of amino acid electron donors, such as the branched-chain amino acids, with recipients that include proline and glycine. We present a redox-focused view of Stickland metabolism following electron flow through metabolically diverse oxidative reactions and the defined-substrate reductase systems, including for proline and glycine, and the role of dual redox pathways for substrates such as leucine and ornithine. Genetic studies and Environment and Gene Regulatory Interaction Network (EGRIN) models for the pathogen Clostridioides difficile have improved our understanding of the regulation and metabolic recruitment of these systems, and their functions in modulating inter-species interactions within host-pathogen-commensal systems and uses in industrial and environmental applications.
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16
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Biwer P, Neumann-Schaal M, Henke P, Jahn D, Schulz S. Thiol Metabolism and Volatile Metabolome of Clostridioides difficile. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:864587. [PMID: 35783419 PMCID: PMC9243749 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.864587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile (previously Clostridium difficile) causes life-threatening gut infections. The central metabolism of the bacterium is strongly influencing toxin production and consequently the infection progress. In this context, the composition and potential origin of the volatile metabolome was investigated, showing a large number of sulfur-containing volatile metabolites. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS)-based headspace analyses of growing C. difficile 630Δerm cultures identified 105 mainly sulfur-containing compounds responsible of the typical C. difficile odor. Major components were identified to be 2-methyl-1-propanol, 2-methyl-1-propanethiol, 2-methyl-1-butanethiol, 4-methyl-1-pentanethiol, and as well as their disulfides. Structurally identified were 64 sulfur containing volatiles. In order to determine their biosynthetic origin, the concentrations of the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine were varied in the growth medium. The changes observed in the volatile metabolome profile indicated that cysteine plays an essential role in the formation of the sulfur-containing volatiles. We propose that disulfides are derived from cysteine via formation of cystathionine analogs, which lead to corresponding thiols. These thiols may then be oxidized to disulfides. Moreover, methionine may contribute to the formation of short-chain disulfides through integration of methanethiol into the disulfide biosynthesis. In summary, the causative agents of the typical C. difficile odor were identified and first hypotheses for their biosynthesis were proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Biwer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Department of Metabolomics, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, BRICS, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Petra Henke
- Department of Metabolomics, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Dieter Jahn
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, BRICS, Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Stefan Schulz,
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17
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Venhorst J, van der Vossen JMBM, Agamennone V. Battling Enteropathogenic Clostridia: Phage Therapy for Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium perfringens. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:891790. [PMID: 35770172 PMCID: PMC9234517 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.891790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogenic Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium perfringens are responsible for many health care-associated infections as well as systemic and enteric diseases. Therefore, they represent a major health threat to both humans and animals. Concerns regarding increasing antibiotic resistance (related to C. difficile and C. perfringens) have caused a surge in the pursual of novel strategies that effectively combat pathogenic infections, including those caused by both pathogenic species. The ban on antibiotic growth promoters in the poultry industry has added to the urgency of finding novel antimicrobial therapeutics for C. perfringens. These efforts have resulted in various therapeutics, of which bacteriophages (in short, phages) show much promise, as evidenced by the Eliava Phage Therapy Center in Tbilisi, Georgia (https://eptc.ge/). Bacteriophages are a type of virus that infect bacteria. In this review, the (clinical) impact of clostridium infections in intestinal diseases is recapitulated, followed by an analysis of the current knowledge and applicability of bacteriophages and phage-derived endolysins in this disease indication. Limitations of phage and phage endolysin therapy were identified and require considerations. These include phage stability in the gastrointestinal tract, influence on gut microbiota structure/function, phage resistance development, limited host range for specific pathogenic strains, phage involvement in horizontal gene transfer, and-for phage endolysins-endolysin resistance, -safety, and -immunogenicity. Methods to optimize features of these therapeutic modalities, such as mutagenesis and fusion proteins, are also addressed. The future success of phage and endolysin therapies require reliable clinical trial data for phage(-derived) products. Meanwhile, additional research efforts are essential to expand the potential of exploiting phages and their endolysins for mitigating the severe diseases caused by C. difficile and C. perfringens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Venhorst
- Biomedical Health, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jos M. B. M. van der Vossen
- Microbiology and Systems Biology, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Zeist, Netherlands
| | - Valeria Agamennone
- Microbiology and Systems Biology, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Zeist, Netherlands
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18
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Jenior ML, Papin JA. Computational approaches to understanding Clostridioides difficile metabolism and virulence. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 65:108-115. [PMID: 34839237 PMCID: PMC8792252 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The progress of infection by Clostridioides difficile is strongly influenced by metabolic cues it encounters as it colonizes the gastrointestinal tract. Both colonization and regulation of virulence have a multi-factorial interaction between host, microbiome, and gene expression cascades. While these connections with metabolism have been understood for some time, many mechanisms of control have remained difficult to directly assay due to high metabolic variability among C. difficile isolates and difficult genetic systems. Computational systems offer a means to interrogate structure of complex or noisy datasets and generate useful, tractable hypotheses to be tested in the laboratory. Recently, in silico techniques have provided powerful insights into metabolic elements of C. difficile infection ranging from virulence regulation to interactions with the gut microbiota. In this review, we introduce and provide context to the methods of computational modeling that have been applied to C. difficile metabolism and virulence thus far. The techniques discussed here have laid the foundation for future multi-scale efforts aimed at understanding the complex interplay of metabolic activity between pathogen, host, and surrounding microbial community in the regulation of C. difficile pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Jenior
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA,denotes co-corresponding author
| | - Jason A Papin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA,denotes co-corresponding author
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19
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Michel AM, Borrero-de Acuña JM, Molinari G, Ünal CM, Will S, Derksen E, Barthels S, Bartram W, Schrader M, Rohde M, Zhang H, Hoffmann T, Neumann-Schaal M, Bremer E, Jahn D. Cellular adaptation of Clostridioides difficile to high salinity encompasses a compatible solute-responsive change in cell morphology. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:1499-1517. [PMID: 35106888 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Infections by the pathogenic gut bacterium Clostridioides difficile cause severe diarrheas up to a toxic megacolon and are currently among the major causes of lethal bacterial infections. Successful bacterial propagation in the gut is strongly associated with the adaptation to changing nutrition-caused environmental conditions; e.g. environmental salt stresses. Concentrations of 350 mM NaCl, the prevailing salinity in the colon, led to significantly reduced growth of C. difficile. Metabolomics of salt- stressed bacteria revealed a major reduction of the central energy generation pathways, including the Stickland-fermentation reactions. No obvious synthesis of compatible solutes was observed up to 24 h of growth. The ensuing limited tolerance to high salinity and absence of compatible solute synthesis might result from an evolutionary adaptation to the exclusive life of C. difficile in the mammalian gut. Addition of the compatible solutes carnitine, glycine-betaine, γ-butyrobetaine, crotonobetaine, homobetaine, proline-betaine and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) restored growth (choline and proline failed) under conditions of high salinity. A bioinformatically-identified OpuF-type ABC-transporter imported most of the used compatible solutes. A long-term adaptation after 48 h included a shift of the Stickland fermentation-based energy metabolism from the utilization to the accumulation of L-proline and resulted in restored growth. Surprisingly, salt stress resulted in the formation of coccoid C. difficile cells instead of the typical rod-shaped cells, a process reverted by the addition of several compatible solutes. Hence, compatible solute import via OpuF is the major immediate adaptation strategy of C. difficile to high salinity-incurred cellular stress. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika-Marisa Michel
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - José Manuel Borrero-de Acuña
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Universidad de Sevilla, Facultad de Biología, Departamento de Microbiología, Av. de la Reina Mercedes, n° 6, CP, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Gabriella Molinari
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Can Murat Ünal
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sabine Will
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Derksen
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stefan Barthels
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Wiebke Bartram
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michel Schrader
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Manfred Rohde
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Hao Zhang
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,School of Life Science and Technology, Changchun University of Science and Technology, No. 7186 Weixing Road, 130022, Changchun, China
| | - Tamara Hoffmann
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Erhard Bremer
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Dieter Jahn
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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20
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Buckley AM, Moura IB, Wilcox MH. The potential of microbiome replacement therapies for Clostridium difficile infection. Curr Opin Gastroenterol 2022; 38:1-6. [PMID: 34871192 DOI: 10.1097/mog.0000000000000800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is a paradox when treating Clostridium difficile infection (CDI); treatment antibiotics reduce C. difficile colonization but cause further microbiota disruption and can lead to recurrent disease. The success of faecal microbiota transplants (FMT) in treating CDI has become a new research area in microbiome restorative therapies but are they a viable long-term treatment option? RECENT FINDINGS C. difficile displays metabolic flexibility to use different nutritional sources during CDI. Using microbiome therapies for the efficient restoration of bile homeostasis and to reduce the bioavailability of preferential nutrients will target the germination ability of C. difficile spores and the growth rate of vegetative cells. Several biotechnology companies have developed microbiome therapeutics for treating CDI, which are undergoing clinical trials. SUMMARY There is confidence in using restorative microbiome therapies for treating CDI after the demonstrated efficacy of FMT, where several biotechnology companies are aiming to supply what would be a 'first in class' treatment option. Efficient removal of C. difficile from the different intestinal biogeographies should be considered in future microbiome therapies. With the gut microbiota implicated in different diseases, more work is needed to assess the long-term consequences of microbiome therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Buckley
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health
- Microbiome and Nutritional Science Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds
| | - Ines B Moura
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health
| | - Mark H Wilcox
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health
- Microbiology, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Old Medical School, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, UK
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21
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Nzabarushimana E, Tang H. Functional profile of host microbiome indicates Clostridioides difficile infection. Gut Microbes 2022; 14:2135963. [PMID: 36289064 PMCID: PMC9621045 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2022.2135963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a gastro-intestinal (GI) infection that illustrates how perturbations in symbiotic host-microbiome interactions render the GI tract vulnerable to the opportunistic pathogens. CDI also serves as an example of how such perturbations could be reversed via gut microbiota modulation mechanisms, especially fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). However, microbiome-mediated diagnosis of CDI remains understudied. Here, we evaluated the diagnostic capabilities of the fecal microbiome on the prediction of CDI. We used the metagenomic sequencing data from ten previous studies, encompassing those acquired from CDI patients treated by FMT, CDI-negative patients presenting other intestinal health conditions, and healthy volunteers taking antibiotics. We designed a hybrid species/function profiling approach that determines the abundances of microbial species in the community contributing to its functional profile. These functionally informed taxonomic profiles were then used for classification of the microbial samples. We used logistic regression (LR) models using these features, which showed high prediction accuracy (with an average A U C ≥ 0.91 ), substantiating that the species/function composition of the gut microbiome has a robust diagnostic prediction of CDI. We further assessed the confounding impact of antibiotic therapy on CDI prediction and found that it is distinguishable from the CDI impact. Finally, we devised a log-odds score computed from the output of the LR models to quantify the likelihood of CDI in a gut microbiome sample and applied it to evaluating the effectiveness of FMT based on post-FMT microbiome samples. The results showed that the gut microbiome of patients exhibited a gradual but steady improvement after receiving successful FMT, indicating the restoration of the normal microbiome functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Nzabarushimana
- Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Haixu Tang
- Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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22
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Metabolic adaption to extracellular pyruvate triggers biofilm formation in Clostridioides difficile. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:3623-3635. [PMID: 34155333 PMCID: PMC8630010 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01042-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infections are associated with gut microbiome dysbiosis and are the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea. The infectious process is strongly influenced by the microbiota and successful infection relies on the absence of specific microbiota-produced metabolites. Deoxycholate and short-chain fatty acids are microbiota-produced metabolites that limit the growth of C. difficile and protect the host against this infection. In a previous study, we showed that deoxycholate causes C. difficile to form strongly adherent biofilms after 48 h. Here, our objectives were to identify and characterize key molecules and events required for biofilm formation in the presence of deoxycholate. We applied time-course transcriptomics and genetics to identify sigma factors, metabolic processes and type IV pili that drive biofilm formation. These analyses revealed that extracellular pyruvate induces biofilm formation in the presence of deoxycholate. In the absence of deoxycholate, pyruvate supplementation was sufficient to induce biofilm formation in a process that was dependent on pyruvate uptake by the membrane protein CstA. In the context of the human gut, microbiota-generated pyruvate is a metabolite that limits pathogen colonization. Taken together our results suggest that pyruvate-induced biofilm formation might act as a key process driving C. difficile persistence in the gut.
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23
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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: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [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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24
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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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Novel Drivers of Virulence in Clostridioides difficile Identified via Context-Specific Metabolic Network Analysis. mSystems 2021; 6:e0091921. [PMID: 34609164 PMCID: PMC8547418 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00919-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogen Clostridioides difficile causes toxin-mediated diarrhea and is the leading cause of hospital-acquired infection in the United States. Due to growing antibiotic resistance and recurrent infection, targeting C. difficile metabolism presents a new approach to combat this infection. Genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions (GENREs) have been used to identify therapeutic targets and uncover properties that determine cellular behaviors. Thus, we constructed C. difficile GENREs for a hypervirulent isolate (strain [str.] R20291) and a historic strain (str. 630), validating both with in vitro and in vivo data sets. Growth simulations revealed significant correlations with measured carbon source usage (positive predictive value [PPV] ≥ 92.7%), and single-gene deletion analysis showed >89.0% accuracy. Next, we utilized each GENRE to identify metabolic drivers of both sporulation and biofilm formation. Through contextualization of each model using transcriptomes generated from in vitro and infection conditions, we discovered reliance on the pentose phosphate pathway as well as increased usage of cytidine and N-acetylneuraminate when virulence expression is reduced, which was subsequently supported experimentally. Our results highlight the ability of GENREs to identify novel metabolite signals in higher-order phenotypes like bacterial pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE Clostridioides difficile has become the leading single cause of hospital-acquired infections. Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of specific metabolic pathways in aspects of C. difficile pathophysiology, from initial colonization to regulation of virulence factors. In the past, genome-scale metabolic network reconstruction (GENRE) analysis of bacteria has enabled systematic investigation of the genetic and metabolic properties that contribute to downstream virulence phenotypes. With this in mind, we generated and extensively curated C. difficile GENREs for both a well-studied laboratory strain (str. 630) and a more recently characterized hypervirulent isolate (str. R20291). In silico validation of both GENREs revealed high degrees of agreement with experimental gene essentiality and carbon source utilization data sets. Subsequent exploration of context-specific metabolism during both in vitro growth and infection revealed consistent patterns of metabolism which corresponded with experimentally measured increases in virulence factor expression. Our results support that differential C. difficile virulence is associated with distinct metabolic programs related to use of carbon sources and provide a platform for identification of novel therapeutic targets.
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26
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Buckley AM, Moura IB, Altringham J, Ewin D, Clark E, Bentley K, Wilkinson V, Spittal W, Davis G, Wilcox MH. The use of first-generation cephalosporin antibiotics, cefalexin and cefradine, is not associated with induction of simulated Clostridioides difficile infection. J Antimicrob Chemother 2021; 77:148-154. [PMID: 34561709 PMCID: PMC8730689 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkab349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives The use of broad-spectrum cephalosporins is associated with induction of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Recent knowledge on the importance of the healthy microbiota in preventing pathogen colonization/outgrowth highlights the caution needed when prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics. The use of historical narrow-spectrum antibiotics, such as first-generation cephalosporins, is gaining increased attention once more as they have a reduced impact on the microbiota whilst treating infections. Here, the effects of two first-generation cephalosporins, compared with a third-generation cephalosporin, on the human microbiota were investigated and their propensity to induce simulated CDI. Methods Three in vitro chemostat models, which simulate the physiochemical conditions of the human colon, were seeded with a human faecal slurry and instilled with either narrow-spectrum cephalosporins, cefalexin and cefradine, or a broad-spectrum cephalosporin, ceftriaxone, at concentrations reflective of colonic levels. Results Instillation of cefalexin was associated with reduced recoveries of Bifidobacterium and Enterobacteriaceae; however, Clostridium spp. recoveries remained unaffected. Cefradine exposure was associated with decreased recoveries of Bifidobacterium spp., Bacteroides spp. and Enterobacteriaceae. These changes were not associated with induction of CDI, as we observed a lack of C. difficile spore germination/proliferation, thus no toxin was detected. This is in contrast to a model exposed to ceftriaxone, where CDI was observed. Conclusions These model data suggest that the minimal impact of first-generation cephalosporins, namely cefalexin and cefradine, on the intestinal microbiota results in a low propensity to induce CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Buckley
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS1 9JT, UK
| | - Ines B Moura
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS1 9JT, UK
| | - James Altringham
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS1 9JT, UK
| | - Duncan Ewin
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS1 9JT, UK
| | - Emma Clark
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS1 9JT, UK
| | - Karen Bentley
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS1 9JT, UK
| | - Vikki Wilkinson
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS1 9JT, UK
| | - William Spittal
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS1 9JT, UK
| | - Georgina Davis
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS1 9JT, UK
| | - Mark H Wilcox
- Healthcare-Associated Infections Group, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS1 9JT, UK.,Microbiology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Old Medical School, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, LS1 3EX, UK
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27
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Riedel T, Neumann-Schaal M, Wittmann J, Schober I, Hofmann JD, Lu CW, Dannheim A, Zimmermann O, Lochner M, Groß U, Overmann J. Characterization of Clostridioides difficile DSM 101085 with A-B-CDT+ Phenotype from a Late Recurrent Colonization. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:566-577. [PMID: 32302381 PMCID: PMC7250501 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last decades, hypervirulent strains of Clostridioides difficile with frequent disease recurrence and increased mortality appeared. Clostridioides difficile DSM 101085 was isolated from a patient who suffered from several recurrent infections and colonizations, likely contributing to a fatal outcome. Analysis of the toxin repertoire revealed the presence of a complete binary toxin locus and an atypical pathogenicity locus consisting of only a tcdA pseudogene and a disrupted tcdC gene sequence. The pathogenicity locus shows upstream a transposon and has been subject to homologous recombination or lateral gene transfer events. Matching the results of the genome analysis, neither TcdA nor TcdB production but the expression of cdtA and cdtB was detected. This highlights a potential role of the binary toxin C. difficile toxin in this recurrent colonization and possibly further in a host-dependent virulence. Compared with the C. difficile metabolic model strains DSM 28645 (630Δerm) and DSM 27147 (R20291), strain DSM 101085 showed a specific metabolic profile, featuring changes in the threonine degradation pathways and alterations in the central carbon metabolism. Moreover, products originating from Stickland pathways processing leucine, aromatic amino acids, and methionine were more abundant in strain DSM 101085, indicating a more efficient use of these substrates. The particular characteristics of strain C. difficile DSM 101085 may represent an adaptation to a low-protein diet in a patient with recurrent infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Riedel
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry and Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Johannes Wittmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Isabel Schober
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Julia Danielle Hofmann
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry and Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Chia-Wen Lu
- Institute of Infection Immunology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Hannover, Germany
| | - Antonia Dannheim
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry and Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ortrud Zimmermann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Lochner
- Institute of Infection Immunology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Hannover, Germany
| | - Uwe Groß
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen International Health Network, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany
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Buckley AM, Moura IB, Arai N, Spittal W, Clark E, Nishida Y, Harris HC, Bentley K, Davis G, Wang D, Mitra S, Higashiyama T, Wilcox MH. Trehalose-Induced Remodelling of the Human Microbiota Affects Clostridioides difficile Infection Outcome in an In Vitro Colonic Model: A Pilot Study. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:670935. [PMID: 34277467 PMCID: PMC8284250 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.670935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the human intestinal tract, dietary, microbial- and host-derived compounds are used as signals by many pathogenic organisms, including Clostridioides difficile. Trehalose has been reported to enhance virulence of certain C. difficile ribotypes; however, such variants are widespread and not correlated with clinical outcomes for patients suffering from C. difficile infection (CDI). Here, we make preliminary observations on how trehalose supplementation affects the microbiota in an in vitro model and show that trehalose-induced changes can reduce the outgrowth of C. difficile, preventing simulated CDI. Three clinically reflective human gut models simulated the effects of sugar (trehalose or glucose) or saline ingestion on the microbiota. Models were instilled with sugar or saline and further exposed to C. difficile spores. The recovery of the microbiota following antibiotic treatment and CDI induction was monitored in each model. The human microbiota remodelled to utilise the bioavailable trehalose. Clindamycin induction caused simulated CDI in models supplemented with either glucose or saline; however, trehalose supplementation did not result in CDI, although limited spore germination did occur. The absence of CDI in trehalose model was associated with enhanced abundances of Finegoldia, Faecalibacterium and Oscillospira, and reduced abundances of Klebsiella and Clostridium spp., compared with the other models. Functional analysis of the microbiota in the trehalose model revealed differences in the metabolic pathways, such as amino acid metabolism, which could be attributed to prevention of CDI. Our data show that trehalose supplementation remodelled the microbiota, which prevented simulated CDI, potentially due to enhanced recovery of nutritionally competitive microbiota against C. difficile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M. Buckley
- Healthcare Associated Infection Research Group, Molecular Gastroenterology, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Ines B. Moura
- Healthcare Associated Infection Research Group, Molecular Gastroenterology, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Norie Arai
- R&D Division, Hayashibara Co. Ltd./NAGASE Group, Okayama, Japan
| | - William Spittal
- Healthcare Associated Infection Research Group, Molecular Gastroenterology, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Clark
- Healthcare Associated Infection Research Group, Molecular Gastroenterology, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | - Hannah C. Harris
- Healthcare Associated Infection Research Group, Molecular Gastroenterology, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Bentley
- Healthcare Associated Infection Research Group, Molecular Gastroenterology, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Georgina Davis
- Healthcare Associated Infection Research Group, Molecular Gastroenterology, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Dapeng Wang
- LeedsOmics, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Suparna Mitra
- Healthcare Associated Infection Research Group, Molecular Gastroenterology, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mark H. Wilcox
- Healthcare Associated Infection Research Group, Molecular Gastroenterology, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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29
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Metabolic Labeling of Clostridioides difficile Proteins. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 33950497 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1024-4_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
The introduction of stable isotopes in vivo via metabolic labeling approaches (SILAC or 15N-labeling) allows, after combination of differentially treated labeled and unlabeled cells or protein extracts, for correction of protein quantification errors implemented during elaborated sample preparation workflows. The SILAC-based approach uses heavy arginine and lysine to incorporate the label into bacterial strains and cell lines, whereas 15N-metabolic labeling is achieved by cultivation in 15N-salt containing media. In case of Clostridioides difficile, the lack in arginine and lysine auxotrophy as well as the Stickland dominated metabolism makes metabolic labeling challenging. Here, a step-by-step guideline for the metabolic labeling of C. difficile is described, which combines cultivation in liquid 15N-substituted medium followed by cultivation steps on solid 15N-substituted medium. The described procedure results in a label incorporation rate higher than 97%. Cells prepared by the following method can be used as standard for relative quantification approaches of, e.g., the membrane or surface proteome of C. difficile.
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Brauer M, Lassek C, Hinze C, Hoyer J, Becher D, Jahn D, Sievers S, Riedel K. What's a Biofilm?-How the Choice of the Biofilm Model Impacts the Protein Inventory of Clostridioides difficile. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:682111. [PMID: 34177868 PMCID: PMC8225356 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.682111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The anaerobic pathogen Clostridioides difficile is perfectly equipped to survive and persist inside the mammalian intestine. When facing unfavorable conditions C. difficile is able to form highly resistant endospores. Likewise, biofilms are currently discussed as form of persistence. Here a comprehensive proteomics approach was applied to investigate the molecular processes of C. difficile strain 630Δerm underlying biofilm formation. The comparison of the proteome from two different forms of biofilm-like growth, namely aggregate biofilms and colonies on agar plates, revealed major differences in the formation of cell surface proteins, as well as enzymes of its energy and stress metabolism. For instance, while the obtained data suggest that aggregate biofilm cells express both flagella, type IV pili and enzymes required for biosynthesis of cell-surface polysaccharides, the S-layer protein SlpA and most cell wall proteins (CWPs) encoded adjacent to SlpA were detected in significantly lower amounts in aggregate biofilm cells than in colony biofilms. Moreover, the obtained data suggested that aggregate biofilm cells are rather actively growing cells while colony biofilm cells most likely severely suffer from a lack of reductive equivalents what requires induction of the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and C. difficile’s V-type ATPase to maintain cell homeostasis. In agreement with this, aggregate biofilm cells, in contrast to colony biofilm cells, neither induced toxin nor spore production. Finally, the data revealed that the sigma factor SigL/RpoN and its dependent regulators are noticeably induced in aggregate biofilms suggesting an important role of SigL/RpoN in aggregate biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madita Brauer
- Department for Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Christian Lassek
- Department for Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Christian Hinze
- Department for Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Juliane Hoyer
- Department for Microbial Proteomics, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Dörte Becher
- Department for Microbial Proteomics, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Dieter Jahn
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Susanne Sievers
- Department for Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Katharina Riedel
- Department for Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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Revealing the Metabolic Alterations during Biofilm Development of Burkholderia cenocepacia Based on Genome-Scale Metabolic Modeling. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11040221. [PMID: 33916474 PMCID: PMC8067366 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11040221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia cenocepacia is among the important pathogens isolated from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. It has attracted considerable attention because of its capacity to evade host immune defenses during chronic infection. Advances in systems biology methodologies have led to the emergence of methods that integrate experimental transcriptomics data and genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs). Here, we integrated transcriptomics data of bacterial cells grown on exponential and biofilm conditions into a manually curated GEM of B. cenocepacia. We observed substantial differences in pathway response to different growth conditions and alternative pathway susceptibility to extracellular nutrient availability. For instance, we found that blockage of the reactions was vital through the lipid biosynthesis pathways in the exponential phase and the absence of microenvironmental lysine and tryptophan are essential for survival. During biofilm development, bacteria mostly had conserved lipid metabolism but altered pathway activities associated with several amino acids and pentose phosphate pathways. Furthermore, conversion of serine to pyruvate and 2,5-dioxopentanoate synthesis are also identified as potential targets for metabolic remodeling during biofilm development. Altogether, our integrative systems biology analysis revealed the interactions between the bacteria and its microenvironment and enabled the discovery of antimicrobial targets for biofilm-related diseases.
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Kulecka M, Waker E, Ambrozkiewicz F, Paziewska A, Skubisz K, Cybula P, Targoński Ł, Mikula M, Walewski J, Ostrowski J. Higher genome variability within metabolism genes associates with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. BMC Microbiol 2021; 21:36. [PMID: 33509087 PMCID: PMC7842062 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-021-02090-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a major source of healthcare-associated infection with a high risk of recurrence, attributable to many factors such as usage of antibiotics, older age and immunocompromised status of the patients. C. difficile has also a highly diverse genome, which may contribute to its high virulence. Herein we examined whether the genome conservation, measured as non-synonymous to synonymous mutations ratio (dN/dS) in core genes, presence of single genes, plasmids and prophages increased the risk of reinfection in a subset of 134 C. difficile isolates from our previous study in a singly hemato-oncology ward. METHODS C. difficile isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on Ion Torrent PGM sequencer. Genomes were assembled with MIRA5 and annotated with prokka and VRprofile. Logistic regression was used to asses the relationship between single gene presence and the odds of infection recurrence. DN/dS ratios were computed with codeml. Functional annotation was conducted with eggNOG-Mapper. RESULTS We have found that the presence of certain genes, associated with carbon metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation, increased the odds of infection recurrence. More core genes were under positive selective pressure in recurrent disease isolates - they were mostly associated with the metabolism of aminoacids. Finally, prophage elements were more prevalent in single infection isolates and plasmids did not influence the odds of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest higher genetic plasticity in isolates causing recurrent infection, associated mainly with metabolism. On the other hand, the presence of prophages seems to reduce the isolates' virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kulecka
- Department of Genetics, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Oncology, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Edyta Waker
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Filip Ambrozkiewicz
- Department of Genetics, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Paziewska
- Department of Genetics, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Oncology, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karolina Skubisz
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Oncology, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Patrycja Cybula
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Oncology, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Łukasz Targoński
- Department of Lymphoproliferative Diseases, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Mikula
- Department of Genetics, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jan Walewski
- Department of Lymphoproliferative Diseases, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy Ostrowski
- Department of Genetics, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland.
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Oncology, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland.
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Clostridioides difficile exploits toxin-mediated inflammation to alter the host nutritional landscape and exclude competitors from the gut microbiota. Nat Commun 2021; 12:462. [PMID: 33469019 PMCID: PMC7815924 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20746-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is a bacterial pathogen that causes a range of clinical disease from mild to moderate diarrhea, pseudomembranous colitis, and toxic megacolon. Typically, C. difficile infections (CDIs) occur after antibiotic treatment, which alters the gut microbiota, decreasing colonization resistance against C. difficile. Disease is mediated by two large toxins and the expression of their genes is induced upon nutrient depletion via the alternative sigma factor TcdR. Here, we use tcdR mutants in two strains of C. difficile and omics to investigate how toxin-induced inflammation alters C. difficile metabolism, tissue gene expression and the gut microbiota, and to determine how inflammation by the host may be beneficial to C. difficile. We show that C. difficile metabolism is significantly different in the face of inflammation, with changes in many carbohydrate and amino acid uptake and utilization pathways. Host gene expression signatures suggest that degradation of collagen and other components of the extracellular matrix by matrix metalloproteinases is a major source of peptides and amino acids that supports C. difficile growth in vivo. Lastly, the inflammation induced by C. difficile toxin activity alters the gut microbiota, excluding members from the genus Bacteroides that are able to utilize the same essential nutrients released from collagen degradation. The effects of antibiotics on the gut microbiota can lead to enhanced colonization of Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) and toxin-mediated pathogenesis. Here, using defined toxin-mutant strains and a murine model, the authors provide insights into how toxin-induced inflammation alters C. difficile metabolism, host tissue gene expression and gut microbiota, together influencing a beneficial niche for infection.
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Hofmann JD, Biedendieck R, Michel AM, Schomburg D, Jahn D, Neumann-Schaal M. Influence of L-lactate and low glucose concentrations on the metabolism and the toxin formation of Clostridioides difficile. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0244988. [PMID: 33411772 PMCID: PMC7790285 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The virulence of Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile) is mainly caused by its two toxins A and B. Their formation is significantly regulated by metabolic processes. Here we investigated the influence of various sugars (glucose, fructose, mannose, trehalose), sugar derivatives (mannitol and xylitol) and L-lactate on toxin synthesis. Fructose, mannose, trehalose, mannitol and xylitol in the growth medium resulted in an up to 2.2-fold increase of secreted toxin. Low glucose concentration of 2 g/L increased the toxin concentration 1.4-fold compared to growth without glucose, while high glucose concentrations in the growth medium (5 and 10 g/L) led to up to 6.6-fold decrease in toxin formation. Transcriptomic and metabolic investigation of the low glucose effect pointed towards an inactive CcpA and Rex regulatory system. L-lactate (500 mg/L) significantly reduced extracellular toxin formation. Transcriptome analyses of the later process revealed the induction of the lactose utilization operon encoding lactate racemase (larA), electron confurcating lactate dehydrogenase (CDIF630erm_01321) and the corresponding electron transfer flavoprotein (etfAB). Metabolome analyses revealed L-lactate consumption and the formation of pyruvate. The involved electron confurcation process might be responsible for the also observed reduction of the NAD+/NADH ratio which in turn is apparently linked to reduced toxin release from the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Danielle Hofmann
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rebekka Biedendieck
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Annika-Marisa Michel
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Dietmar Schomburg
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Dieter Jahn
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig, Germany
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ—German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
- * E-mail:
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35
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Redefining the Clostridioides difficile σ B Regulon: σ B Activates Genes Involved in Detoxifying Radicals That Can Result from the Exposure to Antimicrobials and Hydrogen Peroxide. mSphere 2020; 5:5/5/e00728-20. [PMID: 32938698 PMCID: PMC7494833 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00728-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In many Gram-positive bacteria, the general stress response is regulated at the transcriptional level by the alternative sigma factor sigma B (σB). In C. difficile, σB has been implicated in protection against stressors such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antimicrobial compounds. Here, we used an anti-σB antibody to demonstrate time-limited overproduction of σB in C. difficile despite its toxicity at higher cellular concentrations. This toxicity eventually led to the loss of the plasmid used for anhydrotetracycline-induced σB gene expression. Inducible σB overproduction uncouples σB expression from its native regulatory network and allows for the refinement of the previously proposed σB regulon. At least 32% of the regulon was found to consist of genes involved in the response to reactive radicals. Direct gene activation by C. difficile σB was demonstrated through in vitro runoff transcription of specific target genes (cd0350, cd3614, cd3605, and cd2963). Finally, we demonstrated that different antimicrobials and hydrogen peroxide induce these genes in a manner dependent on this sigma factor, using a plate-based luciferase reporter assay. Together, our work suggests that lethal exposure to antimicrobials may result in the formation of toxic radicals that lead to σB-dependent gene activation.IMPORTANCE Sigma B is the alternative sigma factor governing stress response in many Gram-positive bacteria. In C. difficile, a sigB mutant shows pleiotropic transcriptional effects. Here, we determine genes that are likely direct targets of σB by evaluating the transcriptional effects of σB overproduction, provide biochemical evidence of direct transcriptional activation by σB, and show that σB-dependent genes can be activated by antimicrobials. Together, our data suggest that σB is a key player in dealing with toxic radicals.
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36
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Yang J, Yang H. Transcriptome Analysis of the Clostridioides difficile Response to Different Doses of Bifidobacterium breve. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1863. [PMID: 32849451 PMCID: PMC7411088 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Probiotics are widely used in the prevention of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). The precise dosage of probiotics is a challenge. In this study, Clostridioides difficile ATCC 9689 (CD) was exposed to different doses of Bifidobacterium breve (YH68). A transcriptomic analysis was performed on CD cells that were separately exposed to low or high doses of YH68 cell-free culture supernatant (CFCS; CDL; or CDH, respectively). The results showed that the inhibitory effect of YH68 (cell pellets or CFCS) on the growth and the damage to the cell membrane integrity of CD exhibited a dose-response relationship at the physiological level. At the transcriptional level, a large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were concentrated in amino acid, carbohydrate, energy metabolism and membrane transport in CDL and CDH cells, suggesting that both doses of YH68-CFCS triggered a significant change in activities in these metabolic pathways. Importantly, a significant stimulation or suppression was found in the pathogenic pathways (quorum sensing, signal transduction, flagellar assembly, biofilm formation, and drug resistance) of CDL and CDH cells, whereas there were some differences between the two doses. For example, the expression levels of genes related to quorum sensing and signal transduction in CDH cells were suppressed significantly, whereas genes encoding toxin production and sporulation factors were enhanced; in CDL cells, the expression levels of genes associated with flagellar assembly and biofilm formation were suppressed, whereas genes associated with drug resistance were upregulated significantly. These results indicated that the inhibitory effect of YH68-CFCS against CD, especially in pathogenic and metabolic aspects, did not demonstrate a dose-response relationship at the transcriptional level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingpeng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Rizzardi K, Åkerlund T, Norén T, Matussek A. Impact of ribotype on Clostridioides difficile diagnostics. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2020; 39:847-853. [PMID: 31884555 PMCID: PMC7182543 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-019-03772-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates the performance of diagnostic methods for detection of Clostridioides difficile infection in Sweden, including impact of PCR ribotype on diagnostic performance. Between 2011 and 2016, a total of 17,878 stool samples from 26 laboratories were tested by either well-type enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), membrane bound EIAs, cell cytotoxicity neutralization assay (CTA), or nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) and subsequently cultured for C. difficile. Roughly half of the samples (9454/17878) were subjected to diagnostic testing both on the fecal sample and on the 1323 isolated C. difficile strains. All C. difficile isolates were typed by PCR ribotyping, and the isolates were classified as toxigenic or non-toxigenic based on the empirical knowledge of the association between toxin-positivity and ribotype. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were highest for NAATs and membrane EIAs. Ribotype-specific sensitivity varied greatly between methods and ribotypes. All methods had 100% sensitivity against ribotype 027 and 013. For other types, the sensitivity ranged from 33 to 85% in fecal samples and from 78 to 100% on isolates. For the most prevalent ribotypes (014, 020, and 001), the sensitivity varied between 38 and 100% in the fecal samples, with the lowest sensitivity observed for well-type EIAs and CTA. The large variation in diagnostic sensitivity implies that type distribution significantly affects the outcome when evaluating diagnostic performance. Furthermore, performing comparative studies of diagnostic tests in settings with high prevalence of ribotype 027 will overestimate the general performance of diagnostic tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Rizzardi
- Department of Microbiology, Public Health Agency of Sweden, Solna, Sweden.
| | - Thomas Åkerlund
- Department of Microbiology, Public Health Agency of Sweden, Solna, Sweden
| | - Torbjörn Norén
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Andreas Matussek
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
- Karolinska University Laboratory, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jönköping, Jönköping County, Sweden
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38
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Kim SM, Park HG, Song WS, Jo SH, Yang YH, Kim YG. LC–MS/MS based observation of Clostridium difficile inhibition by Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. J IND ENG CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2020.01.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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39
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Sievers S, Metzendorf NG, Dittmann S, Troitzsch D, Gast V, Tröger SM, Wolff C, Zühlke D, Hirschfeld C, Schlüter R, Riedel K. Differential View on the Bile Acid Stress Response of Clostridioides difficile. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:258. [PMID: 30833939 PMCID: PMC6387971 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is an intestinal human pathogen that uses the opportunity of a depleted microbiota to cause an infection. It is known, that the composition of the intestinal bile acid cocktail has a great impact on the susceptibility toward a C. difficile infection. However, the specific response of growing C. difficile cells to diverse bile acids on the molecular level has not been described yet. In this study, we recorded proteome signatures of shock and long-term (LT) stress with the four main bile acids cholic acid (CA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), deoxycholic acid (DCA), and lithocholic acid (LCA). A general overlapping response to all tested bile acids could be determined particularly in shock experiments which appears plausible in the light of their common steroid structure. However, during LT stress several proteins showed an altered abundance in the presence of only a single or a few of the bile acids indicating the existence of specific adaptation mechanisms. Our results point at a differential induction of the groEL and dnaKJgrpE chaperone systems, both belonging to the class I heat shock genes. Additionally, central metabolic pathways involving butyrate fermentation and the reductive Stickland fermentation of leucine were effected, although CA caused a proteome signature different from the other three bile acids. Furthermore, quantitative proteomics revealed a loss of flagellar proteins in LT stress with LCA. The absence of flagella could be substantiated by electron microscopy which also indicated less flagellated cells in the presence of DCA and CDCA and no influence on flagella formation by CA. Our data break down the bile acid stress response of C. difficile into a general and a specific adaptation. The latter cannot simply be divided into a response to primary and secondary bile acids, but rather reflects a complex and variable adaptation process enabling C. difficile to survive and to cause an infection in the intestinal tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Sievers
- Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Nicole G Metzendorf
- Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Silvia Dittmann
- Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Daniel Troitzsch
- Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Viola Gast
- Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Sophie Marlen Tröger
- Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Christian Wolff
- Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Daniela Zühlke
- Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Claudia Hirschfeld
- Department of Microbial Proteomics, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Rabea Schlüter
- Imaging Center of the Department of Biology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Katharina Riedel
- Institute of Microbiology, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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40
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Neumann-Schaal M, Jahn D, Schmidt-Hohagen K. Metabolism the Difficile Way: The Key to the Success of the Pathogen Clostridioides difficile. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:219. [PMID: 30828322 PMCID: PMC6384274 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Strains of Clostridioides difficile cause detrimental diarrheas with thousands of deaths worldwide. The infection process by the Gram-positive, strictly anaerobic gut bacterium is directly related to its unique metabolism, using multiple Stickland-type amino acid fermentation reactions coupled to Rnf complex-mediated sodium/proton gradient formation for ATP generation. Major pathways utilize phenylalanine, leucine, glycine and proline with the formation of 3-phenylproprionate, isocaproate, butyrate, 5-methylcaproate, valerate and 5-aminovalerate. In parallel a versatile sugar catabolism including pyruvate formate-lyase as a central enzyme and an incomplete tricarboxylic acid cycle to prevent unnecessary NADH formation completes the picture. However, a complex gene regulatory network that carefully mediates the continuous adaptation of this metabolism to changing environmental conditions is only partially elucidated. It involves the pleiotropic regulators CodY and SigH, the known carbon metabolism regulator CcpA, the proline regulator PrdR, the iron regulator Fur, the small regulatory RNA CsrA and potentially the NADH-responsive regulator Rex. Here, we describe the current knowledge of the metabolic principles of energy generation by C. difficile and the underlying gene regulatory scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ, German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig University of Technology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Dieter Jahn
- Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig University of Technology, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Braunschweig University of Technology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kerstin Schmidt-Hohagen
- Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Braunschweig University of Technology, Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Braunschweig University of Technology, Braunschweig, Germany
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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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42
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Bernal I, Hofmann JD, Bulitta B, Klawonn F, Michel AM, Jahn D, Neumann-Schaal M, Bruder D, Jänsch L. Clostridioides difficile Activates Human Mucosal-Associated Invariant T Cells. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2532. [PMID: 30410474 PMCID: PMC6209678 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) causes severe inflammatory responses at the intestinal mucosa but the immunological mechanisms underlying CDI-related immunopathology are still incompletely characterized. Here we identified for the first time that both, non-toxigenic strains as well as the hypervirulent ribotypes RT027 and RT023 of Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile), induced an effector phenotype in mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. MAIT cells can directly respond to bacterial infections by recognizing MR1-presented metabolites derived from the riboflavin synthesis pathway constituting a novel class of antigens. We confirmed functional riboflavin synthesis of C. difficile and found fixed bacteria capable of activating primary human MAIT cells in a dose-dependent manner. C. difficile-activated MAIT cells showed an increased and MR1-dependent expression of CD69, proinflammatory IFNγ, and the lytic granule components granzyme B and perforin. Effector protein expression was accompanied by the release of lytic granules, which, in contrast to other effector functions, was mainly induced by IL-12 and IL-18. Notably, this study revealed hypervirulent C. difficile strains to be most competent in provoking MAIT cell responses suggesting MAIT cell activation to be instrumental for the immunopathology observed in C. difficile-associated colitis. In conclusion, we provide first evidence for a link between C. difficile metabolism and innate T cell-mediated immunity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Bernal
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Infection Immunology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Structure and Function of Proteins, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,ESF Graduate School ABINEP, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Julia Danielle Hofmann
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Frank Klawonn
- Structure and Function of Proteins, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Computer Science, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, Wolfenbüttel, Germany
| | - Annika-Marisa Michel
- Department of Microbiology, Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Dieter Jahn
- Department of Microbiology, Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Dunja Bruder
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Infection Immunology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lothar Jänsch
- Structure and Function of Proteins, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
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