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Farman MR, Petráčková D, Kumar D, Držmíšek J, Saha A, Čurnová I, Čapek J, Hejnarová V, Amman F, Hofacker I, Večerek B. Avirulent phenotype promotes Bordetella pertussis adaptation to the intramacrophage environment. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:e2146536. [PMID: 36357372 PMCID: PMC9858536 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2146536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, is an extracellular, strictly human pathogen. However, it has been shown that B. pertussis cells can escape phagocytic killing and survive in macrophages upon internalization. Our time-resolved RNA-seq data suggest that B. pertussis efficiently adapts to the intramacrophage environment and responds to host bactericidal activities. We show that this adaptive response is multifaceted and, surprisingly, related to the BvgAS two-component system, a master regulator of virulence. Our results show that the expression of this regulatory circuit is downregulated upon internalization. Moreover, we demonstrate that the switch to the avirulent Bvg- phase augments a very complex process based on the adjustment of central and energy metabolism, cell wall reinforcement, maintenance of appropriate redox and metal homeostasis, and repair of damaged macromolecules. Nevertheless, not all observed effects could be simply attributed to the transition to Bvg- phase, suggesting that additional regulators are involved in the adaptation to the intramacrophage environment. Interestingly, a large number of genes required for the metabolism of sulphur were strongly modulated within macrophages. In particular, the mutant lacking two genes encoding cysteine dioxygenases displayed strongly attenuated cytotoxicity toward THP-1 cells. Collectively, our results suggest that intracellular B. pertussis cells have adopted the Bvg- mode to acclimate to the intramacrophage environment and respond to antimicrobial activities elicited by THP-1 cells. Therefore, we hypothesize that the avirulent phase represents an authentic phenotype of internalized B. pertussis cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam R. Farman
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Denisa Petráčková
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dilip Kumar
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Držmíšek
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Argha Saha
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ivana Čurnová
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Čapek
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Václava Hejnarová
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Fabian Amman
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ivo Hofacker
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Branislav Večerek
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology, Prague, Czech Republic, Branislav Večerek Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology, 14220Prague, Czech Republic
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Belcher T, Dubois V, Rivera-Millot A, Locht C, Jacob-Dubuisson F. Pathogenicity and virulence of Bordetella pertussis and its adaptation to its strictly human host. Virulence 2021; 12:2608-2632. [PMID: 34590541 PMCID: PMC8489951 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1980987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The highly contagious whooping cough agent Bordetella pertussis has evolved as a human-restricted pathogen from a progenitor which also gave rise to Bordetella parapertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica. While the latter colonizes a broad range of mammals and is able to survive in the environment, B. pertussis has lost its ability to survive outside its host through massive genome decay. Instead, it has become a highly successful human pathogen by the acquisition of tightly regulated virulence factors and evolutionary adaptation of its metabolism to its particular niche. By the deployment of an arsenal of highly sophisticated virulence factors it overcomes many of the innate immune defenses. It also interferes with vaccine-induced adaptive immunity by various mechanisms. Here, we review data from invitro, human and animal models to illustrate the mechanisms of adaptation to the human respiratory tract and provide evidence of ongoing evolutionary adaptation as a highly successful human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Belcher
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204 - CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Violaine Dubois
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204 - CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Alex Rivera-Millot
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204 - CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Camille Locht
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204 - CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Françoise Jacob-Dubuisson
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204 - CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
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