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Odo CM, Vega LA, Mukherjee P, DebRoy S, Flores AR, Shelburne SA. Emergent emm4 group A Streptococcus evidences a survival strategy during interaction with immune effector cells. Infect Immun 2024; 92:e0015224. [PMID: 38888310 PMCID: PMC11238559 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00152-24] [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: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The major gram-positive pathogen group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a model organism for studying microbial epidemics as it causes waves of infections. Since 1980, several GAS epidemics have been ascribed to the emergence of clones producing increased amounts of key virulence factors such as streptolysin O (SLO). Herein, we sought to identify mechanisms underlying our recently identified temporal clonal emergence among emm4 GAS, given that emergent strains did not produce augmented levels of virulence factors relative to historic isolates. By creating and analyzing isoallelic strains, we determined that a conserved mutation in a previously undescribed gene encoding a putative carbonic anhydrase was responsible for the defective in vitro growth observed in the emergent strains. We also identified that the emergent strains survived better inside macrophages and killed macrophages at lower rates than the historic strains. Via the creation of isogenic mutant strains, we linked the emergent strain "survival" phenotype to the downregulation of the SLO encoding gene and upregulation of the msrAB operon which encodes proteins involved in defense against extracellular oxidative stress. Our findings are in accord with recent surveillance studies which found a high ratio of mucosal (i.e., pharyngeal) relative to invasive infections among emm4 GAS. Since ever-increasing virulence is unlikely to be evolutionarily advantageous for a microbial pathogen, our data further understanding of the well-described oscillating patterns of virulent GAS infections by demonstrating mechanisms by which emergent strains adapt a "survival" strategy to outcompete previously circulating isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chioma M. Odo
- Microbiology and Infectious Disease, MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Luis A. Vega
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Piyali Mukherjee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Sruti DebRoy
- Department of Infectious Disease, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Anthony R. Flores
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Genomics, University of Texas Health Sciences Center Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Samuel A. Shelburne
- Department of Infectious Disease, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Genomic Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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Odo CM, Vega LA, Mukherjee P, DebRoy S, Flores AR, Shelburne SA. Emergent emm4 group A Streptococcus evidences a survival strategy during interaction with immune effector cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.09.588776. [PMID: 38645060 PMCID: PMC11030381 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.09.588776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The major gram-positive pathogen group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a model organism for studying microbial epidemics as it causes waves of infections. Since 1980, several GAS epidemics have been ascribed to the emergence of clones producing increased amounts of key virulence factors such as streptolysin O (SLO). Herein, we sought to identify mechanisms underlying our recently identified temporal clonal emergence amongst emm4 GAS, given that emergent strains did not produce augmented levels of virulence factors relative to historic isolates. Through the creation and analysis of isoallelic strains, we determined that a conserved mutation in a previously undescribed gene encoding a putative carbonic anhydrase was responsible for the defective in vitro growth observed in the emergent strains. We also identified that the emergent strains survived better inside macrophages and killed macrophages at lower rates relative to the historic strains. Via creation of isogenic mutant strains, we linked the emergent strain "survival" phenotype to the downregulation of the SLO encoding gene and upregulation of the msrAB operon which encodes proteins involved in defense against extracellular oxidative stress. Our findings are in accord with recent surveillance studies which found high ratio of mucosal (i.e., pharyngeal) relative to invasive infections amongst emm4 GAS. Inasmuch as ever-increasing virulence is unlikely to be evolutionary advantageous for a microbial pathogen, our data furthers understanding of the well described oscillating patterns of virulent GAS infections by demonstrating mechanisms by which emergent strains adapt a "survival" strategy to outcompete previously circulating isolates.
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Manigat F, Connell LB, Stewart BN, LePabic AR, Tessier CJG, Emlaw JR, Calvert ND, Rössl A, Shuhendler AJ, daCosta CJB, Campbell-Valois FX. pUdOs: Concise Plasmids for Bacterial and Mammalian Cells. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:485-497. [PMID: 38235654 PMCID: PMC10878396 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00408] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The plasmids from the Université d'Ottawa (pUdOs) are 28 small plasmids each comprising one of four origins of replication and one of seven selection markers, which together afford flexible use in Escherichia coli and several related gram-negative bacteria. The promoterless multicloning site is insulated from upstream spurious promoters by strong transcription terminators and contains type IIP or IIS restriction sites for conventional or Golden Gate cloning. pUdOs can be converted into efficient expression vectors through the insertion of a promoter at the user's discretion. For example, we demonstrate the utility of pUdOs as the backbone for an improved version of a Type III Secretion System reporter in Shigella. In addition, we derive a series of pUdO-based mammalian expression vectors, affording distinct levels of expression and transfection efficiency comparable to commonly used mammalian expression plasmids. Thus, pUdOs could advantageously replace traditional plasmids in a wide variety of cell types and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- France
O. Manigat
- Center
for Chemical and Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular
Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- bioGARAGE,
Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Louise B. Connell
- Center
for Chemical and Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular
Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- bioGARAGE,
Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Brittany N. Stewart
- Center
for Chemical and Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular
Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- bioGARAGE,
Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Abdel-Rahman LePabic
- Center
for Chemical and Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular
Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- bioGARAGE,
Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Christian J. G. Tessier
- Center
for Chemical and Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular
Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- bioGARAGE,
Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Johnathon R. Emlaw
- Center
for Chemical and Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular
Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- bioGARAGE,
Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Nicholas D. Calvert
- Center
for Chemical and Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular
Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- bioGARAGE,
Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Anthony Rössl
- Center
for Chemical and Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular
Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- bioGARAGE,
Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Adam J. Shuhendler
- Center
for Chemical and Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular
Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- bioGARAGE,
Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- University
of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4W7, Canada
| | - Corrie J. B. daCosta
- Center
for Chemical and Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular
Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- bioGARAGE,
Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - François-Xavier Campbell-Valois
- Center
for Chemical and Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular
Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- bioGARAGE,
Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
- Centre
for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Department of Biochemistry,
Microbiology and Immunology, University
of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
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