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Pierce ES, Jindal C, Choi YM, Cassidy K, Efird JT. Pathogenic mechanisms and etiologic aspects of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis as an infectious cause of cutaneous melanoma. MEDCOMM - ONCOLOGY 2024; 3:e72. [PMID: 38831791 PMCID: PMC11145504 DOI: 10.1002/mog2.72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Infectious etiologies have previously been proposed as causes of both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. This exploratory overview explains and presents the evidence for the hypothesis that a microorganism excreted in infected ruminant animal feces, Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), is the cause of some cases of cutaneous melanoma (CM). Occupational, residential, and recreational contact with MAP-contaminated feces, soil, sand, and natural bodies of water may confer a higher rate of CM. Included in our hypothesis are possible reasons for the differing rates and locations of CM in persons with white versus nonwhite skin, why CM develops underneath nails and in vulvar skin, why canine melanoma is an excellent model for human melanoma, and why the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has demonstrated efficacy in the prevention and treatment of CM. The pathogenic mechanisms and etiologic aspects of MAP, as a transmittable agent underlying CM risk, are carefully deliberated in this paper. Imbalances in gut and skin bacteria, genetic risk factors, and vaccine prevention/therapy are also discussed, while acknowledging that the evidence for a causal association between MAP exposure and CM remains circumstantial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen S. Pierce
- Independent Physician Researcher, Spokane Valley, Washington, USA
| | - Charulata Jindal
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yuk Ming Choi
- Provider Services, Signify Health, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Kaitlin Cassidy
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Cooperative Studies Program Coordinating Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jimmy T. Efird
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Cooperative Studies Program Coordinating Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Sodani M, Misra CS, Nigam G, Fatima Z, Kulkarni S, Rath D. MSMEG_0311 is a conserved essential polar protein involved in mycobacterium cell wall metabolism. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 260:129583. [PMID: 38242409 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129583] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Cell wall synthesis and cell division are two closely linked pathways in a bacterial cell which distinctly influence the growth and survival of a bacterium. This requires an appreciable coordination between the two processes, more so, in case of mycobacteria with an intricate multi-layered cell wall structure. In this study, we investigated a conserved gene cluster using CRISPR-Cas12 based gene silencing technology to show that knockdown of most of the genes in this cluster leads to growth defects. Investigating conserved genes is important as they likely perform vital cellular functions and the functional insights on such genes can be extended to other mycobacterial species. We characterised one of the genes in the locus, MSMEG_0311. The repression of this gene not only imparts severe growth defect but also changes colony morphology. We demonstrate that the protein preferentially localises to the polar region and investigate its influence on the polar growth of the bacillus. A combination of permeability and drug susceptibility assay strongly suggests a cell wall associated function of this gene which is also corroborated by transcriptomic analysis of the knockdown where a number of cell wall associated genes, particularly iniA and sigF regulon get altered. Considering the gene is highly conserved across mycobacterial species and appears to be essential for growth, it may serve as a potential drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Sodani
- Radiation Medicine Centre, Medical Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, Maharashtra, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, Maharashtra, India
| | - Chitra S Misra
- Applied Genomics Section, Bio-Science Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, Maharashtra, India
| | - Gaurav Nigam
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram, India
| | - Zeeshan Fatima
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram, India; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Savita Kulkarni
- Radiation Medicine Centre, Medical Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, Maharashtra, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, Maharashtra, India.
| | - Devashish Rath
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, Maharashtra, India; Applied Genomics Section, Bio-Science Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, Maharashtra, India.
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Feldman C, Theron AJ, Cholo MC, Anderson R. Cigarette Smoking as a Risk Factor for Tuberculosis in Adults: Epidemiology and Aspects of Disease Pathogenesis. Pathogens 2024; 13:151. [PMID: 38392889 PMCID: PMC10892798 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020151] [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: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
It has been noted by the World Health Organisation that cases of tuberculosis in 2022 globally numbered 10.6 million, resulting in 1.3 million deaths, such that TB is one of the infectious diseases causing the greatest morbidity and mortality worldwide. Since as early as 1918, there has been an ongoing debate as to the relationship between cigarette smoking and TB. However, numerous epidemiological studies, as well as meta-analyses, have indicated that both active and passive smoking are independent risk factors for TB infection, development of reactivation TB, progression of primary TB, increased severity of cavitary disease, and death from TB, among several other considerations. With this considerable body of evidence confirming the association between smoking and TB, it is not surprising that TB control programmes represent a key potential preventative intervention. In addition to coverage of the epidemiology of TB and its compelling causative link with smoking, the current review is also focused on evidence derived from clinical- and laboratory-based studies of disease pathogenesis, most prominently the protective anti-mycobacterial mechanisms of the alveolar macrophage, the primary intracellular refuge of M. tuberculosis. This section of the review is followed by an overview of the major strategies utilised by the pathogen to subvert these antimicrobial mechanisms in the airway, which are intensified by the suppressive effects of smoke inhalation on alveolar macrophage function. Finally, consideration is given to a somewhat under-explored, pro-infective activity of cigarette smoking, namely augmentation of antibiotic resistance due to direct effects of smoke per se on the pathogen. These include biofilm formation, induction of cellular efflux pumps, which eliminate both smoke-derived toxicants and antibiotics, as well as gene modifications that underpin antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Feldman
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa;
| | - Annette J. Theron
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Bophelo Road, Prinshof, Pretoria 0083, South Africa; (A.J.T.); (M.C.C.)
| | - Moloko C. Cholo
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Bophelo Road, Prinshof, Pretoria 0083, South Africa; (A.J.T.); (M.C.C.)
| | - Ronald Anderson
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Bophelo Road, Prinshof, Pretoria 0083, South Africa; (A.J.T.); (M.C.C.)
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Rani A, Alam A, Ahmad F, P. M, Saurabh A, Zarin S, Mitra DK, Hasnain SE, Ehtesham NZ. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Methyltransferase Rv1515c Can Suppress Host Defense Mechanisms by Modulating Immune Functions Utilizing a Multipronged Mechanism. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:906387. [PMID: 35813825 PMCID: PMC9263924 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.906387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) gene Rv1515c encodes a conserved hypothetical protein exclusively present within organisms of MTB complex and absent in non-pathogenic mycobacteria. In silico analysis revealed that Rv1515c contain S-adenosylmethionine binding site and methyltransferase domain. The DNA binding and DNA methyltransferase activity of Rv1515c was confirmed in vitro. Knock-in of Rv1515c in a model mycobacteria M. smegmatis (M. s_Rv1515c) resulted in remarkable physiological and morphological changes and conferred the recombinant strain with an ability to adapt to various stress conditions, including resistance to TB drugs. M. s_Rv1515c was phagocytosed at a greater rate and displayed extended intra-macrophage survival in vitro. Recombinant M. s_Rv1515c contributed to enhanced virulence by suppressing the host defense mechanisms including RNS and ROS production, and apoptotic clearance. M. s_Rv1515c, while suppressing the phagolysosomal maturation, modulated pro-inflammatory cytokine production and also inhibited antigen presentation by downregulating the expression of MHC-I/MHC-II and co-stimulatory signals CD80 and CD86. Mice infected with M. s_Rv1515c produced more Treg cells than vector control (M. s_Vc) and exhibited reduced effector T cell responses, along-with reduced expression of macrophage activation markers in the chronic phase of infection. M. s_Rv1515c was able to survive in the major organs of mice up to 7 weeks post-infection. These results indicate a crucial role of Rv1515c in M. tb pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshu Rani
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D), New Delhi, India
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Anwar Alam
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Faraz Ahmad
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Manjunath P.
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Abhinav Saurabh
- Department of Transplant Immunology and Immunogenetics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Sheeba Zarin
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Dipendra Kumar Mitra
- Department of Transplant Immunology and Immunogenetics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Seyed E. Hasnain
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D), New Delhi, India
- Department of Life Science, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida, India
- *Correspondence: Seyed E. Hasnain, , , , Nasreen Z. Ehtesham, ,
| | - Nasreen Z. Ehtesham
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
- *Correspondence: Seyed E. Hasnain, , , , Nasreen Z. Ehtesham, ,
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Li X, He J, Wang G, Sun J. Diagnostic value of microRNA-155 in active tuberculosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2021; 100:e27869. [PMID: 34797326 PMCID: PMC8601318 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000027869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) is a preventable and treatable disease, but the increased mortality and morbidity associated with TB continues to be a leading cause of death globally. MicroRNA (miRNA)-155 has been recognized as a marker of many lung diseases. However, the effectiveness of this marker for diagnosing TB remains unclear. METHODS A detailed search (updated on February 6, 2021) of literature published in the Wanfang database, EMBASE, PubMed, CNKI, and Cochrane Library was conducted to identify eligible studies suitable for inclusion in the current research. The positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, specificity, area under the curve, sensitivity, and diagnostic odds ratio were used to investigate the diagnostic potential of miRNA-155. RESULTS A total of 122 studies related to active TB, which completely complied with the inclusion and exclusion criteria of our meta-analysis, were included. The overall results suggested a moderately high diagnostic accuracy and efficacy of miRNA-155, with a specificity of 0.85 (95% confidence interval = 0.77-0.91) and sensitivity of 0.87 (95% confidence interval = 0.76-0.93). The result based on dysregulated status demonstrated that the upregulated group yielded better accuracy and efficacy than the downregulated group. Notably, the accuracy and efficacy of miRNA-155 in pediatric TB were higher than those in adult TB. The results showed that the accuracy and efficacy of miRNA-155 in children were higher than those in adults. CONCLUSION The results of the meta-analysis suggested that miRNA-155 could serve as an effective biomarker for identifying active TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Clinical Medical College and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Jie He
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Clinical Medical College and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Guodong Wang
- Department of Pathology, Mouping District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yantai, Shandong, PR China
| | - Jian Sun
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Clinical Medical College and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
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Willemse D, Moodley C, Mehra S, Kaushal D. Transcriptional Response of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to Cigarette Smoke Condensate. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:744800. [PMID: 34721344 PMCID: PMC8554204 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.744800] [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: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Smoking is known to be an added risk factor for tuberculosis (TB), with nearly a quarter of the TB cases attributed to cigarette smokers in the 22 countries with the highest TB burden. Many studies have indicated a link between risk of active TB and cigarette smoke. Smoking is also known to significantly decrease TB cure and treatment completion rate and increase mortality rates. Cigarette smoke contains thousands of volatile compounds including carcinogens, toxins, reactive solids, and oxidants in both particulate and gaseous phase. Yet, to date, limited studies have analyzed the impact of cigarette smoke components on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of TB. Here we report the impact of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) on survival, mutation frequency, and gene expression of Mtb in vitro. We show that exposure of virulent Mtb to cigarette smoke increases the mutation frequency of the pathogen and strongly induces the expression of the regulon controlled by SigH—a global transcriptional regulator of oxidative stress. SigH has previously been shown to be required for Mtb to respond to oxidative stress, survival, and granuloma formation in vivo. A high-SigH expression phenotype is known to be associated with greater virulence of Mtb. In patients with pulmonary TB who smoke, these changes may therefore play an important, yet unexplored, role in the treatment efficacy by potentially enhancing the virulence of tubercle bacilli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danicke Willemse
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Chivonne Moodley
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States.,Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, LA, United States
| | - Smriti Mehra
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States.,Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, LA, United States
| | - Deepak Kaushal
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
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