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Campbell JS, Pearce JC, Bebes A, Pradhan A, Yuecel R, Brown AJP, Wakefield JG. Characterising phagocytes and measuring phagocytosis from live Galleria mellonella larvae. Virulence 2024; 15:2313413. [PMID: 38357909 PMCID: PMC10877982 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2313413] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the last 20 years, the larva of the greater waxmoth, Galleria mellonella, has rapidly increased in popularity as an in vivo mammalian replacement model organism for the study of human pathogens. Experimental readouts of response to infection are most often limited to observing the melanization cascade and quantifying larval death and, whilst transcriptomic and proteomic approaches, and methods to determine microbial load are also used, a more comprehensive toolkit of profiling infection over time could transform the applicability of this model. As an invertebrate, Galleria harbour an innate immune system comprised of both humoral components and a repertoire of innate immune cells - termed haemocytes. Although information on subtypes of haemocytes exists, there are conflicting reports on their exact number and function. Flow cytometry has previously been used to assay Galleria haemocytes, but protocols include both centrifugation and fixation - physical methods which have the potential to affect haemocyte morphology prior to analysis. Here, we present a method for live haemocyte analysis by flow cytometry, revealing that Galleria haemocytes constitute only a single resolvable population, based on relative size or internal complexity. Using fluorescent zymosan particles, we extend our method to show that up to 80% of the Galleria haemocyte population display phagocytic capability. Finally, we demonstrate that the developed assay reliably replicates in vitro data, showing that cell wall β-1,3-glucan masking by Candida albicans subverts phagocytic responses. As such, our method provides a new tool with which to rapidly assess phagocytosis and understand live infection dynamics in Galleria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Attila Bebes
- Exeter Centre for Cytomics, Henry Wellcome Building for Biocatalysis, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Arnab Pradhan
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Raif Yuecel
- Exeter Centre for Cytomics, Henry Wellcome Building for Biocatalysis, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Alistair J P Brown
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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Vanhoffelen E, Vermoesen L, Michiels L, Lagrou K, Reséndiz-Sharpe A, Vande Velde G. Sensitive bioluminescence imaging of cryptococcosis in Galleria mellonella improves antifungal screening under in vivo conditions. Virulence 2024; 15:2327883. [PMID: 38465639 PMCID: PMC10939141 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2327883] [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: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is an environmental yeast that primarily affects immunocompromised individuals, causing respiratory infections and life-threatening meningoencephalitis. Treatment is complicated by limited antifungal options, with concerns such as adverse effects, dose-limiting toxicity, blood-brain barrier permeability, and resistance development, emphasizing the critical need to optimize and expand current treatment options against invasive cryptococcosis. Galleria mellonella larvae have been introduced as an ethical intermediate for in vivo testing, bridging the gap between in vitro antifungal screening and mouse studies. However, current infection readouts in G. mellonella are indirect, insensitive, or invasive, which hampers the full potential of the model. To address the absence of a reliable non-invasive method for tracking infection, we longitudinally quantified the cryptococcal burden in G. mellonella using bioluminescence imaging (BLI). After infection with firefly luciferase-expressing C. neoformans, the resulting bioluminescence signal was quantitatively validated using colony-forming unit analysis. Longitudinal comparison of BLI to health and survival analysis revealed increased sensitivity of BLI in discriminating cryptococcal burden during early infection. Furthermore, BLI improved the detection of treatment efficacy using first-line antifungals, thereby benchmarking this model for antifungal testing. In conclusion, we introduced BLI as a real-time, quantitative readout of cryptococcal burden in G. mellonella over time, enabling more sensitive and reliable antifungal screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliane Vanhoffelen
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI unit/MoSAIC, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lori Vermoesen
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI unit/MoSAIC, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lauren Michiels
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI unit/MoSAIC, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katrien Lagrou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Reference Center for Mycosis, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Greetje Vande Velde
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI unit/MoSAIC, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Banfi D, Bianchi T, Mastore M, Brivio MF. Optimization of Experimental Infection of the Animal Model Galleria mellonella Linnaeus 1758 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) with the Gram-Positive Bacterium Micrococcus luteus. INSECTS 2024; 15:618. [PMID: 39194822 DOI: 10.3390/insects15080618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2024] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this work was to develop an experimental protocol for the infection of Galleria mellonella with Gram-positive bacteria. Some physiological characteristics of these insects are comparable to those of vertebrates, therefore allowing the replacement of mammals in the preclinical phases of drug development. G. mellonella Linnaeus 1758 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is accepted as an alternative model for the study of infectious diseases. Since data on infection procedures with different bacterial strains are scarce and sometimes conflicting, also due to different and non-uniform protocols, we developed an experimental protocol that would allow for controlled and repeatable infections, using the Gram-positive bacterium GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) Micrococcus luteus. After analyzing the morphology and defining the growth rate of M. luteus, doses of between 101 and 106 CFU/larvae were administered to late-stage larvae. The survival rate of the larvae was monitored up to 7 days and the LD50 determined. The bacterial clearance capacity of the larvae after injection with 103 and 105 CFU/larvae was assessed by hemolymph bacterial load analysis. The results made it possible to define the growth curve of M. luteus correlated with the CFU count; based on the LD50 (103.8 CFU/larvae) calculated on the survival of G. mellonella, infections were carried out to evaluate the immune efficiency of the larvae in bacterial clearance. This protocol, standardized on G. mellonella larvae, could provide a functional tool to study the course of bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Banfi
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences (DiSTA), University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Tommaso Bianchi
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences (DiSTA), University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Maristella Mastore
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences (DiSTA), University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Maurizio Francesco Brivio
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences (DiSTA), University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
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Squitieri D, Massaro F, Graziano MM, Borocci S, Cacaci M, Di Vito M, Porcelli F, Rosato R, Ceccacci F, Sanguinetti M, Buonocore F, Bugli F. Trematocine-derived antimicrobial peptides from the Antarctic fish Trematomus bernacchaii: potent antibacterial agents against ESKAPE pathogens. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1447301. [PMID: 39171261 PMCID: PMC11335685 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1447301] [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: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study investigated the interaction with membrane mimetic systems (LUVs), bacterial membranes, the CD spectra, and the bactericidal activity of two designed trematocine mutants, named Trem-HK and Trem-HSK. Mutants were constructed from the scaffold of Trematocine (Trem), a natural 22-amino acid AMP from the Antarctic fish Trematomus bernacchii, aiming to increase their positive charge. Methods The selectivity of the designed AMPs towards bacterial membranes was improved compared to Trematocine, verified by their interaction with different LUVs and their membranolytic activity. Additionally, their α-helical conformation was not influenced by the amino acid substitutions. Our findings revealed a significant enhancement in antibacterial efficacy against ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacteriaceae family) pathogens for both Trem-HK and Trem-HSK. Results Firstly, we showed that the selectivity of the two new designed AMPs towards bacterial membranes was greatly improved compared to Trematocine, verifying their interaction with different LUVs and their membranolytic activity. We determined that their α-helical conformation was not influenced by the amino acid substitutions. We characterized the tested bacterial collection for resistance traits to different classes of antibiotics. The minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentration (MIC and MBC) values of the ESKAPE collection were reduced by up to 80% compared to Trematocine. The bactericidal concentrations of Trematocine mutants showed important membranolytic action, evident by scanning electron microscopy, on all tested species. We further evaluated the cytotoxicity and hemolytic activity of the mutants. At 2.5 μM concentration, both mutants demonstrated low cytotoxicity and hemolysis, indicating selectivity towards bacterial cells. However, these effects increased at higher concentrations. Discussion Assessment of in vivo toxicity using the Galleria mellonella model revealed no adverse effects in larvae treated with both mutants, even at concentrations up to 20 times higher than the lowest MIC observed for Acinetobacter baumannii, suggesting a high potential safety profile for the mutants. This study highlights the significant improvement in antibacterial efficacy achieved by increasing the positive charge of Trem-HK and Trem-HSK. This improvement was reached at the cost of reduced biocompatibility. Further research is necessary to optimize the balance between efficacy and safety for these promising AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Squitieri
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensive and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Massaro
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Monica Mollica Graziano
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Stefano Borocci
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
- Institute for Biological Systems of Italian National Research Council (ISB-CNR), Secondary Office of Rome-Reaction Mechanisms c/o Department of Chemistry, La Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Margherita Cacaci
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensive and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
- Department of Laboratory Sciences and Infectious Diseases, A. Gemelli University Hospital Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Maura Di Vito
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensive and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Fernando Porcelli
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosato
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensive and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Ceccacci
- Institute for Biological Systems of Italian National Research Council (ISB-CNR), Secondary Office of Rome-Reaction Mechanisms c/o Department of Chemistry, La Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Sanguinetti
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensive and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
- Department of Laboratory Sciences and Infectious Diseases, A. Gemelli University Hospital Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Buonocore
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Francesca Bugli
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensive and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
- Department of Laboratory Sciences and Infectious Diseases, A. Gemelli University Hospital Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Vasconcelos PGS, Lee KM, Abuna GF, Costa EMMB, Murata RM. Monoterpene antifungal activities: evaluating geraniol, citronellal, and linalool on Candida biofilm, host inflammatory responses, and structure-activity relationships. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1394053. [PMID: 39101130 PMCID: PMC11294919 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1394053] [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: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Despite the rising concern with fungal resistance, a myriad of molecules has yet to be explored. Geraniol, linalool, and citronellal are monoterpenes with the same molecular formula (C10H18O), however, neither the effect of these compounds on inflammatory axis induced by Candida spp. nor the antibiofilm Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) have been well-investigated. Herein we analyzed geraniol, linalool and citronellal antifungal activity, cytotoxicity, and distinctive antibiofilm SAR, also the influence of geraniol on Candida spp induced dysregulated inflammatory axis, and in vivo toxicity. Methods: Minimal inhibitory (MIC) and fungicidal (MFC) concentrations against Candida spp were defined, followed by antibiofilm activity (CFU-colony forming unit/mL/g of dry weight). Cytotoxic activity was assessed using human monocytes (THP-1) and oral squamous cell (TR146). Geraniol was selected for further analysis based on antifungal, antibiofilm and cytotoxic results. Geraniol was tested using a dual-chamber co-culture model with TR146 cells infected with C. albicans, and THP-1 cells, used to mimic oral epithelium upon fungal infection. Expression of Candida enzymes (phospholipase-PLB and aspartyl proteases-SAP) and host inflammatory cytokines (interleukins: IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, IL-18, IL-10, and Tumor necrosis factor-TNF) were analyzed. Lastly, geraniol in vivo toxicity was assessed using Galleria mellonella. Results: MIC values obtained were 1.25-5 mM/mL for geraniol, 25-100 mM/mL for linalool, and 100-200 mM/mL for citronellal. Geraniol 5 and 50 mM/mL reduced yeast viability during biofilm analysis, only 500 mM/mL of linalool was effective against a 72 h biofilm and no biofilm activity was seen for citronellal. LD50 for TR146 and THP-1 were, respectively: geraniol 5.883 and 8.027 mM/mL; linalool 1.432 and 1.709 mM/mL; and citronellal 0.3006 and 0.1825 mM/mL. Geraniol was able to downregulate expression of fungal enzymes and host pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-18. Finally, safety in vivo parameters were observed up to 20 mM/Kg. Discussion: Despite chemical similarities, geraniol presented better antifungal, antibiofilm activity, and lower cytotoxicity when compared to the other monoterpenes. It also showed low in vivo toxicity and capacity to downregulate the expression of fungal enzymes and host pro-inflammatory cytokines. Thus, it can be highlighted as a viable option for oral candidiasis treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyu Min Lee
- Department of Foundational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Gabriel Flores Abuna
- Department of Foundational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Edja Maria Melo Brito Costa
- Department of Dentistry, Postgraduate Program in Dentistry, State University of Paraiba, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Ramiro Mendonça Murata
- Department of Foundational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
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Lee CM, Choi Y, Choi SJ, Moon SM, Kim ES, Kim HB, Ham SY, Park JS, Yeom J, Song KH. The Microbiological Characteristics of Acinetobacter Baumannii Associated With Early Mortality in Patients With Bloodstream Infection. Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofae348. [PMID: 39006316 PMCID: PMC11245698 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Despite rapid deaths resulting from Acinetobacter baumannii bacteremia, the clinical impact of the microbiological characteristics of A baumannii strains on early mortality (EM) is unclear. We aimed to identify the microbiological characteristics of A baumannii strains associated with EM. Methods Clinical information and isolates from patients with A baumannii bacteremia from January 2015 to December 2021 were collected. EM was defined as death within 3 days of the initial positive blood culture, whereas late mortality meant death within 5-30 days. The microbiological characteristics of A baumannii were analyzed using multilocus sequence typing, polymerase chain reactions, and a Galleria mellonella in vivo infection model. Results Among 130 patients, 69 (53.1%) died within 30 days and EM occurred in 38 (55.1% of 30-day deaths). Sequence type 191 (ST191) strain was more prevalent in patients with EM than in 30-day survivors (31.6% vs 6.6%). Regarding virulence genes, bfmS was more frequent (92.1% vs 47.5%), whereas bauA was less frequent (13.2% vs 52.5%) in patients with EM than in 30-day survivors. Higher clinical severity, pneumonia, and ST191 infection were identified as independent risk factors for EM. In the G mellonella infection model, ST191, bfmS+, and bauA- isolates showed higher virulence than non-ST191, bfmS-, and bauA+ isolates, respectively. Conclusions ST191 and bfmS were more frequently found in the EM group. ST191 infection was also an independent risk factor for EM and highly virulent in the in vivo model. Tailored infection control measures based on these characteristics are necessary for A baumannii bacteremia management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Mi Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yunsang Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Jin Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Song Mi Moon
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Eu Suk Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong Bin Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Sin Young Ham
- Department of Internal Medicine, Veterans Health Service Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Su Park
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinki Yeom
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung-Ho Song
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
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Nguyen A, Roy JJS, Kim JH, Yun KH, Lee W, Kim KK, Kim T, Chaurasia AK. Repeated Exposure of Vancomycin to Vancomycin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (VSSA) Parent Emerged VISA and VRSA Strains with Enhanced Virulence Potentials. J Microbiol 2024; 62:535-553. [PMID: 38814539 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-024-00139-8] [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: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of resistance against the last-resort antibiotic vancomycin in staphylococcal infections is a serious concern for human health. Although various drug-resistant pathogens of diverse genetic backgrounds show higher virulence potential, the underlying mechanism behind this is not yet clear due to variability in their genetic dispositions. In this study, we investigated the correlation between resistance and virulence in adaptively evolved isogenic strains. The vancomycin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus USA300 was exposed to various concentrations of vancomycin repeatedly as a mimic of the clinical regimen to obtain mutation(s)-accrued-clonally-selected (MACS) strains. The phenotypic analyses followed by expression of the representative genes responsible for virulence and resistance of MACS strains were investigated. MACS strains obtained under 2 and 8 µg/ml vancomycin, named Van2 and Van8, respectively; showed enhanced vancomycin minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) to 4 and 16 µg/ml, respectively. The cell adhesion and invasion of MACS strains increased in proportion to their MICs. The correlation between resistance and virulence potential was partially explained by the differential expression of genes known to be involved in both virulence and resistance in MACS strains compared to parent S. aureus USA300. Repeated treatment of vancomycin against vancomycin-susceptible S. aureus (VSSA) leads to the emergence of vancomycin-resistant strains with variable levels of enhanced virulence potentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Nguyen
- Department of Precision Medicine, Graduate School of Basic Medical Science (GSBMS), Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - J Jean Sophy Roy
- Department of Precision Medicine, Graduate School of Basic Medical Science (GSBMS), Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Hoon Kim
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Hee Yun
- Department of Precision Medicine, Graduate School of Basic Medical Science (GSBMS), Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonsik Lee
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Kyu Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Graduate School of Basic Medical Science (GSBMS), Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
| | - Truc Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Graduate School of Basic Medical Science (GSBMS), Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
| | - Akhilesh Kumar Chaurasia
- Department of Precision Medicine, Graduate School of Basic Medical Science (GSBMS), Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
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Camilotti E, Furian TQ, Borges KA, Ortiz Granados OF, Zottis Chitolina G, de Brites Weber T, Tonini da Rocha D, Nascimento VPD, Souza Moraes HLD, Salle CTP. Galleria mellonella larvae as an alternative model to determine the pathogenicity of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli. Avian Pathol 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38845537 DOI: 10.1080/03079457.2024.2365932] [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: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Galleria mellonella larvae are a viable model for determining APEC pathogenicity.Larval disease score is the main variable for determining APEC pathogenicity.Response variables should be evaluated up to 24 h post-inoculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisar Camilotti
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Patologia Aviária, Departamento de Medicina Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Thales Quedi Furian
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Patologia Aviária, Departamento de Medicina Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Karen Apellanis Borges
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Patologia Aviária, Departamento de Medicina Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Oscar Fernando Ortiz Granados
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Patologia Aviária, Departamento de Medicina Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Zottis Chitolina
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Patologia Aviária, Departamento de Medicina Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Thaína de Brites Weber
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Patologia Aviária, Departamento de Medicina Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Daniela Tonini da Rocha
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Patologia Aviária, Departamento de Medicina Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Vladimir Pinheiro do Nascimento
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Patologia Aviária, Departamento de Medicina Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Hamilton Luiz de Souza Moraes
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Patologia Aviária, Departamento de Medicina Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Carlos Tadeu Pippi Salle
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Patologia Aviária, Departamento de Medicina Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Fernandes LDS, Ogasawara LS, Medina-Alarcón KP, dos Santos KS, de Matos Silva S, de Assis LR, Regasini LO, de Oliveira AG, Mendes Giannini MJS, Scarpa MV, Fusco Almeida AM. Bioprospecting, Synergistic Antifungal and Toxicological Aspects of the Hydroxychalcones and Their Association with Azole Derivates against Candida spp. for Treating Vulvovaginal Candidiasis. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:843. [PMID: 39065540 PMCID: PMC11279727 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16070843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) remains a prevalent fungal disease, characterized by challenges, such as increased fungal resistance, side effects of current treatments, and the rising prevalence of non-albicans Candida spp. naturally more resistant. This study aimed to propose a novel therapeutic approach by investigating the antifungal properties and toxicity of 2-hydroxychalcone (2-HC) and 3'-hydroxychalcone (3'-HC), both alone and in combination with fluconazole (FCZ) and clotrimazole (CTZ). A lipid carrier (LC) was also developed to deliver these molecules. The study evaluated in vitro anti-Candida activity against five Candida species and assessed cytotoxicity in the C33-A cell line. The safety and therapeutic efficacy of in vivo were tested using an alternative animal model, Galleria mellonella. The results showed antifungal activity of 2-HC and 3'-HC, ranging from 7.8 to 31.2 as fungistatic and 15.6 to 125.0 mg/L as fungicide effect, with cell viability above 80% from a concentration of 9.3 mg/L (2-HC). Synergistic and partially synergistic interactions of these chalcones with FCZ and CTZ demonstrated significant improvement in antifungal activity, with MIC values ranging from 0.06 to 62.5 mg/L. Some combinations reduced cytotoxicity, achieving 100% cell viability in many interactions. Additionally, two LCs with suitable properties for intravaginal application were developed. These formulations demonstrated promising therapeutic efficacy and low toxicity in Galleria mellonella assays. These results suggest the potential of this approach in developing new therapies for VVC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lígia de Souza Fernandes
- Laboratory of Clinical Mycology, Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Road Araraquara Jaú, Km 01, S/N, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (L.d.S.F.); (L.S.O.); (K.P.M.-A.); (K.S.d.S.); (S.d.M.S.); (M.J.S.M.G.)
- Department of Drugs and Medicines, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Road Araraquara Jaú, Km 01, S/N, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.G.d.O.); (M.V.S.)
| | - Letícia Sayuri Ogasawara
- Laboratory of Clinical Mycology, Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Road Araraquara Jaú, Km 01, S/N, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (L.d.S.F.); (L.S.O.); (K.P.M.-A.); (K.S.d.S.); (S.d.M.S.); (M.J.S.M.G.)
| | - Kaila Petronila Medina-Alarcón
- Laboratory of Clinical Mycology, Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Road Araraquara Jaú, Km 01, S/N, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (L.d.S.F.); (L.S.O.); (K.P.M.-A.); (K.S.d.S.); (S.d.M.S.); (M.J.S.M.G.)
| | - Kelvin Sousa dos Santos
- Laboratory of Clinical Mycology, Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Road Araraquara Jaú, Km 01, S/N, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (L.d.S.F.); (L.S.O.); (K.P.M.-A.); (K.S.d.S.); (S.d.M.S.); (M.J.S.M.G.)
| | - Samanta de Matos Silva
- Laboratory of Clinical Mycology, Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Road Araraquara Jaú, Km 01, S/N, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (L.d.S.F.); (L.S.O.); (K.P.M.-A.); (K.S.d.S.); (S.d.M.S.); (M.J.S.M.G.)
| | - Letícia Ribeiro de Assis
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), St. Quirino de Andrade, 215, São José do Rio Preto 01049-010, SP, Brazil; (L.R.d.A.); (L.O.R.)
| | - Luís Octavio Regasini
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), St. Quirino de Andrade, 215, São José do Rio Preto 01049-010, SP, Brazil; (L.R.d.A.); (L.O.R.)
| | - Anselmo Gomes de Oliveira
- Department of Drugs and Medicines, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Road Araraquara Jaú, Km 01, S/N, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.G.d.O.); (M.V.S.)
| | - Maria José Soares Mendes Giannini
- Laboratory of Clinical Mycology, Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Road Araraquara Jaú, Km 01, S/N, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (L.d.S.F.); (L.S.O.); (K.P.M.-A.); (K.S.d.S.); (S.d.M.S.); (M.J.S.M.G.)
| | - Maria Virginia Scarpa
- Department of Drugs and Medicines, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Road Araraquara Jaú, Km 01, S/N, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.G.d.O.); (M.V.S.)
| | - Ana Marisa Fusco Almeida
- Laboratory of Clinical Mycology, Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Road Araraquara Jaú, Km 01, S/N, Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (L.d.S.F.); (L.S.O.); (K.P.M.-A.); (K.S.d.S.); (S.d.M.S.); (M.J.S.M.G.)
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10
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Flores-Maldonado O, Dávila-Aviña J, González GM, Becerril-García MA, Ríos-López AL. Antibacterial activity of gallic acid and methyl gallate against emerging non-fermenting bacilli. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2024:10.1007/s12223-024-01182-z. [PMID: 38904883 DOI: 10.1007/s12223-024-01182-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Achromobacter xylosoxidans, and Burkholderia cenocepacia are considered emerging pathogens classified as a public health problem due to extensive antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, the discovery of new therapeutic strategies has become crucial. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of gallic acid and methyl gallate against non-fermenting bacteria. The study included five clinical isolates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Achromobacter xylosoxidans, and Burkholderia cenocepacia. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of gallic acid and methyl gallate were determined by the broth microdilution method. Growth curves, metabolic activity, and biofilm formation of each bacterial strain in the presence or absence of phenolic compounds were performed. Finally, the therapeutic efficacy of the compounds was evaluated using an in vivo model. Gallic acid and methyl gallate showed antibacterial activity against bacterial strains in a concentration range of 64 to 256 µg/mL, both compounds reduced bacterial growth and metabolic activity of the strains, even at subinhibitory concentrations. Only, methyl gallate exhibited activity to inhibit the formation of bacterial biofilms. Moreover, gallic acid and methyl gallate increased larval survival by up to 60% compared to 30% survival of untreated larvae in a bacterial infection model in Galleria mellonella. Our results highlight the potential of gallic acid and methyl gallate as therapeutic alternatives for infections by emerging non-fermentative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orlando Flores-Maldonado
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario "Dr, José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Francisco I. Madero, Mitras Centro, 64460, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Jorge Dávila-Aviña
- Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | - Gloria M González
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario "Dr, José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Francisco I. Madero, Mitras Centro, 64460, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Miguel A Becerril-García
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario "Dr, José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Francisco I. Madero, Mitras Centro, 64460, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Ana L Ríos-López
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario "Dr, José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Francisco I. Madero, Mitras Centro, 64460, Monterrey, Mexico.
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11
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Vasconcelos PGS, Abuna GF, Raimundo e Silva JP, Tavares JF, Costa EMMDB, Murata RM. Syzygium aromaticum essential oil and its major constituents: Assessment of activity against Candida spp. and toxicity. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305405. [PMID: 38889118 PMCID: PMC11185461 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Syzigium aromaticum essential oil (EO), eugenol, and β-caryophyllene were evaluated regarding antifungal, antibiofilm, and in vitro toxicity. Additionally, in vivo toxicity of EO was observed. Anti-Candida activity was assessed through broth microdilution assay for all compounds. Time-kill assay (0, 1, 10, 30 min, 1, 2, and 4 h) was used to determine the influence of EO and eugenol on Candida Growth kinetics. Thereafter, both compounds were evaluated regarding their capacity to act on a biofilm formation and on mature biofilm, based on CFU/ml/g of dry weight. Cell Titer Blue Viability Assay was used for in vitro cytotoxicity, using oral epithelial cells (TR146) and human monocytes (THP-1). Lastly, Galleria mellonella model defined the EO in vivo acute toxicity. All compounds, except β-cariofilene (MIC > 8000 μg/ml), presented antifungal activity against Candida strains (MIC 500-1000 μg/ml). The growth kinetics of Candida was affected by the EO (5xMIC 30 min onward; 10xMIC 10 min onward) and eugenol (5xMIC 10 min onward; 10xMIC 1 min onward). Fungal viability was also affected by 5xMIC and 10xMIC of both compounds during biofilm formation and upon mature biofilms. LD50 was defined for TR146 and THP1 cells at, respectively, 59.37 and 79.54 μg/ml for the EO and 55.35 and 84.16 μg/ml for eugenol. No sign of toxicity was seen in vivo up to 10mg/ml (20 x MIC) for the EO. S. aromaticum and eugenol presented antifungal and antibiofilm activity, with action on cell growth kinetics. In vivo acute toxicity showed a safe parameter for the EO up to 10 mg/ml.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriel Flores Abuna
- Department of Foundational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America
| | | | - Josean Fechine Tavares
- Multi-User Laboratory for Characterization and Analysis, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Edja Maria Melo de Brito Costa
- Department of Dentistry, Postgraduate Program in Dentistry, State University of Paraiba, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Ramiro Mendonça Murata
- Department of Foundational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America
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12
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Romero-González LE, Montelongo-Martínez LF, González-Valdez A, Quiroz-Morales SE, Cocotl-Yañez M, Franco-Cendejas R, Soberón-Chávez G, Pardo-López L, Bustamante VH. Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from Water Samples of the Gulf of Mexico Show Similar Virulence Properties but Different Antibiotic Susceptibility Profiles than Clinical Isolates. Int J Microbiol 2024; 2024:6959403. [PMID: 38784405 PMCID: PMC11115996 DOI: 10.1155/2024/6959403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen found in a wide variety of environments, including soil, water, and habitats associated with animals, humans, and plants. From a One Health perspective, which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, it is important to study the virulence characteristics and antibiotic susceptibility of environmental bacteria. In this study, we compared the virulence properties and the antibiotic resistance profiles of seven isolates collected from the Gulf of Mexico with those of seven clinical strains of P. aeruginosa. Our results indicate that the marine and clinical isolates tested exhibit similar virulence properties; they expressed different virulence factors and were able to kill Galleria mellonella larvae, an animal model commonly used to analyze the pathogenicity of many bacteria, including P. aeruginosa. In contrast, the clinical strains showed higher antibiotic resistance than the marine isolates. Consistently, the clinical strains exhibited a higher prevalence of class 1 integron, an indicator of anthropogenic impact, compared with the marine isolates. Thus, our results indicate that the P. aeruginosa marine strains analyzed in this study, isolated from the Gulf of Mexico, have similar virulence properties, but lower antibiotic resistance, than those from hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E. Romero-González
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Luis F. Montelongo-Martínez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Abigail González-Valdez
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Sara E. Quiroz-Morales
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Miguel Cocotl-Yañez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Rafael Franco-Cendejas
- Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación “Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra,” Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Gloria Soberón-Chávez
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Liliana Pardo-López
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Víctor H. Bustamante
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
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13
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Lobo CB, Molina RDI, Moreno Mochi P, Vargas JM, Jure MÁ, Juárez Tomás MS. Safety attributes of Pseudomonas sp. P26, an environmental microorganism with potential application in contaminated environments. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 348:123818. [PMID: 38508367 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Currently, the selection of non-pathogenic microorganisms that lack clinically relevant antimicrobial resistance is crucial to bioaugmentation strategies. Pseudomonas sp. P26 (P26) is an environmental bacterium of interest due to its ability to remove aromatic compounds from petroleum, but its safety characteristics are still unknown. The study aimed to: a) determine P26 sensitivity to antimicrobials, b) investigate the presence of quinolone and β-lactam resistance genes, c) determine the presence of virulence factors, and d) evaluate the effect of P26 on the viability of Galleria mellonella (an invertebrate animal model). P26 antimicrobial sensitivity was determined in vitro using the Kirby-Bauer agar diffusion method and the VITEK 2 automated system (BioMerieux®). Polymerase Chain Reaction was employed for the investigation of genes associated with quinolone resistance, extended-spectrum β-lactamases, and carbapenemases. Hemolysin and protease production was determined in human blood agar and skimmed-milk agar, respectively. In the in vivo assay, different doses of P26 were injected into Galleria mellonella larvae and their survival was monitored daily. Control larvae injected with Pseudomonas putida KT2440 (a strain considered as safe) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 (a pathogenic strain) were included. Pseudomonas sp. P26 was susceptible to most evaluated antimicrobials, except for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. No epidemiologically relevant genes associated with quinolone and β-lactam resistance were identified. Hemolysin and protease production was only evidenced in the virulent strain (PA14). Furthermore, the results obtained in the in vivo experiment demonstrated that inocula less than 108 CFU/mL of P26 and P. putida KT2440 did not significantly affect larval survival, whereas larvae injected with the lowest dose of the pathogenic strain P. aeruginosa PA14 experienced instant mortality. The results suggest that Pseudomonas sp. P26 is a safe strain for its application in environmental bioremediation processes. Additional studies will be conducted to ensure the safety of this bacterium against other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanza Belén Lobo
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
| | - Rocío Daniela Inés Molina
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
| | - Paula Moreno Mochi
- Laboratorio de Bacteriología Certificado (LABACER), Cátedra de Bacteriología, Instituto de Microbiología Luis Verna, Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
| | - Juan Martín Vargas
- Laboratorio de Bacteriología Certificado (LABACER), Cátedra de Bacteriología, Instituto de Microbiología Luis Verna, Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
| | - María Ángela Jure
- Laboratorio de Bacteriología Certificado (LABACER), Cátedra de Bacteriología, Instituto de Microbiología Luis Verna, Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
| | - María Silvina Juárez Tomás
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
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14
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Castro J, Oliveira R, Fernandes L, Carvalho I, Oliveira H, Brinks E, Cho GS, Franz C, Almeida C, Silva S, Araújo D. Molecular characterization and virulence profile of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca isolated from ill cats and dogs in Portugal. Vet Microbiol 2024; 292:110056. [PMID: 38537400 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2024.110056] [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: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Klebsiella spp. are important pathogens of humans and companion animals such as cats and dogs, capable of causing severe life-threatening diseases. The aim of this study was to characterize the molecular and phenotypic properties of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca isolated from ill companion animals by whole genome sequencing, followed by in vitro assessment of biofilm formation and in vivo pathogenicity using the Galleria mellonella model. Two LPS O-types were identified for all the K. pneumoniae isolates tested (O3B and O1/O2v2) and only one for K. oxytoca isolates (OL104), and the most common STs found were ST11 and ST266. Furthermore, a high diversity of K-locus types was found for K. pneumoniae (KL102; KL105; KL31, and KL13). Within K. pneumoniae, one specific O/K/ST-types combination (i.e., KL105-ST11-O1/O2v2) showed results that were of concern, as it exhibited a high inflammatory response at 12 h post-infection in G. mellonella with 80% of the larvae dead at 72 h post-infection. This virulence potential, on the other hand, did not appear to be directly related to the biofilm-forming capacity. Also, virulence and resistance scores obtained for this set of strains did surpass score 1. The present study demonstrated that Klebsiella spp. isolated from companion animals belonging to STs that can cause human infections and present virulence on an invertebrate model. Thus, this study underscores the role of dogs and cats as reservoirs of resistant Klebsiella spp. that could potentially be transmitted to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Castro
- INIAV, IP - National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, Rua dos Lagidos, Lugar da Madalena, Vairão 4485-655, Portugal; Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Oliveira
- INIAV, IP - National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, Rua dos Lagidos, Lugar da Madalena, Vairão 4485-655, Portugal; LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Liliana Fernandes
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal; LABBELS - Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Isabel Carvalho
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal; LABBELS - Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Hugo Oliveira
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal; LABBELS - Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Erik Brinks
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Kiel, Germany
| | - Gyu-Sung Cho
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Kiel, Germany
| | - Charles Franz
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Kiel, Germany
| | - Carina Almeida
- INIAV, IP - National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, Rua dos Lagidos, Lugar da Madalena, Vairão 4485-655, Portugal; Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal; LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sónia Silva
- INIAV, IP - National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, Rua dos Lagidos, Lugar da Madalena, Vairão 4485-655, Portugal; Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal; LABBELS - Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Daniela Araújo
- INIAV, IP - National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, Rua dos Lagidos, Lugar da Madalena, Vairão 4485-655, Portugal; Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal; LABBELS - Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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15
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Yang J, Xiong Y, Barkema HW, Tong X, Lin Y, Deng Z, Kastelic JP, Nobrega DB, Wang Y, Han B, Gao J. Comparative genomic analyses of Klebsiella pneumoniae K57 capsule serotypes isolated from bovine mastitis in China. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:3114-3126. [PMID: 37944808 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23721] [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: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae can cause severe clinical mastitis in dairy cows, with K. pneumoniae type K57 (K57-KP) being the most common capsular serotype. To identify virulence factors and antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) genes of K57-KP with varying virulence, Galleria mellonella (greater wax moth) larvae were infected as a screening model to characterize virulence of 90 K57-KP strains, with 10 and 11 strains defined as virulent or attenuated, respectively, based on larval survival rates. Next, virulence of these 21 isolates was subsequently confirmed in adhesion and lactate dehydrogenase release assays, using bovine mammary epithelial cells cultured in vitro. Finally, genes associated with virulence and AMR were characterize with whole-genome sequencing. These 21 K57-KP strains were designated into 16 sequence types based on multi-locus sequence typing and allocated in phylogenetic analysis based on single nucleotide polymorphisms. We found great genetic diversity among isolates. In addition, adhesion-associated genes (e.g., fimA, sfaA, and focA) aminoglycoside-resistance genes (aph(6)-Id, strAB) were associated with virulence. This study provided new knowledge regarding virulence of K57-KP associated with bovine mastitis, which may inform development of novel diagnostic tools and prevention strategies for bovine mastitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyue Yang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yindi Xiong
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Herman W Barkema
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Xiaofang Tong
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yushan Lin
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhaoju Deng
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - John P Kastelic
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Diego B Nobrega
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Bo Han
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Jian Gao
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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16
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Ríos-López AL, Dávila-Aviña J, González GM, Flores-Maldonado O. Antifungal and Antivirulence Activity of Vanillin and Tannic Acid Against Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium solani. Curr Microbiol 2024; 81:156. [PMID: 38656548 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-024-03678-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium solani infections have become severe health threat; both pathogens are considered a priority due to the increasing emergence of antifungal-resistant strains and high mortality rates. Therefore, the discovery of new therapeutic strategies has become crucial. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal and antivirulence effects of vanillin and tannic acid against Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium solani. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the compounds were determined by the microdilution method in RPMI broth in 96-well microplates according to CLSI. Conidial germination, protease production, biofilm formation, and in vivo therapeutic efficacy assays were performed. The results demonstrated that vanillin and tannic acid had antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus, while tannic acid only exhibited antifungal activity against Fusarium solani. We found that vanillin and tannic acid inhibited conidial germination and secreted protease production and biofilm formation of the fungal pathogens using sub-inhibitory concentrations. Besides, vanillin and tannic acid altered the fungal membrane permeability, and both compounds showed therapeutic effect against aspergillosis and fusariosis in an infection model in Galleria mellonella larvae. Our results highlight the antivirulence effect of vanillin and tannic acid against priority pathogenic fungi as a possible therapeutic alternative for human fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L Ríos-López
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Francisco I. Madero, Mitras Centro, 64460, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | - Jorge Dávila-Aviña
- Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolas, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | - Gloria M González
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Francisco I. Madero, Mitras Centro, 64460, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | - Orlando Flores-Maldonado
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Francisco I. Madero, Mitras Centro, 64460, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.
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17
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Souza BMN, Miñán AG, Brambilla IR, Pinto JG, Garcia MT, Junqueira JC, Ferreira-Strixino J. Effects of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy with photodithazine® on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): Studies in biofilms and experimental model with Galleria mellonella. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY. B, BIOLOGY 2024; 252:112860. [PMID: 38330692 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2024.112860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus infections are a severe health problem due to the high mortality rate. Conventional treatment of these infections is via the administration of antibiotics. However, its indiscriminate use can select resistant microorganisms. Thus, it is necessary to develop alternatives for antibiotic therapy. Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT), a therapeutic method that associates a photosensitizer (PS), a light source with adequate wavelength to the PS, interacts with molecular oxygen generating reactive oxygen species responsible for cell inactivation, is a viable alternative. This work aimed to analyze, in vitro and in vivo, the action of aPDT with PS Photodithazine® (PDZ) on the methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strain. In the in vitro method, the S. aureus biofilm was incubated with PDZ at 50 and 75 μg.mL-1 for 15 min, adopting the light dose of 25, 50, and 100 J/cm2. In addition, PS interaction, formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), bacterial metabolism, adhesion, bacterial viability, and biofilm structure were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the strain was inoculated into models of Galleria mellonella, and the survival curve, health scale, blood cell analysis, and CFU/mL of S. aureus in the hemolymph were analyzed after aPDT. In the in vitro results, bacterial reduction was observed in the different PDZ concentrations, highlighting the parameters of 75 μg.mL-1 of PDZ and 100 J/cm2. As for in vivo results, aPDT increased survival and stimulated the immune system of G. mellonella infected by S. aureus. aPDT proved effective in both models, demonstrating its potential as an alternative therapy in treating MRSA bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Müller N Souza
- Photobiology Applied to Health (PhotoBioS Lab), Universidade do Vale do Paraíba (UNIVAP), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alejandro Guillermo Miñán
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata 1900, Argentina.
| | - Isabelle Ribeiro Brambilla
- Photobiology Applied to Health (PhotoBioS Lab), Universidade do Vale do Paraíba (UNIVAP), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Guerra Pinto
- Photobiology Applied to Health (PhotoBioS Lab), Universidade do Vale do Paraíba (UNIVAP), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Maíra Terra Garcia
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Institute of Science and Technology (ICT), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Campos Junqueira
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Institute of Science and Technology (ICT), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Juliana Ferreira-Strixino
- Photobiology Applied to Health (PhotoBioS Lab), Universidade do Vale do Paraíba (UNIVAP), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil.
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18
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Rakovitsky N, Temkin E, Hameir A, Lurie-Weinberger M, Keren-Paz A, Carmeli Y. Zophobas morio larvae as a novel model for the study of Acinetobacter virulence and antimicrobial resistance. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1375787. [PMID: 38476953 PMCID: PMC10927975 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1375787] [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: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The use of mammalian models for in vivo testing of bacterial virulence raises ethical concerns and is expensive and time-consuming. As an alternative, non-mammalian models are sought. Galleria mellonella larvae have been used as a model to study several bacterial pathogens. However, their maintenance is challenging, and commercial supply is low. In this study, we aimed to establish the Zophobas morio larvae as an alternative non-mammalian model for the evaluation of the pathogenicity and antimicrobial susceptibility of Acinetobacter baumannii. We infected Z. morio with Acinetobacter strains and determined the optimal temperature and inoculum. To visualize the bacterial distribution within the larvae, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was performed. Next, a survival model of infected larvae was established, and virulence was compared between strains. The effect of antimicrobial treatment in relation to antibiotic susceptibility was studied. Our results demonstrate that Z. morio can be used as a model system for in vivo studies of A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadya Rakovitsky
- National Institute for Antibiotic Resistance and Infection Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Elizabeth Temkin
- National Institute for Antibiotic Resistance and Infection Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amichay Hameir
- National Institute for Antibiotic Resistance and Infection Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mor Lurie-Weinberger
- National Institute for Antibiotic Resistance and Infection Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Alona Keren-Paz
- National Institute for Antibiotic Resistance and Infection Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yehuda Carmeli
- National Institute for Antibiotic Resistance and Infection Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Tel Aviv, Israel
- School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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19
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Guo X, Wang L, Zhang J, Liu Q, Wang B, Liu D, Gao F, Lanzi G, Zhao Y, Shi Y. Thwarting resistance: MgrA inhibition with methylophiopogonanone a unveils a new battlefront against S. aureus. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2024; 10:15. [PMID: 38413623 PMCID: PMC10899606 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-024-00485-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Limitations in the clinical treatment of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections have arisen due to the advent of antibiotic-resistant strains. Given the immense potential of therapeutic strategies targeting bacterial virulence, the role of MgrA as a pivotal virulence determinant in S. aureus-orchestrating resistance, adherence, and hundreds of virulence targets-becomes indispensable. In this investigation, leveraging advanced virtual screening and fluorescence anisotropy assays, we discerned methylophiopogonanone A (Mo-A), a flavonoid derivative, as a potent disruptor of the MgrA-DNA interaction nexus. Subsequent analysis revealed that Mo-A effectively inhibits the expression of virulence factors such as Hla and Pvl in S. aureus and markedly reduces its adhesion capability to fibrinogen. On a cellular landscape, Mo-A exerts a mitigating influence on the deleterious effects inflicted by S. aureus USA300 on A549 cells. Furthermore, our data indicate that Mo-A downregulates the transcription of genes associated with immune evasion, such as nucleases (nuc), Staphylococcal Chemotaxis Inhibitory Protein (chips), and Staphylococcal Complement Inhibitor (scin), thereby undermining immune escape and amplifying neutrophil chemotaxis. Upon application in an in vivo setting, Mo-A assumes a protective persona in a murine model of S. aureus USA300-induced pneumonia and demonstrates efficacy in the Galleria mellonella infection model. Of note, S. aureus displayed no swift acquisition of resistance to Mo-A, and the effect was synergistically enhanced when used in combination with vancomycin. Our findings add substantive weight to the expanding field of virulence-targeted therapeutic strategies and set the stage for more comprehensive exploration of Mo-A potential in combating antibiotic-resistant S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuerui Guo
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Li Wang
- Clinical Medical College, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Jinlong Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Quan Liu
- Center for Pathogen Biology and Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Bingmei Wang
- Clinical Medical College, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Da Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Fei Gao
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | | | - Yicheng Zhao
- Clinical Medical College, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.
- Center for Pathogen Biology and Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, and College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Yan Shi
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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20
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Takahashi R, J-Khemlani AH, Loh JMS, Radcliff FJ, Proft T, Tsai CJY. Different Group A Streptococcus pili lead to varying proinflammatory cytokine responses and virulence. Immunol Cell Biol 2024; 102:21-33. [PMID: 37795567 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12692] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
The human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes, or Group A Streptococcus (GAS), is associated with a variety of diseases ranging from mild skin and soft tissue infections to invasive diseases and immune sequelae such as rheumatic heart disease. We have recently reported that one of the virulence factors of this pathogen, the pilus, has inflammatory properties and strongly stimulates the innate immune system. Here we used a range of nonpathogenic Lactococcus lactis gain-of-function mutants, each expressing one of the major pilus types of GAS, to compare the immune responses generated by various types of fully assembled pili. In vitro assays indicated variability in the inflammatory response induced by different pili, with the fibronectin-binding, collagen-binding, T antigen (FCT)-1-type pilus from GAS serotype M6/T6 inducing significantly stronger cytokine secretion than other pili. Furthermore, we established that the same trend of pili-mediated immune response could be modeled in Galleria mellonella larvae, which possess a similar innate immune system to vertebrates. Counterintuitively, across the panel of pili types examined in this study, we observed a negative correlation between the intensity of the immune response demonstrated in our experiments and the disease severity observed clinically in the GAS strains associated with each pilus type. This observation suggests that pili-mediated inflammation is more likely to promote bacterial clearance instead of causing disruptive damages that intensify pathogenesis. This also indicates that pili may not be the main contributor to the inflammatory symptoms seen in GAS diseases. Rather, the immune-potentiating properties of the pilus components could potentially be exploited as a vaccine adjuvant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risa Takahashi
- Department of Molecular Medicine & Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Adrina Hema J-Khemlani
- Department of Molecular Medicine & Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jacelyn Mei San Loh
- Department of Molecular Medicine & Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Fiona Jane Radcliff
- Department of Molecular Medicine & Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thomas Proft
- Department of Molecular Medicine & Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Catherine Jia-Yun Tsai
- Department of Molecular Medicine & Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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21
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Leseigneur C, Buchrieser C. Modelling Legionnaires' disease: Lessons learned from invertebrate and vertebrate animal models. Eur J Cell Biol 2023; 102:151369. [PMID: 37926040 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2023.151369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of virulence of Legionella pneumophila and its interactions with its hosts has been predominantly conducted in cellulo in the past decades. Although easy to implement and allowing the dissection of molecular pathways underlying host-pathogen interactions, these cellular models fail to provide conditions of the complex environments encountered by the bacteria during the infection of multicellular organisms. To improve our understanding of human infection, several animal models have been developed. This review provides an overview of the invertebrate and vertebrate models that have been established to study L. pneumophila infection and that are alternatives to the classical mouse model, which does not recall human infection with L. pneumophila well. Finally we provide insight in the main contributions made by these models along with their pros and cons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisse Leseigneur
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Carmen Buchrieser
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, 75724 Paris, France.
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22
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Mai D, Wu A, Li R, Cai D, Tong H, Wang N, Tan J. Identification of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae based on biomarkers and Galleria mellonella infection model. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:369. [PMID: 38030994 PMCID: PMC10685466 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-03124-0] [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: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently, clinical laboratories lack an effective method to differentiate between classical Klebsiella pneumoniae (cKP) and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP) strains, leading to delays in diagnosing and treating hvKP infections. Previous studies have identified peg-344, iroB, iucA, prmpA, prmpA2, and siderophores (SP) yields greater than 30 μg/ml as reliable markers for distinguishing hvKP from cKp strains. However, these diagnostic tests were conducted on a relatively small study population and lacked sufficient clinical data support. In this study, hvKP strains were identified by biomarker analysis and the Galleria mellonella model. Combined with in vitro and in vivo experiments, the reliability of clinical identification method of hvKP was verified, which provided an experimental basis for timely diagnosis of hvKP infection. RESULTS According to the clinical data, a total of 108 strains of hvKP were preliminary screened. Among them, 94 strains were further identified using PCR analysis of biomarkers and quantitative determination of SP. The high virulence of hvKP was subsequently confirmed through infection experiments on Galleria mellonella. Additionally, susceptibility testing revealed the identification of 58 carbapenem-resistant hvKP (CR-hvKP) strains and 36 carbapenem-sensitive hvKP (CS-hvKP) strains. By comparing molecular diagnostic indexes, molecular characteristics such as high SP production of CR-hvKP were found. CONCLUSION The combination of clinical data and molecular diagnostic index analysis effectively enables the identification of hvKP, particularly CR-hvKP. This study provides a scientific basis for accurate clinical identification and timely treatment of hvKP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmei Mai
- Guangdong Provincial Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anqi Wu
- Guangzhou Nanfang College, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ran Li
- Guangdong Provincial Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Donghao Cai
- Guangdong Provincial Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huichun Tong
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS RegenerationJinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junqing Tan
- Guangdong Provincial Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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23
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Santos-Lima D, de Castro Spadari C, de Morais Barroso V, Carvalho JCS, de Almeida LC, Alcalde FSC, Ferreira MJP, Sannomiya M, Ishida K. Lipopeptides from an isolate of Bacillus subtilis complex have inhibitory and antibiofilm effects on Fusarium solani. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:6103-6120. [PMID: 37561179 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12712-z] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis species complex is known as lipopeptide-producer with biotechnological potential for pharmaceutical developments. This study aimed to identify lipopeptides from a bacterial isolate and evaluate their antifungal effects. Here, we isolated and identified a lipopeptide-producing bacterium as a species of Bacillus subtilis complex (strain UL-1). Twenty lipopeptides (six iturins, six fengycins, and eight surfactins) were identified in the crude extract (CE) and fractions (F1, F2, F3, and F4), and the highest content of total lipopeptides was observed in CE and F2. The chemical quantification data corroborate with the hemolytic and antifungal activities that CE and F2 were the most hemolytic and inhibited the fungal growth at lower concentrations against Fusarium spp. In addition, they caused morphological changes such as shortening and/or atypical branching of hyphae and induction of chlamydospore-like structure formation, especially in Fusarium solani. CE was the most effective in inhibiting the biofilm formation and in disrupting the mature biofilm of F. solani reducing the total biomass and the metabolic activity at concentrations ≥ 2 µg/mL. Moreover, CE significantly inhibited the adherence of F. solani conidia on contact lenses and nails as well as disrupted the pre-formed biofilms on nails. CE at 100 mg/kg was nontoxic on Galleria mellonella larvae, and it reduced the fungal burden in larvae previously infected by F. solani. Taken together, the lipopeptides obtained from strain UL-1 demonstrated a potent anti-Fusarium effect inducing morphological alterations and antibiofilm activities. Our data open further studies for the biotechnological application of these lipopeptides as potential antifungal agents. KEY POINTS: • Lipopeptides inhibit Fusarium growth and induce chlamydospore-like structures. • Lipopeptides hamper the adherence of conidia and biofilms of Fusarium solani. • Iturins, fengycins, and surfactins were associated with antifungal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniélle Santos-Lima
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Miriam Sannomiya
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, Arlindo Béttio St. 1000, São Paulo, SP, 03828-000, Brazil.
| | - Kelly Ishida
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Prof. Lineu Prestes Ave. 1374, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil.
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24
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Hu C, Yang W. Alternatives to animal models to study bacterial infections. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2023; 68:703-739. [PMID: 37632640 DOI: 10.1007/s12223-023-01084-6] [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: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Animal testing has made a significant and unequalled contribution to important discoveries and advancements in the fields of research, medicine, vaccine development, and drug discovery. Each year, millions of animals are sacrificed for various experiments, and this is an ongoing process. However, the debate on the ethical and sensible usage of animals in in vivo experimentation is equally important. The need to explore and adopt newer alternatives to animals so as to comply with the goal of reduce, refine, and replace needs attention. Besides the ever-increasing debate on ethical issues, animal research has additional drawbacks (need of trained labour, requirement of breeding area, lengthy protocols, high expenses, transport barriers, difficulty to extrapolate data from animals to humans, etc.). With this scenario, the present review has been framed to give a comprehensive insight into the possible alternative options worth exploring in this direction especially targeting replacements for animal models of bacterial infections. There have been some excellent reviews discussing on the alternate methods for replacing and reducing animals in drug research. However, reviews that discuss the replacements in the field of medical bacteriology with emphasis on animal bacterial infection models are purely limited. The present review discusses on the use of (a) non-mammalian models and (b) alternative systems such as microfluidic chip-based models and microdosing aiming to give a detailed insight into the prospects of these alternative platforms to reduce the number of animals being used in infection studies. This would enlighten the scientific community working in this direction to be well acquainted with the available new approaches and alternatives so that the 3R strategy can be successfully implemented in the field of antibacterial drug research and testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengming Hu
- Queen Mary College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Wenlong Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China.
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25
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Fusco-Almeida AM, de Matos Silva S, dos Santos KS, de Lima Gualque MW, Vaso CO, Carvalho AR, Medina-Alarcón KP, Pires ACMDS, Belizario JA, de Souza Fernandes L, Moroz A, Martinez LR, Ruiz OH, González Á, Mendes-Giannini MJS. Alternative Non-Mammalian Animal and Cellular Methods for the Study of Host-Fungal Interactions. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:943. [PMID: 37755051 PMCID: PMC10533014 DOI: 10.3390/jof9090943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In the study of fungal pathogenesis, alternative methods have gained prominence due to recent global legislation restricting the use of mammalian animals in research. The principle of the 3 Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement) is integrated into regulations and guidelines governing animal experimentation in nearly all countries. This principle advocates substituting vertebrate animals with other invertebrate organisms, embryos, microorganisms, or cell cultures. This review addresses host-fungus interactions by employing three-dimensional (3D) cultures, which offer more faithful replication of the in vivo environment, and by utilizing alternative animal models to replace traditional mammals. Among these alternative models, species like Caenorhabditis elegans and Danio rerio share approximately 75% of their genes with humans. Furthermore, models such as Galleria mellonella and Tenebrio molitor demonstrate similarities in their innate immune systems as well as anatomical and physiological barriers, resembling those found in mammalian organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Marisa Fusco-Almeida
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.M.F.-A.); (S.d.M.S.); (K.S.d.S.); (M.W.d.L.G.); (C.O.V.); (A.R.C.); (K.P.M.-A.); (A.C.M.d.S.P.); (J.A.B.); (L.d.S.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Samanta de Matos Silva
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.M.F.-A.); (S.d.M.S.); (K.S.d.S.); (M.W.d.L.G.); (C.O.V.); (A.R.C.); (K.P.M.-A.); (A.C.M.d.S.P.); (J.A.B.); (L.d.S.F.); (A.M.)
- Basic and Applied Microbiology Group (MICROBA), School of Microbiology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin 050010, Colombia; (O.H.R.); (Á.G.)
| | - Kelvin Sousa dos Santos
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.M.F.-A.); (S.d.M.S.); (K.S.d.S.); (M.W.d.L.G.); (C.O.V.); (A.R.C.); (K.P.M.-A.); (A.C.M.d.S.P.); (J.A.B.); (L.d.S.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Marcos William de Lima Gualque
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.M.F.-A.); (S.d.M.S.); (K.S.d.S.); (M.W.d.L.G.); (C.O.V.); (A.R.C.); (K.P.M.-A.); (A.C.M.d.S.P.); (J.A.B.); (L.d.S.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Carolina Orlando Vaso
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.M.F.-A.); (S.d.M.S.); (K.S.d.S.); (M.W.d.L.G.); (C.O.V.); (A.R.C.); (K.P.M.-A.); (A.C.M.d.S.P.); (J.A.B.); (L.d.S.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Angélica Romão Carvalho
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.M.F.-A.); (S.d.M.S.); (K.S.d.S.); (M.W.d.L.G.); (C.O.V.); (A.R.C.); (K.P.M.-A.); (A.C.M.d.S.P.); (J.A.B.); (L.d.S.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Kaila Petrolina Medina-Alarcón
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.M.F.-A.); (S.d.M.S.); (K.S.d.S.); (M.W.d.L.G.); (C.O.V.); (A.R.C.); (K.P.M.-A.); (A.C.M.d.S.P.); (J.A.B.); (L.d.S.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Ana Carolina Moreira da Silva Pires
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.M.F.-A.); (S.d.M.S.); (K.S.d.S.); (M.W.d.L.G.); (C.O.V.); (A.R.C.); (K.P.M.-A.); (A.C.M.d.S.P.); (J.A.B.); (L.d.S.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Jenyffie Araújo Belizario
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.M.F.-A.); (S.d.M.S.); (K.S.d.S.); (M.W.d.L.G.); (C.O.V.); (A.R.C.); (K.P.M.-A.); (A.C.M.d.S.P.); (J.A.B.); (L.d.S.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Lígia de Souza Fernandes
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.M.F.-A.); (S.d.M.S.); (K.S.d.S.); (M.W.d.L.G.); (C.O.V.); (A.R.C.); (K.P.M.-A.); (A.C.M.d.S.P.); (J.A.B.); (L.d.S.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Andrei Moroz
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.M.F.-A.); (S.d.M.S.); (K.S.d.S.); (M.W.d.L.G.); (C.O.V.); (A.R.C.); (K.P.M.-A.); (A.C.M.d.S.P.); (J.A.B.); (L.d.S.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Luis R. Martinez
- Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA;
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Center for Immunology and Transplantation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Orville Hernandez Ruiz
- Basic and Applied Microbiology Group (MICROBA), School of Microbiology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin 050010, Colombia; (O.H.R.); (Á.G.)
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Group University of Antioquia, Corporation for Biological Research, Medellin 050010, Colombia
| | - Ángel González
- Basic and Applied Microbiology Group (MICROBA), School of Microbiology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin 050010, Colombia; (O.H.R.); (Á.G.)
| | - Maria José Soares Mendes-Giannini
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, SP, Brazil; (A.M.F.-A.); (S.d.M.S.); (K.S.d.S.); (M.W.d.L.G.); (C.O.V.); (A.R.C.); (K.P.M.-A.); (A.C.M.d.S.P.); (J.A.B.); (L.d.S.F.); (A.M.)
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Santos CF, Andrade SM, Mil-Homens D, Montemor MF, Alves MM. Antibacterial Activity of ZnO Nanoparticles in a Staphylococcus- aureus-Infected Galleria mellonella Model Is Tuned by Different Apple-Derived Phytocargos. J Funct Biomater 2023; 14:463. [PMID: 37754877 PMCID: PMC10532052 DOI: 10.3390/jfb14090463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
This research investigates pH changes during the green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and emphasises its importance in their physicochemical, antibacterial, and biological properties. Varying the synthesis pH from 8 to 12 using "Bravo de Esmolfe" apple extracts neither affected the morphology nor crystallinity of ZnO but impacted NP phytochemical loads. This difference is because alkaline hydrolysis of phytochemicals occurred with increasing pH, resulting in BE-ZnO with distinct phytocargos. To determine the toxicity of BE-ZnO NPs, Galleria mellonella was used as an alternative to non-rodent models. These assays showed no adverse effects on larvae up to a concentration of 200 mg/kg and that NPs excess was relieved by faeces and silk fibres. This was evaluated by utilising fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to track NPs' intrinsic fluorescence. The antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus was higher for BE-ZnO12 than for BE-ZnO8; however, a different trend was attained in an in vivo infection model. This result may be related to NPs' residence in larvae haemocytes, modulated by their phytocargos. This research demonstrates, for the first time, the potential of green synthesis to modulate the biosafety and antibacterial activity of NPs in an advanced G. mellonella infection model. These findings support future strategies to overcome antimicrobial resistance by utilizing distinct phytocargos to modulate NPs' action over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina F. Santos
- EST Setúbal, CDP2T, Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, Campus IPS, 2910-761 Setúbal, Portugal
- Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE), Departamento de Engenharia Química (DEQ), Institute of Molecular Sciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (S.M.A.); (M.F.M.)
| | - Suzana M. Andrade
- Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE), Departamento de Engenharia Química (DEQ), Institute of Molecular Sciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (S.M.A.); (M.F.M.)
- Departamento de Engenharia Química (DEQ), Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Dalila Mil-Homens
- iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal;
- Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - M. Fátima Montemor
- Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE), Departamento de Engenharia Química (DEQ), Institute of Molecular Sciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (S.M.A.); (M.F.M.)
- Departamento de Engenharia Química (DEQ), Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Marta M. Alves
- Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE), Departamento de Engenharia Química (DEQ), Institute of Molecular Sciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (S.M.A.); (M.F.M.)
- Departamento de Engenharia Química (DEQ), Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
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Martins C, Piontkivska D, Mil-Homens D, Guedes P, Jorge JMP, Brinco J, Bárria C, Santos ACF, Barras R, Arraiano C, Fialho A, Goldman GH, Silva Pereira C. Increased Production of Pathogenic, Airborne Fungal Spores upon Exposure of a Soil Mycobiota to Chlorinated Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollutants. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0066723. [PMID: 37284774 PMCID: PMC10434042 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00667-23] [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: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Organic pollutants are omnipresent and can penetrate all environmental niches. We evaluated the hypothesis that short-term (acute) exposure to aromatic hydrocarbon pollutants could increase the potential for fungal virulence. Specifically, we analyzed whether pentachlorophenol and triclosan pollution results in the production of airborne fungal spores with greater virulence than those derived from an unpolluted (Control) condition. Each pollutant altered the composition of the community of airborne spores compared to the control, favoring an increase in strains with in vivo infection capacity (the wax moth Galleria mellonella was used as an infection model). Fungi subsisting inside larvae at 72 h postinjection with airborne spore inocula collected in polluted and unpolluted conditions exhibited comparable diversity (mainly within Aspergillus fumigatus). Several virulent Aspergillus strains were isolated from larvae infected with the airborne spores produced in a polluted environment. Meanwhile, strains isolated from larvae injected with spores from the control, including one A. fumigatus strain, showed no virulence. Potential pathogenicity increased when two Aspergillus virulent strains were assembled, suggesting the existence of synergisms that impact pathogenicity. None of the observed taxonomic or functional traits could separate the virulent from the avirulent strains. Our study emphasizes pollution stress as a possible driver of phenotypic adaptations that increase Aspergillus pathogenicity, as well as the need to better understand the interplay between pollution and fungal virulence. IMPORTANCE Fungi colonizing soil and organic pollutants often meet. The consequences of this encounter constitute an outstanding question. We scrutinized the potential for virulence of airborne fungal spores produced under unpolluted and polluted scenarios. The airborne spores showed increased diversity of strains with higher infection capacity in Galleria mellonella whenever pollution is present. Inside the larvae injected with either airborne spore community, the surviving fungi demonstrated a similar diversity, mainly within Aspergillus fumigatus. However, the isolated Aspergillus strains greatly differ since virulence was only observed for those associated with a polluted environment. The interplay between pollution and fungal virulence still hides many unresolved questions, but the encounter is costly: pollution stress promotes phenotypic adaptations that may increase Aspergillus pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celso Martins
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Daryna Piontkivska
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Dalila Mil-Homens
- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Paula Guedes
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
- CENSE (Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research)/CHANGE (Global Change and Sustainability Institute), NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal
| | - João M. P. Jorge
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - João Brinco
- CENSE (Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research)/CHANGE (Global Change and Sustainability Institute), NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Cátia Bárria
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ariana C. F. Santos
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Barras
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Cecília Arraiano
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Arsénio Fialho
- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Cristina Silva Pereira
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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Vanhoffelen E, Michiels L, Brock M, Lagrou K, Reséndiz-Sharpe A, Vande Velde G. Powerful and Real-Time Quantification of Antifungal Efficacy against Triazole-Resistant and -Susceptible Aspergillus fumigatus Infections in Galleria mellonella by Longitudinal Bioluminescence Imaging. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0082523. [PMID: 37466453 PMCID: PMC10433797 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00825-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is an environmental mold that causes life-threatening respiratory infections in immunocompromised patients. The plateaued effectiveness of antifungal therapy and the increasing prevalence of triazole-resistant isolates have led to an urgent need to optimize and expand the current treatment options. For the transition of in vitro research to in vivo models in the time- and resource-consuming preclinical drug development pipeline, Galleria mellonella larvae have been introduced as a valuable in vivo screening intermediate. Despite the high potential of this model, the current readouts of fungal infections in G. mellonella are insensitive, irreproducible, or invasive. To optimize this model, we aimed for the longitudinal quantification of the A. fumigatus burden in G. mellonella using noninvasive bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Larvae were infected with A. fumigatus strains expressing a red-shifted firefly luciferase, and the substrate dosage was optimized for the longitudinal visualization of the fungal burden without affecting larval health. The resulting photon flux was successfully validated for fungal quantification against colony forming units (CFU) analyses, which revealed an increased dynamic range from BLI detection. Comparison of BLI to survival rates and health index scores additionally revealed improved sensitivity for the early discrimination of differences in fungal burdens as early as 1 day after infection. This was confirmed by the improved detection of treatment efficacy against triazole-susceptible and -resistant strains. In conclusion, we established a refined G. mellonella aspergillosis model that enables the noninvasive real-time quantification of A. fumigatus by BLI. This model provides a quick and reproducible in vivo system for the evaluation of treatment options and is in line with 3Rs recommendations. IMPORTANCE Triazole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus strains are rapidly emerging, and resistant infections are difficult to treat, causing mortality rates of up to 88%. The recent WHO priority list underscores A. fumigatus as one of the most critical fungal pathogens for which innovative antifungal treatment should be (urgently) prioritized. Here, we deliver a Galleria mellonella model for triazole-susceptible and -resistant A. fumigatus infections combined with a statistically powerful quantitative, longitudinal readout of the A. fumigatus burden for optimized preclinical antifungal screening. G. mellonella larvae are a convenient invertebrate model for in vivo antifungal screenings, but so far, the model has been limited by variable and insensitive observational readouts. We show that bioluminescence imaging-based fungal burden quantification outperforms these readouts in reliability, sensitivity, and time to the detection of treatment effects in both triazole-susceptible and -resistant infections and can thus lead to better translatability from in vitro antifungal screening results to in vivo confirmation in mouse and human studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliane Vanhoffelen
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI Unit/MoSAIC, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lauren Michiels
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI Unit/MoSAIC, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthias Brock
- School of Life Sciences, Fungal Biology Group, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Katrien Lagrou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Reference Center for Mycosis, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Greetje Vande Velde
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI Unit/MoSAIC, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Schindler Y, Rahav G, Nissan I, Valenci G, Ravins M, Hanski E, Ment D, Tekes-Manova D, Maor Y. Type VII secretion system and its effect on group B Streptococcus virulence in isolates obtained from newborns with early onset disease and colonized pregnant women. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1168530. [PMID: 37545859 PMCID: PMC10400891 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1168530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction GBS may cause a devastating disease in newborns. In early onset disease of the newborn the bacteria are acquired from the colonized mother during delivery. We characterized type VII secretion system (T7SS), exporting small proteins of the WXG100 superfamily, in group B Streptococci (GBS) isolates from pregnant colonized women and newborns with early onset disease (EOD) to better understand T7SS contribution to virulence in these different clinical scenarios. Methods GBS genomes [N=33, 17 EOD isolates (serotype III/ST17) and 16 colonizing isolates (12 serotype VI/ST1, one serotype VI/ST19, one serotype VI/ST6, and two serotype 3/ST19)] were analyzed for presence of T7SS genes and genes encoding WXG100 proteins. We also perform bioinformatic analysis. Galleria mellonella larvae were used to compare virulence between colonizing, EOD, and mutant EOD isolates. The EOD isolate number 118659 (III/ST17) was used for knocking out the essC gene encoding a membrane-bound ATPase, considered the driver of T7SS. Results Most GBS T7SS loci encoded core component genes: essC, membrane-embedded proteins (essA; essB), modulators of T7SS activity (esaA; esaB; esaC) and effectors: [esxA (SAG1039); esxB (SAG1030)].Bioinformatic analysis indicated that based on sequence type (ST) the clinicalGBS isolates encode at least three distinct subtypes of T7SS machinery. In all ST1isolates we identified two copies of esxA gene (encoding putative WXG100proteins), when only 23.5% of the ST17 isolates harbored the esxA gene. Five ST17isolates encoded two copies of the essC gene. Orphaned WXG100 molecule(SAG0230), distinct from T7SS locus, were found in all tested strains, except inST17 strains where the locus was found in only 23.5% of the isolates. In ST6 andST19 isolates most of the structure T7SS genes were missing. EOD isolates demonstrated enhanced virulence in G. mellonella modelcompared to colonizing isolates. The 118659DessC strain was attenuated in itskilling ability, and the larvae were more effective in eradicating 118659DessC. Conclusions We demonstrated that T7SS plays a role during infection. Knocking out the essC gene, considered the driver of T7SS, decreased the virulence of ST17 responsible for EOD, causing them to be less virulent comparable to the virulence observed in colonizing isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia Schindler
- Microbiology Laboratory, Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center, Bney Brak, Israel
- The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Galia Rahav
- The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Infectious Disease Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Israel Nissan
- Infectious Disease Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- National Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health (Israel), Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Gal Valenci
- National Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health (Israel), Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Miriam Ravins
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Institute for Medical Research, Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Emanuel Hanski
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Institute for Medical Research, Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Dana Ment
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Plant Protection Institute, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Dorit Tekes-Manova
- Microbiology Laboratory, Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center, Bney Brak, Israel
| | - Yasmin Maor
- The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Infectious Disease Unit, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel
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Romero-González LE, Rojas-Vargas J, Muriel-Millán LF, Bustos-Martínez J, Bustamante VH, Pardo-López L. Genomic and phenotypic characterization of Pseudomonas sp. GOM7, a novel marine bacterial species with antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288504. [PMID: 37440509 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a serious threat to global health. The development of new drugs to combat infections caused by bacteria resistant to multiple or even all available antibiotics is urgent. Most antibiotics used up to date have been identified from soil microorganisms. The marine environment represents an alternative source with great potential for the identification of microorganisms that produce bioactive molecules, including antibiotics. In this study, we analyzed the antibacterial activity of a collection of 82 bacterial strains isolated from marine water and sediment samples collected from the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Eight of the marine isolates inhibited the growth of different pathogenic bacteria, seven of which were identified as presumptive Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Interestingly, genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the remaining marine isolate showing antibacterial activity is a novel Pseudomonas species that we denominated Pseudomonas sp. GOM7, which was not pathogenic in the Galleria mellonella infection model in the conditions tested. Notably, Pseudomonas sp. GOM7 inhibited the growth of multidrug and methicillin-resistant strains of the priority pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Our results show that the anti-S. aureus compound(s) produced by Pseudomonas sp. GOM7 can be extracted from the culture supernatant of this bacterium with the organic solvent ethyl acetate. Annotation of the Pseudomonas sp. GOM7 genome revealed the presence of several biosynthetic gene clusters predicted to code for possible antimicrobial compounds. Our results further highlight the potential of bacteria from the Gulf of Mexico as a source of novel antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E Romero-González
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Jorge Rojas-Vargas
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Luis F Muriel-Millán
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Jaime Bustos-Martínez
- Departamento de Atención a la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco, CDMX, México
| | - Víctor H Bustamante
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Liliana Pardo-López
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
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Maharjan RP, Sullivan GJ, Adams F, Shah B, Hawkey J, Delgado N, Semenec L, Dinh H, Li L, Short F, Parkhill J, Paulsen I, Barquist L, Eijkelkamp B, Cain A. DksA is a conserved master regulator of stress response in Acinetobacter baumannii. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:6101-6119. [PMID: 37158230 PMCID: PMC10325922 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Coordination of bacterial stress response mechanisms is critical for long-term survival in harsh environments for successful host infection. The general and specific stress responses of well-studied Gram-negative pathogens like Escherichia coli are controlled by alternative sigma factors, archetypically RpoS. The deadly hospital pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii is notoriously resistant to environmental stresses, yet it lacks RpoS, and the molecular mechanisms driving this incredible stress tolerance remain poorly defined. Here, using functional genomics, we identified the transcriptional regulator DksA as a master regulator for broad stress protection and virulence in A. baumannii. Transcriptomics, phenomics and in vivo animal studies revealed that DksA controls ribosomal protein expression, metabolism, mutation rates, desiccation, antibiotic resistance, and host colonization in a niche-specific manner. Phylogenetically, DksA was highly conserved and well-distributed across Gammaproteobacteria, with 96.6% containing DksA, spanning 88 families. This study lays the groundwork for understanding DksA as a major regulator of general stress response and virulence in this important pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram P Maharjan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Geraldine J Sullivan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Felise G Adams
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Bhumika S Shah
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Jane Hawkey
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Natasha Delgado
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Lucie Semenec
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Hue Dinh
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Liping Li
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Francesca L Short
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC3800, Australia
| | - Julian Parkhill
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK
| | - Ian T Paulsen
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Lars Barquist
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080Würzburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, 97080Würzburg, Germany
| | - Bart A Eijkelkamp
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Amy K Cain
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
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Taha M, Arnaud T, Lightly TJ, Peters D, Wang L, Chen W, Cook BWM, Theriault SS, Abdelbary H. Combining bacteriophage and vancomycin is efficacious against MRSA biofilm-like aggregates formed in synovial fluid. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1134912. [PMID: 37359001 PMCID: PMC10289194 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1134912] [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: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Biofilm formation is a major clinical challenge contributing to treatment failure of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Lytic bacteriophages (phages) can target biofilm associated bacteria at localized sites of infection. The aim of this study is to investigate whether combination therapy of phage and vancomycin is capable of clearing Staphylococcus aureus biofilm-like aggregates formed in human synovial fluid. Methods In this study, S. aureus BP043, a PJI clinical isolate was utilized. This strain is a methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) biofilm-former. Phage Remus, known to infect S. aureus, was selected for the treatment protocol. BP043 was grown as aggregates in human synovial fluid. The characterization of S. aureus aggregates was assessed for structure and size using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and flow cytometry, respectively. Moreover, the formed aggregates were subsequently treated in vitro with: (a) phage Remus [∼108 plaque-forming units (PFU)/ml], (b) vancomycin (500 μg/ml), or (c) phage Remus (∼108 PFU/ml) followed by vancomycin (500 μg/ml), for 48 h. Bacterial survival was quantified by enumeration [colony-forming units (CFU)/ml]. The efficacy of phage and vancomycin against BP043 aggregates was assessed in vivo as individual treatments and in combination. The in vivo model utilized Galleria mellonella larvae which were infected with BP043 aggregates pre-formed in synovial fluid. Results Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and flow cytometry data demonstrated the ability of human synovial fluid to promote formation of S. aureus aggregates. Treatment with Remus resulted in significant reduction in viable S. aureus residing within the synovial fluid aggregates compared to the aggregates that did not receive Remus (p < 0.0001). Remus was more efficient in eliminating viable bacteria within the aggregates compared to vancomycin (p < 0.0001). Combination treatment of Remus followed by vancomycin was more efficacious in reducing bacterial load compared to using either Remus or vancomycin alone (p = 0.0023, p < 0.0001, respectively). When tested in vivo, this combination treatment also resulted in the highest survival rate (37%) 96 h post-treatment, compared to untreated larvae (3%; p < 0.0001). Conclusion We demonstrate that combining phage Remus and vancomycin led to synergistic interaction against MRSA biofilm-like aggregates in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Taha
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Orthopedic Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Tia Arnaud
- Cytophage Technologies Inc., Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | | | - Danielle Peters
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Liyuan Wang
- Cell Biology and Image Acquisition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Wangxue Chen
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | | | - Steven S. Theriault
- Cytophage Technologies Inc., Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Hesham Abdelbary
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Orthopedic Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Bugyna L, Kendra S, Bujdáková H. Galleria mellonella-A Model for the Study of aPDT-Prospects and Drawbacks. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1455. [PMID: 37374956 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Galleria mellonella is a promising in vivo model insect used for microbiological, medical, and pharmacological research. It provides a platform for testing the biocompatibility of various compounds and the kinetics of survival after an infection followed by subsequent treatment, and for the evaluation of various parameters during treatment, including the host-pathogen interaction. There are some similarities in the development of pathologies with mammals. However, a limitation is the lack of adaptive immune response. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is an alternative approach for combating microbial infections, including biofilm-associated ones. aPDT is effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, regardless of whether they are resistant to conventional treatment. The main idea of this comprehensive review was to collect information on the use of G. mellonella in aPDT. It provides a collection of references published in the last 10 years from this area of research, complemented by some practical experiences of the authors of this review. Additionally, the review summarizes in brief information on the G. mellonella model, its advantages and methods used in the processing of material from these larvae, as well as basic knowledge of the principles of aPDT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larysa Bugyna
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Virology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovicova 6, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Samuel Kendra
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Virology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovicova 6, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Helena Bujdáková
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Virology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovicova 6, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Budziaszek J, Pilarczyk-Zurek M, Dobosz E, Kozinska A, Nowicki D, Obszanska K, Szalewska-Pałasz A, Kern-Zdanowicz I, Sitkiewicz I, Koziel J. Studies of Streptococcus anginosus Virulence in Dictyostelium discoideum and Galleria mellonella Models. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0001623. [PMID: 37097148 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00016-23] [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: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
For many years, Streptococcus anginosus has been considered a commensal colonizing the oral cavity, as well as the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. However, recent epidemiological and clinical data designate this bacterium as an emerging opportunistic pathogen. Despite the reported pathogenicity of S. anginosus, the molecular mechanism underpinning its virulence is poorly described. Therefore, our goal was to develop and optimize efficient and simple infection models that can be applied to examine the virulence of S. anginosus and to study host-pathogen interactions. Using 23 S. anginosus isolates collected from different infections, including severe and superficial infections, as well as an attenuated strain devoid of CppA, we demonstrate for the first time that Dictyostelium discoideum is a suitable model for initial, fast, and large-scale screening of virulence. Furthermore, we found that another nonvertebrate animal model, Galleria mellonella, can be used to study the pathogenesis of S. anginosus infection, with an emphasis on the interactions between the pathogen and host innate immunity. Examining the profile of immune defense genes, including antimicrobial peptides, opsonins, regulators of nodulation, and inhibitors of proteases, by quantitative PCR (qPCR) we identified different immune response profiles depending on the S. anginosus strain. Using these models, we show that S. anginosus is resistant to the bactericidal activity of phagocytes, a phenomenon confirmed using human neutrophils. Notably, since we found that the data from these models corresponded to the clinical severity of infection, we propose their further application to studies of the virulence of S. anginosus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Budziaszek
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Magdalena Pilarczyk-Zurek
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Ewelina Dobosz
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Kozinska
- Department of Drug Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, National Medicines Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dariusz Nowicki
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Obszanska
- Department of Drug Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, National Medicines Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | - Izabela Sitkiewicz
- Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Koziel
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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De Jesus DFF, De Freitas ALD, De Oliveira IM, De Almeida LC, Bastos RW, Spadari CDC, Melo ASDA, Santos DDA, Costa-Lotufo LV, Reis FCG, Rodrigues ML, Stefani HA, Ishida K. Organoselenium Has a Potent Fungicidal Effect on Cryptococcus neoformans and Inhibits the Virulence Factors. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0075922. [PMID: 36815840 PMCID: PMC10019174 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00759-22] [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: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcosis therapy is often limited by toxicity problems, antifungal tolerance, and high costs. Studies approaching chalcogen compounds, especially those containing selenium, have shown promising antifungal activity against pathogenic species. This work aimed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antifungal potential of organoselenium compounds against Cryptococcus neoformans. The lead compound LQA_78 had an inhibitory effect on C. neoformans planktonic cells and dispersed cells from mature biofilms at similar concentrations. The fungal growth inhibition led to an increase in budding cells arrested in the G2/M phase, but the compound did not significantly affect structural cell wall components or chitinase activity, an enzyme that regulates the dynamics of the cell wall. The compound also inhibited titan cell (Tc) and enlarged capsule yeast (NcC) growth and reduced the body diameter and capsule thickness associated with increased capsular permeability of both virulent morphotypes. LQA_78 also reduced fungal melanization through laccase activity inhibition. The fungicidal activity was observed at higher concentrations (16 to 64 μg/mL) and may be associated with augmented plasma membrane permeability, ROS production, and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. While LQA_78 is a nonhemolytic compound, its cytotoxic effects were cell type dependent, exhibiting no toxicity on Galleria mellonella larvae at a dose ≤46.5 mg/kg. LQA_78 treatment of larvae infected with C. neoformans effectively reduced the fungal burden and inhibited virulent morphotype formation. To conclude, LQA_78 displays fungicidal action and inhibits virulence factors of C. neoformans. Our results highlight the potential use of LQA_78 as a lead molecule for developing novel pharmaceuticals for treating cryptococcosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Rafael Wesley Bastos
- Center of Biosciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Brazil
| | | | | | - Daniel de Assis Santos
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Flavia C. G. Reis
- Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Curitiba, Brazil
- Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcio L. Rodrigues
- Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Curitiba, Brazil
- Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Kelly Ishida
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Serrano I, Verdial C, Tavares L, Oliveira M. The Virtuous Galleria mellonella Model for Scientific Experimentation. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12030505. [PMID: 36978373 PMCID: PMC10044286 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12030505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The first research on the insect Galleria mellonella was published 85 years ago, and the larva is now widely used as a model to study infections caused by bacterial and fungal pathogens, for screening new antimicrobials, to study the adjacent immune response in co-infections or in host-pathogen interaction, as well as in a toxicity model. The immune system of the G. mellonella model shows remarkable similarities with mammals. Furthermore, results from G. mellonella correlate positively with mammalian models and with other invertebrate models. Unlike other invertebrate models, G. mellonella can withstand temperatures of 37 °C, and its handling and experimental procedures are simpler. Despite having some disadvantages, G. mellonella is a virtuous in vivo model to be used in preclinical studies, as an intermediate model between in vitro and mammalian in vivo studies, and is a great example on how to apply the bioethics principle of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) in animal experimentation. This review aims to discuss the progress of the G. mellonella model, highlighting the key aspects of its use, including experimental design considerations and the necessity to standardize them. A different score in the “cocoon” category included in the G. mellonella Health Index Scoring System is also proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isa Serrano
- CIISA—Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
- Correspondence:
| | - Cláudia Verdial
- CIISA—Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Luís Tavares
- CIISA—Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Manuela Oliveira
- CIISA—Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
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Semenec L, Cain AK, Dawson CJ, Liu Q, Dinh H, Lott H, Penesyan A, Maharjan R, Short FL, Hassan KA, Paulsen IT. Cross-protection and cross-feeding between Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii promotes their co-existence. Nat Commun 2023; 14:702. [PMID: 36759602 PMCID: PMC9911699 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36252-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae are opportunistic pathogens frequently co-isolated from polymicrobial infections. The infections where these pathogens co-exist can be more severe and recalcitrant to therapy than infections caused by either species alone, however there is a lack of knowledge on their potential synergistic interactions. In this study we characterise the genomes of A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae strains co-isolated from a single human lung infection. We examine various aspects of their interactions through transcriptomic, phenomic and phenotypic assays that form a basis for understanding their effects on antimicrobial resistance and virulence during co-infection. Using co-culturing and analyses of secreted metabolites, we discover the ability of K. pneumoniae to cross-feed A. baumannii by-products of sugar fermentation. Minimum inhibitory concentration testing of mono- and co-cultures reveals the ability for A. baumannii to cross-protect K. pneumoniae against the cephalosporin, cefotaxime. Our study demonstrates distinct syntrophic interactions occur between A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae, helping to elucidate the basis for their co-existence in polymicrobial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Semenec
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Amy K Cain
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Catherine J Dawson
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Qi Liu
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Hue Dinh
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Hannah Lott
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Anahit Penesyan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Ram Maharjan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Francesca L Short
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Karl A Hassan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia.
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
| | - Ian T Paulsen
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia.
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia.
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The Cell Wall Deacetylases Spy1094 and Spy1370 Contribute to Streptococcus pyogenes Virulence. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020305. [PMID: 36838272 PMCID: PMC9966966 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020305] [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: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pyogenes, or Group A Streptococcus (GAS), is a strictly human pathogen that causes a wide range of diseases, including skin and soft tissue infections, toxic shock syndrome and acute rheumatic fever. We have recently reported that Spy1094 and Spy1370 of S. pyogenes serotype M1 are N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) deacetylases. We have generated spy1094 and spy1370 gene deletion mutants in S. pyogenes and gain-of-function mutants in Lactococcus lactis. Similar to other cell wall deacetylases, our results show that Spy1094 and Spy1370 confer lysozyme-resistance. Furthermore, deletion of the genes decreased S. pyogenes virulence in a human whole blood killing assay and a Galleria mellonella (Greater wax moth) larvae infection model. Expression of the two genes in L. lactis resulted in increased lysozyme resistance and survival in whole human blood, and reduced survival of infected G. mellonella larvae. Deletion of the spy1370, but not the spy1094 gene, decreased resistance to the cationic antimicrobial peptide cecropin B, whereas both enzymes increased biofilm formation, probably resulting from the increase in positive charges due to deacetylation of the cell wall. In conclusion, Spy1094 and Spy1370 are important S. pyogenes virulence factors and might represent attractive targets for the development of antibacterial agents.
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Pokhrel A, Dinh H, Li L, Hassan KA, Cain AK, Paulsen IT. Identification of a Novel LysR Family Transcriptional Regulator Controlling Acquisition of Sulfur Sources in Acinetobacter baumannii. Microb Physiol 2023; 33:27-35. [PMID: 36626888 DOI: 10.1159/000529038] [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: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
l-cysteine biosynthesis from inorganic sulfur represents a major mechanism by which reduced sulfur is incorporated into organic compounds. Cysteine biosynthesis and regulation is well characterized in Escherichia coli. However, the regulation of sulfur metabolism in Acinetobacter baumannii is only partly understood, with the LysR-type regulator, GigC known to control some aspects of sulfur reduction. In this study, we have used transcriptomics and bioinformatic analyses to characterize a novel LysR-type transcriptional regulator encoded by ABUW_1016 (cbl), in a highly multidrug resistant and virulent isolate of A. baumannii. We have shown that Cbl is involved in controlling expression of the genes required for uptake and reduction of various sulfur sources in A. baumannii. Collectively, we have identified the global regulon of Cbl and proposed a model of cysteine biosynthesis and its regulation by Cbl and GigC in A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaska Pokhrel
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia,
| | - Hue Dinh
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Liping Li
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Karl A Hassan
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Amy K Cain
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ian T Paulsen
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Elizalde-Bielsa A, Aragón-Aranda B, Loperena-Barber M, Salvador-Bescós M, Moriyón I, Zúñiga-Ripa A, Conde-Álvarez R. Development and evaluation of the Galleria mellonella (greater wax moth) infection model to study Brucella host-pathogen interaction. Microb Pathog 2023; 174:105930. [PMID: 36496059 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Brucella. These pathogens cause long-lasting infections, a process in which Brucella modifications in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and envelope lipids reduce pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) recognition, thus hampering innate immunity activation. In vivo models are essential to investigate bacterial virulence, mice being the most used model. However, ethical and practical considerations impede their use in high-throughput screening studies. Although lacking the complexity of the mammalian immune system, insects share key-aspects of innate immunity with mammals, and Galleria mellonella has been used increasingly as a model. G. mellonella larvae have been shown useful in virulence analyses, including Gram-negative pathogens like Klebsiella pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila. To assess its potential to study Brucella virulence, we first evaluated larva survival upon infection with representative Brucella species (i.e.B. abortus 2308W, B. microti CCM4915 and B. suis biovar 2) and mutants in the VirB type-IV secretion system (T4SS) or in the LPS-O-polysaccharide (O-PS). As compared to K.pneumoniae, the Brucella spp. tested induced a delayed and less severe mortality profile consistent with an escape of innate immunity detection. Brucella replication within larvae was affected by the lack of O-PS, which is reminiscent of their attenuation in natural hosts. On the contrary, replication was not affected by T4SS dysfunction and the mutant induced only slightly less mortality (not statistically significant) than its parental strain. We also evaluated G. mellonella to efficiently recognise Brucella and their LPS by quantification of the pro-phenoloxidase system and melanisation activation, using Pseudomonas LPS as a positive control. Among the brucellae, only B. microti LPS triggered an early-melanisation response consistent with the slightly increased endotoxicity of this species in mice. Therefore, G. mellonella represents a tool to screen for potential Brucella factors modulating innate immunity, but its usefulness to investigate other mechanisms relevant in Brucella intracellular life is limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aitor Elizalde-Bielsa
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain
| | - Beatriz Aragón-Aranda
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain
| | - Maite Loperena-Barber
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain
| | - Miriam Salvador-Bescós
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain
| | - Ignacio Moriyón
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain
| | - Amaia Zúñiga-Ripa
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain
| | - Raquel Conde-Álvarez
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain.
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Tan MF, Tan J, Zhang FF, Li HQ, Ji HY, Fang SP, Wu CC, Rao YL, Zeng YB, Yang Q. Exogenous glycogen utilization effects the transcriptome and pathogenicity of Streptococcus suis serotype 2. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:938286. [DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.938286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2) is an important zoonotic pathogen that causes severe infections in humans and the swine industry. Acquisition and utilization of available carbon sources from challenging host environments is necessary for bacterial pathogens to ensure growth and proliferation. Glycogen is abundant in mammalian body and may support the growth of SS2 during infection in hosts. However, limited information is known about the mechanism between the glycogen utilization and host adaptation of SS2. Here, the pleiotropic effects of exogenous glycogen on SS2 were investigated through transcriptome sequencing. Analysis of transcriptome data showed that the main basic metabolic pathways, especially the core carbon metabolism pathways and virulence-associated factors, of SS2 responded actively to glycogen induction. Glycogen induction led to the perturbation of the glycolysis pathway and citrate cycle, but promoted the pentose phosphate pathway and carbohydrate transport systems. Extracellular glycogen utilization also promoted the mixed-acid fermentation in SS2 rather than homolactic fermentation. Subsequently, apuA, a gene encoding the unique bifunctional amylopullulanase for glycogen degradation, was deleted from the wild type and generated the mutant strain ΔapuA. The pathogenicity details of the wild type and ΔapuA cultured in glucose and glycogen were investigated and compared. Results revealed that the capsule synthesis or bacterial morphology were not affected by glycogen incubation or apuA deletion. However, extracellular glycogen utilization significantly enhanced the hemolytic activity, adhesion and invasion ability, and lethality of SS2. The deletion of apuA also impaired the pathogenicity of bacteria cultured in glucose, indicating that ApuA is indeed an important virulence factor. Our results revealed that exogenous glycogen utilization extensively influenced the expression profile of the S. suis genome. Based on the transcriptome response, exogenous glycogen utilization promoted the carbon adaption and pathogenicity of SS2.
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Sannomiya M, Rodrigues CM, Oliveira GCA, Carvalho JCS, da Costa LS, Spadari CDC, Ferreira MJP, Vilegas W, Ishida K. Galloylquinic acid derivatives from Byrsonima fagifolia leaf extract and potential antifungal activity. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2022; 297:115534. [PMID: 35842178 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Byrsonima fagifolia Niedenzu (Malpighiaceae) and other Byrsonima species are popularly employed in Brazilian traditional medicine in the form of preparations as cicatrizing, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. AIM OF THE STUDY To characterize the phytochemical profile of the hydromethanolic extract obtained from B. fagifolia leaves (BF extract) and to evaluate the toxicity and the antifungal activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS The compounds from BF extract were isolated by HPLC and the structures were elucidated based on extensive analyses of 1D and 2D NMR spectra (HMQC, HMBC and COSY) data. The antifungal effect was determined by the broth microdilution method and the toxicity was evaluated on erythrocytes from sheep's blood and Galleria mellonella larvae. RESULTS Phytochemical investigation of the BF extract led to the isolation and characterization of pyrogallol, n-butyl gallate, 3,4-di-O-galloylquinic acid, 3,5-di-O-galloylquinic acid, 3,4,5-tri-O-galloylquinic acid, and 1,3,4,5-tetra-O-galloylquinic acid. The BF extract showed high content of galloylquinic acid derivatives reaching more than twenty-times the quercetin derivatives content, according to the quantification by HPLC. These galloylquinic acid derivatives, obtained during this study, and quercetin derivatives, previously isolated, were submitted to the antifungal assays. The BF extract inhibited yeast growth mainly against Cryptococcus spp., at concentrations of 1-16 μg/mL, comparable to isolated compounds galloylquinic acid derivatives. However, the quercetin derivatives as well as quinic acid, gallic acid, and methyl gallate showed lower antifungal effect compared with galloylquinic derivatives. In addition, the BF extract had no hemolytic effect and no toxicity on G. mellonella. CONCLUSION The phytochemical analysis revealed that galloylquinic acid derivatives are the major compounds in the leaves of B. fagifolia and they are associated to anti-cryptococcal activity and presented reduced toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Sannomiya
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
| | - Clenilson Martins Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Biomass and Biofuels, Embrapa Agroenergy, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Brasília/DF, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Letícia Serafim da Costa
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
| | - Cristina de Castro Spadari
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
| | | | - Wagner Vilegas
- Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Coastal Campus of São Vicente/SP, Brazil.
| | - Kelly Ishida
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
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Ramalho SR, de Cássia Orlandi Sardi J, Júnior EC, Marchetto R, Wender H, Vargas LFP, de Miranda A, Almeida CV, de Oliveira Almeida LH, de Oliveira CFR, Macedo MLR. The synthetic antimicrobial peptide IKR18 displays anti-infectious properties in Galleria mellonella in vivo model. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2022; 1866:130244. [PMID: 36162730 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2022.130244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising tools for developing new antibiotics. We described the design of IKR18, an AMP designed with the aid of computational tools. IKR18 showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). CD studies revealed that IKR18 assumes an alpha-helical structure in the membrane-mimetic environment. The action mechanism IKR18 involves damage to the bacteria membrane, as demonstrated by Sytox green uptake. Furthermore, IKR18 displayed synergic and additive effects in combination with antibiotics ciprofloxacin and vancomycin. The peptide showed anti-biofilm activity in concentration and efficiency compared with commercial antibiotics, involving the direct death of bacteria, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The anti-infective activity of IKR18 was demonstrated in the Galleria mellonella model infected with S. aureus, MRSA, and Acinetobacter baumannii. The novel bioinspired peptide, IKR18, proved to be effective in the control of bacterial infection, opening opportunities for the development of further assays, including preclinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suellen Rodrigues Ramalho
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, FACFAN, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Janaina de Cássia Orlandi Sardi
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, FACFAN, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Edson Crusca Júnior
- Instituto de Química, Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Tecnológica, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Reinaldo Marchetto
- Instituto de Química, Departamento de Bioquímica e Química Tecnológica, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Heberton Wender
- Laboratório de Nanomateriais e Nanotecnologia Aplicada (LNNA), Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Luiz Felipe Plaça Vargas
- Laboratório de Nanomateriais e Nanotecnologia Aplicada (LNNA), Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Antonio de Miranda
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Claudiane Vilharroel Almeida
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, FACFAN, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Luís Henrique de Oliveira Almeida
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, FACFAN, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Caio Fernando Ramalho de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, FACFAN, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Maria Lígia Rodrigues Macedo
- Laboratório de Purificação de Proteínas e suas Funções Biológicas, FACFAN, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil.
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Gao T, Ye F, Tan Y, Peng M, Yuan F, Liu Z, Zhou D, Yang K, Liu W, Guo R, Zhang T, Zheng L, Zhou R, Tian Y. Metabolomics and proteomics analyses revealed mechanistic insights on the antimicrobial activity of epigallocatechin gallate against Streptococcus suis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:973282. [PMID: 36204637 PMCID: PMC9531131 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.973282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a highly virulent zoonotic pathogen and causes severe economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. Public health security is also threatened by the rapidly growing antimicrobial resistance in S. suis. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new and safe antibacterial alternatives against S. suis. The green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) with a number of potential health benefits is known for its antibacterial effect; however, the mechanism of its bactericidal action remains unclear. In the present, EGCG at minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) showed significant inhibitory effects on S. suis growth, hemolytic activity, and biofilm formation, and caused damage to S. suis cells in vitro. EGCG also reduced S. suis pathogenicity in Galleria mellonella larvae in vivo. Metabolomics and proteomics analyses were performed to investigate the underlying mechanism of antibacterial activity of EGCG at MIC. Many differentially expressed proteins involved in DNA replication, synthesis of cell wall, and cell membrane, and virulence were down-regulated after the treatment of S. suis with EGCG. EGCG not only significantly reduced the hemolytic activity of S. suis but also down-regulated the expression of suilysin (Sly). The top three shared KEGG pathways between metabolomics and proteomics analysis were ABC transporters, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. Taken together, these data suggest that EGCG could be a potential phytochemical compound for treating S. suis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Gao
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Pathogenic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Fei Ye
- Institute of Fruit and Tea, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiqing Tan
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Pathogenic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Pig disease prevention and control center, Cooperative Innovation Center of Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingzheng Peng
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Pathogenic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Pig disease prevention and control center, Cooperative Innovation Center of Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, China
| | - Fangyan Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Pathogenic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Zewen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Pathogenic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Danna Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Pathogenic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Keli Yang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Pathogenic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Pathogenic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Guo
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Pathogenic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Tengfei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Pathogenic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Lin Zheng
- Institute of Fruit and Tea, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Pig disease prevention and control center, Cooperative Innovation Center of Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Yongxiang Tian, ; Rui Zhou,
| | - Yongxiang Tian
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Pathogenic Microbiology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Yongxiang Tian, ; Rui Zhou,
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Meccatti VM, Figueiredo-Godoi LMA, Pereira TC, de Lima PMN, Abu Hasna A, Senna LB, Marcucci MC, Junqueira JC, de Oliveira LD. The biocompatibility and antifungal effect of Rosmarinus officinalis against Candida albicans in Galleria mellonella model. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15611. [PMID: 36114199 PMCID: PMC9481548 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19425-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was performed to evaluate the biocompatibility and antifungal effect of Rosmarinus officinalis against Candida albicans in Galleria mellonella model. Five different concentrations of R. officinalis glycolic extract (50; 25; 12.5 e 6.25 mg/mL) were used to evaluate its biocompatibility in G. mellonella model, in which the nystatin suspension (100; 50; 25; 12.5 e 6.25%) was used as a control group. The antifungal action of R. officinalis glycolic extract was evaluated on C. albicans for 72, 48 and 12 h at two different phases: (1) using the extract as therapeutic agent; and (2) using the extract as prophylactic agent. PBS was used as a negative control group. G. mellonella survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan–Meier method and statistical analysis was performed using the log-rank test (Mantel–Cox) and the significance level was set at (α ≤ 0.05). There was no significant difference among the groups in which all were biocompatible except of a significant death rate of 26.6% with nystatin 100%. In phase 1, it was found that after 7 days, there was no statistically significant difference among the prophylactic treatment groups. In phase 2, the groups of R. officinalis 6.25 mg/mL for 72 h and R. officinalis of 12.5 mg/mL for 24 h promoted the survival rate of the larvae in comparison with the control group with a significant difference (p = 0.017) and (p = 0.032) respectively. Therefore, R. officinalis extract is biocompatible in different concentrations and can be used as a prophylactic agent against fungal infection.
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46
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El Haddad L, Angelidakis G, Clark JR, Mendoza JF, Terwilliger AL, Chaftari CP, Duna M, Yusuf ST, Harb CP, Stibich M, Maresso A, Chemaly RF. Genomic and Functional Characterization of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci-Specific Bacteriophages in the Galleria mellonella Wax Moth Larvae Model. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1591. [PMID: 36015218 PMCID: PMC9414631 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14081591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Phages are naturally occurring viruses that selectively kill bacterial species without disturbing the individual's normal flora, averting the collateral damage of antimicrobial usage. The safety and the effectiveness of phages have been mainly confirmed in the food industry as well as in animal models. In this study, we report on the successful isolation of phages specific to Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, including Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) and Enterococcus faecalis from sewage samples, and demonstrate their efficacy and safety for VREfm infection in the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella model. No virulence-associated genes, antibiotic resistance genes or integrases were detected in the phages' genomes, rendering them safe to be used in an in vivo model. Phages may be considered as potential agents for therapy for bacterial infections secondary to multidrug-resistant organisms such as VREfm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn El Haddad
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (L.E.H.); (J.F.M.)
| | - Georgios Angelidakis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
| | - Justin R. Clark
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.R.C.); (A.L.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Jesus F. Mendoza
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (L.E.H.); (J.F.M.)
| | - Austen L. Terwilliger
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.R.C.); (A.L.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Christopher P. Chaftari
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
| | - Mark Duna
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
| | - Serena T. Yusuf
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
| | - Cynthia P. Harb
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
| | - Mark Stibich
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
- Xenex Disinfection Services, San Antonio, TX 78216, USA
| | - Anthony Maresso
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.R.C.); (A.L.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Roy F. Chemaly
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
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47
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Pinto SN, Mil-Homens D, Pires RF, Alves MM, Serafim G, Martinho N, Melo M, Fialho AM, Bonifácio VDB. Core-shell polycationic polyurea pharmadendrimers: new-generation of sustainable broad-spectrum antibiotics and antifungals. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:5197-5207. [PMID: 35880970 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm00679k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The efficacy of conventional antimicrobials is falling to critical levels and raising alarming concerns around the globe. In this scenery, engineered nanoparticles emerged as a solid strategy to fight growing deadly infections. Here, we show the in vitro and in vivo performance of pharmadendrimers, a novel class of engineered polyurea dendrimers that are synthetic mimics of antibacterial peptides, against a collection of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. These nanobiomaterials are stable solids prepared by low-cost and green processes, display a dense positively charged core-shell, and are biocompatible and hemocompatible drugs. Mechanistic data, corroborated by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, points towards a fast-killing mechanism via membrane disruption, triggered by electrostatic interactions. Altogether this study provides strong evidence and support for the future use of polyurea pharmadendrimers in antibacterial and antifungal nanotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra N Pinto
- iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Dalila Mil-Homens
- iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Rita F Pires
- iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Marta M Alves
- Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE), Institute of Molecular Sciences, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Gabriel Serafim
- iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Nuno Martinho
- iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Manuel Melo
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química Biológica António Xavier, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Arsénio M Fialho
- iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal. .,Bioengineering Department, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Vasco D B Bonifácio
- iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal. .,Bioengineering Department, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
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Methods for Using the Galleria mellonella Invertebrate Model to Probe Enterococcus faecalis Pathogenicity. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2427:177-183. [PMID: 35619034 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1971-1_15] [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: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The Enterococci, mainly Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium, are ubiquitous members of the human gastrointestinal tract consortia but also a leading cause of opportunistic infections. The global rise in human-associated enterococcal infections, often caused by multidrug resistant strains, highlights an urgent need to identify the bacterial factors contributing to its pathogenicity such that new therapies can be devised. The use of the Galleria mellonella (greater wax moth) larvae, commonly known as wax worm, as a model to study host-pathogen interactions has allowed the identification and characterization of numerous bacterial factors that contribute to disease in humans, serving both as an alternative and complementary approach to mammalian models. Here, we describe the methods for using G. mellonella to characterize the virulence factors of E. faecalis.
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49
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Figueiredo-Godoi LMA, Garcia MT, Pinto JG, Ferreira-Strixino J, Faustino EG, Pedroso LLC, Junqueira JC. Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy Mediated by Fotenticine and Methylene Blue on Planktonic Growth, Biofilms, and Burn Infections of Acinetobacter baumannii. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11050619. [PMID: 35625263 PMCID: PMC9137570 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11050619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is considered a promising alternative strategy to control Acinetobacter baumannii infections. In this study, we evaluated the action of aPDT mediated by a new photosensitizer derivative from chlorin e-6 (Fotoenticine—FTC) on A. baumannii, comparing its effects with methylene blue (MB). For this, aPDT was applied on A. baumannii in planktonic growth, biofilms, and burn infections in Galleria mellonella. The absorption of FTC and MB by bacterial cells was also evaluated using microscopic and spectrophotometric analysis. The results of planktonic cultures showed that aPDT reduced the number of viable cells compared to the non-treated group for the reference and multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains. These reductions varied from 1.4 to 2 log10 CFU for FTC and from 2 log10 CFU to total inhibition for MB. In biofilms, aPDT with MB reduced 3.9 log10 CFU of A. baumannii, whereas FTC had no effect on the cell counts. In G. mellonella, only MB-mediated aPDT had antimicrobial activity on burn injuries, increasing the larvae survival by 35%. Both photosensitizers were internalized by bacterial cells, but MB showed a higher absorption compared to FTC. In conclusion, MB had greater efficacy than FTC as a photosensitizer in aPDT against A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lívia M. A. Figueiredo-Godoi
- Institute of Science and Technology (ICT), São Paulo State University (Unesp), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil; (M.T.G.); (E.G.F.); (L.L.C.P.); (J.C.J.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Maíra T. Garcia
- Institute of Science and Technology (ICT), São Paulo State University (Unesp), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil; (M.T.G.); (E.G.F.); (L.L.C.P.); (J.C.J.)
| | - Juliana G. Pinto
- Photobiology Applied to Health (Photobios), University of Vale of Paraiba/UNIVAP, São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12244-000, Brazil; (J.G.P.); (J.F.-S.)
| | - Juliana Ferreira-Strixino
- Photobiology Applied to Health (Photobios), University of Vale of Paraiba/UNIVAP, São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12244-000, Brazil; (J.G.P.); (J.F.-S.)
| | - Eliseu Gabriel Faustino
- Institute of Science and Technology (ICT), São Paulo State University (Unesp), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil; (M.T.G.); (E.G.F.); (L.L.C.P.); (J.C.J.)
| | - Lara Luise Castro Pedroso
- Institute of Science and Technology (ICT), São Paulo State University (Unesp), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil; (M.T.G.); (E.G.F.); (L.L.C.P.); (J.C.J.)
| | - Juliana C. Junqueira
- Institute of Science and Technology (ICT), São Paulo State University (Unesp), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil; (M.T.G.); (E.G.F.); (L.L.C.P.); (J.C.J.)
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Fan J, Zhao L, Hu Q, Li S, Li H, Zhang Q, Zou G, Zhang L, Li L, Huang Q, Zhou R. Screening for Virulence-Related Genes via a Transposon Mutant Library of Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 Using a Galleria mellonella Larvae Infection Model. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10050868. [PMID: 35630313 PMCID: PMC9143085 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10050868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a zoonotic bacterial pathogen causing lethal infections in pigs and humans. Identification of virulence-related genes (VRGs) is of great importance in understanding the pathobiology of a bacterial pathogen. To identify novel VRGs, a transposon (Tn) mutant library of S. suis strain SC19 was constructed in this study. The insertion sites of approximately 1700 mutants were identified by Tn-seq, which involved 417 different genes. A total of 32 attenuated strains were identified from the library by using a Galleria mellonella larvae infection model, and 30 novel VRGs were discovered, including transcription regulators, transporters, hypothetical proteins, etc. An isogenic deletion mutant of hxtR gene (ΔhxtR) and its complementary strain (CΔhxtR) were constructed, and their virulence was compared with the wild-type strain in G. mellonella larvae and mice, which showed that disruption of hxtR significantly attenuated the virulence. Moreover, the ΔhxtR strain displayed a reduced survival ability in whole blood, increased sensitivity to phagocytosis, increased chain length, and growth defect. Taken together, this study performed a high throughput screening for VRGs of S. suis using a G. mellonella larvae model and further characterized a novel critical virulence factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyan Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (J.F.); (L.Z.); (Q.H.); (S.L.); (H.L.); (Q.Z.); (G.Z.); (L.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Lelin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (J.F.); (L.Z.); (Q.H.); (S.L.); (H.L.); (Q.Z.); (G.Z.); (L.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Qiao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (J.F.); (L.Z.); (Q.H.); (S.L.); (H.L.); (Q.Z.); (G.Z.); (L.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Siqi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (J.F.); (L.Z.); (Q.H.); (S.L.); (H.L.); (Q.Z.); (G.Z.); (L.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Haotian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (J.F.); (L.Z.); (Q.H.); (S.L.); (H.L.); (Q.Z.); (G.Z.); (L.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (J.F.); (L.Z.); (Q.H.); (S.L.); (H.L.); (Q.Z.); (G.Z.); (L.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Geng Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (J.F.); (L.Z.); (Q.H.); (S.L.); (H.L.); (Q.Z.); (G.Z.); (L.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Liangsheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (J.F.); (L.Z.); (Q.H.); (S.L.); (H.L.); (Q.Z.); (G.Z.); (L.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Lu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (J.F.); (L.Z.); (Q.H.); (S.L.); (H.L.); (Q.Z.); (G.Z.); (L.Z.); (L.L.)
- International Research Center for Animal Disease (Ministry of Science & Technology of China), Wuhan 430070, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Qi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (J.F.); (L.Z.); (Q.H.); (S.L.); (H.L.); (Q.Z.); (G.Z.); (L.Z.); (L.L.)
- International Research Center for Animal Disease (Ministry of Science & Technology of China), Wuhan 430070, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
- Correspondence: (Q.H.); (R.Z.)
| | - Rui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (J.F.); (L.Z.); (Q.H.); (S.L.); (H.L.); (Q.Z.); (G.Z.); (L.Z.); (L.L.)
- International Research Center for Animal Disease (Ministry of Science & Technology of China), Wuhan 430070, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
- The HZAU-HVSEN Research Institute, Wuhan 430042, China
- Correspondence: (Q.H.); (R.Z.)
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