1
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Velappan N, Biryukov SS, Rill NO, Klimko CP, Rosario-Acevedo R, Shoe JL, Hunter M, Dankmeyer JL, Fetterer DP, Bedinger D, Phipps ME, Watt AJ, Abergel RJ, Dichosa A, Kozimor SA, Cote CK, Lillo AM. Characterization of two affinity matured Anti-Yersinia pestis F1 human antibodies with medical countermeasure potential. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305034. [PMID: 38954719 PMCID: PMC11218954 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305034] [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: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague and a biological threat agent, presents an urgent need for novel medical countermeasures due to documented cases of naturally acquired antibiotic resistance and potential person-to-person spread during a pneumonic infection. Immunotherapy has been proposed as a way to circumvent current and future antibiotic resistance. Here, we describe the development and characterization of two affinity matured human antibodies (αF1Ig AM2 and αF1Ig AM8) that promote survival of mice after exposure to aerosolized Y. pestis. We share details of the error prone PCR and yeast display technology-based affinity maturation process that we used. The resultant matured antibodies have nanomolar affinity for Y. pestis F1 antigen, are produced in high yield, and are resilient to 37°C stress for up to 6 months. Importantly, in vitro assays using a murine macrophage cell line demonstrated that αF1Ig AM2 and αF1Ig AM8 are opsonic. Even more importantly, in vivo studies using pneumonic plague mouse models showed that 100% of the mice receiving 500 μg of IgGs αF1Ig AM2 and αF1Ig AM8 survived lethal challenge with aerosolized Y. pestis CO92. Combined, these results provide evidence of the quality and robustness of αF1Ig AM2 and αF1Ig AM8 and support their development as potential medical countermeasures against plague.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nileena Velappan
- Biosciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States of America
| | - Sergei S. Biryukov
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Nathaniel O. Rill
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Christopher P. Klimko
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Raysa Rosario-Acevedo
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Jennifer L. Shoe
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Melissa Hunter
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Jennifer L. Dankmeyer
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - David P. Fetterer
- Biostatisitics Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | | | - Mary E. Phipps
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Center Alamos for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos, NM, United States of America
| | - Austin J. Watt
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Rebecca J. Abergel
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
| | - Armand Dichosa
- Biosciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States of America
| | - Stosh A. Kozimor
- Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States of America
| | - Christopher K. Cote
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Antonietta M. Lillo
- Biosciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States of America
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2
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Davies ML, Biryukov SS, Rill NO, Klimko CP, Hunter M, Dankmeyer JL, Miller JA, Shoe JL, Mlynek KD, Talyansky Y, Toothman RG, Qiu J, Bozue JA, Cote CK. Sex differences in immune protection in mice conferred by heterologous vaccines for pneumonic plague. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1397579. [PMID: 38835755 PMCID: PMC11148226 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1397579] [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: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Yersinia pestis is the etiological agent of plague, which can manifest as bubonic, septicemic, and/or pneumonic disease. Plague is a severe and rapidly progressing illness that can only be successfully treated with antibiotics initiated early after infection. There are no FDA-approved vaccines for plague, and some vaccine candidates may be less effective against pneumonic plague than bubonic plague. Y. pestis is not known to impact males and females differently in mechanisms of pathogenesis or severity of infection. However, one previous study reported sex-biased vaccine effectiveness after intranasal Y. pestis challenge. As part of developing a safe and effective vaccine, it is essential that potential sex differences are characterized. Methods In this study we evaluated novel vaccines in male and female BALB/c mice using a heterologous prime-boost approach and monitored survival, bacterial load in organs, and immunological correlates. Our vaccine strategy consisted of two subcutaneous immunizations, followed by challenge with aerosolized virulent nonencapsulated Y. pestis. Mice were immunized with a combination of live Y. pestis pgm- pPst-Δcaf1, live Y. pestis pgm- pPst-Δcaf1/ΔyopD, or recombinant F1-V (rF1-V) combined with adjuvants. Results The most effective vaccine regimen was initial priming with rF1-V, followed by boost with either of the live attenuated strains. However, this and other strategies were more protective in female mice. Males had higher bacterial burden and differing patterns of cytokine expression and serum antibody titers. Male mice did not demonstrate synergy between vaccination and antibiotic treatment as repeatedly observed in female mice. Conclusions This study provides new knowledge about heterologous vaccine strategies, sex differences in plague-vaccine efficacy, and the immunological factors that differ between male and female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Davies
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Sergei S Biryukov
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Nathaniel O Rill
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Christopher P Klimko
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Melissa Hunter
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer L Dankmeyer
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Jeremy A Miller
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer L Shoe
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Kevin D Mlynek
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Yuli Talyansky
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Ronald G Toothman
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Ju Qiu
- Regulated Research Administration: Biostatistics Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Joel A Bozue
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Christopher K Cote
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States
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3
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Di Maio A, Olleik H, Courvoisier-Dezord E, Guillier S, Neulat-Ripoll F, Haudecoeur R, Bolla JM, Casanova M, Cavalier JF, Canaan S, Pique V, Charmasson Y, Baydoun E, Hijazi A, Perrier J, Maresca M, Robin M. Design and Synthesis of Novel Amino and Acetamidoaurones with Antimicrobial Activities. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:300. [PMID: 38666976 PMCID: PMC11047580 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13040300] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of new and effective antimicrobial compounds is urgent due to the emergence of resistant bacteria. Natural plant flavonoids are known to be effective molecules, but their activity and selectivity have to be increased. Based on previous aurone potency, we designed new aurone derivatives bearing acetamido and amino groups at the position 5 of the A ring and managing various monosubstitutions at the B ring. A series of 31 new aurone derivatives were first evaluated for their antimicrobial activity with five derivatives being the most active (compounds 10, 12, 15, 16, and 20). The evaluation of their cytotoxicity on human cells and of their therapeutic index (TI) showed that compounds 10 and 20 had the highest TI. Finally, screening against a large panel of pathogens confirmed that compounds 10 and 20 possess large spectrum antimicrobial activity, including on bioweapon BSL3 strains, with MIC values as low as 0.78 µM. These results demonstrate that 5-acetamidoaurones are far more active and safer compared with 5-aminoaurones, and that benzyloxy and isopropyl substitutions at the B ring are the most promising strategy in the exploration of new antimicrobial aurones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attilio Di Maio
- Aix Marseille University, University Avignon, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, 13013 Marseille, France; (A.D.M.); (V.P.)
| | - Hamza Olleik
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, 13013 Marseille, France (E.C.-D.); (Y.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Elise Courvoisier-Dezord
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, 13013 Marseille, France (E.C.-D.); (Y.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Sophie Guillier
- Aix Marseille University, INSERM, SSA, MCT, 13385 Marseille, France; (S.G.); (F.N.-R.); (J.-M.B.)
| | - Fabienne Neulat-Ripoll
- Aix Marseille University, INSERM, SSA, MCT, 13385 Marseille, France; (S.G.); (F.N.-R.); (J.-M.B.)
| | | | - Jean-Michel Bolla
- Aix Marseille University, INSERM, SSA, MCT, 13385 Marseille, France; (S.G.); (F.N.-R.); (J.-M.B.)
| | - Magali Casanova
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, LISM UMR7255, IMM FR3479, 13009 Marseille, France; (M.C.); (J.-F.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Jean-François Cavalier
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, LISM UMR7255, IMM FR3479, 13009 Marseille, France; (M.C.); (J.-F.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Stéphane Canaan
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, LISM UMR7255, IMM FR3479, 13009 Marseille, France; (M.C.); (J.-F.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Valérie Pique
- Aix Marseille University, University Avignon, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, 13013 Marseille, France; (A.D.M.); (V.P.)
| | - Yolande Charmasson
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, 13013 Marseille, France (E.C.-D.); (Y.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Elias Baydoun
- Department of Biology, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107, Lebanon;
| | - Akram Hijazi
- Plateforme de Recherche et D’analyse en Sciences de L’environnement (EDST-PRASE), Beirut 1107, Lebanon;
| | - Josette Perrier
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, 13013 Marseille, France (E.C.-D.); (Y.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Marc Maresca
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, 13013 Marseille, France (E.C.-D.); (Y.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Maxime Robin
- Aix Marseille University, University Avignon, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, 13013 Marseille, France; (A.D.M.); (V.P.)
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4
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Biryukov SS, Wu H, Dankmeyer JL, Rill NO, Klimko CP, Egland KA, Shoe JL, Hunter M, Fetterer DP, Qiu J, Davies ML, Bausch CL, Sullivan EJ, Luke T, Cote CK. Polyclonal Antibodies Derived from Transchromosomic Bovines Vaccinated with the Recombinant F1-V Vaccine Increase Bacterial Opsonization In Vitro and Protect Mice from Pneumonic Plague. Antibodies (Basel) 2023; 12:antib12020033. [PMID: 37218899 DOI: 10.3390/antib12020033] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Plague is an ancient disease that continues to be of concern to both the public health and biodefense research communities. Pneumonic plague is caused by hematogenous spread of Yersinia pestis bacteria from a ruptured bubo to the lungs or by directly inhaling aerosolized bacteria. The fatality rate associated with pneumonic plague is significant unless effective antibiotic therapy is initiated soon after an early and accurate diagnosis is made. As with all bacterial pathogens, drug resistance is a primary concern when developing strategies to combat these Yersinia pestis infections in the future. While there has been significant progress in vaccine development, no FDA-approved vaccine strategy exists; thus, other medical countermeasures are needed. Antibody treatment has been shown to be effective in animal models of plague. We produced fully human polyclonal antibodies in transchromosomic bovines vaccinated with the recombinant F1-V plague vaccine. The resulting human antibodies opsonized Y. pestis bacteria in the presence of RAW264.7 cells and afforded significant protection to BALB/c mice after exposure to aerosolized Y. pestis. These data demonstrate the utility of this technology to produce large quantities of non-immunogenic anti-plague human antibodies to prevent or possibly treat pneumonic plague in human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei S Biryukov
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Hua Wu
- SAB Biotherapeutics, 2100 E 54th St. N, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA
| | - Jennifer L Dankmeyer
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Nathaniel O Rill
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Christopher P Klimko
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Kristi A Egland
- SAB Biotherapeutics, 2100 E 54th St. N, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA
| | - Jennifer L Shoe
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Melissa Hunter
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - David P Fetterer
- Biostatistics Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Ju Qiu
- Biostatistics Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Michael L Davies
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | | | - Eddie J Sullivan
- SAB Biotherapeutics, 2100 E 54th St. N, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA
| | - Thomas Luke
- SAB Biotherapeutics, 2100 E 54th St. N, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA
| | - Christopher K Cote
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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5
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Yang R, Atkinson S, Chen Z, Cui Y, Du Z, Han Y, Sebbane F, Slavin P, Song Y, Yan Y, Wu Y, Xu L, Zhang C, Zhang Y, Hinnebusch BJ, Stenseth NC, Motin VL. Yersinia pestis and Plague: some knowns and unknowns. ZOONOSES (BURLINGTON, MASS.) 2023; 3:5. [PMID: 37602146 PMCID: PMC10438918 DOI: 10.15212/zoonoses-2022-0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Since its first identification in 1894 during the third pandemic in Hong Kong, there has been significant progress of understanding the lifestyle of Yersinia pestis, the pathogen that is responsible for plague. Although we now have some understanding of the pathogen's physiology, genetics, genomics, evolution, gene regulation, pathogenesis and immunity, there are many unknown aspects of the pathogen and its disease development. Here, we focus on some of the knowns and unknowns relating to Y. pestis and plague. We notably focus on some key Y. pestis physiological and virulence traits that are important for its mammal-flea-mammal life cycle but also its emergence from the enteropathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Some aspects of the genetic diversity of Y. pestis, the distribution and ecology of plague as well as the medical countermeasures to protect our population are also provided. Lastly, we present some biosafety and biosecurity information related to Y. pestis and plague.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruifu Yang
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Steve Atkinson
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ziqi Chen
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yujun Cui
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Zongmin Du
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Yanping Han
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Florent Sebbane
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Philip Slavin
- Division of History and Politics, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LJ, UK
| | - Yajun Song
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Yanfeng Yan
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Yarong Wu
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chutian Zhang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yun Zhang
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - B. Joseph Hinnebusch
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Nils Chr. Stenseth
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Vladimir L. Motin
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
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6
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Protection Induced by Oral Vaccination with a Recombinant Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Delivering Yersinia pestis LcrV and F1 Antigens in Mice and Rats against Pneumonic Plague. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0016522. [PMID: 35900096 PMCID: PMC9387218 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00165-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A newly attenuated Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strain (designated Yptb1) with triple mutation Δasd ΔyopK ΔyopJ and chromosomal insertion of the Y. pestis caf1R-caf1M-caf1A-caf1 operon was constructed as a live vaccine platform. Yptb1 tailored with an Asd+ plasmid (pYA5199) (designated Yptb1[pYA5199]) simultaneously delivers Y. pestis LcrV and F1. The attenuated Yptb1(pYA5199) localized in the Peyer's patches, lung, spleen, and liver for a few weeks after oral immunization without causing any disease symptoms in immunized rodents. An oral prime-boost Yptb1(pYA5199) immunization stimulated potent antibody responses to LcrV, F1, and Y. pestis whole-cell lysate (YPL) in Swiss Webster mice and Brown Norway rats. The prime-boost Yptb1(pYA5199) immunization induced higher antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses in mice than a single immunization did, and it provided complete short-term and long-term protection against a high dose of intranasal Y. pestis challenge in mice. Moreover, the prime-boost immunization afforded substantial protection for Brown Norway rats against an aerosolized Y. pestis challenge. Our study highlights that Yptb1(pYA5199) has high potential as an oral vaccine candidate against pneumonic plague.
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7
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Andrianaivoarimanana V, Randriantseheno LN, Moore KM, Walker NJ, Lonsdale SG, Kempster S, Almond NA, Rajerison M, Williamson ED. Potential human immunotherapeutics for plague. IMMUNOTHERAPY ADVANCES 2021; 1:ltab020. [DOI: 10.1093/immadv/ltab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Summary
Two monoclonal antibodies directed to the V antigen of Yersinia pestis have been tested for protective efficacy in a murine model of bubonic plague. Mice were infected with a current clinical isolate from Madagascar, designated Y. pestis 10–21/S. Mab7.3, delivered to mice intra-periteoneally at either 24 h prior to, or 24 h post-infection, was fully protective, building on many studies which have demonstrated the protective efficacy of this Mab against a number of different clinical isolates of Y. pestis. Mab 29.3, delivered intra-peritoneally at either −24 h or +24 h, protected 4/5 mice in either condition; this has demonstrated the protective efficacy of this Mab in vivo for the first time. These results add to the cumulative data about Mab7.3, which is currently being humanized and highlight its potential as a human immunotherapeutic for plague, which is an enduring endemic disease in Madagascar and other regions of Africa, Asia, and South America.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kristoffer M Moore
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
| | - Nicola J Walker
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
| | - Steven G Lonsdale
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
| | - Sarah Kempster
- Division of Infectious Disease Diagnostics, NIBSC Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, UK
| | - Neil A Almond
- Division of Infectious Disease Diagnostics, NIBSC Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, UK
| | - Minoarisoa Rajerison
- Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, BP1274 Ambatofotsikely, Antananarivo-101, Madagascar
| | - E Diane Williamson
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
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8
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Biryukov S, Dankmeyer JL, Shamsuddin Z, Velez I, Rill NO, Rosario-Acevedo R, Klimko CP, Shoe JL, Hunter M, Ward MD, Cazares LH, Fetterer DP, Bozue JA, Worsham PL, Cote CK, Amemiya K. Impact of Toll-Like Receptor-Specific Agonists on the Host Immune Response to the Yersinia pestis Plague rF1V Vaccine. Front Immunol 2021; 12:726416. [PMID: 34512658 PMCID: PMC8430260 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.726416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Relatively recent advances in plague vaccinology have produced the recombinant fusion protein F1-V plague vaccine. This vaccine has been shown to readily protect mice from both bubonic and pneumonic plague. The protection afforded by this vaccine is solely based upon the immune response elicited by the F1 or V epitopes expressed on the F1-V fusion protein. Accordingly, questions remain surrounding its efficacy against infection with non-encapsulated (F1-negative) strains. In an attempt to further optimize the F1-V elicited immune response and address efficacy concerns, we examined the inclusion of multiple toll-like receptor agonists into vaccine regimens. We examined the resulting immune responses and also any protection afforded to mice that were exposed to aerosolized Yersinia pestis. Our data demonstrate that it is possible to further augment the F1-V vaccine strategy in order to optimize and augment vaccine efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei Biryukov
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer L. Dankmeyer
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Zain Shamsuddin
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Ivan Velez
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Nathaniel O. Rill
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Raysa Rosario-Acevedo
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Christopher P. Klimko
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer L. Shoe
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Melissa Hunter
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Michael D. Ward
- Molecular Biology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Lisa H. Cazares
- Molecular Biology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - David P. Fetterer
- Biostatistics Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Joel A. Bozue
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Patricia L. Worsham
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Christopher K. Cote
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Kei Amemiya
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
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Finafloxacin Is an Effective Treatment for Inhalational Tularemia and Plague in Mouse Models of Infection. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:AAC.02294-20. [PMID: 33753342 PMCID: PMC8315961 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02294-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Infection with aerosolized Francisella tularensis or Yersinia pestis can lead to lethal disease in humans if treatment is not initiated promptly. Finafloxacin is a novel fluoroquinolone which has demonstrated broad-spectrum activity against a range of bacterial species in vitro, in vivo, and in humans, activity which is superior in acidic, infection-relevant conditions. Human-equivalent doses of finafloxacin or ciprofloxacin were delivered at 24 h (representing prophylaxis) or at 72 or 38 h (representing treatment) postchallenge with F. tularensis or Y. pestis, respectively, in BALB/c mouse models. In addition, a short course of therapy (3 days) was compared to a longer course (7 days). Both therapies provided a high level of protection against both infections when administered at 24 h postchallenge, irrespective of the length of the dosing regimen; however, differences were observed when therapy was delayed. A benefit was demonstrated with finafloxacin compared to ciprofloxacin in both models when therapy was delivered later in the infection. These studies suggest that finafloxacin is an effective alternative therapeutic for the prophylaxis and treatment of inhalational infections with F. tularensis or Y. pestis.
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10
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Abstract
AbstractTetracyclines belong to the first broad-spectrum, well-tolerated, and easy-to-administer antibiotics, which are effective against plague, cholera, typhoid, syphilis, Legionnaire’s disease, and anthrax. Some can also be used to treat malaria, Lyme disease, tuberculosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and leprosy. Humans first encountered these chemical species involuntarily in ancient times, as evidenced from the analysis of bone samples dating back more than 1500 years. Shortly after World War II, they were “rediscovered” at Lederle Laboratories and Pfizer as a result of an intense search for new antibiotics. Their bacteriostatic action is based on the inhibition of protein biosynthesis. Since the structure elucidation by Robert Woodward, Lloyd Hillyard Conover, and others in the 1950s, tetracyclines have become preferred targets for natural product synthesis. However, on industrial scale, they became readily available by fermentation and partial synthesis. Their casual and thoughtless use in the initial decades after launch not only in humans but for veterinary purposes and as growth-enhancement agents in meat production rapidly led to the emergence of resistance. In an arms race for new antibiotics, more and more new drugs have been developed to deal with the threat. In this ongoing endeavor, a remarkable milestone was set by Andrew Myers in 2005 with the convergent total synthesis of (−)-doxycycline, as well as numerous azatetracyclines and pentacyclines, which has inspired chemists in the pharmaceutical industry to discover novel and highly active tetracyclines in recent years.
Graphic abstract
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11
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Hewitt JA, Lanning LL, Campbell JL. The African Green Monkey Model of Pneumonic Plague and US Food and Drug Administration Approval of Antimicrobials Under the Animal Rule. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 70:S51-S59. [PMID: 32435803 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz1233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Additional treatment options for pneumonic plague, the most severe form of infection by Yersinia pestis, are needed, as past US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals were not based on clinical trials that meet today's standards, and multiple drugs are sought to counter resistance or use in special populations. Due to the sporadic nature of outbreaks and the low number of pneumonic cases of disease, we sought FDA approval of antimicrobials for treatment under the Animal Efficacy Rule, where efficacy can be demonstrated in 1 or more well-characterized animal models that sufficiently represent human disease. METHODS A model was developed in African green monkeys (AGMs) after challenge with a lethal dose of Y. pestis delivered as an aerosol, in 4 independent studies in 3 laboratories. The primary data points were bacteremia (daily), body temperature and heart rate (continuously monitored by telemetry), and survival. In antimicrobial efficacy studies, human-equivalent doses of gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and doxycycline were administered upon fever onset for 10 days. RESULTS Disease in AGMs was similar to case reports of human disease. Fever was determined to be a reliable sign of disease and selected as a treatment trigger. Gentamicin was 60%-80% effective depending on the dose given to animals. Ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin were found to be >90% efficacious. These data were submitted to FDA and plague indications were approved. Doxycycline was less effective. CONCLUSIONS The AGM model of pneumonic plague is reproducible, well-characterized, and mimics human disease. It has been used to support plague indications for fluoroquinolones and to test the efficacy of additional antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith A Hewitt
- Office of Biodefense, Research Resources and Translational Research , Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Lynda L Lanning
- Office of Regulatory Affairs, Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph L Campbell
- Office of Biodefense, Research Resources and Translational Research , Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, Maryland, USA
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12
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Cote CK, Biryukov SS, Klimko CP, Shoe JL, Hunter M, Rosario-Acevedo R, Fetterer DP, Moody KL, Meyer JR, Rill NO, Dankmeyer JL, Worsham PL, Bozue JA, Welkos SL. Protection Elicited by Attenuated Live Yersinia pestis Vaccine Strains against Lethal Infection with Virulent Y. pestis. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9020161. [PMID: 33669472 PMCID: PMC7920443 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9020161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The etiologic agent of plague, Yersinia pestis, is a globally distributed pathogen which poses both a natural and adversarial threat. Due largely to the rapid course and high mortality of pneumonic plague, vaccines are greatly needed. Two-component protein vaccines have been unreliable and potentially vulnerable to vaccine resistance. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of eight live Y. pestis strains derived from virulent strains CO92 or KIM6+ and mutated in one or more virulence-associated gene(s) or cured of plasmid pPst. Stringent, single-dose vaccination allowed down-selection of the two safest and most protective vaccine candidates, CO92 mutants pgm- pPst- and ΔyscN. Both completely protected BALB/c mice against subcutaneous and aerosol challenge with Y. pestis. Strain CD-1 outbred mice were more resistant to bubonic (but not pneumonic) plague than BALB/c mice, but the vaccines elicited partial protection of CD-1 mice against aerosol challenge, while providing full protection against subcutaneous challenge. A ΔyscN mutant of the nonencapsulated C12 strain was expected to display antigens previously concealed by the capsule. C12 ΔyscN elicited negligible titers to F1 but comparable antibody levels to whole killed bacteria, as did CO92 ΔyscN. Although one dose of C12 ΔyscN was not protective, vaccination with two doses of either CO92 ΔyscN, or a combination of the ΔyscN mutants of C12 and CO92, protected optimally against lethal bubonic or pneumonic plague. Protection against encapsulated Y. pestis required inclusion of F1 in the vaccine and was associated with high anti-F1 titers.
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13
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Barbieri R, Signoli M, Chevé D, Costedoat C, Tzortzis S, Aboudharam G, Raoult D, Drancourt M. Yersinia pestis: the Natural History of Plague. Clin Microbiol Rev 2020; 34:e00044-19. [PMID: 33298527 PMCID: PMC7920731 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00044-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacterium Yersinia pestis is responsible for deadly plague, a zoonotic disease established in stable foci in the Americas, Africa, and Eurasia. Its persistence in the environment relies on the subtle balance between Y. pestis-contaminated soils, burrowing and nonburrowing mammals exhibiting variable degrees of plague susceptibility, and their associated fleas. Transmission from one host to another relies mainly on infected flea bites, inducing typical painful, enlarged lymph nodes referred to as buboes, followed by septicemic dissemination of the pathogen. In contrast, droplet inhalation after close contact with infected mammals induces primary pneumonic plague. Finally, the rarely reported consumption of contaminated raw meat causes pharyngeal and gastrointestinal plague. Point-of-care diagnosis, early antibiotic treatment, and confinement measures contribute to outbreak control despite residual mortality. Mandatory primary prevention relies on the active surveillance of established plague foci and ectoparasite control. Plague is acknowledged to have infected human populations for at least 5,000 years in Eurasia. Y. pestis genomes recovered from affected archaeological sites have suggested clonal evolution from a common ancestor shared with the closely related enteric pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and have indicated that ymt gene acquisition during the Bronze Age conferred Y. pestis with ectoparasite transmissibility while maintaining its enteric transmissibility. Three historic pandemics, starting in 541 AD and continuing until today, have been described. At present, the third pandemic has become largely quiescent, with hundreds of human cases being reported mainly in a few impoverished African countries, where zoonotic plague is mostly transmitted to people by rodent-associated flea bites.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Barbieri
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, EFS, ADES, Marseille, France
- Fondation Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - M Signoli
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, EFS, ADES, Marseille, France
| | - D Chevé
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, EFS, ADES, Marseille, France
| | - C Costedoat
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, EFS, ADES, Marseille, France
| | - S Tzortzis
- Ministère de la Culture, Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles de Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Service Régional de l'Archéologie, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - G Aboudharam
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Faculty of Odontology, Marseille, France
| | - D Raoult
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Fondation Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - M Drancourt
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Fondation Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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14
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Binding Sites of Anti-Lcr V Monoclonal Antibodies Are More Critical than the Avidities and Affinities for Passive Protection against Yersinia pestis Infection in a Bubonic Plague Model. Antibodies (Basel) 2020; 9:antib9030037. [PMID: 32756297 PMCID: PMC7551159 DOI: 10.3390/antib9030037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Plague is a zoonotic disease that is caused by Yersinia pestis. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that bind to the V-antigen, a virulence factor that is produced by Y. pestis, can passively protect mice from plague. An analysis of protective mAbs that bind to V-antigen was made to assess binding sites, avidities, and affinities. Anti-V mAbs were screened for their efficacy in a murine model of plague. Antigen-binding sites of protective V mAbs were determined with a linear peptide library, V-antigen fragment, competitive binding, and surface plasmon resonance. The avidities to the V-antigen was determined by ELISA, and affinities of the mAbs to the V-antigen were determined by surface plasmon resonance. The most protective mAb 7.3 bound to a unique conformational site on the V-antigen, while a less protective mAb bound to a different conformational site located on the same V-antigen fragment as mAb 7.3. The avidity of mAb 7.3 for the V-antigen was neither the strongest overall nor did it have the highest affinity for the V-antigen. The binding site of the most protective mAb was critical in its ability to protect against a lethal plague challenge.
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15
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Lemon A, Sagawa J, Gravelle K, Vadyvaloo V. Biovar-related differences apparent in the flea foregut colonization phenotype of distinct Yersinia pestis strains do not impact transmission efficiency. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:335. [PMID: 32611387 PMCID: PMC7329463 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04207-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Yersinia pestis is the flea-transmitted etiological agent of bubonic plague. Sylvatic plague consists of complex tripartite interactions between diverse flea and wild rodent species, and pathogen strains. Transmission by flea bite occurs primarily by the Y. pestis biofilm-mediated foregut blockage and regurgitation mechanism, which has been largely detailed by studies in the model interaction between Y. pestis KIM6+ and Xenopsylla cheopis. Here, we test if pathogen-specific traits influence this interaction by determining the dynamics of foregut blockage development in X. cheopis fleas among extant avirulent pCD1-Y. pestis strains, KIM6+ and CO92, belonging to distinct biovars, and a non-circulating mutant CO92 strain (CO92gly), restored for glycerol fermentation; a key biochemical difference between the two biovars. Methods Separate flea cohorts infected with distinct strains were evaluated for (i) blockage development, bacterial burdens and flea foregut blockage pathology, and (ii) for the number of bacteria transmitted by regurgitation during membrane feeding. Strain burdens per flea was determined for fleas co-infected with CO92 and KIM6+ strains at a ratio of 1:1. Results Strains KIM6+ and CO92 developed foregut blockage at similar rates and peak temporal incidences, but the CO92gly strain showed significantly greater blockage rates that peak earlier post-infection. The KIM6+ strain, however, exhibited a distinctive foregut pathology wherein bacterial colonization extended the length of the esophagus up to the feeding mouthparts in ~65% of blocked fleas; in contrast to 32% and 26%, respectively, in fleas blocked with CO92 and CO92gly. The proximity of KIM6+ to the flea mouthparts in blocked fleas did not result in higher regurgitative transmission efficiencies as all strains transmitted variable numbers of Y. pestis, albeit slightly lower for CO92gly. During competitive co-infection, strains KIM6+ and CO92 were equally fit maintaining equivalent infection proportions in fleas over time. Conclusions We demonstrate that disparate foregut blockage pathologies exhibited by distinct extant Y. pestis strain genotypes do not influence transmission efficiency from X. cheopis fleas. In fact, distinct extant Y. pestis genotypes maintain equivalently effective blockage and transmission efficiencies which is likely advantageous to maintaining continued successful plague spread and establishment of new plague foci.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Athena Lemon
- Paul G Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Washington, 99164, USA
| | - Janelle Sagawa
- Paul G Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Washington, 99164, USA
| | - Kameron Gravelle
- Paul G Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Washington, 99164, USA
| | - Viveka Vadyvaloo
- Paul G Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Washington, 99164, USA.
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16
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Campbell JL, Fay MP, Lanning LL, Hewitt JA. Effect of Delaying Treatment on Efficacy of Ciprofloxacin and Levofloxacin in the African Green Monkey Model of Pneumonic Plague. Clin Infect Dis 2020; 70:S60-S65. [PMID: 32435805 PMCID: PMC7240338 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz1234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, 2 fluoroquinolone antimicrobials, are ≥90% effective for the treatment of inhalational plague when administered within 2-6 hours of fever onset in African green monkeys (AGM). Based on data in the AGM model, these antimicrobials were approved under the Food and Drug Administration's Animal Efficacy Rule. However, that data did not address the issue of how long treatment with these antimicrobials would remain effective after fever onset. METHODS The AGM model of pneumonic plague was used to explore the effect of delaying treatment with ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin on efficacy. In 2 studies, AGMs were challenged with inhaled lethal doses of Yersinia pestis. Treatment with ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin was initiated from 0 to up to 30 hours after fever onset. RESULTS Challenged animals all developed fever within 78 hours and were treated with ciprofloxacin (n = 27) or levofloxacin (n = 29) at various predetermined time points postfever. When administered 10 hours after fever onset, 10 days of ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin treatment remained very effective (90 or 100%, respectively). The efficacy of both antimicrobials declined as treatment initiation was further delayed. Statistical analyses estimated the treatment delay times at which half of the AGMs were no longer expected to survive as 19.7 hours for ciprofloxacin and 26.5 hours for levofloxacin. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that there is a narrow window following fever onset during which ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin are fully effective treatment options for pneumonic plague in AGMs. Since the timing of disease is similar in humans and AGMs, these AGM data are reasonably likely to predict response times for treatment in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph L Campbell
- Office of Biodefense, Research Resources and Translational Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael P Fay
- Biostatistics Research Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Lynda L Lanning
- Office of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Judith A Hewitt
- Office of Biodefense, Research Resources and Translational Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, Maryland, USA
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17
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Campbell SB, Nelson CA, Hinckley AF, Kugeler KJ. Animal Exposure and Human Plague, United States, 1970-2017. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 25:2270-2273. [PMID: 31742515 PMCID: PMC6874267 DOI: 10.3201/eid2512.191081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Since 1970, >50% of patients with plague in the United States had interactions with animals that might have led to infection. Among patients with pneumonic plague, nearly all had animal exposure. Improved understanding of the varied ways in which animal contact might increase risk for infection could enhance prevention messages.
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18
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Ansari I, Grier G, Byers M. Deliberate release: Plague - A review. JOURNAL OF BIOSAFETY AND BIOSECURITY 2020; 2:10-22. [PMID: 32835180 PMCID: PMC7270574 DOI: 10.1016/j.jobb.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of plague and is considered one of the most likely pathogens to be used as a bioweapon. In humans, plague is a severe clinical infection that can rapidly progress with a high mortality despite antibiotic therapy. Therefore, early treatment of Y. pestis infection is crucial. This review provides an overview of its clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, prophylaxis, and protection requirements for the use of clinicians. We discuss the likelihood of a deliberate release of plague and the feasibility of obtaining, isolating, culturing, transporting and dispersing plague in the context of an attack aimed at a westernized country. The current threat status and the medical and public health responses are reviewed. We also provide a brief review of the potential prehospital treatment strategy and vaccination against Y. pestis. Further, we discuss the plausibility of antibiotic resistant plague bacterium, F1-negative Y. pestis, and also the possibility of a plague mimic along with potential strategies of defense against these. An extensive literature search on the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases was conducted to collate papers relevant to plague and its deliberate release. Our review concluded that the deliberate release of plague is feasible but unlikely to occur, and that a robust public health response and early treatment would rapidly halt the transmission of plague in the population. Front-line clinicians should be aware of the potential of a deliberate release of plague and prepared to instigate early isolation of patients. Moreover, front-line clinicians should be weary of the possibility of suicide attackers and mindful of the early escalation to public health organizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Issmaeel Ansari
- Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, Bethnal Green, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom.,Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, 4 Newark St, Whitechapel, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom.,The Institute of Pre-hospital Care, London's Air Ambulance, The Helipad, The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth Grier
- Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, Bethnal Green, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom.,Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, 4 Newark St, Whitechapel, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom.,The Institute of Pre-hospital Care, London's Air Ambulance, The Helipad, The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Byers
- Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, Bethnal Green, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom.,Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, 4 Newark St, Whitechapel, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom.,The Institute of Pre-hospital Care, London's Air Ambulance, The Helipad, The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB, United Kingdom
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19
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Intranasal Inoculation of Mice with Yersinia pestis and Processing of Pulmonary Tissue for Analysis. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2010:17-28. [PMID: 31177428 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9541-7_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Pneumonic plague is a rapidly progressing and highly lethal pneumonia caused by pulmonary infection with Yersinia pestis. Disease is marked by the rapid replication of bacteria in the lungs in the absence of symptoms, followed by the abrupt onset of a highly lethal inflammatory response. A murine intranasal infection model has been key to characterizing the progression of disease. Mice are a natural Y. pestis host, and murine disease closely mirrors what is seen during human infection. Intranasal inoculation of mice with fully virulent Y. pestis strains allows for the detailed analysis of key bacterial and host factors that define disease progression. In this chapter I describe a method for intranasal inoculation of mice with Y. pestis, as well as techniques for processing lung tissue for analysis. These include protocols for isolating whole lungs and lavage fluid for measure of bacterial burden, transcriptomics, cytokine/chemokine expression, and flow cytometry. These techniques can be used to evaluate disease parameters of interest during typical infection, infection with bacterial mutants, or infection in the presence of pharmacological agents aimed at targeting specific host or bacterial factors. Combining a highly relevant murine infection model with these techniques provides a powerful platform for fully evaluating the progression of pneumonic plague.
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Activation of Heme Oxygenase Expression by Cobalt Protoporphyrin Treatment Prevents Pneumonic Plague Caused by Inhalation of Yersinia pestis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 64:AAC.01819-19. [PMID: 32015027 PMCID: PMC7179272 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01819-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pneumonic plague, caused by the Gram-negative bacteria Yersinia pestis, is an invasive, rapidly progressing disease with poor survival rates. Following inhalation of Y. pestis, bacterial invasion of the lungs and a tissue-damaging inflammatory response allows vascular spread of the infection. Consequently, primary pneumonic plague is a multiorgan disease involving sepsis and necrosis of immune tissues and the liver, as well as bronchopneumonia and rampant bacterial growth. Given the likely role of the hyperinflammatory response in accelerating the destruction of tissue, in this work we evaluated the therapeutic potential of the inducible cytoprotective enzyme heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) against primary pneumonic plague. On its own, the HO-1 inducer cobalt protoporphyrin IX (CoPP) provided mice protection from lethal challenge with Y. pestis CO92 with improved pulmonary bacterial clearance and a dampened inflammatory response compared to vehicle-treated mice. Furthermore, CoPP treatment combined with doxycycline strongly enhanced protection in a rat aerosol challenge model. Compared to doxycycline alone, CoPP treatment increased survival, with a 3-log decrease in median bacterial titer recovered from the lungs and the general absence of a systemic hyperinflammatory response. In contrast, treatment with the HO-1 inhibitor SnPP had no detectable impact on doxycycline efficacy. The combined data indicate that countering inflammatory toxicity by therapeutically inducing HO-1 is effective in reducing the rampant growth of Y. pestis and preventing pneumonic plague.
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21
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Culbreth MJ, Biryukov SS, Shoe JL, Dankmeyer JL, Hunter M, Klimko CP, Rosario-Acevedo R, Fetterer DP, Moreau AM, Welkos SL, Cote CK. The Use of Analgesics during Vaccination with a Live Attenuated Yersinia pestis Vaccine Alters the Resulting Immune Response in Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:vaccines7040205. [PMID: 31816945 PMCID: PMC6963655 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7040205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The administration of antipyretic analgesics prior to, in conjunction with, or due to sequelae associated with vaccination is a common yet somewhat controversial practice. In the context of human vaccination, it is unclear if even short-term analgesic regimens can significantly alter the resulting immune response, as literature exists to support several scenarios including substantial immune interference. In this report, we used a live attenuated Yersinia pestis vaccine to examine the impact of analgesic administration on the immune response elicited by a single dose of a live bacterial vaccine in mice. Mice were assessed by evaluating natural and provoked behavior, as well as food and water consumption. The resulting immune responses were assessed by determining antibody titers against multiple antigens and assaying cellular responses in stimulated splenocytes collected from vaccinated animals. We observed no substantial benefit to the mice associated with the analgesic administration. Splenocytes from both C57BL/6 and BALB/c vaccinated mice receiving acetaminophen have a significantly reduced interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) recall response. Additionally, there is a significantly lower immunoglobulin (Ig)G2a/IgG1 ratio in vaccinated BALB/c mice treated with either acetaminophen or meloxicam and a significantly lower IgG2c/IgG1 ratio in vaccinated C57BL/6 mice treated with acetaminophen. Taken together, our data indicate that the use of analgesics, while possibly ethically warranted, may hinder the accurate characterization and evaluation of novel vaccine strategies with little to no appreciable benefits to the vaccinated mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilynn J. Culbreth
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Comparative Medicine Division, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA;
| | - Sergei S. Biryukov
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Bacteriology Division, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.S.B.); (J.L.S.); (J.L.D.); (M.H.); (C.P.K.); (R.R.-A.); (S.L.W.)
| | - Jennifer L. Shoe
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Bacteriology Division, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.S.B.); (J.L.S.); (J.L.D.); (M.H.); (C.P.K.); (R.R.-A.); (S.L.W.)
| | - Jennifer L. Dankmeyer
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Bacteriology Division, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.S.B.); (J.L.S.); (J.L.D.); (M.H.); (C.P.K.); (R.R.-A.); (S.L.W.)
| | - Melissa Hunter
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Bacteriology Division, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.S.B.); (J.L.S.); (J.L.D.); (M.H.); (C.P.K.); (R.R.-A.); (S.L.W.)
| | - Christopher P. Klimko
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Bacteriology Division, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.S.B.); (J.L.S.); (J.L.D.); (M.H.); (C.P.K.); (R.R.-A.); (S.L.W.)
| | - Raysa Rosario-Acevedo
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Bacteriology Division, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.S.B.); (J.L.S.); (J.L.D.); (M.H.); (C.P.K.); (R.R.-A.); (S.L.W.)
| | - David P. Fetterer
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Biostatistics Medicine Division, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA;
| | - Alicia M. Moreau
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Pathology Division, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA;
| | - Susan L. Welkos
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Bacteriology Division, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.S.B.); (J.L.S.); (J.L.D.); (M.H.); (C.P.K.); (R.R.-A.); (S.L.W.)
| | - Christopher K. Cote
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Bacteriology Division, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.S.B.); (J.L.S.); (J.L.D.); (M.H.); (C.P.K.); (R.R.-A.); (S.L.W.)
- Correspondence:
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22
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Clark GC, Essex-Lopresti A, Moore KA, Williamson ED, Lukaszewski R, Paszkiewicz K, David J. Common Host Responses in Murine Aerosol Models of Infection Caused by Highly Virulent Gram-Negative Bacteria from the Genera Burkholderia, Francisella and Yersinia. Pathogens 2019; 8:pathogens8040159. [PMID: 31546628 PMCID: PMC6963870 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens8040159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Highly virulent bacterial pathogens cause acute infections which are exceptionally difficult to treat with conventional antibiotic therapies alone. Understanding the chain of events that are triggered during an infection of a host has the potential to lead to new therapeutic strategies. For the first time, the transcriptomic responses within the lungs of Balb/C mice have been compared during an acute infection with the intracellular pathogens Burkholderia pseudomallei, Francisella tularensis and Yersinia pestis. Temporal changes were determined using RNAseq and a bioinformatics pipeline; expression of protein was also studied from the same sample. Collectively it was found that early transcriptomic responses within the infected host were associated with the (a) slowing down of critical cellular functions, (b) production of circulatory system components, (c) lung tissue integrity, and (d) intracellular regulatory processes. One common molecule was identified, Errfi1 (ErbB receptor feedback inhibitor 1); upregulated in response to all three pathogens and a potential novel marker of acute infection. Based upon the pro-inflammatory responses observed, we sought to synchronise each infection and report that 24 h p.i. of B. pseudomallei infection closely aligned with 48 h p.i. of infection with F. tularensis and Y. pestis. Post-transcriptional modulation of RANTES expression occurred across all pathogens, suggesting that these infections directly or indirectly modulate cell trafficking through chemokine expression/detection. Collectively, this unbiased NGS approach has provided an in-depth characterisation of the host transcriptome following infection with these highly virulent pathogens ultimately aiding in the development of host-directed therapies as adjuncts or alternatives to antibiotic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graeme C Clark
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, DSTL Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
| | - Angela Essex-Lopresti
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, DSTL Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
| | - Karen A Moore
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
| | - E Diane Williamson
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, DSTL Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
| | - Roman Lukaszewski
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, DSTL Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
| | - Konrad Paszkiewicz
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
| | - Jonathan David
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, DSTL Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
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23
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Osei-Owusu P, Charlton TM, Kim HK, Missiakas D, Schneewind O. FPR1 is the plague receptor on host immune cells. Nature 2019; 574:57-62. [PMID: 31534221 PMCID: PMC6776691 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1570-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The plague agent, Yersinia pestis, employs a type III secretion system (T3SS) to selectively destroy human immune cells, thereby enabling its replication in the bloodstream and transmission to new hosts via fleabite. The host factors responsible for the selective destruction of immune cells by plague bacteria were not known. Here we show that LcrV, the needle cap protein of the Y. pestis T3SS, binds N-formylpeptide receptor (FPR1) on human immune cells to promote the translocation of bacterial effectors. Plague infection in mice is characterized by high mortality, however N-formylpeptide receptor deficient animals exhibit increased survival and plague-protective antibody responses. We identified FPR1 p.R190W as a candidate human resistance allele that protects neutrophils from Y. pestis T3SS. These findings reveal the plague receptor on immune cells and show that FPR1 mutations provide for plague survival, which appears to have shaped human immune responses towards other infectious diseases and malignant neoplasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Osei-Owusu
- Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA.,Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Thomas M Charlton
- Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA.,Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hwan Keun Kim
- Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA.,Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Dominique Missiakas
- Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA. .,Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Olaf Schneewind
- Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA.,Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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24
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Shift from primary pneumonic to secondary septicemic plague by decreasing the volume of intranasal challenge with Yersinia pestis in the murine model. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217440. [PMID: 31121001 PMCID: PMC6532925 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of pneumonic plague, a disease involving uncontrolled bacterial growth and host immunopathology. Secondary septicemic plague commonly occurs as a consequence of the host inflammatory response that causes vasodilation and vascular leakage, which facilitates systemic spread of the bacteria and the colonization of secondary tissues. The mortality rates of pneumonic and septicemic plague are high even when antibiotics are administered. In this work, we show that primary pneumonic or secondary septicemic plague can be preferentially modeled in mice by varying the volume used for intranasal delivery of Y. pestis. Low volume intranasal challenge (10μL) of wild type Y. pestis resulted in a high frequency of lethal secondary septicemic plague, with a low degree of primary lung infection and rapid development of sepsis. In contrast, high volume intranasal challenge (30μL) yielded uniform early lung infection and primary disease and a significant increase in lethality. In a commonly used BSL2 model, high volume challenge with Y. pestis lacking the pigmentation locus (pgm-) gave 105-fold greater deposition compared to low volume challenge, yet moribund mice did not develop severe lung disease and there was no detectable difference in lethality. These data indicate the primary cause of death of mice in the BSL2 model is sepsis regardless of intranasal dosing method. Overall, these findings allow for the preferential modeling of pneumonic or septicemic plague by intranasal dosing of mice with Y. pestis.
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25
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Bron GM, Malavé CM, Boulerice JT, Osorio JE, Rocke TE. Plague-Positive Mouse Fleas on Mice Before Plague Induced Die-Offs in Black-Tailed and White-Tailed Prairie Dogs. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2019; 19:486-493. [PMID: 30994405 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2018.2322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Plague is a lethal zoonotic disease associated with rodents worldwide. In the western United States, plague outbreaks can decimate prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) colonies. However, it is unclear where the causative agent, Yersinia pestis, of this flea-borne disease is maintained between outbreaks, and what triggers plague-induced prairie dog die-offs. Less susceptible rodent hosts, such as mice, could serve to maintain the bacterium, transport infectious fleas across a colony, or introduce the pathogen to other colonies, possibly facilitating an outbreak. Here, we assess the potential role of two short-lived rodent species, North American deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and Northern grasshopper mice (Onychomys leucogaster) in plague dynamics on prairie dog colonies. We live-trapped short-lived rodents and collected their fleas on black-tailed (Cynomys ludovicianus, Montana and South Dakota), white-tailed (Cynomys leucurus, Utah and Wyoming), and Utah prairie dog colonies (Cynomys parvidens, Utah) annually, from 2013 to 2016. Plague outbreaks occurred on colonies of all three species. In all study areas, deer mouse abundance was high the year before plague-induced prairie dog die-offs, but mouse abundance per colony was not predictive of plague die-offs in prairie dogs. We did not detect Y. pestis DNA in mouse fleas during prairie dog die-offs, but in three cases we found it beforehand. On one white-tailed prairie dog colony, we detected Y. pestis positive fleas on one grasshopper mouse and several prairie dogs live-trapped 10 days later, months before visible declines and plague-confirmed mortality of prairie dogs. On one black-tailed prairie dog colony, we detected Y. pestis positive fleas on two deer mice 3 months before evidence of plague was detected in prairie dogs or their fleas and also well before a plague-induced die-off. These observations of plague positive fleas on mice could represent early spillover events of Y. pestis from prairie dogs or an unknown reservoir, or possible movement of infectious fleas by mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gebbiena M Bron
- 1 U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin.,2 Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Carly M Malavé
- 1 U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin
| | | | - Jorge E Osorio
- 2 Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Tonie E Rocke
- 1 U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin
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26
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Williamson ED, Westlake GE. Vaccines for emerging pathogens: prospects for licensure. Clin Exp Immunol 2019; 198:170-183. [PMID: 30972733 PMCID: PMC6797873 DOI: 10.1111/cei.13284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, there are a number of emerging pathogens. For most, there are no licensed vaccines available for human use, although there is ongoing research and development. However, given the extensive and increasing list of emerging pathogens and the investment required to bring vaccines into clinical use, the task is huge. Overlaid on this task is the risk of anti‐microbial resistance (AMR) acquisition by micro‐organisms which can endow a relatively harmless organism with pathogenic potential. Furthermore, climate change also introduces a challenge by causing some of the insect vectors and environmental conditions prevalent in tropical regions to begin to spread out from these traditional areas, thus increasing the risk of migration of zoonotic disease. Vaccination provides a defence against these emerging pathogens. However, vaccines for pathogens which cause severe, but occasional, disease outbreaks in endemic pockets have suffered from a lack of commercial incentive for development to a clinical standard, encompassing Phase III clinical trials for efficacy. An alternative is to develop such vaccines to request US Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), or equivalent status in the United States, Canada and the European Union, making use of a considerable number of regulatory mechanisms that are available prior to licensing. This review covers the status of vaccine development for some of the emerging pathogens, the hurdles that need to be overcome to achieve EUA or an equivalent regional or national status and how these considerations may impact vaccine development for the future, such that a more comprehensive stockpile of promising vaccines can be achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- E D Williamson
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - G E Westlake
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
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27
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Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) has become a major strategy for real-time analysis of dynamic biological processes. In particular, bioluminescent reporter microorganisms have been designed to advance our understanding of infectious diseases. Non-invasive monitoring of light-emitting pathogenic bacteria has revealed novel features of pathogenesis and enabled quantitative and qualitative analysis of antibacterial therapies. Transcriptional gene fusions using the bacterial luciferase operon luxCDABE as a reporter have been successfully used to monitor gene expression in vitro and in vivo, leading to valuable applications and major findings. In this chapter, we describe the construction of Yersinia pestis strains bearing a chromosomal copy of the luxCDABE operon under the control of promoters regulated by temperature and their application to quantify gene expression in real-time in bacteria growing in vitro and in a murine bubonic plague model.
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28
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DiCarlo AL, Cassatt DR, Dowling WE, Esker JL, Hewitt JA, Selivanova O, Williams MS, Price PW. Challenges and Benefits of Repurposing Products for Use during a Radiation Public Health Emergency: Lessons Learned from Biological Threats and other Disease Treatments. Radiat Res 2018; 190:659-676. [PMID: 30160600 DOI: 10.1667/rr15137.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The risk of a radiological or nuclear public health emergency is a major growing concern of the U.S. government. To address a potential incident and ensure that the government is prepared to respond to any subsequent civilian or military casualties, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense have been charged with the development of medical countermeasures (MCMs) to treat the acute and delayed injuries that can result from radiation exposure. Because of the limited budgets in research and development and the high costs associated with bring promising approaches from the bench through advanced product development activities, and ultimately, to regulatory approval, the U.S. government places a priority on repurposing products for which there already exists relevant safety and other important information concerning their use in humans. Generating human data can be a costly and time-consuming process; therefore, the U.S. government has interest in drugs for which such relevant information has been established (e.g., products for another indication), and in determining if they could be repurposed for use as MCMs to treat radiation injuries as well as chemical and biological insults. To explore these possibilities, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) convened a workshop including U.S. government, industry and academic subject matter experts, to discuss the challenges and benefits of repurposing products for a radiation indication. Topics covered included a discussion of U.S. government efforts (e.g. funding, stockpiling and making products available for study), as well unique regulatory and other challenges faced when repurposing patent protected or generic drugs. Other discussions involved lessons learned from industry on repurposing pre-license, pipeline products within drug development portfolios. This report reviews the information presented, as well as an overview of discussions from the meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L DiCarlo
- a Radiation and Nuclear Countermeasures Program (RNCP), Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation (DAIT), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland
| | - David R Cassatt
- a Radiation and Nuclear Countermeasures Program (RNCP), Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation (DAIT), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland
| | - William E Dowling
- b Office of Biodefense Research Resources and Translational Research (OBRRTR), Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID), NIAID, NIH, Rockville, Maryland
| | - John L Esker
- c Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Washington, DC
| | - Judith A Hewitt
- b Office of Biodefense Research Resources and Translational Research (OBRRTR), Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID), NIAID, NIH, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Oxana Selivanova
- c Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Washington, DC
| | - Mark S Williams
- b Office of Biodefense Research Resources and Translational Research (OBRRTR), Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID), NIAID, NIH, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Paul W Price
- d Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), DAIT, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, Maryland
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29
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Moore BD, New RRC, Butcher W, Mahood R, Steward J, Bayliss M, MacLeod C, Bogus M, Williamson ED. Dual route vaccination for plague with emergency use applications. Vaccine 2018; 36:5210-5217. [PMID: 30017148 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Here, we report a dual-route vaccination approach for plague, able to induce a rapid response involving systemic and mucosal immunity, whilst also providing ease of use in those resource-poor settings most vulnerable to disease outbreaks. This novel vaccine (VypVaxDuo) comprises the recombinant F1 and V proteins in free association. VypVaxDuo has been designed for administration via a sub-cutaneous priming dose followed by a single oral booster dose and has been demonstrated to induce early onset immunity 14 days after the primary immunisation; full protective efficacy against live organism challenge was achieved in Balb/c mice exposed to 2 × 104 median lethal doses of Yersinia pestis Co92, by the sub-cutaneous route at 25 days after the oral booster immunisation. This dual-route vaccination effectively induced serum IgG and serum and faecal IgA, specific for F1 and V, which constitute two key virulence factors in Y. pestis, and is therefore suitable for further development to prevent bubonic plague and for evaluation in models of pneumonic plague. This is an essential requirement for control of disease outbreaks in areas of the world endemic for plague and is supported further by the observed exceptional stability of the primary vaccine formulation in vialled form under thermostressed conditions (40 °C for 29 weeks, and 40 °C with 75% relative humidity for 6 weeks), meaning no cold chain for storage or distribution is needed. In clinical use, the injected priming dose would be administered on simple rehydration of the dry powder by means of a dual barrel syringe, with the subsequent single booster dose being provided in an enteric-coated capsule suitable for oral self-administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- B D Moore
- Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
| | - R R C New
- Proxima Concepts Ltd, London BioScience Innovation Centre, UK
| | - W Butcher
- Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury UK
| | - R Mahood
- Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury UK
| | - J Steward
- Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury UK
| | - M Bayliss
- Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury UK
| | - C MacLeod
- Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - M Bogus
- Proxima Concepts Ltd, London BioScience Innovation Centre, UK
| | - E D Williamson
- Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury UK
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30
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Yersinia pestis Targets the Host Endosome Recycling Pathway during the Biogenesis of the Yersinia-Containing Vacuole To Avoid Killing by Macrophages. mBio 2018; 9:mBio.01800-17. [PMID: 29463656 PMCID: PMC5821078 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01800-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis has evolved many strategies to evade the innate immune system. One of these strategies is the ability to survive within macrophages. Upon phagocytosis, Y. pestis prevents phagolysosome maturation and establishes a modified compartment termed the Yersinia-containing vacuole (YCV). Y. pestis actively inhibits the acidification of this compartment, and eventually, the YCV transitions from a tight-fitting vacuole into a spacious replicative vacuole. The mechanisms to generate the YCV have not been defined. However, we hypothesized that YCV biogenesis requires Y. pestis interactions with specific host factors to subvert normal vesicular trafficking. In order to identify these factors, we performed a genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen to identify host factors required for Y. pestis survival in macrophages. This screen revealed that 71 host proteins are required for intracellular survival of Y. pestis. Of particular interest was the enrichment for genes involved in endosome recycling. Moreover, we demonstrated that Y. pestis actively recruits Rab4a and Rab11b to the YCV in a type three secretion system-independent manner, indicating remodeling of the YCV by Y. pestis to resemble a recycling endosome. While recruitment of Rab4a was necessary to inhibit YCV acidification and lysosomal fusion early during infection, Rab11b appeared to contribute to later stages of YCV biogenesis. We also discovered that Y. pestis disrupts global host endocytic recycling in macrophages, possibly through sequestration of Rab11b, and this process is required for bacterial replication. These data provide the first evidence that Y. pestis targets the host endocytic recycling pathway to avoid phagolysosomal maturation and generate the YCV. Yersinia pestis can infect and survive within macrophages. However, the mechanisms that the bacterium use to subvert killing by these phagocytes have not been defined. To provide a better understanding of these mechanisms, we used an RNAi approach to identify host factors required for intracellular Y. pestis survival. This approach revealed that the host endocytic recycling pathway is essential for Y. pestis to avoid clearance by the macrophage. We further demonstrate that Y. pestis remodels the phagosome to resemble a recycling endosome, allowing the bacterium to avoid the normal phagolysosomal maturation pathway. Moreover, we show that infection with Y. pestis disrupts normal recycling in the macrophage and that disruption is required for bacterial replication. These findings provide the first evidence that Y. pestis targets the host endocytic recycling pathway in order to evade killing by macrophages.
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31
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Merkley ED, Sego LH, Lin A, Leiser OP, Kaiser BLD, Adkins JN, Keim PS, Wagner DM, Kreuzer HW. Protein abundances can distinguish between naturally-occurring and laboratory strains of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183478. [PMID: 28854255 PMCID: PMC5576697 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid pace of bacterial evolution enables organisms to adapt to the laboratory environment with repeated passage and thus diverge from naturally-occurring environmental ("wild") strains. Distinguishing wild and laboratory strains is clearly important for biodefense and bioforensics; however, DNA sequence data alone has thus far not provided a clear signature, perhaps due to lack of understanding of how diverse genome changes lead to convergent phenotypes, difficulty in detecting certain types of mutations, or perhaps because some adaptive modifications are epigenetic. Monitoring protein abundance, a molecular measure of phenotype, can overcome some of these difficulties. We have assembled a collection of Yersinia pestis proteomics datasets from our own published and unpublished work, and from a proteomics data archive, and demonstrated that protein abundance data can clearly distinguish laboratory-adapted from wild. We developed a lasso logistic regression classifier that uses binary (presence/absence) or quantitative protein abundance measures to predict whether a sample is laboratory-adapted or wild that proved to be ~98% accurate, as judged by replicated 10-fold cross-validation. Protein features selected by the classifier accord well with our previous study of laboratory adaptation in Y. pestis. The input data was derived from a variety of unrelated experiments and contained significant confounding variables. We show that the classifier is robust with respect to these variables. The methodology is able to discover signatures for laboratory facility and culture medium that are largely independent of the signature of laboratory adaptation. Going beyond our previous laboratory evolution study, this work suggests that proteomic differences between laboratory-adapted and wild Y. pestis are general, potentially pointing to a process that could apply to other species as well. Additionally, we show that proteomics datasets (even archived data collected for different purposes) contain the information necessary to distinguish wild and laboratory samples. This work has clear applications in biomarker detection as well as biodefense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D. Merkley
- Chemical and Biological Signature Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Landon H. Sego
- Applied Statistics and Computational Modeling, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, United States of America
| | - Andy Lin
- Chemical and Biological Signature Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Owen P. Leiser
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Brooke L. Deatherage Kaiser
- Chemical and Biological Signature Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, United States of America
| | - Joshua N. Adkins
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, United States of America
| | - Paul S. Keim
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - David M. Wagner
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Helen W. Kreuzer
- Chemical and Biological Signature Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, United States of America
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32
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Abstract
Glutathionylation, the formation of reversible mixed disulfides between glutathione and protein cysteine residues, is a posttranslational modification previously observed for intracellular proteins of bacteria. Here we show that Yersinia pestis LcrV, a secreted protein capping the type III secretion machine, is glutathionylated at Cys273 and that this modification promotes association with host ribosomal protein S3 (RPS3), moderates Y. pestis type III effector transport and killing of macrophages, and enhances bubonic plague pathogenesis in mice and rats. Secreted LcrV was purified and analyzed by mass spectrometry to reveal glutathionylation, a modification that is abolished by the codon substitution Cys273Ala in lcrV Moreover, the lcrVC273A mutation enhanced the survival of animals in models of bubonic plague. Investigating the molecular mechanism responsible for these virulence attributes, we identified macrophage RPS3 as a ligand of LcrV, an association that is perturbed by the Cys273Ala substitution. Furthermore, macrophages infected by the lcrVC273A variant displayed accelerated apoptotic death and diminished proinflammatory cytokine release. Deletion of gshB, which encodes glutathione synthetase of Y. pestis, resulted in undetectable levels of intracellular glutathione, and we used a Y. pestis ΔgshB mutant to characterize the biochemical pathway of LcrV glutathionylation, establishing that LcrV is modified after its transport to the type III needle via disulfide bond formation with extracellular oxidized glutathione.IMPORTANCEYersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, has killed large segments of the human population; however, the molecular bases for the extraordinary virulence attributes of this pathogen are not well understood. We show here that LcrV, the cap protein of bacterial type III secretion needles, is modified by host glutathione and that this modification contributes to the high virulence of Y. pestis in mouse and rat models for bubonic plague. These data suggest that Y. pestis exploits glutathione in host tissues to activate a virulence strategy, thereby accelerating plague pathogenesis.
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33
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Mega WM, Doyle-Eisele M, Cass RT, Kostrub CF, Sherwood RL, Metz MA, Cirz RT. Plazomicin is effective in a non-human primate pneumonic plague model. Bioorg Med Chem 2016; 24:6429-6439. [PMID: 27614915 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.08.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The efficacy of plazomicin for pneumonic plague was evaluated in a non-human primate model. African Green monkeys challenged with a lethal aerosol of Yersinia pestis [median (range) of 98 (15-331) LD50s] received placebo (n=12) or 'humanized' dose regimens (6.25, 12.5 or 25mg/kg every 24h) of plazomicin (n=52) after the onset of fever for a duration of 5 or 10days. All animals treated with placebo died, while 36 plazomicin-treated animals survived through study end. The majority (33/36) were either in the 10-day (high-/mid-/low-dose) or 5-day high-dose groups. The findings suggest an exposure range of plazomicin for treatment of pneumonic/bacteremic Y. pestis infection in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M Mega
- Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, 2425 Ridgecrest Dr. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108, United States
| | - Melanie Doyle-Eisele
- Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, 2425 Ridgecrest Dr. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108, United States
| | - Robert T Cass
- Former or Current Employees of Achaogen Inc., 7000 Shoreline Ct., South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States
| | - Corwin F Kostrub
- Former or Current Employees of Achaogen Inc., 7000 Shoreline Ct., South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States
| | - Robert L Sherwood
- Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, 2425 Ridgecrest Dr. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108, United States
| | - Matthew A Metz
- Former or Current Employees of Achaogen Inc., 7000 Shoreline Ct., South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States
| | - Ryan T Cirz
- Former or Current Employees of Achaogen Inc., 7000 Shoreline Ct., South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States.
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Oyston PCF, Williamson ED. Modern Advances against Plague. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2016; 81:209-41. [PMID: 22958531 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394382-8.00006-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Plague has been a scourge of humanity, responsible for the deaths of millions. The etiological agent, Yersinia pestis, has evolved relatively recently from an enteropathogen, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The evolution of the plague pathogen has involved a complex series of genetic acquisitions, deletions, and rearrangements in its transition from an enteric niche to becoming a systemic, flea-vectored pathogen. With the advent of modern molecular biology techniques, we are starting to understand how the organism adapts to the diverse niches it encounters and how to combat the threat it poses.
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Abstract
This chapter summarizes researches on genome and evolution features of Yersinia pestis, the young pathogen that evolved from Y. pseudotuberculosis at least 5000 years ago. Y. pestis is a highly clonal bacterial species with closed pan-genome. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that genome of Y. pestis experienced highly frequent rearrangement and genome decay events during the evolution. The genealogy of Y. pestis includes five major branches, and four of them seemed raised from a "big bang" node that is associated with the Black Death. Although whole genome-wide variation of Y. pestis reflected a neutral evolutionary process, the branch length in the genealogical tree revealed over dispersion, which was supposedly caused by varied historical molecular clock that is associated with demographical effect by alternate cycles of enzootic disease and epizootic disease in sylvatic plague foci. In recent years, palaeomicrobiology researches on victims of the Black Death, and Justinian's plague verified that two historical pandemics were indeed caused by Y. pestis, but the etiological lineages might be extinct today.
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Connor MG, Pulsifer AR, Price CT, Abu Kwaik Y, Lawrenz MB. Yersinia pestis Requires Host Rab1b for Survival in Macrophages. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1005241. [PMID: 26495854 PMCID: PMC4619670 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes the disease known as plague. During infection of macrophages Y. pestis actively evades the normal phagosomal maturation pathway to establish a replicative niche within the cell. However, the mechanisms used by Y. pestis to subvert killing by the macrophage are unknown. Host Rab GTPases are central mediators of vesicular trafficking and are commonly targeted by bacterial pathogens to alter phagosome maturation and killing by macrophages. Here we demonstrate for the first time that host Rab1b is required for Y. pestis to effectively evade killing by macrophages. We also show that Rab1b is specifically recruited to the Yersinia containing vacuole (YCV) and that Y. pestis is unable to subvert YCV acidification when Rab1b expression is knocked down in macrophages. Furthermore, Rab1b knockdown also altered the frequency of association between the YCV with the lysosomal marker Lamp1, suggesting that Rab1b recruitment to the YCV directly inhibits phagosome maturation. Finally, we show that Rab1b knockdown also impacts the pH of the Legionella pneumophila containing vacuole, another pathogen that recruits Rab1b to its vacuole. Together these data identify a novel role for Rab1b in the subversion of phagosome maturation by intracellular pathogens and suggest that recruitment of Rab1b to the pathogen containing vacuole may be a conserved mechanism to control vacuole pH. Yersinia pestis is the bacterial agent that causes the human disease known as plague. While often considered a historic disease, Y. pestis is endemic in rodent populations on several continents and the World Health Organization considers plague to be a reemerging disease. Much of the success of this pathogen comes from its ability to evade clearance by the innate immune system of its host. One weapon in the Y. pestis arsenal is its ability to resist killing when engulfed by macrophages. Upon invasion of macrophages, Y. pestis actively manipulates the cell to generate a protective vacuolar compartment, called the Yersinia containing vacuole (YCV) that allows the bacterium to evade the normal pathogen killing mechanisms of the macrophage. Here we demonstrate that the host protein Rab1b is recruited to the YCV and is required for Y. pestis to inhibit both the acidification and normal maturation of the phagosome to establish a protective niche within the cell. Rab1b is the first protein, either from the host or Y. pestis, shown to contribute to the biogenesis of the YCV. Furthermore, our data suggest a previously unknown impact of Rab1b recruitment in the phagosome maturation pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G. Connor
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Amanda R. Pulsifer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Christopher T. Price
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Yousef Abu Kwaik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Matthew B. Lawrenz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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CRP-Mediated Carbon Catabolite Regulation of Yersinia pestis Biofilm Formation Is Enhanced by the Carbon Storage Regulator Protein, CsrA. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135481. [PMID: 26305456 PMCID: PMC4549057 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The natural transmission of Yersinia pestis is reliant upon biofilm blockage of the flea vector. However, the environmentally-responsive adaptive regulators which facilitate Y. pestis biofilm production in accordance with the flea midgut milieu are not well understood. We seek to establish the impact of available carbon source metabolism and storage upon Y. pestis biofilm production. Our findings demonstrate that Y. pestis biofilm production is subject to carbon catabolite regulation in which the presence of glucose impairs biofilm production; whereas, the sole metabolism of alternate carbon sources promotes robust biofilm formation. This observation is facilitated by the cAMP receptor protein, CRP. In accordance with a stark growth defect, deletion of crp in both CO92 and KIM6+ Y. pestis strains significantly impaired biofilm production when solely utilizing alternate carbon sources. Media supplementation with cAMP, a small-molecule activator of CRP, did not significantly alter Y. pestis biofilm production. Furthermore, CRP did not alter mRNA abundance of previously-characterized hms biofilm synthesis and regulation factors. Therefore, our findings indicate CRP does not confer a direct stimulatory effect, but may indirectly promote Y. pestis biofilm production by facilitating the alternate carbon source expression profile. Additionally, we assessed the impact of the carbon storage regulator protein, CsrA, upon Y. pestis biofilm production. Contrary to what has been described for E. coli, Y. pestis biofilm formation was found to be enhanced by CsrA. Regardless of media composition and available carbon source, deletion of csrA significantly impaired Y. pestis biofilm production. CsrA was found to promote Y. pestis biofilm production independent of glycogen regulation. Loss of csrA did not significantly alter relative hmsH, hmsP, or hmsT mRNA abundance. However, deletion of hmsP in the csrA-deficient mutant enabled excessive biofilm production, suggesting CsrA enables potent Y. pestis biofilm production through cyclic diguanylate regulation.
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Comparison of Models for Bubonic Plague Reveals Unique Pathogen Adaptations to the Dermis. Infect Immun 2015; 83:2855-61. [PMID: 25939507 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00140-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Vector-borne pathogens are inoculated in the skin of mammals, most likely in the dermis. Despite this, subcutaneous (s.c.) models of infection are broadly used in many fields, including Yersinia pestis pathogenesis. We expand on a previous report where we implemented intradermal (i.d.) inoculations to study bacterial dissemination during bubonic plague and compare this model with an s.c. MODEL We found that i.d. inoculations result in faster kinetics of infection and that bacterial dose influenced mouse survival after i.d. but not s.c. inoculation. Moreover, a deletion mutant of rovA, previously shown to be moderately attenuated in the s.c. model, was severely attenuated in the i.d. MODEL Lastly, based on previous observations where a population bottleneck from the skin to lymph nodes was observed after i.d., but not after s.c., inoculations, we used the latter model as a strategy to identify an additional bottleneck in bacterial dissemination from lymph nodes to the bloodstream. Our data indicate that the more biologically relevant i.d. model of bubonic plague differs significantly from the s.c. model in multiple aspects of infection. These findings reveal adaptations of Y. pestis to the dermis and how these adaptations can define the progression of disease. They also emphasize the importance of using a relevant route of infection when addressing host-pathogen interactions.
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van Lier CJ, Tiner BL, Chauhan S, Motin VL, Fitts EC, Huante MB, Endsley JJ, Ponnusamy D, Sha J, Chopra AK. Further characterization of a highly attenuated Yersinia pestis CO92 mutant deleted for the genes encoding Braun lipoprotein and plasminogen activator protease in murine alveolar and primary human macrophages. Microb Pathog 2015; 80:27-38. [PMID: 25697665 PMCID: PMC4363157 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2015.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
We recently characterized the Δlpp Δpla double in-frame deletion mutant of Yersinia pestis CO92 molecularly, biologically, and immunologically. While Braun lipoprotein (Lpp) activates toll-like receptor-2 to initiate an inflammatory cascade, plasminogen activator (Pla) protease facilitates bacterial dissemination in the host. The Δlpp Δpla double mutant was highly attenuated in evoking bubonic and pneumonic plague, was rapidly cleared from mouse organs, and generated humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to provide subsequent protection to mice against a lethal challenge dose of wild-type (WT) CO92. Here, we further characterized the Δlpp Δpla double mutant in two murine macrophage cell lines as well as in primary human monocyte-derived macrophages to gauge its potential as a live-attenuated vaccine candidate. We first demonstrated that the Δpla single and the Δlpp Δpla double mutant were unable to survive efficiently in murine and human macrophages, unlike WT CO92. We observed that the levels of Pla and its associated protease activity were not affected in the Δlpp single mutant, and, likewise, deletion of the pla gene from WT CO92 did not alter Lpp levels. Further, our study revealed that both Lpp and Pla contributed to the intracellular survival of WT CO92 via different mechanisms. Importantly, the ability of the Δlpp Δpla double mutant to be phagocytized by macrophages, to stimulate production of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, and to activate the nitric oxide killing pathways of the host cells remained unaltered when compared to the WT CO92-infected macrophages. Finally, macrophages infected with either the WT CO92 or the Δlpp Δpla double mutant were equally efficient in their uptake of zymosan particles as determined by flow cytometric analysis. Overall, our data indicated that although the Δlpp Δpla double mutant of Y. pestis CO92 was highly attenuated, it retained the ability to elicit innate and subsequent acquired immune responses in the host similar to that of WT CO92, which are highly desirable in a live-attenuated vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J van Lier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Bethany L Tiner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Sadhana Chauhan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Vladimir L Motin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Eric C Fitts
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Matthew B Huante
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Janice J Endsley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Duraisamy Ponnusamy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Jian Sha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - Ashok K Chopra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
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Willias SP, Chauhan S, Motin VL. Functional characterization of Yersinia pestis aerobic glycerol metabolism. Microb Pathog 2014; 76:33-43. [PMID: 25220241 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2014.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Revised: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis biovar Orientalis isolates have lost the capacity to ferment glycerol. Herein we provide experimental validation that a 93 bp in-frame deletion within the glpD gene encoding the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase present in all biovar Orientalis strains is sufficient to disrupt aerobic glycerol fermentation. Furthermore, the inability to ferment glycerol is often insured by a variety of additional mutations within the glpFKX operon which prevents glycerol internalization and conversion to glycerol-3-phosphate. The physiological impact of functional glpFKX in the presence of dysfunctional glpD was assessed. Results demonstrate no change in growth kinetics at 26 °C and 37 °C. Mutants deficient in glpD displayed decreased intracellular accumulation of glycerol-3-phosphate, a characterized inhibitor of cAMP receptor protein (CRP) activation. Since CRP is rigorously involved in global regulation Y. pestis virulence, we tested a possible influence of a single glpD mutation on virulence. Nonetheless, subcutaneous and intranasal murine challenge was not impacted by glycerol metabolism. As quantified by crystal violet assay, biofilm formation of the glpD-deficient KIM6+ mutant was mildly repressed; whereas, chromosomal restoration of glpD in CO92 resulted in a significant increase in biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan P Willias
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Sadhana Chauhan
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Vladimir L Motin
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
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Functional and structural analysis of HicA3-HicB3, a novel toxin-antitoxin system of Yersinia pestis. J Bacteriol 2014; 196:3712-23. [PMID: 25112480 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01932-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms involved in the virulence of Yersinia pestis, the plague pathogen, are not fully understood. In previous research, we found that a Y. pestis mutant lacking the HicB3 (YPO3369) putative orphan antitoxin was attenuated for virulence in a murine model of bubonic plague. Toxin-antitoxin systems (TASs) are widespread in prokaryotes. Most bacterial species possess many TASs of several types. In type II TASs, the toxin protein is bound and neutralized by its cognate antitoxin protein in the cytoplasm. Here we identify the hicA3 gene encoding the toxin neutralized by HicB3 and show that HicA3-HicB3 constitutes a new functional type II TAS in Y. pestis. Using biochemical and mutagenesis-based approaches, we demonstrate that the HicA3 toxin is an RNase with a catalytic histidine residue. HicB3 has two functions: it sequesters and neutralizes HicA3 by blocking its active site, and it represses transcription of the hicA3B3 operon. Gel shift assays and reporter fusion experiments indicate that the HicB3 antitoxin binds to two operators in the hicA3B3 promoter region. We solved the X-ray structures of HicB3 and the HicA3-HicB3 complex; thus, we present the first crystal structure of a TA complex from the HicAB family. HicB3 forms a tetramer that can bind two HicA3 toxin molecules. HicA3 is monomeric and folds as a double-stranded-RNA-binding domain. The HicB3 N-terminal domain occludes the HicA3 active site, whereas its C-terminal domain folds as a ribbon-helix-helix DNA-binding motif.
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Bozue J, Cote CK, Chance T, Kugelman J, Kern SJ, Kijek TK, Jenkins A, Mou S, Moody K, Fritz D, Robinson CG, Bell T, Worsham P. A Yersinia pestis tat mutant is attenuated in bubonic and small-aerosol pneumonic challenge models of infection but not as attenuated by intranasal challenge. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104524. [PMID: 25101850 PMCID: PMC4125294 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial proteins destined for the Tat pathway are folded before crossing the inner membrane and are typically identified by an N-terminal signal peptide containing a twin arginine motif. Translocation by the Tat pathway is dependent on the products of genes which encode proteins possessing the binding site of the signal peptide and mediating the actual translocation event. In the fully virulent CO92 strain of Yersinia pestis, the tatA gene was deleted. The mutant was assayed for loss of virulence through various in vitro and in vivo assays. Deletion of the tatA gene resulted in several consequences for the mutant as compared to wild-type. Cell morphology of the mutant bacteria was altered and demonstrated a more elongated form. In addition, while cultures of the mutant strain were able to produce a biofilm, we observed a loss of adhesion of the mutant biofilm structure compared to the biofilm produced by the wild-type strain. Immuno-electron microscopy revealed a partial disruption of the F1 antigen on the surface of the mutant. The virulence of the ΔtatA mutant was assessed in various murine models of plague. The mutant was severely attenuated in the bubonic model with full virulence restored by complementation with the native gene. After small-particle aerosol challenge in a pneumonic model of infection, the mutant was also shown to be attenuated. In contrast, when mice were challenged intranasally with the mutant, very little difference in the LD50 was observed between wild-type and mutant strains. However, an increased time-to-death and delay in bacterial dissemination was observed in mice infected with the ΔtatA mutant as compared to the parent strain. Collectively, these findings demonstrate an essential role for the Tat pathway in the virulence of Y. pestis in bubonic and small-aerosol pneumonic infection but less important role for intranasal challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Bozue
- Bacteriology Division, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Christopher K. Cote
- Bacteriology Division, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Taylor Chance
- Pathology Division, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Kugelman
- Center for Genome Sciences, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Steven J. Kern
- Office of Research Support, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Todd K. Kijek
- Bacteriology Division, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Amy Jenkins
- Bacteriology Division, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sherry Mou
- Bacteriology Division, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Krishna Moody
- Bacteriology Division, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David Fritz
- Bacteriology Division, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Camenzind G. Robinson
- Pathology Division, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Todd Bell
- Pathology Division, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Patricia Worsham
- Bacteriology Division, The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, United States of America
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Wang X, Liang J, Xi J, Yang J, Wang M, Tian K, Li J, Qiu H, Xiao Y, Duan R, Yang H, Li K, Cui Z, Qi M, Jing H. Canis lupus familiaris involved in the transmission of pathogenic Yersinia spp. in China. Vet Microbiol 2014; 172:339-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2014.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2013] [Revised: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Nichols MC, Ettestad PJ, VinHatton ES, Melman SD, Onischuk L, Pierce EA, Aragon AS. Yersinia pestisinfection in dogs: 62 cases (2003–2011). J Am Vet Med Assoc 2014; 244:1176-80. [DOI: 10.2460/javma.244.10.1176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Deletion of Braun lipoprotein and plasminogen-activating protease-encoding genes attenuates Yersinia pestis in mouse models of bubonic and pneumonic plague. Infect Immun 2014; 82:2485-503. [PMID: 24686064 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01595-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, there is no FDA-approved vaccine against Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of bubonic and pneumonic plague. Since both humoral immunity and cell-mediated immunity are essential in providing the host with protection against plague, we developed a live-attenuated vaccine strain by deleting the Braun lipoprotein (lpp) and plasminogen-activating protease (pla) genes from Y. pestis CO92. The Δlpp Δpla double isogenic mutant was highly attenuated in evoking both bubonic and pneumonic plague in a mouse model. Further, animals immunized with the mutant by either the intranasal or the subcutaneous route were significantly protected from developing subsequent pneumonic plague. In mice, the mutant poorly disseminated to peripheral organs and the production of proinflammatory cytokines concurrently decreased. Histopathologically, reduced damage to the lungs and livers of mice infected with the Δlpp Δpla double mutant compared to the level of damage in wild-type (WT) CO92-challenged animals was observed. The Δlpp Δpla mutant-immunized mice elicited a humoral immune response to the WT bacterium, as well as to CO92-specific antigens. Moreover, T cells from mutant-immunized animals exhibited significantly higher proliferative responses, when stimulated ex vivo with heat-killed WT CO92 antigens, than mice immunized with the same sublethal dose of WT CO92. Likewise, T cells from the mutant-immunized mice produced more gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4. These animals had an increasing number of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-producing CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells than WT CO92-infected mice. These data emphasize the role of TNF-α and IFN-γ in protecting mice against pneumonic plague. Overall, our studies provide evidence that deletion of the lpp and pla genes acts synergistically in protecting animals against pneumonic plague, and we have demonstrated an immunological basis for this protection.
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Evaluation of imipenem for prophylaxis and therapy of Yersinia pestis delivered by aerosol in a mouse model of pneumonic plague. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2014; 58:3276-84. [PMID: 24687492 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02420-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been previously shown that mice subjected to an aerosol exposure to Yersinia pestis and treated with β-lactam antibiotics after a delay of 42 h died at an accelerated rate compared to controls. It was hypothesized that endotoxin release in antibiotic-treated mice accounted for the accelerated death rate in the mice exposed to aerosol Y. pestis. Imipenem, a β-lactam antibiotic, binds to penicillin binding protein 2 with the highest affinity and produces rounded cells. The binding of imipenem causes cells to lyse quickly and thereby to release less free endotoxin. Two imipenem regimens producing fractions of time that the concentration of free, unbound drug was above the MIC (fT>MIC) of approximately 25% (6/24 h) and 40% (9.5/24 h) were evaluated. In the postexposure prophylaxis study, the 40% and 25% regimens produced 90% and 40% survivorship, respectively. In the 42-h treatment study, both regimens demonstrated a 40 to 50% survivorship at therapy cessation and some deaths thereafter, resulting in a 30% survivorship. As this was an improvement over the results with other β-lactams, a comparison of both endotoxin and cytokine levels in mice treated with imipenem and ceftazidime (a β-lactam previously demonstrated to accelerate death in mice during treatment) was performed and supported the original hypotheses; however, the levels observed in animals treated with ciprofloxacin (included as an unrelated antibiotic that is also bactericidal but should cause little lysis due to a different mode of action) were elevated and significantly (7-fold) higher than those with ceftazidime.
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Genome-wide analysis of small RNAs expressed by Yersinia pestis identifies a regulator of the Yop-Ysc type III secretion system. J Bacteriol 2014; 196:1659-70. [PMID: 24532772 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01456-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Small noncoding RNA (sRNA) molecules are integral components of the regulatory machinery for many bacterial species and are known to posttranscriptionally regulate metabolic and stress-response pathways, quorum sensing, virulence factors, and more. The Yop-Ysc type III secretion system (T3SS) is a critical virulence component for the pathogenic Yersinia species, and the regulation of this system is tightly controlled at each step from transcription to translocation of effectors into host cells. The contribution of sRNAs to the regulation of the T3SS in Yersinia has been largely unstudied, however. Previously, our lab identified a role for the sRNA chaperone protein Hfq in the regulation of components of the T3SS in the gastrointestinal pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Here we present data demonstrating a similar requirement for Hfq in the closely related species Yersinia pestis. Through deep sequencing analysis of the Y. pestis sRNA-ome, we found 63 previously unidentified putative sRNAs in this species. We identified a Yersinia-specific sRNA, Ysr141, carried by the T3SS plasmid pCD1 that is required for the production of multiple T3SS proteins. In addition, we show that Ysr141 targets an untranslated region upstream of yopJ to posttranscriptionally activate the synthesis of the YopJ protein. Furthermore, Ysr141 may be an unstable and/or processed sRNA, which could contribute to its function in the regulation of the T3SS. The discovery of an sRNA that influences the synthesis of the T3SS adds an additional layer of regulation to this tightly controlled virulence determinant of Y. pestis.
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THE INNATE IMMUNE RESPONSE MAY BE IMPORTANT FOR SURVIVING PLAGUE IN WILD GUNNISON'S PRAIRIE DOGS. J Wildl Dis 2013; 49:920-31. [DOI: 10.7589/2012-08-209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Dynamic of mutational events in variable number tandem repeats of Escherichia coli O157:H7. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2013; 2013:390354. [PMID: 24093095 PMCID: PMC3777172 DOI: 10.1155/2013/390354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
VNTRs regions have been successfully used for bacterial subtyping; however, the hypervariability in VNTR loci is problematic when trying to predict the relationships among isolates. Since few studies have examined the mutation rate of these markers, our aim was to estimate mutation rates of VNTRs specific for verotoxigenic E. coli O157:H7. The knowledge of VNTR mutational rates and the factors affecting them would make MLVA more effective for epidemiological or microbial forensic investigations. For this purpose, we analyzed nine loci performing parallel, serial passage experiments (PSPEs) on 9 O157:H7 strains. The combined 9 PSPE population rates for the 8 mutating loci ranged from 4.4 × 10−05 to 1.8 × 10−03 mutations/generation, and the combined 8-loci mutation rate was of 2.5 × 10−03 mutations/generation. Mutations involved complete repeat units, with only one point mutation detected. A similar proportion between single and multiple repeat changes was detected. Of the 56 repeat mutations, 59% were insertions and 41% were deletions, and 72% of the mutation events corresponded to O157-10 locus. For alleles with up to 13 UR, a constant and low mutation rate was observed; meanwhile longer alleles were associated with higher and variable mutation rates. Our results are useful to interpret data from microevolution and population epidemiology studies and particularly point out that the inclusion or not of O157-10 locus or, alternatively, a differential weighting data according to the mutation rates of loci must be evaluated in relation with the objectives of the proposed study.
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Abstract
The autoinducer-2 (AI-2) quorum-sensing system has been linked to diverse phenotypes and regulatory changes in pathogenic bacteria. In the present study, we performed a molecular and biochemical characterization of the AI-2 system in Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. In strain CO92, the AI-2 signal is produced in a luxS-dependent manner, reaching maximal levels of 2.5 μM in the late logarithmic growth phase, and both wild-type and pigmentation (pgm) mutant strains made equivalent levels of AI-2. Strain CO92 possesses a chromosomal lsr locus encoding factors involved in the binding and import of AI-2, and confirming this assignment, an lsr deletion mutant increased extracellular pools of AI-2. To assess the functional role of AI-2 sensing in Y. pestis, microarray studies were conducted by comparing Δpgm strain R88 to a Δpgm ΔluxS mutant or a quorum-sensing-null Δpgm ΔypeIR ΔyspIR ΔluxS mutant at 37°C. Our data suggest that AI-2 quorum sensing is associated with metabolic activities and oxidative stress genes that may help Y. pestis survive at the host temperature. This was confirmed by observing that the luxS mutant was more sensitive to killing by hydrogen peroxide, suggesting a potential requirement for AI-2 in evasion of oxidative damage. We also show that a large number of membrane protein genes are controlled by LuxS, suggesting a role for quorum sensing in membrane modeling. Altogether, this study provides the first global analysis of AI-2 signaling in Y. pestis and identifies potential roles for the system in controlling genes important to disease.
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