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Samanta P, Cooke SF, McNulty R, Hormoz S, Rosenthal A. ProBac-seq, a bacterial single-cell RNA sequencing methodology using droplet microfluidics and large oligonucleotide probe sets. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:2939-2966. [PMID: 38769144 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-024-01002-1] [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: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Methods that measure the transcriptomic state of thousands of individual cells have transformed our understanding of cellular heterogeneity in eukaryotic cells since their introduction in the past decade. While simple and accessible protocols and commercial products are now available for the processing of mammalian cells, these existing technologies are incompatible with use in bacterial samples for several fundamental reasons including the absence of polyadenylation on bacterial messenger RNA, the instability of bacterial transcripts and the incompatibility of bacterial cell morphology with existing methodologies. Recently, we developed ProBac sequencing (ProBac-seq), a method that overcomes these technical difficulties and provides high-quality single-cell gene expression data from thousands of bacterial cells by using messenger RNA-specific probes. Here we provide details for designing large oligonucleotide probe sets for an organism of choice, amplifying probe sets to produce sufficient quantities for repeated experiments, adding unique molecular indexes and poly-A tails to produce finalized probes, in situ probe hybridization and single-cell encapsulation and library preparation. This protocol, from the probe amplification to the library preparation, requires ~7 d to complete. ProBac-seq offers several advantages over other methods by capturing only the desired target sequences and avoiding nondesired transcripts, such as highly abundant ribosomal RNA, thus enriching for signal that better informs on cellular state. The use of multiple probes per gene can detect meaningful single-cell signals from cells expressing transcripts to a lesser degree or those grown in minimal media and other environmentally relevant conditions in which cells are less active. ProBac-seq is also compatible with other organisms that can be profiled by in situ hybridization techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prosenjit Samanta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Samuel F Cooke
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ryan McNulty
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Sahand Hormoz
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Adam Rosenthal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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2
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Zheng X, Gomez-Rivas EJ, Lamont SI, Daneshjoo K, Shieh A, Wozniak DJ, Parsek MR. The surface interface and swimming motility influence surface-sensing responses in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2411981121. [PMID: 39284057 PMCID: PMC11441478 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2411981121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 10/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms have been implicated in several chronic infections. After initial attachment, a critical first step in biofilm formation is a cell inducing a surface-sensing response. In the Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two second messengers, cyclic diguanylate monophosphate (c-di-GMP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), are produced by different surface-sensing mechanisms. However, given the disparate cellular behaviors regulated by these second messengers, how newly attached cells coordinate these pathways remains unclear. Some of the uncertainty relates to studies using different strains, experimental systems, and usually focusing on a single second messenger. In this study, we developed a tricolor reporter system to simultaneously gauge c-di-GMP and cAMP levels in single cells. Using PAO1, we show that c-di-GMP and cAMP are selectively activated in two commonly used experimental systems to study surface sensing. By further examining the conditions that differentiate a c-di-GMP or cAMP response, we demonstrate that an agarose-air interface activates cAMP signaling through type IV pili and the Pil-Chp system. However, a liquid-agarose interface favors the activation of c-di-GMP signaling. This response is dependent on flagellar motility and correlated with higher swimming speed. Collectively, this work indicates that c-di-GMP and cAMP signaling responses are dependent on the surface context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhui Zheng
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | | | - Sabrina I. Lamont
- Departments of Microbial Infection and Immunity, Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
| | | | - Angeli Shieh
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Daniel J. Wozniak
- Departments of Microbial Infection and Immunity, Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
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Shen Y, Wang Y, Wang J, Xie P, Xie C, Chen Y, Banaei N, Ren K, Cai Z. High-resolution 3D spatial distribution of complex microbial colonies revealed by mass spectrometry imaging. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00375-8. [PMID: 39214416 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Bacterial living states and the distribution of microbial colony signaling molecules are widely studied using mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). However, current approaches often treat 3D colonies as flat 2D disks, inadvertently omitting valuable details. The challenge of achieving 3D MSI in biofilms persists due to the unique properties of microbial samples. OBJECTIVES The study aimed to develop a new biofilm sample preparation method that can realize high-resolution 3D MSI of bacterial colonies to reveal the spatial organization of bacterial colonies. METHODS This article introduces the moisture-assisted cryo-section (MACS) method, enabling embedding-free sectioning parallel to the growth plane. The MACS method secures intact sections by controlling ambient humidity and slice thickness, preventing molecular delocalization. RESULTS Combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI)-MSI, the MACS method provides high-resolution insights into endogenic and exogenous molecule distributions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) biofilms, including isomeric pairs. Moreover, analyzed colonies are revived into 3D models, vividly depicting molecular distribution from inner to outer layers. Additionally, we investigated metabolite spatiotemporal dynamics in multiple colonies, observing changes over time and distinct patterns in single versus merged colonies. These findings shed light on the repel-merge process for multi-colony formation. Furthermore, our study monitored chemical responses inside biofilms after antibiotic treatment, showing increased antibiotic levels in the outer biofilm layer over time while maintaining low levels in the inner region. Moreover, the MACS method demonstrated its universality and applicability to other bacterial strains. CONCLUSION These results unveil complex cell activities within biofilm colonies, offering insights into microbe communities. The MACS method is universally applicable to loosely packed microorganism colonies, overcoming the limitations of previously reported MSI methods. It has great potential for studying bacterial-infected cancer tissues and artificial organs, making it a valuable tool in microbiological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, PR China
| | - Yisu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, PR China
| | - Jianing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, PR China
| | - Peisi Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, PR China
| | - Chengyi Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, PR China
| | - Yanyan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, PR China
| | - Niaz Banaei
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA; Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Stanford Health Care, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Kangning Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, PR China; Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, PR China.
| | - Zongwei Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, PR China.
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4
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Walton B, Abbondante S, Marshall ME, Dobruchowska JM, Alvi A, Gallagher LA, Vallikat N, Zhang Z, Wozniak DJ, Yu EW, Boons GJ, Pearlman E, Rietsch A. A biofilm-tropic Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophage uses the exopolysaccharide Psl as receptor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.12.607380. [PMID: 39185188 PMCID: PMC11343166 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.12.607380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria in nature can exist in multicellular communities called biofilms. Biofilms also form in the course of many infections. Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections frequently involve biofilms, which contribute materially to the difficulty to treat these infections with antibiotic therapy. Many biofilm-related characteristics are controlled by the second messenger, cyclic-di-GMP, which is upregulated on surface contact. Among these factors is the exopolysaccharide Psl, which is a critically important component of the biofilm matrix. Here we describe the discovery of a P. aeruginosa bacteriophage, which we have called Clew-1, that directly binds to and uses Psl as a receptor. While this phage does not efficiently infect planktonically growing bacteria, it can disrupt P. aeruginosa biofilms and replicate in biofilm bacteria. We further demonstrate that the Clew-1 can reduce the bacterial burden in a mouse model of P. aeruginosa keratitis, which is characterized by the formation of a biofilm on the cornea. Due to its reliance on Psl for infection, Clew-1 does not actually form plaques on wild-type bacteria under standard in vitro conditions. This argues that our standard isolation procedures likely exclude bacteriophage that are adapted to using biofilm markers for infection. Importantly, the manner in which we isolated Clew-1 can be easily extended to other strains of P. aeruginosa and indeed other bacterial species, which will fuel the discovery of other biofilm-tropic bacteriophage and expand their therapeutic use.
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Kumar S, Lezia A, Hasty J. Engineering plasmid copy number heterogeneity for dynamic microbial adaptation. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:2173-2184. [PMID: 38890490 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01706-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Natural microbial populations exploit phenotypic heterogeneity for survival and adaptation. However, in engineering biology, limiting the sources of variability is a major focus. Here we show that intentionally coupling distinct plasmids via shared replication mechanisms enables bacterial populations to adapt to their environment. We demonstrate that plasmid coupling of carbon-metabolizing operons facilitates copy number tuning of an essential but burdensome construct through the action of a stably maintained, non-essential plasmid. For specific cost-benefit situations, incompatible two-plasmid systems can stably persist longer than compatible ones. We also show using microfluidics that plasmid coupling of synthetic constructs generates population-state memory of previous environmental adaptation without additional regulatory control. This work should help to improve the design of synthetic populations by enabling adaptive engineered strains to function under changing growth conditions without strict fine-tuning of the genetic circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalni Kumar
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Andrew Lezia
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jeff Hasty
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Synthetic Biology Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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6
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Geiger CJ, Wong GCL, O'Toole GA. A bacterial sense of touch: T4P retraction motor as a means of surface sensing by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0044223. [PMID: 38832786 PMCID: PMC11270903 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00442-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Most microbial cells found in nature exist in matrix-covered, surface-attached communities known as biofilms. This mode of growth is initiated by the ability of the microbe to sense a surface on which to grow. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) PA14 utilizes a single polar flagellum and type 4 pili (T4P) to sense surfaces. For Pa, T4P-dependent "twitching" motility is characterized by effectively pulling the cell across a surface through a complex process of cooperative binding, pulling, and unbinding. T4P retraction is powered by hexameric ATPases. Pa cells that have engaged a surface increase production of the second messenger cyclic AMP (cAMP) over multiple generations via the Pil-Chp system. This rise in cAMP allows cells and their progeny to become better adapted for surface attachment and activates virulence pathways through the cAMP-binding transcription factor Vfr. While many studies have focused on mechanisms of T4P twitching and regulation of T4P production and function by the Pil-Chp system, the mechanism by which Pa senses and relays a surface-engagement signal to the cell is still an open question. Here we review the current state of the surface sensing literature for Pa, with a focus on T4P, and propose an integrated model of surface sensing whereby the retraction motor PilT senses and relays the signal to the Pil-Chp system via PilJ to drive cAMP production and adaptation to a surface lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. J. Geiger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - G. C. L. Wong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - G. A. O'Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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7
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Pérez-Burgos M, Herfurth M, Kaczmarczyk A, Harms A, Huber K, Jenal U, Glatter T, Søgaard-Andersen L. A deterministic, c-di-GMP-dependent program ensures the generation of phenotypically similar, symmetric daughter cells during cytokinesis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6014. [PMID: 39019889 PMCID: PMC11255338 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50444-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic heterogeneity in bacteria can result from stochastic processes or deterministic programs. The deterministic programs often involve the versatile second messenger c-di-GMP, and give rise to daughter cells with different c-di-GMP levels by deploying c-di-GMP metabolizing enzymes asymmetrically during cell division. By contrast, less is known about how phenotypic heterogeneity is kept to a minimum. Here, we identify a deterministic c-di-GMP-dependent program that is hardwired into the cell cycle of Myxococcus xanthus to minimize phenotypic heterogeneity and guarantee the formation of phenotypically similar daughter cells during division. Cells lacking the diguanylate cyclase DmxA have an aberrant motility behaviour. DmxA is recruited to the cell division site and its activity is switched on during cytokinesis, resulting in a transient increase in the c-di-GMP concentration. During cytokinesis, this c-di-GMP burst ensures the symmetric incorporation and allocation of structural motility proteins and motility regulators at the new cell poles of the two daughters, thereby generating phenotypically similar daughters with correct motility behaviours. Thus, our findings suggest a general c-di-GMP-dependent mechanism for minimizing phenotypic heterogeneity, and demonstrate that bacteria can ensure the formation of dissimilar or similar daughter cells by deploying c-di-GMP metabolizing enzymes to distinct subcellular locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Pérez-Burgos
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marco Herfurth
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Andrea Harms
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katrin Huber
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Urs Jenal
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Timo Glatter
- Core Facility for Mass Spectrometry & Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Lotte Søgaard-Andersen
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.
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8
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Munar-Palmer M, Santamaría-Hernando S, Liedtke J, Ortega DR, López-Torrejón G, Rodríguez-Herva JJ, Briegel A, López-Solanilla E. Chemosensory systems interact to shape relevant traits for bacterial plant pathogenesis. mBio 2024; 15:e0087124. [PMID: 38899869 PMCID: PMC11253619 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00871-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemosensory systems allow bacteria to respond and adapt to environmental conditions. Many bacteria contain more than one chemosensory system, but knowledge of their specific roles in regulating different functions remains scarce. Here, we address this issue by analyzing the function of the F6, F8, and alternative (non-motility) cellular functions (ACF) chemosensory systems of the model plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. In this work, we assign PsPto chemoreceptors to each chemosensory system, and we visualize for the first time the F6 and F8 chemosensory systems of PsPto using cryo-electron tomography. We confirm that chemotaxis and swimming motility are controlled by the F6 system, and we demonstrate how different components from the F8 and ACF systems also modulate swimming motility. We also determine how the kinase and response regulators from the F6 and F8 chemosensory systems do not work together in the regulation of biofilm, whereas both components from the ACF system contribute together to regulate these traits. Furthermore, we show how the F6, F8, and ACF kinases interact with the ACF response regulator WspR, supporting crosstalk among chemosensory systems. Finally, we reveal how all chemosensory systems play a role in regulating virulence. IMPORTANCE Chemoperception through chemosensory systems is an essential feature for bacterial survival, as it allows bacterial interaction with its surrounding environment. In the case of plant pathogens, it is especially relevant to enter the host and achieve full virulence. Multiple chemosensory systems allow bacteria to display a wider plasticity in their response to external signals. Here, we perform a deep characterization of the F6, F8, and alternative (non-motility) cellular functions chemosensory systems in the model plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. These chemosensory systems regulate key virulence-related traits, like motility and biofilm formation. Furthermore, we unveil an unexpected crosstalk among these chemosensory systems at the level of the interaction between kinases and response regulators. This work shows novel results that contribute to the knowledge of chemosensory systems and their role in functions alternative to chemotaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martí Munar-Palmer
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)–Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Saray Santamaría-Hernando
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)–Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Janine Liedtke
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Davi R. Ortega
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gema López-Torrejón
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)–Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
| | - José Juan Rodríguez-Herva
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)–Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ariane Briegel
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Emilia López-Solanilla
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)–Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
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9
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Barton DL, Chang YR, Ducker W, Dobnikar J. Data-driven modelling makes quantitative predictions regarding bacteria surface motility. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012063. [PMID: 38743804 PMCID: PMC11125545 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
In this work, we quantitatively compare computer simulations and existing cell tracking data of P. aeruginosa surface motility in order to analyse the underlying motility mechanism. We present a three dimensional twitching motility model, that simulates the extension, retraction and surface association of individual Type IV Pili (TFP), and is informed by recent experimental observations of TFP. Sensitivity analysis is implemented to minimise the number of model parameters, and quantitative estimates for the remaining parameters are inferred from tracking data by approximate Bayesian computation. We argue that the motility mechanism is highly sensitive to experimental conditions. We predict a TFP retraction speed for the tracking data we study that is in a good agreement with experimental results obtained under very similar conditions. Furthermore, we examine whether estimates for biologically important parameters, whose direct experimental determination is challenging, can be inferred directly from tracking data. One example is the width of the distribution of TFP on the bacteria body. We predict that the TFP are broadly distributed over the bacteria pole in both walking and crawling motility types. Moreover, we identified specific configurations of TFP that lead to transitions between walking and crawling states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L. Barton
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yow-Ren Chang
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Dr, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
| | - William Ducker
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Center for Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virgina, United States of America
| | - Jure Dobnikar
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Wenzhou Institute of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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10
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Rapsinski GJ, Michaels LA, Hill M, Yarrington KD, Haas AL, D’Amico EJ, Armbruster CR, Zemke A, Limoli D, Bomberger JM. Pseudomonas aeruginosa senses and responds to epithelial potassium flux via Kdp operon to promote biofilm. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011453. [PMID: 38820569 PMCID: PMC11168685 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011453] [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: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Mucosa-associated biofilms are associated with many human disease states, but the host mechanisms promoting biofilm remain unclear. In chronic respiratory diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF), Pseudomonas aeruginosa establishes chronic infection through biofilm formation. P. aeruginosa can be attracted to interspecies biofilms through potassium currents emanating from the biofilms. We hypothesized that P. aeruginosa could, similarly, sense and respond to the potassium efflux from human airway epithelial cells (AECs) to promote biofilm. Using respiratory epithelial co-culture biofilm imaging assays of P. aeruginosa grown in association with CF bronchial epithelial cells (CFBE41o-), we found that P. aeruginosa biofilm was increased by potassium efflux from AECs, as examined by potentiating large conductance potassium channel, BKCa (NS19504) potassium efflux. This phenotype is driven by increased bacterial attachment and increased coalescence of bacteria into aggregates. Conversely, biofilm formation was reduced when AECs were treated with a BKCa blocker (paxilline). Using an agar-based macroscopic chemotaxis assay, we determined that P. aeruginosa chemotaxes toward potassium and screened transposon mutants to discover that disruption of the high-sensitivity potassium transporter, KdpFABC, and the two-component potassium sensing system, KdpDE, reduces P. aeruginosa potassium chemotaxis. In respiratory epithelial co-culture biofilm imaging assays, a KdpFABCDE deficient P. aeruginosa strain demonstrated reduced biofilm growth in association with AECs while maintaining biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces. Furthermore, we determined that the Kdp operon is expressed in vivo in people with CF and the genes are conserved in CF isolates. Collectively, these data suggest that P. aeruginosa biofilm formation can be increased by attracting bacteria to the mucosal surface and enhancing coalescence into microcolonies through aberrant AEC potassium efflux sensed by the KdpFABCDE system. These findings suggest host electrochemical signaling can enhance biofilm, a novel host-pathogen interaction, and potassium flux could be a therapeutic target to prevent chronic infections in diseases with mucosa-associated biofilms, like CF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn J. Rapsinski
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Lia A. Michaels
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Madison Hill
- Department of Biology, Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kaitlin D. Yarrington
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Allison L. Haas
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
| | - Emily J. D’Amico
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
| | - Catherine R. Armbruster
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
| | - Anna Zemke
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Dominique Limoli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Jennifer M. Bomberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United State of America
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11
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Bedore AM, Waters CM. Plasmid-free cheater cells commonly evolve during laboratory growth. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0231123. [PMID: 38446071 PMCID: PMC11022567 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02311-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
It has been nearly a century since the isolation and use of penicillin, heralding the discovery of a wide range of different antibiotics. In addition to clinical applications, such antibiotics have been essential laboratory tools, allowing for selection and maintenance of laboratory plasmids that encode cognate resistance genes. However, antibiotic resistance mechanisms can additionally function as public goods. For example, extracellular beta-lactamases produced by resistant cells that subsequently degrade penicillin and related antibiotics allow neighboring plasmid-free susceptible bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment. How such cooperative mechanisms impact selection of plasmids during experiments in laboratory conditions is poorly understood. Here, we show in multiple bacterial species that the use of plasmid-encoded beta-lactamases leads to significant curing of plasmids in surface-grown bacteria. Furthermore, such curing was also evident for aminoglycoside phosphotransferase and tetracycline antiporter resistance mechanisms. Alternatively, antibiotic selection in liquid growth led to more robust plasmid maintenance, although plasmid loss was still observed. The net outcome of such plasmid loss is the generation of a heterogenous population of plasmid-containing and plasmid-free cells, leading to experimental confounds that are not widely appreciated.IMPORTANCEPlasmids are routinely used in microbiology as readouts of cell biology or tools to manipulate cell function. Central to these studies is the assumption that all cells in an experiment contain the plasmid. Plasmid maintenance in a host cell typically depends on a plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance marker, which provides a selective advantage when the plasmid-containing cell is grown in the presence of antibiotic. Here, we find that growth of plasmid-containing bacteria on a surface and to a lesser extent in liquid culture in the presence of three distinct antibiotic families leads to the evolution of a significant number of plasmid-free cells, which rely on the resistance mechanisms of the plasmid-containing cells. This process generates a heterogenous population of plasmid-free and plasmid-containing bacteria, an outcome which could confound further experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber M. Bedore
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Christopher M. Waters
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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12
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Steppe P, Rey-Bedón C, Kumar S, Forrest E, Van Der Wagt N, Tayal A, Tsimring L, Hasty J. Phenotypic Patterning through Copy Number Adaptation to Environmental Gradients. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:728-735. [PMID: 38330913 PMCID: PMC11048735 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
We recently described a paradigm for engineering bacterial adaptation using plasmids coupled to the same origin of replication. In this study, we use plasmid coupling to generate spatially separated and phenotypically distinct populations in response to heterogeneous environments. Using a custom microfluidic device, we continuously tracked engineered populations along induced gradients, enabling an in-depth analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of plasmid coupling. Our observations reveal a pronounced phenotypic separation within 4 h exposure to an opposing gradient of AHL and arabinose. Additionally, by modulating the burden strength balance between coupled plasmids, we demonstrate the inherent limitations and tunability of this system. Intriguingly, phenotypic separation persists for an extended time, hinting at a biophysical spatial retention mechanism reminiscent of natural speciation processes. Complementing our experimental data, mathematical models provide invaluable insights into the underlying mechanisms and guide optimization of plasmid coupling for prospective applications of environmental copy number adaptation engineering across separated domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige Steppe
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Camilo Rey-Bedón
- Molecular Biology Section, Division of Biological Sciences,
University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United
States
| | - Shalni Kumar
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Emerald Forrest
- Synthetic Biology Institute, University of California San Diego, La
Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Niklas Van Der Wagt
- Synthetic Biology Institute, University of California San Diego, La
Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Arnav Tayal
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Lev Tsimring
- Synthetic Biology Institute, University of California San Diego, La
Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Jeff Hasty
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, California 92093, United States; Molecular Biology Section,
Division of Biological Sciences and Synthetic Biology Institute, University
of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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13
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Vanderwoude J, Azimi S, Read TD, Diggle SP. The role of hypermutation and collateral sensitivity in antimicrobial resistance diversity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations in cystic fibrosis lung infection. mBio 2024; 15:e0310923. [PMID: 38171021 PMCID: PMC10865868 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03109-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen which causes chronic, drug-resistant lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. In this study, we explore the role of genomic diversification and evolutionary trade-offs in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) diversity within P. aeruginosa populations sourced from CF lung infections. We analyzed 300 clinical isolates from four CF patients (75 per patient) and found that genomic diversity is not a consistent indicator of phenotypic AMR diversity. Remarkably, some genetically less diverse populations showed AMR diversity comparable to those with significantly more genetic variation. We also observed that hypermutator strains frequently exhibited increased sensitivity to antimicrobials, contradicting expectations from their treatment histories. Investigating potential evolutionary trade-offs, we found no substantial evidence of collateral sensitivity among aminoglycoside, beta-lactam, or fluoroquinolone antibiotics, nor did we observe trade-offs between AMR and growth in conditions mimicking CF sputum. Our findings suggest that (i) genomic diversity is not a prerequisite for phenotypic AMR diversity, (ii) hypermutator populations may develop increased antimicrobial sensitivity under selection pressure, (iii) collateral sensitivity is not a prominent feature in CF strains, and (iv) resistance to a single antibiotic does not necessarily lead to significant fitness costs. These insights challenge prevailing assumptions about AMR evolution in chronic infections, emphasizing the complexity of bacterial adaptation during infection.IMPORTANCEUpon infection in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung, Pseudomonas aeruginosa rapidly acquires genetic mutations, especially in genes involved in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), often resulting in diverse, treatment-resistant populations. However, the role of bacterial population diversity within the context of chronic infection is still poorly understood. In this study, we found that hypermutator strains of P. aeruginosa in the CF lung undergoing treatment with tobramycin evolved increased sensitivity to tobramycin relative to non-hypermutators within the same population. This finding suggests that antimicrobial treatment may only exert weak selection pressure on P. aeruginosa populations in the CF lung. We further found no evidence for collateral sensitivity in these clinical populations, suggesting that collateral sensitivity may not be a robust, naturally occurring phenomenon for this microbe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelly Vanderwoude
- Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sheyda Azimi
- Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Timothy D. Read
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Stephen P. Diggle
- Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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14
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Hansson A, Karlsen EA, Stensen W, Svendsen JSM, Berglin M, Lundgren A. Preventing E. coli Biofilm Formation with Antimicrobial Peptide-Functionalized Surface Coatings: Recognizing the Dependence on the Bacterial Binding Mode Using Live-Cell Microscopy. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:6799-6812. [PMID: 38294883 PMCID: PMC10875647 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c16004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can kill bacteria by destabilizing their membranes, yet translating these molecules' properties into a covalently attached antibacterial coating is challenging. Rational design efforts are obstructed by the fact that standard microbiology methods are ill-designed for the evaluation of coatings, disclosing few details about why grafted AMPs function or do not function. It is particularly difficult to distinguish the influence of the AMP's molecular structure from other factors controlling the total exposure, including which type of bonds are formed between bacteria and the coating and how persistent these contacts are. Here, we combine label-free live-cell microscopy, microfluidics, and automated image analysis to study the response of surface-bound Escherichia coli challenged by the same small AMP either in solution or grafted to the surface through click chemistry. Initially after binding, the grafted AMPs inhibited bacterial growth more efficiently than did AMPs in solution. Yet, after 1 h, E. coli on the coated surfaces increased their expression of type-1 fimbriae, leading to a change in their binding mode, which diminished the coating's impact. The wealth of information obtained from continuously monitoring the growth, shape, and movements of single bacterial cells allowed us to elucidate and quantify the different factors determining the antibacterial efficacy of the grafted AMPs. We expect this approach to aid the design of elaborate antibacterial material coatings working by specific and selective actions, not limited to contact-killing. This technology is needed to support health care and food production in the postantibiotic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Hansson
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
- Department
of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research
Institutes of Sweden, Borås 50115, Sweden
| | - Eskil André Karlsen
- Amicoat
A/S, Sykehusvegen 23, Tromsø 9019, Norway
- Department
of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University
of Norway, Tromsø 9037, Norway
| | - Wenche Stensen
- Department
of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University
of Norway, Tromsø 9037, Norway
| | - John S. M. Svendsen
- Amicoat
A/S, Sykehusvegen 23, Tromsø 9019, Norway
- Department
of Chemistry, UiT The Arctic University
of Norway, Tromsø 9037, Norway
| | - Mattias Berglin
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
- Department
of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research
Institutes of Sweden, Borås 50115, Sweden
| | - Anders Lundgren
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
- Centre
for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 41346, Sweden
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15
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Dsouza FP, Dinesh S, Sharma S. Understanding the intricacies of microbial biofilm formation and its endurance in chronic infections: a key to advancing biofilm-targeted therapeutic strategies. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:85. [PMID: 38300317 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03802-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms can adhere to various surfaces in the environment with human beings being no exception. Enclosed in a self-secreted matrix which contains extracellular polymeric substances, biofilms are intricate communities of bacteria that play a significant role across various sectors and raise concerns for public health, medicine and industries. These complex structures allow free-floating planktonic cells to adopt multicellular mode of growth which leads to persistent infections. This is of great concern as biofilms can withstand external attacks which include antibiotics and immune responses. A more comprehensive and innovative approach to therapy is needed in view of the increasing issue of bacterial resistance brought on by the overuse of conventional antimicrobial medications. Thus, to oppose the challenges posed by biofilm-related infections, innovative therapeutic strategies are being explored which include targeting extracellular polymeric substances, quorum sensing, and persister cells. Biofilm-responsive nanoparticles show promising results by improving drug delivery and reducing the side effects. This review comprehensively examines the factors influencing biofilm formation, host immune defence mechanisms, infections caused by biofilms, diagnostic approaches, and biofilm-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susha Dinesh
- Department of Bioinformatics, BioNome, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560043, India.
| | - Sameer Sharma
- Department of Bioinformatics, BioNome, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560043, India
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16
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Eilers K, Hoong Yam JK, Liu X, Goh YF, To KN, Paracuellos P, Morton R, Brizuela J, Hui Yong AM, Givskov M, Freibert SA, Bange G, Rice SA, Steinchen W, Filloux A. The dual GGDEF/EAL domain enzyme PA0285 is a Pseudomonas species housekeeping phosphodiesterase regulating early attachment and biofilm architecture. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105659. [PMID: 38237678 PMCID: PMC10874727 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105659] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial lifestyles depend on conditions encountered during colonization. The transition between planktonic and biofilm growth is dependent on the intracellular second messenger c-di-GMP. High c-di-GMP levels driven by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) activity favor biofilm formation, while low levels were maintained by phosphodiesterases (PDE) encourage planktonic lifestyle. The activity of these enzymes can be modulated by stimuli-sensing domains such as Per-ARNT-Sim (PAS). In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, more than 40 PDE/DGC are involved in c-di-GMP homeostasis, including 16 dual proteins possessing both canonical DGC and PDE motifs, that is, GGDEF and EAL, respectively. It was reported that deletion of the EAL/GGDEF dual enzyme PA0285, one of five c-di-GMP-related enzymes conserved across all Pseudomonas species, impacts biofilms. PA0285 is anchored in the membrane and carries two PAS domains. Here, we confirm that its role is conserved in various P. aeruginosa strains and in Pseudomonas putida. Deletion of PA0285 impacts the early stage of colonization, and RNA-seq analysis suggests that expression of cupA fimbrial genes is involved. We demonstrate that the C-terminal portion of PA0285 encompassing the GGDEF and EAL domains binds GTP and c-di-GMP, respectively, but only exhibits PDE activity in vitro. However, both GGDEF and EAL domains are important for PA0285 PDE activity in vivo. Complementation of the PA0285 mutant strain with a copy of the gene encoding the C-terminal GGDEF/EAL portion in trans was not as effective as complementation with the full-length gene. This suggests the N-terminal transmembrane and PAS domains influence the PDE activity in vivo, through modulating the protein conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Eilers
- CBRB Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joey Kuok Hoong Yam
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Xianghui Liu
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Yu Fen Goh
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Ka-Ning To
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Patricia Paracuellos
- CBRB Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Morton
- CBRB Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jaime Brizuela
- CBRB Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Adeline Mei Hui Yong
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Michael Givskov
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Costerton Biofilm Center, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sven-Andreas Freibert
- Philipps University Marburg, Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg, Germany
| | - Gert Bange
- Philipps University Marburg, Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg, Germany
| | - Scott A Rice
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Microbiomes for One Systems Health and Agriculture and Food, CSIRO, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Wieland Steinchen
- Philipps University Marburg, Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg, Germany.
| | - Alain Filloux
- CBRB Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
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17
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Vohra M, Kour A, Kalia NP, Kumar M, Sharma S, Jaglan S, Kamath N, Sharma S. A comprehensive review of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomic insights into the differentiation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the planktonic to biofilm state: A multi-omics approach. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 257:128563. [PMID: 38070800 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is primarily responsible for chronic wound and lung infections in humans. These infections are persistent owing to the biofilm's high tolerance to antimicrobials and constantly changing environmental factors. Understanding the mechanism governing biofilm formation can help to develop therapeutics explicitly directed against the molecular markers responsible for this process. After numerous years of research, many genes responsible for both in vitro and in vivo biofilm development remain unidentified. However, there is no "all in one" complete in vivo or in vitro biofilm model. Recent findings imply that the shift from planktonic bacteria to biofilms is a complicated and interrelated differentiation process. Research on the applications of omics technologies in P. aeruginosa biofilm development is ongoing, and these approaches hold great promise for expanding our knowledge of the mechanisms of biofilm formation. This review discusses the different factors that affect biofilm formation and compares P. aeruginosa biofilm formation using the omics approaches targeting essential biological macromolecules, such as DNA, RNA, Protein, and metabolome. Furthermore, we have outlined the application of currently available omics tools, such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, and integrated multi-omics methodologies, to understand the differential gene expression (biofilm vs. planktonic bacteria) of P. aeruginosa biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Vohra
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Lovely Professional University, Punjab 144411, India; Department of Microbiology, Shri Vinoba Bhave Civil Hospital, Silvassa 396230, India
| | - Avleen Kour
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Lovely Professional University, Punjab 144411, India
| | - Nitin Pal Kalia
- Department of Biological Sciences (Pharmacology & Toxicology), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Balanagar, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Maternal and Child Health Program, Research Department, Sidra Medicine, Doha 122104, Qatar
| | - Sarika Sharma
- Department of Sponsored Research, Division of Research & Development, Lovely Professional University, India
| | - Sundeep Jaglan
- Fermentation & Microbial Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180016, J&K, India
| | - Narayan Kamath
- Department of Microbiology, Shri Vinoba Bhave Civil Hospital, Silvassa 396230, India; Department of Microbiology, NAMO Medical Education and Research Institute, Silvassa 396230, India
| | - Sandeep Sharma
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Lovely Professional University, Punjab 144411, India.
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18
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Ciolli Mattioli C, Avraham R. Single-Molecule Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (smFISH) for RNA Detection in Bacteria. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2784:3-23. [PMID: 38502475 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3766-1_1] [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] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
In this chapter, we describe in detail how to perform a successful smFISH experiment and how to quantify mRNA transcripts in bacterial cells. The flexibility of the method allows for straightforward adaptation to different bacterial species and experimental conditions. Thanks to the feasibility of the approach, the method can easily be adapted by other laboratories. Finally, we believe that this method has a great potential to generate insights into the complicated life of bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Ciolli Mattioli
- Department of Immunology and Regenerative Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Roi Avraham
- Department of Immunology and Regenerative Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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19
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Fung DK, Trinquier AE, Wang JD. Crosstalk between (p)ppGpp and other nucleotide second messengers. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 76:102398. [PMID: 37866203 PMCID: PMC10842992 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
In response to environmental cues, bacteria produce intracellular nucleotide messengers to regulate a wide variety of cellular processes and physiology. Studies on individual nucleotide messengers, such as (p)ppGpp or cyclic (di)nucleotides, have established their respective regulatory themes. As research on nucleotide signaling networks expands, recent studies have begun to uncover various crosstalk mechanisms between (p)ppGpp and other nucleotide messengers, including signal conversion, allosteric regulation, and target competition. The multiple layers of crosstalk implicate that (p)ppGpp is intricately linked to different nucleotide signaling pathways. From a physiological perspective, (p)ppGpp crosstalk enables fine-tuning and feedback regulation with other nucleotide messengers to achieve optimal adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danny K Fung
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Aude E Trinquier
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jue D Wang
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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20
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Fu T, Gifford DR, Knight CG, Brockhurst MA. Eco-evolutionary dynamics of experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations under oxidative stress. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169:001396. [PMID: 37943284 PMCID: PMC10710836 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Within-host environments are likely to present a challenging and stressful environment for opportunistic pathogenic bacteria colonizing from the external environment. How populations of pathogenic bacteria respond to such environmental challenges and how this varies between strains is not well understood. Oxidative stress is one of the defences adopted by the human immune system to confront invading bacteria. In this study, we show that strains of the opportunistic pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa vary in their eco-evolutionary responses to hydrogen peroxide stress. By quantifying their 24 h growth kinetics across hydrogen peroxide gradients we show that a transmissible epidemic strain isolated from a chronic airway infection of a cystic fibrosis patient, LESB58, is much more susceptible to hydrogen peroxide than either of the reference strains, PA14 or PAO1, with PAO1 showing the lowest susceptibility. Using a 12 day serial passaging experiment combined with a mathematical model, we then show that short-term susceptibility controls the longer-term survival of populations exposed to subinhibitory levels of hydrogen peroxide, but that phenotypic evolutionary responses can delay population extinction. Our model further suggests that hydrogen peroxide driven extinctions are more likely with higher rates of population turnover. Together, these findings suggest that hydrogen peroxide is likely to be an effective defence in host niches where there is high population turnover, which may explain the counter-intuitively high susceptibility of a strain isolated from chronic lung infection, where such ecological dynamics may be slower.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taoran Fu
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Danna R. Gifford
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Christopher G. Knight
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Michael A. Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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21
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Li S, Li H, Lu Y, Zhou M, Jiang S, Du X, Guo C. Advanced Textile-Based Wearable Biosensors for Healthcare Monitoring. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:909. [PMID: 37887102 PMCID: PMC10605256 DOI: 10.3390/bios13100909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
With the innovation of wearable technology and the rapid development of biosensors, wearable biosensors based on flexible textile materials have become a hot topic. Such textile-based wearable biosensors promote the development of health monitoring, motion detection and medical management, and they have become an important support tool for human healthcare monitoring. Textile-based wearable biosensors not only non-invasively monitor various physiological indicators of the human body in real time, but they also provide accurate feedback of individual health information. This review examines the recent research progress of fabric-based wearable biosensors. Moreover, materials, detection principles and fabrication methods for textile-based wearable biosensors are introduced. In addition, the applications of biosensors in monitoring vital signs and detecting body fluids are also presented. Finally, we also discuss several challenges faced by textile-based wearable biosensors and the direction of future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Li
- School of Microelectronics and Control Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China; (S.L.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (M.Z.); (S.J.)
- CCZU-ARK Institute of Carbon Materials, Nanjing 210012, China
| | - Huan Li
- School of Microelectronics and Control Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China; (S.L.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (M.Z.); (S.J.)
| | - Yongcai Lu
- School of Microelectronics and Control Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China; (S.L.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (M.Z.); (S.J.)
| | - Minhao Zhou
- School of Microelectronics and Control Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China; (S.L.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (M.Z.); (S.J.)
| | - Sai Jiang
- School of Microelectronics and Control Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China; (S.L.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (M.Z.); (S.J.)
| | - Xiaosong Du
- School of Microelectronics and Control Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China; (S.L.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (M.Z.); (S.J.)
| | - Chang Guo
- CCZU-ARK Institute of Carbon Materials, Nanjing 210012, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Rail Transit, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
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22
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Chan WT, Garcillán-Barcia MP, Yeo CC, Espinosa M. Type II bacterial toxin-antitoxins: hypotheses, facts, and the newfound plethora of the PezAT system. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2023; 47:fuad052. [PMID: 37715317 PMCID: PMC10532202 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are entities found in the prokaryotic genomes, with eight reported types. Type II, the best characterized, is comprised of two genes organized as an operon. Whereas toxins impair growth, the cognate antitoxin neutralizes its activity. TAs appeared to be involved in plasmid maintenance, persistence, virulence, and defence against bacteriophages. Most Type II toxins target the bacterial translational machinery. They seem to be antecessors of Higher Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes Nucleotide-binding (HEPN) RNases, minimal nucleotidyltransferase domains, or CRISPR-Cas systems. A total of four TAs encoded by Streptococcus pneumoniae, RelBE, YefMYoeB, Phd-Doc, and HicAB, belong to HEPN-RNases. The fifth is represented by PezAT/Epsilon-Zeta. PezT/Zeta toxins phosphorylate the peptidoglycan precursors, thereby blocking cell wall synthesis. We explore the body of knowledge (facts) and hypotheses procured for Type II TAs and analyse the data accumulated on the PezAT family. Bioinformatics analyses showed that homologues of PezT/Zeta toxin are abundantly distributed among 14 bacterial phyla mostly in Proteobacteria (48%), Firmicutes (27%), and Actinobacteria (18%), showing the widespread distribution of this TA. The pezAT locus was found to be mainly chromosomally encoded whereas its homologue, the tripartite omega-epsilon-zeta locus, was found mostly on plasmids. We found several orphan pezT/zeta toxins, unaccompanied by a cognate antitoxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai Ting Chan
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Pilar Garcillán-Barcia
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, C/Albert Einstein 22, PCTCAN, 39011 Santander, Spain
| | - Chew Chieng Yeo
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology (CeRIDB), Faculty of Medicine
, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Jalan Sultan Mahumd, 20400 Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Manuel Espinosa
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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23
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Yannarell SM, Beaudoin ES, Talley HS, Schoenborn AA, Orr G, Anderton CR, Chrisler WB, Shank EA. Extensive cellular multi-tasking within Bacillus subtilis biofilms. mSystems 2023; 8:e0089122. [PMID: 37527273 PMCID: PMC10469600 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00891-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis is a soil-dwelling bacterium that can form biofilms, or communities of cells surrounded by a self-produced extracellular matrix. In biofilms, genetically identical cells often exhibit heterogeneous transcriptional phenotypes, so that subpopulations of cells carry out essential yet costly cellular processes that allow the entire population to thrive. Surprisingly, the extent of phenotypic heterogeneity and the relationships between subpopulations of cells within biofilms of even in well-studied bacterial systems like B. subtilis remains largely unknown. To determine relationships between these subpopulations of cells, we created 182 strains containing pairwise combinations of fluorescent transcriptional reporters for the expression state of 14 different genes associated with potential cellular subpopulations. We determined the spatial organization of the expression of these genes within biofilms using confocal microscopy, which revealed that many reporters localized to distinct areas of the biofilm, some of which were co-localized. We used flow cytometry to quantify reporter co-expression, which revealed that many cells "multi-task," simultaneously expressing two reporters. These data indicate that prior models describing B. subtilis cells as differentiating into specific cell types, each with a specific task or function, were oversimplified. Only a few subpopulations of cells, including surfactin and plipastatin producers, as well as sporulating and competent cells, appear to have distinct roles based on the set of genes examined here. These data will provide us with a framework with which to further study and make predictions about the roles of diverse cellular phenotypes in B. subtilis biofilms. IMPORTANCE Many microbes differentiate, expressing diverse phenotypes to ensure their survival in various environments. However, studies on phenotypic differentiation have typically examined only a few phenotypes at one time, thus limiting our knowledge about the extent of differentiation and phenotypic overlap in the population. We investigated the spatial organization and gene expression relationships for genes important in B. subtilis biofilms. In doing so, we mapped spatial gene expression patterns and expanded the number of cell populations described in the B. subtilis literature. It is likely that other bacteria also display complex differentiation patterns within their biofilms. Studying the extent of cellular differentiation in other microbes may be important when designing therapies for disease-causing bacteria, where studying only a single phenotype may be masking underlying phenotypic differentiation relevant to infection outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Yannarell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eric S. Beaudoin
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hunter S. Talley
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alexi A. Schoenborn
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Galya Orr
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Christopher R. Anderton
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - William B. Chrisler
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Shank
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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24
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Manner C, Dias Teixeira R, Saha D, Kaczmarczyk A, Zemp R, Wyss F, Jaeger T, Laventie BJ, Boyer S, Malone JG, Qvortrup K, Andersen JB, Givskov M, Tolker-Nielsen T, Hiller S, Drescher K, Jenal U. A genetic switch controls Pseudomonas aeruginosa surface colonization. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:1520-1533. [PMID: 37291227 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01403-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Efficient colonization of mucosal surfaces is essential for opportunistic pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but how bacteria collectively and individually adapt to optimize adherence, virulence and dispersal is largely unclear. Here we identified a stochastic genetic switch, hecR-hecE, which is expressed bimodally and generates functionally distinct bacterial subpopulations to balance P. aeruginosa growth and dispersal on surfaces. HecE inhibits the phosphodiesterase BifA and stimulates the diguanylate cyclase WspR to increase c-di-GMP second messenger levels and promote surface colonization in a subpopulation of cells; low-level HecE-expressing cells disperse. The fraction of HecE+ cells is tuned by different stress factors and determines the balance between biofilm formation and long-range cell dispersal of surface-grown communities. We also demonstrate that the HecE pathway represents a druggable target to effectively counter P. aeruginosa surface colonization. Exposing such binary states opens up new ways to control mucosal infections by a major human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dibya Saha
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Fabian Wyss
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tina Jaeger
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department Biomedizin, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Sebastien Boyer
- sciCORE, Centre for Scientific Computing, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jacob G Malone
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
| | - Katrine Qvortrup
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jens Bo Andersen
- Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Givskov
- Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Urs Jenal
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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25
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Reichhardt C. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Matrix Protein CdrA Has Similarities to Other Fibrillar Adhesin Proteins. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0001923. [PMID: 37098957 PMCID: PMC10210978 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00019-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of bacteria to adhere to each other and both biotic and abiotic surfaces is key to biofilm formation, and one way that bacteria adhere is using fibrillar adhesins. Fibrillar adhesins share several key characteristics, including (i) they are extracellular, surface-associated proteins, (ii) they contain an adhesive domain as well as a repetitive stalk domain, and (iii) they are either a monomer or homotrimer (i.e., identical, coiled-coil) of a high molecular weight protein. Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses the fibrillar adhesin called CdrA to promote bacterial aggregation and biofilm formation. Here, the current literature on CdrA is reviewed, including its transcriptional and posttranslational regulation by the second messenger c-di-GMP as well as what is known about its structure and ability to interact with other molecules. I highlight its similarities to other fibrillar adhesins and discuss open questions that remain to be answered toward a better understanding of CdrA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Reichhardt
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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26
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Bedore AM, Waters CM. Plasmid-free cheater cells commonly evolve during laboratory growth. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.19.541508. [PMID: 37292590 PMCID: PMC10245762 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.19.541508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
It has been nearly a century since the isolation and use of penicillin, heralding the discovery of a wide range of different antibiotics. In addition to clinical applications, such antibiotics have been essential laboratory tools, allowing for selection and maintenance of laboratory plasmids that encode cognate resistance genes. However, antibiotic resistance mechanisms can additionally function as public goods. For example, secretion of beta-lactamase from resistant cells, and subsequent degradation of nearby penicillin and related antibiotics, allows neighboring plasmid-free susceptible bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment. How such cooperative mechanisms impact selection of plasmids during experiments in laboratory conditions is poorly understood. Here, we show that the use of plasmid-encoded beta-lactamases leads to significant curing of plasmids in surface grown bacteria. Furthermore, such curing was also evident for aminoglycoside phosphotransferase and tetracycline antiporter resistance mechanisms. Alternatively, antibiotic selection in liquid growth led to more robust plasmid maintenance, although plasmid loss still occurred. The net outcome of such plasmid loss is the generation of a heterogenous population of plasmid-containing and plasmid-free cells, leading to experimental confounds that are not widely appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher M. Waters
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA, 48824
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27
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Junkermeier EH, Hengge R. Local signaling enhances output specificity of bacterial c-di-GMP signaling networks. MICROLIFE 2023; 4:uqad026. [PMID: 37251514 PMCID: PMC10211494 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqad026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
For many years the surprising multiplicity, signal input diversity, and output specificity of c-di-GMP signaling proteins has intrigued researchers studying bacterial second messengers. How can several signaling pathways act in parallel to produce specific outputs despite relying on the same diffusible second messenger maintained at a certain global cellular concentration? Such high specificity and flexibility arise from combining modes of local and global c-di-GMP signaling in complex signaling networks. Local c-di-GMP signaling can be experimentally shown by three criteria being met: (i) highly specific knockout phenotypes for particular c-di-GMP-related enzymes, (ii) actual cellular c-di-GMP levels that remain unchanged by such mutations and/or below the Kd's of the relevant c-di-GMP-binding effectors, and (iii) direct interactions between the signaling proteins involved. Here, we discuss the rationale behind these criteria and present well-studied examples of local c-di-GMP signaling in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas. Relatively simple systems just colocalize a local source and/or a local sink for c-di-GMP, i.e. a diguanylate cyclase (DGC) and/or a specific phosphodiesterase (PDE), respectively, with a c-di-GMP-binding effector/target system. More complex systems also make use of regulatory protein interactions, e.g. when a "trigger PDE" responds to locally provided c-di-GMP, and thereby serves as a c-di-GMP-sensing effector that directly controls a target's activity, or when a c-di-GMP-binding effector recruits and directly activates its own "private" DGC. Finally, we provide an outlook into how cells can combine local and global signaling modes of c-di-GMP and possibly integrate those into other signaling nucleotides networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eike H Junkermeier
- Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13 – Haus 22, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Regine Hengge
- Corresponding author. Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13 – Haus 22, 10115 Berlin, Germany. Tel: +49-30-2093-49686; Fax: +49-30-2093-49682; E-mail:
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28
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Cont A, Vermeil J, Persat A. Material Substrate Physical Properties Control Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Architecture. mBio 2023; 14:e0351822. [PMID: 36786569 PMCID: PMC10127718 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03518-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In the wild, bacteria are most frequently found in the form of multicellular structures called biofilms. Biofilms grow at the surface of abiotic and living materials with wide-ranging mechanical properties. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa forms biofilms on indwelling medical devices and on soft tissues, including burn wounds and the airway mucosa. Despite the critical role of substrates in the foundation of biofilms, we still lack a clear understanding of how material mechanics regulate their architecture and the physiology of resident bacteria. Here, we demonstrate that physical properties of hydrogel material substrates define P. aeruginosa biofilm architecture. We show that hydrogel mesh size regulates twitching motility, a surface exploration mechanism priming biofilms, ultimately controlling the organization of single cells in the multicellular community. The resulting architectural transitions increase P. aeruginosa's tolerance to colistin, a last-resort antibiotic. In addition, mechanical regulation of twitching motility affects P. aeruginosa clonal lineages, so that biofilms are more mixed on relatively denser materials. Our results thereby establish material properties as a factor that dramatically affects biofilm architecture, antibiotic efficacy, and evolution of the resident population. IMPORTANCE The biofilm lifestyle is the most widespread survival strategy in the bacterial world. Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms cause chronic infections and are highly recalcitrant to antimicrobials. The genetic requirements allowing P. aeruginosa to grow into biofilms are known, but not the physical stimuli that regulate their formation. Despite colonizing biological tissues, investigations of biofilms on soft materials are limited. In this work, we show that biofilms take unexpected forms when growing on soft substrates. The physical properties of the material shape P. aeruginosa biofilms by regulating surface-specific twitching motility. Physical control of biofilm morphogenesis ultimately influences the resilience of biofilms to antimicrobials, linking physical environment with tolerance to treatment. Altogether, our work established that the physical properties of a surface are a critical environmental regulator of biofilm biogenesis and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Cont
- Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Joseph Vermeil
- Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Persat
- Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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29
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Hengge R, Pruteanu M, Stülke J, Tschowri N, Turgay K. Recent advances and perspectives in nucleotide second messenger signaling in bacteria. MICROLIFE 2023; 4:uqad015. [PMID: 37223732 PMCID: PMC10118264 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqad015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Nucleotide second messengers act as intracellular 'secondary' signals that represent environmental or cellular cues, i.e. the 'primary' signals. As such, they are linking sensory input with regulatory output in all living cells. The amazing physiological versatility, the mechanistic diversity of second messenger synthesis, degradation, and action as well as the high level of integration of second messenger pathways and networks in prokaryotes has only recently become apparent. In these networks, specific second messengers play conserved general roles. Thus, (p)ppGpp coordinates growth and survival in response to nutrient availability and various stresses, while c-di-GMP is the nucleotide signaling molecule to orchestrate bacterial adhesion and multicellularity. c-di-AMP links osmotic balance and metabolism and that it does so even in Archaea may suggest a very early evolutionary origin of second messenger signaling. Many of the enzymes that make or break second messengers show complex sensory domain architectures, which allow multisignal integration. The multiplicity of c-di-GMP-related enzymes in many species has led to the discovery that bacterial cells are even able to use the same freely diffusible second messenger in local signaling pathways that can act in parallel without cross-talking. On the other hand, signaling pathways operating with different nucleotides can intersect in elaborate signaling networks. Apart from the small number of common signaling nucleotides that bacteria use for controlling their cellular "business," diverse nucleotides were recently found to play very specific roles in phage defense. Furthermore, these systems represent the phylogenetic ancestors of cyclic nucleotide-activated immune signaling in eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regine Hengge
- Corresponding author. Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13 – Haus 22, 10115 Berlin, Germany. Tel: +49-30-2093-49686; Fax: +49-30-2093-49682; E-mail:
| | | | - Jörg Stülke
- Department of General Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Natalia Tschowri
- Institute of Microbiology, Leibniz-Universität Hannover, 30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Kürşad Turgay
- Institute of Microbiology, Leibniz-Universität Hannover, 30419 Hannover, Germany
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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30
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Hastings CJ, Himmler GE, Patel A, Marques CNH. Immune Response Modulation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Persister Cells. mBio 2023; 14:e0005623. [PMID: 36920189 PMCID: PMC10128020 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00056-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial persister cells-a metabolically dormant subpopulation tolerant to antimicrobials-contribute to chronic infections and are thought to evade host immunity. In this work, we studied the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa persister cells to withstand host innate immunity. We found that persister cells resist MAC-mediated killing by the complement system despite being bound by complement protein C3b at levels similar to regular vegetative cells, in part due to reduced bound C5b, and are engulfed at a lower rate (10- to 100-fold), even following opsonization. Once engulfed, persister cells resist killing and, contrary to regular vegetative cells which induce a M1 favored (CD80+/CD86+/CD206-, high levels of CXCL-8, IL-6, and TNF-α) macrophage polarization, they initially induce a M2 favored macrophage polarization (CD80+/CD86+/CD206+, high levels of IL-10, and intermediate levels of CXCL-8, IL-6, and TNF-α), which is skewed toward M1 favored polarization (high levels of CXCL-8 and IL-6, lower levels of IL-10) by 24 h of infection, once persister cells awaken. Overall, our findings further establish the ability of persister cells to evade the innate host response and to contribute chronic infections. IMPORTANCE Bacterial cells have a subpopulation-persister cells-that have a low metabolism. Persister cells survive antimicrobial treatment and can regrow to cause chronic and recurrent infections. Currently little is known as to whether the human immune system recognizes and responds to the presence of persister cells. In this work, we studied the ability of persister cells from Pseudomonas aeruginosa to resist the host defense system (innate immunity). We found that this subpopulation is recognized by the defense system, but it is not killed. The lack of killing likely stems from hindering the immune response regulation, resulting in a failure to distinguish whether a pathogen is present. Findings from this work increase the overall knowledge as to how chronic infections are resilient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody James Hastings
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Grace Elizabeth Himmler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Arpeet Patel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Cláudia Nogueira Hora Marques
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
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31
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Hastings CJ, Himmler GE, Patel A, Marques CNH. Immune response modulation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa persister cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.07.523056. [PMID: 36711557 PMCID: PMC9881899 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.07.523056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial persister cells - a metabolically dormant subpopulation tolerant to antimicrobials - contribute to chronic infections and are thought to evade host immunity. In this work, we studied the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa persister cells to withstand host innate immunity. We found that persister cells resist MAC-mediated killing by the complement system despite being bound by complement protein C3b at levels similar to regular vegetative cells, in part due to reduced bound C5b - and are engulfed at a lower rate (10-100 fold), even following opsonization. Once engulfed, persister cells resist killing and, contrary to regular vegetative cells which induce a M1 favored (CD80+/CD86+/CD206-, high levels of CXCL-8, IL-6, and TNF-α) macrophage polarization, they initially induce a M2 favored macrophage polarization (CD80+/CD86+/CD206+, high levels of IL-10, and intermediate levels of CXCL-8, IL-6, and TNF-α), which is skewed towards M1 favored polarization (high levels of CXCL-8 and IL-6, lower levels of IL-10) by 24 hours of infection, once persister cells awaken. Overall, our findings further establish the ability of persister cells to evade the innate host response and to contribute chronic infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody James Hastings
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902
| | - Grace Elizabeth Himmler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902
| | - Arpeet Patel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902
| | - Cláudia Nogueira Hora Marques
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902
- Corresponding author:
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32
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Abstract
The ability of bacteria to respond to changes in their environment is critical to their survival, allowing them to withstand stress, form complex communities, and induce virulence responses during host infection. A remarkable feature of many of these bacterial responses is that they are often variable across individual cells, despite occurring in an isogenic population exposed to a homogeneous environmental change, a phenomenon known as phenotypic heterogeneity. Phenotypic heterogeneity can enable bet-hedging or division of labor strategies that allow bacteria to survive fluctuating conditions. Investigating the significance of phenotypic heterogeneity in environmental transitions requires dynamic, single-cell data. Technical advances in quantitative single-cell measurements, imaging, and microfluidics have led to a surge of publications on this topic. Here, we review recent discoveries on single-cell bacterial responses to environmental transitions of various origins and complexities, from simple diauxic shifts to community behaviors in biofilm formation to virulence regulation during infection. We describe how these studies firmly establish that this form of heterogeneity is prevalent and a conserved mechanism by which bacteria cope with fluctuating conditions. We end with an outline of current challenges and future directions for the field. While it remains challenging to predict how an individual bacterium will respond to a given environmental input, we anticipate that capturing the dynamics of the process will begin to resolve this and facilitate rational perturbation of environmental responses for therapeutic and bioengineering purposes.
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33
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Ritter AL, Chang YR, Benmamoun Z, Ducker WA. History-dependent attachment of Pseudomonas aeruginosato solid-liquid interfaces and the dependence of the bacterial surface density on the residence time distribution. Phys Biol 2022; 20. [PMID: 36541507 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/aca6c9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates how the recent history of bacteria affects their attachment to a solid-liquid interface. We compare the attachment from a flowing suspension of the bacterium,Pseudomonas aeruginosaPAO1, after one of two histories: (a) passage through a tube packed with glass beads or (b) passage through an empty tube. The glass beads were designed to increase the rate of bacterial interactions with solid-liquid surfaces prior to observation in a flow cell. Analysis of time-lapse microscopy of the bacteria in the flow cells shows that the residence time distribution and surface density of bacteria differ for these two histories. In particular, bacteria exiting the bead-filled tube, in contrast to those bacteria exiting the empty tube, are less likely to attach to the subsequent flow cell window and begin surface growth. In contrast, when we compared two histories defined by different lengths of tubing, there was no difference in either the mean residence time or the surface density. In order to provide a framework for understanding these results, we present a phenomenological model in which the rate of bacterial surface density growth,dN(t)/dt, depends on two terms. One term models the initial attachment of bacteria to a surface, and is proportional to the nonprocessive cumulative residence time distribution for bacteria that attach and detach from the surface without cell division. The second term for the rate is proportional to the bacterial surface density and models surface cell division. The model is in surprisingly good agreement with the data even though the surface growth process is a complex interplay between attachment/detachment at the solid-liquid interface and cell division on the surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L Ritter
- Center for Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Yow-Ren Chang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Zachary Benmamoun
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - William A Ducker
- Center for Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
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Kadam S, Chattopadhyay A, Kaushik KS. Of biofilms and beehives: An analogy-based instructional tool to introduce biofilms in school and undergraduate curriculum. Biofilm 2022; 4:100066. [PMID: 35036909 PMCID: PMC8752906 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2021.100066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of biofilms and biofilm-based research is largely absent or minimally described in school and undergraduate life science curriculum. While it is well-established that microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, most often exist in multicellular biofilm communities, descriptions in standard biology textbooks continue to focus on the single-celled form of microbial life. We have developed an analogy-based instructional tool to introduce and explain biofilms to school and undergraduate students. The module employs an analogy with beehives, given that biofilms and beehives are both 'superorganism' states, to explain key biofilm features such as development and structure, chemical communication, division of labor and emergent properties. We delivered this analogy-based learning tool to a cohort of 49 students, including middle-to-high school and undergraduate students, and based on participant feedback and learnings, present a formal evaluation of the instructional tool. Further, we outline prerequisites and learning approaches that can enable the delivery of this module in classroom and virtual learning settings, including suggestions for pre-lesson reading, student-centred interactive activities, and specific learning objectives. Taken together, this instructional analogy holds potential to serve as an educational tool to introduce biofilms in school and undergraduate curricula in a relatable and comprehensible manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snehal Kadam
- Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, United Kingdom
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Shared biophysical mechanisms determine early biofilm architecture development across different bacterial species. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001846. [PMID: 36288405 PMCID: PMC9605341 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms are among the most abundant multicellular structures on Earth and play essential roles in a wide range of ecological, medical, and industrial processes. However, general principles that govern the emergence of biofilm architecture across different species remain unknown. Here, we combine experiments, simulations, and statistical analysis to identify shared biophysical mechanisms that determine early biofilm architecture development at the single-cell level, for the species Vibrio cholerae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa grown as microcolonies in flow chambers. Our data-driven analysis reveals that despite the many molecular differences between these species, the biofilm architecture differences can be described by only 2 control parameters: cellular aspect ratio and cell density. Further experiments using single-species mutants for which the cell aspect ratio and the cell density are systematically varied, and mechanistic simulations show that tuning these 2 control parameters reproduces biofilm architectures of different species. Altogether, our results show that biofilm microcolony architecture is determined by mechanical cell-cell interactions, which are conserved across different species.
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Identification of Cyclic-di-GMP-Modulating Protein Residues by Bidirectionally Evolving a Social Behavior in Pseudomonas fluorescens. mSystems 2022; 7:e0073722. [PMID: 36190139 PMCID: PMC9600634 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00737-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Modulation of the intracellular cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) pool is central to the formation of structured bacterial communities. Genome annotations predict the presence of dozens of conserved c-di-GMP catalytic enzymes in many bacterial species, but the functionality and regulatory control of the vast majority remain underexplored. Here, we begin to fill this gap by utilizing an experimental evolution system in Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf0-1, which repeatedly produces a unique social behavior through bidirectional transitions between two distinct phenotypes converging on c-di-GMP modulation. Parallel evolution of 33 lineages captured 147 unique mutations among 191 evolved isolates in genes that are empirically demonstrated, bioinformatically predicted, or previously unknown to impact the intracellular pool of c-di-GMP. Quantitative chemistry confirmed that each mutation causing the phenotypic shift either amplifies or reduces c-di-GMP production. We identify missense or in-frame deletion mutations in numerous diguanylate cyclase genes that largely fall outside the conserved catalytic domain. We also describe a novel relationship between a regulatory component of branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis and c-di-GMP production, and predict functions of several other unexpected proteins that clearly impact c-di-GMP production. Sequential mutations that continuously disrupt or recover c-di-GMP production across discrete functional elements suggest a complex and underappreciated interconnectivity within the c-di-GMP regulome of P. fluorescens. IMPORTANCE Microbial communities comprise densely packed cells where competition for space and resources is fierce. Aging colonies of Pseudomonas fluorescens are known to repeatedly produce mutants with two distinct phenotypes that physically work together to spread away from the overcrowded population. We demonstrate that the mutants with one phenotype produce high levels of cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) and those with the second phenotype produce low levels. C-di-GMP is an intracellular signaling molecule which regulates many bacterial traits that cause tremendous clinical and environmental problems. Here, we analyze 147 experimentally selected mutations, which manifest either of the two phenotypes, to identify key residues in diverse proteins that force or shut down c-di-GMP production. Our data indicate that the intracellular pool of c-di-GMP is modulated through the catalytic activities of many independent c-di-GMP enzymes, which appear to be in tune with several proteins with no known links to c-di-GMP modulation.
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An adaptive tracking illumination system for optogenetic control of single bacterial cells. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:6775-6784. [PMID: 36129484 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12177-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Single-cell behaviors are essential during early-stage biofilm formation. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether single-cell behaviors could be precisely and continuously manipulated by optogenetics. We thus established adaptive tracking illumination (ATI), a novel illumination method to precisely manipulate the gene expression and bacterial behavior of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the surface at the single-cell level by using the combination of a high-throughput bacterial tracking algorithm, optogenetic manipulation, and adaptive microscopy. ATI enables precise gene expression control by manipulating the optogenetic module gene expression and type IV pili (TFP)-mediated motility and microcolony formation during biofilm formation through bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) level modifications in single cells. Moreover, we showed that the spatial organization of single cells in mature biofilms could be controlled using ATI. Therefore, this novel method we established might markedly answer various questions or resolve problems in microbiology. KEY POINTS: • High-resolution spatial and continuous optogenetic control of individual bacteria. • Phenotype-specific optogenetic control of individual bacteria. • Capacity to control biologically relevant processes in engineered single cells.
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Sun H, Wang M, Liu Y, Wu P, Yao T, Yang W, Yang Q, Yan J, Yang B. Regulation of flagellar motility and biosynthesis in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. Gut Microbes 2022; 14:2110822. [PMID: 35971812 PMCID: PMC9387321 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2022.2110822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTARCTEnterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is a human pathogen that causes a variety of diseases, such as hemorrhagic colitis and lethal hemolytic uremic syndrome. Flagellum-dependent motility plays diverse roles in the pathogenesis of EHEC O157:H7, including its migration to an optimal host site, adherence and colonization, survival at the infection site, and post-infection dispersal. However, it is very expensive for cellular economy in terms of the number of genes and the energy required for flagellar biosynthesis and functioning. Furthermore, the flagellar filament bears strong antigenic properties that induce a strong host immune response. Consequently, the flagellar gene expression and biosynthesis are highly regulated to occur at the appropriate time and place by different regulatory influences. The present review focuses on the regulatory mechanisms of EHEC O157:H7 motility and flagellar biosynthesis, especially in terms of flagellar gene regulation by environmental factors, regulatory proteins, and small regulatory RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmin Sun
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Min Wang
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Yutao Liu
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Pan Wu
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Ting Yao
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Wen Yang
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Qian Yang
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Jun Yan
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China
| | - Bin Yang
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin, China,CONTACT Bin Yang TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, TEDA, Tianjin300457, P. R. China
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Eilers K, Kuok Hoong Yam J, Morton R, Mei Hui Yong A, Brizuela J, Hadjicharalambous C, Liu X, Givskov M, Rice SA, Filloux A. Phenotypic and integrated analysis of a comprehensive Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 library of mutants lacking cyclic-di-GMP-related genes. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:949597. [PMID: 35935233 PMCID: PMC9355167 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.949597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium that is able to survive and adapt in a multitude of niches as well as thrive within many different hosts. This versatility lies within its large genome of ca. 6 Mbp and a tight control in the expression of thousands of genes. Among the regulatory mechanisms widespread in bacteria, cyclic-di-GMP signaling is one which influences all levels of control. c-di-GMP is made by diguanylate cyclases and degraded by phosphodiesterases, while the intracellular level of this molecule drives phenotypic responses. Signaling involves the modification of enzymes' or proteins' function upon c-di-GMP binding, including modifying the activity of regulators which in turn will impact the transcriptome. In P. aeruginosa, there are ca. 40 genes encoding putative DGCs or PDEs. The combined activity of those enzymes should reflect the overall c-di-GMP concentration, while specific phenotypic outputs could be correlated to a given set of dgc/pde. This notion of specificity has been addressed in several studies and different strains of P. aeruginosa. Here, we engineered a mutant library for the 41 individual dgc/pde genes in P. aeruginosa PAO1. In most cases, we observed a significant to slight variation in the global c-di-GMP pool of cells grown planktonically, while several mutants display a phenotypic impact on biofilm including initial attachment and maturation. If this observation of minor changes in c-di-GMP level correlating with significant phenotypic impact appears to be true, it further supports the idea of a local vs global c-di-GMP pool. In contrast, there was little to no effect on motility, which differs from previous studies. Our RNA-seq analysis indicated that all PAO1 dgc/pde genes were expressed in both planktonic and biofilm growth conditions and our work suggests that c-di-GMP networks need to be reconstructed for each strain separately and cannot be extrapolated from one to another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Eilers
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joey Kuok Hoong Yam
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Richard Morton
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Adeline Mei Hui Yong
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jaime Brizuela
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, Universitair Medische Centra, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Corina Hadjicharalambous
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Xianghui Liu
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael Givskov
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Scott A. Rice
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Westmead and Microbiomes for One Systems Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alain Filloux
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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Yan C, Li X, Zhang G, Bi J, Hao H, Hou H. Quorum Sensing (QS)-regulated target predictions of Hafnia alvei H4 based on the joint application of genome and STRING database. Food Res Int 2022; 157:111356. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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41
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Liu YS, Deng Y, Chen CK, Khoo BL, Chua SL. Rapid detection of microorganisms in a fish infection microfluidics platform. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 431:128572. [PMID: 35278965 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Inadequate access to clean water is detrimental to human health and aquatic industries. Waterborne pathogens can survive prolonged periods in aquatic bodies, infect commercially important seafood, and resist water disinfection, resulting in human infections. Environmental agencies and research laboratories require a relevant, portable, and cost-effective platform to monitor microbial pathogens and assess their risk of infection on a large scale. Advances in microfluidics enable better control and higher precision than traditional culture-based pathogen monitoring approaches. We demonstrated a rapid, high-throughput fish-based teleost (fish)-microbe (TelM) microfluidic-based device that simultaneously monitors waterborne pathogens in contaminated waters and assesses their infection potential under well-defined settings. A chamber-associated port allows direct access to the animal, while the transparency of the TelM platform enables clear observation of sensor readouts. As proof-of-concept, we established a wound infection model using Pseudomonas aeruginosa-contaminated water in the TelM platform, where bacteria formed biofilms on the wound and secreted a biofilm metabolite, pyoverdine. Pyoverdine was used as fluorescent sensor to correlate P. aeruginosa contamination to infection. The TelM platform was validated with environmental waterborne microbes from marine samples. Overall, the TelM platform can be readily applied to assess microbial and chemical risk in aquatic bodies in resource-constrained settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Sylvia Liu
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yanlin Deng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chun Kwan Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bee Luan Khoo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Hong Kong Center for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE), Hong Kong, China; City University of Hong Kong - Futian Shenzhen Research Institute, China.
| | - Song Lin Chua
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Food Biological Safety Control, China.
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42
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Ecological drivers of division of labour in Streptomyces. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 67:102148. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Development of a Dual-Fluorescent-Reporter System in Clostridioides difficile Reveals a Division of Labor between Virulence and Transmission Gene Expression. mSphere 2022; 7:e0013222. [PMID: 35638354 PMCID: PMC9241537 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00132-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial pathogen Clostridioides difficile causes gastroenteritis by producing toxins and transmits disease by making resistant spores. Toxin and spore production are energy-expensive processes that are regulated by multiple transcription factors in response to many environmental inputs. While toxin and sporulation genes are both induced in only a subset of C. difficile cells, the relationship between these two subpopulations remains unclear. To address whether C. difficile coordinates the generation of these subpopulations, we developed a dual-transcriptional-reporter system that allows toxin and sporulation gene expression to be simultaneously visualized at the single-cell level using chromosomally encoded mScarlet and mNeonGreen fluorescent transcriptional reporters. We then adapted an automated image analysis pipeline to quantify toxin and sporulation gene expression in thousands of individual cells under different medium conditions and in different genetic backgrounds. These analyses revealed that toxin and sporulation gene expression rarely overlap during growth on agar plates, whereas broth culture increases this overlap. Our results suggest that certain growth conditions promote a “division of labor” between transmission and virulence gene expression, highlighting how environmental inputs influence these subpopulations. Our data further suggest that the RstA transcriptional regulator skews the population to activate sporulation genes rather than toxin genes. Given that recent work has revealed population-wide heterogeneity for numerous cellular processes in C. difficile, we anticipate that our dual-reporter system will be broadly useful for determining the overlap between these subpopulations. IMPORTANCEClostridioides difficile is an important nosocomial pathogen that causes severe diarrhea by producing toxins and transmits disease by producing spores. While both processes are crucial for C. difficile disease, only a subset of cells express toxins and/or undergo sporulation. Whether C. difficile coordinates the subset of cells inducing these energy-expensive processes remains unknown. To address this question, we developed a dual-fluorescent-reporter system coupled with an automated image analysis pipeline to rapidly compare the expression of two genes of interest across thousands of cells. Using this system, we discovered that certain growth conditions, particularly growth on agar plates, induce a “division of labor” between toxin and sporulation gene expression. Since C. difficile exhibits phenotypic heterogeneity for numerous vital cellular processes, this novel dual-reporter system will enable future studies aimed at understanding how C. difficile coordinates various subpopulations throughout its infectious disease cycle.
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The Wsp system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa links surface sensing and cell envelope stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2117633119. [PMID: 35476526 PMCID: PMC9170161 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117633119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
SignificanceBacteria must respond quickly to environmental changes to survive. One way bacteria can respond to environmental stress is by undergoing a lifestyle transition from individual, free-swimming cells to a surface-associated community called a biofilm characterized by aggregative growth. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses the Wsp chemosensory system to sense an unknown surface-associated cue. Here we show that the Wsp system senses cell envelope stress, specifically conditions that promote unfolded or misregulated periplasmic and inner membrane proteins. This work provides direct evidence that cell envelope stress is an important feature of surface sensing in P. aeruginosa.
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45
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Katharios-Lanwermeyer S, O’Toole GA. Biofilm Maintenance as an Active Process: Evidence that Biofilms Work Hard to Stay Put. J Bacteriol 2022; 204:e0058721. [PMID: 35311557 PMCID: PMC9017327 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00587-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Biofilm formation represents a critical strategy whereby bacteria can tolerate otherwise damaging environmental stressors and antimicrobial insults. While the mechanisms bacteria use to establish a biofilm and disperse from these communities have been well-studied, we have only a limited understanding of the mechanisms required to maintain these multicellular communities. Indeed, until relatively recently, it was not clear that maintaining a mature biofilm could be considered an active, regulated process with dedicated machinery. Using Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a model system, we review evidence from recent studies that support the model that maintenance of these persistent, surface-attached communities is indeed an active process. Biofilm maintenance mechanisms include transcriptional regulation and second messenger signaling (including the production of extracellular polymeric substances). We also discuss energy-conserving pathways that play a key role in the maintenance of these communities. We hope to highlight the need for further investigation to uncover novel biofilm maintenance pathways and suggest the possibility that such pathways can serve as novel antibiofilm targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - G. A. O’Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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46
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Ek V, Fattinger SA, Florbrant A, Hardt WD, Di Martino ML, Eriksson J, Sellin ME. A Motile Doublet Form of Salmonella Typhimurium Diversifies Target Search Behaviour at the Epithelial Surface. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:1156-1172. [PMID: 35332598 PMCID: PMC9325389 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The behaviors of infectious bacteria are commonly studied in bulk. This is effective to define the general properties of a given isolate, but insufficient to resolve subpopulations and unique single‐microbe behaviors within the bacterial pool. We here employ microscopy to study single‐bacterium characteristics among Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S.Tm), as they prepare for and launch invasion of epithelial host cells. We find that during the bacterial growth cycle, S.Tm populations switch gradually from fast planktonic growth to a host cell‐invasive phenotype, characterized by flagellar motility and expression of the Type‐three‐secretion‐system‐1. The indistinct nature of this shift leads to the establishment of a transient subpopulation of S.Tm “doublets”—waist‐bearing bacteria anticipating cell division—which simultaneously express host cell invasion machinery. In epithelial cell culture infections, these S.Tm doublets outperform their “singlet” brethren and represent a hyperinvasive subpopulation. Atop both glass and enteroid‐derived monolayers, doublets swim along markedly straighter trajectories than singlets, thereby diversifying search patterns and improving the surface exploration capacity of the total bacterial population. The straighter swimming, combined with an enhanced cell‐adhesion propensity, suffices to account for the hyperinvasive doublet phenotype. This work highlights bacterial cell length heterogeneity as a key determinant of target search patterns atop epithelia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Ek
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Stefan A Fattinger
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Sweden.,Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH, Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Florbrant
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Wolf-Dietrich Hardt
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH, Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Letizia Di Martino
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Jens Eriksson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Mikael E Sellin
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Sweden
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47
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Nie H, Xiao Y, Song M, Wu N, Peng Q, Duan W, Chen W, Huang Q. Wsp system oppositely modulates antibacterial activity and biofilm formation via FleQ-FleN complex in Pseudomonas putida. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:1543-1559. [PMID: 35178858 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Type VI secretion systems (T6SS) are specific antibacterial weapons employed by diverse bacteria to protect themselves from competitors. Pseudomonas putida KT2440 possesses a functional T6SS (K1-T6SS) and exhibits antibacterial activity towards a broad range of bacteria. Here we found that the Wsp signal transduction system regulated K1-T6SS expression via synthesizing the second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP), thus mediating antibacterial activity in P. putida. High-level c-di-GMP produced by Wsp system repressed the transcription of K1-T6SS genes in structural operon and vgrG1 operon. Transcriptional regulator FleQ and ATPase FleN functioned as repressors in the Wsp system-modulated K1-T6SS transcription. However, FleQ and FleN functioned as activators in biofilm formation, and Wsp system promoted biofilm formation largely in a FleQ/FleN-dependent manner. Furthermore, FleQ-FleN complex bound directly to the promoter of K1-T6SS structural operon in vitro, and c-di-GMP promoted the binding. Besides, P. putida biofilm cells showed higher c-di-GMP levels and lower antibacterial activity than planktonic cells. Overall, our findings reveal a mechanism by which Wsp system oppositely modulates antibacterial activity and biofilm formation via FleQ-FleN, and demonstrate the relationship between plankton/biofilm lifestyles and antibacterial activity in P. putida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailing Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yujie Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Miaomiao Song
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Nianqi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Qi Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Wei Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Wenli Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Qiaoyun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
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48
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Tverskoi D, Gavrilets S. The evolution of germ-soma specialization under different genetic and environmental effects. J Theor Biol 2022; 534:110964. [PMID: 34838795 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Division of labor exists at different levels of biological organization - from cell colonies to human societies. One of the simplest examples of the division of labor in multicellular organisms is germ-soma specialization, which plays a key role in the evolution of organismal complexity. Here we formulate and study a general mathematical model exploring the emergence of germ-soma specialization in colonies of cells. We consider a finite population of colonies competing for resources. Colonies are of the same size and are composed by asexually reproducing haploid cells. Each cell can contribute to activity and fecundity of the colony, these contributions are traded-off. We assume that all cells within a colony are genetically identical but gene effects on fecundity and activity are influenced by variation in the microenvironment experienced by individual cells. Through analytical theory and evolutionary agent-based modeling we show that the shape of the trade-off relation between somatic and reproductive functions, the type and extent of variation in within-colony microenvironment, and, in some cases, the number of genes involved, are important predictors of the extent of germ-soma specialization. Specifically, increasing convexity of the trade-off relation, the number of different environmental gradients acting within a colony, and the number of genes (in the case of random microenvironmental effects) promote the emergence of germ-soma specialization. Overall our results contribute towards a better understanding of the role of genetic, environmental, and microenvironmental factors in the evolution of germ-soma specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Tverskoi
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Center for the Dynamics of Social Complexity, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; International Center of Decision Choice and Analysis, Higher School of Economics, Moscow 101000, Russian Federation.
| | - Sergey Gavrilets
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Center for the Dynamics of Social Complexity, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Department of Mathematics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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Signaling events that occur when cells of Escherichia coli encounter a glass surface. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2116830119. [PMID: 35131853 PMCID: PMC8833168 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2116830119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial cells organized on solid surfaces are the most ancient form of biological communities. Yet how single cells interact with surfaces and integrate a variety of signals to establish a sessile lifestyle is poorly understood. We developed and used sensitive biosensors to determine the kinetics of second messengers’ responses to surface attachment. This allowed us to examine cell-by-cell variability of the initial signaling events and establish that some of these events depend on flagellar motor function while others do not. Environmentally determined factors, like the energetic status of the cell, can modulate all signaling events. The complex interplay between the surface interaction inputs and external conditions can now be studied using our system. Bacterial cells interact with solid surfaces and change their lifestyle from single free-swimming cells to sessile communal structures (biofilms). Cyclic di-guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is central to this process, yet we lack tools for direct dynamic visualization of c-di-GMP in single cells. Here, we developed a fluorescent protein–based c-di-GMP–sensing system for Escherichia coli that allowed us to visualize initial signaling events and assess the role played by the flagellar motor. The sensor was pH sensitive, and the events that appeared on a seconds’ timescale were alkaline spikes in the intracellular pH. These spikes were not apparent when signals from different cells were averaged. Instead, a signal appeared on a minutes’ timescale that proved to be due to an increase in intracellular c-di-GMP. This increase, but not the alkaline spikes, depended upon a functional flagellar motor. The kinetics and the amplitude of both the pH and c-di-GMP responses displayed cell-to-cell variability indicative of the distinct ways the cells approached and interacted with the surface. The energetic status of a cell can modulate these events. In particular, the alkaline spikes displayed an oscillatory behavior and the c-di-GMP increase was modest in the presence of glucose.
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Lee CK, Schmidt WC, Webster SS, Chen JW, O'Toole GA, Wong GCL. Broadcasting of amplitude- and frequency-modulated c-di-GMP signals facilitates cooperative surface commitment in bacterial lineages. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2112226119. [PMID: 35064082 PMCID: PMC8795499 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112226119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Work on surface sensing in bacterial biofilms has focused on how cells transduce sensory input into cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) signaling, low and high levels of which generally correlate with high-motility planktonic cells and low-motility biofilm cells, respectively. Using Granger causal inference methods, however, we find that single-cell c-di-GMP increases are not sufficient to imply surface commitment. Tracking entire lineages of cells from the progenitor cell onward reveals that c-di-GMP levels can exhibit increases but also undergo oscillations that can propagate across 10 to 20 generations, thereby encoding more complex instructions for community behavior. Principal component and factor analysis of lineage c-di-GMP data shows that surface commitment behavior correlates with three statistically independent composite features, which roughly correspond to mean c-di-GMP levels, c-di-GMP oscillation period, and surface motility. Surface commitment in young biofilms does not correlate to c-di-GMP increases alone but also to the emergence of high-frequency and small-amplitude modulation of elevated c-di-GMP signal along a lineage of cells. Using this framework, we dissect how increasing or decreasing signal transduction from wild-type levels, by varying the interaction strength between PilO, a component of a principal surface sensing appendage system, and SadC, a key hub diguanylate cyclase that synthesizes c-di-GMP, impacts frequency and amplitude modulation of c-di-GMP signals and cooperative surface commitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calvin K Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - William C Schmidt
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Shanice S Webster
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Jonathan W Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - George A O'Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Gerard C L Wong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095;
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
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