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Jenkins CH, Scott AE, O’Neill PA, Norville IH, Prior JL, Ireland PM. The Arabinose 5-Phosphate Isomerase KdsD Is Required for Virulence in Burkholderia pseudomallei. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0003423. [PMID: 37458584 PMCID: PMC10448790 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00034-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, which is endemic primarily in Southeast Asia and northern Australia but is increasingly being seen in other tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Melioidosis is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, which is mediated by the wide range of virulence factors encoded by B. pseudomallei. These virulence determinants include surface polysaccharides such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and capsular polysaccharides (CPS). Here, we investigated a predicted arabinose-5-phosphate isomerase (API) similar to KdsD in B. pseudomallei strain K96243. KdsD is required for the production of the highly conserved 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo), a key sugar in the core region of LPS. Recombinant KdsD was expressed and purified, and API activity was determined. Although a putative API paralogue (KpsF) is also predicted to be encoded, the deletion of kdsD resulted in growth defects, loss of motility, reduced survival in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages, and attenuation in a BALB/c mouse model of melioidosis. Suppressor mutations were observed during a phenotypic screen for motility, revealing single nucleotide polymorphisms or indels located in the poorly understood CPS type IV cluster. Crucially, suppressor mutations did not result in reversion of attenuation in vivo. This study demonstrates the importance of KdsD for B. pseudomallei virulence and highlights further the complex nature of the polysaccharides it produces. IMPORTANCE The intrinsic resistance of B. pseudomallei to many antibiotics complicates treatment. This opportunistic pathogen possesses a wide range of virulence factors, resulting in severe and potentially fatal disease. Virulence factors as targets for drug development offer an alternative approach to combat pathogenic bacteria. Prior to initiating early drug discovery approaches, it is important to demonstrate that disruption of the target gene will prevent the development of disease. This study highlights the fact that KdsD is crucial for virulence of B. pseudomallei in an animal model of infection and provides supportive phenotypic characterization that builds a foundation for future therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H. Jenkins
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew E. Scott
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
| | - Paul A. O’Neill
- University of Exeter Sequencing Service, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Isobel H. Norville
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
- Biosciences Department, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Joann L. Prior
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
- Biosciences Department, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Philip M. Ireland
- Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
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2
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Debowski AW, Bzdyl NM, Thomas DR, Scott NE, Jenkins CH, Iwasaki J, Kibble EA, Khoo CA, Scheuplein NJ, Seibel PM, Lohr T, Metters G, Bond CS, Norville IH, Stubbs KA, Harmer NJ, Holzgrabe U, Newton HJ, Sarkar-Tyson M. Macrophage infectivity potentiator protein, a peptidyl prolyl cis-trans isomerase, essential for Coxiella burnetii growth and pathogenesis. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011491. [PMID: 37399210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is a Gram-negative intracellular pathogen that causes the debilitating disease Q fever, which affects both animals and humans. The only available human vaccine, Q-Vax, is effective but has a high risk of severe adverse reactions, limiting its use as a countermeasure to contain outbreaks. Therefore, it is essential to identify new drug targets to treat this infection. Macrophage infectivity potentiator (Mip) proteins catalyse the folding of proline-containing proteins through their peptidyl prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) activity and have been shown to play an important role in the virulence of several pathogenic bacteria. To date the role of the Mip protein in C. burnetii pathogenesis has not been investigated. This study demonstrates that CbMip is likely to be an essential protein in C. burnetii. The pipecolic acid derived compounds, SF235 and AN296, which have shown utility in targeting other Mip proteins from pathogenic bacteria, demonstrate inhibitory activities against CbMip. These compounds were found to significantly inhibit intracellular replication of C. burnetii in both HeLa and THP-1 cells. Furthermore, SF235 and AN296 were also found to exhibit antibiotic properties against both the virulent (Phase I) and avirulent (Phase II) forms of C. burnetii Nine Mile Strain in axenic culture. Comparative proteomics, in the presence of AN296, revealed alterations in stress responses with H2O2 sensitivity assays validating that Mip inhibition increases the sensitivity of C. burnetii to oxidative stress. In addition, SF235 and AN296 were effective in vivo and significantly improved the survival of Galleria mellonella infected with C. burnetii. These results suggest that unlike in other bacteria, Mip in C. burnetii is required for replication and that the development of more potent inhibitors against CbMip is warranted and offer potential as novel therapeutics against this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra W Debowski
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nicole M Bzdyl
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - David R Thomas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Nichollas E Scott
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Jua Iwasaki
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Emily A Kibble
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
- DMTC Limited, Level 1, Kew, Australia
| | - Chen Ai Khoo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nicolas J Scheuplein
- Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Pamela M Seibel
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Theresa Lohr
- Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Georgie Metters
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Charles S Bond
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Isobel H Norville
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Keith A Stubbs
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nicholas J Harmer
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Living Systems Institute, Stocker Road Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Hayley J Newton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Mitali Sarkar-Tyson
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
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3
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Clay KA, Hartley MG, Whelan AO, Bailey MS, Norville IH. Evaluation of Alternative Doxycycline Antibiotic Regimes in an Inhalational Murine Model of Q Fever. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12050914. [PMID: 37237817 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12050914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The timing of the initiation of antibiotic treatment has been shown to impact the clinical outcome of many bacterial infections, including Q fever. Delayed, suboptimal or incorrect antibiotic treatment has been shown to result in poor prognosis, resulting in the progression of acute disease to long-term chronic sequalae. Therefore, there is a requirement to identify an optimal, effective therapeutic regimen to treat acute Q fever. In the study, the efficacies of different doxycycline monohydrate regimens (pre-exposure prophylaxis, post-exposure prophylaxis or treatment at symptom onset or resolution) were evaluated in an inhalational murine model of Q fever. Different treatment lengths (7 or 14 days) were also evaluated. Clinical signs and weight loss were monitored during infection and mice were euthanized at different time points to characterize bacterial colonization in the lungs and the dissemination of bacteria to other tissues including the spleen, brain, testes, bone marrow and adipose. Post-exposure prophylaxis or doxycycline treatment starting at symptoms onset reduced clinical signs, and also delayed the systemic clearance of viable bacteria from key tissues. Effective clearance was dependent on the development of an adaptive immune response, but also driven by sufficient bacterial activity to maintain an active immune response. Pre-exposure prophylaxis or post-exposure treatment at the resolution of clinical signs did not improve outcomes. These are the first studies to experimentally evaluate different doxycycline treatment regimens for Q fever and illustrate the need to explore the efficacy of other novel antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate A Clay
- Academic Department, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (Academia and Research), Birmingham B15 2GW, UK
| | - M Gill Hartley
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - Adam O Whelan
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - Mark S Bailey
- Academic Department, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (Academia and Research), Birmingham B15 2GW, UK
| | - Isobel H Norville
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
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4
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Wilkinson AJ, Ooi N, Finlayson J, Lee VE, Lyth D, Maskew KS, Newman R, Orr D, Ansell K, Birchall K, Canning P, Coombs P, Fusani L, McIver E, Pisco J, Ireland PM, Jenkins C, Norville IH, Southern SJ, Cowan R, Hall G, Kettleborough C, Savage VJ, Cooper IR. Evaluating the druggability of TrmD, a potential antibacterial target, through design and microbiological profiling of a series of potent TrmD inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2023; 90:129331. [PMID: 37187252 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2023.129331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The post-transcriptional modifier tRNA-(N1G37) methyltransferase (TrmD) has been proposed to be essential for growth in many Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens, however previously reported inhibitors show only weak antibacterial activity. In this work, optimisation of fragment hits resulted in compounds with low nanomolar TrmD inhibition incorporating features designed to enhance bacterial permeability and covering a range of physicochemical space. The resulting lack of significant antibacterial activity suggests that whilst TrmD is highly ligandable, its essentiality and druggability are called into question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Wilkinson
- Infex Therapeutics Ltd, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4TG, UK.
| | - Nicola Ooi
- Infex Therapeutics Ltd, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Jonathan Finlayson
- Infex Therapeutics Ltd, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Victoria E Lee
- Infex Therapeutics Ltd, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - David Lyth
- Infex Therapeutics Ltd, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Kathryn S Maskew
- Infex Therapeutics Ltd, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Rebecca Newman
- Infex Therapeutics Ltd, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - David Orr
- Infex Therapeutics Ltd, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Keith Ansell
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Kristian Birchall
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Peter Canning
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Peter Coombs
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Lucia Fusani
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Ed McIver
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - João Pisco
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Philip M Ireland
- CBR division, Dstl Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 0JQ, UK
| | | | | | | | - Richard Cowan
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Gareth Hall
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | | | - Victoria J Savage
- Infex Therapeutics Ltd, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Ian R Cooper
- Infex Therapeutics Ltd, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4TG, UK
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5
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Hemsley CM, Essex-Lopresti A, Chisnall T, Millar M, Neale S, Reichel R, Norville IH, Titball RW. MLVA and com1 genotyping of Coxiella burnetii in farmed ruminants in Great Britain. Vet Microbiol 2023; 277:109629. [PMID: 36535174 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2022.109629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of the zoonotic disease Q fever, has been shown to be endemic in Great Britain, but information on the prevailing genomic lineages or Genomic Groups (GGs) of Coxiella burnetii is limited. The aim of this study was to genotype C. burnetii isolates from infected farmed ruminants by Multiple Locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA) and identify their associated Genomic Group. A total of 51 Coxiella-containing abortion samples from farmed ruminants (sheep, goats, and cattle), which were collected in Great Britain during 2013-2018, were included in the study, 34 of which returned a C. burnetii MLVA genotype. All bovine samples (n = 18), 5/7 of the ovine samples, and 3/9 of the caprine samples belonged to an MLVA cluster which we could link to the MST20 genotype of GG III, whereas 6/9 of the caprine samples and 2/7 of the ovine samples belonged to MLVA clusters which we could link to the MST33 or MST32 genotypes of GG II (7 vs 1 sample(s), respectively). We also noted that the Coxiella-specific com1 gene contained unique mutations that could genomotype isolates, i.e. assign them to a Genomic Group. In conclusion, both goats and sheep in Great Britain (from 2014 onward) were found to carry the same MLVA genotypes (MST33-like; GG II) that were linked to a human Q fever outbreak in the Netherlands. This knowledge in combination with the usage of genotyping/genomotyping methods should prove useful in future surveillance programs and in the management of outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia M Hemsley
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
| | | | | | | | - Sue Neale
- Animal and Plant Health Agency, Penrith, UK.
| | | | - Isobel H Norville
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK; Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK.
| | - Richard W Titball
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
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6
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Iwasaki J, Lorimer DD, Vivoli-Vega M, Kibble EA, Peacock CS, Abendroth J, Mayclin SJ, Dranow DM, Pierce PG, Fox D, Lewis M, Bzdyl NM, Kristensen SS, Inglis TJJ, Kahler CM, Bond CS, Hasenkopf A, Seufert F, Schmitz J, Marshall LE, Scott AE, Norville IH, Myler PJ, Holzgrabe U, Harmer NJ, Sarkar-Tyson M. OUP accepted manuscript. J Antimicrob Chemother 2022; 77:1625-1634. [PMID: 35245364 PMCID: PMC9155639 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkac065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jua Iwasaki
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
- Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
- Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
| | - Donald D. Lorimer
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, 307 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Beryllium, Inc., 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA
| | - Mirella Vivoli-Vega
- Department of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
- Living Systems Institute, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Emily A. Kibble
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
- DMTC Limited, Level 2, 24 Wakefield St, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia
| | - Christopher S. Peacock
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
| | - Jan Abendroth
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, 307 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Beryllium, Inc., 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA
| | - Stephen J. Mayclin
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, 307 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Beryllium, Inc., 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA
| | - David M. Dranow
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, 307 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Beryllium, Inc., 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA
| | - Phillip G. Pierce
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, 307 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Beryllium, Inc., 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA
| | - David Fox
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, 307 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Beryllium, Inc., 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA
| | - Maria Lewis
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
| | - Nicole M. Bzdyl
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
| | - Sofie S. Kristensen
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
| | - Timothy J. J. Inglis
- Department of Microbiology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
- Medical School, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Charlene M. Kahler
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
| | - Charles S. Bond
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Anja Hasenkopf
- Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Florian Seufert
- Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jens Schmitz
- Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Laura E. Marshall
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
| | - Andrew E. Scott
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
| | | | - Peter J. Myler
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, 307 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nicholas J. Harmer
- Department of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
- Living Systems Institute, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Mitali Sarkar-Tyson
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
- Corresponding author. E-mail:
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7
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Porges E, Jenner D, Taylor AW, Harrison JS, De Grazia A, Hailes AR, Wright KM, Whelan AO, Norville IH, Prior JL, Mahajan S, Rowland CA, Newman TA, Evans ND. Antibiotic-Loaded Polymersomes for Clearance of Intracellular Burkholderia thailandensis. ACS Nano 2021; 15:19284-19297. [PMID: 34739227 PMCID: PMC7612142 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c05309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Melioidosis caused by the facultative intracellular pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei is difficult to treat due to poor intracellular bioavailability of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. In the absence of novel compounds, polymersome (PM) encapsulation may increase the efficacy of existing antibiotics and reduce antibiotic resistance by promoting targeted, infection-specific intracellular uptake. In this study, we developed PMs composed of widely available poly(ethylene oxide)-polycaprolactone block copolymers and demonstrated their delivery to intracellular B. thailandensis infection using multispectral imaging flow cytometry (IFC) and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy. Antibiotics were tightly sequestered in PMs and did not inhibit the growth of free-living B. thailandensis. However, on uptake of antibiotic-loaded PMs by infected macrophages, IFC demonstrated PM colocalization with intracellular B. thailandensis and a significant inhibition of their growth. We conclude that PMs are a viable approach for the targeted antibiotic treatment of persistent intracellular Burkholderia infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Porges
- Bioengineering Sciences Group, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration, Bone and Joint Research Group, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, SO16 6YD,United Kingdom
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Dominic Jenner
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Adam W. Taylor
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - James S.P. Harrison
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio De Grazia
- Bioengineering Sciences Group, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Alethia R. Hailes
- Bioengineering Sciences Group, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration, Bone and Joint Research Group, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, SO16 6YD,United Kingdom
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Kimberley M. Wright
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Adam O. Whelan
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Isobel H. Norville
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Joann L. Prior
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Sumeet Mahajan
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline A. Rowland
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Chemical, Biological and Radiological Division, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Tracey A. Newman
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas D. Evans
- Bioengineering Sciences Group, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration, Bone and Joint Research Group, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, SO16 6YD,United Kingdom
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
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8
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Hartley MG, Norville IH, Richards MI, Barnes KB, Bewley KR, Vipond J, Rayner E, Vente A, Armstrong SJ, Harding SV. Finafloxacin, a Novel Fluoroquinolone, Reduces the Clinical Signs of Infection and Pathology in a Mouse Model of Q Fever. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:760698. [PMID: 34917048 PMCID: PMC8670379 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.760698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Finafloxacin is a novel fluoroquinolone with optimal antibacterial activity in low pH environments, therefore offering a therapeutic advantage over some traditional antibiotics, in treating bacterial infections associated with acidic foci. Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is a bacterium which resides and replicates in acidic intracellular parasitic vacuoles. The efficacy of finafloxacin was evaluated in vivo using the A/J mouse model of inhalational Q fever and was compared to doxycycline, the standard treatment for this infection and ciprofloxacin, a comparator fluoroquinolone. Finafloxacin reduced the severity of the clinical signs of infection and weight loss associated with Q fever, but did not reduce the level of bacterial colonization in tissues compared to doxycycline or ciprofloxacin. However, histopathological analysis suggested that treatment with finafloxacin reduced tissue damage associated with C. burnetii infection. In addition, we report for the first time, the use of viable counts on axenic media to evaluate antibiotic efficacy in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Gill Hartley
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Isobel H Norville
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom.,College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Mark I Richards
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Kay B Barnes
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin R Bewley
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Vipond
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Rayner
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | | | - Stuart J Armstrong
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah V Harding
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
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9
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Metters G, Norville IH, Titball RW, Hemsley CM. From cell culture to cynomolgus macaque: infection models show lineage-specific virulence potential of Coxiella burnetii. J Med Microbiol 2019; 68:1419-1430. [PMID: 31424378 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular pathogen that causes the zoonotic disease Q fever in humans, which can occur in either an acute or a chronic form with serious complications. The bacterium has a wide host range, including unicellular organisms, invertebrates, birds and mammals, with livestock representing the most significant reservoir for human infections. Cell culture models have been used to decipher the intracellular lifestyle of C. burnetii, and several infection models, including invertebrates, rodents and non-human primates, are being used to investigate host-pathogen interactions and to identify bacterial virulence factors and vaccine candidates. However, none of the models replicate all aspects of human disease. Furthermore, it is becoming evident that C. burnetii isolates belonging to different lineages exhibit differences in their virulence in these models. Here, we compare the advantages and disadvantages of commonly used infection models and summarize currently available data for lineage-specific virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Metters
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences - Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Isobel H Norville
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
| | - Richard W Titball
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences - Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Claudia M Hemsley
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences - Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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10
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Hartley MG, Ralph E, Norville IH, Prior JL, Atkins TP. Comparison of PCR and Viable Count as a Method for Enumeration of Bacteria in an A/J Mouse Aerosol Model of Q Fever. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1552. [PMID: 31379760 PMCID: PMC6647910 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Historically, disease progression in animal models of Q fever has been carried out using PCR to monitor the presence of Coxiella burnetii DNA in the host. However, the colonization and dissemination of other bacterial infections in animal models are tracked using viable counts, enabling an accurate assessment of viable bacterial load within tissues. Following recent advances in the culture methods, it has become possible to do the same with C. burnetii. Here we compare and contrast the different information gained by using PCR or viable counts to study this disease. Viable bacteria were cleared from organs much faster than previously reported when assessed by bacterial DNA, but weight loss and clinical signs improved while animals were still heavily infected.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Gill Hartley
- CBR, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Esther Ralph
- CBR, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Isobel H Norville
- CBR, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Joann L Prior
- CBR, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, United Kingdom.,College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy P Atkins
- CBR, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Salisbury, United Kingdom.,College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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11
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Hemsley CM, O’Neill PA, Essex-Lopresti A, Norville IH, Atkins TP, Titball RW. Extensive genome analysis of Coxiella burnetii reveals limited evolution within genomic groups. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:441. [PMID: 31164106 PMCID: PMC6549354 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5833-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coxiella burnetii is a zoonotic pathogen that resides in wild and domesticated animals across the globe and causes a febrile illness, Q fever, in humans. An improved understanding of the genetic diversity of C. burnetii is essential for the development of diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics, but genotyping data is lacking from many parts of the world. Sporadic outbreaks of Q fever have occurred in the United Kingdom, but the local genetic make-up of C. burnetii has not been studied in detail. RESULTS Here, we report whole genome data for nine C. burnetii sequences obtained in the UK. All four genomes of C. burnetii from cattle, as well as one sheep sample, belonged to Multi-spacer sequence type (MST) 20, whereas the goat samples were MST33 (three genomes) and MST32 (one genome), two genotypes that have not been described to be present in the UK to date. We established the phylogenetic relationship between the UK genomes and 67 publically available genomes based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the core genome, which confirmed tight clustering of strains within genomic groups, but also indicated that sub-groups exist within those groups. Variation is mainly achieved through SNPs, many of which are non-synonymous, thereby confirming that evolution of C. burnetii is based on modification of existing genes. Finally, we discovered genomic-group specific genome content, which supports a model of clonal expansion of previously established genotypes, with large scale dissemination of some of these genotypes across continents being observed. CONCLUSIONS The genetic make-up of C. burnetii in the UK is similar to the one in neighboring European countries. As a species, C. burnetii has been considered a clonal pathogen with low genetic diversity at the nucleotide level. Here, we present evidence for significant variation at the protein level between isolates of different genomic groups, which mainly affects secreted and membrane-associated proteins. Our results thereby increase our understanding of the global genetic diversity of C. burnetii and provide new insights into the evolution of this emerging zoonotic pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia M. Hemsley
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences – Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Paul A. O’Neill
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences – Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | | | - Tim P. Atkins
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences – Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
| | - Richard W. Titball
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences – Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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12
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Wlodek A, Kendrew SG, Coates NJ, Hold A, Pogwizd J, Rudder S, Sheehan LS, Higginbotham SJ, Stanley-Smith AE, Warneck T, Nur-E-Alam M, Radzom M, Martin CJ, Overvoorde L, Samborskyy M, Alt S, Heine D, Carter GT, Graziani EI, Koehn FE, McDonald L, Alanine A, Rodríguez Sarmiento RM, Chao SK, Ratni H, Steward L, Norville IH, Sarkar-Tyson M, Moss SJ, Leadlay PF, Wilkinson B, Gregory MA. Diversity oriented biosynthesis via accelerated evolution of modular gene clusters. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1206. [PMID: 29089518 PMCID: PMC5663706 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01344-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Erythromycin, avermectin and rapamycin are clinically useful polyketide natural products produced on modular polyketide synthase multienzymes by an assembly-line process in which each module of enzymes in turn specifies attachment of a particular chemical unit. Although polyketide synthase encoding genes have been successfully engineered to produce novel analogues, the process can be relatively slow, inefficient, and frequently low-yielding. We now describe a method for rapidly recombining polyketide synthase gene clusters to replace, add or remove modules that, with high frequency, generates diverse and highly productive assembly lines. The method is exemplified in the rapamycin biosynthetic gene cluster where, in a single experiment, multiple strains were isolated producing new members of a rapamycin-related family of polyketides. The process mimics, but significantly accelerates, a plausible mechanism of natural evolution for modular polyketide synthases. Detailed sequence analysis of the recombinant genes provides unique insight into the design principles for constructing useful synthetic assembly-line multienzymes. Reengineering polyketide synthase encoding genes to produce analogues of natural products can be slow and low-yielding. Here the authors use accelerated evolution to recombine the gene cluster for rapid production of rapamycin-related products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Wlodek
- Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK
| | - Steve G Kendrew
- Biotica Technology Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK.,Engineered Biodesign Limited, Cambridge, CB22 3GN, UK
| | - Nigel J Coates
- Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK.,Biotica Technology Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK
| | - Adam Hold
- Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK
| | - Joanna Pogwizd
- Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK
| | - Steven Rudder
- Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK
| | - Lesley S Sheehan
- Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK.,Biotica Technology Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK
| | | | - Anna E Stanley-Smith
- Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK.,Biotica Technology Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK
| | - Tony Warneck
- Biotica Technology Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK
| | - Mohammad Nur-E-Alam
- Biotica Technology Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK.,Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, 12372, Saudi Arabia
| | - Markus Radzom
- Biotica Technology Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK.,BASF SE, Speyerer Str. 2, Limburgerhof, 67117, Germany
| | - Christine J Martin
- Biotica Technology Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK
| | - Lois Overvoorde
- Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK
| | - Markiyan Samborskyy
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Silke Alt
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Daniel Heine
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Guy T Carter
- Chemical and Screening Sciences, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, 401 North Middletown Road, Pearl River, NY, 10965, USA
| | - Edmund I Graziani
- Chemical and Screening Sciences, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, 401 North Middletown Road, Pearl River, NY, 10965, USA.,Medicine Discovery Network-Synthetic Biology, Pfizer Worldwide R&D, 445 Eastern Point Rd., Groton, CT, 06340, USA
| | - Frank E Koehn
- Chemical and Screening Sciences, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, 401 North Middletown Road, Pearl River, NY, 10965, USA
| | - Leonard McDonald
- Chemical and Screening Sciences, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, 401 North Middletown Road, Pearl River, NY, 10965, USA
| | - Alexander Alanine
- Roche Innovation Center Basel, Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development (PRED), Basel, CH-4070, Switzerland
| | | | - Suzan Keen Chao
- Roche Innovation Center Basel, Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development (PRED), Basel, CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Hasane Ratni
- Roche Innovation Center Basel, Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development (PRED), Basel, CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Lucinda Steward
- Roche Innovation Center Basel, Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development (PRED), Basel, CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Isobel H Norville
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, PO17 6AD, UK
| | - Mitali Sarkar-Tyson
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, PO17 6AD, UK.,Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Monash Avenue, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Steven J Moss
- Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK.,Biotica Technology Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK
| | - Peter F Leadlay
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Barrie Wilkinson
- Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK. .,Biotica Technology Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK. .,Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK.
| | - Matthew A Gregory
- Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK. .,Biotica Technology Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Cambridge, CB10 1XL, UK.
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13
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Vivoli M, Renou J, Chevalier A, Norville IH, Diaz S, Juli C, Atkins H, Holzgrabe U, Renard PY, Sarkar-Tyson M, Harmer NJ. A miniaturized peptidyl-prolyl isomerase enzyme assay. Anal Biochem 2017; 536:59-68. [PMID: 28803887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Prolyl-peptidyl isomerases (PPIases) are enzymes that are found in all living organisms. They form an essential part of the cellular protein folding homeostasis machinery. PPIases are associated with many important human diseases, e.g. cardiovascular disease, cancer and Alzheimer's. The development of novel PPIase inhibitors has been limited by the lack of a rapid, laboratory-based assay for these enzymes, as their substrates and products are challenging to distinguish. A well described continuous assay, coupled with the hydrolysis of a peptide by chymotrypsin is highly effective, but comparatively slow. To address this, we developed an improved version of the traditional assay using a temperature controlled plate reader. This assay allows semi-automated medium throughput assays in an academic laboratory for 84 samples per day. The assay shows lower errors, with an average Z' of 0.72. We further developed the assay using a fluorogenic peptide-based FRET probe. This provides an extremely sensitive PPIase assay using substrate at 200 nM, which approaches single turnover conditions. The fluorescent probe achieves an excellent quenching efficiency of 98.6%, and initial experiments showed acceptable Z' of 0.31 and 0.30 for cyclophilin A and hFKBP12 respectively. The assays provide an improved toolset for the quantitative, biochemical analysis of PPIases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirella Vivoli
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Julien Renou
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, CNRS, INSAREOUEN, COBRA, UMR 6014 & FR 3038, 1 rue Tesnière 76000 Rouen, France
| | - Arnaud Chevalier
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, CNRS, INSAREOUEN, COBRA, UMR 6014 & FR 3038, 1 rue Tesnière 76000 Rouen, France
| | - Isobel H Norville
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Suraya Diaz
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Christina Juli
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 970074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Helen Atkins
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 970074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Pierre-Yves Renard
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, CNRS, INSAREOUEN, COBRA, UMR 6014 & FR 3038, 1 rue Tesnière 76000 Rouen, France
| | - Mitali Sarkar-Tyson
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom; Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Nicholas J Harmer
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.
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14
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Seufert F, Kuhn M, Hein M, Weiwad M, Vivoli M, Norville IH, Sarkar-Tyson M, Marshall LE, Schweimer K, Bruhn H, Rösch P, Harmer NJ, Sotriffer CA, Holzgrabe U. Development, synthesis and structure-activity-relationships of inhibitors of the macrophage infectivity potentiator (Mip) proteins of Legionella pneumophila and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Bioorg Med Chem 2016; 24:5134-5147. [PMID: 27591009 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei and Legionella pneumophila cause severe diseases like melioidosis and Legionnaire's disease with high mortality rates despite antibiotic treatment. Due to increasing antibiotic resistances against these and other Gram-negative bacteria, alternative therapeutical strategies are in urgent demand. As a virulence factor, the macrophage infectivity potentiator (Mip) protein constitutes an attractive target. The Mip proteins of B. pseudomallei and L. pneumophila exhibit peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase (PPIase) activity and belong to the PPIase superfamily. In previous studies, the pipecolic acid moiety proved to be a valuable scaffold for inhibiting this PPIase activity. Thus, a library of pipecolic acid derivatives was established guided by structural information and computational analyses of the binding site and possible binding modes. Stability and toxicity considerations were taken into account in iterative extensions of the library. Synthesis and evaluation of the compounds in PPIase assays resulted in highly active inhibitors. The activities can be interpreted in terms of a common binding mode obtained by docking calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Seufert
- Institute for Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Maximilian Kuhn
- Institute for Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Michael Hein
- Institute for Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Weiwad
- Research Center for Enzymology of Proteinfolding, Max-Planck-Institute Halle, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Mirella Vivoli
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Isobel H Norville
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Mitali Sarkar-Tyson
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom; Marshall Center for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Laura E Marshall
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Kristian Schweimer
- Department of Biopolymers, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Heike Bruhn
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Paul Rösch
- Department of Biopolymers, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | - Christoph A Sotriffer
- Institute for Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- Institute for Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
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15
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Norville IH, Breitbach K, Eske-Pogodda K, Harmer NJ, Sarkar-Tyson M, Titball RW, Steinmetz I. A novel FK-506-binding-like protein that lacks peptidyl-prolyl isomerase activity is involved in intracellular infection and in vivo virulence of Burkholderia pseudomallei. Microbiology (Reading) 2011; 157:2629-2638. [PMID: 21680634 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.049163-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei is a facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen causing melioidosis, an often fatal infectious disease that is endemic in several tropical and subtropical areas around the world. We previously described a Ptk2 cell-based plaque assay screening system of B. pseudomallei transposon mutants that led to the identification of several novel virulence determinants. Using this approach we identified a mutant with reduced plaque formation in which the BPSL0918 gene was disrupted. BPSL0918 encodes a putative FK-506-binding protein (FKBP) representing a family of proteins that typically possess peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) activity. A B. pseudomallei ΔBPSL0918 mutant showed a severely impaired ability to resist intracellular killing and to replicate within primary macrophages. Complementation of the mutant fully restored its ability to grow intracellularly. Moreover, B. pseudomallei ΔBPSL0918 was significantly attenuated in a murine model of infection. Structural modelling confirmed a modified FKBP fold of the BPSL0918-encoded protein but unlike virulence-associated FKBPs from other pathogenic bacteria, recombinant BPSL0918 protein did not possess PPIase activity in vitro. In accordance with this observation BPSL0918 exhibits several mutations in residues that have been proposed to mediate PPIase activity in other FKBPs. To our knowledge this B. pseudomallei FKBP represents the first example of this protein family which lacks PPIase activity but is important in intracellular infection of a bacterial pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isobel H Norville
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - Katrin Breitbach
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Kristin Eske-Pogodda
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Mitali Sarkar-Tyson
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK
| | | | - Ivo Steinmetz
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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