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Wheatley RM, Botelho J. Chasing resistance: analyzing the fight against hospital infections. Lancet Reg Health Eur 2023; 34:100740. [PMID: 37781067 PMCID: PMC10541483 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. Wheatley
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, UK
| | - João Botelho
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) - Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Kahl LJ, Stremmel N, Esparza-Mora MA, Wheatley RM, MacLean RC, Ralser M. Interkingdom interactions between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans affect clinical outcomes and antimicrobial responses. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 75:102368. [PMID: 37677865 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Infections that involve interkingdom microbial communities, such as those between bacteria and yeast pathogens, are difficult to treat, associated with worse patient outcomes, and may be a source of antimicrobial resistance. In this review, we address co-occurrence and co-infections of Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two pathogens that occupy multiple infection niches in the human body, especially in immunocompromised patients. The interaction between the pathogen species influences microbe-host interactions, the effectiveness of antimicrobials and even infection outcomes, and may thus require adapted treatment strategies. However, the molecular details of bacteria-fungal interactions both inside and outside the infection sites, are insufficiently characterised. We argue that comprehensively understanding the P. aeruginosa-C. albicans interaction network through integrated systems biology approaches will capture the highly dynamic and complex nature of these polymicrobial infections and lead to a more comprehensive understanding of clinical observations such as reshaped immune defences and low antimicrobial treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa J Kahl
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Biochemistry, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina Stremmel
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Biochemistry, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Rachel M Wheatley
- University of Oxford, Department of Biology, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - R Craig MacLean
- University of Oxford, Department of Biology, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Markus Ralser
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Biochemistry, 10117 Berlin, Germany; University of Oxford, The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom; Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
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3
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Diaz Caballero J, Wheatley RM, Kapel N, López-Causapé C, Van der Schalk T, Quinn A, Shaw LP, Ogunlana L, Recanatini C, Xavier BB, Timbermont L, Kluytmans J, Ruzin A, Esser M, Malhotra-Kumar S, Oliver A, MacLean RC. Mixed strain pathogen populations accelerate the evolution of antibiotic resistance in patients. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4083. [PMID: 37438338 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39416-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance poses a global health threat, but the within-host drivers of resistance remain poorly understood. Pathogen populations are often assumed to be clonal within hosts, and resistance is thought to emerge due to selection for de novo variants. Here we show that mixed strain populations are common in the opportunistic pathogen P. aeruginosa. Crucially, resistance evolves rapidly in patients colonized by multiple strains through selection for pre-existing resistant strains. In contrast, resistance evolves sporadically in patients colonized by single strains due to selection for novel resistance mutations. However, strong trade-offs between resistance and growth rate occur in mixed strain populations, suggesting that within-host diversity can also drive the loss of resistance in the absence of antibiotic treatment. In summary, we show that the within-host diversity of pathogen populations plays a key role in shaping the emergence of resistance in response to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachel M Wheatley
- University of Oxford, Department of Biology, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, UK
| | - Natalia Kapel
- University of Oxford, Department of Biology, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, UK
| | - Carla López-Causapé
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Thomas Van der Schalk
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Angus Quinn
- University of Oxford, Department of Biology, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, UK
| | - Liam P Shaw
- University of Oxford, Department of Biology, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, UK
| | - Lois Ogunlana
- University of Oxford, Department of Biology, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, UK
| | - Claudia Recanatini
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Basil Britto Xavier
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Leen Timbermont
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jan Kluytmans
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexey Ruzin
- Microbial Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Mark Esser
- Microbial Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Antonio Oliver
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - R Craig MacLean
- University of Oxford, Department of Biology, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, UK.
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Wheatley RM, Ogunlana L. Gender shapes the formation of review paper collaborations in microbiology. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230965. [PMID: 37403511 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0965] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Women are underrepresented in senior academic positions within microbiology globally. Studies show that gender bias affects the progression of women in academia, but there is evidence that improving conscious awareness of bias can improve equity in this regard. Here we analyse the publication data associated with review articles within the microbiology field to investigate the statistical associations with author gender. We analyse the data from review articles published between 2010 and 2022 in three leading microbiology review journals: Nature Reviews Microbiology, Trends in Microbiology and Annual Review of Microbiology. We find a significant association between the gender of the lead author and the gender of co-authors in multi-author publications. Review articles with men lead authors have a significantly reduced proportion of women co-authors compared to reviews with women lead authors. Given the existing differences in the proportions of men and women in lead author positions, this association may have important consequences for the relative visibility of women in microbiology, along with negative impacts on scientific output relating to reduced collaboration diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lois Ogunlana
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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5
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Zaayman M, Wheatley RM. Fitness costs of CRISPR-Cas systems in bacteria. Microbiology (Reading) 2022; 168. [PMID: 35849532 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001209] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems provide bacteria with both specificity and adaptability in defence against invading genetic elements. From a theoretical perspective, CRISPR-Cas systems confer many benefits. However, they are observed at an unexpectedly low prevalence across the bacterial domain. While these defence systems can be gained horizontally, fitness costs may lead to selection against their carriage. Understanding the source of CRISPR-related fitness costs will help us to understand the evolutionary dynamics of CRISPR-Cas systems and their role in shaping bacterial genome evolution. Here, we review our current understanding of the potential fitness costs associated with CRISPR-Cas systems. In addition to potentially restricting the acquisition of genetic material that could confer fitness benefits, we explore five alternative biological factors that from a theoretical perspective may influence the fitness costs associated with CRISPR-Cas system carriage: (1) the repertoire of defence mechanisms a bacterium has available to it, (2) the potential for a metabolic burden, (3) larger-scale population and environmental factors, (4) the phenomenon of self-targeting spacers, and (5) alternative non-defence roles for CRISPR-Cas.
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Abstract
Viruses of bacteriophages (phages) have broad effects on bacterial ecology and evolution in nature that mediate microbial interactions, shape bacterial diversity, and influence nutrient cycling and ecosystem function. The unrelenting impact of phages within the microbial realm is the result, in large part, of their ability to rapidly evolve in response to bacterial host dynamics. The knowledge gained from laboratory systems, typically using pairwise interactions between single-host and single-phage systems, has made clear that phages coevolve with their bacterial hosts rapidly, somewhat predictably, and primarily by counteradapting to host resistance. Recent advancement in metagenomics approaches, as well as a shifting focus toward natural microbial communities and host-associated microbiomes, is beginning to uncover the full picture of phage evolution and ecology within more complex settings. As these data reach their full potential, it will be critical to ask when and how insights gained from studies of phage evolution in vitro can be meaningfully applied to understanding bacteria-phage interactions in nature. In this review, we explore the myriad ways that phages shape and are themselves shaped by bacterial host populations and communities, with a particular focus on observed and predicted differences between the laboratory and complex microbial communities. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Virology, Volume 9 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt Koskella
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA;
| | - Catherine A Hernandez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Schulte CCM, Borah K, Wheatley RM, Terpolilli JJ, Saalbach G, Crang N, de Groot DH, Ratcliffe RG, Kruger NJ, Papachristodoulou A, Poole PS. Metabolic control of nitrogen fixation in rhizobium-legume symbioses. Sci Adv 2021; 7:7/31/eabh2433. [PMID: 34330708 PMCID: PMC8324050 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh2433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Rhizobia induce nodule formation on legume roots and differentiate into bacteroids, which catabolize plant-derived dicarboxylates to reduce atmospheric N2 into ammonia. Despite the agricultural importance of this symbiosis, the mechanisms that govern carbon and nitrogen allocation in bacteroids and promote ammonia secretion to the plant are largely unknown. Using a metabolic model derived from genome-scale datasets, we show that carbon polymer synthesis and alanine secretion by bacteroids facilitate redox balance in microaerobic nodules. Catabolism of dicarboxylates induces not only a higher oxygen demand but also a higher NADH/NAD+ ratio than sugars. Modeling and 13C metabolic flux analysis indicate that oxygen limitation restricts the decarboxylating arm of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, which limits ammonia assimilation into glutamate. By tightly controlling oxygen supply and providing dicarboxylates as the energy and electron source donors for N2 fixation, legumes promote ammonia secretion by bacteroids. This is a defining feature of rhizobium-legume symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin C M Schulte
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Khushboo Borah
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | | | - Nick Crang
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Daan H de Groot
- Systems Biology Lab, AIMMS, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Philip S Poole
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
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Wheatley RM, MacLean RC. CRISPR-Cas systems restrict horizontal gene transfer in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. ISME J 2021; 15:1420-1433. [PMID: 33349652 PMCID: PMC8105352 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00860-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems provide bacteria and archaea with an adaptive immune system that targets foreign DNA. However, the xenogenic nature of immunity provided by CRISPR-Cas raises the possibility that these systems may constrain horizontal gene transfer. Here we test this hypothesis in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which has emerged as an important model system for understanding CRISPR-Cas function. Across the diversity of P. aeruginosa, active CRISPR-Cas systems are associated with smaller genomes and higher GC content, suggesting that CRISPR-Cas inhibits the acquisition of foreign DNA. Although phage is the major target of CRISPR-Cas spacers, more than 80% of isolates with an active CRISPR-Cas system have spacers that target integrative conjugative elements (ICE) or the conserved conjugative transfer machinery used by plasmids and ICE. Consistent with these results, genomes containing active CRISPR-Cas systems harbour a lower abundance of both prophage and ICE. Crucially, spacers in genomes with active CRISPR-Cas systems map to ICE and phage that are integrated into the chromosomes of closely related genomes lacking CRISPR-Cas immunity. We propose that CRISPR-Cas acts as an important constraint to horizontal gene transfer, and the evolutionary mechanisms that ensure its maintenance or drive its loss are key to the ability of this pathogen to adapt to new niches and stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - R Craig MacLean
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
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Abstract
The attachment of bacteria to roots constitutes the first physical step in many plant-microbe interactions. These interactions exert both positive and negative influences on agricultural systems depending on whether a growth-promoting, symbiotic or pathogenic relationship transpires. A common biphasic mechanism of root attachment exists across agriculturally important microbial species, including Rhizobium, Agrobacterium, Pseudomonas, Azospirillum and Salmonella. Attachment studies have revealed how plant-microbe interactions develop, and how to manipulate these relationships for agricultural benefit. Here, we review our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing plant-microbe root attachment and draw together a common biphasic model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Wheatley
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Philip S Poole
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
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Wheatley RM, Dockery SP, Kurz MA, Sayegh HS, Harrison DG. Interactions of nitroglycerin and sulfhydryl-donating compounds in coronary microvessels. Am J Physiol 1994; 266:H291-7. [PMID: 8304511 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.1994.266.1.h291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown the effect of nitroglycerin on coronary microvessels < 100 microns in diameter is markedly enhanced by L-cysteine. These studies were performed to examine the mechanisms responsible for this effect. Under control conditions, nitroglycerin caused potent dilations of large (> 200 microns diam) coronary microvessels while having minimal effects on small (< 100 microns diam) coronary microvessels [peak relaxations 85 +/- 4 vs. 23 +/- 3% (mean +/- SE) of endothelin-1-constricted vessels, respectively]. L-Cysteine (100 microM) and N-acetylcysteine (100 microM) markedly enhanced nitroglycerin-induced relaxations of small coronary microvessels (peak relaxation 84 +/- 6 and 87 +/- 12%, respectively) while having no effect on relaxations of vessels > 100 microns. In contrast, neither L-methionine (100 microM) nor glutathione (100 microM) enhanced nitroglycerin's vasodilation of small coronary microvessels. The effects of L-cysteine and N-acetylcysteine on the augmentation of nitroglycerin vasodilatation in smaller coronary microvessels was abolished in the presence of buthionine sulfoximine (100 microM), a potent inhibitor of intracellular glutathione synthesis. Buthionine sulfoximine had no effect on the vasodilatation produced by nitroprusside. These data demonstrate that, in smaller coronary microvessels, L-cysteine and N-acetylcysteine enhance nitroglycerin-induced vasodilatation by increasing intracellular glutathione concentrations. Intracellular glutathione, formed from either L-cysteine or N-acetylcysteine, may participate in the formation of an intermediate of nitroglycerin biotransformation or may maintain a redox potential within coronary microvessels that favors enzymatic bioconversion of nitroglycerin.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Wheatley
- Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
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