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Morris SM, Wiens L, Rose O, Fritz G, Rogers T, Gebhard S. Regulatory interactions between daptomycin- and bacitracin-responsive pathways coordinate the cell envelope antibiotic resistance response of Enterococcus faecalis. Mol Microbiol 2024. [PMID: 38646792 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15264] [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: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Enterococcal infections frequently show high levels of antibiotic resistance, including to cell envelope-acting antibiotics like daptomycin (DAP). While we have a good understanding of the resistance mechanisms, less is known about the control of such resistance genes in enterococci. Previous work unveiled a bacitracin resistance network, comprised of the sensory ABC transporter SapAB, the two-component system (TCS) SapRS and the resistance ABC transporter RapAB. Interestingly, components of this system have recently been implicated in DAP resistance, a role usually regulated by the TCS LiaFSR. To better understand the regulation of DAP resistance and how this relates to mutations observed in DAP-resistant clinical isolates of enterococci, we here explored the interplay between these two regulatory pathways. Our results show that SapR regulates an additional resistance operon, dltXABCD, a known DAP resistance determinant, and show that LiaFSR regulates the expression of sapRS. This regulatory structure places SapRS-target genes under dual control, where expression is directly controlled by SapRS, which itself is up-regulated through LiaFSR. The network structure described here shows how Enterococcus faecalis coordinates its response to cell envelope attack and can explain why clinical DAP resistance often emerges via mutations in regulatory components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sali M Morris
- Life Sciences Department, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Laura Wiens
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Olivia Rose
- Life Sciences Department, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Georg Fritz
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Tim Rogers
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Life Sciences Department, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Todd Rose FO, Darnell RL, Morris SM, Rose OE, Paxie O, Campbell G, Cook GM, Gebhard S. The two-component system CroRS acts as a master regulator of cell envelope homeostasis to confer antimicrobial tolerance in the bacterial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis. Mol Microbiol 2023; 120:408-424. [PMID: 37475106 PMCID: PMC10952268 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15128] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial tolerance is the ability of a microbial population to survive, but not proliferate, during antimicrobial exposure. Significantly, it has been shown to precede the development of bona fide antimicrobial resistance. We have previously identified the two-component system CroRS as a critical regulator of tolerance to antimicrobials like teixobactin in the bacterial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis. To understand the molecular mechanism of this tolerance, we have carried out RNA-seq analyses in the E. faecalis wild-type and isogenic∆ croRS mutant to determine the teixobactin-induced CroRS regulon. We identified a 132 gene CroRS regulon and demonstrate that CroRS upregulates biosynthesis of all major components of the enterococcal cell envelope in response to teixobactin. This suggests a coordinating role of this regulatory system in maintaining integrity of the multiple layers of the enterococcal envelope during antimicrobial stress, likely contributing to bacterial survival. Using experimental evolution, we observed that truncation of HppS, a key enzyme in the synthesis of the quinone electron carrier demethylmenaquinone, was sufficient to rescue tolerance in the croRS deletion strain. This highlights a key role for isoprenoid biosynthesis in antimicrobial tolerance in E. faecalis. Here, we propose a model of CroRS acting as a master regulator of cell envelope biogenesis and a gate-keeper between isoprenoid biosynthesis and respiration to ensure tolerance against antimicrobial challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca O. Todd Rose
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular BiodiscoveryUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Rachel L. Darnell
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular BiodiscoveryUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Sali M. Morris
- Department of Life Sciences, Milner Centre for EvolutionUniversity of BathBathUK
| | - Olivia E. Rose
- Department of Life Sciences, Milner Centre for EvolutionUniversity of BathBathUK
| | - Olivia Paxie
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Georgia Campbell
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Gregory M. Cook
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular BiodiscoveryUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Life Sciences, Milner Centre for EvolutionUniversity of BathBathUK
- Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Johannes Gutenberg‐UniversitätMainzGermany
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Schmidt MW, Brenner W, Gebhard S, Schmidt M, Singer S, Weidenbach L, Hahn H, Puzankova D, Blau-Schneider B, Lehnert A, Battista MJ, Almstedt K, Lütkemeyer A, Radsak MP, Mähringer-Kunz A, Krajnak S, Linz VC, Schwab R, Gabriel B, Hasenburg A, Anic K. Effects of intermittent fasting on quality of life tolerance of chemotherapy in patients with gynecological cancers: study protocol of a randomized-controlled multi-center trial. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1222573. [PMID: 37538111 PMCID: PMC10396395 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1222573] [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: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Fatigue is a very common side effect during intravenous chemotherapy. Unfortunately, only few effective therapeutic options are available, mostly based on daily activity. In our pilot trial we were able to demonstrate that intermittent fasting can reduce fatigue in healthy people, thus we aimed to assess the effects of the fasting dietary on quality of life during chemotherapy in patients with gynecological cancer, especially on the domain of fatigue. The IFAST trial is designed as a prospective, randomized-controlled, multi-center trial. Participation will be offered to women with gynecological cancers (breast cancer, ovarian cancer including peritoneal and fallopian tube cancers, endometrial cancer and cervical cancer) who are planned to receive intravenous chemotherapy for at least three months. Eligible patients will be randomized 1:1, stratified by tumor type and study center. Primary endpoint is the difference in mean change in fatigue, assessed with the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue Scale (FACIT- FS©). Exploratory secondary endpoints will include general Quality of Life impairment, tolerance of chemotherapy, immunological changes, peripheral cell damage in blood cells, as well as tumor response to chemotherapy. There is new evidence that prolonged fasting periods of 46-96 hours during chemotherapy can positively influence the quality of life during chemotherapy. However, these fasting regiments are not feasible for many patients. Intermittent fasting could be a feasible (manageable) option for many patients to actively improve their quality of life and tolerance to chemotherapy and possibly even enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Trial Registration https://drks.de, identifier DRKS00031429.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Wanda Schmidt
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Walburgis Brenner
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Management of the Scientific laboratories, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Management of the Scientific laboratories, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marcus Schmidt
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Singer
- Division of Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (IMBEI), University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Lina Weidenbach
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Harriett Hahn
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Diana Puzankova
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Bettina Blau-Schneider
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Josefs Hospital Wiesbaden Academic Teaching Hospital, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - Antje Lehnert
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Josefs Hospital Wiesbaden Academic Teaching Hospital, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - Marco Johannes Battista
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Katrin Almstedt
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Anja Lütkemeyer
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Markus Philipp Radsak
- IIIrd Department of Medicine, Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Aline Mähringer-Kunz
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Slavomir Krajnak
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Valerie Cathrine Linz
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Roxana Schwab
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Boris Gabriel
- Division of Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (IMBEI), University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Annette Hasenburg
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Katharina Anic
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Clarke OE, Pelling H, Bennett V, Matsumoto T, Gregory GE, Nzakizwanayo J, Slate AJ, Preston A, Laabei M, Bock LJ, Wand ME, Ikebukuro K, Gebhard S, Sutton JM, Jones BV. Lipopolysaccharide structure modulates cationic biocide susceptibility and crystalline biofilm formation in Proteus mirabilis. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1150625. [PMID: 37089543 PMCID: PMC10113676 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1150625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chlorhexidine (CHD) is a cationic biocide used ubiquitously in healthcare settings. Proteus mirabilis, an important pathogen of the catheterized urinary tract, and isolates of this species are often described as “resistant” to CHD-containing products used for catheter infection control. To identify the mechanisms underlying reduced CHD susceptibility in P. mirabilis, we subjected the CHD tolerant clinical isolate RS47 to random transposon mutagenesis and screened for mutants with reduced CHD minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). One mutant recovered from these screens (designated RS47-2) exhibited ~ 8-fold reduction in CHD MIC. Complete genome sequencing of RS47-2 showed a single mini-Tn5 insert in the waaC gene involved in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inner core biosynthesis. Phenotypic screening of RS47-2 revealed a significant increase in cell surface hydrophobicity and serum susceptibility compared to the wildtype, and confirmed defects in LPS production congruent with waaC inactivation. Disruption of waaC was also associated with increased susceptibility to a range of other cationic biocides but did not affect susceptibility to antibiotics tested. Complementation studies showed that repression of smvA efflux activity in RS47-2 further increased susceptibility to CHD and other cationic biocides, reducing CHD MICs to values comparable with the most CHD susceptible isolates characterized. The formation of crystalline biofilms and blockage of urethral catheters was also significantly attenuated in RS47-2. Taken together, these data show that aspects of LPS structure and upregulation of the smvA efflux system function in synergy to modulate susceptibility to CHD and other cationic biocides, and that LPS structure is also an important factor in P. mirabilis crystalline biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- O. E. Clarke
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - H. Pelling
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - V. Bennett
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - T. Matsumoto
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - G. E. Gregory
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - J. Nzakizwanayo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - A. J. Slate
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - A. Preston
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - M. Laabei
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - L. J. Bock
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - M. E. Wand
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - K. Ikebukuro
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - S. Gebhard
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - J. M. Sutton
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - B. V. Jones
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: B. V. Jones,
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Ghataora JS, Gebhard S, Reeksting BJ. Chimeric MerR-Family Regulators and Logic Elements for the Design of Metal Sensitive Genetic Circuits in Bacillus subtilis. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:735-749. [PMID: 36629785 PMCID: PMC10028694 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00545] [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] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Whole-cell biosensors are emerging as promising tools for monitoring environmental pollutants such as heavy metals. These sensors constitute a genetic circuit comprising a sensing module and an output module, such that a detectable signal is produced in the presence of the desired analyte. The MerR family of metal-responsive regulators offers great potential for the construction of metal sensing circuits, due to their high sensitivity, tight transcription control, and large diversity in metal-specificity. However, the sensing diversity is broadest in Gram-negative systems, while chassis organisms are often selected from Gram-positive species, particularly sporulating bacilli. This can be problematic, because Gram-negative biological parts, such as promoters, are frequently observed to be nonfunctional in Gram-positive hosts. Herein, we combined construction of synthetic genetic circuits and chimeric MerR regulators, supported by structure-guided design, to generate metal-sensitive biosensor modules that are functional in the biotechnological work-horse species Bacillus subtilis. These chimeras consist of a constant Gram-positive derived DNA-binding domain fused to variable metal binding domains of Gram-negative origins. To improve the specificity of the whole-cell biosensor, we developed a modular "AND gate" logic system based on the B. subtilis two-subunit σ-factor, SigO-RsoA, designed to maximize future use for synthetic biology applications in B. subtilis. This work provides insights into the use of modular regulators, such as the MerR family, in the design of synthetic circuits for the detection of heavy metals, with potentially wider applicability of the approach to other systems and genetic backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasdeep S Ghataora
- Life Sciences Department, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Life Sciences Department, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Bianca J Reeksting
- Life Sciences Department, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
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6
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Kobras CM, Morris SM, Mascher T, Gebhard S. Application of a Bacillus subtilis Whole-Cell Biosensor (P liaI-lux) for the Identification of Cell Wall Active Antibacterial Compounds. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2601:259-270. [PMID: 36445588 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2855-3_13] [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] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Whole-cell biosensors, based on the visualization of a reporter strain's response to a particular stimulus, are a robust and cost-effective means to monitor defined environmental conditions or the presence of chemical compounds. One specific field in which such biosensors are frequently applied is drug discovery, that is, the screening of large numbers of bacterial or fungal strains for the production of antimicrobial compounds. Here, we describe the application of a luminescence-based Bacillus subtilis biosensor for the discovery of cell wall active substances; this article is an update to our previous chapter published in 2017. The system is based on the well-characterized promoter PliaI, which is induced in response to a wide range of conditions that cause cell envelope stress, particularly antibiotics that interfere with the membrane-anchored steps of cell wall biosynthesis. A simple "spot-on-lawn" assay, where colonies of potential producer strains are grown directly on a lawn of the reporter strain, allows for quantitative and time-resolved detection of antimicrobial compounds. Due to the very low technical demands of this procedure, we expect it to be easily applicable to a large variety of candidate producer strains and growth conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Martina Kobras
- Life Sciences Department, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- The Florey Institute for Host-Pathogen Interactions, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Sali May Morris
- Life Sciences Department, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Life Sciences Department, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
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Zhang Q, Kobras CM, Gebhard S, Mascher T, Wolf D. Regulation of heterologous subtilin production in Bacillus subtilis W168. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:57. [PMID: 35392905 PMCID: PMC8991943 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01782-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Subtilin is a peptide antibiotic (lantibiotic) natively produced by Bacillus subtilis ATCC6633. It is encoded in a gene cluster spaBTCSIFEGRK (spa-locus) consisting of four transcriptional units: spaS (subtilin pre-peptide), spaBTC (modification and export), spaIFEG (immunity) and spaRK (regulation). Despite the pioneer understanding on subtilin biosynthesis, a robust platform to facilitate subtilin research and improve subtilin production is still a poorly explored spot. Results In this work, the intact spa-locus was successfully integrated into the chromosome of Bacillus subtilis W168, which is the by far best-characterized Gram-positive model organism with powerful genetics and many advantages in industrial use. Through systematic analysis of spa-promoter activities in B. subtilis W168 wild type and mutant strains, our work demonstrates that subtilin is basally expressed in B. subtilis W168, and the transition state regulator AbrB strongly represses subtilin biosynthesis in a growth phase-dependent manner. The deletion of AbrB remarkably enhanced subtilin gene expression, resulting in comparable yield of bioactive subtilin production as for B. subtilis ATCC6633. However, while in B. subtilis ATCC6633 AbrB regulates subtilin gene expression via SigH, which in turn activates spaRK, AbrB of B. subtilis W168 controls subtilin gene expression in SigH-independent manner, except for the regulation of spaBTC. Furthermore, the work shows that subtilin biosynthesis in B. subtilis W168 is regulated by the two-component regulatory system SpaRK and strictly relies on subtilin itself as inducer to fulfill the autoregulatory circuit. In addition, by incorporating the subtilin-producing system (spa-locus) and subtilin-reporting system (PpsdA-lux) together, we developed “online” reporter strains to efficiently monitor the dynamics of subtilin biosynthesis. Conclusions Within this study, the model organism B. subtilis W168 was successfully established as a novel platform for subtilin biosynthesis and the underlying regulatory mechanism was comprehensively characterized. This work will not only facilitate genetic (engineering) studies on subtilin, but also pave the way for its industrial production. More broadly, this work will shed new light on the heterologous production of other lantibiotics. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12934-022-01782-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01217, Dresden, Germany
| | - Carolin M Kobras
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.,School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.,Department of Biology & Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01217, Dresden, Germany
| | - Diana Wolf
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01217, Dresden, Germany.
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Hoffmann TD, Paine K, Gebhard S. Genetic optimisation of bacteria-induced calcite precipitation in Bacillus subtilis. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:214. [PMID: 34794448 PMCID: PMC8600894 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-021-01704-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) is an ancient property of bacteria, which has recently gained considerable attention for biotechnological applications. It occurs as a by-product of bacterial metabolism and involves a combination of chemical changes in the extracellular environment, e.g. pH increase, and presence of nucleation sites on the cell surface or extracellular substances produced by the bacteria. However, the molecular mechanisms underpinning MICP and the interplay between the contributing factors remain poorly understood, thus placing barriers to the full biotechnological and synthetic biology exploitation of bacterial biomineralisation. Results In this study, we adopted a bottom-up approach of systematically engineering Bacillus subtilis, which has no detectable intrinsic MICP activity, for biomineralisation. We showed that heterologous production of urease can induce MICP by local increases in extracellular pH, and this can be enhanced by co-expression of urease accessory genes for urea and nickel uptake, depending on environmental conditions. MICP can be strongly enhanced by biofilm-promoting conditions, which appeared to be mainly driven by production of exopolysaccharide, while the protein component of the biofilm matrix was dispensable. Attempts to modulate the cell surface charge of B. subtilis had surprisingly minor effects, and our results suggest this organism may intrinsically have a very negative cell surface, potentially predisposing it for MICP activity. Conclusions Our findings give insights into the molecular mechanisms driving MICP in an application-relevant chassis organism and the genetic elements that can be used to engineer de novo or enhanced biomineralisation. This study also highlights mutual influences between the genetic drivers and the chemical composition of the surrounding environment in determining the speed, spatial distribution and resulting mineral crystals of MICP. Taken together, these data pave the way for future rational design of synthetic precipitator strains optimised for specific applications. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12934-021-01704-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Hoffmann
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Kevin Paine
- Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
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Hoffmann TD, Reeksting BJ, Gebhard S. Bacteria-induced mineral precipitation: a mechanistic review. Microbiology (Reading) 2021; 167:001049. [PMID: 33881981 PMCID: PMC8289221 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Micro-organisms contribute to Earth's mineral deposits through a process known as bacteria-induced mineral precipitation (BIMP). It is a complex phenomenon that can occur as a result of a variety of physiological activities that influence the supersaturation state and nucleation catalysis of mineral precipitation in the environment. There is a good understanding of BIMP induced by bacterial metabolism through the control of metal redox states and enzyme-mediated reactions such as ureolysis. However, other forms of BIMP often cannot be attributed to a single pathway but rather appear to be a passive result of bacterial activity, where minerals form as a result of metabolic by-products and surface interactions within the surrounding environment. BIMP from such processes has formed the basis of many new innovative biotechnologies, such as soil consolidation, heavy metal remediation, restoration of historic buildings and even self-healing concrete. However, these applications to date have primarily incorporated BIMP-capable bacteria sampled from the environment, while detailed investigations of the underpinning mechanisms have been lagging behind. This review covers our current mechanistic understanding of bacterial activities that indirectly influence BIMP and highlights the complexity and connectivity between the different cellular and metabolic processes involved. Ultimately, detailed insights will facilitate the rational design of application-specific BIMP technologies and deepen our understanding of how bacteria are shaping our world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D. Hoffmann
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Bianca J. Reeksting
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
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Edlund K, Madjar K, Lebrecht A, Aktas B, Pilch H, Hoffmann G, Hofmann M, Kolberg HC, Boehm D, Battista M, Seehase M, Stewen K, Gebhard S, Cadenas C, Marchan R, Brenner W, Hasenburg A, Koelbl H, Solbach C, Gehrmann M, Tanner B, Weber KE, Loibl S, Sachinidis A, Rahnenführer J, Schmidt M, Hengstler JG. Gene Expression-Based Prediction of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Early Breast Cancer: Results of the Prospective Multicenter EXPRESSION Trial. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:2148-2158. [PMID: 33542080 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-2662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [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: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Expression-based classifiers to predict pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) are not routinely used in the clinic. We aimed to build and validate a classifier for pCR after NACT. PATIENTS AND METHODS We performed a prospective multicenter study (EXPRESSION) including 114 patients treated with anthracycline/taxane-based NACT. Pretreatment core needle biopsies from 91 patients were used for gene expression analysis and classifier construction, followed by validation in five external cohorts (n = 619). RESULTS A 20-gene classifier established in the EXPRESSION cohort using a Youden index-based cut-off point predicted pCR in the validation cohorts with an accuracy, AUC, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.811, 0.768, 0.829, 0.587, 0.216, and 0.962, respectively. Alternatively, aiming for a high NPV by defining the cut-off point for classification based on the complete responder with the lowest predicted probability of pCR in the EXPRESSION cohort led to an NPV of 0.960 upon external validation. With this extreme-low cut-off point, a recommendation to not treat with anthracycline/taxane-based NACT would be possible for 121 of 619 unselected patients (19.5%) and 112 of 322 patients with luminal breast cancer (34.8%). The analysis of the molecular subtypes showed that the identification of patients who do not achieve a pCR by the 20-gene classifier was particularly relevant in luminal breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS The novel 20-gene classifier reliably identifies patients who do not achieve a pCR in about one third of luminal breast cancers in both the EXPRESSION and combined validation cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Edlund
- Leibniz-Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Katrin Madjar
- Department of Statistics, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Antje Lebrecht
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Bahriye Aktas
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Henryk Pilch
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Köln, Köln, Germany
| | - Gerald Hoffmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Josefs-Hospital, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - Manfred Hofmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vinzenz von Paul Kliniken gGmbH Marienhospital, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - Daniel Boehm
- Center of Minimal Invasive Surgery, Senology and Oncology, mic.ma.mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marco Battista
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Martina Seehase
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kathrin Stewen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Cristina Cadenas
- Leibniz-Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Rosemarie Marchan
- Leibniz-Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Walburgis Brenner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Annette Hasenburg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Heinz Koelbl
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christine Solbach
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Berno Tanner
- Practice for Gynecological Oncology, Hoen Neuendorf, Germany
| | | | | | - Agapios Sachinidis
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Neurophysiology and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Marcus Schmidt
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jan G Hengstler
- Leibniz-Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany.
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11
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Koh A, Gibbon MJ, Van der Kamp MW, Pudney CR, Gebhard S. Conformation control of the histidine kinase BceS of Bacillus subtilis by its cognate ABC-transporter facilitates need-based activation of antibiotic resistance. Mol Microbiol 2020; 115:157-174. [PMID: 32955745 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria closely control gene expression to ensure optimal physiological responses to their environment. Such careful gene expression can minimize the fitness cost associated with antibiotic resistance. We previously described a novel regulatory logic in Bacillus subtilis enabling the cell to directly monitor its need for detoxification. This cost-effective strategy is achieved via a two-component regulatory system (BceRS) working in a sensory complex with an ABC-transporter (BceAB), together acting as a flux-sensor where signaling is proportional to transport activity. How this is realized at the molecular level has remained unknown. Using experimentation and computation we here show that the histidine kinase is activated by piston-like displacements in the membrane, which are converted to helical rotations in the catalytic core via an intervening HAMP-like domain. Intriguingly, the transporter was not only required for kinase activation, but also to actively maintain the kinase in its inactive state in the absence of antibiotics. Such coupling of kinase activity to that of the transporter ensures the complete control required for transport flux-dependent signaling. Moreover, we show that the transporter likely conserves energy by signaling with sub-maximal sensitivity. These results provide the first mechanistic insights into transport flux-dependent signaling, a unique strategy for energy-efficient decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Koh
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK.,Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Marjorie J Gibbon
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK.,Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | | | | | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK.,Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
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12
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Revilla-Guarinos A, Zhang Q, Loderer C, Alcántara C, Müller A, Rahnamaeian M, Vilcinskas A, Gebhard S, Zúñiga M, Mascher T. ABC Transporter DerAB of Lactobacillus casei Mediates Resistance against Insect-Derived Defensins. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:e00818-20. [PMID: 32414796 PMCID: PMC7357469 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00818-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Bce-like systems mediate resistance against antimicrobial peptides in Firmicutes bacteria. Lactobacillus casei BL23 encodes an "orphan" ABC transporter that, based on homology to BceAB-like systems, was proposed to contribute to antimicrobial peptide resistance. A mutant lacking the permease subunit was tested for sensitivity against a collection of peptides derived from bacteria, fungi, insects, and humans. Our results show that the transporter specifically conferred resistance against insect-derived cysteine-stabilized αβ defensins, and it was therefore renamed DerAB for defensin resistance ABC transporter. Surprisingly, cells lacking DerAB showed a marked increase in resistance against the lantibiotic nisin. This could be explained by significantly increased expression of the antimicrobial peptide resistance determinants regulated by the Bce-like systems PsdRSAB (formerly module 09) and ApsRSAB (formerly module 12). Bacterial two-hybrid studies in Escherichia coli showed that DerB could interact with proteins of the sensory complex in the Psd resistance system. We therefore propose that interaction of DerAB with this complex in the cell creates signaling interference and reduces the cell's potential to mount an effective nisin resistance response. In the absence of DerB, this negative interference is relieved, leading to the observed hyperactivation of the Psd module and thus increased resistance to nisin. Our results unravel the function of a previously uncharacterized Bce-like orphan resistance transporter with pleiotropic biological effects on the cell.IMPORTANCE Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play an important role in suppressing the growth of microorganisms. They can be produced by bacteria themselves-to inhibit competitors-but are also widely distributed in higher eukaryotes, including insects and mammals, where they form an important component of innate immunity. In low-GC-content Gram-positive bacteria, BceAB-like transporters play a crucial role in AMP resistance but have so far been primarily associated with interbacterial competition. Here, we show that the orphan transporter DerAB from the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus casei is crucial for high-level resistance against insect-derived AMPs. It therefore represents an important mechanism for interkingdom defense. Furthermore, our results support a signaling interference from DerAB on the PsdRSAB module that might prevent the activation of a full nisin response. The Bce modules from L. casei BL23 illustrate a biological paradox in which the intrinsic nisin detoxification potential only arises in the absence of a defensin-specific ABC transporter.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qian Zhang
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christoph Loderer
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Cristina Alcántara
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Ariane Müller
- Institut für Zoologie, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mohammad Rahnamaeian
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Bioresources, Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel Zúñiga
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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13
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Reeksting B, Paine K, Gebhard S. In-depth profiling of calcite precipitation by environmental bacteria reveals fundamental mechanistic differences with relevance to application. Access Microbiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1099/acmi.ac2019.po0069] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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14
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Darnell RL, Nakatani Y, Knottenbelt MK, Gebhard S, Cook GM. Functional characterization of BcrR: a one-component transmembrane signal transduction system for bacitracin resistance. Microbiology (Reading) 2019; 165:475-487. [PMID: 30777814 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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
Bacitracin is a cell wall targeting antimicrobial with clinical and agricultural applications. With the growing mismatch between antimicrobial resistance and development, it is essential we understand the molecular mechanisms of resistance in order to prioritize and generate new effective antimicrobials. BcrR is a unique membrane-bound one-component system that regulates high-level bacitracin resistance in Enterococcus faecalis. In the presence of bacitracin, BcrR activates transcription of the bcrABD operon conferring resistance through a putative ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter (BcrAB). BcrR has three putative functional domains, an N-terminal helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain, an intermediate oligomerization domain and a C-terminal transmembrane domain. However, the molecular mechanisms of signal transduction remain unknown. Random mutagenesis of bcrR was performed to generate loss- and gain-of-function mutants using transcriptional reporters fused to the target promoter PbcrA. Fifteen unique mutants were isolated across all three proposed functional domains, comprising 14 loss-of-function and one gain-of-function mutant. The gain-of-function variant (G64D) mapped to the putative dimerization domain of BcrR, and functional analyses indicated that the G64D mutant constitutively expresses the PbcrA-luxABCDE reporter. DNA-binding and membrane insertion were not affected in the five mutants chosen for further characterization. Homology modelling revealed putative roles for two key residues (R11 and S33) in BcrR activation. Here we present a new model of BcrR activation and signal transduction, providing valuable insight into the functional characterization of membrane-bound one-component systems and how they can coordinate critical bacterial responses, such as antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Darnell
- 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New zealand.,2Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1042, New Zealand
| | - Yoshio Nakatani
- 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New zealand.,2Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1042, New Zealand
| | - Melanie K Knottenbelt
- 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New zealand
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- 3Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Gregory M Cook
- 2Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1042, New Zealand.,1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New zealand
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15
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Heimes AS, Schmidt M, Jäkel J, Almstedt K, Gebhard S, Weyer-Eiberich V, Elger T, Krajnak S, Brenner W, Hasenburg A, Battista MJ. A retrospective analysis of immunohistochemically determined IRF4 (interferon regulating factor 4) expression in a consecutive cohort of 114 ovarian cancer patients. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2018; 299:239-246. [DOI: 10.1007/s00404-018-4941-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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16
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Ishibashi K, Haber T, Breuksch I, Gebhard S, Sugino T, Kubo H, Hata J, Koguchi T, Yabe M, Kataoka M, Ogawa S, Hiraki H, Yanagida T, Haga N, Thüroff JW, Prawitt D, Brenner W, Kojima Y. Overriding TKI resistance of renal cell carcinoma by combination therapy with IL-6 receptor blockade. Oncotarget 2017; 8:55230-55245. [PMID: 28903416 PMCID: PMC5589655 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a tumor entity with poor prognosis due to limited therapy options. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) represent the standard of care for RCCs, however a significant proportion of RCC patients develop resistance to this therapy. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is considered to be associated with poor prognosis in RCCs. We therefore hypothesized that TKI resistance and IL-6 secretion are causally connected. We first analyzed IL-6 expression after TKI treatment in RCC cells and RCC tumor specimens. Cell proliferation and signal transduction activity were then quantified after co-treatment with tocilizumab, an IL-6R inhibitor, in vitro and in vivo. 786-O RCC cells secrete high IL-6 levels after low dose stimulation with the TKIs sorafenib, sunitinib and pazopanib, inducing activation of AKT-mTOR pathway, NFκB, HIF-2α and VEGF expression. Tocilizumab neutralizes the AKT-mTOR pathway activation and results in reduced proliferation. Using a mouse xenograft model we can show that a combination therapy with tocilizumab and low dosage of sorafenib suppresses 786-O tumor growth, reduces AKT-mTOR pathway and inhibits angiogenesis in vivo more efficient than sorafenib alone. Furthermore FDG-PET imaging detected early decrease of maximum standardized uptake values prior to extended central necrosis. Our findings suggest that a combination therapy of IL-6R inhibitors and TKIs may represent a novel therapeutic approach for RCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Ishibashi
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.,Department of Urology, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tobias Haber
- Department of Urology, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Ines Breuksch
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Takashi Sugino
- Department of Pathology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Kubo
- Advanced Clinical Research Center, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Junya Hata
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Koguchi
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Michihiro Yabe
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Masao Kataoka
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Soichiro Ogawa
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Hiraki
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Yanagida
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Haga
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Joachim W Thüroff
- Department of Urology, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dirk Prawitt
- Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Walburgis Brenner
- Department of Urology, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany.,Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Yoshiyuki Kojima
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
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17
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Piepenbreier H, Fritz G, Gebhard S. Transporters as information processors in bacterial signalling pathways. Mol Microbiol 2017; 104:1-15. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Piepenbreier
- LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology; Philipps-University Marburg; Germany
| | - Georg Fritz
- LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology; Philipps-University Marburg; Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry; University of Bath; UK
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18
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Fang C, Nagy-Staroń A, Grafe M, Heermann R, Jung K, Gebhard S, Mascher T. Insulation and wiring specificity of BceR-like response regulators and their target promoters inBacillus subtilis. Mol Microbiol 2017; 104:16-31. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chong Fang
- Department Biology I; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Großhaderner Str. 2-4 Martinsried 82152 Germany
| | - Anna Nagy-Staroń
- Department Biology I; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Großhaderner Str. 2-4 Martinsried 82152 Germany
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, Am Campus 1; Klosterneuburg A-3400 Austria
| | - Martin Grafe
- Department Biology I; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Großhaderner Str. 2-4 Martinsried 82152 Germany
| | - Ralf Heermann
- Department Biology I; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Großhaderner Str. 2-4 Martinsried 82152 Germany
- Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science (CiPSM) at the Department Biology I; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Großhaderner Str. 2-4 Martinsried 82152 Germany
| | - Kirsten Jung
- Department Biology I; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Großhaderner Str. 2-4 Martinsried 82152 Germany
- Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science (CiPSM) at the Department Biology I; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Großhaderner Str. 2-4 Martinsried 82152 Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department Biology I; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Großhaderner Str. 2-4 Martinsried 82152 Germany
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry; University of Bath; Claverton Down Bath BA2 7AY UK
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Department Biology I; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Großhaderner Str. 2-4 Martinsried 82152 Germany
- Institute of Microbiology; Technische Universität (TU) Dresden; 01062 Dresden Germany
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19
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Kobras CM, Mascher T, Gebhard S. Application of a Bacillus subtilis Whole-Cell Biosensor (PliaI-lux) for the Identification of Cell Wall Active Antibacterial Compounds. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1520:121-131. [PMID: 27873249 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6634-9_7] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Whole-cell biosensors, based on the visualization of a reporter strain's response to a particular stimulus, are a robust and cost-effective means to monitor defined environmental conditions or the presence of chemical compounds. One specific field in which such biosensors are frequently applied is drug discovery, i.e., the screening of large numbers of bacterial or fungal strains for the production of antimicrobial compounds. We here describe the application of a luminescence-based Bacillus subtilis biosensor for the discovery of cell wall active substances. The system is based on the well-characterized promoter P liaI , which is induced in response to a wide range of conditions that cause cell envelope stress, particularly antibiotics that interfere with the membrane-anchored steps of cell wall biosynthesis. A simple "spot-on-lawn" assay, where colonies of potential producer strains are grown directly on a lawn of the reporter strain, allows for quantitative and time-resolved detection of antimicrobial compounds. Due to the very low technical demands of this procedure, we expect it to be easily applicable to a large variety of candidate producer strains and growth conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Martina Kobras
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
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20
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Radeck J, Gebhard S, Orchard PS, Kirchner M, Bauer S, Mascher T, Fritz G. Anatomy of the bacitracin resistance network inBacillus subtilis. Mol Microbiol 2016; 100:607-20. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jara Radeck
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Microbiology; Dresden Germany
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Mänchen, Department Biology I; Mänchen Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- University of Bath, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution; Bath United Kingdom
| | | | - Marion Kirchner
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Mänchen, Department Biology I; Mänchen Germany
| | - Stephanie Bauer
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Mänchen, Department Biology I; Mänchen Germany
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Microbiology; Dresden Germany
| | - Georg Fritz
- Philipps-Universität Marburg, LOEWE-Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO); Marburg Germany
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21
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Willenbacher J, Mohr T, Henkel M, Gebhard S, Mascher T, Syldatk C, Hausmann R. Substitution of the native srfA promoter by constitutive Pveg in two B. subtilis strains and evaluation of the effect on Surfactin production. J Biotechnol 2016; 224:14-7. [PMID: 26953743 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2016.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [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: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The genetic enhancement of Surfactin production increasingly gained attention in the last years, since relatively low product yields limit the industrial application of this biosurfactant. The natural quorum sensing regulation of the srfA operon (coding for the Surfactin synthetase) can reasonably be assumed to be the bottleneck of Surfactin synthesis. Therefore, the replacement of the naturally quorum sensing regulated, and herewith cell density dependent, promoter PsrfA against the Bacillus subtilis endogenous and constitutive promoter Pveg was hypothesized to generally enhance Surfactin yields. The markerless promoter replacement was conducted in the two B. subtilis Surfactin producer strains 3A38 and DSM 10(T). The promoter substitution led to an enhancement of Surfactin concentrations in the producer strain 3A38, initially producing only minor amounts of Surfactin (0.07g/L increased to 0.26g/L). In contrast, promoter exchange in B. subtilis DSM 10(T) (wild-type strain producing 0.62g/L Surfactin) did not achieve an enhancement of Surfactin concentrations (detrimental reduction to 0.04g/L). These findings implicate that Surfactin synthesis is differently regulated in minor and strong Surfactin producer strains. The hypothesized general enhancement of Surfactin yields after substitution of the native promoter was therefore not confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Willenbacher
- Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Section II: Technical Biology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Ring 3, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Teresa Mohr
- Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Section II: Technical Biology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Ring 3, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Marius Henkel
- Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology (150), Section Bioprocess Engineering (150k), University of Hohenheim, Garbenstr. 25, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, BA2 7AY Bath, United Kingdom.
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Institute of Microbiology, General Microbiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Christoph Syldatk
- Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Section II: Technical Biology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Ring 3, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Rudolf Hausmann
- Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology (150), Section Bioprocess Engineering (150k), University of Hohenheim, Garbenstr. 25, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany.
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Höfler C, Heckmann J, Fritsch A, Popp P, Gebhard S, Fritz G, Mascher T. Cannibalism stress response in Bacillus subtilis. Microbiology (Reading) 2015; 162:164-176. [PMID: 26364265 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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
When faced with carbon source limitation, the Gram-positive soil organism Bacillus subtilis initiates a survival strategy called sporulation, which leads to the formation of highly resistant endospores that allow B. subtilis to survive even long periods of starvation. In order to avoid commitment to this energy-demanding and irreversible process, B. subtilis employs another strategy called 'cannibalism' to delay sporulation as long as possible. Cannibalism involves the production and secretion of two cannibalism toxins, sporulation delaying protein (SDP) and sporulation killing factor (SKF), which are able to lyse sensitive siblings. The lysed cells are thought to then provide nutrients for the cannibals to slow down or even prevent them from entering sporulation. In this study, we uncovered the role of the cell envelope stress response (CESR), especially the Bce-like antimicrobial peptide detoxification modules, in the cannibalism stress response during the stationary phase. SDP and SKF specifically induce Bce-like systems and some extracytoplasmic function σ factors in stationary-phase cultures, but only the latter provide some degree of protection. A full Bce response is only triggered by mature toxins, and not by toxin precursors. Our study provides insights into the close relationship between stationary-phase survival and the CESR of B. subtilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Höfler
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Judith Heckmann
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Anne Fritsch
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Philipp Popp
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Georg Fritz
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Strasse 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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Sahu SK, Garding A, Tiwari N, Thakurela S, Toedling J, Gebhard S, Ortega F, Schmarowski N, Berninger B, Nitsch R, Schmidt M, Tiwari VK. JNK-dependent gene regulatory circuitry governs mesenchymal fate. EMBO J 2015; 34:2162-81. [PMID: 26157010 PMCID: PMC4557668 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201490693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a biological process in which cells lose cell–cell contacts and become motile. EMT is used during development, for example, in triggering neural crest migration, and in cancer metastasis. Despite progress, the dynamics of JNK signaling, its role in genomewide transcriptional reprogramming, and involved downstream effectors during EMT remain largely unknown. Here, we show that JNK is not required for initiation, but progression of phenotypic changes associated with EMT. Such dependency resulted from JNK-driven transcriptional reprogramming of critical EMT genes and involved changes in their chromatin state. Furthermore, we identified eight novel JNK-induced transcription factors that were required for proper EMT. Three of these factors were also highly expressed in invasive cancer cells where they function in gene regulation to maintain mesenchymal identity. These factors were also induced during neuronal development and function in neuronal migration in vivo. These comprehensive findings uncovered a kinetically distinct role for the JNK pathway in defining the transcriptome that underlies mesenchymal identity and revealed novel transcription factors that mediate these responses during development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Neha Tiwari
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry University Medical Center Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Felipe Ortega
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry University Medical Center Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Nikolai Schmarowski
- Institute for Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology University Medical Center Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Benedikt Berninger
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry University Medical Center Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Robert Nitsch
- Institute for Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology University Medical Center Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marcus Schmidt
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
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Dintner S, Heermann R, Fang C, Jung K, Gebhard S. A sensory complex consisting of an ATP-binding cassette transporter and a two-component regulatory system controls bacitracin resistance in Bacillus subtilis. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:27899-910. [PMID: 25118291 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.596221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [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: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistance against antimicrobial peptides in many Firmicutes bacteria is mediated by detoxification systems that are composed of a two-component regulatory system (TCS) and an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter. The histidine kinases of these systems depend entirely on the transporter for sensing of antimicrobial peptides, suggesting a novel mode of signal transduction where the transporter constitutes the actual sensor. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms of this unusual signaling pathway in more detail, using the bacitracin resistance system BceRS-BceAB of Bacillus subtilis as an example. To analyze the proposed communication between TCS and the ABC transporter, we characterized their interactions by bacterial two-hybrid analyses and could show that the permease BceB and the histidine kinase BceS interact directly. In vitro pulldown assays confirmed this interaction, which was found to be independent of bacitracin. Because it was unknown whether BceAB-type transporters could detect their substrate peptides directly or instead recognized the peptide-target complex in the cell envelope, we next analyzed substrate binding by the transport permease, BceB. Direct and specific binding of bacitracin by BceB was demonstrated by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. Finally, in vitro signal transduction assays indicated that complex formation with the transporter influenced the autophosphorylation activity of the histidine kinase. Taken together, our findings clearly show the existence of a sensory complex composed of TCS and ABC transporters and provide the first functional insights into the mechanisms of stimulus perception, signal transduction, and antimicrobial resistance employed by Bce-like detoxification systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chong Fang
- From the Department of Biology I, Microbiology, and
| | - Kirsten Jung
- From the Department of Biology I, Microbiology, and Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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25
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Fang C, Stiegeler E, Cook GM, Mascher T, Gebhard S. Bacillus subtilis as a platform for molecular characterisation of regulatory mechanisms of Enterococcus faecalis resistance against cell wall antibiotics. PLoS One 2014; 9:e93169. [PMID: 24676422 PMCID: PMC3968067 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
To combat antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus faecalis, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms, particularly of antibiotic detection, signal transduction and gene regulation is needed. Because molecular studies in this bacterium can be challenging, we aimed at exploiting the genetically highly tractable Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis as a heterologous host. Two fundamentally different regulators of E. faecalis resistance against cell wall antibiotics, the bacitracin sensor BcrR and the vancomycin-sensing two-component system VanSB-VanRB, were produced in B. subtilis and their functions were monitored using target promoters fused to reporter genes (lacZ and luxABCDE). The bacitracin resistance system BcrR-BcrAB of E. faecalis was fully functional in B. subtilis, both regarding regulation of bcrAB expression and resistance mediated by the transporter BcrAB. Removal of intrinsic bacitracin resistance of B. subtilis increased the sensitivity of the system. The lacZ and luxABCDE reporters were found to both offer sensitive detection of promoter induction on solid media, which is useful for screening of large mutant libraries. The VanSB-VanRB system displayed a gradual dose-response behaviour to vancomycin, but only when produced at low levels in the cell. Taken together, our data show that B. subtilis is a well-suited host for the molecular characterization of regulatory systems controlling resistance against cell wall active compounds in E. faecalis. Importantly, B. subtilis facilitates the careful adjustment of expression levels and genetic background required for full functionality of the introduced regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Fang
- Department Biology I, Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Emanuel Stiegeler
- Department Biology I, Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Gregory M. Cook
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Department Biology I, Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department Biology I, Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Revilla-Guarinos A, Gebhard S, Mascher T, Zúñiga M. Defence against antimicrobial peptides: different strategies inFirmicutes. Environ Microbiol 2014; 16:1225-37. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ainhoa Revilla-Guarinos
- Departamento de Biotecnología; Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA); Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC); Paterna Valencia Spain
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department Biologie I, Mikrobiologie; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Planegg-Martinsried Germany
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Department Biologie I, Mikrobiologie; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Planegg-Martinsried Germany
| | - Manuel Zúñiga
- Departamento de Biotecnología; Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA); Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC); Paterna Valencia Spain
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Radeck J, Kraft K, Bartels J, Cikovic T, Dürr F, Emenegger J, Kelterborn S, Sauer C, Fritz G, Gebhard S, Mascher T. The Bacillus BioBrick Box: generation and evaluation of essential genetic building blocks for standardized work with Bacillus subtilis. J Biol Eng 2013; 7:29. [PMID: 24295448 PMCID: PMC4177231 DOI: 10.1186/1754-1611-7-29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [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: 08/23/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Standardized and well-characterized genetic building blocks are a prerequisite for the convenient and reproducible assembly of novel genetic modules and devices. While numerous standardized parts exist for Escherichia coli, such tools are still missing for the Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis. The goal of this study was to develop and thoroughly evaluate such a genetic toolbox. RESULTS We developed five BioBrick-compatible integrative B. subtilis vectors by deleting unnecessary parts and removing forbidden restriction sites to allow cloning in BioBrick (RFC10) standard. Three empty backbone vectors with compatible resistance markers and integration sites were generated, allowing the stable chromosomal integration and combination of up to three different devices in one strain. In addition, two integrative reporter vectors, based on the lacZ and luxABCDE cassettes, were BioBrick-adjusted, to enable β-galactosidase and luciferase reporter assays, respectively. Four constitutive and two inducible promoters were thoroughly characterized by quantitative, time-resolved measurements. Together, these promoters cover a range of more than three orders of magnitude in promoter strength, thereby allowing a fine-tuned adjustment of cellular protein amounts. Finally, the Bacillus BioBrick Box also provides five widely used epitope tags (FLAG, His10, cMyc, HA, StrepII), which can be translationally fused N- or C-terminally to any protein of choice. CONCLUSION Our genetic toolbox contains three compatible empty integration vectors, two reporter vectors and a set of six promoters, two of them inducible. Furthermore, five different epitope tags offer convenient protein handling and detection. All parts adhere to the BioBrick standard and hence enable standardized work with B. subtilis. We believe that our well-documented and carefully evaluated Bacillus BioBrick Box represents a very useful genetic tool kit, not only for the iGEM competition but any other BioBrick-based project in B. subtilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jara Radeck
- Department Biology I, AG Synthetic Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Korinna Kraft
- Department Biology I, AG Synthetic Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Julia Bartels
- Department Biology I, AG Synthetic Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tamara Cikovic
- Department Biology I, AG Synthetic Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Franziska Dürr
- Department Biology I, AG Synthetic Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jennifer Emenegger
- Department Biology I, AG Synthetic Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Simon Kelterborn
- Department Biology I, AG Synthetic Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Christopher Sauer
- Department Biology I, AG Synthetic Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.,Present affiliation: Institute of Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Richardson Road, NE2 4AX Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Georg Fritz
- Department Biology I, AG Synthetic Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.,Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics, Theresienstr. 37, D-80333 München, Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department Biology I, AG Synthetic Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Thorsten Mascher
- Department Biology I, AG Synthetic Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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Ebert S, Mücke R, Mack D, Vaßen R, Stöver D, Wobst T, Gebhard S. Failure mechanisms of magnesia alumina spinel abradable coatings under thermal cyclic loading. Ann Ital Chir 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2013.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Shaaly A, Kalamorz F, Gebhard S, Cook GM. Undecaprenyl pyrophosphate phosphatase confers low-level resistance to bacitracin in Enterococcus faecalis. J Antimicrob Chemother 2013; 68:1583-93. [PMID: 23460607 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkt048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Undecaprenyl pyrophosphate phosphatases (UppPs) have been implicated in bacitracin resistance in some bacterial genera and the aim of this study was to determine the role of UppPs in mediating low-level bacitracin resistance in Enterococcus faecalis. METHODS The uppP gene was identified in the genomes of laboratory (JH2-2) and clinical (V583) strains of E. faecalis. Gene fusions (uppP-lacZ) and 5'-RACE were used to study uppP expression. The uppP gene in both strains was inactivated and mutants were studied for antimicrobial susceptibility and their susceptibilities to various stress agents. RESULTS The UppP protein from E. faecalis showed high sequence identity to the Escherichia coli BacA-type UppP and was predicted to be a hydrophobic protein with eight transmembrane helices. The expression of uppP-lacZ was constitutive and not affected by bacitracin or cell wall-active antimicrobials. E. faecalis uppP mutants showed no significant changes in growth rate, colony morphology and biofilm formation. The uppP mutants exhibited increased susceptibility to bacitracin (MICs=3-6 mg/L) relative to the isogenic wild-type (MICs=32-48 mg/L). When uppP was expressed in a wild-type background, the MIC of bacitracin increased to 128-≥256 mg/L. The MICs of cefoxitin, teicoplanin, vancomycin, gentamicin, enrofloxacin and d-cycloserine were unaltered in the uppP mutant relative to the wild-type, as were susceptibilities to other stress agents (glycine, lysozyme, NaCl, SDS, low and high pH, oxidative stress and ethanol). CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that low-level bacitracin resistance in E. faecalis is mediated by a BacA-type UppP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishath Shaaly
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the years, somatic care has become increasingly specialized. Furthermore, a rising number of patients requiring somatic care also present with a psychiatric comorbidity. As a consequence, the time and resources needed to care for these patients can interfere with the course of somatic treatment and influence the patient-caregiver relationship. In the light of these observations, the Liaison Psychiatry Unit at the University Hospital in Lausanne (CHUV) has educated its nursing staff in order to strengthen its action within the general care hospital. What has been developed is a reflexive approach through supervision of somatic staff, in order to improve the efficiency of liaison psychiatry interventions with the caregivers in charge of patients. The kind of supervision we have developed is the result of a real partnership with somatic staff. Besides, in order to better understand the complexity of interactions between the two systems involved, the patient's and the caregivers', we use several theoretical references in an integrative manner. PSYCHOANALYTICAL REFERENCE: The psychoanalytical model allows us to better understand the dynamics between the supervisor and the supervised group in order to contain and give meaning to the affects arising in the supervision space. "Containing function" and "transitional phenomena" refer to the experience in which emotions can find a space where they can be taken in and processed in a secure and supportive manner. These concepts, along with that of the "psychic envelope", were initially developed to explain the psychological development of the baby in its early interactions with its mother or its surrogate. In the field of supervision, they allow us to be aware of these complex phenomena and the diverse qualities to which a supervisor needs to resort, such as attention, support and incentive, in order to offer a secure environment. SYSTEMIC REFERENCE: A new perspective of the patient's complexity is revealed by the group's dynamics. The supervisor's attention is mainly focused on the work of affects. However, these are often buried under a defensive shell, serving as a temporary protection, which prevents the caregiver from recognizing his or her own emotions, thereby enhancing the difficulties in the relationship with the patient. Whenever the work of putting emotions into words fail, we use "sculpting", a technique derived from the systemic model. Through the use of this type of analogical language, affects can emerge without constraint or feelings of danger. Through "playing" in that "transitional space", new exchanges appear between group members and allow new behaviors to be conceived. In practice, we ask the supervisee who is presenting a complex situation, to design a spatial representation of his or her understanding of the situation, through the display of characters significant to the situation: the patient, somatic staff members, relatives of the patient, etc. In silence, the supervisee shapes the characters into postures and arranges them in the room. Each sculpted character is identified, named, and positioned, with his or her gaze being set in a specific direction. Finally the sculptor shapes him or herself in his or her own role. When the sculpture is complete and after a few moments of fixation, we ask participants to express themselves about their experience. By means of this physical representation, participants to the sculpture discover perceptions and feelings that were unknown up to then. Hence from this analogical representation a reflection and hypotheses of understanding can arise and be developed within the group. CONCLUSION Through the use of the concepts of "containing function" and "transitional space" we position ourselves in the scope of the encounter and the dialog. Through the use of the systemic technique of "sculpting" we promote the process of understanding, rather than that of explaining, which would place us in the position of experts. The experience of these encounters has shown us that what we need to focus on is indeed what happens in this transitional space in terms of dynamics and process. The encounter and the sharing of competencies both allow a new understanding of the situation at hand, which has, of course, to be verified in the reality of the patient-caregiver relationship. It is often a source of adjustment for interpersonal skills to recover its containing function in order to enable caregiver to better respond to the patient's needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Dorogi
- Service de psychiatrie de liaison, CHUV, rue du Bugnon 44, 1011 Lausanne, Suisse.
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Siggelkow W, Boehm D, Gebhard S, Battista M, Sicking I, Lebrecht A, Solbach C, Hellwig B, Rahnenführer J, Koelbl H, Gehrmann M, Marchan R, Cadenas C, Hengstler JG, Schmidt M. Expression of aurora kinase A is associated with metastasis-free survival in node-negative breast cancer patients. BMC Cancer 2012. [PMID: 23186136 PMCID: PMC3530429 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-12-562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inhibitors targeting the cell cycle-regulated aurora kinase A (AURKA) are currently being developed. Here, we examine the prognostic impact of AURKA in node-negative breast cancer patients without adjuvant systemic therapy (n = 766). METHODS AURKA was analyzed using microarray-based gene-expression data from three independent cohorts of node-negative breast cancer patients. In multivariate Cox analyses, the prognostic impact of age, histological grade, tumor size, estrogen receptor (ER), and HER2 were considered. RESULTS Patients with higher AURKA expression had a shorter metastasis-free survival (MFS) in the Mainz (HR 1.93; 95% CI 1.34 - 2.78; P < 0.001), Rotterdam (HR 1.95; 95% CI 1.45- 2.63; P<0.001) and Transbig (HR 1.52; 95% CI 1.14-2.04; P=0.005) cohorts. AURKA was also associated with MFS in the molecular subtype ER+/HER2- carcinomas (HR 2.10; 95% CI 1.70-2.59; P<0.001), but not in ER-/HER2- nor in HER2+ carcinomas. In the multivariate Cox regression adjusted to age, grade and tumor size, AURKA showed independent prognostic significance in the ER+/HER2- subtype (HR 1.73; 95% CI 1.24-2.42; P=0.001). Prognosis of patients in the highest quartile of AURKA expression was particularly poor. In addition, AURKA correlated with the proliferation metagene (R=0.880; P<0.001), showed a positive association with grade (P<0.001), tumor size (P<0.001) and HER2 (P<0.001), and was inversely associated with ER status (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS AURKA is associated with worse prognosis in estrogen receptor positive breast carcinomas. Patients with the highest AURKA expression (>75% percentile) have a particularly bad prognosis and may profit from therapy with AURKA inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wulf Siggelkow
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Diakonischen Dienste Hannover GmbH, Diakoniekrankenhaus Henriettenstiftung und Diakoniekrankenhaus Friederikenstift, Hanover, Germany
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Gebhard S. ABC transporters of antimicrobial peptides in Firmicutes bacteria - phylogeny, function and regulation. Mol Microbiol 2012; 86:1295-317. [PMID: 23106164 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a group of antibiotics that mainly target the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria. Resistance is achieved by a variety of mechanisms including target alterations, changes in the cell's surface charge, expression of immunity peptides or by dedicated ABC transporters. The latter often provide the greatest level of protection. Apart from resistance, ABC transporters are also required for the export of peptides during biosynthesis. In this review the different AMP transporters identified to date in Firmicutes bacteria were classified into five distinct groups based on their domain architecture, two groups with a role in biosynthesis, and three involved in resistance. Comparison of the available information for each group regarding function, transport mechanism and gene regulation revealed distinguishing characteristics as well as common traits. For example, a strong correlation between transporter group and mode of gene regulation was observed, with three different types of two-component systems as well as XRE family transcriptional regulators commonly associated with individual transporter groups. Furthermore, the presented summary of the state-of-the-art on AMP transport in Firmicutes bacteria, discussed in the context of transporter phylogeny, provides insights into the mechanisms of substrate translocation and how this may result in resistance against compounds that bind extracellular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Gebhard
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Department Biology I, Microbiology, Grosshaderner Str. 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
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Chen Z, Gerhold-Ay A, Gebhard S, Boehm D, Solbach C, Lebrecht A, Battista M, Sicking I, Cotarelo C, Cadenas C, Marchan R, Stewart JD, Gehrmann M, Koelbl H, Hengstler JG, Schmidt M. Immunoglobulin kappa C predicts overall survival in node-negative breast cancer. PLoS One 2012; 7:e44741. [PMID: 23028600 PMCID: PMC3461001 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2012] [Accepted: 08/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Biomarkers of the immune system are currently not used as prognostic factors in breast cancer. We analyzed the association of the B cell/plasma cell marker immunoglobulin kappa C (IGKC) and survival of untreated node-negative breast cancer patients. Material and Methods IGKC expression was evaluated by immunostaining in a cohort of 335 node-negative breast cancer patients with a median follow-up of 152 months. The prognostic significance of IGKC for disease-free survival (DFS) and breast cancer-specific overall survival (OS) was evaluated with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis as well as univariate and multivariate Cox analysis adjusted for age at diagnosis, pT stage, histological grade, estrogen receptor (ER) status, progesterone receptor (PR) status, Ki-67 and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) status. Results 160 patients (47.7%) showed strong expression of IGKC. Univariate analysis showed that IGKC was significantly associated with DFS (P = 0.017, hazard ratio [HR] = 0.570, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.360–0.903) and OS (P = 0.011, HR = 0.438, 95% CI = 0.233–0.822) in the entire cohort. The significance of IGKC was especially strong in ER negative and in luminal B carcinomas. In multivariate analysis IGKC retained its significance independent of established clinical factors for DFS (P = 0.004, HR = 0.504, 95% CI = 0.315–0.804) as well as for OS (P = 0.002, HR = 0.371, 95% CI = 0.196–0.705). Conclusion Expression of IGKC has an independent protective impact on DFS and OS in node-negative breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zonglin Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Aslihan Gerhold-Ay
- Department of Medical Biometry, Epidemiology and Informatics, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Daniel Boehm
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Christine Solbach
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Antje Lebrecht
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marco Battista
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Isabel Sicking
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Cristina Cadenas
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Dortmund University of Technology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Rosemarie Marchan
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Dortmund University of Technology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Joanna D. Stewart
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Dortmund University of Technology, Dortmund, Germany
| | | | - Heinz Koelbl
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jan G. Hengstler
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Dortmund University of Technology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Marcus Schmidt
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Schmidt M, Hellwig B, Hammad S, Othman A, Lohr M, Chen Z, Boehm D, Gebhard S, Petry I, Lebrecht A, Cadenas C, Marchan R, Stewart JD, Solbach C, Holmberg L, Edlund K, Kultima HG, Rody A, Berglund A, Lambe M, Isaksson A, Botling J, Karn T, Müller V, Gerhold-Ay A, Cotarelo C, Sebastian M, Kronenwett R, Bojar H, Lehr HA, Sahin U, Koelbl H, Gehrmann M, Micke P, Rahnenführer J, Hengstler JG. A comprehensive analysis of human gene expression profiles identifies stromal immunoglobulin κ C as a compatible prognostic marker in human solid tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2012; 18:2695-703. [PMID: 22351685 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-11-2210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Although the central role of the immune system for tumor prognosis is generally accepted, a single robust marker is not yet available. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN On the basis of receiver operating characteristic analyses, robust markers were identified from a 60-gene B cell-derived metagene and analyzed in gene expression profiles of 1,810 breast cancer; 1,056 non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC); 513 colorectal; and 426 ovarian cancer patients. Protein and RNA levels were examined in paraffin-embedded tissue of 330 breast cancer patients. The cell types were identified with immunohistochemical costaining and confocal fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS We identified immunoglobulin κ C (IGKC) which as a single marker is similarly predictive and prognostic as the entire B-cell metagene. IGKC was consistently associated with metastasis-free survival across different molecular subtypes in node-negative breast cancer (n = 965) and predicted response to anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n = 845; P < 0.001). In addition, IGKC gene expression was prognostic in NSCLC and colorectal cancer. No association was observed in ovarian cancer. IGKC protein expression was significantly associated with survival in paraffin-embedded tissues of 330 breast cancer patients. Tumor-infiltrating plasma cells were identified as the source of IGKC expression. CONCLUSION Our findings provide IGKC as a novel diagnostic marker for risk stratification in human cancer and support concepts to exploit the humoral immune response for anticancer therapy. It could be validated in several independent cohorts and carried out similarly well in RNA from fresh frozen as well as from paraffin tissue and on protein level by immunostaining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Schmidt
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Mainz, Germany.
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Schmidt M, Chen Z, Hellwig B, Böhm D, Lebrecht A, Gebhard S, Gehrmann M, Koelbl H, Hengstler JG. P1-01-13: Prognostic Impact of CD8 in Node-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancer Res 2011. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.sabcs11-p1-01-13] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) is a common feature in breast cancer. We examined the prognostic impact of CD8 positive CTL in formalin-fixed-paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in node-negative breast cancer and validated our findings in previously published cohorts using RNA expression.
Methods: CD8 was evaluated in FFPE tissue of 339 medically untreated node-negative breast cancer patients utilizing IHC. Results were validated utilizing microarray based gene-expression data of four cohorts of medically untreated node-negative breast cancer patients (n=824). Impact of CD8 on metastasis-free survival (MFS) was analyzed with univariate and multivariate Cox regression. Meta-analysis of previously published cohorts was performed using a random effects model. Prognostic significance was examined in the whole cohort and in different molecular subtypes (ER+/HER2−, ER−/HER2−, HER2). Correlation between RNA expression and IHC was analyzed according to Spearman.
Results: Immunohistochemical detection of CD8+ CTL was associated with MFS in univariate (hazard ratio [HR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.59−0.98, P=0.037) as well as in multivatiate analysis (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.46−0.81, P=0.001). Protein levels of CD8 had a good correlation with RNA expression (r=0.488). Higher RNA expression of CD8 was related to better MFS in a meta-analysis of the whole cohort (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.60−0.90, P=0.0023). However, prognostic significance was confined to ER+/HER2− (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.51−0.99, P=0.0201) and HER2+ (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.38−0.97, P=0.037) but not to ER−/HER2− molecular subtypes (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.52−1.14, P=0.1965).
Conclusion: CD8 positive CTL have independent prognostic significance in node-negative breast cancer.
Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-01-13.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Schmidt
- 1University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany; Bayer GmBH, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - Z Chen
- 1University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany; Bayer GmBH, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - B Hellwig
- 1University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany; Bayer GmBH, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - D Böhm
- 1University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany; Bayer GmBH, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - A Lebrecht
- 1University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany; Bayer GmBH, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - S Gebhard
- 1University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany; Bayer GmBH, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - M Gehrmann
- 1University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany; Bayer GmBH, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - H Koelbl
- 1University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany; Bayer GmBH, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - JG Hengstler
- 1University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany; Bayer GmBH, Leverkusen, Germany
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Schmidt M, Hellwig B, Chen Z, Hammad SK, Böhm D, Lebrecht A, Gebhard S, Gehrmann M, Hengstler JG, Kölbl H. Prognostische und prädiktive Bedeutung von Immunglobulin Kappa C beim Mammakarzinom. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 2011. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1286422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
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Battista MJ, Steetskamp J, Mantai N, Gebhard S, Cotarelo C, Victor A, Petry I, Schmidt M, Kölbl H. Immunoreactive score of Ep-CAM might predict survival in early ovarian cancer patients. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 2011. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1286464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
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Abstract
Investigations into the resistance mechanisms of Firmicutes bacteria against antimicrobial peptides have revealed unique resistance modules comprised of an unusual type of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, paired with a two-component regulatory system. In these systems, the ABC-transporter is not only involved in detoxification of the peptides, but also in their detection and resulting regulation of gene expression. The manuscript by Hiron et al. (2011) published in this issue describes an intriguing complexity of regulatory circuits and division of labour between the three paralogous modules in Staphylococcus aureus, providing important mechanistic insights and new perspectives for future investigations of these unique systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Gebhard
- Department Biology I, Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
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Schmidt M, Petry I, Boehm D, Lebrecht A, Gebhard S, Koelbl H, Gehrmann M, Hengstler JG. Disparities in the prognostic significance of proliferation amongst different molecular subtypes in node-negative breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 2011. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2011.29.15_suppl.10566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Giusti V, Gebhard S. [Anorexia: somatic assessment and management]. Rev Med Suisse 2011; 7:711-715. [PMID: 21545021] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa, which affects about 2-3% of the general population, is the psychiatric illness with the highest rate of mortality. The management is often complex, requiring multiple stakeholders on the patient's physical and psychiatric. The new specialized centre "abC" (anorexia-bulimia, Centre vaudois) was created with the objective of providing quality services to patients involved and to provide a network facilitating the interaction between physicians and specialized institutions. This is an inter-institutional and interdisciplinary collaboration born of the CHUV and the eHnv (Hospitalized Institutions in Nord Vaudois). The abC includes an outpatient pole (CHUV) and a hospital unit on the site of Saint Loup. At term, it will include a day centre (CHUV).
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Affiliation(s)
- V Giusti
- Service d'endocrinologie, diabétologie et metabolisme, Département de psychiatrie, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne.
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Gebhard S, Dorogi Y, Giusti V, Stagno D, Lanz M, Schmidt D, Chaubert CM, Laget J, Michaud PA, Stiefel F. [Anorexia and bulimia: the canton of Vaud's experience of an interdisciplinary approach]. Rev Med Suisse 2011; 7:381-384. [PMID: 21416864] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
As psychiatric disorders attacking the body, anorexia and bulimia may have severe psychological, physical and social consequences, often requiring a long-standing interdisciplinary, coordinated and individualized approach. Recently the canton of Vaud has initiated and developed an interinstitutional structure--between the University Hospital (CHUV) and the hospitals of the Northern region of the canton (eHnv)--for the care of patients suffering from eating disorders. This structure, allowing the above mentioned approach for the treatment of eating disorders, consists of an outpatient facility located in the CHUV and an inpatient unit in the hospital of Saint Loup of the eHnv. Within this structure, the general practitioner plays a crucial role in the prevention of the chronification of these disorders by means of their early detection and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Gebhard
- anorexie boulimie Centre vaudois (abC), espace CHUV Service de psychiatrie de liaison, Département de psychiatrie, Lausanne.
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Schmidt M, Petry IB, Boehm D, Gebhard S, Lebrecht A, Koelbl H, Gehrmann M, Hengstler JG. Abstract P3-10-22: Prognostic Significance of Aurora Kinase A Expression in Three Cohorts of Node-Negative Breast Cancer Patients. Cancer Res 2010. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.sabcs10-p3-10-22] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Aurora kinase A (AURKA) is important for cell cycle progression. Inhibitors that target AURKA are currently in clinical development. We examined the prognostic impact of AURKA in three cohorts of node-negative breast cancer patients without adjuvant systemic therapy (n=766).
Methods: AURKA (probe set ID 204092_s_at) was analysed utilizing microarray based gene-expression data of three independent and previously published cohorts of node-negative breast cancer patients (Mainz, Rotterdam, TRANSBIG). In addition to AURKA, we examined the prognostic impact of age, histological grade, tumor size, estrogen receptor (ER) and HER2. Metastasis-free survival (MFS) was analyzed with univariate and multivariate Cox regression.
Results: AURKA displayed a strong positive correlation with grade (P<0.001), tumor size (P<0.001), HER2 (P<0.001), and a negative correlation with ER (P<0.001), respectively. Patients with higher expression of IGKC showed shorter MFS in the Mainz cohort (HR 1.629, 95% CI 1.243-2.134, P<0.001), Rotterdam cohort (HR 1.567, 95% CI 1.271-1.933, P<0.001), and TRANSBIG cohort (HR 1.331, 95% CI 1.081-1.640, p=0.007), respectively. Accordingly, AURKA was significant in univariate analysis in the whole cohort of patients (HR 1.523, 95% CI 1.343-1.726, P<0.001). Using multivariate Cox regression, only tumor size retained its independent prognostic significance (HR 1.818, 95% CI 1.196-2.765, p=0.005). AURKA (HR 1.221, 95% CI 0.987-1.511, p=0.065) and histological grade (HR 1.551, 95% CI 0.955-2.520, p=0.076) showed only borderline significance for MFS.
Conclusion: AURKA has prognostic relevance in three independent cohorts of node-negative breast cancer patients making it a suitable target for therapy with Aurora kinase inhibitors.
Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-10-22.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Schmidt
- University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Siemens, Cologne, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - IB Petry
- University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Siemens, Cologne, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - D Boehm
- University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Siemens, Cologne, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - S Gebhard
- University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Siemens, Cologne, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - A Lebrecht
- University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Siemens, Cologne, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - H Koelbl
- University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Siemens, Cologne, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - M Gehrmann
- University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Siemens, Cologne, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - JG Hengstler
- University Hospital, Mainz, Germany; Siemens, Cologne, Germany; Technical University, Dortmund, Germany
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Schmidt M, Petry IB, Böhm D, Lebrecht A, von Törne C, Gebhard S, Gerhold-Ay A, Cotarelo C, Battista M, Schormann W, Freis E, Selinski S, Ickstadt K, Rahnenführer J, Sebastian M, Schuler M, Koelbl H, Gehrmann M, Hengstler JG. Ep-CAM RNA expression predicts metastasis-free survival in three cohorts of untreated node-negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2010; 125:637-46. [PMID: 20352488 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-010-0856-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2009] [Accepted: 03/16/2010] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (Ep-CAM) recently received increased attention as a prognostic factor in breast cancer. We aimed to validate the influence of Ep-CAM RNA expression in untreated node-negative breast cancer. Ep-CAM RNA expression was evaluated utilizing microarray-based gene-expression profiling in 194 consecutive node-negative breast cancer patients with long-term follow-up not treated in the adjuvant setting. The prognostic significance of Ep-CAM RNA expression for disease-free survival (DFS), metastasis-free survival (MFS), and breast cancer-specific overall survival (OS) was evaluated in univariate and multivariate analysis adjusted for age, grading, pTstage, ER as well as PR receptor and HER-2 status. Additionally, Ep-CAM RNA expression was compared with immunohistochemistry (IHC) for Ep-CAM in 194 patients. The prognostic impact of Ep-CAM gene expression was validated in further 588 node-negative breast cancer patients. Levels of Ep-CAM RNA expression showed a significant correlation with IHC (P = 0.001) and predicted in univariate analysis DFS (P = 0.001, HR = 2.4), MFS (P = 0.003, HR = 2.5), and OS (P = 0.002, HR = 3.1) accurately. The prognostic influence of Ep-CAM RNA was significant also in multivariate analysis for DFS (P = 0.017, HR = 2.0), MFS (P = 0.049, HR = 1.9), and OS (P = 0.042, HR = 2.3), respectively. The association with MFS was confirmed in an independent validation cohort in univariate (P = 0.006, HR = 1.9) and multivariate (P = 0.035, HR = 1.7) analysis. Ep-CAM RNA correlated with the proliferation metagene (P < 0.001, R=0.425) Nevertheless, in multivariate analysis, Ep-CAM was associated with MFS independent from the proliferation metagene (P = 0.030, HR = 1.8). In conclusion, Ep-CAM RNA expression is associated with poor MFS in three cohorts of untreated node-negative breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Schmidt
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
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Blumstein C, Schmuecking M, Gebhard S, Perner S, Kurzeder C, Reske S, Aebersold D, Blumstein N. 67 poster: 18F-FDG PET/CT as a Selection Tool for Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) in Patients with Recurrent or Residual Ovarian Cancer. Radiother Oncol 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8140(15)34486-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Petry IB, Fieber E, Schmidt M, Gehrmann M, Gebhard S, Hermes M, Schormann W, Selinski S, Freis E, Schwender H, Brulport M, Ickstadt K, Rahnenführer J, Maccoux L, West J, Kölbl H, Schuler M, Hengstler JG. ERBB2 Induces an Antiapoptotic Expression Pattern of Bcl-2 Family Members in Node-Negative Breast Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2010; 16:451-60. [PMID: 20068093 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-09-1617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ilka Brigitte Petry
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
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Gebhard S, Ekanayaka N, Cook GM. The low-affinity phosphate transporter PitA is dispensable for in vitro growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis. BMC Microbiol 2009; 9:254. [PMID: 20003273 PMCID: PMC2797804 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-9-254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 05/18/2009] [Accepted: 12/10/2009] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mycobacteria have been shown to contain an apparent redundancy of high-affinity phosphate uptake systems, with two to four copies of such systems encoded in all mycobacterial genomes sequenced to date. In addition, all mycobacteria also contain at least one gene encoding the low-affinity phosphate transporter, Pit. No information is available on a Pit system from a Gram-positive microorganism, and the importance of this system in a background of multiple other phosphate transporters is unclear. Results The aim of this study was to determine the physiological role of the PitA phosphate transporter in Mycobacterium smegmatis. Expression of pitA was found to be constitutive under a variety of growth conditions. An unmarked deletion mutant in pitA of M. smegmatis was created. The deletion did not affect in vitro growth or phosphate uptake of M. smegmatis. Expression of the high-affinity transporters, PstSCAB and PhnDCE, was increased in the pitA deletion strain. Conclusion PitA is the only low-affinity phosphate transport system annotated in the genome of M. smegmatis. The lack of phenotype of the pitA deletion strain shows that this system is dispensable for in vitro growth of this organism. However, increased expression of the remaining phosphate transporters in the mutant indicates a compensatory mechanism and implies that PitA is indeed used for the uptake of phosphate in M. smegmatis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a prototrophic, metabolically flexible bacterium that has achieved a spread in the human population that is unmatched by any other bacterial pathogen. The success of M. tuberculosis as a pathogen can be attributed to its extraordinary stealth and capacity to adapt to environmental changes throughout the course of infection. These changes include: nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, various exogenous stress conditions and, in the case of the pathogenic species, the intraphagosomal environment. Knowledge of the physiology of M. tuberculosis during this process has been limited by the slow growth of the bacterium in the laboratory and other technical problems such as cell aggregation. Advances in genomics and molecular methods to analyze the M. tuberculosis genome have revealed that adaptive changes are mediated by complex regulatory networks and signals, resulting in temporal gene expression coupled to metabolic and energetic changes. An important goal for bacterial physiologists will be to elucidate the physiology of M. tuberculosis during the transition between the diverse conditions encountered by M. tuberculosis. This review covers the growth of the mycobacterial cell and how environmental stimuli are sensed by this bacterium. Adaptation to different environments is described from the viewpoint of nutrient acquisition, energy generation, and regulation. To gain quantitative understanding of mycobacterial physiology will require a systems biology approach and recent efforts in this area are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M Cook
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Petry IB, Fieber E, Schmidt M, Gehrmann M, Gebhard S, Kölbl H, Schuler M, Hengstler JG. HER-2/neu induziert ein anti-apoptotisches Expressionsmuster von Bcl-2 Familienmitgliedern in nodal negativen Mammakarzinomen. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 2009. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1238998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Schmidt M, Petry IB, Böhm D, Lebrecht A, Gebhard S, Hengstler J, Gehrmann M, Kölbl H. Einfluss von Immunglobulin Kappa C auf das metastasenfreie Überleben beim adjuvant unbehandelten nodal-negativen Mammakarzinom. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 2009. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1239015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Abstract
Few membrane proteins with a role in transcriptional regulation have been studied, and none are able to perceive their respective stimuli and activate transcription of their regulons without the aid of auxiliary proteins. The bacitracin resistance regulator, BcrR, of Enterococcus faecalis is a membrane-bound DNA binding protein and is required for bacitracin-dependent expression of the bacitracin resistance genes, bcrABD. Here, we show that BcrR interacts directly with Zn2+ bacitracin (Kd = 2-5 micropM), but not metal-free bacitracin. A solution-based DNA binding assay demonstrated that the affinity of BcrR for its target DNA is much higher (Kd = 40 nM) than previously found for transmembrane regulators and is comparable to that of soluble DNA binding proteins. A construct of BcrR that lacked the transmembrane domain was unable to bind to DNA, indicating that membrane localization was important for DNA binding. Bacitracin did not cause a change in the DNaseI footprint of BcrR on the bcrA promoter, but in vitro transcription assays with BcrR proteoliposomes showed bacitracin-dependent activation of transcription. These findings demonstrate that BcrR is a bona fide one-component transmembrane signal transduction system, which perceives an extracellular stimulus (presence of bacitracin) and relays it to an intracellular transcriptional response independent of any auxiliary proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Gebhard
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
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