1
|
Zhang C, Datta S, Ratcliff WC, Hammer BK. Constitutive expression of the Type VI Secretion System carries no measurable fitness cost in Vibrio cholerae. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11081. [PMID: 38435022 PMCID: PMC10905242 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11081] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) is a widespread and highly effective mechanism of microbial warfare; it confers the ability to efficiently kill susceptible cells within close proximity. Due to its large physical size, complexity, and ballistic basis for intoxication, it has widely been assumed to incur significant growth costs in the absence of improved competitive outcomes. In this study, we precisely examine the fitness costs of constitutive T6SS firing in the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. We find that, contrary to expectations, constitutive expression of the T6SS has a negligible impact on growth, reducing growth fitness by 0.025 ± 0.5% (95% CI) relative to a T6SS- control. Mathematical modeling of microbial populations demonstrates that, due to clonal interference, constitutive expression of the T6SS will often be neutral, with little impact on evolutionary outcomes. Our findings underscore the importance of precisely measuring the fitness costs of microbial social behaviors and help explain the prevalence of the T6SS across Gram-negative bacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Zhang
- School of Biological SciencesGeorgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative BiosciencesGeorgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Sayantan Datta
- School of Biological SciencesGeorgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative BiosciencesGeorgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - William C. Ratcliff
- School of Biological SciencesGeorgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Brian K. Hammer
- School of Biological SciencesGeorgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Alcoforado Diniz J, Earl C, Hernandez RE, Hollmann B, Coulthurst SJ. Quantitative Determination of Antibacterial Activity During Bacterial Coculture. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2715:593-600. [PMID: 37930554 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3445-5_37] [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: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Antibacterial activity assays are an important tool in the assessment of the ability of one bacterium to kill or inhibit the growth of another, for example, during the study of the Type VI secretion system (T6SS) and the antibacterial toxins it secretes. The method we describe here can detect the ability of a bacterial strain to kill or inhibit other bacterial cells in a contact-dependent manner when cocultured on an agar surface. It is particularly useful since it enumerates the recovery of viable target cells and thus enables quantification of the antibacterial activity. We provide a detailed description of how to measure the T6SS-dependent antibacterial activity of a bacterium such as Serratia marcescens against a competitor prokaryotic organism, Escherichia coli, and describe possible variations in the method to allow adaptation to other attacker and target organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher Earl
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Ruth E Hernandez
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Birte Hollmann
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Sarah J Coulthurst
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang Y, Ling N, Jiao R, Zhang X, Ren Y, Li H, Zhao W, Wu Q, Ye Y. Transcriptomic analysis reveals novel desiccation tolerance mechanism of Cronobacter based on type VI secretion system inhibition. Food Res Int 2023; 172:113143. [PMID: 37689845 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Cronobacter malonaticus (C. malonaticus) is a food-borne pathogen inducing severe infections both in infants and adults, and it could survive in dry powdered infant formula (PIF) for a long time, implying its strong tolerance to desiccation. However, the thorough molecular mechanism of resistance to desiccation remains elusive. When C. malonaticus was exposed to desiccation conditions (7, 15, and 30 d), transcriptomic analysis provided a universal adaptation strategy to withstand desiccation with the increased compatible solutes accumulation, activated stress resistance-related regulators, suppressed protein export and bacterial secretion system, and reduced other unessential survival functions including adhesion, invasion, virulence, and flagellar motility. Importantly, type VI secretion system (T6SS) genes exhibited significantly downregulated expressions, as well as markedly increased survival and viability of their mutants after desiccation treatment, revealing the negative regulation of T6SS in desiccation tolerance. Meanwhile, the decreased expressions of T6SS structure genes in other six species further confirmed the vital role of T6SS in desiccation tolerance of Cronobacter spp. Thus, our studies present a novel hypothesis of desiccation resistance in Cronobacter based on type VI secretion system inhibition, causing the reduction of macromolecule secretion such as effectors and hyperosmolality development within the cytomembrane, which allow Cronobacter to survive in desiccation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China
| | - Na Ling
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China
| | - Rui Jiao
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China
| | - Xiyan Zhang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China
| | - Yuwei Ren
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China
| | - Hui Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China
| | - Wenhua Zhao
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China
| | - Qingping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingwang Ye
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang J, Guan J, Wang M, Li G, Djordjevic M, Tai C, Wang H, Deng Z, Chen Z, Ou HY. SecReT6 update: a comprehensive resource of bacterial Type VI Secretion Systems. Sci China Life Sci 2023; 66:626-634. [PMID: 36346548 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2172-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) plays significant roles in microbial activities via injecting effectors into adjacent cells or environments. T6SS increasingly gained attention due to its important influence on pathogenesis, microbial competition, etc. T6SS-associated research is explosively expanding on numerous grounds that call for an efficient resource. The SecReT6 version 3 provides comprehensive information on T6SS and the interactions between T6SS and T6SS-related proteins such as T6SS regulators and T6SS effectors. To assist T6SS researches like microbial competition and regulatory mechanisms, SecReT6 v3 developed online tools for detection and analysis of T6SS and T6SS-related proteins and estimation of T6SS-dependent killing risk. We have identified a novel T6SS regulator and T6SS-dependent killing capacity in Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates with the aid of SecReT6 v3. 17,212 T6SSs and plentiful T6SS-related proteins in 26,573 bacterial complete genomes were also detected, analyzed and incorporated into the database. The database is freely available at https://bioinfo-mml.sjtu.edu.cn/SecReT6/ .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Shanghai-Islamabad-Belgrade Joint Innovation Center on Antibacterial Resistances, Joint International Laboratory on Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
- Intensive Care Unit, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Jiahao Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Shanghai-Islamabad-Belgrade Joint Innovation Center on Antibacterial Resistances, Joint International Laboratory on Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Meng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Shanghai-Islamabad-Belgrade Joint Innovation Center on Antibacterial Resistances, Joint International Laboratory on Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jinshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201500, China
| | - Marko Djordjevic
- Quantitative Biology Group, Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
| | - Cui Tai
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Shanghai-Islamabad-Belgrade Joint Innovation Center on Antibacterial Resistances, Joint International Laboratory on Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Zixin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Shanghai-Islamabad-Belgrade Joint Innovation Center on Antibacterial Resistances, Joint International Laboratory on Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zhaoyan Chen
- Intensive Care Unit, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China.
| | - Hong-Yu Ou
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Shanghai-Islamabad-Belgrade Joint Innovation Center on Antibacterial Resistances, Joint International Laboratory on Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Qu J, Cai Z, Duan X, Zhang H, Cheng H, Han S, Yu K, Jiang Z, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Bai F, Liu Y, Liu L, Yang L. Pseudomonas aeruginosa modulates alginate biosynthesis and type VI secretion system in two critically ill COVID-19 patients. Cell Biosci 2022; 12:14. [PMID: 35139898 PMCID: PMC8827185 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-022-00748-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19 pneumonia has caused huge impact on the health of infected patients and associated with high morbidity and mortality. Shift in the lung microbial ecology upon such viral infection often worsens the disease and increases host susceptibility to superinfections. Bacterial superinfection contributes to the aggravation of COVID-19 and poses a great challenge to clinical treatments. An in-depth investigation on superinfecting bacteria in COVID-19 patients might facilitate understanding of lung microenvironment post virus infections and superinfection mechanism. Results We analyzed the adaptation of two pairs of P. aeruginosa strains with the same MLST type isolated from two critical COVID-19 patients by combining sequencing analysis and phenotypic assays. Both P. aeruginosa strains were found to turn on alginate biosynthesis and attenuate type VI secretion system (T6SS) during short-term colonization in the COVID-19 patients, which results in excessive biofilm formation and virulence reduction-two distinct markers for chronic infections. The macrophage cytotoxicity test and intracellular reactive oxygen species measurement confirmed that the adapted P. aeruginosa strains reduced their virulence towards host cells and are better to escape from host immune clearance than their ancestors. Conclusion Our study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection can create a lung environment that allow rapid adaptive evolution of bacterial pathogens with genetic traits suitable for chronic infections. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13578-022-00748-z.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiuxin Qu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases (Tuberculosis), National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhao Cai
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xiangke Duan
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Han Zhang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hang Cheng
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Shuhong Han
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Kaiwei Yu
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhaofang Jiang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases (Tuberculosis), National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China
| | - Yingdan Zhang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Medical Research Center, Southern University of Science and Technology Hospital, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Fang Bai
- School of Biological Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yingxia Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases (Tuberculosis), National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Immunity, State Key Discipline of Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518112, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases (Tuberculosis), National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China. .,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Immunity, State Key Discipline of Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518112, China.
| | - Liang Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases (Tuberculosis), National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China. .,School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China. .,Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Robinson L, Liaw J, Omole Z, Xia D, van Vliet AHM, Corcionivoschi N, Hachani A, Gundogdu O. Corrigendum: Bioinformatic Analysis of the Campylobacter jejuni Type VI Secretion System and Effector Prediction. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:793252. [PMID: 34867930 PMCID: PMC8637873 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.793252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Robinson
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Janie Liaw
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zahra Omole
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dong Xia
- Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arnoud H M van Vliet
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolae Corcionivoschi
- Bacteriology Branch, Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, United Kingdom.,Bioengineering of Animal Science Resources, Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine - King Michael the I of Romania, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Abderrahman Hachani
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ozan Gundogdu
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Robinson L, Liaw J, Omole Z, Xia D, van Vliet AHM, Corcionivoschi N, Hachani A, Gundogdu O. Bioinformatic Analysis of the Campylobacter jejuni Type VI Secretion System and Effector Prediction. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:694824. [PMID: 34276628 PMCID: PMC8285248 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.694824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) has important roles relating to bacterial antagonism, subversion of host cells, and niche colonisation. Campylobacter jejuni is one of the leading bacterial causes of human gastroenteritis worldwide and is a commensal coloniser of birds. Although recently discovered, the T6SS biological functions and identities of its effectors are still poorly defined in C. jejuni. Here, we perform a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of the C. jejuni T6SS by investigating the prevalence and genetic architecture of the T6SS in 513 publicly available genomes using C. jejuni 488 strain as reference. A unique and conserved T6SS cluster associated with the Campylobacter jejuni Integrated Element 3 (CJIE3) was identified in the genomes of 117 strains. Analyses of the T6SS-positive 488 strain against the T6SS-negative C. jejuni RM1221 strain and the T6SS-positive plasmid pCJDM202 carried by C. jejuni WP2-202 strain defined the “T6SS-containing CJIE3” as a pathogenicity island, thus renamed as Campylobacter jejuni Pathogenicity Island-1 (CJPI-1). Analysis of CJPI-1 revealed two canonical VgrG homologues, CJ488_0978 and CJ488_0998, harbouring distinct C-termini in a genetically variable region downstream of the T6SS operon. CJPI-1 was also found to carry a putative DinJ-YafQ Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) module, conserved across pCJDM202 and the genomic island CJIE3, as well as several open reading frames functionally predicted to encode for nucleases, lipases, and peptidoglycan hydrolases. This comprehensive in silico study provides a framework for experimental characterisation of T6SS-related effectors and TA modules in C. jejuni.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Robinson
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Janie Liaw
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zahra Omole
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dong Xia
- Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arnoud H M van Vliet
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolae Corcionivoschi
- Bacteriology Branch, Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, United Kingdom.,Bioengineering of Animal Science Resources, Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine - King Michael the I of Romania, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Abderrahman Hachani
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ozan Gundogdu
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the diarrheal disease cholera, is a microbe capable of inhabiting two different ecosystems: chitinous surfaces in brackish, estuarine waters and the epithelial lining of the human gastrointestinal tract. V. cholerae defends against competitive microorganisms with a contact-dependent, contractile killing machine called the type VI secretion system (T6SS) in each of these niches. The T6SS resembles an inverted T4 bacteriophage tail and is used to deliver toxic effector proteins into neighboring cells. Pandemic strains of V. cholerae encode a unique set of T6SS effector proteins, which may play a role in pathogenesis or pandemic spread. In our recent study (Santoriello et al. (2020), Nat Commun, doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-20012-7), using genomic and molecular biology tools, we demonstrated that the T6SS island Auxiliary Cluster 3 (Aux3) is unique to pandemic strains of V. cholerae. We went on to show that Aux3 is related to a phage-like element circulating in environmental V. cholerae strains and that two genetic domestication events formed the pandemic Aux3 cluster during the evolution of the pandemic clone. Our findings support two main conclusions: (1) Aux3 evolution from phage-like element to T6SS cluster offers a snapshot of phage domestication in early T6SS evolution and (2) chromosomal maintenance of Aux3 was advantageous to the common ancestor of V. cholerae pandemic strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francis J Santoriello
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045.,Department of Biology, The City College of New York, 160 Convent Ave, New York, NY 10031
| | - Stefan Pukatzki
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045.,Department of Biology, The City College of New York, 160 Convent Ave, New York, NY 10031
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Moriel B, de Campos Prediger K, de Souza EM, Pedrosa FO, Fadel-Picheth CMT, Cruz LM. In silico comparative analysis of Aeromonas Type VI Secretion System. Braz J Microbiol 2021; 52:229-243. [PMID: 33410103 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-020-00405-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Aeromonas are bacteria broadly spread in the environment, particularly in aquatic habitats and can induce human infections. Several virulence factors have been described associated with bacterial pathogenicity, such as the Type VI Secretion System (T6SS). This system translocates effector proteins into target cells through a bacteriophage-like contractile structure encoded by tss genes. Here, a total of 446 Aeromonas genome sequences were screened for T6SS and the proteins subjected to in silico analysis. The T6SS-encoding locus was detected in 243 genomes and its genes are encoded in a cluster containing 13 core and 5 accessory genes, in highly conserved synteny. The amino acid residues identity of T6SS proteins ranges from 78 to 98.8%. In most strains, a pair of tssD and tssI is located upstream the cluster (tssD-2, tssI-2) and another pair was detected distant from the cluster (tssD-1, tssI-1). Significant variability was seen in TssI (VgrG) C-terminal region, which was sorted in four groups based on its sequence length and protein domains. TssI containing ADP-ribosyltransferase domain are associated exclusively with TssI-1, while genes coding proteins carrying DUF4123 (a conserved domain of unknown function) were observed downstream tssI-1 or tssI-2 and escort of possible effector proteins. Genes coding proteins containing DUF1910 and DUF1911 domains were located only downstream tssI-2 and might represent a pair of toxin/immunity proteins. Nearly all strains display downstream tssI-3, that codes for a lysozyme family domain protein. These data reveal that Aeromonas T6SS cluster synteny is conserved and the low identity observed for some genes might be due to species heterogeneity or its niche/functionality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Moriel
- Department of Clinical Analysis, Setor de Ciências da Saúde, Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | - Emanuel M de Souza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Fábio O Pedrosa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Leonardo M Cruz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
González-Magaña A, Sainz-Polo MÁ, Pretre G, Çapuni R, Lucas M, Altuna J, Montánchez I, Fucini P, Albesa-Jové D. Structural insights into Pseudomonas aeruginosaType six secretion system exported effector 8. J Struct Biol 2020; 212:107651. [PMID: 33096229 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2020.107651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent reports indicate that the Type six secretion system exported effector 8 (Tse8) is a cytoactive effector secreted by the Type VI secretion system (T6SS) of the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The T6SS is a nanomachine that assembles inside of the bacteria and injects effectors/toxins into target cells, providing a fitness advantage over competing bacteria and facilitating host colonisation. Here we present the first crystal structure of Tse8 revealing that it conserves the architecture of the catalytic triad Lys84-transSer162-Ser186 that characterises members of the Amidase Signature superfamily. Furthermore, using binding affinity experiments, we show that the interaction of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) to Tse8 is dependent on the putative catalytic residue Ser186, providing support for its nucleophilic reactivity. This work thus demonstrates that Tse8 belongs to the Amidase Signature (AS) superfamily. Furthermore, it highlights Tse8 similarity to two family members: the Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Peptide Amidase and the Glutamyl-tRNAGln amidotransferase subunit A from Staphylococcus aureus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amaia González-Magaña
- Instituto Biofisika (UPV/EHU, CSIC), Fundación Biofísica Bizkaia/Biofisika Bizkaia Fundazioa (FBB) and Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - M Ángela Sainz-Polo
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Gabriela Pretre
- Instituto Biofisika (UPV/EHU, CSIC), Fundación Biofísica Bizkaia/Biofisika Bizkaia Fundazioa (FBB) and Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Retina Çapuni
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - María Lucas
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria. Santander, 39011 Cantabria, Spain
| | - Jon Altuna
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Itxaso Montánchez
- Departamento de Inmunología, Microbiología y Parasitología, University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Paola Fucini
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| | - David Albesa-Jové
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain; Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
The bacterial type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a supra-molecular complex akin to bacteriophage tails, with VgrG proteins acting as a puncturing device. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa H1-T6SS has been extensively characterized. It is involved in bacterial killing and in the delivery of three toxins, Tse1–3. Here, we demonstrate the independent contribution of the three H1-T6SS co-regulated vgrG genes, vgrG1abc, to bacterial killing. A putative toxin is encoded in the vicinity of each vgrG gene, supporting the concept of specific VgrG/toxin couples. In this respect, VgrG1c is involved in the delivery of an Rhs protein, RhsP1. The RhsP1 C terminus carries a toxic activity, from which the producing bacterium is protected by a cognate immunity. Similarly, VgrG1a-dependent toxicity is associated with the PA0093 gene encoding a two-domain protein with a putative toxin domain (Toxin_61) at the C terminus. Finally, VgrG1b-dependent killing is detectable upon complementation of a triple vgrG1abc mutant. The VgrG1b-dependent killing is mediated by PA0099, which presents the characteristics of the superfamily nuclease 2 toxin members. Overall, these data develop the concept that VgrGs are indispensable components for the specific delivery of effectors. Several additional vgrG genes are encoded on the P. aeruginosa genome and are not linked genetically to other T6SS genes. A closer inspection of these clusters reveals that they also encode putative toxins. Overall, these associations further support the notion of an original form of secretion system, in which VgrG acts as the carrier.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abderrahman Hachani
- From the MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Luke P Allsopp
- From the MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Yewande Oduko
- From the MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Alain Filloux
- From the MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Li L, Zhang W, Liu Q, Gao Y, Gao Y, Wang Y, Wang DZ, Li Z, Wang T. Structural Insights on the bacteriolytic and self-protection mechanism of muramidase effector Tse3 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:30607-30613. [PMID: 24025333 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.c113.506097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [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: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The warfare among microbial species as well as between pathogens and hosts is fierce, complicated, and continuous. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the muramidase effector Tse3 (Type VI secretion exported 3) can be injected into the periplasm of neighboring bacterial competitors by a Type VI secretion apparatus, eventually leading to cell lysis and death. However, P. aeruginosa protects itself from lysis by expressing immune protein Tsi3 (Type six secretion immunity 3). Here, we report the crystal structure of the Tse3-Tsi3 complex at 1.8 Å resolution, revealing that Tse3 possesses one open accessible, goose-type lysozyme-like domain with peptidoglycan hydrolysis activity. Calcium ions bind specifically in the Tse3 active site and are identified to be crucial for its bacteriolytic activity. In combination with biochemical studies, the structural basis of self-protection mechanism of Tsi3 is also elucidated, thus providing an understanding and new insights into the effectors of Type VI secretion system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lianbo Li
- From the Laboratory for Computational Chemistry and Drug Design and
| | - Weili Zhang
- From the Laboratory for Computational Chemistry and Drug Design and
| | - Qisong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology & Biotechnology, Peking University, Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yu Gao
- From the Laboratory for Computational Chemistry and Drug Design and
| | - Ying Gao
- From the Laboratory for Computational Chemistry and Drug Design and
| | - Yun Wang
- From the Laboratory for Computational Chemistry and Drug Design and
| | - David Zhigang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology & Biotechnology, Peking University, Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Zigang Li
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology & Biotechnology, Peking University, Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Tao Wang
- From the Laboratory for Computational Chemistry and Drug Design and.
| |
Collapse
|