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Wiechmann A, Garcia V, Elton L, Williams P, Atkinson S. Reciprocal regulation of NagC and quorum sensing systems and their roles in hmsHFRS expression and biofilm formation in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Microbiology (Reading) 2023; 169:001397. [PMID: 37815525 PMCID: PMC10634360 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001397] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Biofilm formation by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is regulated by quorum sensing (QS) and dependent on the haemin storage locus hms , required for the extracellular polysaccharide poly-N -acetylglucosamine (poly-GlcNAc) production. In Escherichia coli NagC regulates both GlcNAc biosynthesis and metabolism with GlcNAc acting as a signal that co-ordinates these and other activities. However, the contribution of NagC and GlcNAc to biofilm development in Y. pseudotuberculosis is not known. Here we show that a Y. pseudotuberculosis nagC mutant is impaired for biofilm production on abiotic (glass) and biotic (Caenorhabitis elegans ) surfaces. Genetic complementation restored poly-GlcNAc production and biofilm formation on C. elegans . Using lux -based promoter fusions, hmsHFRS expression was found to be nagC dependent. Given that NagC and QS both regulate aggregation and biofilm formation, we investigated their regulatory relationship using lux -based promoter fusions. These revealed that (i) nagC is negatively autoregulated, but expression can be partially restored in the nagC mutant by exogenous GlcNAc, (ii) NagC negatively regulates the ytbI and ypsI QS genes and (iii) nagC expression is reduced in the ytbI , ypsI and ypsR mutants but not the ytbR mutant. These data establish the existence of a reciprocal regulatory relationship between NagC and QS, which in the case of the luxRI pair ytbRI , is also GlcNAc-dependent. NagC and GlcNAc are therefore components of a regulatory system involving QS that modulates biofilm formation and aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Wiechmann
- Biodiscovery Institute, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Vanina Garcia
- Biodiscovery Institute, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Linzy Elton
- Biodiscovery Institute, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
- Present address: Division of Infection and Immunity, University College, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Paul Williams
- Biodiscovery Institute, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Steve Atkinson
- Biodiscovery Institute, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
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2
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Kateb L, El-Jayousi S, Al-Hussaini M. An Overview of King Hussein Cancer Center Institutional Review Board Over 12 Years (2009-2020), Successes and Challenges, Including Those Imposed by the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Empir Res Hum Res Ethics 2021; 17:94-101. [PMID: 34806921 DOI: 10.1177/15562646211053234] [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] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The problem: Running an efficient institutional review board (IRB) can be challenging. The research subjects: To ensure an efficient committee, our IRB adopted several operational metrics. Methods: Analysis of retrospective data from the IRB records, database, and annual reports over 12 years. Results: The IRB roster comprises 11 members. The average medical to nonmedical member ratio is 5:6, and the male to female ratio is 4:7, which has not been consistent over the years. One thousand three hundred and twenty-four proposals were reviewed including 1077 exempt (81.3%), 126 expedited (9.5%), and 121 full board (9.2%) with a median turnaround time to approval of 4.0, 35.0, and 68.0 days, respectively. Training of the IRB members was conducted to enhance their knowledge and skills. IRB at King Hussein Cancer Center has managed to stay abreast and efficient during the COVID-19 pandemic, by working remotely. Conclusion: Running an efficient IRB mandates implementing a number of operational metrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Kateb
- Human Research Protection Program, 37559King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan
| | - Sawsan El-Jayousi
- Human Research Protection Program, 37559King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan
| | - Maysa Al-Hussaini
- Human Research Protection Program, 37559King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 37559King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan
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3
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Hossain MA, German NA. Update on modulators of quorum sensing pathways in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. Curr Top Med Chem 2021; 21:2101-2108. [PMID: 34561982 DOI: 10.2174/1568026621666210924160004] [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: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Modulators of quorum sensing pathways in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) gain attention due to the potential therapeutic applications. These chemical agents are viewed as anti-virulence agents capable of increasing the existing therapeutic agents; efficacy against resistant clinical strains. Additionally, they can be utilized in developing anticancer therapeutics, whole-cell biosensors, and artificial biological systems. In this mini-review, we summarize recent (2020-2021)publications on PA's QS modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Anwar Hossain
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Nadezhda A German
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX, United States
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Patel K, Rodriguez C, Stabb EV, Hagen SJ. Wavelike propagation of quorum activation through a spatially distributed bacterial population under natural regulation. Phys Biol 2021; 18. [PMID: 34114973 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ac02ac] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Many bacteria communicate using diffusible pheromone signals known as autoinducers. When the autoinducer concentration reaches a threshold, which requires a minimum population density or 'quorum', the bacteria activate specific gene regulatory pathways. Simple diffusion of autoinducer can activate quorum-dependent pathways in cells that are located at substantial distances from the secreting source. However, modeling has predicted that autoinducer diffusion, coupled with positive feedback regulation in autoinducer synthesis, could also allow a quorum-regulated behavior to spread more rapidly through a population by moving as a self-sustaining front at constant speed. Here we show that such propagation can occur in a population of bacteria whose quorum pathway operates under its own natural regulation. We find that in unstirred populations ofVibrio fischeri, introduction of autoinducer at one location triggers a wavelike traveling front of natural bioluminescence. The front moves with a well-defined speed ∼2.5 mm h-1, eventually outrunning the slower diffusional spreading of the initial stimulus. Consistent with predictions from modeling, the wave travels until late in growth, when population-wide activation occurs due to basal autoinducer production. Subsequent rounds of waves, including waves propagating in the reverse direction, can also be observed late in the growth ofV.fischeriunder natural regulation. Using an engineered,lac-dependent strain, we show that local stimuli other than autoinducers can also elicit a self-sustaining, propagating response. Our data show that the wavelike dynamics predicted by simple mathematical models of quorum signaling are readily detected in bacterial populations functioning under their own natural regulation, and that other, more complex traveling phenomena are also present. Because a traveling wave can substantially increase the efficiency of intercellular communication over macroscopic distances, our data indicate that very efficient modes of communication over distance are available to unmixed populations ofV.fischeriand other microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keval Patel
- Physics Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8440, United States of America
| | - Coralis Rodriguez
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States of America
| | - Eric V Stabb
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States of America.,Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607, United States of America
| | - Stephen J Hagen
- Physics Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8440, United States of America
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DiBiasio EC, Ranson HJ, Johnson JR, Rowley DC, Cohen PS, Camberg JL. Peptidoglycan Sensing Prevents Quiescence and Promotes Quorum-Independent Colony Growth of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:e00157-20. [PMID: 32778561 DOI: 10.1128/JB.00157-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the leading cause of human urinary tract infections (UTIs), and many patients experience recurrent infection after successful antibiotic treatment. The source of recurrent infections may be persistent bacterial reservoirs in vivo that are in a quiescent state and thus are not susceptible to antibiotics. Here, we show that multiple UPEC strains require a quorum to proliferate in vitro with glucose as the carbon source. At low cell density, the bacteria remain viable but enter a quiescent, nonproliferative state. Of the clinical UPEC isolates tested to date, 35% (51/145) enter this quiescent state, including isolates from the recently emerged, multidrug-resistant pandemic lineage ST131 (i.e., strain JJ1886) and isolates from the classic endemic lineage ST73 (i.e., strain CFT073). Moreover, quorum-dependent UPEC quiescence is prevented and reversed by small-molecule proliferants that stimulate colony formation. These proliferation cues include d-amino acid-containing peptidoglycan (PG) tetra- and pentapeptides, as well as high local concentrations of l-lysine and l-methionine. Peptidoglycan fragments originate from the peptidoglycan layer that supports the bacterial cell wall but are released as bacteria grow. These fragments are detected by a variety of organisms, including human cells, other diverse bacteria, and, as we show here for the first time, UPEC. Together, these results show that for UPEC, (i) sensing of PG stem peptide and uptake of l-lysine modulate the quorum-regulated decision to proliferate and (ii) quiescence can be prevented by both intra- and interspecies PG peptide signaling.IMPORTANCE Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the leading cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs). During pathogenesis, UPEC cells adhere to and infiltrate bladder epithelial cells, where they may form intracellular bacterial communities (IBCs) or enter a nongrowing or slowly growing quiescent state. Here, we show in vitro that UPEC strains at low population density enter a reversible, quiescent state by halting division. Quiescent cells resume proliferation in response to sensing a quorum and detecting external signals, or cues, including peptidoglycan tetra- and pentapeptides.
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Butrico CE, Cassat JE. Quorum Sensing and Toxin Production in Staphylococcus aureus Osteomyelitis: Pathogenesis and Paradox. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12080516. [PMID: 32806558 PMCID: PMC7471978 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12080516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive pathogen capable of infecting nearly every vertebrate organ. Among these tissues, invasive infection of bone (osteomyelitis) is particularly common and induces high morbidity. Treatment of osteomyelitis is notoriously difficult and often requires debridement of diseased bone in conjunction with prolonged antibiotic treatment to resolve infection. During osteomyelitis, S. aureus forms characteristic multicellular microcolonies in distinct niches within bone. Virulence and metabolic responses within these multicellular microcolonies are coordinated, in part, by quorum sensing via the accessory gene regulator (agr) locus, which allows staphylococcal populations to produce toxins and adapt in response to bacterial density. During osteomyelitis, the Agr system significantly contributes to dysregulation of skeletal homeostasis and disease severity but may also paradoxically inhibit persistence in the host. Moreover, the Agr system is subject to complex crosstalk with other S. aureus regulatory systems, including SaeRS and SrrAB, which can significantly impact the progression of osteomyelitis. The objective of this review is to highlight Agr regulation, its implications on toxin production, factors that affect Agr activation, and the potential paradoxical influences of Agr regulation on disease progression during osteomyelitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey E. Butrico
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA;
| | - James E. Cassat
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA;
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Bone Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation (VI4), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-615-936-6494
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Špacapan M, Danevčič T, Štefanic P, Porter M, Stanley-Wall NR, Mandic-Mulec I. The ComX Quorum Sensing Peptide of Bacillus subtilis Affects Biofilm Formation Negatively and Sporulation Positively. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1131. [PMID: 32727033 PMCID: PMC7463575 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8081131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) is often required for the formation of bacterial biofilms and is a popular target of biofilm control strategies. Previous studies implicate the ComQXPA quorum sensing system of Bacillus subtilis as a promoter of biofilm formation. Here, we report that ComX signaling peptide deficient mutants form thicker and more robust pellicle biofilms that contain chains of cells. We confirm that ComX positively affects the transcriptional activity of the PepsA promoter, which controls the synthesis of the major matrix polysaccharide. In contrast, ComX negatively controls the PtapA promoter, which drives the production of TasA, a fibrous matrix protein. Overall, the biomass of the mutant biofilm lacking ComX accumulates more monosaccharide and protein content than the wild type. We conclude that this QS phenotype might be due to extended investment into growth rather than spore development. Consistent with this, the ComX deficient mutant shows a delayed activation of the pre-spore specific promoter, PspoIIQ, and a delayed, more synchronous commitment to sporulation. We conclude that ComX mediated early commitment to sporulation of the wild type slows down biofilm formation and modulates the coexistence of multiple biological states during the early stages of biofilm development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihael Špacapan
- Chair of Microbiology, Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.Š.); (T.D.); (P.Š.)
| | - Tjaša Danevčič
- Chair of Microbiology, Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.Š.); (T.D.); (P.Š.)
| | - Polonca Štefanic
- Chair of Microbiology, Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.Š.); (T.D.); (P.Š.)
| | - Michael Porter
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK; (M.P.); (N.R.S.-W.)
| | - Nicola R. Stanley-Wall
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK; (M.P.); (N.R.S.-W.)
| | - Ines Mandic-Mulec
- Chair of Microbiology, Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.Š.); (T.D.); (P.Š.)
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8
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Pena RT, Blasco L, Ambroa A, González-Pedrajo B, Fernández-García L, López M, Bleriot I, Bou G, García-Contreras R, Wood TK, Tomás M. Relationship Between Quorum Sensing and Secretion Systems. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1100. [PMID: 31231316 PMCID: PMC6567927 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) is a communication mechanism between bacteria that allows specific processes to be controlled, such as biofilm formation, virulence factor expression, production of secondary metabolites and stress adaptation mechanisms such as bacterial competition systems including secretion systems (SS). These SS have an important role in bacterial communication. SS are ubiquitous; they are present in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and in Mycobacterium sp. To date, 8 types of SS have been described (T1SS, T2SS, T3SS, T4SS, T5SS, T6SS, T7SS, and T9SS). They have global functions such as the transport of proteases, lipases, adhesins, heme-binding proteins, and amidases, and specific functions such as the synthesis of proteins in host cells, adaptation to the environment, the secretion of effectors to establish an infectious niche, transfer, absorption and release of DNA, translocation of effector proteins or DNA and autotransporter secretion. All of these functions can contribute to virulence and pathogenesis. In this review, we describe the known types of SS and discuss the ones that have been shown to be regulated by QS. Due to the large amount of information about this topic in some pathogens, we focus mainly on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Vibrio spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocio Trastoy Pena
- Deapartamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (INIBIC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Lucia Blasco
- Deapartamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (INIBIC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Antón Ambroa
- Deapartamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (INIBIC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Bertha González-Pedrajo
- Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Laura Fernández-García
- Deapartamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (INIBIC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Maria López
- Deapartamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (INIBIC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Ines Bleriot
- Deapartamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (INIBIC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - German Bou
- Deapartamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (INIBIC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Rodolfo García-Contreras
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Thomas Keith Wood
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Maria Tomás
- Deapartamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (CHUAC), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (INIBIC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
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9
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Fernandez-Garcia L, Ambroa A, Blasco L, Bleriot I, López M, Alvarez-Marin R, Fernández-Cuenca F, Martinez-Martinez L, Vila J, Rodríguez-Baño J, Garnacho-Montero J, Cisneros JM, Pascual A, Pachón J, Bou G, Smani Y, Tomás M. Relationship Between the Quorum Network (Sensing/Quenching) and Clinical Features of Pneumonia and Bacteraemia Caused by A. baumannii. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:3105. [PMID: 30619184 PMCID: PMC6304438 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab) is one of the most important pathogens associated with nosocomial infections, especially pneumonia. Interest in the Quorum network, i.e., Quorum Sensing (QS)/Quorum Quenching (QQ), in this pathogen has grown in recent years. The Quorum network plays an important role in regulating diverse virulence factors such as surface motility and bacterial competition through the type VI secretion system (T6SS), which is associated with bacterial invasiveness. In the present study, we investigated 30 clinical strains of A. baumannii isolated in the “II Spanish Study of A. baumannii GEIH-REIPI 2000-2010” (Genbank Umbrella Bioproject PRJNA422585), a multicentre study describing the relationship between the Quorum network in A. baumannii and the development of pneumonia and associated bacteraemia. Expression of the aidA gene (encoding the AidA protein, QQ enzyme) was lower (P < 0.001) in strains of A. baumannii isolated from patients with bacteraemic pneumonia than in strains isolated from patients with non-bacteraemic pneumonia. Moreover, aidA expression in the first type of strain was not regulated in the presence of environmental stress factors such as the 3-oxo-C12-HSL molecule (substrate of AidA protein, QQ activation) or H2O2 (inhibitor of AidA protein, QS activation). However, in the A. baumannii strains isolated from patients with non-bacteraemic pneumonia, aidA gene expression was regulated by stressors such as 3-oxo-C12-HSL and H2O2. In an in vivo Galleria mellonella model of A. baumannii infection, the A. baumannii ATCC 17978 strain was associated with higher mortality (100% at 24 h) than the mutant, abaI-deficient, strain (carrying a synthetase enzyme of Acyl homoserine lactone molecules) (70% at 24 h). These data suggest that the QS (abaR and abaI genes)/QQ (aidA gene) network affects the development of secondary bacteraemia in pneumonia patients and also the virulence of A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Fernandez-Garcia
- Microbiology Department-Biomedical Research Institute A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Antón Ambroa
- Microbiology Department-Biomedical Research Institute A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Lucia Blasco
- Microbiology Department-Biomedical Research Institute A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Ines Bleriot
- Microbiology Department-Biomedical Research Institute A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Maria López
- Microbiology Department-Biomedical Research Institute A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Rocio Alvarez-Marin
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBIS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Felipe Fernández-Cuenca
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Medicine, Biomedicine Institute of Seville, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Luis Martinez-Martinez
- Unit of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba, University Hospital Reina Sofía, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Jordi Vila
- Institute of Global Health of Barcelona (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús Rodríguez-Baño
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Medicine, Biomedicine Institute of Seville, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Jose Garnacho-Montero
- Intensive Care Clinical Unit-Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBIS), Hospital Virgen Macarena, Seville, Spain
| | - Jose Miguel Cisneros
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBIS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Alvaro Pascual
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Medicine, Biomedicine Institute of Seville, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Jeronimo Pachón
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBIS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University Seville, Seville, Spain.,Department of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - German Bou
- Microbiology Department-Biomedical Research Institute A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Younes Smani
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBIS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Maria Tomás
- Microbiology Department-Biomedical Research Institute A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
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Abstract
How do social systems make decisions with no single individual in control? We observe that a variety of natural systems, including colonies of ants and bees and perhaps even neurons in the human brain, make decentralized decisions using common processes involving information search with positive feedback and consensus choice through quorum sensing. We model this process with an urn scheme that runs until hitting a threshold, and we characterize an inherent tradeoff between the speed and the accuracy of a decision. The proposed common mechanism provides a robust and effective means by which a decentralized system can navigate the speed-accuracy tradeoff and make reasonably good, quick decisions in a variety of environments. Additionally, consensus choice exhibits systemic risk aversion even while individuals are idiosyncratically risk-neutral. This too is adaptive. The model illustrates how natural systems make decentralized decisions, illuminating a mechanism that engineers of social and artificial systems could imitate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Golman
- Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - David Hagmann
- Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - John H. Miller
- Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
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Ha C, Park SJ, Im SJ, Park SJ, Lee JH. Interspecies signaling through QscR, a quorum receptor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mol Cells 2012; 33:53-9. [PMID: 22228182 PMCID: PMC3887745 DOI: 10.1007/s10059-012-2208-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [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: 04/19/2011] [Revised: 10/21/2011] [Accepted: 10/24/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The QS machinery of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic human pathogen, consists of three acyl-homoserine lactone (acyl-HSL) signaling systems, LasR-I, RhlR-I, and QscR. QscR, known as an orphan receptor and a repressor of other QS systems, operates its own regulon using N-3-oxododecanoyl HSL (3OC12), which is synthesized by LasI, as its signal. In this study, we addressed the role of QscR in interspecies communication. We found that QscR auto-activates its own transcription in the presence of 3OC12. In a single population of P. aeruginosa, where 3OC12 is the sole signal available for QscR, the QscR regulon is activated by 3OC12 produced by the LasI-R system. However, the broad signal specificity of QscR allowed it to respond to a non-P. aeruginosa signal, such as N-decanoyl HSL (C10) and N-3-hydroxydecanoyl HSL (3OHC10), which preferentially activated QscR to LasR. The signal extracts from Pseudomonas fluorescens and Burkholeria vietnamiensis also preferentially activated QscR. These non-P. aeruginosa signals activated QscR more strongly than 3OC12, the authentic P. aeruginosa signal. Since a variety of acyl-HSLs are produced in the multi-species habitat of nature, our study provides a clue for the particular situation that allows QscR to secede from the conventional QS cascade in mixed microbial community.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Su-Jin Im
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735,
Korea
| | - Su-Jin Park
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735,
Korea
| | - Joon-Hee Lee
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735,
Korea
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Eckmann JP, Moses E, Stetter O, Tlusty T, Zbinden C. Leaders of neuronal cultures in a quorum percolation model. Front Comput Neurosci 2010; 4. [PMID: 20953239 PMCID: PMC2955434 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2010.00132] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2010] [Accepted: 08/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a theoretical framework using quorum percolation for describing the initiation of activity in a neural culture. The cultures are modeled as random graphs, whose nodes are excitatory neurons with kin inputs and kout outputs, and whose input degrees kin = k obey given distribution functions pk. We examine the firing activity of the population of neurons according to their input degree (k) classes and calculate for each class its firing probability Φk(t) as a function of t. The probability of a node to fire is found to be determined by its in-degree k, and the first-to-fire neurons are those that have a high k. A small minority of high-k-classes may be called “Leaders,” as they form an interconnected sub-network that consistently fires much before the rest of the culture. Once initiated, the activity spreads from the Leaders to the less connected majority of the culture. We then use the distribution of in-degree of the Leaders to study the growth rate of the number of neurons active in a burst, which was experimentally measured to be initially exponential. We find that this kind of growth rate is best described by a population that has an in-degree distribution that is a Gaussian centered around k = 75 with width σ = 31 for the majority of the neurons, but also has a power law tail with exponent −2 for 10% of the population. Neurons in the tail may have as many as k = 4,700 inputs. We explore and discuss the correspondence between the degree distribution and a dynamic neuronal threshold, showing that from the functional point of view, structure and elementary dynamics are interchangeable. We discuss possible geometric origins of this distribution, and comment on the importance of size, or of having a large number of neurons, in the culture.
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Petit O, Gautrais J, Leca JB, Theraulaz G, Deneubourg JL. Collective decision-making in white-faced capuchin monkeys. Proc Biol Sci 2009; 276:3495-503. [PMID: 19605395 PMCID: PMC2817197 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.0983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [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: 06/08/2008] [Accepted: 06/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In group-living animals, collective movements are a widespread phenomenon and occur through consensus decision. When one animal proposes a direction for group movement, the others decide to follow or not and hence take part in the decision-making process. This paper examines the temporal spread of individual responses after the departure of a first individual (the initiator) in a semi-free ranging group of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus). We analysed 294 start attempts, 111 succeeding and 183 failing. Using a modelling approach, we have demonstrated that consensus decision-making for group movements is based on two complementary phenomena in this species: firstly, the joining together of group members thanks to a mimetic process; and secondly, a modulation of this phenomenon through the propensity of the initiator to give up (i.e. cancellation rate). This cancellation rate seems to be directly dependent upon the number of followers: the greater this number is, the lower the cancellation rate is seen to be. The coupling between joining and cancellation rates leads to a quorum: when three individuals join the initiator, the group collectively moves. If the initiator abandons the movement, this influences the joining behaviour of the other group members, which in return influences the initiator's behaviour. This study demonstrates the synergy between the initiator's behaviour and the self-organized mechanisms underlying group movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Petit
- Ethologie des Primates, Département Ethologie Physiologie Ecologie, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Université de Strasbourg, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
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