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Lewis AJ, Richards AC, Mendez AA, Dhakal BK, Jones TA, Sundsbak JL, Eto DS, Rousek AA, Mulvey MA. Plant phenolics inhibit focal adhesion kinase and suppress host cell invasion by uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Infect Immun 2024; 92:e0008024. [PMID: 38534100 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00080-24] [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: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Traditional folk treatments for the prevention and management of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and other infectious diseases often include plants and plant extracts that are rich in phenolic compounds. These have been ascribed a variety of activities, including inhibition of bacterial interactions with host cells. Here, we tested a panel of four well-studied phenolic compounds-caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), resveratrol, catechin, and epigallocatechin gallate-for the effects on host cell adherence and invasion by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). These bacteria, which are the leading cause of UTIs, can bind and subsequently invade bladder epithelial cells via an actin-dependent process. Intracellular UPEC reservoirs within the bladder are often protected from antibiotics and host defenses and likely contribute to the development of chronic and recurrent infections. In cell culture-based assays, only resveratrol had a notable negative effect on UPEC adherence to bladder cells. However, both CAPE and resveratrol significantly inhibited UPEC entry into the host cells, coordinate with attenuated phosphorylation of the host actin regulator Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK or PTK2) and marked increases in the numbers of focal adhesion structures. We further show that the intravesical delivery of resveratrol inhibits UPEC infiltration of the bladder mucosa in a murine UTI model and that resveratrol and CAPE can disrupt the ability of other invasive pathogens to enter host cells. Together, these results highlight the therapeutic potential of molecules like CAPE and resveratrol, which could be used to augment antibiotic treatments by restricting pathogen access to protective intracellular niches.IMPORTANCEUrinary tract infections (UTIs) are exceptionally common and increasingly difficult to treat due to the ongoing rise and spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Furthermore, the primary cause of UTIs, uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), can avoid antibiotic exposure and many host defenses by invading the epithelial cells that line the bladder surface. Here, we identified two plant-derived phenolic compounds that disrupt activation of the host machinery needed for UPEC entry into bladder cells. One of these compounds, resveratrol, effectively inhibited UPEC invasion of the bladder mucosa in a mouse UTI model, and both phenolic compounds significantly reduced host cell entry by other invasive pathogens. These findings suggest that select phenolic compounds could be used to supplement existing antibacterial therapeutics by denying uropathogens shelter within host cells and tissues and help explain some of the benefits attributed to traditional plant-based medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Lewis
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Amanda C Richards
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Alejandra A Mendez
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Henry Eyring Center for Cell & Genome Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Bijaya K Dhakal
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Tiffani A Jones
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Jamie L Sundsbak
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Danelle S Eto
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Alexis A Rousek
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Henry Eyring Center for Cell & Genome Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Matthew A Mulvey
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Henry Eyring Center for Cell & Genome Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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Fuochi V, Furnari S, Trovato L, Calvo M, Furneri PM. Therapies in preclinical and in early clinical development for the treatment of urinary tract infections: from pathogens to therapies. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2024. [PMID: 38700945 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2024.2351509] [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: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a prevalent health challenge characterized by the invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in the urinary system. The continuous exploration of novel therapeutic interventions is imperative. Advances in research offer hope for revolutionizing the management of UTIs and improving the overall health outcomes for individuals affected by these infections. AREAS COVERED This review aimed to provide an overview of existing treatments for UTIs, highlighting their strengths and limitations. Moreover, we explored and analyzed the latest therapeutic modalities under clinical development. Finally, the review offered a picture into the potential implications of these therapies on the future landscape of UTIs treatment, discussing possible advancements and challenges for further research. EXPERT OPINION Comprehensions into the pathogenesis of UTIs have been gleaned from foundational basic science studies, laying the groundwork for the exploration of novel therapeutic interventions. The primary source of evidence originates predominantly from animal studies conducted on murine models. Nevertheless, the lack of clinical trials interferes the acquisition of robust evidence in humans. The challenges presented by the heterogeneity and virulence of uropathogens add an additional layer of complexity, posing an obstacle that scientists and clinicians are actively grappling with in their pursuit of effective solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Fuochi
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Salvatore Furnari
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Laura Trovato
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- U.O.C. Laboratory Analysis Unit, A.O.U. "Policlinico-San Marco", Catania, Italy
| | - Maddalena Calvo
- U.O.C. Laboratory Analysis Unit, A.O.U. "Policlinico-San Marco", Catania, Italy
| | - Pio Maria Furneri
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Li X, Zhou J, Liu X, Jin C, Liu L, Sun H, Wang Q, Wang Q, Liu R, Zheng X, Liu Y, Pang Y. Nucleoside-diphosphate kinase of uropathogenic Escherichia coli inhibits caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis facilitating urinary tract infection. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114051. [PMID: 38564334 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most common causative agent of urinary tract infection (UTI). UPEC invades bladder epithelial cells (BECs) via fusiform vesicles, escapes into the cytosol, and establishes biofilm-like intracellular bacterial communities (IBCs). Nucleoside-diphosphate kinase (NDK) is secreted by pathogenic bacteria to enhance virulence. However, whether NDK is involved in UPEC pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we find that the lack of ndk impairs the colonization of UPEC CFT073 in mouse bladders and kidneys owing to the impaired ability of UPEC to form IBCs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that NDK inhibits caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis by consuming extracellular ATP, preventing superficial BEC exfoliation, and promoting IBC formation. UPEC utilizes the reactive oxygen species (ROS) sensor OxyR to indirectly activate the regulator integration host factor, which then directly activates ndk expression in response to intracellular ROS. Here, we reveal a signaling transduction pathway that UPEC employs to inhibit superficial BEC exfoliation, thus facilitating acute UTI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueping Li
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Jiarui Zhou
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Xingmei Liu
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Chen Jin
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Le Liu
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Hongmin Sun
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Qian Wang
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Qiushi Wang
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Ruiying Liu
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyu Zheng
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Yutao Liu
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China.
| | - Yu Pang
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P.R. China.
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Shea AE, Forsyth VS, Stocki JA, Mitchell TJ, Frick-Cheng AE, Smith SN, Hardy SL, Mobley HLT. Emerging roles for ABC transporters as virulence factors in uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2310693121. [PMID: 38607934 PMCID: PMC11032443 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310693121] [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: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTI) account for a substantial financial burden globally. Over 75% of UTIs are caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), which have demonstrated an extraordinarily rapid growth rate in vivo. This rapid growth rate appears paradoxical given that urine and the human urinary tract are relatively nutrient-restricted. Thus, we lack a fundamental understanding of how uropathogens propel growth in the host to fuel pathogenesis. Here, we used large in silico, in vivo, and in vitro screens to better understand the role of UPEC transport mechanisms and their contributions to uropathogenesis. In silico analysis of annotated transport systems indicated that the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family of transporters was most conserved among uropathogenic bacterial species, suggesting their importance. Consistent with in silico predictions, we determined that the ABC family contributed significantly to fitness and virulence in the urinary tract: these were overrepresented as fitness factors in vivo (37.2%), liquid media (52.3%), and organ agar (66.2%). We characterized 12 transport systems that were most frequently defective in screening experiments by generating in-frame deletions. These mutant constructs were tested in urovirulence phenotypic assays and produced differences in motility and growth rate. However, deletion of multiple transport systems was required to achieve substantial fitness defects in the cochallenge murine model. This is likely due to genetic compensation among transport systems, highlighting the centrality of ABC transporters in these organisms. Therefore, these nutrient uptake systems play a concerted, critical role in pathogenesis and are broadly applicable candidate targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allyson E. Shea
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Valerie S. Forsyth
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Jolie A. Stocki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Taylor J. Mitchell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Arwen E. Frick-Cheng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Sara N. Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Sicily L. Hardy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL36688
| | - Harry L. T. Mobley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI48109
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Saenkham-Huntsinger P, Ritter M, Donati GL, Mitchell AM, Subashchandrabose S. The inner membrane protein YhiM links copper and CpxAR envelope stress responses in uropathogenic E. coli. mBio 2024; 15:e0352223. [PMID: 38470052 PMCID: PMC11005409 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03522-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a ubiquitous infectious condition, and uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the predominant causative agent of UTI. Copper (Cu) is implicated in innate immunity, including against UPEC. Cu is a trace element utilized as a co-factor, but excess Cu is toxic due to mismetalation of non-cognate proteins. E. coli precisely regulates Cu homeostasis via efflux systems. However, Cu import mechanisms into the bacterial cell are not clear. We hypothesized that Cu import defective mutants would exhibit increased resistance to Cu. This hypothesis was tested in a forward genetic screen with transposon (Tn5) insertion mutants in UPEC strain CFT073, and we identified 32 unique Cu-resistant mutants. Transposon and defined mutants lacking yhiM, which encodes a hypothetical inner membrane protein, were more resistant to Cu than parental strain. Loss of YhiM led to decreased cellular Cu content and increased expression of copA, encoding a Cu efflux pump. The CpxAR envelope stress response system was activated in the ΔyhiM mutant as indicated by increased expression of cpxP. Transcription of yhiM was regulated by CueR and CpxR, and the CpxAR system was essential for increased Cu resistance in the ΔyhiM mutant. Importantly, activation of CpxAR system in the ΔyhiM mutant was independent of NlpE, a known activator of this system. YhiM was required for optimal fitness of UPEC in a mouse model of UTI. Our findings demonstrate that YhiM is a critical mediator of Cu homeostasis and links bacterial adaptation to Cu stress with the CpxAR-dependent envelope stress response in UPEC.IMPORTANCEUPEC is a common bacterial infection. Bacterial pathogens are exposed to host-derived Cu during infection, including UTI. Here, we describe detection of genes involved in Cu homeostasis in UPEC. A UPEC mutant lacking YhiM, a membrane protein, exhibited dramatic increase in resistance to Cu. Our study demonstrates YhiM as a nexus between Cu stress and the CpxAR-dependent envelope stress response system. Importantly, our findings establish NlpE-independent activation of CpxAR system during Cu stress in UPEC. Collectively, YhiM emerges as a critical mediator of Cu homeostasis in UPEC and highlights the interlinked nature of bacterial adaptation to survival during Cu and envelope stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panatda Saenkham-Huntsinger
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Matthew Ritter
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - George L. Donati
- Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Angela M. Mitchell
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Sargurunathan Subashchandrabose
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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Nasrollahian S, Graham JP, Halaji M. A review of the mechanisms that confer antibiotic resistance in pathotypes of E. coli. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1387497. [PMID: 38638826 PMCID: PMC11024256 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1387497] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The dissemination of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli poses a significant threat to public health worldwide. This review provides a comprehensive update on the diverse mechanisms employed by E. coli in developing resistance to antibiotics. We primarily focus on pathotypes of E. coli (e.g., uropathogenic E. coli) and investigate the genetic determinants and molecular pathways that confer resistance, shedding light on both well-characterized and recently discovered mechanisms. The most prevalent mechanism continues to be the acquisition of resistance genes through horizontal gene transfer, facilitated by mobile genetic elements such as plasmids and transposons. We discuss the role of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemases in conferring resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, which remain vital in clinical practice. The review covers the key resistant mechanisms, including: 1) Efflux pumps and porin mutations that mediate resistance to a broad spectrum of antibiotics, including fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides; 2) adaptive strategies employed by E. coli, including biofilm formation, persister cell formation, and the activation of stress response systems, to withstand antibiotic pressure; and 3) the role of regulatory systems in coordinating resistance mechanisms, providing insights into potential targets for therapeutic interventions. Understanding the intricate network of antibiotic resistance mechanisms in E. coli is crucial for the development of effective strategies to combat this growing public health crisis. By clarifying these mechanisms, we aim to pave the way for the design of innovative therapeutic approaches and the implementation of prudent antibiotic stewardship practices to preserve the efficacy of current antibiotics and ensure a sustainable future for healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Nasrollahian
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Jay P. Graham
- Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Mehrdad Halaji
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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Nasrollahian S, Moradi F, Hadi N, Ranjbar S, Ranjbar R. An update on alternative therapy for Escherichia coli causing urinary tract infections; a narrative review. Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther 2024; 46:104075. [PMID: 38574879 DOI: 10.1016/j.pdpdt.2024.104075] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common type of nosocomial infection and severe health issues because of the difficulties and frequent recurrence. Today, alternative methods such as sonodynamic therapy (SDT), photodynamic therapy (PDT) and herbal materials use for treating infections like UTI in many countries. METHOD We conducted searches of the biomedical databases (Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of sciences) to identify related studies from 2008 to 2023. RESULT SDT aims to use ultrasound to activate a sonosensitizer, which causes a biological effect by raising reactive oxygen species (ROS). When bacteria are exposed to ROS, several important effects occur: oxidative damage, DNA damage, protein dysfunction etc. SDT with herbal medicine significantly reduced the number of colony-forming units and bactericidal activity for Klebsiella pneumonia and E. coli. PDT is a promising treatment for cancer and microbial infections, combining a photosensitiser, light and tissue molecular oxygen. It involves a photosensitizer, light source, and oxygen, with variations affecting microbial binding and bactericidal activity. Factors affecting antibacterial properties include plant type, growing conditions, harvesting, and processing. This review highlights the recent advancements in sonodynamic, photodynamic, herbal, and bio-material-based approaches in the treatment of E. coli infections. CONCLUSIONS These alternative therapies offer exciting prospects for addressing UTIs, especially in cases where traditional antibiotic treatments may be less effective. Further research and clinical studies are warranted to fully explore the potential of these innovative treatment modalities in combating UTIs and improving patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Nasrollahian
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Farhad Moradi
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Nahal Hadi
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Sina Ranjbar
- Department of Microbiology, Shahr-e-Qods Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Ranjbar
- Molecular Biology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Brannon JR, Reasoner SA, Bermudez TA, Comer SL, Wiebe MA, Dunigan TL, Beebout CJ, Ross T, Bamidele A, Hadjifrangiskou M. Mapping niche-specific two-component system requirements in uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0223623. [PMID: 38385738 PMCID: PMC10986536 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02236-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Sensory systems allow pathogens to differentiate between different niches and respond to stimuli within them. A major mechanism through which bacteria sense and respond to stimuli in their surroundings is two-component systems (TCSs). TCSs allow for the detection of multiple stimuli to lead to a highly controlled and rapid change in gene expression. Here, we provide a comprehensive list of TCSs important for the pathogenesis of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). UPEC accounts for >75% of urinary tract infections (UTIs) worldwide. UTIs are most prevalent among people assigned female at birth, with the vagina becoming colonized by UPEC in addition to the gut and the bladder. In the bladder, adherence to the urothelium triggers E. coli invasion of bladder cells and an intracellular pathogenic cascade. Intracellular E. coli are safely hidden from host neutrophils, competition from the microbiota, and antibiotics that kill extracellular E. coli. To survive in these intimately connected, yet physiologically diverse niches E. coli must rapidly coordinate metabolic and virulence systems in response to the distinct stimuli encountered in each environment. We hypothesized that specific TCSs allow UPEC to sense these diverse environments encountered during infection with built-in redundant safeguards. Here, we created a library of isogenic TCS deletion mutants that we leveraged to map distinct TCS contributions to infection. We identify-for the first time-a comprehensive panel of UPEC TCSs that are critical for infection of the genitourinary tract and report that the TCSs mediating colonization of the bladder, kidneys, or vagina are distinct.IMPORTANCEWhile two-component system (TCS) signaling has been investigated at depth in model strains of Escherichia coli, there have been no studies to elucidate-at a systems level-which TCSs are important during infection by pathogenic Escherichia coli. Here, we report the generation of a markerless TCS deletion library in a uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) isolate that can be leveraged for dissecting the role of TCS signaling in different aspects of pathogenesis. We use this library to demonstrate, for the first time in UPEC, that niche-specific colonization is guided by distinct TCS groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R. Brannon
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Seth A. Reasoner
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Tomas A. Bermudez
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sarah L. Comer
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Michelle A. Wiebe
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Taryn L. Dunigan
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Connor J. Beebout
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Tamia Ross
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Adebisi Bamidele
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Maria Hadjifrangiskou
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Andrade AD, Almeida PGC, Mariani NAP, Santos NCM, Camargo IA, Martini PV, Kushima H, Ai D, Avellar MCW, Meinhardt A, Pleuger C, Silva EJR. Regional modulation of toll-like receptor signaling pathway genes in acute epididymitis in mice. Andrology 2024. [PMID: 38497291 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13630] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Region-specific immune environments in the epididymis influence the immune responses to uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) infection, a relevant cause of epididymitis in men. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are essential to orchestrate immune responses against bacterial infections. The epididymis displays region-specific inflammatory responses to bacterial-derived TLR agonists, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS; TLR4 agonist) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA; TLR2/TLR6 agonist), suggesting that TLR-associated signaling pathways could influence the magnitude of inflammatory responses in epididymitis. OBJECTIVES To investigate the expression and regulation of key genes associated with TLR4 and TLR2/TLR6 signaling pathways during epididymitis induced by UPEC, LPS, and LTA in mice. MATERIAL AND METHODS Epididymitis was induced in mice using UPEC, ultrapure LPS, or LTA, injected into the interstitial space of the initial segment or the lumen of the vas deferens close to the cauda epididymidis. Samples were harvested after 1, 5, and 10 days for UPEC-treated animals and 6 and 24 h for LPS-/LTA-treated animals. Ex vivo epididymitis was induced by incubating epididymal regions from naive mice with LPS or LTA. RT-qPCR and Western blot assays were conducted. RESULTS UPEC infection up-regulated Tlr2, Tlr4, and Tlr6 transcripts and their associated signaling molecules Cd14, Ticam1, and Traf6 in the cauda epididymidis but not in the initial segment. In these epididymal regions, LPS and LTA differentially modulated Tlr2, Tlr4, Tlr6, Cd14, Myd88, Ticam1, Traf3, and Traf6 expression levels. NFKB and AP1 activation was required for LPS- and LTA-induced up-regulation of TLR-associated signaling transcripts in the cauda epididymidis and initial segment, respectively. CONCLUSION The dynamic modulation of TLR4 and TLR2/TLR6 signaling pathways gene expression during epididymitis indicates bacterial-derived antigens elicit an increased tissue sensitivity to combat microbial infection in a spatial manner in the epididymis. Differential activation of TLR-associated signaling pathways may contribute to fine-tuning inflammatory responses along the epididymis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre D Andrade
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Priscila G C Almeida
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Noemia A P Mariani
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natalia C M Santos
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Isabela A Camargo
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Poliana V Martini
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Helio Kushima
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dingding Ai
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Unit of Reproductive Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Maria Christina W Avellar
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andreas Meinhardt
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Unit of Reproductive Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Hessian Center of Reproductive Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Centre of Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Australia
| | - Christiane Pleuger
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Unit of Reproductive Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Hessian Center of Reproductive Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Erick J R Silva
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
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10
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Abo-Alella D, Abdelmoniem W, Tantawy E, Asaad A. Biofilm-producing and carbapenems-resistant Escherichia coli nosocomial uropathogens: a cross-sectional study. Int Microbiol 2024:10.1007/s10123-024-00495-w. [PMID: 38489099 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-024-00495-w] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This cross-sectional study aims to determine the incidence and potential risk factors associated with biofilm-producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) nosocomial strains from a tertiary care hospital and to examine the prospective correlation between biofilm generation and antibiotic resistance phenotypes and genotypes. METHODS A total of 130 UPEC nosocomial isolates were identified, their biofilm formation was quantified using a modified microtiter plate assay, and their antibiotic susceptibilities were assessed utilizing the disc diffusion method. Isolates were then subjected to PCR assays targeting blaKPC, blaVIM, blaIMP, and blaOXA48 genes. RESULTS Over half of the isolates (n = 76, 58.5%) were biofilm producers. Among 17 carbapenem-resistant isolates, 6 (42.9%) isolates harbored the blaOXA48 gene, and only 1 (9.1%) isolate was positive for the blaVIM gene. Prior antibiotic therapy (aOR 15.782, p 0.000) and diabetes mellitus DM (aOR 11.222, p 0.016) were the significant risk factors associated with biofilm production, as determined by logistic regression analysis of the data. In addition, gentamicin resistance was the only statistically significant antibiotic resistance pattern associated with biofilm production (aOR 9.113, p 0.02). CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study emphasize the significance of implementing proper infection control measures to avoid the horizontal spread of biofilm formation and associated antimicrobial resistance patterns among UPEC nosocomial strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doaa Abo-Alella
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Wessam Abdelmoniem
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Enas Tantawy
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Asaad
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
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11
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Westcott MM, Morse AE, Troy G, Blevins M, Wierzba T, Sanders JW. Photochemical inactivation as an alternative method to produce a whole-cell vaccine for uropathogenic Escherichia coli ( UPEC). Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0366123. [PMID: 38315025 PMCID: PMC10913755 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03661-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the primary causative agent of lower urinary tract infection (UTI). UTI presents a serious health risk and has considerable secondary implications including economic burden, recurring episodes, and overuse of antibiotics. A safe and effective vaccine would address this widespread health problem and emerging antibiotic resistance. Killed, whole-cell vaccines have shown limited efficacy to prevent recurrent UTI in human trials. We explored photochemical inactivation with psoralen drugs and UVA light (PUVA), which crosslinks nucleic acid, as an alternative to protein-damaging methods of inactivation to improve whole-cell UTI vaccines. Exposure of UPEC to the psoralen drug AMT and UVA light resulted in a killed but metabolically active (KBMA) state, as reported previously for other PUVA-inactivated bacteria. The immunogenicity of PUVA-UPEC as compared to formalin-inactivated UPEC was compared in mice. Both generated high UPEC-specific serum IgG titers after intramuscular delivery. However, using functional adherence as a measure of surface protein integrity, we found differences in the properties of PUVA- and formalin-inactivated UPEC. Adhesion mediated by Type-1 and P-fimbriae was severely compromised by formalin but was unaffected by PUVA, indicating that PUVA preserved the functional conformation of fimbrial proteins, which are targets of protective immune responses. In vitro assays indicated that although they retained metabolic activity, PUVA-UPEC lost virulence properties that could negatively impact vaccine safety. Our results imply the potential for PUVA to improve killed, whole-cell UTI vaccines by generating bacteria that more closely resemble their live, infectious counterparts relative to vaccines generated with protein-damaging methods. IMPORTANCE Lower urinary tract infection (UTI), caused primarily by uropathogenic Escherichia coli, represents a significant health burden, accounting for 7 million primary care and 1 million emergency room visits annually in the United States. Women and the elderly are especially susceptible and recurrent infection (rUTI) is common in those populations. Lower UTI can lead to life-threatening systemic infection. UTI burden is manifested by healthcare dollars spent (1.5 billion annually), quality of life impact, and resistant strains emerging from antibiotic overuse. A safe and effective vaccine to prevent rUTI would address a substantial healthcare issue. Vaccines comprised of inactivated uropathogenic bacteria have yielded encouraging results in clinical trials but improvements that enhance vaccine performance are needed. To that end, we focused on inactivation methodology and provided data to support photochemical inactivation, which targets nucleic acid, as a promising alternative to conventional protein-damaging inactivation methods to improve whole-cell UTI vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlena M. Westcott
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alexis E. Morse
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gavin Troy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maria Blevins
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases Section, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Thomas Wierzba
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases Section, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - John W. Sanders
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases Section, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
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12
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Flores-Oropeza MA, Ochoa SA, Cruz-Córdova A, Chavez-Tepecano R, Martínez-Peñafiel E, Rembao-Bojórquez D, Zavala-Vega S, Hernández-Castro R, Flores-Encarnacion M, Arellano-Galindo J, Vélez D, Xicohtencatl-Cortes J. Comparative genomic analysis of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains from women with recurrent urinary tract infection. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1340427. [PMID: 38328583 PMCID: PMC10848155 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1340427] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs) caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli are costly public health problems impacting patients' quality of life. Aim In this work, a comparative genomics analysis of three clinical RUTI strains isolated from bladder biopsy specimens was performed. Materials and methods One hundred seventy-two whole genomes of urinary tract E. coli strains were selected from the NCBI database. The search for virulence factors, fitness genes, regions of interest, and genetic elements associated with resistance was manually carried out. The phenotypic characterization of antibiotic resistance, haemolysis, motility, and biofilm formation was performed. Moreover, adherence and invasion assays with human bladder HTB-5 cells, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed. Results The UTI-1_774U and UTI-3_455U/ST1193 strains were associated with the extraintestinal pathotypes, and the UTI-2_245U/ST295 strain was associated with the intestinal pathotype, according to a phylogenetic analysis of 172 E. coli urinary strains. The three RUTI strains were of clinical, epidemiological, and zoonotic relevance. Several resistance genes were found within the plasmids of these strains, and a multidrug resistance phenotype was revealed. Other virulence genes associated with CFT073 were not identified in the three RUTI strains (genes for type 1 and P fimbriae, haemolysin hlyA, and sat toxin). Quantitative adherence analysis showed that UTI-1_774U was significantly (p < 0.0001) more adherent to human bladder HTB-5 cells. Quantitative invasion analysis showed that UTI-2_245U was significantly more invasive than the control strains. No haemolysis or biofilm activity was detected in the three RUTI strains. The TEM micrographs showed the presence of short and thin fimbriae only in the UTI-2_245U strain. Conclusion The high variability and genetic diversity of the RUTI strains indicate that are a mosaic of virulence, resistance, and fitness genes that could promote recurrence in susceptible patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A. Flores-Oropeza
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biomédicas, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sara A. Ochoa
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ariadnna Cruz-Córdova
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Eva Martínez-Peñafiel
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Rembao-Bojórquez
- Departamento de Patología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sergio Zavala-Vega
- Departamento de Patología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City, Mexico
- Laboratorio Clínico y Banco de Sangre, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rigoberto Hernández-Castro
- Departmento de Ecología de Agentes Patógenos, Hospital General “Dr. Manuel Gea González”, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marcos Flores-Encarnacion
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Celular, Biomedicina, Facultad de Medicina, BUAP, Puebla, Mexico
| | - José Arellano-Galindo
- Laboratorio de Virología Clínica y Experimental, Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Vélez
- Hospital Militar de Especialidades de la Mujer y Neonatología, Mexico City, Mexico
- Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Ginecología y Obstetricia No. 3 IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Juan Xicohtencatl-Cortes
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
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13
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Bermudez TA, Brannon JR, Dudipala N, Reasoner S, Morales G, Wiebe M, Cecala M, DaCosta M, Beebout C, Amir O, Hadjifrangiskou M. Raising the alarm: fosfomycin resistance associated with non-susceptible inner colonies imparts no fitness cost to the primary bacterial uropathogen. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0080323. [PMID: 38078906 PMCID: PMC10777853 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00803-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE While fosfomycin resistance is rare, the observation of non-susceptible subpopulations among clinical Escherichia coli isolates is a common phenomenon during antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) in American and European clinical labs. Previous evidence suggests that mutations eliciting this phenotype are of high biological cost to the pathogen during infection, leading to current recommendations of neglecting non-susceptible colonies during AST. Here, we report that the most common route to fosfomycin resistance, as well as novel routes described in this work, does not impair virulence in uropathogenic E. coli, the major cause of urinary tract infections, suggesting a re-evaluation of current susceptibility guidelines is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas A. Bermudez
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - John R. Brannon
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Seth Reasoner
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Grace Morales
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Michelle Wiebe
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Mia Cecala
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Connor Beebout
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Omar Amir
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Maria Hadjifrangiskou
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Institute for Infection, Immunology & Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Boya BR, Lee JH, Lee J. Antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of chromone derivatives against uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Microbiol Res 2024; 278:127537. [PMID: 37922697 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is a urinary tract pathogen responsible for most nosocomial urinary tract infections and can cause severe conditions like acute cystitis of the bladder or pyelonephritis. UPEC harbors a host of virulence factors like curli, hemolysin, siderophore, and motility factors and can form biofilm-like communities and quiescent reservoirs that aid its survival. This study was performed to investigate the antibiofilm, antimicrobial, and antivirulence potentials of three chromone derivatives, namely, 6-bromo 3-formylchromone, 6-chloro 3-formylchromone, and 3-formyl 6-isopropylchromone. These chromones had MICs against UPEC of 20, 20, and 50 µg/ml, respectively, inhibited biofilm formation by 72-96% at 20 µg/ml, and inhibited UPEC-associated virulence factors, that is, hemolysis, motility, curli, siderophore production, indole production, quiescent colony formation, and cell surface hydrophobicity. Gene expression analysis indicated these three derivatives downregulated virulence genes associated with toxins, biofilm production, and stress regulation and suggested they might target two-component UvrY response regulator. 3D-QSAR analysis showed that substitutions at the third and sixth positions of the chromone scaffold favor antimicrobial activity against UPEC. Furthermore, ADME profiles and C. elegans cytotoxicity assays indicated that these chromone derivatives are potent, safe drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharath Reddy Boya
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-Ro, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Hyung Lee
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-Ro, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - Jintae Lee
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-Ro, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea.
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15
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Cané L, Saffioti NA, Genetet S, Daza Millone MA, Ostuni MA, Schwarzbaum PJ, Mouro-Chanteloup I, Herlax V. Alpha hemolysin of E. coli induces hemolysis of human erythrocytes independently of toxin interaction with membrane proteins. Biochimie 2024; 216:3-13. [PMID: 37820991 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Alpha hemolysin (HlyA) is a hemolytic and cytotoxic protein secreted by uropathogenic strains of E. coli. The role of glycophorins (GPs) as putative receptors for HlyA binding to red blood cells (RBCs) has been debated. Experiments using anti-GPA/GPB antibodies and a GPA-specific epitope nanobody to block HlyA-GP binding on hRBCs, showed no effect on hemolytic activity. Similarly, the hemolysis induced by HlyA remained unaffected when hRBCs from a GPAnull/GPBnull variant were used. Surface Plasmon Resonance experiments revealed similar values of the dissociation constant between GPA and either HlyA, ProHlyA (inactive protoxin), HlyAΔ914-936 (mutant of HlyA lacking the binding domain to GPA) or human serum albumin, indicating that the binding between the proteins and GPA is not specific. Although far Western blot followed by mass spectroscopy analyses suggested that HlyA interacts with Band 3 and spectrins, hemolytic experiments on spectrin-depleted hRBCs and spherocytes, indicated these proteins do not mediate the hemolytic process. Our results unequivocally demonstrate that neither glycophorins, nor Band 3 and spectrins mediate the cytotoxic activity of HlyA on hRBCs, thereby challenging the HlyA-receptor hypothesis. This finding holds significant relevance for the design of anti-toxin therapeutic strategies, particularly in light of the growing antibiotic resistance exhibited by bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Cané
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP), CCT- La Plata, CONICET. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina
| | - Nicolás Andrés Saffioti
- Instituto de Química y Fisico-Química Biológicas (IQUIFIB) "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini", Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Nanosistemas, Universidad de General San Martín, Avenida 25 de Mayo 1021, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sandrine Genetet
- Université Paris Cité and Université des Antilles, INSERM, BIGR, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - María Antonieta Daza Millone
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA), CCT- La Plata, CONICET. Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Sucursal 4 Casilla de Correo 16, 1900, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Mariano A Ostuni
- Université Paris Cité and Université des Antilles, INSERM, BIGR, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Pablo J Schwarzbaum
- Instituto de Química y Fisico-Química Biológicas (IQUIFIB) "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini", Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Vanesa Herlax
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP), CCT- La Plata, CONICET. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina.
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Aurich S, Wolf SA, Prenger-Berninghoff E, Thrukonda L, Semmler T, Ewers C. Genotypic Characterization of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli from Companion Animals: Predominance of ST372 in Dogs and Human-Related ST73 in Cats. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 13:38. [PMID: 38247597 PMCID: PMC10812829 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13010038] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) account for over 80% and 60% of bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) in humans and animals, respectively. As shared uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains have been previously reported among humans and pets, our study aimed to characterize E. coli lineages among UTI isolates from dogs and cats and to assess their overlaps with human UPEC lineages. We analysed 315 non-duplicate E. coli isolates from the UT of dogs (198) and cats (117) collected in central Germany in 2019 and 2020 utilizing whole genome sequencing and in silico methods. Phylogroup B2 (77.8%), dog-associated sequence type (ST) 372 (18.1%), and human-associated ST73 (16.6%), were predominant. Other STs included ST12 (8.6%), ST141 (5.1%), ST127 (4.8%), and ST131 (3.5%). Among these, 58.4% were assigned to the ExPEC group and 51.1% to the UPEC group based on their virulence associated gene (VAG) profile (ExPEC, presence of ≥VAGs: papAH and/or papC, sfa/focG, afaD/draBC, kpsMTII, and iutA; UPEC, additionally cnf1 or hlyD). Extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC) resistance mediated by extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) and AmpC-β-lactamase was identified in 1.9% of the isolates, along with one carbapenemase-producing isolate and one isolate carrying a mcr gene. Low occurrence of ESC-resistant or multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates (2.9%) in the two most frequently detected STs implies that E. coli isolated from UTIs of companion animals are to a lesser extent associated with resistance, but possess virulence-associated genes enabling efficient UT colonization and carriage. Detection of human-related pandemic lineages suggests interspecies transmission and underscores the importance of monitoring companion animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Aurich
- Institute of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (E.P.-B.); (C.E.)
| | - Silver Anthony Wolf
- Genome Competence Centre, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany (L.T.)
| | - Ellen Prenger-Berninghoff
- Institute of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (E.P.-B.); (C.E.)
| | | | - Torsten Semmler
- Genome Competence Centre, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany (L.T.)
| | - Christa Ewers
- Institute of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (E.P.-B.); (C.E.)
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17
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Kumar G, Kumar Y, Kumar G, Tahlan AK. Characterization of uropathogenic E. coli from various geographical locations in India. J Taibah Univ Med Sci 2023; 18:1527-1535. [PMID: 37693820 PMCID: PMC10492208 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2023.07.003] [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: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most common causative agent of urinary tract infection, accounting for more than 80% of cases worldwide. This study presents data on prevalent serotypes, resistance profiles, and colonization-aiding virulence characteristics of UPEC from different geographical regions in India. Methods UPEC were serotyped through microtiter plate agglutination. Standard techniques were used to detect various virulence characteristics, i.e., biofilm formation (tissue culture plate method), siderophore production (screened on Chrome Azurol S agar and categorized with Csaky's and Arnow's methods), colicin release (agar overlay technique), gelatin hydrolysis (on gelatinase agar), and cell surface hydrophobicity (salt aggregation method). Antibiotic resistance profiles (against 20 antimicrobial agents) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) were evaluated according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Results UPEC strains exhibited very high drug resistance rates to most of the commonly used antimicrobial agents; the highest resistance rates were observed for ampicillin (63.4%), nalidixic acid (63.4%), and cefotaxime (62.1%). High rates of multi-drug resistance (63.36%), ESBL-production (34.1%), and carbapenem-resistance (25.0%) were detected in UPEC strains from all geographical regions of India. Hydrophobicity (61.2%), biofilm production (62.5%), and siderophore production (67.7%) were the most common virulence characteristics of UPEC isolates. Co-expression of virulence characteristics was common (69.8%) in UPEC strains. Conclusion UPEC strains with very high antimicrobial-resistance are in circulation in India, and have diverse serotypes and virulence characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gulshan Kumar
- National Salmonella and Escherichia Centre, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, India
- Department of Microbiology, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Yashwant Kumar
- National Salmonella and Escherichia Centre, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Gaurav Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Ajay K. Tahlan
- National Salmonella and Escherichia Centre, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, India
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Mulder M, Notermans DW, Wielders CCH, Bos J, Witteveen S, Ganesh VA, Landman F, de Haan A, Schneeberger-van der Linden C, Hendrickx APA. OXA-48-Producing Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Sequence Type 127, the Netherlands, 2015-2022. Emerg Infect Dis 2023; 29:2563-2565. [PMID: 37987600 PMCID: PMC10683799 DOI: 10.3201/eid2912.231114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
During 2015-2022, a genetic cluster of OXA-48-producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli sequence type 127 spread throughout the Netherlands. The 20 isolates we investigated originated mainly from urine, belonged to Clermont phylotype B2, and carried 18 genes encoding putative uropathogenicity factors. The isolates were susceptible to first-choice antimicrobial drugs for urinary tract infections.
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Ramírez Castillo FY, Guerrero Barrera AL, Harel J, Avelar González FJ, Vogeleer P, Arreola Guerra JM, González Gámez M. Biofilm Formation by Escherichia coli Isolated from Urinary Tract Infections from Aguascalientes, Mexico. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2858. [PMID: 38138002 PMCID: PMC10745304 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122858] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains are among the leading causes of urinary tract infections (UTIs) worldwide. They can colonize the urinary tract and form biofilms that allow bacteria to survive and persist, causing relapses of infections and life-threatening sequelae. Here, we analyzed biofilm production, antimicrobial susceptibility, virulence factors, and phylogenetic groups in 74 E. coli isolated from diagnosed patients with UTIs to describe their microbiological features and ascertain their relationship with biofilm capabilities. High levels of ceftazidime resistance are present in hospital-acquired UTIs. Isolates of multidrug resistance strains (p = 0.0017) and the yfcV gene (p = 0.0193) were higher in male patients. All the strains tested were able to form biofilms. Significant differences were found among higher optical densities (ODs) and antibiotic resistance to cefazolin (p = 0.0395), ceftazidime (p = 0.0302), and cefepime (p = 0.0420). Overall, the presence of fimH and papC coincided with strong biofilm formation by UPEC. Type 1 fimbriae (p = 0.0349), curli (p = 0.0477), and cellulose (p = 0.0253) production was significantly higher among strong biofilm formation. Our results indicated that high antibiotic resistance may be related to male infections as well as strong and moderate biofilm production. The ability of E. coli strains to produce biofilm is important for controlling urinary tract infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flor Yazmín Ramírez Castillo
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Tisular, Departamento de Morfología, Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes 20100, Mexico;
| | - Alma Lilian Guerrero Barrera
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Tisular, Departamento de Morfología, Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes 20100, Mexico;
| | - Josée Harel
- Département de Pathologie et de Microbiologie, Centre de Recherche en Infectologie Porcine et Avicole, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 7C6, Canada;
| | - Francisco Javier Avelar González
- Laboratorio de Estudios Ambientales, Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes 20100, Mexico;
| | - Philippe Vogeleer
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, INSA, UPS, Université de Toulouse, 31077 Toulouse, France;
| | | | - Mario González Gámez
- Departamento de Infectología, Hospital Centenario Miguel Hidalgo, Aguascalientes 20259, Mexico;
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20
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Hawas S, Vagenas D, Haque A, Totsika M. Bladder-draining lymph nodes support germinal center B cell responses during urinary tract infection in mice. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0031723. [PMID: 37882531 PMCID: PMC10652902 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00317-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) are both common and exhibit high recurrence rates in women. UTI healthcare costs are increasing due to the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, necessitating alternative approaches for infection control. Here, we directly observed host adaptive immune responses in acute UTI. We employed a mouse model in which wild-type C57BL/6J mice were transurethrally inoculated with a clinically relevant MDR UTI strain of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Firstly, we noted that rag1-/- C57BL/6J mice harbored larger bacterial burdens than wild-type counterparts, consistent with a role for adaptive immunity in UTI control. Consistent with this, UTI triggered in the bladders of wild-type mice early increases of myeloid cells, including CD11chi conventional dendritic cells, suggesting possible involvement of these professional antigen-presenting cells. Importantly, germinal center B cell responses developed by 4 weeks post-infection in bladder-draining lymph nodes of wild-type mice and, although modest in magnitude and transient in nature, could not be boosted with a second UTI. Thus, our data reveal for the first time in a mouse model that UPEC UTI induces local B cell immune responses in bladder-draining lymph nodes, which could potentially serve to control infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Hawas
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dimitrios Vagenas
- Research Methods Group, School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ashraful Haque
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Makrina Totsika
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Hurst MN, Beebout CJ, Hollingsworth A, Guckes KR, Purcell A, Bermudez TA, Williams D, Reasoner SA, Trent MS, Hadjifrangiskou M. The QseB response regulator imparts tolerance to positively charged antibiotics by controlling metabolism and minor changes to LPS. mSphere 2023; 8:e0005923. [PMID: 37676915 PMCID: PMC10597456 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00059-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The modification of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. is primarily controlled by the two-component system PmrAB. LPS modification allows bacteria to avoid killing by positively charged antibiotics like polymyxin B (PMB). We previously demonstrated that in uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), the sensor histidine kinase PmrB also activates a non-cognate transcription factor, QseB, and this activation somehow augments PMB tolerance in UPEC. Here, we demonstrate-for the first time-that in the absence of the canonical LPS transcriptional regulator, PmrA, QseB can direct some modifications on the LPS. In agreement with this observation, transcriptional profiling analyses demonstrate regulatory overlaps between PmrA and QseB in terms of regulating LPS modification genes. However, both PmrA and QseB must be present for UPEC to mount robust tolerance to PMB. Transcriptional and metabolomic analyses also reveal that QseB transcriptionally regulates the metabolism of glutamate and 2-oxoglutarate, which are consumed and produced during the modification of lipid A. We show that deletion of qseB alters glutamate levels in the bacterial cells. The qseB deletion mutant, which is susceptible to positively charged antibiotics, is rescued by exogenous addition of 2-oxoglutarate. These findings uncover a previously unknown mechanism of metabolic control of antibiotic tolerance that may be contributing to antibiotic treatment failure in the clinic. IMPORTANCE Although antibiotic prescriptions are guided by well-established susceptibility testing methods, antibiotic treatments oftentimes fail. The presented work is significant because it uncovers a mechanism by which bacteria transiently avoid killing by antibiotics. This mechanism involves two closely related transcription factors, PmrA and QseB, which are conserved across Enterobacterales. We demonstrate that PmrA and QseB share regulatory targets in lipid A modification pathway and prove that QseB can orchestrate modifications of lipid A in Escherichia coli in the absence of PmrA. Finally, we show that QseB controls glutamate metabolism during the antibiotic response. These results suggest that rewiring of QseB-mediated metabolic genes could lead to stable antibiotic resistance in subpopulations within the host, thereby contributing to antibiotic treatment failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie N. Hurst
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Connor J. Beebout
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Alexis Hollingsworth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kirsten R. Guckes
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Alexandria Purcell
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Tomas A. Bermudez
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Diamond Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Seth A. Reasoner
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - M. Stephen Trent
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Maria Hadjifrangiskou
- Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Center for Personalized Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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22
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Aires J, Ilhan ZE, Nicolas L, Ferraris L, Delannoy J, Bredel M, Chauvire-Drouard A, Barbut F, Rozé JC, Lepage P, Butel MJ. Occurrence of Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Premature Neonates and Gut Microbiota: A Case-Control Prospective Multicenter Study. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2457. [PMID: 37894115 PMCID: PMC10609581 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102457] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is still one of the leading causes of neonatal death. The present study reports the data from a French case-control prospective multicenter study. METHODS A total of 146 preterm neonates (PNs) with or without NEC were included. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on stool samples (n = 103). Specific culture media were used to isolate Escherichia coli, Clostridium butyricum, and Clostridium neonatale, and strains were phenotypically characterized. RESULTS The gut microbiota of PNs was dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, and five enterotypes were identified. The microbiota composition was similar between NEC cases and PN controls. However, differences were observed in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus genus, which was significantly lower in the NEC group, whereas that of the Clostridium cluster III was significantly higher (p < 0.05). Within enterotypes, several phylotypes were significantly more abundant in NEC cases (p < 0.05). Regarding perinatal factors, a statistical association was found between the gut microbiota and cesarean delivery and antifungal therapy. In NEC cases and PN controls, the carriage rates and virulence genes of uropathogenic E. coli were equivalent based on culture. No correlation was found between E. coli, C. butyricum, and C. neonatale carriages, beta-lactam resistance, and antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSIONS At disease onset, our data support a microbiota dysbiosis between NEC and control infants at the genus level. In addition, it provides valuable information on bacterial antimicrobial susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio Aires
- Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, Université Paris Cité, INSERM, UMR-S 1139 (3PHM), 75006 Paris, France (F.B.)
- FHU PREMA, Fighting Prematurity, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Zehra Esra Ilhan
- Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, University Paris-Saclay, 91190 Paris, France; (Z.E.I.); (M.B.)
| | - Lancelot Nicolas
- Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, Université Paris Cité, INSERM, UMR-S 1139 (3PHM), 75006 Paris, France (F.B.)
- FHU PREMA, Fighting Prematurity, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Laurent Ferraris
- Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, Université Paris Cité, INSERM, UMR-S 1139 (3PHM), 75006 Paris, France (F.B.)
- FHU PREMA, Fighting Prematurity, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Johanne Delannoy
- Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, Université Paris Cité, INSERM, UMR-S 1139 (3PHM), 75006 Paris, France (F.B.)
- FHU PREMA, Fighting Prematurity, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Maxime Bredel
- Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, University Paris-Saclay, 91190 Paris, France; (Z.E.I.); (M.B.)
| | - Anne Chauvire-Drouard
- Centre d’Investigation Clinique CIC 1413, INSERM, CHU de Nantes, 44093 Nantes, France;
| | - Frédéric Barbut
- Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, Université Paris Cité, INSERM, UMR-S 1139 (3PHM), 75006 Paris, France (F.B.)
- FHU PREMA, Fighting Prematurity, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Rozé
- Department of Neonatal Medicine, University Hospital of Nantes, 44093 Nantes, France;
| | - Patricia Lepage
- Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, University Paris-Saclay, 91190 Paris, France; (Z.E.I.); (M.B.)
| | - Marie-José Butel
- Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, Université Paris Cité, INSERM, UMR-S 1139 (3PHM), 75006 Paris, France (F.B.)
- FHU PREMA, Fighting Prematurity, 75014 Paris, France
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23
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Hawas S, Qin J, Wiedbrauk S, Fairfull-Smith K, Totsika M. Preclinical Evaluation of Nitroxide-Functionalised Ciprofloxacin as a Novel Antibiofilm Drug Hybrid for Urinary Tract Infections. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1479. [PMID: 37887180 PMCID: PMC10604439 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12101479] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common bacterial infection with high recurrence rates and can involve biofilm formation on patient catheters. Biofilms are inherently tolerant to antimicrobials, making them difficult to eradicate. Many antibiofilm agents alone do not have bactericidal activity; therefore, linking them to antibiotics is a promising antibiofilm strategy. However, many of these hybrid agents have not been tested in relevant preclinical settings, limiting their potential for clinical translation. Here, we evaluate a ciprofloxacin di-nitroxide hybrid (CDN11), previously reported to have antibiofilm activity against uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strain UTI89 in vitro, as a potential UTI therapeutic using multiple preclinical models that reflect various aspects of UTI pathogenesis. We report improved in vitro activity over the parent drug ciprofloxacin against mature UTI89 biofilms formed inside polyethylene catheters. In bladder cell monolayers infected with UTI89, treatment with CDN11 afforded significant reduction in bacterial titers, including intracellular UPEC. Infected mouse bladders containing biofilm-like intracellular reservoirs of UPEC UTI89 showed decreased bacterial loads after ex vivo bladder treatment with CDN11. Activity for CDN11 was reported across different models of UTI, showcasing nitroxide-antibiotic hybridization as a promising antibiofilm approach. The pipeline we described here could be readily used in testing other new therapeutic compounds, fast-tracking the development of novel antibiofilm therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Hawas
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; (S.H.); (J.Q.)
- Max Planck Queensland Centre, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia
| | - Jilong Qin
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; (S.H.); (J.Q.)
| | - Sandra Wiedbrauk
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia; (S.W.); (K.F.-S.)
- Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Kathryn Fairfull-Smith
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia; (S.W.); (K.F.-S.)
- Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Makrina Totsika
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; (S.H.); (J.Q.)
- Max Planck Queensland Centre, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia
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Walker GK, Harden L, Suyemoto MM, Thakur S, Jacob M, Borst LB. Draft genome sequences of 12 Escherichia coli co-isolated with Enterococcus spp. from dogs with polybacterial bacteriuria at a veterinary hospital. Microbiol Resour Announc 2023; 12:e0026223. [PMID: 37551975 PMCID: PMC10508164 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00262-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli are frequently co-isolated with Enterococcus spp. from urine cultures of dogs with urinary tract infections (UTIs). Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) are augmented by Enterococcus in polymicrobial UTIs. We report the draft genome sequences of 12 UPEC co-isolated with Enterococcus spp. from canine urinary tract infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grayson K. Walker
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lyndy Harden
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - M. Mitsu Suyemoto
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Siddhartha Thakur
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Megan Jacob
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Luke B. Borst
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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25
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Lin JB, Mora A, Wang TJ, Santeford A, Usmani D, Ligon MM, Mysorekar IU, Apte RS. Loss of stearoyl-CoA desaturase 2 disrupts inflammatory response in macrophages. mBio 2023; 14:e0092523. [PMID: 37417745 PMCID: PMC10470784 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00925-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrophages are innate immune cells that patrol tissues and are the first responders to detect infection. They orchestrate the host immune response in eliminating invading pathogens and the subsequent transition from inflammation to tissue repair. Macrophage dysfunction contributes to age-related pathologies, including low-grade inflammation in advanced age that is termed "inflammaging." Our laboratory has previously identified that macrophage expression of a fatty acid desaturase, stearoyl-CoA desaturase 2 (SCD2), declines with age. Herein, we delineate the precise cellular effects of SCD2 deficiency in murine macrophages. We found that deletion of Scd2 from macrophages dysregulated basal and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated transcription of numerous inflammation-associated genes. Specifically, deletion of Scd2 from macrophages decreased basal and LPS-induced expression of Il1b transcript that corresponded to decreased production of precursor IL1B protein and release of mature IL1B. Furthermore, we identified disruptions in autophagy and depletion of unsaturated cardiolipins in SCD2-deficient macrophages. To assess the functional relevance of SCD2 in the macrophage response to infection, we challenged SCD2-deficient macrophages with uropathogenic Escherichia coli and found that there was impaired clearance of intracellular bacteria. This increased burden of intracellular bacteria was accompanied by increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL6 and TNF but decreased IL1B. Taken together, these results indicate that macrophage expression of Scd2 is necessary for maintaining the macrophage response to inflammatory stimuli. This link between fatty acid metabolism and fundamental macrophage effector functions may potentially be relevant to diverse age-related pathologies. IMPORTANCE Macrophages are immune cells that respond to infection, but their dysfunction is implicated in many age-related diseases. Recent evidence showed that macrophage expression of a fatty acid enzyme, stearoyl-CoA desaturase 2, declines in aged organisms. In this work, we characterize the effects when stearoyl-CoA desaturase 2 is deficient in macrophages. We identify aspects of the macrophage inflammatory response to infection that may be affected when expression of a key fatty acid enzyme is decreased, and these findings may provide cellular insight into how macrophages contribute to age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph B. Lin
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Amy Mora
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Tzu Jui Wang
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Andrea Santeford
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Darksha Usmani
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Marianne M. Ligon
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Indira U. Mysorekar
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Rajendra S. Apte
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Morales G, Abelson B, Reasoner S, Miller J, Earl AM, Hadjifrangiskou M, Schmitz J. The Role of Mobile Genetic Elements in Virulence Factor Carriage from Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Cases of Escherichia coli Bacteriuria. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0471022. [PMID: 37195213 PMCID: PMC10269530 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04710-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is extremely diverse genotypically and phenotypically. Individual strains can variably carry diverse virulence factors, making it challenging to define a molecular signature for this pathotype. For many bacterial pathogens, mobile genetic elements (MGEs) constitute a major mechanism of virulence factor acquisition. For urinary E. coli, the total distribution of MGEs and their role in the acquisition of virulence factors is not well defined, including in the context of symptomatic infection versus asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB). In this work, we characterized 151 isolates of E. coli, derived from patients with either urinary tract infection (UTI) or ASB. For both sets of E. coli, we catalogued the presence of plasmids, prophage, and transposons. We analyzed MGE sequences for the presence of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes. These MGEs were associated with only ~4% of total virulence associated genes, while plasmids contributed to ~15% of antimicrobial resistance genes under consideration. Our analyses suggests that, across strains of E. coli, MGEs are not a prominent driver of urinary tract pathogenesis and symptomatic infection. IMPORTANCE Escherichia coli is the most common etiological agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs), with UTI-associated strains designated "uropathogenic" E. coli or UPEC. Across urinary strains of E. coli, the global landscape of MGEs and its relationship to virulence factor carriage and clinical symptomatology require greater clarity. Here, we demonstrate that many of the putative virulence factors of UPEC are not associated with acquisition due to MGEs. The current work enhances our understanding of the strain-to-strain variability and pathogenic potential of urine-associated E. coli and points toward more subtle genomic differences distinguishing ASB from UTI isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Morales
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Benjamin Abelson
- Department of Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Seth Reasoner
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jordan Miller
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ashlee M. Earl
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maria Hadjifrangiskou
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jonathan Schmitz
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Koley S, Mukherjee M. Cytokine profile in HTB-4 cells with respect to fimH, papC and hlyA expression in uropathogenic Escherichia coli invasion. Future Microbiol 2023. [PMID: 37288968 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2022-0240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: In this study, uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) from pregnant and nonpregnant patients were characterized with respect to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and expression of their virulence factors and cytokines elicited upon infection in urothelial (HTB-4) cells in vitro to frame proper therapeutics. Methods: Antibiotic sensitivity and adherence to HTB-4 cells were tested and PCR and real-time PCR were performed. Results: UPEC from nonpregnant patients showed the most resistance with a significant correlation between the expression of hlyA and TGF-β and papC and GCSF. The expression of fimH and IFN-γ, fimH and IL-1β, and fimH and IL-17A, respectively, were significantly correlated in UPEC from pregnant patients. Conclusion: Cytokine expression profiles were correlated with the expression of virulence genes in UPEC that was isolated from different populations, and should be accounted for along with AMR analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snehashis Koley
- Department of Biochemistry & Medical Biotechnology, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, 700073, India
| | - Mandira Mukherjee
- Department of Biochemistry & Medical Biotechnology, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, 700073, India
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García V, Lestón L, Parga A, García-Meniño I, Fernández J, Otero A, Olsen JE, Herrero-Fresno A, Mora A. Genomics, biofilm formation and infection of bladder epithelial cells in potentially uropathogenic Escherichia coli ( UPEC) from animal sources and human urinary tract infections (UTIs) further support food-borne transmission. One Health 2023; 16:100558. [PMID: 37363240 PMCID: PMC10288081 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100558] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli is the main cause of urinary tract infections (UTI). While genomic comparison of specific clones recovered from animals, and human extraintestinal infections show high identity, studies demonstrating the uropathogenicity are lacking. In this study, comparative genomics combined with bladder-cell and biofilm formation assays, were performed for 31 E. coli of different origins: 7 from meat (poultry, beef, and pork); 2 from avian-farm environment; 12 from human uncomplicated UTI, uUTI; and 10 from human complicated UTI, cUTI. These isolates were selected based on their genetic uropathogenic (UPEC) status and phylogenetic background. In silico analysis revealed similar virulence-gene profiles, with flagella, type 1 and curli fimbriae, outer-membrane proteins (agn43, ompT, iha), and iron-uptake (iutA, entA, and fyuA) associated-traits as the most prevalent (>65%). In bladder-cell assays, moderate to strong values of association (83%, 60%, 77.8%) and invasion (0%, 70%, 55.5%) were exhibited by uUTI, cUTI, and animal-derived isolates, respectively. Of interest, uUTI isolates exhibited a significantly lower invasive capacity than cUTI isolates (p < 0.05). All isolates but one produced measurable biofilm. Notably, 1 turkey meat isolate O11:H6-F-ST457, and 2 cUTI isolates of the pandemic lineages O83:H42-F-ST1485-CC648 and O25b:H4-B2-ST131, showed strong association, invasion and biofilm formation. These isolates showed common carriage of type 1 fimbriae and csg operons, toxins (hlyF, tsh), iron uptake systems (iutA, entA, iroN), colicins, protectins (cvaC, iss, kpsM, traT), ompT, and malX. In summary, the similar in vitro behaviour found here for certain E. coli clones of animal origin would further reinforce the role of food-producing animals as a potential source of UPEC. Bladder-cell infection assays, combined with genomics, might be an alternative to in vivo virulence models to assess uropathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanesa García
- Laboratorio de Referencia de Escherichia coli (LREC), Dpto. de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Lugo 27002, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago 15706, Spain
| | - Luz Lestón
- Laboratorio de Referencia de Escherichia coli (LREC), Dpto. de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Lugo 27002, Spain
| | - Ana Parga
- Departamento de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Facultade de Bioloxía, Edificio CIBUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
| | - Isidro García-Meniño
- Laboratorio de Referencia de Escherichia coli (LREC), Dpto. de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Lugo 27002, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago 15706, Spain
- Department for Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin 10589, Germany
| | - Javier Fernández
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Oviedo 33011, Spain
- Grupo de Microbiología Traslacional, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo 33011, Spain
- Research & Innovation, Artificial Intelligence and Statistical Department, Pragmatech AI Solutions, Oviedo 33011, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Otero
- Departamento de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Facultade de Bioloxía, Edificio CIBUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
| | - John E. Olsen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1870, Denmark
| | - Ana Herrero-Fresno
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1870, Denmark
| | - Azucena Mora
- Laboratorio de Referencia de Escherichia coli (LREC), Dpto. de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Lugo 27002, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago 15706, Spain
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Gao M, Zhao T, Zhang C, Li P, Wang J, Han J, Zhang N, Pang B, Liu S. Ferritinophagy-mediated iron competition in RUTIs: Tug-of-war between UPEC and host. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 163:114859. [PMID: 37167722 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114859] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the main pathogen of recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs). Urinary tract infection is a complicated interaction between UPEC and the host. During infection, UPEC can evade the host's immune response and retain in bladder epithelial cells, which requires adequate nutritional support. Iron is the first necessary trace element in life and a key nutritional factor, making it an important part of the competition between UPEC and the host. On the one hand, UPEC grabs iron to satisfy its reproduction, on the other hand, the host relies on iron to build nutritional immunity defenses against UPEC. Ferritinophagy is a selective autophagy of ferritin mediated by nuclear receptor coactivator 4, which is not only a way for the host to regulate iron metabolism to maintain iron homeostasis, but also a key point of competition between the host and UPEC. Although recent studies have confirmed the role of ferritinophagy in the progression of many diseases, the mechanism of potential interactions between ferritinophagy in UPEC and the host is poorly understood. In this paper, we reviewed the potential mechanisms of ferritinophagy-mediated iron competition in the UPEC-host interactions. This competitive relationship, like a tug-of-war, is a confrontation between the capability of UPEC to capture iron and the host's nutritional immunity defense, which could be the trigger for RUTIs. Therefore, understanding ferritinophagy-mediated iron competition may provide new strategies for exploring effective antibiotic alternative therapies to prevent and treat RUTIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Gao
- Department of Nephrology and Endocrinology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Tingting Zhao
- Department of Nephrology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory 9 Diseases, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Chuanlong Zhang
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Nephrology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory 9 Diseases, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Jiazhe Wang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Jiatong Han
- Department of Nephrology and Endocrinology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Department of Nephrology and Endocrinology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Bo Pang
- International Medical Department of Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China.
| | - Shiwei Liu
- Department of Nephrology and Endocrinology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100102, China.
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30
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Trofimova E, Asgharzadeh Kangachar S, Weynberg KD, Willows RD, Jaschke PR. A bacterial genome assembly and annotation laboratory using a virtual machine. Biochem Mol Biol Educ 2023; 51:276-285. [PMID: 36866633 PMCID: PMC10947226 DOI: 10.1002/bmb.21720] [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: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
With the global increase of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, there is an urgent need for new methods of tackling the issue. Genomic analysis of bacterial strains can help to understand their virulence and antibiotic resistance profile. Bioinformatic skills are in great demand across the biological sciences. We designed a workshop that allows university students to learn the process of genome assembly using command-line tools within a virtual machine on a Linux operating system. We use Illumina and Nanopore short and long-read raw sequences to reveal the advantages and disadvantages of short, long, and hybrid assembly methods. The workshop teaches how to assess read and assembly quality, perform genome annotation, and analyze pathogenicity, antibiotic and phage resistance. The workshop is intended for a five-week teaching period and is concluded by a student poster presentation assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellina Trofimova
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic BiologyMacquarie UniversitySydneyAustralia
| | - Shahla Asgharzadeh Kangachar
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular BiosciencesUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Karen D. Weynberg
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular BiosciencesUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Robert D. Willows
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Paul R. Jaschke
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic BiologyMacquarie UniversitySydneyAustralia
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31
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Nasi GI, Georgakopoulou KI, Theodoropoulou MK, Papandreou NC, Chrysina ED, Tsiolaki PL, Iconomidou VA. Bacterial Lectin FimH and Its Aggregation Hot-Spots: An Alternative Strategy against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15031018. [PMID: 36986878 PMCID: PMC10058141 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15031018] [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: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Type I fimbriae are the main adhesive organelles of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), consisting of four different subunits. Their component with the most important role in establishing bacterial infections is the FimH adhesin located at the fimbrial tip. This two-domain protein mediates adhesion to host epithelial cells through interaction with terminal mannoses on epithelial glycoproteins. Here, we propose that the amyloidogenic potential of FimH can be exploited for the development of therapeutic agents against Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). Aggregation-prone regions (APRs) were identified via computational methods, and peptide-analogues corresponding to FimH lectin domain APRs were chemically synthesized and studied with the aid of both biophysical experimental techniques and molecular dynamic simulations. Our findings indicate that these peptide-analogues offer a promising set of antimicrobial candidate molecules since they can either interfere with the folding process of FimH or compete for the mannose-binding pocket.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia I Nasi
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15701 Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantina I Georgakopoulou
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15701 Athens, Greece
| | - Marilena K Theodoropoulou
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15701 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikos C Papandreou
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15701 Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelia D Chrysina
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Paraskevi L Tsiolaki
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15701 Athens, Greece
| | - Vassiliki A Iconomidou
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15701 Athens, Greece
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32
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Antypas H, Zhang T, Choong FX, Melican K, Richter-Dahlfors A. Dynamic single cell analysis in a proximal-tubule-on-chip reveals heterogeneous epithelial colonization strategies of uropathogenic Escherichia coli under shear stress. FEMS Microbes 2023; 4:xtad007. [PMID: 37333433 PMCID: PMC10117878 DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtad007] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The urinary tract is a hydrodynamically challenging microenvironment and uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) must overcome several physiological challenges in order to adhere and establish a urinary tract infection. Our previous work in vivo revealed a synergy between different UPEC adhesion organelles, which facilitated effective colonization of the renal proximal tubule. To allow high-resolution real-time analysis of this colonization behavior, we established a biomimetic proximal-tubule-on-chip (PToC). The PToC allowed for single-cell resolution analysis of the first stages of bacterial interaction with host epithelial cells, under physiological flow. Time-lapse microscopy and single-cell trajectory analysis in the PToC revealed that while the majority of UPEC moved directly through the system, a minority population initiated heterogeneous adhesion, identified as either rolling or bound. Adhesion was predominantly transient and mediated by P pili at the earliest time-points. These bound bacteria initiated a founder population which rapidly divided, leading to 3D microcolonies. Within the first hours, the microcolonies did not express extracellular curli matrix, but rather were dependent on Type 1 fimbriae as the key element in the microcolony structure. Collectively, our results show the application of Organ-on-chip technology to address bacterial adhesion behaviors, demonstrating a well-orchestrated interplay and redundancy between adhesion organelles that enables UPEC to form microcolonies and persist under physiological shear stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haris Antypas
- AIMES – Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Karolinska Institutet and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tianqi Zhang
- AIMES – Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Karolinska Institutet and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ferdinand X Choong
- AIMES – Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Karolinska Institutet and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Keira Melican
- AIMES – Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Karolinska Institutet and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Agneta Richter-Dahlfors
- AIMES – Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Karolinska Institutet and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
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Karczewska M, Strzelecki P, Bogucka K, Potrykus K, Szalewska-Pałasz A, Nowicki D. Increased Levels of (p)ppGpp Correlate with Virulence and Biofilm Formation, but Not with Growth, in Strains of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24. [PMID: 36834725 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043315] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infections are one of the most frequent bacterial diseases worldwide. UPECs are the most prominent group of bacterial strains among pathogens responsible for prompting such infections. As a group, these extra-intestinal infection-causing bacteria have developed specific features that allow them to sustain and develop in their inhabited niche of the urinary tract. In this study, we examined 118 UPEC isolates to determine their genetic background and antibiotic resistance. Moreover, we investigated correlations of these characteristics with the ability to form biofilm and to induce a general stress response. We showed that this strain collection expressed unique UPEC attributes, with the highest representation of FimH, SitA, Aer, and Sfa factors (100%, 92.5%, 75%, and 70%, respectively). According to CRA (Congo red agar) analysis, the strains particularly predisposed to biofilm formation represented 32.5% of the isolates. Those biofilm forming strains presented a significant ability to accumulate multi-resistance traits. Most notably, these strains presented a puzzling metabolic phenotype-they showed elevated basal levels of (p)ppGpp in the planktonic phase and simultaneously exhibited a shorter generation time when compared to non-biofilm-forming strains. Moreover, our virulence analysis showed these phenotypes to be crucial for the development of severe infections in the Galleria mellonella model.
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Liu L, Law COK, Nie Q, Pham HQ, Ma H, Zhang L, Ho PL, Lau TCK. Comparative analysis of outer membrane vesicles from uropathogenic Escherichia coli reveal the role of aromatic amino acids synthesis proteins in motility. Int J Med Microbiol 2023; 313:151573. [PMID: 36634604 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2023.151573] [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: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are causative agent that causes urinary tract infections (UTIs) and the recent emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) of UPEC increases the burden on the community. Recent studies of bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMV) identified various factors including proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules which provided inter-cellular communication within the bacterial population. However, the components of UPEC-specific OMVs and their functional role remain unclear. Here, we systematically determined the proteomes of UPEC-OMVs and identified the specific components that provide functions to the recipient bacteria. Based on the functional network of OMVs' proteomes, a group of signaling peptides was found in all OMVs which provide communication among bacteria. Moreover, we demonstrated that treatment with UPEC-OMVs affected the motility and biofilm formation of the recipient bacteria, and further identified aromatic amino acid (AAA) biosynthesis proteins as the key factors to provide their movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- LiangZhe Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518000, China; Center for Clinical Precision Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China; School of Clinical Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Carmen Oi Kwan Law
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Qichang Nie
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Hoa Quynh Pham
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Haiying Ma
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Liang Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Pak Leung Ho
- Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Terrence Chi-Kong Lau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518000, China.
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35
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Tan A, Alsenani Q, Lanz M, Birchall C, Drage LKL, Picton D, Mowbray C, Ali A, Harding C, Pickard RS, Hall J, Aldridge PD. Evasion of toll-like receptor recognition by Escherichia coli is mediated via population level regulation of flagellin production. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1093922. [PMID: 37032848 PMCID: PMC10078357 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1093922] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli is a major cause of urinary tract infections. Analysis of the innate immune response in immortalized urothelial cells suggests that the bacterial flagellar subunit, flagellin, is key in inducing host defenses. A panel of 48 clinical uro-associated E. coli isolates recovered from either cystitis, pyelonephritis asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) or UTI-associated bacteraemia infections were characterized for motility and their ability to induce an innate response in urothelial cells stably transfected with a NF-κB luciferase reporter. Thirty-two isolates (67%) were identified as motile with strains recovered from cystitis patients exhibiting an uneven motility distribution pattern; seven of the cystitis isolates were associated with a > 5-fold increase in NF-κB signaling. To explore whether the NF-κB signaling response reflected antigenic variation, flagellin was purified from 14 different isolates. Purified flagellin filaments generated comparable NF-κB signaling responses, irrespective of either the source of the isolate or H-serotype. These data argued against any variability between isolates being related to flagellin itself. Investigations also argued that neither TLR4 dependent recognition of bacterial lipopolysaccharide nor growth fitness of the isolates played key roles in leading to the variable host response. To determine the roles, if any, of flagellar abundance in inducing these variable responses, flagellar hook numbers of a range of cystitis and ABU isolates were quantified. Images suggested that up to 60% of the isolate population exhibited flagella with the numbers averaging between 1 and 2 flagella per bacterial cell. These data suggest that selective pressures exist in the urinary tract that allow uro-associated E. coli strains to maintain motility, but exploit population heterogeneity, which together function to prevent host TLR5 recognition and bacterial killing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Tan
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Qusai Alsenani
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Marcello Lanz
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Birchall
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren K. L. Drage
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - David Picton
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine Mowbray
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Ased Ali
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Harding
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Urology Department, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Robert S. Pickard
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Urology Department, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Judith Hall
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Judith Hall,
| | - Phillip D. Aldridge
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Phillip D. Aldridge,
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Shea AE, Frick-Cheng AE, Smith SN, Mobley HLT. Phenotypic Assessment of Clinical Escherichia coli Isolates as an Indicator for Uropathogenic Potential. mSystems 2022; 7:e0082722. [PMID: 36445110 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00827-22] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
For women in the United States, urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most frequent diagnosis in emergency departments, comprising 21.3% of total visits. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) causes ~80% of uncomplicated UTIs. To combat this public health issue, it is vital to characterize UPEC strains as well as to differentiate them from commensal strains to reduce the overuse of antibiotics. It has been challenging to determine a consistent genetic signature that clearly distinguishes UPEC from other E. coli strains. Therefore, we examined whether phenotypic data could be predictive of uropathogenic potential. We screened 13 clinical strains of UPEC, isolated from cases of uncomplicated UTI in young otherwise healthy women, in a series of microbiological phenotypic assays using UPEC prototype strain CFT073 and nonpathogenic E. coli strain MG1655 K-12 as controls. Phenotypes included adherence, iron acquisition, biofilm formation, human serum resistance, motility, and stress resistance. By use of a well-established experimental mouse model of UTI, these data were able to predict the severity of the bacterial burden in both the urine and bladders. Multiple linear regression using three different phenotypic assays, i.e., growth in minimal medium, siderophore production, and type 1 fimbrial expression, was predictive of bladder colonization (adjusted R2 = 0.6411). Growth in ex vivo human urine, hemagglutination of red blood cells, and motility modeled urine colonization (adjusted R2 = 0.4821). These results showcase the utility of phenotypic characterization to predict the severity of infection that these strains may cause. We predict that these methods will also be applicable to other complex, genetically redundant, pathogens. IMPORTANCE Urinary tract infections are the second leading infectious disease worldwide, occurring in over half of the female population during their lifetime. Most infections are caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains. These strains can establish a reservoir in the gut, in which they do not cause disease but, upon introduction to the urinary tract, can infect the host and elicit pathogenesis. Clinically, it would be beneficial to screen patient E. coli strains to understand their pathogenic potential, which may lead to the administration of prophylactic antibiotic treatment for those with increased risk. Others have proposed the use of PCR-based genetic screening methods to detect UPEC strains and differentiate them from other E. coli pathotypes; however, this method has not yielded a consistent uropathogenic genetic signature. Here, we used phenotypic characteristics such as growth rate, siderophore production, and expression of fimbriae to better predict uropathogenic potential.
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Xavier RGC, Santana CH, da Silva PHS, Aburjaile FF, Pereira FL, Figueiredo HCP, Freitas PMC, Santos RL, Silva ROS. Transmission of Escherichia coli Causing Pyometra between Two Female Dogs. Microorganisms 2022; 10. [PMID: 36557718 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10122465] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its clinical relevance, the pathogenesis of canine pyometra remains poorly understood. To date, it is recognized as a non-transmissible infectious disease. In this study, the simultaneous occurrence of pyometra and Escherichia coli in two cohabitant female dogs underwent in-depth investigation due to the hypothesis of transmission between these animals. Two 5-year-old Chow Chow dogs (namely, dogs 23 and 24-D23 and D24) were referred to a veterinary hospital with suspected pyometra. Both animals showed prostration, anorexia, and purulent vulvar discharge over a 1-week period. After ovariohysterectomy, uterine tissue, uterine contents, and rectal swabs were collected for histopathological and microbiological analysis. Uterine histology demonstrated purulent material and multifocal necrosis with endometrial ulceration, and a morphological diagnosis of pyometra was confirmed. Furthermore, E. coli from the same phylogroup (B2) and positive for the same virulence factors with the same antimicrobial susceptibility profile was isolated from the uterine contents of both dogs and the rectum of D23. Conversely, the E. coli strains recovered from D24 differed in phylogroup (one isolate), virulence factors (all three isolates), and antimicrobial susceptibility (all three isolates). Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) suggested that all isolates from the uterine content of both dogs and the rectal swab of D23 were 100% the same, but different from all isolates in the rectal swab of D24. One isolate from the uterine content of each animal as well as rectal swabs were subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Both whole-genome multilocus sequence typing(wgMLST) and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis supported the hypothesis that the isolates from the uterine content of both animals and the rectal swab of D23 were clonal. Taken together, these clinical features, pathology, microbiology, and molecular findings suggest, to the best of our knowledge, the first transmission of E. coli associated with pyometra between two animals. These results could impact the management of sites where several females cohabit in the same local area such as kennels.
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Santos-Neto JF, Santos ACM, Nascimento JAS, Trovão LO, Santos FF, Valiatti TB, Gales AC, Marques ALVR, Pinaffi IC, Vieira MAM, Silva RM, Falsetti IN, Gomes TAT. Virulence Profile, Antibiotic Resistance, and Phylogenetic Relationships among Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from the Feces and Urine of Hospitalized Patients. Pathogens 2022; 11. [PMID: 36558862 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121528] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) may inhabit the human gut microbiota without causing disease. However, if they reach extra-intestinal sites, common cystitis to bloodstream infections may occur, putting patients at risk. To examine the human gut as a source of endogenous infections, we evaluated the E. coli clonal diversity of 18 inpatients' guts and their relationship with strains isolated from urinary tract infection (UTI) in the same hospital. Random amplified polymorphic DNA evaluated the clonal diversity, and the antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion. One isolate of each clone detected was sequenced, and their virulome and resistome were determined. Overall, 177 isolates were screened, among which 32 clones were identified (mean of two clones per patient), with ExPEC strains found in over 75% of the inpatients' guts. Endogenous infection was confirmed in 75% of the cases. ST10, ST59, ST69, ST131, and ST1193 clones and critical mobile drug-resistance encoding genes (blaCTX-M-15, blaOXA-1, blaDHA-1, aac(6')-lb-cr, mcr-1.26, qnrB4, and qnrB19) were identified in the gut of inpatients. The genomic analysis highlighted the diversity of the fecal strains, colonization by lactose-negative E. coli, the high frequency of ExPEC in the gut of inpatients without infections, and the presence of β-lactamase producing E. coli in the gut of inpatients regardless of the previous antibiotics' usage. Considering that we found more than one ExPEC clone in the gut of several inpatients, surveillance of inpatients' fecal pathogens may prevent UTI caused by E. coli in the hospital and dissemination of risk clones.
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Qasemi A, Rahimi F, Katouli M. Clonal groups of extended-spectrum β-lactamase and biofilm producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli in Iran. Pathog Glob Health 2022; 116:485-497. [PMID: 34904540 PMCID: PMC9639551 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2021.2011578] [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: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenicity of a bacterium is affected by the social characteristics of the population and environmental factors. The ability of biofilm formation among β-lactamase-producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) could facilitate the exchange of antibiotic-resistance genes, which resulted in widespread dissemination of antibacterial drug resistance. We investigated the prevalence of biofilm and β-lactamase producing UPECs among patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) in two cities with different demographics and climates in Iran. A total of 265 E. coli was isolated from patients with UTIs from two referral hospitals (n = 191) and two outpatient clinics (n = 74) in Isfahan and Zahedan, Iran. Production of curli and cellulose, and, biofilm formation was investigated using Congo red agar and microtiter plate methods, respectively. Biofilm producing (BFP) isolates (n = 107) were further characterized using rep-PCR, antimicrobial susceptibility testing and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)/AmpC phenotypic production. Isolates were also screened for the presence of carbapenemase, ESBL and AmpC genes using multiplex PCR. High diversity was found among BFP strains in both cities, with 58% strains producing ESBL and 21% producing AmpC. ESBL (98%), AmpC (50%) and carbapenemase genes (40%) were identified in BFP strains with ESBL-positive phenotype, respectively. The prevalence of BFP strains, antibiotic resistance and β-lactamase genes in Zahedan, a low socioeconomic city with a warm climate, was significantly higher than that of Isfahan. High prevalence of biofilm and β-lactamase producing UPEC strains among strains from Zahedan suggests that socioeconomic status and environmental factors might have a role in pathogenicity of the strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Qasemi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Fateh Rahimi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran,CONTACT Fateh Rahimi ; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Hezarjarib St., Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Katouli
- Genecology Research Center and School of Science, Technology and Education,University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
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Roussel C, Chabaud S, Lessard-Lord J, Cattero V, Pellerin FA, Feutry P, Bochard V, Bolduc S, Desjardins Y. UPEC Colonic-Virulence and Urovirulence Are Blunted by Proanthocyanidins-Rich Cranberry Extract Microbial Metabolites in a Gut Model and a 3D Tissue-Engineered Urothelium. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0243221. [PMID: 35972287 PMCID: PMC9603664 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02432-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) ecology-pathophysiology from the gut reservoir to its urothelium infection site is poorly understood, resulting in equivocal benefits in the use of cranberry as prophylaxis against urinary tract infections. To add further understanding from the previous findings on PAC antiadhesive properties against UPEC, we assessed in this study the effects of proanthocyanidins (PAC) rich cranberry extract microbial metabolites on UTI89 virulence and fitness in contrasting ecological UPEC's environments. For this purpose, we developed an original model combining a colonic fermentation system (SHIME) with a dialysis cassette device enclosing UPEC and a 3D tissue-engineered urothelium. Two healthy fecal donors inoculated the colons. Dialysis cassettes containing 7log10 CFU/mL UTI89 were immersed for 2h in the SHIME colons to assess the effect of untreated (7-day control diet)/treated (14-day PAC-rich extract) metabolomes on UPEC behavior. Engineered urothelium were then infected with dialysates containing UPEC for 6 h. This work demonstrated for the first time that in the control fecal microbiota condition without added PAC, the UPEC virulence genes were activated upstream the infection site, in the gut. However, PAC microbial-derived cranberry metabolites displayed a remarkable propensity to blunt activation of genes encoding toxin, adhesin/invasins in the gut and on the urothelium, in a donor-dependent manner. Variability in subjects' gut microbiota and ensuing contrasting cranberry PAC metabolism affects UPEC virulence and should be taken into consideration when designing cranberry efficacy clinical trials. IMPORTANCE Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are the primary cause of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI). The poor understanding of UPEC ecology-pathophysiology from its reservoir-the gut, to its infection site-the urothelium, partly explains the inadequate and abusive use of antibiotics to treat UTI, which leads to a dramatic upsurge in antibiotic-resistance cases. In this context, we evaluated the effect of a cranberry proanthocyanidins (PAC)-rich extract on the UPEC survival and virulence in a bipartite model of a gut microbial environment and a 3D urothelium model. We demonstrated that PAC-rich cranberry extract microbial metabolites significantly blunt activation of UPEC virulence genes at an early stage in the gut reservoir. We also showed that altered virulence in the gut affects infectivity on the urothelium in a microbiota-dependent manner. Among the possible mechanisms, we surmise that specific microbial PAC metabolites may attenuate UPEC virulence, thereby explaining the preventative, yet contentious properties of cranberry against UTI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlène Roussel
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Laval University, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stéphane Chabaud
- Centre de Recherche en Organogenèse Expérimentale de l Université Laval/LOEX, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec‐Université Laval, Axe Médecine Régénératrice, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jacob Lessard-Lord
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Laval University, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Valentina Cattero
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Laval University, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Félix-Antoine Pellerin
- Centre de Recherche en Organogenèse Expérimentale de l Université Laval/LOEX, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec‐Université Laval, Axe Médecine Régénératrice, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Perrine Feutry
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Laval University, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Stéphane Bolduc
- Centre de Recherche en Organogenèse Expérimentale de l Université Laval/LOEX, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec‐Université Laval, Axe Médecine Régénératrice, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yves Desjardins
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Laval University, Québec, Quebec, Canada
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Fernández-Vázquez J, Cabrer-Panes JD, Åberg A, Juárez A, Madrid C, Gaviria-Cantin T, Fernández-Coll L, Vargas-Sinisterra AF, Jiménez CJ, Balsalobre C. ppGpp, the General Stress Response Alarmone, Is Required for the Expression of the α-Hemolysin Toxin in the Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolate, J96. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012256. [PMID: 36293122 PMCID: PMC9602796 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012256] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
ppGpp is an intracellular sensor that, in response to different types of stress, coordinates the rearrangement of the gene expression pattern of bacteria to promote adaptation and survival to new environmental conditions. First described to modulate metabolic adaptive responses, ppGpp modulates the expression of genes belonging to very diverse functional categories. In Escherichia coli, ppGpp regulates the expression of cellular factors that are important during urinary tract infections. Here, we characterize the role of this alarmone in the regulation of the hlyCABDII operon of the UPEC isolate J96, encoding the toxin α-hemolysin that induces cytotoxicity during infection of bladder epithelial cells. ppGpp is required for the expression of the α-hemolysin encoded in hlyCABDII by stimulating its transcriptional expression. Prototrophy suppressor mutations in a ppGpp-deficient strain restore the α-hemolysin expression from this operon to wild-type levels, confirming the requirement of ppGpp for its expression. ppGpp stimulates hlyCABDII expression independently of RpoS, RfaH, Zur, and H-NS. The expression of hlyCABDII is promoted at 37 °C and at low osmolarity. ppGpp is required for the thermoregulation but not for the osmoregulation of the hlyCABDII operon. Studies in both commensal and UPEC isolates demonstrate that no UPEC specific factor is strictly required for the ppGpp-mediated regulation described. Our data further support the role of ppGpp participating in the coordinated regulation of the expression of bacterial factors required during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Fernández-Vázquez
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan David Cabrer-Panes
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Åberg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Antonio Juárez
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Madrid
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tania Gaviria-Cantin
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Llorenç Fernández-Coll
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Carlos Jonay Jiménez
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Balsalobre
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-934-034-622
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Kaur H, Kalia M, Chaudhary N, Singh V, Yadav VK, Modgil V, Kant V, Mohan B, Bhatia A, Taneja N. Repurposing of FDA approved drugs against uropathogenic Escherichia coli: In silico, in vitro, and in vivo analysis. Microb Pathog 2022; 169:105665. [PMID: 35781005 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a serious health concern worldwide. Treatment of UTIs is becoming a challenge as uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), which is the most common etiological agent, has developed resistance to the main classes of antibiotics. Small molecules that interfere with metabolic processes rather than growth are attractive alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Repurposing of already known drugs for treating infectious diseases could be an attractive avenue for finding novel therapeutics against infections caused by UPEC. Virtual screenings enable the rapid and economical identification of target ligands from large libraries of compounds, reducing the cost and time of traditional drug discovery. Moreover, the drugs that have been approved by the FDA have low cytotoxicity and good pharmacological characteristics. In this work, we targeted the HisC enzyme of the histidine biosynthetic pathway as enzymes of this pathway are absent in humans. We screened the library of FDA-approved drugs against HisC via molecular docking, and four hits (Docetaxel, Suramin, Digitoxin, and Nystatin) showing the highest binding energy were selected. These were further tested for antibacterial activity, which was observed only for Docetaxel (MIC value of 640 μg/ml); therefore, Docetaxel was further tested for its efficacy in vivo in murine catheter UTI model and antibiofilm activity using crystal violet staining and scanning electron microscopy. Docetaxel inhibited biofilm formation and reduced the bacterial load in urine, kidney, and bladder. Docking studies revealed that Docetaxel acts by blocking the binding site of HisC to the native substrate by competitive inhibition. Docetaxel may be a potential new inhibitor for UPEC with antibacterial and antibiofilm capability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harpreet Kaur
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Manmohit Kalia
- Department of Biology, State University of Newyork, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Naveen Chaudhary
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Vikram Singh
- Center of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Vivek Kumar Yadav
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Vinay Modgil
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Vishal Kant
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Balvinder Mohan
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Alka Bhatia
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Biotechnology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Neelam Taneja
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
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Islam MJ, Bagale K, John PP, Kurtz Z, Kulkarni R. Glycosuria Alters Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Global Gene Expression and Virulence. mSphere 2022;:e0000422. [PMID: 35477301 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00004-22] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the principal etiology of more than half of urinary tract infections (UTI) in humans with diabetes mellitus. Epidemiological data and studies in mouse model of ascending UTI have elucidated various host factors responsible for increasing the susceptibility of diabetic hosts to UPEC-UTI. In contrast, diabetic urinary microenvironment-mediated alterations in UPEC physiology and its contributions to shaping UPEC-UTI pathogenesis in diabetes have not been examined. To address our central hypothesis that glycosuria directly induces urinary virulence of UPEC, we compared virulence characteristics and gene expression in human UPEC strains UTI89 (cystitis) and CFT073 (pyelonephritis), exposed for 2 h in vitro to urine from either male or female donors that was either plain or supplemented with glucose to mimic glycosuria. Compared to control UPEC exposed to nutrient-rich culture medium, lysogeny broth, glycosuria-exposed UPEC exhibited significant increase in biofilm formation and reduction in the hemagglutination of Guinea pig erythrocytes (a measure of type 1 piliation). In addition, the analysis of UTI89 transcriptome by RNA sequencing revealed that 2-h-long, in vitro exposure to glycosuria also significantly alters expression of virulence and metabolic genes central to urinary virulence of UPEC. Addition of galactose as an alternative carbon source affected biofilm formation and gene expression profile of UPEC to an extent similar to that observed with glucose exposure. In summary, our results provide novel insights into how glycosuria-mediated rapid changes in UPEC fitness may facilitate UTI pathogenesis in the diabetic urinary microenvironment. IMPORTANCE Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is an important causative agent of urinary tract infections in diabetic humans. We examined the effects of in vitro exposure to glycosuria (presence of glucose in urine) on the virulence and gene expression by UPEC. Our results show that glycosuria rapidly (in 2 h) alters UPEC gene expression, induces biofilm formation, and suppresses type 1 piliation. These results offer novel insights into the pathogenesis of UPEC in the urinary tract.
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Fortney KR, Smith SN, van Rensburg JJ, Brothwell JA, Gardner JJ, Katz BP, Ahsan N, Duerfeldt AS, Mobley HLT, Spinola SM. CpxA Phosphatase Inhibitor Activates CpxRA and Is a Potential Treatment for Uropathogenic Escherichia coli in a Murine Model of Infection. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0243021. [PMID: 35297652 PMCID: PMC9045377 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02430-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
CpxRA is an envelope stress response system that is highly conserved in the Enterobacteriaceae. CpxA has kinase activity for CpxR and phosphatase activity for phospho-CpxR (CpxR-P), a transcription factor. In response to membrane stress, CpxR-P is produced and upregulates genes involved in membrane repair and downregulates genes that encode virulence factors that are trafficked across the cell membrane. Mutants that constitutively activate CpxRA in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and in uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are attenuated in murine models. We hypothesized that pharmacologic activation of CpxR could serve as an antimicrobial/antivirulence strategy and recently showed that 2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-carbazol-1-amines activate the CpxRA system by inhibiting CpxA phosphatase activity. Here, we tested the ability of a series of three CpxRA-activating compounds with increasing potency to clear UPEC stain CFT073 in a murine urinary tract infection model. We show that these compounds are well tolerated and achieve sufficient levels to activate CpxR in the kidneys, bladder, and urine. Although the first two compounds were ineffective in promoting clearance of CFT073 in the murine model, the most potent derivative, compound 26, significantly reduced bacterial recovery in the urine and trended toward reducing bacterial recovery in the bladder and kidneys, with efficacy similar to ciprofloxacin. Treatment of CFT073 cultured in human urine with compound 26 fostered accumulation of CpxR-P and decreased the expression of proteins involved in siderophore biosynthesis and binding, heme degradation, and flagellar movement. These studies suggest that chemical activation of CpxRA may present a viable strategy for treating infections due to UPEC. IMPORTANCE The increasing prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) due to antibiotic-resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is a major public health concern. Bacteria contain proteins that sense their environment and have no human homologs and, thus, are attractive drug targets. CpxRA is a conserved sensing system whose function is to reduce stress in the bacterial cell membrane; activation of CpxRA reduces the expression of virulence determinants, which must cross the cell membrane to reach the bacterial surface. We previously identified a class of compounds that activate CpxRA. We show in a mouse UTI model that our most potent compound significantly reduced recovery of UPEC in the urine, trended toward reducing bacterial recovery in the bladder and kidneys, did not kill UPEC, and downregulated multiple proteins involved in UPEC virulence. Since these compounds do not act by a killing mechanism, they have potential to treat UTIs caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate R. Fortney
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Sara N. Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Julia J. van Rensburg
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Julie A. Brothwell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Jessi J. Gardner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Barry P. Katz
- Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Nagib Ahsan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
- Mass Spectrometry, Proteomics and Metabolomics Core Facility, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Adam S. Duerfeldt
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Harry L. T. Mobley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Stanley M. Spinola
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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45
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Robinson CK, Saenkham-Huntsinger P, Hanson BS, Adams LG, Subashchandrabose S. Vaginal Inoculation of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli during Estrus Leads to Genital and Renal Colonization. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0053221. [PMID: 35357220 PMCID: PMC9022555 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00532-21] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most prevalent bacterial infections, particularly in women, children, and the elderly. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the predominant etiological agent of UTI. Uropathogens are directly instilled in the urinary bladder, bypassing the lower urogenital tract, in the widely used murine model of UTI. We assessed whether vaginal inoculation of UPEC led to UTI and how stages of the estrous cycle would impact bacterial colonization in mice. Mice in proestrus, estrus, metestrus, and diestrus were identified by vaginal cytology and inoculated with UPEC in the vaginal tract. Mice were euthanized 1 day after infection, and bacterial loads in the urogenital tract, liver, and spleen were enumerated. Mice in estrus exhibited the highest and most consistent UPEC burdens in all organs, except the bladder. Vaginal inoculation resulted in bladder colonization in a UPEC strain-specific manner. In contrast, transurethral inoculation of UPEC led to bladder colonization. Importantly, inoculation by both routes led to vaginal and uterine colonization and concomitant systemic dissemination to the spleen and liver. The kinetics of bacterial colonization over 2 weeks following vaginal inoculation was comparable in the urogenital tract. Tissue sections revealed the induction of vaginitis and cystitis upon the vaginal instillation of UPEC. In summary, vaginal inoculation of UPEC in mice during estrus represents a novel approach to investigate infection of the kidneys and genital tract and systemic dissemination from the urogenital tract. Our findings suggest that estrogen primes the urogenital tract to create a conducive milieu for UPEC colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christen K. Robinson
- Comparative Medicine Program, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Panatda Saenkham-Huntsinger
- Comparative Medicine Program, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Braden S. Hanson
- Comparative Medicine Program, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - L. Garry Adams
- Comparative Medicine Program, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Sargurunathan Subashchandrabose
- Comparative Medicine Program, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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46
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Switzer A, Burchell L, Mitsidis P, Thurston T, Wigneshweraraj S. A Role for the RNA Polymerase Gene Specificity Factor σ 54 in the Uniform Colony Growth of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2022;:e0003122. [PMID: 35357162 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00031-22] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The canonical function of a bacterial sigma (σ) factor is to determine the gene specificity of the RNA polymerase (RNAP). In several diverse bacterial species, the σ54 factor uniquely confers distinct functional and regulatory properties on the RNAP. A hallmark feature of the σ54-RNAP is the obligatory requirement for an activator ATPase to allow transcription initiation. Different activator ATPases couple diverse environmental cues to the σ54-RNAP to mediate adaptive changes in gene expression. Hence, the genes that rely upon σ54 for their transcription have a wide range of different functions suggesting that the repertoire of functions performed by genes, directly or indirectly affected by σ54, is not yet exhaustive. By comparing the growth patterns of prototypical enteropathogenic, uropathogenic, and nonpathogenic Escherichia coli strains devoid of σ54, we uncovered that the absence of σ54 results in two differently sized colonies that appear at different times specifically in the uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strain. Notably, UPEC bacteria devoid of individual activator ATPases of the σ54-RNAP do not phenocopy the σ54 mutant strain. Thus, it seems that σ54’s role as a determinant of uniform colony appearance in UPEC bacteria represents a putative non-canonical function of σ54 in regulating genetic information flow. IMPORTANCE RNA synthesis is the first step of gene expression. The multisubunit RNA polymerase (RNAP) is the central enzyme responsible for RNA synthesis in bacteria. The dissociable sigma (σ) factor subunit directs the RNAP to different sets of genes to allow their expression in response to various cellular needs. Of the seven σ factors in Escherichia coli and related bacteria, σ54 exists in a class of its own. This study has uncovered that σ54 is a determinant of the uniform growth of uropathogenic E. coli on solid media. This finding suggests a role for this σ54 in gene regulation that extends beyond its known function as an RNAP gene specificity factor.
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47
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Sarshar M, Scribano D, Limongi D, Zagaglia C, Palamara AT, Ambrosi C. Adaptive strategies of uropathogenic Escherichia coli CFT073: from growth in lab media to virulence during host cell adhesion. Int Microbiol 2022; 25:481-494. [PMID: 35106679 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-022-00235-y] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a major concern in public health. The prevalent uropathogenic bacterium in healthcare settings is Escherichia coli. The increasing rate of antibiotic-resistant strains demands studies to understand E. coli pathogenesis to drive the development of new therapeutic approaches. This study compared the gene expression profile of selected target genes in the prototype uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strain CFT073 grown in Luria Bertani (LB), artificial urine (AU), and during adhesion to host bladder cells by semi-quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) assays. AU effectively supported the growth of strain CFT073 as well as other E. coli strains with different lifestyles, thereby confirming the appropriateness of this medium for in vitro models. Unexpectedly, gene expression of strain CFT073 in LB and AU was quite similar; conversely, during the adhesion assay, adhesins and porins were upregulated, while key global regulators were downregulated with respect to lab media. Interestingly, fimH and papGII genes were significantly expressed in all tested conditions. Taken together, these results provide for the first time insights of the metabolic and pathogenic profile of strain CFT073 during the essential phase of host cell adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meysam Sarshar
- Research Laboratories, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Scribano
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.,Dani Di Giò Foundation-Onlus, 00193, Rome, Italy
| | - Dolores Limongi
- Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Open University, IRCCS San Raffaele Rome, 00166, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Zagaglia
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Teresa Palamara
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy.,Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory affiliated to Institute Pasteur Italia- Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Cecilia Ambrosi
- Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Open University, IRCCS San Raffaele Rome, 00166, Rome, Italy.
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48
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Ernstsen CV, Login FH, Schelde AB, Therkildsen J, Møller‐Jensen J, Nørregaard R, Prætorius H, Nejsum LN. Acute pyelonephritis: Increased plasma membrane targeting of renal aquaporin-2. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2022; 234:e13760. [PMID: 34978750 DOI: 10.1111/apha.13760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
AIM Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) shuttling between intracellular vesicles and the apical plasma membrane is pivotal in arginine vasopressin-mediated urine concentration and is dysregulated in multiple diseases associated with water balance disorders. Children and adults with acute pyelonephritis have a urinary concentration defect and studies in children revealed increased AQP2 excretion in the urine. This study aimed to analyse AQP2 trafficking in response to acute pyelonephritis. METHODS Immunofluorescence analysis was used to evaluate subcellular localization of AQP2 and AQP2-S256A (mimicking non-phosphorylated AQP2 on serine 256) in cells stimulated with bacterial lysates and of AQP2 and pS256-AQP2 in a mouse model at day 5 of acute pyelonephritis. Western blotting was used to evaluate AQP2 levels and AQP2 phosphorylation on S256 upon incubation with bacterial lysates. Time-lapse imaging was used to measure intracellular cAMP levels in response to incubation with bacterial lysates. RESULTS In cell cultures, lysates from both uropathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria-mediated AQP2 plasma membrane targeting and increased AQP2 phosphorylation on serine 256 (pS256) without increasing cAMP levels. Both bacterial lysates induced plasma membrane targeting of AQP2-S256A. Immunofluorescence analysis of renal sections from mice after 5 days of acute pyelonephritis revealed apical plasma membrane targeting of AQP2 and pS256-AQP2 in inner medullary collecting ducts. CONCLUSION Uropathogenic bacteria induce AQP2 plasma membrane targeting in vitro and in vivo. cAMP levels were not elevated by the bacterial lysates and AQP2 plasma membrane targeting could occur without S256 phosphorylation. This may explain increased AQP2 excretion in the urine during acute pyelonephritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina V. Ernstsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Jakob Møller‐Jensen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of Southern Denmark Odense Denmark
| | - Rikke Nørregaard
- Department of Clinical Medicine Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
| | | | - Lene N. Nejsum
- Department of Clinical Medicine Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
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49
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Yang W, Liu P, Chen Y, Lv Q, Wang Z, Huang W, Jiang H, Zheng Y, Jiang Y, Sun L. Dictamnine Inhibits the Adhesion to and Invasion of Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli ( UPEC) to Urothelial Cells. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27010272. [PMID: 35011504 PMCID: PMC8746591 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27010272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most common pathogenic bacteria associated with urinary tract infection (UTI). UPEC can cause UTI by adhering to and invading uroepithelial cells. Fimbriae is the most important virulence factor of UPEC, and a potentially promising target in developing novel antibacterial treatments. In this study, the antibacterial properties and effects of the compound dictamnine, extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Cortex Dictamni, on the bacterial morphology, cell adhesion, and invasion of UPEC were studied. Dictamnine exhibited no obvious antibacterial activity against UPEC, but significantly impeded the ability of UPEC to adhere to and invade uroepithelial cells. RT-qPCR analysis showed that treatment downregulated the expression of type 1 fimbriae, P fimbriae, and curli fimbriae adhesion genes, and also downregulated adhesion-related receptor genes of uroepithelial cells. Transmission electron microscopy showed that dictamnine destroyed the structure of the fimbriae and the surface of the bacteria became smooth. These results suggest that dictamnine may help to prevent UTI by simultaneously targeting UPEC fimbriae and urothelial adhesin receptors, and may have a potential use as a new anti-UPEC drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Yang
- College of Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130117, China; (W.Y.); (Z.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (P.L.); (Q.L.); (W.H.); (H.J.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Peng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (P.L.); (Q.L.); (W.H.); (H.J.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Ying Chen
- School of Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU), Beijing 100048, China;
| | - Qingyu Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (P.L.); (Q.L.); (W.H.); (H.J.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Zhongtian Wang
- College of Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130117, China; (W.Y.); (Z.W.)
| | - Wenhua Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (P.L.); (Q.L.); (W.H.); (H.J.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Hua Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (P.L.); (Q.L.); (W.H.); (H.J.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yuling Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (P.L.); (Q.L.); (W.H.); (H.J.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yongqiang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (P.L.); (Q.L.); (W.H.); (H.J.); (Y.Z.)
- Correspondence: (Y.J.); (L.S.)
| | - Liping Sun
- College of Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130117, China; (W.Y.); (Z.W.)
- Correspondence: (Y.J.); (L.S.)
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50
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Schüroff PA, Salvador FA, Abe CM, Wami HT, Carvalho E, Hernandes RT, Dobrindt U, Gomes TAT, Elias WP. The aggregate-forming pili (AFP) mediates the aggregative adherence of a hybrid-pathogenic Escherichia coli ( UPEC/EAEC) isolated from a urinary tract infection. Virulence 2021; 12:3073-3093. [PMID: 34923895 PMCID: PMC8923075 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.2007645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) comprises an important diarrheagenic pathotype, while uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) is the most important agent of urinary tract infection (UTI). Recently, EAEC virulence factors have been detected in E. coli strains causing UTI, showing the importance of these hybrid-pathogenic strains. Previously, we detected an E. coli strain isolated from UTI (UPEC-46) presenting characteristics of EAEC, e.g., the aggregative adherence (AA) pattern and EAEC-associated genes (aatA, aap, and pet). In this current study, we analyzed the whole genomic sequence of UPEC-46 and characterized some phenotypic traits. The AA phenotype was observed in cell lineages of urinary and intestinal origin. The production of curli, cellulose, bacteriocins, and Pet toxin was detected. Additionally, UPEC-46 was not capable of forming biofilm using different culture media and human urine. The genome sequence analysis showed that this strain belongs to serotype O166:H12, ST10, and phylogroup A, harbors the tet, aadA, and dfrA/sul resistance genes, and is phylogenetically more related to EAEC strains isolated from human feces. UPEC-46 harbors three plasmids. Plasmid p46-1 (~135 kb) carries some EAEC marker genes and those encoding the aggregate-forming pili (AFP) and its regulator (afpR). A mutation in afpA (encoding the AFP major pilin) led to the loss of pilin production and assembly, and notably, a strongly reduced adhesion to epithelial cells. In summary, the genetic background and phenotypic traits analyzed suggest that UPEC-46 is a hybrid strain (UPEC/EAEC) and highlights the importance of AFP adhesin in the adherence to colorectal and bladder cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo A Schüroff
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.,Institute of Hygiene, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Fábia A Salvador
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cecilia M Abe
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Haleluya T Wami
- Institute of Hygiene, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Eneas Carvalho
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo T Hernandes
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Ulrich Dobrindt
- Institute of Hygiene, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tânia A T Gomes
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Waldir P Elias
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
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