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Tamhankar A, Wensien M, Jannuzzi SAV, Chatterjee S, Lassalle-Kaiser B, Tittmann K, DeBeer S. In Solution Identification of the Lysine-Cysteine Redox Switch with a NOS Bridge in Transaldolase by Sulfur K-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:4263-4267. [PMID: 38607253 PMCID: PMC11056971 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c00484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
A novel covalent post-translational modification (lysine-NOS-cysteine) was discovered in proteins, initially in the enzyme transaldolase of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NgTAL) [Nature 2021, 593, 460-464], acting as a redox switch. The identification of this novel linkage in solution was unprecedented until now. We present detection of the NOS redox switch in solution using sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The oxidized NgTAL spectrum shows a distinct shoulder on the low-energy side of the rising edge, corresponding to a dipole-allowed transition from the sulfur 1s core to the unoccupied σ* orbital of the S-O group in the NOS bridge. This feature is absent in the XAS spectrum of reduced NgTAL, where Lys-NOS-Cys is absent. Our experimental and calculated XAS data support the presence of a NOS bridge in solution, thus potentially facilitating future studies on enzyme activity regulation mediated by the NOS redox switches, drug discovery, biocatalytic applications, and protein design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Tamhankar
- Max
Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Stiftstraße 34-36, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Marie Wensien
- Department
of Molecular Enzymology, Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences, Georg-August University Göttingen, Julia-Lermonotowa-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Max
Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sergio A. V. Jannuzzi
- Max
Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Stiftstraße 34-36, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Sayanti Chatterjee
- Max
Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Stiftstraße 34-36, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
- Department
of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology
Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667 Uttarakhand, India
| | | | - Kai Tittmann
- Department
of Molecular Enzymology, Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences, Georg-August University Göttingen, Julia-Lermonotowa-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Max
Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Serena DeBeer
- Max
Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Stiftstraße 34-36, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
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2
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Hwang IS, Kim JH, Jo BH. Enhanced Production of a Thermostable Carbonic Anhydrase in Escherichia coli by Using a Modified NEXT Tag. Molecules 2021; 26:5830. [PMID: 34641375 PMCID: PMC8510462 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26195830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is an ultrafast enzyme that catalyzes the reversible conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to bicarbonate. CA is considered to be a green catalyst for enzyme-based CO2 capture and utilization. In particular, the CA of Thermovibrio ammonificans (taCA) has attracted increasing attention as a highly stable enzyme. However, the poor solubility and the low expression level in Escherichia coli have hampered further utilization of taCA. In a recent study, these limitations were partly resolved by using a small solubility-enhancing fusion tag named NEXT, which originates from the N-terminal extension of Hydrogenovibrio marinus CA. In this study, the NEXT tag was engineered by adding small peptides to the N terminus to further increase the production yield of NEXT-tagged taCA. The addition of ng3 peptide (His-Gly-Asn) originating from the N-terminal sequence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae CA improved the expression of NEXT-taCA, while the previously developed translation-enhancing element (TEE) and Ser-Lys-Ile-Lys (SKIK) tag were not effective. The expression test with all 16 codon combinations for the ng3 sequence revealed that the change in translation initiation rate brought about by the change in nucleotide sequence was not the primary determinant for the change in expression level. The modified ng3-NEXT tag may be applied to increase the production yields of various recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- In Seong Hwang
- Division of Applied Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea;
| | - Joo Hyeon Kim
- Division of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea;
| | - Byung Hoon Jo
- Division of Life Science and Research Institute of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea
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3
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Shin JH, Sulpizio AG, Kelley A, Alvarez L, Murphy SG, Fan L, Cava F, Mao Y, Saper MA, Dörr T. Structural basis of peptidoglycan endopeptidase regulation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:11692-11702. [PMID: 32393643 PMCID: PMC7261138 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001661117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Most bacteria surround themselves with a cell wall, a strong meshwork consisting primarily of the polymerized aminosugar peptidoglycan (PG). PG is essential for structural maintenance of bacterial cells, and thus for viability. PG is also constantly synthesized and turned over; the latter process is mediated by PG cleavage enzymes, for example, the endopeptidases (EPs). EPs themselves are essential for growth but also promote lethal cell wall degradation after exposure to antibiotics that inhibit PG synthases (e.g., β-lactams). Thus, EPs are attractive targets for novel antibiotics and their adjuvants. However, we have a poor understanding of how these enzymes are regulated in vivo, depriving us of novel pathways for the development of such antibiotics. Here, we have solved crystal structures of the LysM/M23 family peptidase ShyA, the primary EP of the cholera pathogen Vibrio cholerae Our data suggest that ShyA assumes two drastically different conformations: a more open form that allows for substrate binding and a closed form, which we predicted to be catalytically inactive. Mutations expected to promote the open conformation caused enhanced activity in vitro and in vivo, and these results were recapitulated in EPs from the divergent pathogens Neisseria gonorrheae and Escherichia coli Our results suggest that LysM/M23 EPs are regulated via release of the inhibitory Domain 1 from the M23 active site, likely through conformational rearrangement in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Ho Shin
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Alan G Sulpizio
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Aaron Kelley
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5606
| | - Laura Alvarez
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Shannon G Murphy
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Lixin Fan
- Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, SAXS Core Facility of the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702
| | - Felipe Cava
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Yuxin Mao
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Mark A Saper
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5606
| | - Tobias Dörr
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853;
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
- Cornell Institute of Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
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4
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Zhan J, Jia H, Semchenko EA, Bian Y, Zhou AM, Li Z, Yang Y, Wang J, Sarkar S, Totsika M, Blanchard H, Jen FEC, Ye Q, Haselhorst T, Jennings MP, Seib KL, Zhou Y. Self-derived structure-disrupting peptides targeting methionine aminopeptidase in pathogenic bacteria: a new strategy to generate antimicrobial peptides. FASEB J 2019; 33:2095-2104. [PMID: 30260702 PMCID: PMC6338635 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201700613rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [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: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial infection is one of the leading causes of death in young, elderly, and immune-compromised patients. The rapid spread of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria is a global health emergency and there is a lack of new drugs to control MDR pathogens. We describe a heretofore-unexplored discovery pathway for novel antibiotics that is based on self-targeting, structure-disrupting peptides. We show that a helical peptide, KFF- EcH3, derived from the Escherichia coli methionine aminopeptidase can disrupt secondary and tertiary structure of this essential enzyme, thereby killing the bacterium (including MDR strains). Significantly, no detectable resistance developed against this peptide. Based on a computational analysis, our study predicted that peptide KFF- EcH3 has the strongest interaction with the structural core of the methionine aminopeptidase. We further used our approach to identify peptide KFF- NgH1 to target the same enzyme from Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This peptide inhibited bacterial growth and was able to treat a gonococcal infection in a human cervical epithelial cell model. These findings present an exciting new paradigm in antibiotic discovery using self-derived peptides that can be developed to target the structures of any essential bacterial proteins.-Zhan, J., Jia, H., Semchenko, E. A., Bian, Y., Zhou, A. M., Li, Z., Yang, Y., Wang, J., Sarkar, S., Totsika, M., Blanchard, H., Jen, F. E.-C., Ye, Q., Haselhorst, T., Jennings, M. P., Seib, K. L., Zhou, Y. Self-derived structure-disrupting peptides targeting methionine aminopeptidase in pathogenic bacteria: a new strategy to generate antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhan
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
| | - Husen Jia
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Yunqiang Bian
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou, China
| | - Amy M. Zhou
- Queensland Academies–Health Sciences, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Zhixiu Li
- Indiana University School of Informatics, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Yuedong Yang
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jihua Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou, China
| | - Sohinee Sarkar
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Makrina Totsika
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Helen Blanchard
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
| | - Freda E.-C. Jen
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
| | - Qizhuang Ye
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | | | | | - Kate L. Seib
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yaoqi Zhou
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou, China
- Indiana University School of Informatics, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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5
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Welker A, Cronenberg T, Zöllner R, Meel C, Siewering K, Bender N, Hennes M, Oldewurtel ER, Maier B. Molecular Motors Govern Liquidlike Ordering and Fusion Dynamics of Bacterial Colonies. Phys Rev Lett 2018; 121:118102. [PMID: 30265121 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.121.118102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria can adjust the structure of colonies and biofilms to enhance their survival rate under external stress. Here, we explore the link between bacterial interaction forces and colony structure. We show that the activity of extracellular pilus motors enhances local ordering and accelerates fusion dynamics of bacterial colonies. The radial distribution function of mature colonies shows local fluidlike order. The degree and dynamics of ordering are dependent on motor activity. At a larger scale, the fusion dynamics of two colonies shows liquidlike behavior whereby motor activity strongly affects surface tension and viscosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Welker
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Tom Cronenberg
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Robert Zöllner
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Claudia Meel
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Katja Siewering
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Niklas Bender
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Marc Hennes
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Enno R Oldewurtel
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Berenike Maier
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
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6
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Lenz JD, Hackett KT, Dillard JP. A Single Dual-Function Enzyme Controls the Production of Inflammatory NOD Agonist Peptidoglycan Fragments by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. mBio 2017; 8:e01464-17. [PMID: 29042497 PMCID: PMC5646250 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01464-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae gonococcus (GC) is a Gram-negative betaproteobacterium and causative agent of the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. During growth, GC releases lipooligosaccharide (LOS) and peptidoglycan (PG) fragments, which contribute significantly to the inflammatory damage observed during human infection. In ascending infection of human Fallopian tubes, inflammation leads to increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, and sterility. Of the PG fragments released by GC, most are disaccharide peptide monomers, and of those, 80% have tripeptide stems despite the observation that tetrapeptide stems make up 80% of the assembled cell wall. We identified a serine-protease l,d-carboxypeptidase, NGO1274 (LdcA), as the enzyme responsible for converting cell wall tetrapeptide-stem PG to released tripeptide-stem PG. Unlike characterized cytoplasmic LdcA homologs in gammaproteobacteria, LdcA in GC is exported to the periplasm, and its localization is critical for its activity in modifying PG fragments for release. Distinct among other characterized l,d-carboxypeptidases, LdcA from GC is also capable of catalyzing the cleavage of specific peptide cross-bridges (endopeptidase activity). To define the role of ldcA in pathogenesis, we demonstrate that ldcA disruption results in both loss of NOD1-dependent NF-κB activation and decreased NOD2-dependent NF-κB activation while not affecting Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist release. Since the human intracellular peptidoglycan receptor NOD1 (hNOD1) specifically recognizes PG fragments with a terminal meso-DAP rather than d-alanine, we conclude that LdcA is required for GC to provoke NOD1-dependent responses in cells of the human host.IMPORTANCE The macromolecular meshwork of peptidoglycan serves essential functions in determining bacterial cell shape, protecting against osmotic lysis, and defending cells from external assaults. The conserved peptidoglycan structure, however, is also recognized by eukaryotic pattern recognition receptors, which can trigger immune responses against bacteria. Many bacteria can induce an inflammatory response through the intracellular peptidoglycan receptor NOD1, but Neisseria gonorrhoeae serves as an extreme example, releasing fragments of peptidoglycan into the environment during growth that specifically antagonize human NOD1. Understanding the peptidoglycan breakdown mechanisms that allow Neisseria to promote NOD1 activation, rather than avoiding or suppressing immune detection, is critical to understanding the pathogenesis of this increasingly drug-resistant organism. We identify a peptidoglycan l,d-carboxypeptidase responsible for converting liberated peptidoglycan fragments into the human NOD1 agonist and find that the same enzyme has endopeptidase activity on certain peptidoglycan cross-links, the first described combination of those two activities in a single enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Lenz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kathleen T Hackett
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Joseph P Dillard
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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7
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Shewell LK, Jen FEC, Jennings MP. Refinement of immunizing antigens to produce functional blocking antibodies against the AniA nitrite reductase of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0182555. [PMID: 28771632 PMCID: PMC5542605 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of multi-drug resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae has generated an urgent need for novel therapies or a vaccine to prevent gonococcal disease. In this study we investigate the potential of targeting the surface exposed nitrite reductase, AniA, to block activity by producing functional blocking antibodies. AniA activity is essential for anaerobic growth and biofilm formation of N. gonorrhoeae and functional blocking antibodies may prevent colonisation and disease. Seven peptides covering regions adjacent to the active site were designed based on the AniA structure. Six of the seven peptide conjugates generated immune responses. Peptide 7, GALGQLKVEGAEN, was able to elicit antibodies capable of blocking AniA activity. Antiserum raised against the peptide 7 conjugate detected AniA in 20 N. gonorrhoeae clinical isolates. Recombinant AniA protein antigens were also assessed in this study and generated high-titre, functional blocking antibody responses. Peptide 7 conjugates or truncated recombinant AniA antigens have potential for inclusion in a vaccine against N. gonorrhoeae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy K. Shewell
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Freda E.-C Jen
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael P. Jennings
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
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8
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Wierzbicki IH, Zielke RA, Korotkov KV, Sikora AE. Functional and structural studies on the Neisseria gonorrhoeae GmhA, the first enzyme in the glycero-manno-heptose biosynthesis pathways, demonstrate a critical role in lipooligosaccharide synthesis and gonococcal viability. Microbiologyopen 2017; 6. [PMID: 28063198 PMCID: PMC5387315 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Sedoheptulose‐7‐phosphate isomerase, GmhA, is the first enzyme in the biosynthesis of nucleotide‐activated‐glycero‐manno‐heptoses and an attractive, yet underexploited, target for development of broad‐spectrum antibiotics. We demonstrated that GmhA homologs in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis (hereafter called GmhAGC and GmhANM, respectively) were interchangeable proteins essential for lipooligosaccharide (LOS) synthesis, and their depletion had adverse effects on neisserial viability. In contrast, the Escherichia coli ortholog failed to complement GmhAGC depletion. Furthermore, we showed that GmhAGC is a cytoplasmic enzyme with induced expression at mid‐logarithmic phase, upon iron deprivation and anaerobiosis, and conserved in contemporary gonococcal clinical isolates including the 2016 WHO reference strains. The untagged GmhAGC crystallized as a tetramer in the closed conformation with four zinc ions in the active site, supporting that this is most likely the catalytically active conformation of the enzyme. Finally, site‐directed mutagenesis studies showed that the active site residues E65 and H183 were important for LOS synthesis but not for GmhAGC function in bacterial viability. Our studies bring insights into the importance and mechanism of action of GmhA and may ultimately facilitate targeting the enzyme with small molecule inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor H. Wierzbicki
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of PharmacyOregon State UniversityCorvallisORUSA
| | - Ryszard A. Zielke
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of PharmacyOregon State UniversityCorvallisORUSA
| | - Konstantin V. Korotkov
- Department of Molecular & Cellular BiochemistryCollege of MedicineUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKYUSA
| | - Aleksandra E. Sikora
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of PharmacyOregon State UniversityCorvallisORUSA
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9
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Rodas PI, Álamos-Musre AS, Álvarez FP, Escobar A, Tapia CV, Osorio E, Otero C, Calderón IL, Fuentes JA, Gil F, Paredes-Sabja D, Christodoulides M. The NarE protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae catalyzes ADP-ribosylation of several ADP-ribose acceptors despite an N-terminal deletion. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2016; 363:fnw181. [PMID: 27465490 PMCID: PMC5812539 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnw181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ADP-ribosylating enzymes are encoded in many pathogenic bacteria in order to affect essential functions of the host. In this study, we show that Neisseria gonorrhoeae possess a locus that corresponds to the ADP-ribosyltransferase NarE, a previously characterized enzyme in N. meningitidis The 291 bp coding sequence of gonococcal narE shares 100% identity with part of the coding sequence of the meningococcal narE gene due to a frameshift previously described, thus leading to a 49-amino-acid deletion at the N-terminus of gonococcal NarE protein. However, we found a promoter region and a GTG start codon, which allowed expression of the protein as demonstrated by RT-PCR and western blot analyses. Using a gonococcal NarE-6xHis fusion protein, we demonstrated that the gonococcal enzyme underwent auto-ADP-ribosylation but to a lower extent than meningococcal NarE. We also observed that gonoccocal NarE exhibited ADP-ribosyltransferase activity using agmatine and cell-free host proteins as ADP-ribose acceptors, but its activity was inhibited by human β-defensins. Taken together, our results showed that NarE of Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a functional enzyme that possesses key features of bacterial ADP-ribosylating enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula I Rodas
- Center for Integrative Medicine and Innovative Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - A Said Álamos-Musre
- Center for Integrative Medicine and Innovative Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisca P Álvarez
- Center for Integrative Medicine and Innovative Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alejandro Escobar
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Odontológicas, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cecilia V Tapia
- Laboratorio Clínica Dávila, Santiago, Chile Laboratorio de Micología Médica, Programa de Microbiología y Micología, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eduardo Osorio
- Servicio de Ginecología y Obstetricia, Clínica Dávila, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carolina Otero
- Center for Integrative Medicine and Innovative Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Iván L Calderón
- Laboratorio de Genética y Patogénesis Bacteriana, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan A Fuentes
- Laboratorio de Genética y Patogénesis Bacteriana, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando Gil
- Laboratorio de Genética y Patogénesis Bacteriana, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniel Paredes-Sabja
- Microbiota-Host Interactions and Clostridia Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Myron Christodoulides
- Neisseria Research Group, Molecular Microbiology, Sir Henry Wellcome Laboratories, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, England
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10
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Bonventre JA, Zielke RA, Korotkov KV, Sikora AE. Targeting an Essential GTPase Obg for the Development of Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0148222. [PMID: 26848972 PMCID: PMC4743925 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A promising new drug target for the development of novel broad-spectrum antibiotics is the highly conserved small GTPase Obg (YhbZ, CgtA), a protein essential for the survival of all bacteria including Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC). GC is the agent of gonorrhea, a prevalent sexually transmitted disease resulting in serious consequences on reproductive and neonatal health. A preventive anti-gonorrhea vaccine does not exist, and options for effective antibiotic treatments are increasingly limited. To address the dire need for alternative antimicrobial strategies, we have designed and optimized a 384-well GTPase assay to identify inhibitors of Obg using as a model Obg protein from GC, ObgGC. The assay was validated with a pilot screen of 40,000 compounds and achieved an average Z’ value of 0.58 ± 0.02, which suggests a robust assay amenable to high-throughput screening. We developed secondary assessments for identified lead compounds that utilize the interaction between ObgGC and fluorescent guanine nucleotide analogs, mant-GTP and mant-GDP, and an ObgGC variant with multiple alterations in the G-domains that prevent nucleotide binding. To evaluate the broad-spectrum potential of ObgGC inhibitors, Obg proteins of Klebsiella pneumoniae and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were assessed using the colorimetric and fluorescence-based activity assays. These approaches can be useful in identifying broad-spectrum Obg inhibitors and advancing the therapeutic battle against multidrug resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine A. Bonventre
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97330, United States of America
| | - Ryszard A. Zielke
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97330, United States of America
| | - Konstantin V. Korotkov
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, and Center for Structural Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, United States of America
| | - Aleksandra E. Sikora
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97330, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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11
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Su XH, Wang BX, Le WJ, Liu YR, Wan C, Li S, Alm RA, Mueller JP, Rice PA. Multidrug-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates from Nanjing, China, Are Sensitive to Killing by a Novel DNA Gyrase Inhibitor, ETX0914 (AZD0914). Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60:621-3. [PMID: 26482313 PMCID: PMC4704236 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01211-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested the activity of ETX0914 against 187 Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from men with urethritis in Nanjing, China, in 2013. The MIC50, MIC90, and MIC range for ETX0914 were 0.03 μg/ml, 0.06 μg/ml, and ≤0.002 to 0.125 μg/ml, respectively. All isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, and 36.9% (69/187) were resistant to azithromycin. Of the isolates, 46.5% were penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae (PPNG), 36% were tetracycline-resistant N. gonorrhoeae (TRNG), and 13% (24 isolates) had an MIC of 0.125 μg/ml for ceftriaxone. ETX0914 may be an effective treatment option for gonorrhea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hong Su
- National Center for STD and Leprosy Control, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Bao-Xi Wang
- National Center for STD and Leprosy Control, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Wen-Jing Le
- National Center for STD and Leprosy Control, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Yu-Rong Liu
- National Center for STD and Leprosy Control, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Chuan Wan
- National Center for STD and Leprosy Control, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Sai Li
- National Center for STD and Leprosy Control, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Richard A Alm
- Macrolide Pharmaceuticals, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Peter A Rice
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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12
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Mlynarczyk-Bonikowska B, Kujawa M, Mynarczyk G, Malejczyk M, Majewski S. Dominating types of penicillinase-plasmids in Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains isolated in 2010-2012 in Warsaw. Med Dosw Mikrobiol 2016; 68:34-38. [PMID: 28146620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The reason of Neisseria gonorrhoeae resistance to penicillin is often production of TEM beta-lactamases encoded by plasmids. The most common types of the plasmid are Africa, Asia and Toronto/Rio. Another reason of resistance can be mutations in bacterial chromosome. The aim of the study was to investigate the types of plasmids occurring in in Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains isolated in 2010-2012 in Warsaw. MATERIAL AND METHODS From 218 isolated in 2010, 2011 and at the beginning of 2012 from patients of Medical University in Warsaw we selected 12 strains producing beta- lactamase (penicillinase producing N. gonorrhoeae, PPNG). d B-tests to investigate bacterial sensitivity to penicillin and cefiriaxon. The types of plasmids were determined with PCR. RESULTS The Beta-lactamases were encoded by Toronto/Rio (41,7%), Asia (33,3%) and Africa (25,0%) plasmids. All the strains were resistant to penicillin (MIC 2-8 mg/L) and sensitive to ceftriaxon (MIC 0,004-0,032 mg/L). CONCLUSIONS All of the investigate PPNG strains were penicillin resistant and ceftriaxon sensitive. The dominating type of the penicillinase plasmid was Toronto/Rio.
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13
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Juneau RA, Stevens JS, Apicella MA, Criss AK. A thermonuclease of Neisseria gonorrhoeae enhances bacterial escape from killing by neutrophil extracellular traps. J Infect Dis 2015; 212:316-24. [PMID: 25605868 PMCID: PMC4490236 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [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: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute gonorrhea is characterized by neutrophilic inflammation that is insufficient to clear Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Activated neutrophils release extracellular traps (NETs), which are composed of chromatin and decorated with antimicrobial proteins. The N. gonorrhoeae NG0969 open reading frame contains a gene (nuc) that encodes a putatively secreted thermonuclease (Nuc) that contributes to biofilm remodeling. Here, we report that Nuc degrades NETs to help N. gonorrhoeae resist killing by neutrophils. Primary human neutrophils released NETs after exposure to N. gonorrhoeae, but NET integrity declined over time with Nuc-containing bacteria. Recombinant Nuc and conditioned medium from Nuc-containing N. gonorrhoeae degraded human neutrophil DNA and NETs. NETs were found to have antimicrobial activity against N. gonorrhoeae, and Nuc expression enhanced N. gonorrhoeae survival in the presence of neutrophils that released NETs. We propose that Nuc enables N. gonorrhoeae to escape trapping and killing by NETs during symptomatic infection, highlighting Nuc as a multifunctional virulence factor for N. gonorrhoeae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A. Juneau
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
| | - Jacqueline S. Stevens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
| | | | - Alison K. Criss
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
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14
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Zaremba M, Toliusis P, Grigaitis R, Manakova E, Silanskas A, Tamulaitiene G, Szczelkun MD, Siksnys V. DNA cleavage by CgII and NgoAVII requires interaction between N- and R-proteins and extensive nucleotide hydrolysis. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 42:13887-96. [PMID: 25429977 PMCID: PMC4267653 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku1236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Revised: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The stress-sensitive restriction-modification (RM) system CglI from Corynebacterium glutamicum and the homologous NgoAVII RM system from Neisseria gonorrhoeae FA1090 are composed of three genes: a DNA methyltransferase (M.CglI and M.NgoAVII), a putative restriction endonuclease (R.CglI and R.NgoAVII, or R-proteins) and a predicted DEAD-family helicase/ATPase (N.CglI and N.NgoAVII or N-proteins). Here we report a biochemical characterization of the R- and N-proteins. Size-exclusion chromatography and SAXS experiments reveal that the isolated R.CglI, R.NgoAVII and N.CglI proteins form homodimers, while N.NgoAVII is a monomer in solution. Moreover, the R.CglI and N.CglI proteins assemble in a complex with R2N2 stoichiometry. Next, we show that N-proteins have ATPase activity that is dependent on double-stranded DNA and is stimulated by the R-proteins. Functional ATPase activity and extensive ATP hydrolysis (∼170 ATP/s/monomer) are required for site-specific DNA cleavage by R-proteins. We show that ATP-dependent DNA cleavage by R-proteins occurs at fixed positions (6-7 nucleotides) downstream of the asymmetric recognition sequence 5'-GCCGC-3'. Despite similarities to both Type I and II restriction endonucleases, the CglI and NgoAVII enzymes may employ a unique catalytic mechanism for DNA cleavage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mindaugas Zaremba
- Department of Protein-DNA Interactions, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Graiciuno 8, LT-02241 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Paulius Toliusis
- Department of Protein-DNA Interactions, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Graiciuno 8, LT-02241 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Rokas Grigaitis
- Department of Protein-DNA Interactions, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Graiciuno 8, LT-02241 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Elena Manakova
- Department of Protein-DNA Interactions, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Graiciuno 8, LT-02241 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Arunas Silanskas
- Department of Protein-DNA Interactions, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Graiciuno 8, LT-02241 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Giedre Tamulaitiene
- Department of Protein-DNA Interactions, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Graiciuno 8, LT-02241 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Mark D Szczelkun
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, Medical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Virginijus Siksnys
- Department of Protein-DNA Interactions, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Graiciuno 8, LT-02241 Vilnius, Lithuania
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15
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Carannante A, Renna G, Dal Conte I, Ghisetti V, Matteelli A, Prignano G, Impara G, Cusini M, D'Antuono A, Vocale C, Antonetti R, Gaino M, Busetti M, Latino MA, Mencacci A, Bonanno C, Cava MC, Giraldi C, Stefanelli P. Changing antimicrobial resistance profiles among Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in Italy, 2003 to 2012. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2014; 58:5871-6. [PMID: 25070110 PMCID: PMC4187924 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00103-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates displaying resistance to antimicrobial agents is a major public health concern and a serious issue related to the occurrence of further untreatable gonorrhea infections. A retrospective analysis on 1,430 N. gonorrhoeae isolates, collected from 2003 through 2012, for antimicrobial susceptibility by Etest and molecular characterization by Neisseria gonorrhoeae multiantigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) was carried out in Italy. Azithromycin-resistant gonococci decreased from 14% in 2007 to 2.2% in 2012. Similarly, isolates with high MICs to cefixime (>0.125 mg/liter) decreased from 11% in 2008 to 3.3% in 2012. The ciprofloxacin resistance rate remains quite stable, following an increasing trend up to 64% in 2012. The percentage of penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae (PPNG) significantly declined from 77% in 2003 to 7% in 2012. A total of 81 multidrug-resistant (MDR) gonococci were identified, showing 11 different antimicrobial resistance patterns. These were isolated from men who have sex with men (MSM) and from heterosexual patients. Two sequence types (STs), ST661 and ST1407, were the most common. Genogroup 1407, which included cefixime-, ciprofloxacin-, and azithromycin-resistant isolates, was found. In conclusion, a change in the antimicrobial resistance profiles among gonococci was identified in Italy together with a percentage of MDR isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Carannante
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Renna
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Ivano Dal Conte
- STI Clinic, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amedeo di Savoia Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Valeria Ghisetti
- Microbiology and Virology Laboratory, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amedeo di Savoia Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Alberto Matteelli
- Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | | | | | - Marco Cusini
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonietta D'Antuono
- Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi Unit of Dermatology, STDs Center, Bologna, Italy
| | - Caterina Vocale
- Unit of Clinical Microbiology, CRREM Laboratory, St. Orsola-Malpighi, University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Raffaele Antonetti
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria OORR, Foggia, Italy
| | - Marina Gaino
- Microbiology and Virology Laboratory, Santa Chiara Hospital, Trento, Italy
| | - Marina Busetti
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
| | - Maria Agnese Latino
- Laboratorio di Batteriologia, Ospedale Ostetrico Ginecologico Sant'Anna, Turin, Italy
| | - Antonella Mencacci
- Microbiology Section, Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Carmen Bonanno
- Microbiology and Virology Laboratory, Sandro Pertini Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Carmela Cava
- Microbiology and Virology Laboratory, Sandro Pertini Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Giraldi
- Microbiology and Virology Laboratory, Molecular Clinic, PO Annunziata Azienda Ospedaliera di Cosenza, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Paola Stefanelli
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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16
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Malott RJ, Keller BO, Gaudet RG, McCaw SE, Lai CCL, Dobson-Belaire WN, Hobbs JL, St. Michael F, Cox AD, Moraes TF, Gray-Owen SD. Neisseria gonorrhoeae-derived heptose elicits an innate immune response and drives HIV-1 expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:10234-9. [PMID: 23733950 PMCID: PMC3690901 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1303738110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical and epidemiological synergy exists between the globally important sexually transmitted infections, gonorrhea and HIV. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which causes gonorrhea, is particularly adept at driving HIV-1 expression, but the molecular determinants of this relationship remain undefined. N. gonorrhoeae liberates a soluble factor that potently induces expression from the HIV-1 LTR in coinfected cluster of differentiation 4-positive (CD4(+)) T lymphocytes, but this factor is not a previously described innate effector. A genome-wide mutagenesis approach was undertaken to reveal which component(s) of N. gonorrhoeae induce HIV-1 expression in CD4(+) T lymphocytes. A mutation in the ADP-heptose biosynthesis gene, hldA, rendered the bacteria unable to induce HIV-1 expression. The hldA mutant has a truncated lipooligosaccharide structure, contains lipid A in its outer membrane, and remains bioactive in a TLR4 reporter-based assay but did not induce HIV-1 expression. Mass spectrometry analysis of extensively fractionated N. gonorrhoeae-derived supernatants revealed that the LTR-inducing fraction contained a compound having a mass consistent with heptose-monophosphate (HMP). Heptose is a carbohydrate common in microbes but is absent from the mammalian glycome. Although ADP-heptose biosynthesis is common among Gram-negative bacteria, and heptose is a core component of most lipopolysaccharides, N. gonorrhoeae is peculiar in that it effectively liberates HMP during growth. This N. gonorrhoeae-derived HMP activates CD4(+) T cells to invoke an NF-κB-dependent transcriptional response that drives HIV-1 expression and viral production. Our study thereby shows that heptose is a microbial-specific product that is sensed as an innate immune agonist and unveils the molecular link between N. gonorrhoeae and HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Malott
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and
- Centre for Understanding and Preventing Infection in Children, Department of Pediatrics, and
| | - Bernd O. Keller
- Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Z 4H4; and
| | | | | | | | | | - J. Leigh Hobbs
- Centre for Understanding and Preventing Infection in Children, Department of Pediatrics, and
| | - Frank St. Michael
- Vaccine Program, National Research Council, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6
| | - Andrew D. Cox
- Vaccine Program, National Research Council, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6
| | - Trevor F. Moraes
- Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1A8
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17
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Kim IG, Jo BH, Kang DG, Kim CS, Choi YS, Cha HJ. Biomineralization-based conversion of carbon dioxide to calcium carbonate using recombinant carbonic anhydrase. Chemosphere 2012; 87:1091-1096. [PMID: 22397838 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2011] [Revised: 01/31/2012] [Accepted: 02/01/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Recently, as a mimic of the natural biomineralization process, the use of carbonic anhydrase (CA), which is an enzyme catalyzing fast reversible hydration of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate, has been suggested for biological conversion of CO(2) to valuable chemicals. While purified bovine CA (BCA) has been used in previous studies, its practical utilization in CO(2) conversion has been limited due to the expense of BCA preparation. In the present work, we investigated conversion of CO(2) into calcium carbonate as a target carbonate mineral by using a more economical, recombinant CA. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the usage of recombinant CA for biological CO(2) conversion. Recombinant α-type CA originating in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NCA) was highly expressed as a soluble form in Escherichia coli. We found that purified recombinant NCA which showed comparable CO(2) hydration activity to commercial BCA significantly promoted formation of solid CaCO(3) through the acceleration of CO(2) hydration rate, which is naturally slow. In addition, the rate of calcite crystal formation was also accelerated using recombinant NCA. Moreover, non-purified crude recombinant NCA also showed relatively significant ability. Therefore, recombinant CA could be an effective, economical biocatalyst in practical CO(2) conversion system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Im Gyu Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Republic of Korea
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18
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Golparian D, Johansson E, Unemo M. Clinical Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolate with a N. meningitidis porA gene and no prolyliminopeptidase activity, Sweden, 2011: danger of false-negative genetic and culture diagnostic results. Euro Surveill 2012; 17:20102. [PMID: 22401563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe a Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain, found in Sweden in 2011, that harbours a N. meningitidis porA gene causing false-negative results in PCRs targeting the gonococcal porA pseudogene. Furthermore, the strain had no prolyliminopeptidase (PIP) activity that many commercial biochemical kits for species verification in culture rely on. Enhanced awareness of the spread of such strains and screening for them can be crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Golparian
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Gonorrhoea and other STIs, Swedish Reference Laboratory for Pathogenic Neisseria, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology, Orebro University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden
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19
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Młynarczyk-Bonikowska B, Przedpełska G, Malejczyk M, Majewski S. [Penicillinase production by Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains isolated from the patients of Dermatology and Wenerology Clinic, Warsaw Medical University in 2006 - 2009]. Med Dosw Mikrobiol 2011; 63:115-120. [PMID: 22184905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In recent years the resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to antibiotics is increasing in many countries. The aim of the study was to investigate penicillinase production by Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains isolated from the patients of Clinic of Dermatology and Wenerology WUM in a period between 2006 - 2009. We cultured the bacteria on Roiron medium and we used the iodometric test or BBL Cefinase discs to detect penicillinase. The enzyme was produced by 1,1% of 183, 0,9% of 111, 1,1% of 94 and 0% of 91 of investigated strains, respectively in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 year - on average by 0,8%. This is the lowest result in Europe and one of the lowest in the world.
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20
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Gruenig MC, Stohl EA, Chitteni-Pattu S, Seifert HS, Cox MM. Less is more: Neisseria gonorrhoeae RecX protein stimulates recombination by inhibiting RecA. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:37188-97. [PMID: 20851893 PMCID: PMC2988325 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.171967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2010] [Revised: 09/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli RecX (RecX(Ec)) is a negative regulator of RecA activities both in the bacterial cell and in vitro. In contrast, the Neisseria gonorrhoeae RecX protein (RecX(Ng)) enhances all RecA-related processes in N. gonorrhoeae. Surprisingly, the RecX(Ng) protein is not a RecA protein activator in vitro. Instead, RecX(Ng) is a much more potent inhibitor of all RecA(Ng) and RecA(Ec) activities than is the E. coli RecX ortholog. A series of RecX(Ng) mutant proteins representing a gradient of functional deficiencies provide a direct correlation between RecA(Ng) inhibition in vitro and the enhancement of RecA(Ng) function in N. gonorrhoeae. Unlike RecX(Ec), RecX(Ng) does not simply cap the growing ends of RecA filaments, but it directly facilitates a more rapid RecA filament disassembly. Thus, in N. gonorrhoeae, recombinational processes are facilitated by RecX(Ng) protein-mediated limitations on RecA(Ng) filament presence and/or length to achieve maximal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marielle C Gruenig
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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21
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Ohnishi M, Ono E, Shimuta K, Watanabe H, Okamura N. Identification of TEM-135 beta-lactamase in penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains in Japan. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2010; 54:3021-3. [PMID: 20421400 PMCID: PMC2897271 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00245-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2010] [Revised: 03/21/2010] [Accepted: 04/17/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ten penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) strains isolated from 2000 to 2008 were characterized by multilocus sequence typing, multiantigen sequence typing, and plasmid typing. Sequence analysis showed that 8 strains contained a TEM-1 beta-lactamase gene. However, two other genetically distinct PPNG strains, isolated in 2004 and 2008, each contained a TEM-135 beta-lactamase on different plasmids, a Toronto/Rio type R plasmid and an Asia type R plasmid, suggesting independent origins of these PPNG strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Ohnishi
- Department of Bacteriology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
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22
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García KP, Rubilar PS, Vargas MF, Cárdenas H, Rios MA, Orihuela PA, Vargas RH, Fuhrer J, Heckels JE, Christodoulides M, Velásquez LA. Nitric oxide is not involved in Neisseria gonorrhoeae-induced cellular damage of human Fallopian tubes in vitro. Biol Res 2010; 43:39-50. [PMID: 21157631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated whether cellular damage, as demonstrated by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release in the human fallopian tube (FT) infected by Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ngo), correlated with high levels of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) mRNA and enzyme activity. Infection with Ngo induced a significant increase (~35-fold) in mRNA transcripts of the inducible isoform of NOS. Paradoxically, a reduction in NOS enzyme activity was observed in infected cultures, suggesting that gonococcal infection possibly influences translation of iNOS mRNA to the enzyme. In addition, treatment with the NOS inhibitor TRIM did not prevent gonococcal-induced cellular damage. In contrast, the addition of the inhibitor L-NAME induced a 40% reduction in LDH release, which correlated with a ~50% reduction in gonococcal numbers. Moreover, treatment of normal FT explants with an exogenous NO donor, SNAP, did not induce significant cellular damage. Taken together, our data suggest that NO does not contribute to cellular damage during infection of the human FT with Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine P García
- Laboratorio de Inmunología de la Reproducción, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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23
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Srifeungfung S, Roongpisuthipong A, Asavapiriyanont S, Lolekha R, Tribuddharat C, Lokpichart S, Sungthong P, Tongtep P. Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in HIV-seropositive patients and gonococcal antimicrobial susceptibility: an update in Thailand. Jpn J Infect Dis 2009; 62:467-470. [PMID: 19934542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
We surveyed the rate of chlamydial and gonococcal infections among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive patients in Thailand as well as the current status of antimicrobial resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and determined the prevalence of penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae (PPNG) in Thailand. A total of 1,158 endocervical swabs from 824 HIV-seropositive patients were collected to detect both organisms by Gen-Probe. The prevalences of chlamydial and gonococcal infection were 9.7 and 1.3%, respectively. Susceptibility of 122 gonococcal isolates to 6 drugs was determined by the disk diffusion method. None of the isolates was susceptible to penicillin or tetracycline. With respect to fluoroquinolones, more than 90% of the isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin. No gonococcal isolate with resistance to cefotaxime and ceftriaxone was detected. Among the 122 isolates, 83.6% or 102 isolates were PPNG, and most (79.5%) of these 122 isolates were further identified as PPNG plus tetracycline-resistant N. gonorrhoeae, with only 4.1% being PPNG alone. All of the 102 isolates identified as PPNG contained the bla(TEM) gene. We then performed a preliminary molecular study and identified, for the first time in Thailand, a PPNG isolate producing beta-lactamase and containing the bla(TEM) gene which was identical to the beta-lactamase TEM protein of Salmonella enterica identified as TEM-135.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somporn Srifeungfung
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Min L, Jin Z, Caldovic L, Morizono H, Allewell NM, Tuchman M, Shi D. Mechanism of allosteric inhibition of N-acetyl-L-glutamate synthase by L-arginine. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:4873-80. [PMID: 19095660 PMCID: PMC2643497 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m805348200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2008] [Revised: 12/11/2008] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
N-Acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) catalyzes the first committed step in l-arginine biosynthesis in plants and micro-organisms and is subject to feedback inhibition by l-arginine. This study compares the crystal structures of NAGS from Neisseria gonorrhoeae (ngNAGS) in the inactive T-state with l-arginine bound and in the active R-state complexed with CoA and l-glutamate. Under all of the conditions examined, the enzyme consists of two stacked trimers. Each monomer has two domains: an amino acid kinase (AAK) domain with an AAK-like fold but lacking kinase activity and an N-acetyltransferase (NAT) domain homologous to other GCN5-related transferases. Binding of l-arginine to the AAK domain induces a global conformational change that increases the diameter of the hexamer by approximately 10 A and decreases its height by approximately 20A(.) AAK dimers move 5A outward along their 2-fold axes, and their tilt relative to the plane of the hexamer decreases by approximately 4 degrees . The NAT domains rotate approximately 109 degrees relative to AAK domains enabling new interdomain interactions. Interactions between AAK and NAT domains on different subunits also change. Local motions of several loops at the l-arginine-binding site enable the protein to close around the bound ligand, whereas several loops at the NAT active site become disordered, markedly reducing enzymatic specific activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Min
- Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, The George Washington University, Washington, D. C. 20010, USA
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Shi D, Sagar V, Jin Z, Yu X, Caldovic L, Morizono H, Allewell NM, Tuchman M. The crystal structure of N-acetyl-L-glutamate synthase from Neisseria gonorrhoeae provides insights into mechanisms of catalysis and regulation. J Biol Chem 2008; 283:7176-84. [PMID: 18184660 PMCID: PMC4099063 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m707678200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The crystal structures of N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) in the arginine biosynthetic pathway of Neisseria gonorrhoeae complexed with acetyl-CoA and with CoA plus N-acetylglutamate have been determined at 2.5- and 2.6-A resolution, respectively. The monomer consists of two separately folded domains, an amino acid kinase (AAK) domain and an N-acetyltransferase (NAT) domain connected through a 10-A linker. The monomers assemble into a hexameric ring that consists of a trimer of dimers with 32-point symmetry, inner and outer ring diameters of 20 and 100A, respectively, and a height of 110A(.) Each AAK domain interacts with the cognate domains of two adjacent monomers across two 2-fold symmetry axes and with the NAT domain from a second monomer of the adjacent dimer in the ring. The catalytic sites are located within the NAT domains. Three active site residues, Arg316, Arg425, and Ser427, anchor N-acetylglutamate in a position at the active site to form hydrogen bond interactions to the main chain nitrogen atoms of Cys356 and Leu314, and hydrophobic interactions to the side chains of Leu313 and Leu314. The mode of binding of acetyl-CoA and CoA is similar to other NAT family proteins. The AAK domain, although catalytically inactive, appears to bind arginine. This is the first reported crystal structure of any NAGS, and it provides insights into the catalytic function and arginine regulation of NAGS enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dashuang Shi
- Children's Research Institute, Children's National Medical Center, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
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26
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To monitor the frequency and types of antibiotic resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Nanjing, China, between 1999 and 2006. METHODS beta-Lactamase production was determined by paper acidometric testing. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to penicillin, ceftriaxone, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and spectinomycin were determined by agar plate dilution. Plasmid types were determined for TRNG and PPNG isolates by PCR. RESULTS One-thousand two-hundred and eight N. gonorrhoeae isolates were examined. The rate of PPNG rose from 8.0% (9 of 112) in 1999 to 57.36% (113 of 197) in 2004, and declined to 44.44% (88 of 198) in 2006. Prevalence of TRNG increased from 1.8% (2 of 112) in 1999 to 32.82% (65 of 198) in 2006. 99.23% (258 of 260) of TRNG contained the Dutch-type tetM gene and 2 strains contained the American-type tetM gene. All PPNG examined contained the Asian type plasmid. Among non-PPNG, chromosomally mediated resistance to penicillin varied from 57.84% (59 of 102) to 87.80% (72 of 82). Chromosomal resistance to ciprofloxacin (QRNG) was detected in 83.93% (94 of 112) of the strains in 1999 and 98.99% (196 of 198) in 2006. Eight spectinomycin-resistant N. gonorrhoeae strains were detected between 2001 and 2006. None of the gonococcal isolates tested was resistant to ceftriaxone but decreased susceptibility was observed in some strains. CONCLUSIONS Among N. gonorrhoeae strains isolated in Nanjing, China, plasmid mediated resistance including PPNG and TRNG increased significantly between 1999 and 2006. Chromosomally mediated resistance to both penicillin and ciprofloxacin was also high during this period. Spectinomycin resistance of N. gonorrhoeae was sporadic. Ceftriaxone and spectinomycin can be considered effective antimicrobial agents for the treatment of gonorrhea in Nanjing at the present time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohong Su
- National Center for STD Control, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing 210042, China.
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Brown S, Rawte P, Towns L, Jamieson F, Tsang RSW. Absence of prolyliminopeptidase-negative Neisseria gonorroeae strains in Ontario, Canada. Can Commun Dis Rep 2008; 34:20-23. [PMID: 18286745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S Brown
- Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Central Public Health Laboratory, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
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Salgado-Pabón W, Jain S, Turner N, van der Does C, Dillard JP. A novel relaxase homologue is involved in chromosomal DNA processing for type IV secretion in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Mol Microbiol 2007; 66:930-47. [PMID: 17927698 PMCID: PMC2586181 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2007.05966.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The Neisseria gonorrhoeae type IV secretion system secretes chromosomal DNA that acts in natural transformation. To examine the mechanism of DNA processing for secretion, we made mutations in the putative relaxase gene traI and used nucleases to characterize the secreted DNA. The nuclease experiments demonstrated that the secreted DNA is single-stranded and blocked at the 5' end. Mutation of traI identified Tyr93 as required for DNA secretion, while substitution of Tyr201 resulted in intermediate levels of DNA secretion. TraI exhibits features of relaxases, but also has features that are absent in previously characterized relaxases, including an HD phosphohydrolase domain and an N-terminal hydrophobic region. The HD domain residue Asp120 was required for wild-type levels of DNA secretion. Subcellular localization studies demonstrated that the TraI N-terminal region promotes membrane interaction. We propose that Tyr93 initiates DNA processing and Tyr201 is required for termination or acts in DNA binding. Disruption of an inverted-repeat sequence eliminated DNA secretion, suggesting that this sequence may serve as the origin of transfer for chromosomal DNA secretion. The TraI domain architecture, although not previously described, is present in 53 uncharacterized proteins, suggesting that the mechanism of TraI function is a widespread process for DNA donation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilmara Salgado-Pabón
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Aas FE, Vik Å, Vedde J, Koomey M, Egge-Jacobsen W. Neisseria gonorrhoeae O-linked pilin glycosylation: functional analyses define both the biosynthetic pathway and glycan structure. Mol Microbiol 2007; 65:607-24. [PMID: 17608667 PMCID: PMC1976384 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2007.05806.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae expresses an O-linked protein glycosylation pathway that targets PilE, the major pilin subunit protein of the Type IV pilus colonization factor. Efforts to define glycan structure and thus the functions of pilin glycosylation (Pgl) components at the molecular level have been hindered by the lack of sensitive methodologies. Here, we utilized a 'top-down' mass spectrometric approach to characterize glycan status using intact pilin protein from isogenic mutants. These structural data enabled us to directly infer the function of six components required for pilin glycosylation and to define the glycan repertoire of strain N400. Additionally, we found that the N. gonorrhoeae pilin glycan is O-acetylated, and identified an enzyme essential for this unique modification. We also identified the N. gonorrhoeae pilin oligosaccharyltransferase using bioinformatics and confirmed its role in pilin glycosylation by directed mutagenesis. Finally, we examined the effects of expressing the PglA glycosyltransferase from the Campylobacter jejuni N-linked glycosylation system that adds N-acetylgalactosamine onto undecaprenylpyrophosphate-linked bacillosamine. The results indicate that the C. jejuni and N. gonorrhoeae pathways can interact in the synthesis of O-linked di- and trisaccharides, and therefore provide the first experimental evidence that biosynthesis of the N. gonorrhoeae pilin glycan involves a lipid-linked oligosaccharide precursor. Together, these findings underpin more detailed studies of pilin glycosylation biology in both N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis, and demonstrate how components of bacterial O- and N-linked pathways can be combined in novel glycoengineering strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Finn Erik Aas
- Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience0316 Oslo, Norway.
- Department of Molecular Biosciences0316 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Åshild Vik
- Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience0316 Oslo, Norway.
- Department of Molecular Biosciences0316 Oslo, Norway.
| | - John Vedde
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo0316 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Michael Koomey
- Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience0316 Oslo, Norway.
- Department of Molecular Biosciences0316 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Wolfgang Egge-Jacobsen
- Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience0316 Oslo, Norway.
- Department of Molecular Biosciences0316 Oslo, Norway.
- For correspondence. E-mail ; Tel. (+47) 228557295; Fax (+47) 22857207
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Kohler PL, Hamilton HL, Cloud-Hansen K, Dillard JP. AtlA functions as a peptidoglycan lytic transglycosylase in the Neisseria gonorrhoeae type IV secretion system. J Bacteriol 2007; 189:5421-8. [PMID: 17526702 PMCID: PMC1951824 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00531-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Type IV secretion systems require peptidoglycan lytic transglycosylases for efficient secretion, but the function of these enzymes is not clear. The type IV secretion system gene cluster of Neisseria gonorrhoeae encodes two peptidoglycan transglycosylase homologues. One, LtgX, is similar to peptidoglycan transglycosylases from other type IV secretion systems. The other, AtlA, is similar to endolysins from bacteriophages and is not similar to any described type IV secretion component. We characterized the enzymatic function of AtlA in order to examine its role in the type IV secretion system. Purified AtlA was found to degrade macromolecular peptidoglycan and to produce 1,6-anhydro peptidoglycan monomers, characteristic of lytic transglycosylase activity. We found that AtlA can functionally replace the lambda endolysin to lyse Escherichia coli. In contrast, a sensitive measure of lysis demonstrated that AtlA does not lyse gonococci expressing it or gonococci cocultured with an AtlA-expressing strain. The gonococcal type IV secretion system secretes DNA during growth. A deletion of ltgX or a substitution in the putative active site of AtlA severely decreased DNA secretion. These results indicate that AtlA and LtgX are actively involved in type IV secretion and that AtlA is not involved in lysis of gonococci to release DNA. This is the first demonstration that a type IV secretion peptidoglycanase has lytic transglycosylase activity. These data show that AtlA plays a role in type IV secretion of DNA that requires peptidoglycan breakdown without cell lysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra L Kohler
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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31
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Abstract
O-Acetylpeptidoglycan esterase from Neisseria gonorrheae FA1090 is similar in sequence to family CE-3 carbohydrate esterases of the CAZy classification system, and it functions to release O-linked acetyl groups from the C-6 position of muramoyl residues in O-acetylated peptidoglycan. Here, we characterize the peptidoglycan of N. gonorrheae FA1090 as being O-acetylated and find that it serves as a substrate for the esterase. The influence of pH on the activity of O-acetylpeptidoglycan esterase was determined, and pKa values of 6.38 and 6.78 for the enzyme-substrate complex (VEt-1) and free enzyme (VEt-1KM-1), respectively, were calculated. The enzyme was inactivated by sulfonyl fluorides but not by EDTA. Multiple-sequence alignment of the O-acetylpeptidoglycan esterase family 1 enzymes with members of the CE-3 enzymes and protein modeling studies identified Ser80, Asp366, and His369 as three invariant amino acid residues that could potentially serve as a catalytic triad. Replacement of each with alanine was accomplished by site-directed mutagenesis, and the resulting mutant proteins were purified to apparent homogeneity. The specific activity of each of the three esterase derivatives was greatly reduced on O-acetylpeptidoglycan. Using the artificial substrate p-nitrophenyl acetate, a kinetic analysis revealed that the turnover number (VEt-1) but not KM was affected by the replacements. These data thus indicate that N. gonorrheae O-acetylpeptidoglycan esterase, and by analogy the CE-3 family of enzymes, function as serine esterases involving a Ser-His-Asp catalytic triad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel T Weadge
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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Soler-García AA, Jerse AE. Neisseria gonorrhoeae catalase is not required for experimental genital tract infection despite the induction of a localized neutrophil response. Infect Immun 2007; 75:2225-33. [PMID: 17296753 PMCID: PMC1865741 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01513-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae produces several antioxidant defenses, including high levels of catalase, which may facilitate the persistence during an inflammatory response via neutralization of H2O2 produced by phagocytes. In vivo testing of the role of catalase in gonococcal survival is critical since several physiological factors impact interactions between N. gonorrhoeae and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Here we assessed the importance of gonococcal catalase in a surrogate model of female genital tract infection. Female BALB/c mice were treated with 17-beta estradiol to promote susceptibility to N. gonorrhoeae and inoculated intravaginally with wild-type gonococci or a catalase (kat) deletion mutant. A localized PMN influx occurred in an average of 43 and 81% of mice infected with wild-type or kat mutant gonococci, respectively, and PMNs associated with numerous wild-type or catalase-deficient bacteria were observed in vaginal smears. The combined results of six experiments showed a significant difference in the number of days wild-type bacteria were recovered compared to the catalase-deficient gonococci. However, there was much variability between experiments, and we found no correlation between PMN influx, colonization load, and clearance of wild-type or kat mutant bacteria. Estradiol treatment did not impair bacterial uptake, the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence response, or the killing capacity of isolated murine PMNs against N. gonorrhoeae or Staphylococcus aureus. Our data suggest N. gonorrhoeae is not significantly challenged by H2O2 produced by PMNs in the murine lower genital tract; alternatively, redundant defense mechanisms may protect the gonococcus from reactive oxygen species during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel A Soler-García
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814-4799, USA
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Potter AJ, Kidd SP, Jennings MP, McEwan AG. Evidence for distinctive mechanisms of S-nitrosoglutathione metabolism by AdhC in two closely related species, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis. Infect Immun 2007; 75:1534-6. [PMID: 17220319 PMCID: PMC1828561 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01634-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The adhC gene from 11 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae was distinguished from its homologue in Neisseria meningitidis by the presence of a premature stop codon caused by a single base insertion. Mutational analysis showed that NADH S-nitrosoglutathione oxidoreductase activity was associated with adhC in Neisseria meningitidis but not in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Potter
- Australian Bacterial Pathogenesis Program, Centre for Metals in Biology, School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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Exley RM, Wu H, Shaw J, Schneider MC, Smith H, Jerse AE, Tang CM. Lactate acquisition promotes successful colonization of the murine genital tract by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Infect Immun 2006; 75:1318-24. [PMID: 17158905 PMCID: PMC1828543 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01530-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies on Neisseria gonorrhoeae have demonstrated that metabolism of lactate in the presence of glucose increases the growth rate of the bacterium and enhances its resistance to complement-mediated killing. Although these findings in vitro suggest that the acquisition of lactate promotes gonococcal colonization, the significance of this carbon source to the survival of the gonococcus in vivo remains unknown. To investigate the importance of lactate utilization during Neisseria gonorrhoeae genital tract infection, we identified the gene lctP, which encodes the gonococcal lactate permease. A mutant that lacks a functional copy of lctP was unable to take up exogenous lactate and did not grow in defined medium with lactate as the sole carbon source, in contrast to the wild-type and complemented strains; the mutant strain exhibited no growth defect in defined medium containing glucose. In defined medium containing physiological concentrations of lactate and glucose, the lctP mutant demonstrated reduced early growth and increased sensitivity to complement-mediated killing compared with the wild-type strain; the enhanced susceptibility to complement was associated with a reduction in lipopolysaccharide sialylation of the lctP mutant. The importance of lactate utilization during colonization was evaluated in the murine model of lower genital tract infection. The lctP mutant was significantly attenuated in its ability to colonize and survive in the genital tract, while the complemented mutant exhibited no defect for colonization. Lactate is a micronutrient in the genital tract that contributes to the survival of the gonococcus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Exley
- The Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Department of Infectious Diseases, Flowers Building, Imperial College London, Armstrong Road, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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El Yacoubi B, Bonnett S, Anderson JN, Swairjo MA, Iwata-Reuyl D, de Crécy-Lagard V. Discovery of a New Prokaryotic Type I GTP Cyclohydrolase Family. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:37586-93. [PMID: 17032654 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m607114200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCYH-I) is the first enzyme of the de novo tetrahydrofolate biosynthetic pathway present in bacteria, fungi, and plants, and encoded in Escherichia coli by the folE gene. It is also the first enzyme of the biopterin (BH4) pathway in Homo sapiens, where it is encoded by a homologous folE gene. A homology-based search of GCYH-I orthologs in all sequenced bacteria revealed a group of microbes, including several clinically important pathogens, that encoded all of the enzymes of the tetrahydrofolate biosynthesis pathway but GCYH-I, suggesting that an alternate family was present in these organisms. A prediction based on phylogenetic occurrence and physical clustering identified the COG1469 family as a potential candidate for this missing enzyme family. The GCYH-I activity of COG1469 family proteins from a variety of sources (Thermotoga maritima, Bacillus subtilis, Acinetobacter baylyi, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) was experimentally verified in vivo and/or in vitro. Although there is no detectable sequence homology with the canonical GCYH-I, protein fold recognition based on sequence profiles, secondary structure, and solvation potential information suggests that, like GCYH-I proteins, COG1469 proteins are members of the tunnel-fold (T-fold) structural superfamily. This new GCYH-I family is found in approximately 20% of sequenced bacteria and is prevalent in Archaea, but the family is to this date absent in Eukarya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basma El Yacoubi
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
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Josephine HR, Charlier P, Davies C, Nicholas RA, Pratt RF. Reactivity of Penicillin-Binding Proteins with Peptidoglycan-Mimetic β-Lactams: What's Wrong with These Enzymes? Biochemistry 2006; 45:15873-83. [PMID: 17176110 DOI: 10.1021/bi061804f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Beta-lactams exert their antibiotic action through their inhibition of bacterial DD-peptidases (penicillin-binding proteins). Bacteria, in general, carry several such enzymes localized on the outside of their cell membrane to catalyze the final step in cell wall (peptidoglycan) synthesis. They have been classified into two major groups, one of high molecular weight, the other of low. Members of the former group act as transpeptidases in vivo, and their inhibition by beta-lactams leads to cessation of bacterial growth. The latter group consists of DD-carboxypeptidases, and their inhibition by beta-lactams is generally not fatal to bacteria. We have previously shown that representatives of the former group are ineffective at catalyzing the hydrolysis/aminolysis of peptidoglycan-mimetic peptides in vitro [Anderson et al. (2003) Biochem. J. 373, 949-955]. The theme of these experiments is expanded in the present paper where we describe the synthesis of a series of beta-lactams (penicillins and cephalosporins) containing peptidoglycan-mimetic side chains and the kinetics of their inhibition of a panel of penicillin-binding proteins spanning the major classes (Escherichia coli PBP 2 and PBP 5, Streptococcus pneumoniae PBP 1b, PBP 2x and PBP 3, the Actinomadura R39 DD-peptidase, and the Streptomyces R61 DD-peptidase). The results of these experiments mirror and expand the previous results with peptides. Neither peptides nor beta-lactams with appropriate peptidoglycan-mimetic side chains react with the solubilized constructs of membrane-bound penicillin binding proteins (the first five enzymes above) at rates exceeding those of generic analogues. Such peptides and beta-lactams do react at greatly enhanced rates with certain soluble low molecular weight enzymes (R61 and R39 DD-peptidases). The former result is unexpected and interesting. Why do the majority of penicillin-binding proteins not recognize elements of local peptidoglycan structure? Possible answers are discussed. That this question needs to be asked casts fascinating shadows on current studies of penicillin-binding proteins for new drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen R Josephine
- Department of Chemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut 06459, USA
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Seib KL, Wu HJ, Srikhanta YN, Edwards JL, Falsetta ML, Hamilton AJ, Maguire TL, Grimmond SM, Apicella MA, McEwan AG, Jennings MP. Characterization of the OxyR regulon of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Mol Microbiol 2006; 63:54-68. [PMID: 17140413 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05478.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OxyR regulates the expression of the majority of H(2)O(2) responses in Gram-negative organisms. In a previous study we reported the OxyR-dependent derepression of catalase expression in the human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In the present study we used microarray expression profiling of N. gonorrhoeae wild-type strain 1291 and an oxyR mutant strain to define the OxyR regulon. In addition to katA (encoding catalase), only one other locus displayed a greater than two-fold difference in expression in the wild type : oxyR comparison. This locus encodes an operon of two genes, a putative peroxiredoxin/glutaredoxin (Prx) and a putative glutathione oxidoreductase (Gor). Mutant strains were constructed in which each of these genes was inactivated. A previous biochemical study in Neisseria meningitidis had confirmed function of the glutaredoxin/peroxiredoxin. Assay of the wild-type 1291 cell free extract confirmed Gor activity, which was lost in the gor mutant strain. Phenotypic analysis of the prx mutant strain in H(2)O(2) killing assays revealed increased resistance, presumably due to upregulation of alternative defence mechanisms. The oxyR, prx and gor mutant strains were deficient in biofilm formation, and the oxyR and prx strains had decreased survival in cervical epithelial cells, indicating a key role for the OxyR regulon in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate L Seib
- School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences and Centre for Metals in Biology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Qld, Australia
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Limnios EA, Nguyen NL, Ray S, McIver CJ, Tapsall JW. Dynamics of appearance and expansion of a prolyliminopeptidase- negative subtype among Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates collected in Sydney, Australia, from 2002 to 2005. J Clin Microbiol 2006; 44:1400-4. [PMID: 16597868 PMCID: PMC1448636 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.44.4.1400-1404.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated a wide geographic circulation of isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae that fail to produce prolyliminopeptidase (PIP). Tests based on the production of this enzyme are important elements of a number of identification systems for gonococci. We documented the appearance, expansion, and contraction of subtypes of 165 PIP-negative gonococci detected in an extended and systematic sample of the 3,926 N. gonorrhoeae isolates collected in Sydney, Australia, from July 2002 to September 2005. Their appearance, peak, and decline followed an "epidemic" curve. At the peak of their prevalence in 2003, PIP-negative gonococci comprised 22% of all isolates. Closely related phenotypes accounted for 162/165 of the PIP-negative gonococci. Algorithms for confirmation of N. gonorrhoeae should take account of the temporal and geographic variability of gonococci by utilizing two or more distinct confirmatory methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Athena Limnios
- Department of Microbiology, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Barker Street, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
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Garcia DL, Dillard JP. AmiC functions as an N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanine amidase necessary for cell separation and can promote autolysis in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:7211-21. [PMID: 17015660 PMCID: PMC1636224 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00724-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is prone to undergo autolysis under many conditions not conducive to growth. The role of autolysis during gonococcal infection is not known, but possible advantages for the bacterial population include provision of nutrients to a starving population, modulation of the host immune response by released cell components, and donation of DNA for natural transformation. Biochemical studies indicated that an N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanine amidase is responsible for cell wall breakdown during autolysis. In order to better understand autolysis and in hopes of creating a nonautolytic mutant, we mutated amiC, the gene for a putative peptidoglycan-degrading amidase in N. gonorrhoeae. Characterization of peptidoglycan fragments released during growth showed that an amiC mutant did not produce free disaccharide, consistent with a role for AmiC as an N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanine amidase. Compared to the wild-type parent, the mutant exhibited altered growth characteristics, including slowed exponential-phase growth, increased turbidity in stationary phase, and increased colony opacity. Thin-section electron micrographs showed that mutant cells did not fully separate but grew as clumps. Complementation of the amiC deletion mutant with wild-type amiC restored wild-type growth characteristics and transparent colony morphology. Overexpression of amiC resulted in increased cell lysis, supporting AmiC's purported function as a gonococcal autolysin. However, amiC mutants still underwent autolysis in stationary phase, indicating that other gonococcal enzymes are also involved in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Garcia
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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Alexander S, Martin IMC, Fenton K, Ison CA. The prevalence of proline iminopeptidase negative Neisseria gonorrhoeae throughout England and Wales. Sex Transm Infect 2006; 82:280-2. [PMID: 16877574 PMCID: PMC2564708 DOI: 10.1136/sti.2005.018424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The accurate laboratory identification of Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an essential element of the diagnosis of gonorrhoea and is particularly important for medicolegal cases. The detection of proline iminopeptidase (Pip) activity is widely used as a marker for gonococci, although Pip negative N gonorrhoeae isolates have been shown to generate false negative identifications when using biochemical kits. This study aimed to determine the frequency of Pip negative gonococci in England and Wales. METHODS A total of 2055 isolates were collected from consecutive patients attending 26 genitourinary medicine centres as part of the Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme (GRASP). Upon receipt the identity of all isolates was confirmed using N gonorrhoeae specific monoclonal antibodies and the Pip status was determined using the Gonochek II kit. RESULTS The overall prevalence of Pip negative isolates was found to be 4.33%. Significant geographical variation was observed between isolates from centres outside London (p< or =0.001). Variation was also observed within London between the nine different clinics submitting isolates (p = 0.025). There was also a higher frequency of these isolates among men who have sex with men (p< or =0.001), which may account for geographical variations. CONCLUSION Pip negative N gonorrhoeae isolates are a very serious cause for concern as currently all biochemical test kits available within the United Kingdom require the presence of the Pip enzyme for an unambiguous identification of this pathogen. Raising awareness of the current prevalence of Pip negative N gonorrhoeae isolates is critical for the successful control of gonorrhoea.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Alexander
- Sexually Transmitted Bacteria Reference Laboratory, Health Protection Agency, Centre For Infections, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT, UK.
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Scharbaai‐Vázquez R, Candelas T, Torres‐Bauzá LJ. Mobilization of the gonococcal 5.2 kb beta-lactamase plasmid pSJ5.2 into Escherichia coli by cointegration with several gram-conjugative plasmids. Plasmid 2006; 57:156-64. [PMID: 17027960 PMCID: PMC1973139 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2006.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2006] [Revised: 07/07/2006] [Accepted: 07/24/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
We report the mobilization by cointegration of the gonococcal 5.2 kb beta-lactamase plasmid pSJ5.2 in an Escherichia coli background. Transfer of pSJ5.2 was measured by filter mating assays with five different conjugative plasmids from Enterobacteriaceae and the gonococcal 41 kb tet(M). Plasmid pSJ5.2 was mobilized to E. coli at frequencies of 1.7x10(-6), 9.3x10(-8) and 2.7x10(-5) by the tet(M), R64 drd-33 and N3 conjugative plasmids, respectively. Mobilization of pSJ5.2 by the 41 kb tet(M) conjugative plasmid resulted in stable Amp(R) E. coli transconjugants consisting of pSJ5.2 plasmid with an insertion located in the 2.4 kb BamHI-BamHI fragment. Mobilization of pSJ5.2 by R64drd-33 and N3 conjugative plasmids involved stable cointegrates as detected by Southern Blot with a DIG-labelled PstI-digested pSJ5.2 probe. Restriction analysis of the R64::pSJ5.2 and N3::pSJ5.2 cointegrates and Southern Blot with the pSJ5.2 probe showed that cointegrates formed by deletion of DNA regions within the 1.8 kb BamHI-HindIII fragment of pSJ5.2. The plasmid thus appears to use multiple recombination mechanisms for cointegration with different conjugative plasmids. The complete nucleotide sequence of pSJ5.2 was determined, and will be a useful tool to further investigate the molecular mechanisms leading to its cointegrative transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Scharbaai‐Vázquez
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, P.O. Box 365067, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, P.R. 00936
| | - T. Candelas
- Department of General Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus
| | - L. J. Torres‐Bauzá
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, P.O. Box 365067, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, P.R. 00936
- Corresponding Author: Tel. 787‐758‐2525, x. 2905, 1708, Fax: 787‐758‐4808, E‐mail address: (L.J. Torres‐Bauzá)
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Otero L, Alvarez-Argüelles M, Villar H, Díaz-Gigante J, Carreño F, Vázquez F, Vázquez F. The prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae negative for proline iminopeptidase in Asturias, Spain. Sex Transm Infect 2006; 83:76. [PMID: 16971400 PMCID: PMC2598590 DOI: 10.1136/sti.2006.022699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae secrets a phospholipase D (NgPLD), which augments complement receptor 3 (CR3)-mediated invasion of cervical epithelial cells. To elucidate the signalling pathways triggered with gonococcus CR3-engagement and the putative function of NgPLD in these events, we analysed the contribution of the phosphoinositide-Akt pathway to cervical infection. Our data indicated that Akt plays a critical role in cervical infection. Inhibition of myosin light chain kinase, PtdIns(4,5)P2, and Akt functions resulted in decreased gonococcus invasion of primary, human, cervical epithelial cells as well as Akt kinase activity. Akt activity was similarly impaired when cervical cells were challenged with NgPLD-mutant gonococci. Conversely, the PI3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002, enhanced gonococcal invasion of, and Akt activity within, primary cervical cells. We demonstrated that NgPLD directly binds to the Akt PH domain and can compete with a natural Akt ligand, PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, for Akt binding. Collectively, our data suggested that NgPLD augments gonococcus invasion of cervical epithelia by interacting with Akt kinase in a PI3-kinase-independent manner, which results in subversion of normal cervical cell signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Edwards
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
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Abstract
The influence of regions, other than the hinge, on the susceptibility of human IgA1 to cleavage by diverse bacterial IgA1 proteases, was examined using IgA1 mutants bearing amino acid deletions, substitutions, and domain swaps. IgA1 lacking the tailpiece retained its susceptibility to cleavage by all of the IgA1 proteases. The domain swap molecule alpha1alpha2gamma3, in which the CH3 domain of IgA1 was exchanged for that of human IgG1, was resistant to cleavage with the type 1 and 2 serine IgA1 proteases of Neisseria meningitidis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Haemophilus influenzae, but remained sensitive to cleavage with the metallo-IgA1 proteases of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus sanguis, and Streptococcus mitis. Substitution of the IgA1 Calpha3 domain motif Pro440 -Phe443 into the corresponding position in the Cgamma3 domain of alpha1alpha2gamma3 resulted now in sensitivity to the type 2 IgA1 protease of N. meningitidis, indicating the possible requirement of these amino acids for sensitivity to this protease. For the H. influenzae type 2 protease, resistance of an IgA1 mutant in which the CH3 domain residues 399-409 were exchanged with those from IgG1, but sensitivity of mutant HuBovalpha3 in which the Calpha3 domain of bovine IgA replaces that of human IgA1, suggests that CH3 domain residues Glu403, Gln406, and Thr409 influence sensitivity to this enzyme. Hence, unlike the situation with the metallo-IgA1 proteases of Streptococcus spp., the sensitivity of human IgA1 to cleavage with the serine IgA1 proteases of Neisseria and Haemophilus involves their binding to different sites specifically in the CH3 domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard W Senior
- Division of Pathology and Neuroscience, University of Dundee Medical School, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, United Kingdom
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Stohl EA, Seifert HS. Neisseria gonorrhoeae DNA recombination and repair enzymes protect against oxidative damage caused by hydrogen peroxide. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:7645-51. [PMID: 16936020 PMCID: PMC1636252 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00801-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The strict human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae is exposed to oxidative damage during infection. N. gonorrhoeae has many defenses that have been demonstrated to counteract oxidative damage. However, recN is the only DNA repair and recombination gene upregulated in response to hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) by microarray analysis and subsequently shown to be important for oxidative damage protection. We therefore tested the importance of RecA and DNA recombination and repair enzymes in conferring resistance to H(2)O(2) damage. recA mutants, as well as RecBCD (recB, recC, and recD) and RecF-like pathway mutants (recJ, recO, and recQ), all showed decreased resistance to H(2)O(2). Holliday junction processing mutants (ruvA, ruvC, and recG) showed decreased resistance to H(2)O(2) resistance as well. Finally, we show that RecA protein levels did not increase as a result of H(2)O(2) treatment. We propose that RecA, recombinational DNA repair, and branch migration are all important for H(2)O(2) resistance in N. gonorrhoeae but that constitutive levels of these enzymes are sufficient for providing protection against oxidative damage by H(2)O(2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Stohl
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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Abstract
The addition of host-derived sialic acid to Neisseria gonorrhoeae lipooligosaccharide is hypothesized to be an important mechanism by which gonococci evade host innate defenses. This hypothesis is based primarily on in vitro assays of complement-mediated and phagocytic killing. Here we report that a nonpolar alpha-2,3-sialyltransferase (lst) mutant of N. gonorrhoeae was significantly attenuated in its capacity to colonize the lower genital tract of 17-beta estradiol-treated female BALB/c mice during competitive infection with the wild-type strain. Genetic complementation of the lst mutation restored recovery of the mutant to wild-type levels. Studies with B10.D2-HC(o)H2(d)H(2)-T18c/OSN (C5-deficient) mice showed that attenuation of the lst mutant was not due to increased sensitivity to complement-mediated bacteriolysis, a result that is consistent with recently reported host restrictions in the complement cascade. However, Lst-deficient gonococci were killed more rapidly than sialylated wild-type gonococci following intraperitoneal injection into normal mice, which is consistent with sialylation conferring protection against killing by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). As reported for human PMNs, sialylated gonococci were more resistant to killing by murine PMNs, and sialylation led to reduced association with and induction of a weaker respiratory burst in PMNs from estradiol-treated mice. In summary, these studies suggest sialylation confers a survival advantage to N. gonorrhoeae in mice by increasing resistance to PMN killing. This report is the first direct demonstration that alpha-2,3-sialyltransferase contributes to N. gonorrhoeae pathogenesis in an in vivo model. This study also validates the use of experimental murine infection to study certain aspects of gonococcal pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Wu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814-4799, USA
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Unemo M, Palmer HM, Blackmore T, Herrera G, Fredlund H, Limnios A, Nguyen N, Tapsall J. Global transmission of prolyliminopeptidase-negative Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains: implications for changes in diagnostic strategies. Sex Transm Infect 2006; 83:47-51. [PMID: 16901915 PMCID: PMC2598591 DOI: 10.1136/sti.2006.021733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Species confirmation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae is commonly performed with biochemical kits, rely on the activity of the enzyme prolyliminopeptidase (PIP). This enzyme has previously been considered to be almost universally present in N gonorrhoeae. However, increasing numbers of N gonorrhoeae isolates lacking PIP activity have been identified. OBJECTIVES To investigate the possibility of a widespread transmission of one or several N gonorrhoeae PIP-negative strains among several countries worldwide. METHODS PIP-negative N gonorrhoeae isolates cultured from 2001 to 2004 in Australia, New Zealand and Scotland were comprehensively characterised and compared with previous data from England and Denmark. All isolates were characterised by antibiotic susceptibility testing, serovar determination, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), opa-typing, sequencing of the entire porB gene and N gonorrhoeae multiantigen sequence typing (NG-MAST). RESULTS Most (83%) of the viable Australian isolates, and all the New Zealand and Scottish isolates were assigned serovar IB-4, with similar antibiograms, nearly identical porB1b gene sequences, identical (ST210) or highly related (ST292, ST1259) NG-MAST STs, and indistinguishable or related PFGE fingerprints as well as opa-types. The isolates showed characteristics indistinguishable or highly related to the previously described English and Danish outbreak strain. CONCLUSIONS A comprehensive characterisation indicates a widespread dissemination, mainly among men who have sex with men (MSM), of indistinguishable and highly related genotypes that have evolved from a single N gonorrhoeae PIP-negative serovar IB-4 strain among several countries worldwide. An increased awareness of PIP-negative N gonorrhoeae strains is crucial and changes in the diagnostic strategies may need to be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Unemo
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, National Reference Laboratory for Pathogenic Neisseria, Orebro University Hospital, SE-701 85 Orebro, Sweden.
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Gunesekere IC, Kahler CM, Ryan CS, Snyder LAS, Saunders NJ, Rood JI, Davies JK. Ecf, an alternative sigma factor from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, controls expression of msrAB, which encodes methionine sulfoxide reductase. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:3463-9. [PMID: 16672599 PMCID: PMC1482861 DOI: 10.1128/jb.188.10.3463-3469.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A DNA microarray was used to identify genes transcribed in Neisseria gonorrhoeae using Ecf, an alternative sigma factor. No differences between the transcriptional profiles of strain FA1090 and a mutant where ecf had been inactivated could be detected when both were grown in vitro. We therefore constructed a gonococcal strain in which Ecf can be overexpressed. Some differentially expressed genes are clustered with ecf on the genome and appear to form a single transcriptional unit. Expression of the gene encoding MsrAB, which possesses methionine sulfoxide reductase activity, was also dependent on Ecf, suggesting that the regulon responds to oxidative damage. Western blotting confirmed that the increased level of MsrAB protein is dependent on the presence of Ecf.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishara C Gunesekere
- Australian Bacterial Pathogenesis Program, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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Radlinska M, Kondrzycka-Dada A, Piekarowicz A, Bujnicki JM. Identification of amino acids important for target recognition by the DNA:m5C methyltransferase M.NgoPII by alanine-scanning mutagenesis of residues at the protein-DNA interface. Proteins 2006; 58:263-70. [PMID: 15558546 DOI: 10.1002/prot.20297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
DNA:m(5)C MTases comprise a catalytic domain with conserved residues of the active site and a strongly diverged TRD with variable residues involved in DNA recognition and binding. To date, crystal structures of 2 DNA:m(5)C MTases complexed with the substrate DNA have been obtained; however, for none of these enzymes has the importance of the whole set of DNA-binding residues been comprehensively studied. We built a comparative model of M.NgoPII, a close homologue and isomethylomer of M.HaeIII, and systematically analyzed the effect of alanine substitutions for the complete set of amino acid residues from its TRD predicted to be important for DNA binding and target recognition. Our data demonstrate that only 1 Arg residue is indispensable for the MTase activity in vivo and in vitro, and that mutations of only a few other residues cause significant reduction of the activity in vitro, with little effect on the activity in vivo. The identification of dispensable protein-DNA contacts in the wild-type MTase will serve as a platform for exhaustive combinatorial mutagenesis aimed at the design of new contacts, and thus construction of enzyme variants that retain the activity but exhibit potentially new substrate preferences.
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Seib KL, Wu HJ, Kidd SP, Apicella MA, Jennings MP, McEwan AG. Defenses against oxidative stress in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: a system tailored for a challenging environment. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2006; 70:344-61. [PMID: 16760307 PMCID: PMC1489540 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00044-05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a host-adapted pathogen that colonizes primarily the human genitourinary tract. This bacterium encounters reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species as a consequence of localized inflammatory responses in the urethra of males and endocervix of females and also of the activity of commensal lactobacilli in the vaginal flora. This review describes recent advances in the understanding of defense systems against oxidative stress in N. gonorrhoeae and shows that while some of its defenses have similarities to the paradigm established with Escherichia coli, there are also some key differences. These differences include the presence of a defense system against superoxide based on manganese ions and a glutathione-dependent system for defense against nitric oxide which is under the control of a novel MerR-like transcriptional regulator. An understanding of the defenses against oxidative stress in N. gonorrhoeae and their regulation may provide new insights into the ways in which this bacterium survives challenges from polymorphonuclear leukocytes and urogenital epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate L Seib
- The School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
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