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Wu R, Dong Z, Liu Y, Xin J, Duan Y, Zheng H, Yang Y, Fu H, Zhong Z, Liu H, Zhou Z, Huang Y, Peng G. Bacteriophage P2-71: a promising therapeutic against multidrug-resistant Proteus mirabilis in urinary tract infections. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1445264. [PMID: 39376913 PMCID: PMC11457703 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1445264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 09/05/2024] [Indexed: 10/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Proteus mirabilis is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium widely found in natural environments. It is known for causing a range of severe illnesses in mammals, particularly urinary tract infections (UTIs). This study evaluates the therapeutic efficacy of phage P2-71 against Proteus mirabilis in vivo and in vitro environments. Methods The in vitro therapeutic potential of bacteriophage P2-71 was assessed through the ability of phage to kill Proteus mirabilis by using a plate counting assay, and biofilm inhibition and biofilm lysis assays using a microtitre plate method. Additionally, an in vivo UTI model in C57BL/6Jmice was developed via urethral inoculation of the bacterium. Phage therapy was administered through urethral injection over a period of 5 days. Therapeutic outcomes were measured by analyzing bacterial load, phage titer, inflammatory markers, and histopathological changes in the urine, urogenital tissues, and spleen. Results In vitro, bacteriophage P2-71 achieved significant reductions in P. mirabilis concentrations, with log reductions of 1.537 and 0.7009 CFU/mL in laboratory and urine environments, respectively (p < 0.001). The phage also decreased biofilm formation by 34-49% and lysed 15-25% of mature biofilms at various multiplicities of infection (MOIs) (p < 0.001). In vivo, phage treatment significantly lowered bacterial concentrations in the urine on Days 1 and 3 (p < 0.0001), achieving a maximum reduction of 4.602 log₁₀ CFU/mL; however, its effectiveness diminished by Day 5 (p > 0.05). Concurrently, phage titers decreased over time. Importantly, phage treatment notably reduced bacterial load in the bladder, kidneys, and spleen (p < 0.001). Inflammatory markers such as IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were significantly lower in the treatment group, especially in the bladder (p < 0.0001), indicating an effective reduction in inflammation. Histopathological analysis showed significant mitigation of tissue damage. Conclusion The results demonstrated that bacteriophage P2-71 is a promising alternative therapy for UTIs caused by MDR Proteus mirabilis. This bacteriophage therapy offers a viable strategy for managing infections where traditional antimicrobials fail, highlighting its potential in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Guangneng Peng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
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Swietnicki W. Secretory System Components as Potential Prophylactic Targets for Bacterial Pathogens. Biomolecules 2021; 11:892. [PMID: 34203937 PMCID: PMC8232601 DOI: 10.3390/biom11060892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial secretory systems are essential for virulence in human pathogens. The systems have become a target of alternative antibacterial strategies based on small molecules and antibodies. Strategies to use components of the systems to design prophylactics have been less publicized despite vaccines being the preferred solution to dealing with bacterial infections. In the current review, strategies to design vaccines against selected pathogens are presented and connected to the biology of the system. The examples are given for Y. pestis, S. enterica, B. anthracis, S. flexneri, and other human pathogens, and discussed in terms of effectiveness and long-term protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wieslaw Swietnicki
- Department of Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. R. Weigla 12, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
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Sun Y, Wen S, Zhao L, Xia Q, Pan Y, Liu H, Wei C, Chen H, Ge J, Wang H. Association among biofilm formation, virulence gene expression, and antibiotic resistance in Proteus mirabilis isolates from diarrhetic animals in Northeast China. BMC Vet Res 2020; 16:176. [PMID: 32503535 PMCID: PMC7275385 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-020-02372-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of this study was to investigate the association among biofilm formation, virulence gene expression, and antibiotic resistance in P. mirabilis isolates collected from diarrhetic animals (n = 176) in northeast China between September 2014 and October 2016. Results Approximately 92.05% of the isolates were biofilm producers, whereas 7.95% of the isolates were non-producers. The prevalence of virulence genes in the biofilm producer group was significantly higher than that in the non-producer group. Biofilm production was significantly associated with the expression of ureC, zapA, rsmA, hmpA, mrpA, atfA, and pmfA (P < 0.05). The results of drug susceptibility tests revealed that approximately 76.7% of the isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR). Biofilm production was significantly associated with resistance to doxycycline, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, kanamycin, and cephalothin (P < 0.05). Although the pathogenicity of the biofilm producers was stronger than that of the non-producers, the biofilm-forming ability of the isolates was not significantly associated with morbidity and mortality in mice (P > 0.05). Conclusion Our findings suggested that a high level of multidrug resistance in P. mirabilis isolates obtained from diarrhetic animals in northeast China. The results of this study indicated that the positive rates of the genes expressed by biofilm-producing P. mirabilis isolates were significantly higher than those expressed by non-producing isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadong Sun
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, P.R. China.,Liaoning Vocational College of Ecological Engineering, Shenyang, 110122, P.R. China
| | - Shanshan Wen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, P.R. China
| | - Lili Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150069, P.R. China
| | - Qiqi Xia
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, P.R. China
| | - Yue Pan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, P.R. China
| | - Hanghang Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, P.R. China
| | - Chengwei Wei
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, P.R. China
| | - Hongyan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150069, P.R. China
| | - Junwei Ge
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, P.R. China.,Northeastern Science Inspection Station, China Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Biology, Harbin, 150030, P.R. China
| | - Hongbin Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, P.R. China.
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Abstract
The chaperone-usher (CU) pathway is a conserved secretion system dedicated to the assembly of a superfamily of virulence-associated surface structures by a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria. Pilus biogenesis by the CU pathway requires two specialized assembly components: a dedicated periplasmic chaperone and an integral outer membrane assembly and secretion platform termed the usher. The CU pathway assembles a variety of surface fibers, ranging from thin, flexible filaments to rigid, rod-like organelles. Pili typically act as adhesins and function as virulence factors that mediate contact with host cells and colonization of host tissues. Pilus-mediated adhesion is critical for early stages of infection, allowing bacteria to establish a foothold within the host. Pili are also involved in modulation of host cell signaling pathways, bacterial invasion into host cells, and biofilm formation. Pili are critical for initiating and sustaining infection and thus represent attractive targets for the development of antivirulence therapeutics. Such therapeutics offer a promising alternative to broad-spectrum antibiotics and provide a means to combat antibiotic resistance and treat infection while preserving the beneficial microbiota. A number of strategies have been taken to develop antipilus therapeutics, including vaccines against pilus proteins, competitive inhibitors of pilus-mediated adhesion, and small molecules that disrupt pilus biogenesis. Here we provide an overview of the function and assembly of CU pili and describe current efforts aimed at interfering with these critical virulence structures.
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Zychlinsky Scharff A, Rousseau M, Lacerda Mariano L, Canton T, Consiglio CR, Albert ML, Fontes M, Duffy D, Ingersoll MA. Sex differences in IL-17 contribute to chronicity in male versus female urinary tract infection. JCI Insight 2019; 5:122998. [PMID: 31145099 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.122998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-based differences influence incidence and outcome of infectious disease. Women have a significantly greater incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI) than men, yet, conversely, male UTI is more persistent with greater associated morbidity. Mechanisms underlying these sex-based differences are unknown, in part due to a lack of experimental models. We optimized a model to transurethrally infect male mice and directly compared UTI in both sexes. Although both sexes were initially equally colonized by uropathogenic E. coli, only male and testosterone-treated female mice remained chronically infected for up to 4 weeks. Female mice had more robust innate responses, including higher IL-17 expression, and increased γδ T cells and group 3 innate lymphoid cells in the bladder following infection. Accordingly, neutralizing IL-17 abolished resolution in female mice, identifying a cytokine pathway necessary for bacterial clearance. Our findings support the concept that sex-based responses to UTI contribute to impaired innate immunity in males and provide a rationale for non-antibiotic-based immune targeting to improve the response to UTI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthieu Rousseau
- Department of Immunology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,INSERM U1223, Paris, France
| | - Livia Lacerda Mariano
- Department of Immunology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,INSERM U1223, Paris, France
| | - Tracy Canton
- Department of Immunology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,INSERM U1223, Paris, France
| | | | - Matthew L Albert
- Department of Immunology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,INSERM U1223, Paris, France
| | - Magnus Fontes
- International Group for Data Analysis, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,The Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,The Center for Genomic Medicine at Rigshospitalet and Persimune, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Darragh Duffy
- Department of Immunology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,INSERM U1223, Paris, France
| | - Molly A Ingersoll
- Department of Immunology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,INSERM U1223, Paris, France
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Razzaqi M, Rasaee MJ, Paknejad M. A critical challenge in the development of antibody: Selecting the appropriate fragment of the target protein as an antigen based on various epitopes or similar structure. Mol Immunol 2019; 111:128-135. [PMID: 31054406 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2019.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The main challenge in the development of antibody is to select the appropriate antigen particularly when a truncated protein is used for immunization or as vaccine antigen. In previous studies, fragment selection was mainly based on epitopes and less often on the structure. Fewer studies have paid attention to the prediction of the truncated protein 3D structure and retained its similarity in the native and truncated proteins. Here we used in silico analysis to select two fragments of Pyruvate Kinase M2 (PKM2), as a tumor marker. One fragment, M-tPKM2, had a shorter sequence with one epitope although the predicted 3D structure was similar to the native PKM2. The other fragment, R-tPKM2, had a longer sequence and thus more epitopes, but had a different structure from the native PKM2. Recombinant truncated proteins were expressed in E. coli and purified via affinity chromatography. Secondary structure elements in purified proteins were determined by Circular Dichroism, then they were utilized to develop antibodies in mice. Both antigens could elicit high immune response against themselves (OD450 = 3.326 ± 0.562 for M-tPKM2; OD450 = 3.562 ± 0.110 for R-tPKM2). However, significantly higher response against PKM2 was observed among the mice immunized with M-tPKM2 (p < 0.0001 by One way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc comparison). Also, the monoclonal antibody produced against the M-tPKM2 could recognize the native PKM2 in the MCF7 cells. Our finding suggested that for the purpose of designing an antigen with the ability to produce a potent antibody against the target protein, it is better to select sequences which have a similar structure in truncated and native proteins, even at the cost of having shorter sequences and fewer epitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahboubeh Razzaqi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Javad Rasaee
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Maliheh Paknejad
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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