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Sato S, Nishioka E, Kabeya H, Maruyama S. Genomic properties of a Bartonella quintana strain from Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) revealed by genome comparison with human and rhesus macaque strains. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10941. [PMID: 38740807 PMCID: PMC11091102 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61782-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Bartonella quintana, the causative agent of trench fever, is an intracellular bacterium that infects human erythrocytes and vascular endothelial cells. For many years, humans were considered the only natural hosts for B. quintana; however, it was recently discovered that wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) also serve as hosts for B. quintana. To elucidate the genetic characteristics of the B. quintana strain MF1-1 isolated from a Japanese macaque, we determined the complete genome sequence of the strain and compared it with those of strain Toulouse from a human and strain RM-11 from a rhesus macaque. General genomic features and orthologous gene cluster profiles are similar among the three strains, and strain MF1-1 is genetically closer to strain RM-11 than strain Toulouse based on the average nucleotide identity values; however, a significant inversion of approximately 0.68 Mb was detected in the chromosome of strain MF1-1. Moreover, the Japanese macaque strains lacked the bepA gene, which is responsible for anti-apoptotic function, and the trwL2, trwL4, and trwL6 genes, which may be involved in adhesion to erythrocytes of rhesus macaque and human. These features likely represent the genomic traits acquired by Japanese macaque strains in their host-associated evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shingo Sato
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan.
| | - Emu Nishioka
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Hidenori Kabeya
- Laboratory of Veterinary Food Hygiene, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Soichi Maruyama
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan
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Zarate-Sulca Y, Calvay-Sanchez KD, Jimenez-Vasquez V, Ruiz J, Acosta-Conchucos O, Mendoza-Mujica G. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in ialB, gltA and rpoB genes of Bartonella bacilliformis isolated from patients in endemic Peruvian regions. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011615. [PMID: 37815991 PMCID: PMC10564245 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Bartonella bacilliformis is a Gram-negative, aerobic bacterium and the known causal agent of Carrion's disease, still considered a neglected disease. There is limited information about the nucleotide sequences of this bacterium in international databases, and few studies have addressed the genetic diversity of B. bacilliformis. We analyzed a total of 20 isolates of B. bacilliformis from the Peruvian regions of Ancash and Cajamarca. Three genes (ialB, gltA, and rpoB) were sequenced in each isolate and nucleotide sequences retrieved from GenBank (16 B. bacilliformis genomes) were also included in the study. All this information was merged in order to obtain clearer evidence of the phylogenetic relationships of B. bacilliformis. In the phylogenetic analysis conducted with the concatenated markers, four isolates (B.b-1, B. b-3, B. b- 7, B.b-8) from the Ancash region were observed to form a subgroup different from B. bacilliformis type strain KC583, showing dissimilarity levels of 5.96% (ialB), 3.69% (gltA) and 3.04% (rpoB). Our results suggest that B. bacilliformis consists of two different subgroups. Future investigations are needed to establish the taxonomic status of these subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanina Zarate-Sulca
- Laboratorio de Referencia Nacional de Metaxénicas y Zoonosis Bacterianas, Centro Nacional de Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Perú, Lima, Perú
| | - Karen Daphne Calvay-Sanchez
- Laboratorio de Referencia Nacional de Metaxénicas y Zoonosis Bacterianas, Centro Nacional de Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Perú, Lima, Perú
| | - Víctor Jimenez-Vasquez
- Laboratorio de Referencia Nacional de Metaxénicas y Zoonosis Bacterianas, Centro Nacional de Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Perú, Lima, Perú
| | - Joaquim Ruiz
- Grupo de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas Emergentes, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Perú
| | | | - Giovanna Mendoza-Mujica
- Laboratorio de Referencia Nacional de Metaxénicas y Zoonosis Bacterianas, Centro Nacional de Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Perú, Lima, Perú
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Greenwich JL, Heckel BC, Alakavuklar MA, Fuqua C. The ChvG-ChvI Regulatory Network: A Conserved Global Regulatory Circuit Among the Alphaproteobacteria with Pervasive Impacts on Host Interactions and Diverse Cellular Processes. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:131-148. [PMID: 37040790 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-120822-102714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
The ChvG-ChvI two-component system is conserved among multiple Alphaproteobacteria. ChvG is a canonical two-component system sensor kinase with a single large periplasmic loop. Active ChvG directs phosphotransfer to its cognate response regulator ChvI, which controls transcription of target genes. In many alphaproteobacteria, ChvG is regulated by a third component, a periplasmic protein called ExoR, that maintains ChvG in an inactive state through direct interaction. Acidic pH stimulates proteolysis of ExoR, unfettering ChvG-ChvI to control its regulatory targets. Activated ChvI among different alphaproteobacteria controls a broad range of cellular processes, including symbiosis and virulence, exopolysaccharide production, biofilm formation, motility, type VI secretion, cellular metabolism, envelope composition, and growth. Low pH is a virulence signal in Agrobacterium tumefaciens, but in other systems, conditions that cause envelope stress may also generally activate ChvG-ChvI. There is mounting evidence that these regulators influence diverse aspects of bacterial physiology, including but not limited to host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brynn C Heckel
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA; ,
- Current affiliation: California State University, Dominguez Hills, California, USA;
| | - Melene A Alakavuklar
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA; ,
- Current affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA;
| | - Clay Fuqua
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA; ,
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Li M, Bao Y, Li Y, Akbar S, Wu G, Du J, Wen R, Chen B, Zhang M. Comparative genome analysis unravels pathogenicity of Xanthomonas albilineans causing sugarcane leaf scald disease. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:671. [PMID: 36162999 PMCID: PMC9513982 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08900-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Xanthomonas is a genus of gram-negative bacterium containing more than 35 species. Among these pathogenic species, Xanthomonas albilineans (Xal) is of global interest, responsible for leaf scald disease in sugarcane. Another notable Xanthomonas species is Xanthomonas sachari (Xsa), a sugarcane-associated agent of chlorotic streak disease. Result The virulence of 24 Xanthomonas strains was evaluated by disease index (DI) and Area Under Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC) in the susceptible inoculated plants (GT 46) and clustered into three groups of five highly potent, seven mild virulent, and twelve weak virulent strains. The highly potent strain (X. albilineans, Xal JG43) and its weak virulent related strain (X. sacchari, Xsa DD13) were sequenced, assembled, and annotated in the circular genomes. The genomic size of JG43 was smaller than that of DD13. Both strains (JG43 and DD13) lacked a Type III secretory system (T3SS) and T6SS. However, JG43 possessed Salmonella pathogenicity island-1 (SPI-1). More pathogen-host interaction (PHI) genes and virulent factors in 17 genomic islands (GIs) were detected in JG43, among which six were related to pathogenicity. Albicidin and a two-component system associated with virulence were also detected in JG43. Furthermore, 23 Xanthomonas strains were sequenced and classified into three categories based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) mutation loci and pathogenicity, using JG43 as a reference genome. Transitions were dominant SNP mutations, while structural variation (SV) is frequent intrachromosomal rearrangement (ITX). Two essential genes (rpfC/rpfG) of the two-component system and another gene related to SNP were mutated to understand their virulence effect. The mutation of rpfG resulted in a decrease in pathogenicity. Conclusion These findings revealed virulence of 24 Xanthomonas strains and variations by 23 Xanthomonas strains. We sequenced, assembled, and annotated the circular genomes of Xal JG43 and Xsa DD13, identifying diversity detected by pathogenic factors and systems. Furthermore, complete genomic sequences and sequenced data will provide a theoretical basis for identifying pathogenic factors responsible for sugarcane leaf scald disease. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08900-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- MeiLin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization for Subtropical Agri-Biological Resources & Guangxi Key Laboratory for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi, China
| | - YiXue Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization for Subtropical Agri-Biological Resources & Guangxi Key Laboratory for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi, China
| | - YiSha Li
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization for Subtropical Agri-Biological Resources & Guangxi Key Laboratory for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi, China
| | - Sehrish Akbar
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization for Subtropical Agri-Biological Resources & Guangxi Key Laboratory for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi, China
| | - GuangYue Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization for Subtropical Agri-Biological Resources & Guangxi Key Laboratory for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi, China
| | - JinXia Du
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization for Subtropical Agri-Biological Resources & Guangxi Key Laboratory for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi, China
| | - Ronghui Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization for Subtropical Agri-Biological Resources & Guangxi Key Laboratory for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi, China
| | - Baoshan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization for Subtropical Agri-Biological Resources & Guangxi Key Laboratory for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi, China
| | - MuQing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization for Subtropical Agri-Biological Resources & Guangxi Key Laboratory for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi, China.
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Identification of the Bartonella autotransporter CFA as a protective antigen and hypervariable target of neutralizing antibodies in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202059119. [PMID: 35714289 PMCID: PMC9231624 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202059119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bartonella infections represent a significant burden to human health and are difficult to cure. Protective Bartonella vaccines are not available. Acquired immunity to Bartonella infection could provide a blueprint for vaccine design but remains incompletely defined. Moreover, bacterial immune evasion mechanisms have the potential to thwart vaccination efforts. Our study in a model of a natural Bartonella–host relationship revealed that antibody-mediated prevention of bacterial attachment to erythrocytes is sufficient for protection. We identified the bacterial surface determinant CFA (CAMP-like factor autotransporter) as a target of protective antibodies. While immunization with CFA protected against challenge with the homologous Bartonella isolate, extensive variability of CFA already at the strain level revealed bacterial immune evasion mechanisms with implications for Bartonella vaccine design. The bacterial genus Bartonella comprises numerous emerging pathogens that cause a broad spectrum of disease manifestations in humans. The targets and mechanisms of the anti-Bartonella immune defense are ill-defined and bacterial immune evasion strategies remain elusive. We found that experimentally infected mice resolved Bartonella infection by mounting antibody responses that neutralized the bacteria, preventing their attachment to erythrocytes and suppressing bacteremia independent of complement or Fc receptors. Bartonella-neutralizing antibody responses were rapidly induced and depended on CD40 signaling but not on affinity maturation. We cloned neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and by mass spectrometry identified the bacterial autotransporter CFA (CAMP-like factor autotransporter) as a neutralizing antibody target. Vaccination against CFA suppressed Bartonella bacteremia, validating CFA as a protective antigen. We mapped Bartonella-neutralizing mAb binding to a domain in CFA that we found is hypervariable in both human and mouse pathogenic strains, indicating mutational antibody evasion at the Bartonella subspecies level. These insights into Bartonella immunity and immune evasion provide a conceptual framework for vaccine development, identifying important challenges in this endeavor.
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The Passenger Domain of Bartonella bacilliformis BafA Promotes Endothelial Cell Angiogenesis via the VEGF Receptor Signaling Pathway. mSphere 2022; 7:e0008122. [PMID: 35379004 PMCID: PMC9044958 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00081-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella bacilliformis is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen that provokes pathological angiogenesis and causes Carrion’s disease, a neglected tropical disease restricted to South America. Little is known about how B. bacilliformis facilitates vasoproliferation resulting in hemangioma in the skin in verruga peruana, the chronic phase of Carrion’s disease. Here, we demonstrate that B. bacilliformis extracellularly secrets a passenger domain of the autotransporter BafA exhibiting proangiogenic activity. The B. bacilliformis-derived BafA passenger domain (BafABba) increased the number of human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs) and promoted tube-like morphogenesis. Neutralizing antibody against BafABba detected the BafA derivatives from the culture supernatant of B. bacilliformis and inhibited the infection-mediated hyperproliferation of HUVECs. Moreover, stimulation with BafABba promoted phosphorylation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 in HUVECs. Suppression of VEGFR2 by anti-VEGFR2 antibody or RNA interference reduced the sensitivity of cells to BafABba. In addition, surface plasmon resonance analysis confirmed that BafABba directly interacts with VEGFR2 with lower affinity than VEGF or Bartonella henselae-derived BafA. These findings indicate that BafABba acts as a VEGFR2 agonist analogous to the previously identified B. henselae- and Bartonella quintana-derived BafA proteins despite the low sequence similarity. The identification of a proangiogenic factor produced by B. bacilliformis that directly stimulates endothelial cells provides an important insight into the pathophysiology of verruga peruana. IMPORTANCEBartonella bacilliformis causes life-threatening bacteremia or dermal eruption known as Carrion’s disease in South America. During infection, B. bacilliformis promotes endothelial cell proliferation and the angiogenic process, but the underlying molecular mechanism has not been well understood. We show that B. bacilliformis induces vasoproliferation and angiogenesis by producing the proangiogenic autotransporter BafA. As the cellular/molecular basis for angiogenesis, BafA stimulates the signaling pathway of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). Identification of functional BafA protein from B. bacilliformis in addition to B. henselae and B. quintana, the causes of cat scratch disease and trench fever, raises the possibility that BafA is a common virulence factor for human-pathogenic Bartonella.
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Drecktrah D, Hall LS, Crouse B, Schwarz B, Richards C, Bohrnsen E, Wulf M, Long B, Bailey J, Gherardini F, Bosio CM, Lybecker MC, Samuels DS. The glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenases GpsA and GlpD constitute the oxidoreductive metabolic linchpin for Lyme disease spirochete host infectivity and persistence in the tick. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010385. [PMID: 35255112 PMCID: PMC8929704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We have identified GpsA, a predicted glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, as a virulence factor in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia (Borreliella) burgdorferi: GpsA is essential for murine infection and crucial for persistence of the spirochete in the tick. B. burgdorferi has a limited biosynthetic and metabolic capacity; the linchpin connecting central carbohydrate and lipid metabolism is at the interconversion of glycerol-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate, catalyzed by GpsA and another glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, GlpD. Using a broad metabolomics approach, we found that GpsA serves as a dominant regulator of NADH and glycerol-3-phosphate levels in vitro, metabolic intermediates that reflect the cellular redox potential and serve as a precursor for lipid and lipoprotein biosynthesis, respectively. Additionally, GpsA was required for survival under nutrient stress, regulated overall reductase activity and controlled B. burgdorferi morphology in vitro. Furthermore, during in vitro nutrient stress, both glycerol and N-acetylglucosamine were bactericidal to B. burgdorferi in a GlpD-dependent manner. This study is also the first to identify a suppressor mutation in B. burgdorferi: a glpD deletion restored the wild-type phenotype to the pleiotropic gpsA mutant, including murine infectivity by needle inoculation at high doses, survival under nutrient stress, morphological changes and the metabolic imbalance of NADH and glycerol-3-phosphate. These results illustrate how basic metabolic functions that are dispensable for in vitro growth can be essential for in vivo infectivity of B. burgdorferi and may serve as attractive therapeutic targets. Lyme disease (borreliosis) is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern hemisphere and its prevalence is increasing. Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease, is an enzootic pathogen that alternates between a tick vector and vertebrate host. Humans are considered an incidental host after transmission of B. burgdorferi following the bite of an infected tick. The mechanisms by which B. burgdorferi persists in the Ixodid tick, transmits to a vertebrate host and establishes infection are not well understood. Therefore, identifying virulence factors and uncovering the pathogenic strategies in the spirochete remain important to address the public health concerns of Lyme disease. In this study, we identify an enzyme involved in three-carbon metabolism, GpsA, as a new virulence factor with an effect on persistence in ticks. GpsA and GlpD, another enzyme, constitute a bidirectional metabolic node connecting lipid biosynthesis and glycolysis, which serves as the linchpin for regulating carbon utilization for B. burgdorferi throughout its enzootic cycle. Disruption of this node causes a lethal metabolic imbalance revealing a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Drecktrah
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DD); (DSS)
| | - Laura S. Hall
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Bethany Crouse
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Benjamin Schwarz
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Crystal Richards
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Eric Bohrnsen
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Michael Wulf
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Bonnie Long
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Jessica Bailey
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Frank Gherardini
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Catharine M. Bosio
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Meghan C. Lybecker
- Department of Biology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States of America
| | - D. Scott Samuels
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DD); (DSS)
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Du M, Wang S, Dong L, Qu R, Zheng L, He Y, Chen S, Zou X. Overexpression of a " Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus" Effector Gene CaLasSDE115 Contributes to Early Colonization in Citrus sinensis. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:797841. [PMID: 35265048 PMCID: PMC8899593 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.797841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by "Candidatus liberibacter asiaticus" (CaLas), is one of the most devastating diseases in citrus but its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Here, we reported the role of the CaLasSDE115 (CLIBASIA_05115) effector, encoded by CaLas, during pathogen-host interactions. Bioinformatics analyses showed that CaLasSDE115 was 100% conserved in all reported CaLas strains but had sequence differences compared with orthologs from other "Candidatus liberibacter." Prediction of protein structures suggested that the crystal structure of CaLasSDE115 was very close to that of the invasion-related protein B (IalB), a virulence factor from Bartonella henselae. Alkaline phosphatase (PhoA) assay in E. coli further confirmed that CaLasSDE115 was a Sec-dependent secretory protein while subcellular localization analyses in tobacco showed that the mature protein of SDE115 (mSDE115), without its putative Sec-dependent signal peptide, was distributed in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Expression levels of CaLasSDE115 in CaLas-infected Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) were much higher (∼45-fold) than those in CaLas-infected Wanjincheng oranges, with the expression in symptomatic leaves being significantly higher than that in asymptomatic ones. Additionally, the overexpression of mSDE115 favored CaLas proliferation during the early stages (2 months) of infection while promoting the development of symptoms. Hormone content and gene expression analysis of transgenic plants also suggested that overexpressing mSDE115 modulated the transcriptional regulation of genes involved in systemic acquired resistance (SAR) response. Overall, our data indicated that CaLasSDE115 effector contributed to the early colonization of citrus by the pathogen and worsened the occurrence of Huanglongbing symptoms, thereby providing a theoretical basis for further exploring the pathogenic mechanisms of Huanglongbing disease in citrus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xiuping Zou
- National Citrus Engineering Research Center, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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Wu J, Lang H, Mu X, Zhang Z, Su Q, Hu X, Zheng H. Honey bee genetics shape the strain-level structure of gut microbiota in social transmission. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:225. [PMID: 34784973 PMCID: PMC8597283 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01174-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Honey bee gut microbiota transmitted via social interactions are beneficial to the host health. Although the microbial community is relatively stable, individual variations and high strain-level diversity have been detected across honey bees. Although the bee gut microbiota structure is influenced by environmental factors, the heritability of the gut members and the contribution of the host genetics remains elusive. Considering bees within a colony are not readily genetically identical due to the polyandry of the queen, we hypothesize that the microbiota structure can be shaped by host genetics. RESULTS We used shotgun metagenomics to simultaneously profile the microbiota and host genotypes of bees from hives of four different subspecies. Gut composition is more distant between genetically different bees at both phylotype- and "sequence-discrete population" levels. We then performed a successive passaging experiment within colonies of hybrid bees generated by artificial insemination, which revealed that the microbial composition dramatically shifts across batches of bees during the social transmission. Specifically, different strains from the phylotype of Snodgrassella alvi are preferentially selected by genetically varied hosts, and strains from different hosts show a remarkably biased distribution of single-nucleotide polymorphism in the Type IV pili loci. Genome-wide association analysis identified that the relative abundance of a cluster of Bifidobacterium strains is associated with the host glutamate receptor gene specifically expressed in the bee brain. Finally, mono-colonization of Bifidobacterium with a specific polysaccharide utilization locus impacts the alternative splicing of the gluR-B gene, which is associated with an increased GABA level in the brain. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that host genetics influence the bee gut composition and suggest a gut-brain connection implicated in the gut bacterial strain preference. Honey bees have been used extensively as a model organism for social behaviors, genetics, and the gut microbiome. Further identification of host genetic function as a shaping force of microbial structure will advance our understanding of the host-microbe interactions. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqiang Wu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Haoyu Lang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiaohuan Mu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Zijing Zhang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Qinzhi Su
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiaosong Hu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China.
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Evolutionary Diversification of Host-Targeted Bartonella Effectors Proteins Derived from a Conserved FicTA Toxin-Antitoxin Module. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9081645. [PMID: 34442725 PMCID: PMC8401265 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9081645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins containing a FIC domain catalyze AMPylation and other post-translational modifications (PTMs). In bacteria, they are typically part of FicTA toxin-antitoxin modules that control conserved biochemical processes such as topoisomerase activity, but they have also repeatedly diversified into host-targeted virulence factors. Among these, Bartonella effector proteins (Beps) comprise a particularly diverse ensemble of FIC domains that subvert various host cellular functions. However, no comprehensive comparative analysis has been performed to infer molecular mechanisms underlying the biochemical and functional diversification of FIC domains in the vast Bep family. Here, we used X-ray crystallography, structural modelling, and phylogenetic analyses to unravel the expansion and diversification of Bep repertoires that evolved in parallel in three Bartonella lineages from a single ancestral FicTA toxin-antitoxin module. Our analysis is based on 99 non-redundant Bep sequences and nine crystal structures. Inferred from the conservation of the FIC signature motif that comprises the catalytic histidine and residues involved in substrate binding, about half of them represent AMP transferases. A quarter of Beps show a glutamate in a strategic position in the putative substrate binding pocket that would interfere with triphosphate-nucleotide binding but may allow binding of an AMPylated target for deAMPylation or another substrate to catalyze a distinct PTM. The β-hairpin flap that registers the modifiable target segment to the active site exhibits remarkable structural variability. The corresponding sequences form few well-defined groups that may recognize distinct target proteins. The binding of Beps to promiscuous FicA antitoxins is well conserved, indicating a role of the antitoxin to inhibit enzymatic activity or to serve as a chaperone for the FIC domain before translocation of the Bep into host cells. Taken together, our analysis indicates a remarkable functional plasticity of Beps that is mostly brought about by structural changes in the substrate pocket and the target dock. These findings may guide future structure–function analyses of the highly versatile FIC domains.
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11
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Gutiérrez R, Ram Y, Berman J, Carstens Marques de Sousa K, Nachum-Biala Y, Britzi M, Elad D, Glaser G, Covo S, Harrus S. Adaptive resistance mutations at supra-inhibitory concentrations independent of SOS mutagenesis. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:4095-4115. [PMID: 34175952 PMCID: PMC8476149 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Emergence of resistant bacteria during antimicrobial treatment is one of the most critical and universal health threats. It is known that several stress-induced mutagenesis and heteroresistance mechanisms can enhance microbial adaptation to antibiotics. Here, we demonstrate that the pathogen Bartonella can undergo stress-induced mutagenesis despite the fact it lacks error-prone polymerases, the rpoS gene and functional UV-induced mutagenesis. We demonstrate that Bartonella acquire de novo single mutations during rifampicin exposure at suprainhibitory concentrations at a much higher rate than expected from spontaneous fluctuations. This is while exhibiting a minimal heteroresistance capacity. The emerged resistant mutants acquired a single rpoB mutation, whereas no other mutations were found in their whole genome. Interestingly, the emergence of resistance in Bartonella occurred only during gradual exposure to the antibiotic, indicating that Bartonella sense and react to the changing environment. Using a mathematical model, we demonstrated that, to reproduce the experimental results, mutation rates should be transiently increased over 1,000-folds, and a larger population size or greater heteroresistance capacity is required. RNA expression analysis suggests that the increased mutation rate is due to downregulation of key DNA repair genes (mutS, mutY, and recA), associated with DNA breaks caused by massive prophage inductions. These results provide new evidence of the hazard of antibiotic overuse in medicine and agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Gutiérrez
- The Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.,The Center for Research in Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Yoav Ram
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.,School of Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Judith Berman
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Yaarit Nachum-Biala
- The Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Malka Britzi
- The National Residue Control Laboratory, The Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - Daniel Elad
- Department of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, The Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - Gad Glaser
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shay Covo
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shimon Harrus
- The Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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12
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Roop RM, Barton IS, Hopersberger D, Martin DW. Uncovering the Hidden Credentials of Brucella Virulence. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2021; 85:e00021-19. [PMID: 33568459 PMCID: PMC8549849 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00021-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria in the genus Brucella are important human and veterinary pathogens. The abortion and infertility they cause in food animals produce economic hardships in areas where the disease has not been controlled, and human brucellosis is one of the world's most common zoonoses. Brucella strains have also been isolated from wildlife, but we know much less about the pathobiology and epidemiology of these infections than we do about brucellosis in domestic animals. The brucellae maintain predominantly an intracellular lifestyle in their mammalian hosts, and their ability to subvert the host immune response and survive and replicate in macrophages and placental trophoblasts underlies their success as pathogens. We are just beginning to understand how these bacteria evolved from a progenitor alphaproteobacterium with an environmental niche and diverged to become highly host-adapted and host-specific pathogens. Two important virulence determinants played critical roles in this evolution: (i) a type IV secretion system that secretes effector molecules into the host cell cytoplasm that direct the intracellular trafficking of the brucellae and modulate host immune responses and (ii) a lipopolysaccharide moiety which poorly stimulates host inflammatory responses. This review highlights what we presently know about how these and other virulence determinants contribute to Brucella pathogenesis. Gaining a better understanding of how the brucellae produce disease will provide us with information that can be used to design better strategies for preventing brucellosis in animals and for preventing and treating this disease in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Martin Roop
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ian S Barton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dariel Hopersberger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel W Martin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
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13
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The Bartonella autotransporter BafA activates the host VEGF pathway to drive angiogenesis. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3571. [PMID: 32678094 PMCID: PMC7366657 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17391-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria of the genus Bartonella can induce vasoproliferative lesions during infection. The underlying mechanisms are unclear, but involve secretion of an unidentified mitogenic factor. Here, we use functional transposon-mutant screening in Bartonella henselae to identify such factor as a pro-angiogenic autotransporter, called BafA. The passenger domain of BafA induces cell proliferation, tube formation and sprouting of microvessels, and drives angiogenesis in mice. BafA interacts with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-2 and activates the downstream signaling pathway, suggesting that BafA functions as a VEGF analog. A BafA homolog from a related pathogen, Bartonella quintana, is also functional. Our work unveils the mechanistic basis of vasoproliferative lesions observed in bartonellosis, and we propose BafA as a key pathogenic factor contributing to bacterial spread and host adaptation. Pathogenic bacteria of the genus Bartonella can induce vasoproliferative lesions during infection. Here, Tsukamoto et al. show that this effect is caused by a secreted protein that induces cell proliferation and angiogenesis by acting as an analog of the host’s vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
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14
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Pan-Proteomic Analysis and Elucidation of Protein Abundance among the Closely Related Brucella Species, Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10060836. [PMID: 32486122 PMCID: PMC7355635 DOI: 10.3390/biom10060836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucellosis is a zoonotic infection caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. The species, B. abortus and B. melitensis, major causative agents of human brucellosis, share remarkably similar genomes, but they differ in their natural hosts, phenotype, antigenic, immunogenic, proteomic and metabolomic properties. In the present study, label-free quantitative proteomic analysis was applied to investigate protein expression level differences. Type strains and field strains were each cultured six times, cells were harvested at a midlogarithmic growth phase and proteins were extracted. Following trypsin digestion, the peptides were desalted, separated by reverse-phase nanoLC, ionized using electrospray ionization and transferred into an linear trap quadrapole (LTQ) Orbitrap Velos mass spectrometer to record full scan MS spectra (m/z 300–1700) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) spectra of the 20 most intense ions. Database matching with the reference proteomes resulted in the identification of 826 proteins. The Cluster of Gene Ontologies of the identified proteins revealed differences in bimolecular transport and protein synthesis mechanisms between these two strains. Among several other proteins, antifreeze proteins, Omp10, superoxide dismutase and 30S ribosomal protein S14 were predicted as potential virulence factors among the proteins differentially expressed. All mass spectrometry data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD006348.
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15
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Gutiérrez R, Shalit T, Markus B, Yuan C, Nachum-Biala Y, Elad D, Harrus S. Bartonella kosoyi sp. nov. and Bartonella krasnovii sp. nov., two novel species closely related to the zoonotic Bartonella elizabethae, isolated from black rats and wild desert rodent-fleas. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:1656-1665. [PMID: 32100689 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.003952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Bartonella (Family: Bartonellaceae; Order: Rhizobiales; Class: Alphaproteobacteria) comprises facultative intracellular Gram-negative, haemotropic, slow-growing, vector-borne bacteria. Wild rodents and their fleas harbor a great diversity of species and strains of the genus Bartonella, including several zoonotic ones. This genetic diversity coupled with a fastidious nature of the organism results in a taxonomic challenge that has led to a massive collection of uncharacterized strains. Here, we report the genomic and phenotypic characterization of two strains, members of the genus Bartonella (namely Tel Aviv and OE 1-1), isolated from Rattus rattus rats and Synosternus cleopatrae fleas, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed rod-shaped bacteria with polar pili, lengths ranging from 1.0 to 2.0 µm and widths ranging from 0.3 to 0.6 µm. OE 1-1 and Tel Aviv strains contained one single chromosome of 2.16 and 2.23 Mbp and one plasmid of 29.0 and 41.5 Kbp, with average DNA G+C contents of 38.16 and 38.47 mol%, respectively. These strains presented an average nucleotide identity (ANI) of 89.9 %. Bartonella elizabethae was found to be the closest phylogenetic relative of both strains (ANI=90.9-93.6 %). The major fatty acids identified in both strains were C18:1ω7c, C18 : 0 and C16 : 0. They differ from B. elizabethae in their C17 : 0 and C15 : 0 compositions. Both strains are strictly capnophilic and their biochemical profiles resembled those of species of the genus Bartonella with validly published names, whereas differences in arylamidase activities partially assisted in their speciation. Genomic and phenotypic differences demonstrate that OE 1-1 and Tel Aviv strains represent novel individual species, closely related to B. elizabethae, for which we propose the names Bartonella kosoyi sp. nov. and Bartonella krasnovii sp. nov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Gutiérrez
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610000, Israel
| | - Tali Shalit
- The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610000, Israel
| | - Barak Markus
- The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610000, Israel
| | - Congli Yuan
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Yaarit Nachum-Biala
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610000, Israel
| | - Daniel Elad
- The Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, 50250, Israel
| | - Shimon Harrus
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610000, Israel
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16
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Deng H, Wu S, Song Q, Zhang J, Sang F, Sun X, Xu T, Gao Y, Zhao B. Cloning and identification of Bartonella α-enolase as a plasminogen-binding protein. Microb Pathog 2019; 135:103651. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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17
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Deng H, Zhou J, Gong B, Xiao M, Zhang M, Pang Q, Zhang X, Zhao B, Zhou X. Screening and identification of a human domain antibody against Brucella abortus VirB5. Acta Trop 2019; 197:105026. [PMID: 31103700 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Brucellosis is caused by the genus Brucella. Brucella is widely distributed in cattle, swine, sheep, goat and other mammals including human. Animal brucellosis causes severe economic losses and affects related international transportation and trade. Human brucellosis causes both acute and chronic symptoms of multi-organ dysfunction. Brucella type IV secretion system (T4SS) VirB5 was required for macrophages infection and essential for virulence in mice. VirB5 is located on the cell surface and serves as a specific adhesin targeting host cell receptors. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize a specific human domain antibody against Brucella abortus (B. abortus) VirB5 from human single domain antibody (sdAb or VHH) phage display library. Following five rounds of screening, an sdAb named as BaV5VH4 showed the highest affinity by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Its interaction with B. abortus VirB5 was verified by binding assay, dot blot and molecular docking. These findings in this paper could greatly help elucidate the molecular mechanisms of Brucella infection, and accelerate the development of sdAbs-based vaccines and neutralizing therapeutics of brucellosis.
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18
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Québatte M, Dehio C. Bartonella gene transfer agent: Evolution, function, and proposed role in host adaptation. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13068. [PMID: 31231937 PMCID: PMC6899734 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The processes underlying host adaptation by bacterial pathogens remain a fundamental question with relevant clinical, ecological, and evolutionary implications. Zoonotic pathogens of the genus Bartonella constitute an exceptional model to study these aspects. Bartonellae have undergone a spectacular diversification into multiple species resulting from adaptive radiation. Specific adaptations of a complex facultative intracellular lifestyle have enabled the colonisation of distinct mammalian reservoir hosts. This remarkable host adaptability has a multifactorial basis and is thought to be driven by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and recombination among a limited genus‐specific pan genome. Recent functional and evolutionary studies revealed that the conserved Bartonella gene transfer agent (BaGTA) mediates highly efficient HGT and could thus drive this evolution. Here, we review the recent progress made towards understanding BaGTA evolution, function, and its role in the evolution and pathogenesis of Bartonella spp. We notably discuss how BaGTA could have contributed to genome diversification through recombination of beneficial traits that underlie host adaptability. We further address how BaGTA may counter the accumulation of deleterious mutations in clonal populations (Muller's ratchet), which are expected to occur through the recurrent transmission bottlenecks during the complex infection cycle of these pathogens in their mammalian reservoir hosts and arthropod vectors.
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19
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Dehio C, Tsolis RM. Type IV Effector Secretion and Subversion of Host Functions by Bartonella and Brucella Species. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2019. [PMID: 29536363 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75241-9_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2023]
Abstract
Bartonella and Brucella species comprise closely related genera of the order Rhizobiales within the class α-proteobacteria. Both groups of bacteria are mammalian pathogens with a facultative intracellular lifestyle and are capable of causing chronic infections, but members of each genus have evolved broadly different infection and transmission strategies. While Brucella spp. transmit in general via the reproductive tract in their natural hosts, the Bartonella spp. have evolved to transmit via arthropod vectors. However, a shared feature of both groups of pathogens is their reliance on type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) to interact with cells in their mammalian hosts. The genomes of Bartonella spp. encode three types of T4SS, Trw, Vbh/TraG, and VirB/VirD4, whereas those of Brucella spp. uniformly contain a single T4SS of the VirB type. The VirB systems of Bartonella and Brucella are associated with distinct groups of effector proteins that collectively mediate interactions with host cells. This chapter discusses recent findings on the role of T4SS in the biology of Bartonella spp. and Brucella spp. with emphasis on effector repertoires, on recent advances in our understanding of their evolution, how individual effectors function at the molecular level, and on the consequences of these interactions for cellular and immune responses in the host.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renée M Tsolis
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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20
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Wagner A, Dehio C. Role of distinct type-IV-secretion systems and secreted effector sets in host adaptation by pathogenic Bartonella species. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13004. [PMID: 30644157 PMCID: PMC6519360 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The α‐proteobacterial genus Bartonella comprises a large number of facultative intracellular pathogens that share a common lifestyle hallmarked by hemotrophic infection and arthropod transmission. Speciation in the four deep‐branching lineages (L1–L4) occurred by host adaptation facilitating the establishment of long lasting bacteraemia in specific mammalian reservoir host(s). Two distinct type‐IV‐secretion systems (T4SSs) acquired horizontally by different Bartonella lineages mediate essential host interactions during infection and represent key innovations for host adaptation. The Trw‐T4SS confined to the species‐rich L4 mediates host‐specific erythrocyte infection and likely has functionally replaced flagella as ancestral virulence factors implicated in erythrocyte colonisation by bartonellae of the other lineages. The VirB/VirD4‐T4SS translocates Bartonella effector proteins (Bep) into various host cell types to modulate diverse cellular and innate immune functions involved in systemic spreading of bacteria following intradermal inoculation. Independent acquisition of the virB/virD4/bep locus by L1, L3, and L4 was likely driven by arthropod vectors associated with intradermal inoculation of bacteria rather than facilitating direct access to blood. Subsequently, adaptation to colonise specific niches in the new host has shaped the evolution of complex species‐specific Bep repertoires. This diversification of the virulence factor repertoire of Bartonella spp. represents a remarkable example for parallel evolution of host adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Wagner
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Dehio
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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21
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Bastedo DP, Lo T, Laflamme B, Desveaux D, Guttman DS. Diversity and Evolution of Type III Secreted Effectors: A Case Study of Three Families. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2019; 427:201-230. [DOI: 10.1007/82_2019_165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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22
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Deng H, Pang Q, Zhao B, Vayssier-Taussat M. Molecular Mechanisms of Bartonella and Mammalian Erythrocyte Interactions: A Review. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:431. [PMID: 30619777 PMCID: PMC6299047 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonellosis is an infectious disease caused by Bartonella species that are distributed worldwide with animal and public health impact varying according to Bartonella species, infection phase, immunological characteristics, and geographical region. Bartonella is widely present in various mammals including cats, rodents, ruminants, and humans. At least 13 Bartonella species or subspecies are zoonotic. Each species has few reservoir animals in which it is often asymptomatic. Bartonella infection may lead to various clinical symptoms in humans. As described in the B.tribocorum-rat model, when Bartonella was seeded into the blood stream, they could escape immunity, adhered to and invaded host erythrocytes. They then replicated and persisted in the infected erythrocytes for several weeks. This review summarizes the current knowledge of how Bartonella prevent phagocytosis and complement activation, what pathogenesis factors are involved in erythrocyte adhesion and invasion, and how Bartonella could replicate and persist in mammalian erythrocytes. Current advances in research will help us to decipher molecular mechanisms of interactions between Bartonella and mammalian erythrocytes and may help in the development of biological strategies for the prevention and control of bartonellosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongkuan Deng
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, China
| | - Qiuxiang Pang
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, China
| | - Bosheng Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, China
| | - Muriel Vayssier-Taussat
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, ANSES, École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne, Maisons-Alfort, France
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23
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Chen X, Zhang Y, Zhang Z, Zhao Y, Sun C, Yang M, Wang J, Liu Q, Zhang B, Chen M, Yu J, Wu J, Jin Z, Xiao J. PGAweb: A Web Server for Bacterial Pan-Genome Analysis. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1910. [PMID: 30186253 PMCID: PMC6110895 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
An astronomical increase in microbial genome data in recent years has led to strong demand for bioinformatic tools for pan-genome analysis within and across species. Here, we present PGAweb, a user-friendly, web-based tool for bacterial pan-genome analysis, which is composed of two main pan-genome analysis modules, PGAP and PGAP-X. PGAweb provides key interactive and customizable functions that include orthologous clustering, pan-genome profiling, sequence variation and evolution analysis, and functional classification. PGAweb presents features of genomic structural dynamics and sequence diversity with different visualization methods that are helpful for intuitively understanding the dynamics and evolution of bacterial genomes. PGAweb has an intuitive interface with one-click setting of parameters and is freely available at http://PGAweb.vlcc.cn/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Chen
- Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yadong Zhang
- BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhewen Zhang
- BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongbing Zhao
- Lymphocyte Nuclear Biology, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Chen Sun
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Ming Yang
- Office of General Affairs, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinyue Wang
- BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center of Scientific Computing Applications and Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Baohua Zhang
- Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center of Scientific Computing Applications and Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Meili Chen
- BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiayan Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhong Jin
- Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center of Scientific Computing Applications and Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingfa Xiao
- BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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24
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Faralla C, Bastounis EE, Ortega FE, Light SH, Rizzuto G, Gao L, Marciano DK, Nocadello S, Anderson WF, Robbins JR, Theriot JA, Bakardjiev AI. Listeria monocytogenes InlP interacts with afadin and facilitates basement membrane crossing. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007094. [PMID: 29847585 PMCID: PMC6044554 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During pregnancy, the placenta protects the fetus against the maternal immune response, as well as bacterial and viral pathogens. Bacterial pathogens that have evolved specific mechanisms of breaching this barrier, such as Listeria monocytogenes, present a unique opportunity for learning how the placenta carries out its protective function. We previously identified the L. monocytogenes protein Internalin P (InlP) as a secreted virulence factor critical for placental infection. Here, we show that InlP, but not the highly similar L. monocytogenes internalin Lmo2027, binds to human afadin (encoded by AF-6), a protein associated with cell-cell junctions. A crystal structure of InlP reveals several unique features, including an extended leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain with a distinctive Ca2+-binding site. Despite afadin's involvement in the formation of cell-cell junctions, MDCK epithelial cells expressing InlP displayed a decrease in the magnitude of the traction stresses they could exert on deformable substrates, similar to the decrease in traction exhibited by AF-6 knock-out MDCK cells. L. monocytogenes ΔinlP mutants were deficient in their ability to form actin-rich protrusions from the basal face of polarized epithelial monolayers, a necessary step in the crossing of such monolayers (transcytosis). A similar phenotype was observed for bacteria expressing an internal in-frame deletion in inlP (inlP ΔLRR5) that specifically disrupts its interaction with afadin. However, afadin deletion in the host cells did not rescue the transcytosis defect. We conclude that secreted InlP targets cytosolic afadin to specifically promote L. monocytogenes transcytosis across the basal face of epithelial monolayers, which may contribute to the crossing of the basement membrane during placental infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Faralla
- Benioff Children’s Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Program in Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Defense, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Effie E. Bastounis
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Fabian E. Ortega
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Samuel H. Light
- Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Gabrielle Rizzuto
- Benioff Children’s Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Program in Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Defense, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Lei Gao
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Denise K. Marciano
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Salvatore Nocadello
- Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Wayne F. Anderson
- Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jennifer R. Robbins
- Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Julie A. Theriot
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Anna I. Bakardjiev
- Benioff Children’s Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Program in Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Defense, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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25
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Tay ST, Kho KL, Lye SF, Ngeow YF. Phylogeny and putative virulence gene analysis of Bartonella bovis. J Vet Med Sci 2018; 80:653-661. [PMID: 29311425 PMCID: PMC5938196 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.17-0448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella bovis is a small Gram-negative bacterium recognized as an
etiological agent for bacteremia and endocarditis in cattle. As few reports are available
on the taxonomic position of B. bovis and its mechanism of virulence,
this study aims to resolve the phylogeny of B. bovis and investigate
putative virulence genes based on whole genome sequence analysis. Genome-wide comparisons
based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and orthologous genes were performed in
this study for phylogenetic inference of 27 Bartonella species. Rapid
Annotation using Subsystem Technology (RAST) analysis was used for annotation of putative
virulence genes. The phylogenetic tree generated from the genome-wide comparison of
orthologous genes exhibited a topology almost similar to that of the tree generated from
SNP-based comparison, indicating a high concordance in the nucleotide and amino acid
sequences of Bartonella spp. The analyses show consistent grouping of
B. bovis in a cluster related to ruminant-associated species, including
Bartonella australis, Bartonella melophagi and
Bartonella schoenbuchensis. RAST analysis revealed genes encoding
flagellar components, in corroboration with the observation of flagella-like structure of
BbUM strain under negative straining. Genes associated with virulence, disease and
defence, prophages, membrane transport, iron acquisition, motility and chemotaxis are
annotated in B. bovis genome. The flagellin (flaA) gene
of B. bovis is closely related to Bartonella
bacilliformis and Bartonella clarridgeiae but distinct from
other Gram-negative bacteria. The absence of type IV secretion systems, the bona
fide pathogenicity factors of bartonellae, in B. bovis
suggests that it may have a different mechanism of pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Tee Tay
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kai Ling Kho
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Siew Fen Lye
- BioEasy Sdn Bhd. Setia Avenue, 33A-3, Jalan Setia Prima S, U13/S, Setia Alam, Seksyen U13, 40170 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yun Fong Ngeow
- Department of Pre-Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 43000 Kajang, Selangor DE, Malaysia
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Abstract
Carrion's disease (CD) is a neglected biphasic vector-borne illness related to Bartonella bacilliformis. It is found in the Andean valleys and is transmitted mainly by members of the Lutzomyia genus but also by blood transfusions and from mother to child. The acute phase, Oroya fever, presents severe anemia and fever. The lethality is high in the absence of adequate treatment, despite the organism being susceptible to most antibiotics. Partial immunity is developed after infection by B. bacilliformis, resulting in high numbers of asymptomatic carriers. Following infection there is the chronic phase, Peruvian warts, involving abnormal proliferation of the endothelial cells. Despite potentially being eradicable, CD has been expanded due to human migration and geographical expansion of the vector. Moreover, in vitro studies have demonstrated the risk of the development of antimicrobial resistance. These findings, together with the description of new Bartonella species producing CD-like infections, the presence of undescribed potential vectors in new areas, the lack of adequate diagnostic tools and knowledge of the immunology and bacterial pathogenesis of CD, and poor international visibility, have led to the risk of increasing the potential expansion of resistant strains which will challenge current treatment schemes as well as the possible appearance of CD in areas where it is not endemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia Gomes
- Institute for Global Health, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joaquim Ruiz
- Institute for Global Health, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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27
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Scherler A, Jacquier N, Greub G. Chlamydiales, Anaplasma and Bartonella: persistence and immune escape of intracellular bacteria. Microbes Infect 2017; 20:416-423. [PMID: 29162422 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular bacteria, such as Chlamydiales, Anaplasma or Bartonella, need to persist inside their host in order to complete their developmental cycle and to infect new hosts. In order to escape from the host immune system, intracellular bacteria have developed diverse mechanisms of persistence, which can directly impact the health of their host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Scherler
- Centre for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital Centre and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Jacquier
- Centre for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital Centre and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gilbert Greub
- Centre for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital Centre and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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28
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Abstract
Since the reclassification of the genus Bartonella in 1993, the number of species has grown from 1 to 45 currently designated members. Likewise, the association of different Bartonella species with human disease continues to grow, as does the range of clinical presentations associated with these bacteria. Among these, blood-culture-negative endocarditis stands out as a common, often undiagnosed, clinical presentation of infection with several different Bartonella species. The limitations of laboratory tests resulting in this underdiagnosis of Bartonella endocarditis are discussed. The varied clinical picture of Bartonella infection and a review of clinical aspects of endocarditis caused by Bartonella are presented. We also summarize the current knowledge of the molecular basis of Bartonella pathogenesis, focusing on surface adhesins in the two Bartonella species that most commonly cause endocarditis, B. henselae and B. quintana. We discuss evidence that surface adhesins are important factors for autoaggregation and biofilm formation by Bartonella species. Finally, we propose that biofilm formation is a critical step in the formation of vegetative masses during Bartonella-mediated endocarditis and represents a potential reservoir for persistence by these bacteria.
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29
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Harms A, Liesch M, Körner J, Québatte M, Engel P, Dehio C. A bacterial toxin-antitoxin module is the origin of inter-bacterial and inter-kingdom effectors of Bartonella. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1007077. [PMID: 29073136 PMCID: PMC5675462 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Host-targeting type IV secretion systems (T4SS) evolved from conjugative T4SS machineries that mediate interbacterial plasmid transfer. However, the origins of effectors secreted by these virulence devices have remained largely elusive. Previous work showed that some effectors exhibit homology to toxins of bacterial toxin-antitoxin modules, but the evolutionary trajectories underlying these ties had not been resolved. We previously reported that FicT toxins of FicTA toxin-antitoxin modules disrupt cellular DNA topology via their enzymatic FIC (filamentation induced by cAMP) domain. Intriguingly, the FIC domain of the FicT toxin VbhT of Bartonella schoenbuchensis is fused to a type IV secretion signal–the BID (Bep intracellular delivery) domain—similar to the Bartonella effector proteins (Beps) that are secreted into eukaryotic host cells via the host-targeting VirB T4SS. In this study, we show that the VbhT toxin is an interbacterial effector protein secreted via the conjugative Vbh T4SS that is closely related to the VirB T4SS and encoded by plasmid pVbh of B. schoenbuchensis. We therefore propose that the Vbh T4SS together with its effector VbhT represent an evolutionary missing link on a path that leads from a regular conjugation system and FicTA toxin-antitoxin modules to the VirB T4SS and the Beps. Intriguingly, phylogenetic analyses revealed that the fusion of FIC and BID domains has probably occurred independently in VbhT and the common ancestor of the Beps, suggesting parallel evolutionary paths. Moreover, several other examples of TA module toxins that are bona fide substrates of conjugative T4SS indicate that their recruitment as interbacterial effectors is prevalent and serves yet unknown biological functions in the context of bacterial conjugation. We propose that the adaptation for interbacterial transfer favors the exaptation of FicT and other TA module toxins as inter-kingdom effectors and may thus constitute an important stepping stone in the evolution of host-targeted effector proteins. Many bacterial pathogens use secretion systems to translocate effector proteins into host cells where they manipulate cell functions in favor of the pathogen. It is well-known that these secretion systems evolved from ancestors with functions in genuine bacterial contexts, but the origins of their secreted effectors have largely remained elusive. In this article we studied the evolutionary history of a host-targeting effector secretion system of the mammalian pathogen Bartonella that belongs to a group of machineries descended from secretion systems originally mediating DNA transfer between bacterial cells. Intriguingly, we found that such a DNA transfer machinery closely related to the host-targeting secretion system of Bartonella has recruited a bacterial protein involved in modulating DNA topology as an interbacterial effector protein that is translocated together with the DNA into recipient cells. The overall setup of this interbacterial effector is remarkably similar to the host-targeted effectors of Bartonella, and we propose that it represents an evolutionary missing link on the path from a genuine bacterial protein to effectors that manipulates host cell functioning. Further analyses showed that interbacterial effectors in DNA transfer may be a more common phenomenon and represent an important reservoir for the evolution of new host-targeted effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Harms
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marius Liesch
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Körner
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maxime Québatte
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Dehio
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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30
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Harms A, Segers FHID, Quebatte M, Mistl C, Manfredi P, Körner J, Chomel BB, Kosoy M, Maruyama S, Engel P, Dehio C. Evolutionary Dynamics of Pathoadaptation Revealed by Three Independent Acquisitions of the VirB/D4 Type IV Secretion System in Bartonella. Genome Biol Evol 2017; 9:761-776. [PMID: 28338931 PMCID: PMC5381568 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The α-proteobacterial genus Bartonella comprises a group of ubiquitous mammalian pathogens that are studied as a model for the evolution of bacterial pathogenesis. Vast abundance of two particular phylogenetic lineages of Bartonella had been linked to enhanced host adaptability enabled by lineage-specific acquisition of a VirB/D4 type IV secretion system (T4SS) and parallel evolution of complex effector repertoires. However, the limited availability of genome sequences from one of those lineages as well as other, remote branches of Bartonella has so far hampered comprehensive understanding of how the VirB/D4 T4SS and its effectors called Beps have shaped Bartonella evolution. Here, we report the discovery of a third repertoire of Beps associated with the VirB/D4 T4SS of B. ancashensis, a novel human pathogen that lacks any signs of host adaptability and is only distantly related to the two species-rich lineages encoding a VirB/D4 T4SS. Furthermore, sequencing of ten new Bartonella isolates from under-sampled lineages enabled combined in silico analyses and wet lab experiments that suggest several parallel layers of functional diversification during evolution of the three Bep repertoires from a single ancestral effector. Our analyses show that the Beps of B. ancashensis share many features with the two other repertoires, but may represent a more ancestral state that has not yet unleashed the adaptive potential of such an effector set. We anticipate that the effectors of B. ancashensis will enable future studies to dissect the evolutionary history of Bartonella effectors and help unraveling the evolutionary forces underlying bacterial host adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Harms
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Maxime Quebatte
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Mistl
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pablo Manfredi
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Körner
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Bruno B Chomel
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis
| | - Michael Kosoy
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Soichi Maruyama
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Dehio
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland
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31
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Li N, Jia H, Yang H, Ji B, Liu Y, Peng X, Cheng Y, Zhang W. Preliminary screening of type IV secretion system in divergent geographic sources of Clostridium difficile. Exp Ther Med 2017; 14:4405-4410. [PMID: 29104651 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2017.5065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study, different geographical sources and sequence types (STs) of Clostridium difficile were preliminarily screened to investigate the distribution profiles of three core genes, VirB4, VirB6 and VirD4, of the type IV secretion system (T4SS). A total of 37 C. difficile strains from different sources were screened, inoculated and prepared for genome extraction. C. difficile toxins A and B were subjected to identification and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis. The T4SS gene then underwent polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing analysis. Of the 37 strains, 25 were toxin A- and toxin B-positive, and 12 were toxin A-negative and toxin B-positive. MLST detected 11 strains with ST37, 10 with ST2, 6 with ST35, 7 with ST3, 1 with ST54, 1 with ST1 and 1 with ST119. The detection rates of VirB4, VirB6 and VirD4 were all 100% in colonies exhibiting T4SS. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in a minority of strains. C. difficile strains with identical STs shared the same SNP loci for T4SS, and those with different STs had different SNP loci. The results of the present study may provide evidence for subsequent identification of T4SS distribution, epidemiological investigations, polymorphism analyses and research into the association between T4SS, cytotoxicity and enterotoxication in C. difficile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong 256600, P.R. China
| | - Hongbing Jia
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Hui Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - Bing Ji
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong 256600, P.R. China
| | - Yongyun Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong 256600, P.R. China
| | - Xinguo Peng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong 256600, P.R. China
| | - Ying Cheng
- Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, P.R. China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, P.R. China
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32
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Guzmán-Herrador DL, Steiner S, Alperi A, González-Prieto C, Roy CR, Llosa M. DNA Delivery and Genomic Integration into Mammalian Target Cells through Type IV A and B Secretion Systems of Human Pathogens. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1503. [PMID: 28878740 PMCID: PMC5572225 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We explore the potential of bacterial secretion systems as tools for genomic modification of human cells. We previously showed that foreign DNA can be introduced into human cells through the Type IV A secretion system of the human pathogen Bartonella henselae. Moreover, the DNA is delivered covalently attached to the conjugative relaxase TrwC, which promotes its integration into the recipient genome. In this work, we report that this tool can be adapted to other target cells by using different relaxases and secretion systems. The promiscuous relaxase MobA from plasmid RSF1010 can be used to deliver DNA into human cells with higher efficiency than TrwC. MobA also promotes DNA integration, albeit at lower rates than TrwC. Notably, we report that DNA transfer to human cells can also take place through the Type IV secretion system of two intracellular human pathogens, Legionella pneumophila and Coxiella burnetii, which code for a distantly related Dot/Icm Type IV B secretion system. This suggests that DNA transfer could be an intrinsic ability of this family of secretion systems, expanding the range of target human cells. Further analysis of the DNA transfer process showed that recruitment of MobA by Dot/Icm was dependent on the IcmSW chaperone, which may explain the higher DNA transfer rates obtained. Finally, we observed that the presence of MobA negatively affected the intracellular replication of C. burnetii, suggesting an interference with Dot/Icm translocation of virulence factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dolores L Guzmán-Herrador
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria (UC), Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC, UC-CSIC-SODERCAN)Santander, Spain
| | - Samuel Steiner
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New HavenCT, United States
| | - Anabel Alperi
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria (UC), Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC, UC-CSIC-SODERCAN)Santander, Spain
| | - Coral González-Prieto
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria (UC), Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC, UC-CSIC-SODERCAN)Santander, Spain
| | - Craig R Roy
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New HavenCT, United States
| | - Matxalen Llosa
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria (UC), Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC, UC-CSIC-SODERCAN)Santander, Spain
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33
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Québatte M, Christen M, Harms A, Körner J, Christen B, Dehio C. Gene Transfer Agent Promotes Evolvability within the Fittest Subpopulation of a Bacterial Pathogen. Cell Syst 2017. [PMID: 28624614 PMCID: PMC5496983 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2017.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The Bartonella gene transfer agent (BaGTA) is an archetypical example for domestication of a phage-derived element to permit high-frequency genetic exchange in bacterial populations. Here we used multiplexed transposon sequencing (TnSeq) and single-cell reporters to globally define the core components and transfer dynamics of BaGTA. Our systems-level analysis has identified inner- and outer-circle components of the BaGTA system, including 55 regulatory components, as well as an additional 74 and 107 components mediating donor transfer and recipient uptake functions. We show that the stringent response signal guanosine-tetraphosphate (ppGpp) restricts BaGTA induction to a subset of fast-growing cells, whereas BaGTA particle uptake depends on a functional Tol-Pal trans-envelope complex that mediates outer-membrane invagination upon cell division. Our findings suggest that Bartonella evolved an efficient strategy to promote genetic exchange within the fittest subpopulation while disfavoring exchange of deleterious genetic information, thereby facilitating genome integrity and rapid host adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Québatte
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Christen
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zürich, Auguste-Piccard-Hof 1, HPT E71, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Harms
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Körner
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Beat Christen
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zürich, Auguste-Piccard-Hof 1, HPT E71, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Christoph Dehio
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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34
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Genomic changes associated with the evolutionary transition of an insect gut symbiont into a blood-borne pathogen. ISME JOURNAL 2017; 11:1232-1244. [PMID: 28234349 PMCID: PMC5437933 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2016.201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Revised: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The genus Bartonella comprises facultative intracellular bacteria with a unique lifestyle. After transmission by blood-sucking arthropods they colonize the erythrocytes of mammalian hosts causing acute and chronic infectious diseases. Although the pathogen–host interaction is well understood, little is known about the evolutionary origin of the infection strategy manifested by Bartonella species. Here we analyzed six genomes of Bartonella apis, a honey bee gut symbiont that to date represents the closest relative of pathogenic Bartonella species. Comparative genomics revealed that B. apis encodes a large set of vertically inherited genes for amino acid and cofactor biosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism. Most pathogenic bartonellae have lost these ancestral functions, but acquired specific virulence factors and expanded a vertically inherited gene family for harvesting cofactors from the blood. However, the deeply rooted pathogen Bartonella tamiae has retained many of the ancestral genome characteristics reflecting an evolutionary intermediate state toward a host-restricted intraerythrocytic lifestyle. Our findings suggest that the ancestor of the pathogen Bartonella was a gut symbiont of insects and that the adaptation to blood-feeding insects facilitated colonization of the mammalian bloodstream. This study highlights the importance of comparative genomics among pathogens and non-pathogenic relatives to understand disease emergence within an evolutionary-ecological framework.
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35
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Stanger FV, de Beer TAP, Dranow DM, Schirmer T, Phan I, Dehio C. The BID Domain of Type IV Secretion Substrates Forms a Conserved Four-Helix Bundle Topped with a Hook. Structure 2016; 25:203-211. [PMID: 27889208 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2016.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The BID (Bep intracellular delivery) domain functions as secretion signal in a subfamily of protein substrates of bacterial type IV secretion (T4S) systems. It mediates transfer of (1) relaxases and the attached DNA during bacterial conjugation, and (2) numerous Bartonella effector proteins (Beps) during protein transfer into host cells infected by pathogenic Bartonella species. Furthermore, BID domains of Beps have often evolved secondary effector functions within host cells. Here, we provide crystal structures for three representative BID domains and describe a novel conserved fold characterized by a compact, antiparallel four-helix bundle topped with a hook. The conserved hydrophobic core provides a rigid scaffold to a surface that, despite a few conserved exposed residues and similarities in charge distribution, displays significant variability. We propose that the genuine function of BID domains as T4S signal may primarily depend on their rigid structure, while the plasticity of their surface may facilitate adaptation to secondary effector functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric V Stanger
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland; Focal Area Structural Biology and Biophysics, Biozentrum University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tjaart A P de Beer
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - David M Dranow
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, The Center for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Beryllium Discovery Corp., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA
| | - Tilman Schirmer
- Focal Area Structural Biology and Biophysics, Biozentrum University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Isabelle Phan
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, The Center for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Christoph Dehio
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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36
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Identification and functional analysis of invasion associated locus B (IalB) in Bartonella species. Microb Pathog 2016; 98:171-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2016.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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37
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Gonzalez-Rivera C, Bhatty M, Christie PJ. Mechanism and Function of Type IV Secretion During Infection of the Human Host. Microbiol Spectr 2016; 4:10.1128/microbiolspec.VMBF-0024-2015. [PMID: 27337453 PMCID: PMC4920089 DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.vmbf-0024-2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial pathogens employ type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) for various purposes to aid in survival and proliferation in eukaryotic hosts. One large T4SS subfamily, the conjugation systems, confers a selective advantage to the invading pathogen in clinical settings through dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence traits. Besides their intrinsic importance as principle contributors to the emergence of multiply drug-resistant "superbugs," detailed studies of these highly tractable systems have generated important new insights into the mode of action and architectures of paradigmatic T4SSs as a foundation for future efforts aimed at suppressing T4SS machine function. Over the past decade, extensive work on the second large T4SS subfamily, the effector translocators, has identified a myriad of mechanisms employed by pathogens to subvert, subdue, or bypass cellular processes and signaling pathways of the host cell. An overarching theme in the evolution of many effectors is that of molecular mimicry. These effectors carry domains similar to those of eukaryotic proteins and exert their effects through stealthy interdigitation of cellular pathways, often with the outcome not of inducing irreversible cell damage but rather of reversibly modulating cellular functions. This article summarizes the major developments for the actively studied pathogens with an emphasis on the structural and functional diversity of the T4SSs and the emerging common themes surrounding effector function in the human host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Gonzalez-Rivera
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030, Phone: 713-500-5440 (P. J. Christie); 713-500-5441 (C. Gonzalez-Rivera, M. Bhatty)
| | - Minny Bhatty
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030, Phone: 713-500-5440 (P. J. Christie); 713-500-5441 (C. Gonzalez-Rivera, M. Bhatty)
| | - Peter J. Christie
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030, Phone: 713-500-5440 (P. J. Christie); 713-500-5441 (C. Gonzalez-Rivera, M. Bhatty)
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Paul S, Minnick MF, Chattopadhyay S. Mutation-Driven Divergence and Convergence Indicate Adaptive Evolution of the Intracellular Human-Restricted Pathogen, Bartonella bacilliformis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004712. [PMID: 27167125 PMCID: PMC4864206 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Among all species of Bartonella, human-restricted Bartonella bacilliformis is the most virulent but harbors one of the most reduced genomes. Carrión’s disease, the infection caused by B. bacilliformis, has been afflicting poor rural populations for centuries in the high-altitude valleys of the South American Andes, where the pathogen’s distribution is probably restricted by its sand fly vector’s range. Importantly, Carrión’s disease satisfies the criteria set by the World Health Organization for a disease amenable to elimination. However, to date, there are no genome-level studies to identify potential footprints of B. bacilliformis (patho)adaptation. Our comparative genomic approach demonstrates that the evolution of this intracellular pathogen is shaped predominantly via mutation. Analysis of strains having publicly-available genomes shows high mutational divergence of core genes leading to multiple sub-species. We infer that the sub-speciation event might have happened recently where a possible adaptive divergence was accelerated by intermediate emergence of a mutator phenotype. Also, within a sub-species the pathogen shows inter-clonal adaptive evolution evidenced by non-neutral accumulation of convergent amino acid mutations. A total of 67 non-recombinant core genes (over-representing functional categories like DNA repair, glucose metabolic process, ATP-binding and ligase) were identified as candidates evolving via adaptive mutational convergence. Such convergence, both at the level of genes and their encoded functions, indicates evolution of B. bacilliformis clones along common adaptive routes, while there was little diversity within a single clone. How host-restriction, intracellularity and genome reduction interplay to exert or maintain virulence is poorly characterized. The fact that B. bacilliformis is the most pathogenic Bartonella and has a highly reduced genome makes it an attractive model to gain insights into (patho)adaptive evolution of intracellular pathogens. Also, B. bacilliformis is known to lack many virulence genes present in other Bartonella, indicating unique strategies of (patho)adaptation. Our study reveals a prevalent nature of mutational force in B. bacilliformis evolution with two distinct outcomes: (a) mutational divergence leading to sub-speciation, possibly recently, via accelerated accumulation and fixation of favorable mutations mediated by a mutator phenotype; and (b) mutational convergence between clones of a sub-species exhibiting shared functional trajectories of adaptive evolution. Our findings highlight positions accumulating adaptive mutations in candidate genes, offering future functional studies to elucidate B. bacilliformis virulence evolution, and of broad application to intracellular pathogens with a reduced gene repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandip Paul
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Michael F. Minnick
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Sujay Chattopadhyay
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Tay S, Kho K, Wee W, Choo S. Whole-genome sequence analysis and exploration of the zoonotic potential of a rat-borne Bartonella elizabethae. Acta Trop 2016; 155:25-33. [PMID: 26658020 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Bartonella elizabethae has been known to cause endocarditis and neuroretinitis in humans. The genomic features and virulence profiles of a B. elizabethae strain (designated as BeUM) isolated from the spleen of a wild rat in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are described in this study. The BeUM strain has a genome size of 1,932,479bp and GC content of 38.3%. There is a high degree of conservation between the genomes of strain BeUM with B. elizabethae type strains (ATCC 49927 and F9251) and a rat-borne strain, Re6043vi. Of 2137 gene clusters identified from B. elizabethae strains, 2064 (96.6%) are indicated as the core gene clusters. Comparative genome analysis of B. elizabethae strains reveals virulence genes which are known in other pathogenic Bartonella species, including VirB2-11, vbhB2-B11, VirD4, trw, vapA2-5, hbpA-E, bepA-F, bepH, badA/vomp/brp, ialB, omp43/89 and korA-B. A putative intact prophage has been identified in the strain BeUM, in addition to a 8kb pathogenicity island. The whole genome analysis supports the zoonotic potential of the rodent-borne B. elizabethae, and provides basis for future functional and pathogenicity studies of B. elizabethae.
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Structural Insight into How Bacteria Prevent Interference between Multiple Divergent Type IV Secretion Systems. mBio 2015; 6:e01867-15. [PMID: 26646013 PMCID: PMC4676284 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01867-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prokaryotes use type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) to translocate substrates (e.g., nucleoprotein, DNA, and protein) and/or elaborate surface structures (i.e., pili or adhesins). Bacterial genomes may encode multiple T4SSs, e.g., there are three functionally divergent T4SSs in some Bartonella species (vir, vbh, and trw). In a unique case, most rickettsial species encode a T4SS (rvh) enriched with gene duplication. Within single genomes, the evolutionary and functional implications of cross-system interchangeability of analogous T4SS protein components remains poorly understood. To lend insight into cross-system interchangeability, we analyzed the VirB8 family of T4SS channel proteins. Crystal structures of three VirB8 and two TrwG Bartonella proteins revealed highly conserved C-terminal periplasmic domain folds and dimerization interfaces, despite tremendous sequence divergence. This implies remarkable structural constraints for VirB8 components in the assembly of a functional T4SS. VirB8/TrwG heterodimers, determined via bacterial two-hybrid assays and molecular modeling, indicate that differential expression of trw and vir systems is the likely barrier to VirB8-TrwG interchangeability. We also determined the crystal structure of Rickettsia typhi RvhB8-II and modeled its coexpressed divergent paralog RvhB8-I. Remarkably, while RvhB8-I dimerizes and is structurally similar to other VirB8 proteins, the RvhB8-II dimer interface deviates substantially from other VirB8 structures, potentially preventing RvhB8-I/RvhB8-II heterodimerization. For the rvh T4SS, the evolution of divergent VirB8 paralogs implies a functional diversification that is unknown in other T4SSs. Collectively, our data identify two different constraints (spatiotemporal for Bartonellatrw and vir T4SSs and structural for rvh T4SSs) that mediate the functionality of multiple divergent T4SSs within a single bacterium. Assembly of multiprotein complexes at the right time and at the right cellular location is a fundamentally important task for any organism. In this respect, bacteria that express multiple analogous type IV secretion systems (T4SSs), each composed of around 12 different components, face an overwhelming complexity. Our work here presents the first structural investigation on factors regulating the maintenance of multiple T4SSs within a single bacterium. The structural data imply that the T4SS-expressing bacteria rely on two strategies to prevent cross-system interchangeability: (i) tight temporal regulation of expression or (ii) rapid diversification of the T4SS components. T4SSs are ideal drug targets provided that no analogous counterparts are known from eukaryotes. Drugs targeting the barriers to cross-system interchangeability (i.e., regulators) could dysregulate the structural and functional independence of discrete systems, potentially creating interference that prevents their efficient coordination throughout bacterial infection.
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Huang E, Yousef AE. Biosynthesis of paenibacillin, a lantibiotic with N-terminal acetylation, by Paenibacillus polymyxa. Microbiol Res 2015; 181:15-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2015.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Revised: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 08/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Gutiérrez R, Krasnov B, Morick D, Gottlieb Y, Khokhlova IS, Harrus S. Bartonella infection in rodents and their flea ectoparasites: an overview. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2015; 15:27-39. [PMID: 25629778 PMCID: PMC4307031 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2014.1606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological studies worldwide have reported a high prevalence and a great diversity of Bartonella species, both in rodents and their flea parasites. The interaction among Bartonella, wild rodents, and fleas reflects a high degree of adaptation among these organisms. Vertical and horizontal efficient Bartonella transmission pathways within flea communities and from fleas to rodents have been documented in competence studies, suggesting that fleas are key players in the transmission of Bartonella to rodents. Exploration of the ecological traits of rodents and their fleas may shed light on the mechanisms used by bartonellae to become established in these organisms. The present review explores the interrelations within the Bartonella-rodent-flea system. The role of the latter two components is emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Gutiérrez
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Boris Krasnov
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Danny Morick
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yuval Gottlieb
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Irina S. Khokhlova
- Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Shimon Harrus
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
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Siamer S, Dehio C. New insights into the role of Bartonella effector proteins in pathogenesis. Curr Opin Microbiol 2014; 23:80-5. [PMID: 25461577 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2014.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Revised: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The facultative intracellular bacteria Bartonella spp. share a common infection strategy to invade and colonize mammals in a host-specific manner. Following transmission by blood-sucking arthropods, Bartonella are inoculated in the derma and then spread, via two sequential enigmatic niches, to the blood stream where they cause a long-lasting intra-erythrocytic bacteraemia. The VirB/VirD4 type IV secretion system (VirB/D4 T4SS) is essential for the pathogenicity of most Bartonella species by injecting an arsenal of effector proteins into host cells. These bacterial effector proteins share a modular architecture, comprising domains and/or motifs that confer an array of functions. Here, we review recent advances in understanding the function and evolutionary origin of this fascinating repertoire of host-targeted bacterial effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Siamer
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Dehio
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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Jiyipong T, Jittapalapong S, Morand S, Rolain JM. Bartonella species in small mammals and their potential vectors in Asia. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2014. [DOI: 10.12980/apjtb.4.2014c742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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Zhu Q, Kosoy M, Olival KJ, Dittmar K. Horizontal transfers and gene losses in the phospholipid pathway of bartonella reveal clues about early ecological niches. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 6:2156-69. [PMID: 25106622 PMCID: PMC4159011 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bartonellae are mammalian pathogens vectored by blood-feeding arthropods. Although of increasing medical importance, little is known about their ecological past, and host associations are underexplored. Previous studies suggest an influence of horizontal gene transfers in ecological niche colonization by acquisition of host pathogenicity genes. We here expand these analyses to metabolic pathways of 28 Bartonella genomes, and experimentally explore the distribution of bartonellae in 21 species of blood-feeding arthropods. Across genomes, repeated gene losses and horizontal gains in the phospholipid pathway were found. The evolutionary timing of these patterns suggests functional consequences likely leading to an early intracellular lifestyle for stem bartonellae. Comparative phylogenomic analyses discover three independent lineage-specific reacquisitions of a core metabolic gene—NAD(P)H-dependent glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpsA)—from Gammaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria. Transferred genes are significantly closely related to invertebrate Arsenophonus-, and Serratia-like endosymbionts, and mammalian Helicobacter-like pathogens, supporting a cellular association with arthropods and mammals at the base of extant Bartonella spp. Our studies suggest that the horizontal reacquisitions had a key impact on bartonellae lineage specific ecological and functional evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyun Zhu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
| | - Michael Kosoy
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Foothills Research Campus, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | | | - Katharina Dittmar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York Graduate Program of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
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Minnick MF, Anderson BE, Lima A, Battisti JM, Lawyer PG, Birtles RJ. Oroya fever and verruga peruana: bartonelloses unique to South America. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e2919. [PMID: 25032975 PMCID: PMC4102455 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella bacilliformis is the bacterial agent of Carrión's disease and is presumed to be transmitted between humans by phlebotomine sand flies. Carrión's disease is endemic to high-altitude valleys of the South American Andes, and the first reported outbreak (1871) resulted in over 4,000 casualties. Since then, numerous outbreaks have been documented in endemic regions, and over the last two decades, outbreaks have occurred at atypical elevations, strongly suggesting that the area of endemicity is expanding. Approximately 1.7 million South Americans are estimated to be at risk in an area covering roughly 145,000 km2 of Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. Although disease manifestations vary, two disparate syndromes can occur independently or sequentially. The first, Oroya fever, occurs approximately 60 days following the bite of an infected sand fly, in which infection of nearly all erythrocytes results in an acute hemolytic anemia with attendant symptoms of fever, jaundice, and myalgia. This phase of Carrión's disease often includes secondary infections and is fatal in up to 88% of patients without antimicrobial intervention. The second syndrome, referred to as verruga peruana, describes the endothelial cell-derived, blood-filled tumors that develop on the surface of the skin. Verrugae are rarely fatal, but can bleed and scar the patient. Moreover, these persistently infected humans provide a reservoir for infecting sand flies and thus maintaining B. bacilliformis in nature. Here, we discuss the current state of knowledge regarding this life-threatening, neglected bacterial pathogen and review its host-cell parasitism, molecular pathogenesis, phylogeny, sand fly vectors, diagnostics, and prospects for control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F. Minnick
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Burt E. Anderson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Amorce Lima
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - James M. Battisti
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Phillip G. Lawyer
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Richard J. Birtles
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom
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Okujava R, Guye P, Lu YY, Mistl C, Polus F, Vayssier-Taussat M, Halin C, Rolink AG, Dehio C. A translocated effector required for Bartonella dissemination from derma to blood safeguards migratory host cells from damage by co-translocated effectors. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004187. [PMID: 24945914 PMCID: PMC4063953 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous bacterial pathogens secrete multiple effectors to modulate host cellular functions. These effectors may interfere with each other to efficiently control the infection process. Bartonellae are Gram-negative, facultative intracellular bacteria using a VirB type IV secretion system to translocate a cocktail of Bartonellaeffector proteins (Beps) into host cells. Based on in vitro infection models we demonstrate here that BepE protects infected migratory cells from injurious effects triggered by BepC and is required for in vivo dissemination of bacteria from the dermal site of inoculation to blood. Human endothelial cells (HUVECs) infected with a ΔbepE mutant of B. henselae (Bhe) displayed a cell fragmentation phenotype resulting from Bep-dependent disturbance of rear edge detachment during migration. A ΔbepCE mutant did not show cell fragmentation, indicating that BepC is critical for triggering this deleterious phenotype. Complementation of ΔbepE with BepEBhe or its homologues from other Bartonella species abolished cell fragmentation. This cyto-protective activity is confined to the C-terminal Bartonellaintracellular delivery (BID) domain of BepEBhe (BID2.EBhe). Ectopic expression of BID2.EBhe impeded the disruption of actin stress fibers by Rho Inhibitor 1, indicating that BepE restores normal cell migration via the RhoA signaling pathway, a major regulator of rear edge retraction. An intradermal (i.d.) model for B. tribocorum (Btr) infection in the rat reservoir host mimicking the natural route of infection by blood sucking arthropods allowed demonstrating a vital role for BepE in bacterial dissemination from derma to blood. While the Btr mutant ΔbepDE was abacteremic following i.d. inoculation, complementation with BepEBtr, BepEBhe or BIDs.EBhe restored bacteremia. Given that we observed a similar protective effect of BepEBhe on infected bone marrow-derived dendritic cells migrating through a monolayer of lymphatic endothelial cells we propose that infected dermal dendritic cells may be involved in disseminating Bartonella towards the blood stream in a BepE-dependent manner. Cell migration, a fundamental feature of eukaryotic cells, plays a crucial role in mounting an effective immune response. However, several pathogens subvert the migratory properties of infected host cells to their benefit, such as using them as Trojan horses to disseminate within the host. Bartonella effector proteins (Beps) are bona fide virulence factors indispensable for the colonization of mammalian target cells. However, their multiple interferences with host cellular signaling processes might culminate in deleterious secondary effects that require additional effectors to maintain the host cell integrity. A striking example is BepE, which is shown here to preserve endothelial cells (ECs) from fragmentation and to inhibit the defects of dendritic cell (DCs) migration caused by BepC and possibly other Beps. Moreover, BepE is essential for Bartonella dissemination from the dermal site of inoculation to the blood stream where bacteria establish long-lasting intraerythrocytic bacteremia as a hallmark of infection in the mammalian reservoir host. Migration of Bartonella-infected DCs through a monolayer of lymphatic ECs was also found to be dependent of BepE, suggesting that BepE is required to preserve the migratory capability of DCs, a candidate cell type for systemic dissemination from the dermal site of inoculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rusudan Okujava
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Guye
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yun-Yueh Lu
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Mistl
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Florine Polus
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Muriel Vayssier-Taussat
- Unité Sous Contrat Bartonella, Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRA), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Cornelia Halin
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Antonius G Rolink
- Department of Biomedicine (DBM), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Dehio
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Alphaproteobacteria species as a source and target of lateral sequence transfers. Trends Microbiol 2014; 22:147-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Revised: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Wolf LA, Cherry NA, Maggi RG, Breitschwerdt EB. In Pursuit of a Stealth Pathogen: Laboratory Diagnosis of Bartonellosis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinmicnews.2014.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Wang Y, Wei X, Bao H, Liu SL. Prediction of bacterial type IV secreted effectors by C-terminal features. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:50. [PMID: 24447430 PMCID: PMC3915618 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Many bacteria can deliver pathogenic proteins (effectors) through type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) to eukaryotic cytoplasm, causing host diseases. The inherent property, such as sequence diversity and global scattering throughout the whole genome, makes it a big challenge to effectively identify the full set of T4SS effectors. Therefore, an effective inter-species T4SS effector prediction tool is urgently needed to help discover new effectors in a variety of bacterial species, especially those with few known effectors, e.g., Helicobacter pylori. Results In this research, we first manually annotated a full list of validated T4SS effectors from different bacteria and then carefully compared their C-terminal sequential and position-specific amino acid compositions, possible motifs and structural features. Based on the observed features, we set up several models to automatically recognize T4SS effectors. Three of the models performed strikingly better than the others and T4SEpre_Joint had the best performance, which could distinguish the T4SS effectors from non-effectors with a 5-fold cross-validation sensitivity of 89% at a specificity of 97%, based on the training datasets. An inter-species cross prediction showed that T4SEpre_Joint could recall most known effectors from a variety of species. The inter-species prediction tool package, T4SEpre, was further used to predict new T4SS effectors from H. pylori, an important human pathogen associated with gastritis, ulcer and cancer. In total, 24 new highly possible H. pylori T4S effector genes were computationally identified. Conclusions We conclude that T4SEpre, as an effective inter-species T4SS effector prediction software package, will help find new pathogenic T4SS effectors efficiently in a variety of pathogenic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yejun Wang
- Genomics Research Center, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
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