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Yang S, Zeng J, Yu J, Sun R, Tuo Y, Bai H. Insights into Chlamydia Development and Host Cells Response. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1302. [PMID: 39065071 PMCID: PMC11279054 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12071302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia infections commonly afflict both humans and animals, resulting in significant morbidity and imposing a substantial socioeconomic burden worldwide. As an obligate intracellular pathogen, Chlamydia interacts with other cell organelles to obtain necessary nutrients and establishes an intracellular niche for the development of a biphasic intracellular cycle. Eventually, the host cells undergo lysis or extrusion, releasing infectious elementary bodies and facilitating the spread of infection. This review provides insights into Chlamydia development and host cell responses, summarizing the latest research on the biphasic developmental cycle, nutrient acquisition, intracellular metabolism, host cell fates following Chlamydia invasion, prevalent diseases associated with Chlamydia infection, treatment options, and vaccine prevention strategies. A comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms will contribute to a deeper comprehension of the intricate equilibrium between Chlamydia within host cells and the progression of human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Hong Bai
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology (The Educational Ministry of China), Tianjin Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; (S.Y.); (J.Z.); (J.Y.); (R.S.); (Y.T.)
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2
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Mandel CG, Sanchez SE, Monahan CC, Phuklia W, Omsland A. Metabolism and physiology of pathogenic bacterial obligate intracellular parasites. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1284701. [PMID: 38585652 PMCID: PMC10995303 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1284701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial obligate intracellular parasites (BOIPs) represent an exclusive group of bacterial pathogens that all depend on invasion of a eukaryotic host cell to reproduce. BOIPs are characterized by extensive adaptation to their respective replication niches, regardless of whether they replicate within the host cell cytoplasm or within specialized replication vacuoles. Genome reduction is also a hallmark of BOIPs that likely reflects streamlining of metabolic processes to reduce the need for de novo biosynthesis of energetically costly metabolic intermediates. Despite shared characteristics in lifestyle, BOIPs show considerable diversity in nutrient requirements, metabolic capabilities, and general physiology. In this review, we compare metabolic and physiological processes of prominent pathogenic BOIPs with special emphasis on carbon, energy, and amino acid metabolism. Recent advances are discussed in the context of historical views and opportunities for discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron G. Mandel
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Savannah E. Sanchez
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Colleen C. Monahan
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Weerawat Phuklia
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
| | - Anders Omsland
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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Ardissone S, Greub G. The Chlamydia-related Waddlia chondrophila encodes functional type II toxin-antitoxin systems. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0068123. [PMID: 38214519 PMCID: PMC10880633 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00681-23] [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: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widespread in chromosomes and plasmids of free-living microorganisms, but only a few have been identified in obligate intracellular species. We found seven putative type II TA modules in Waddlia chondrophila, a Chlamydia-related species that is able to infect a very broad series of eukaryotic hosts, ranging from protists to mammalian cells. The RNA levels of Waddlia TA systems are significantly upregulated by iron starvation and novobiocin, but they are not affected by antibiotics such as β-lactams and glycopeptides, which suggests different mechanisms underlying stress responses. Five of the identified TA modules, including HigBA1 and MazEF1, encoded on the Waddlia cryptic plasmid, proved to be functional when expressed in a heterologous host. TA systems have been associated with the maintenance of mobile genetic elements, bacterial defense against bacteriophages, and persistence upon exposure to adverse conditions. As their RNA levels are upregulated upon exposure to adverse conditions, Waddlia TA modules may be involved in survival to stress. Moreover, as Waddlia can infect a wide range of hosts including free-living amoebae, TA modules could also represent an innate immunity system to fight against bacteriophages and other microorganisms with which Waddlia has to share its replicative niche.IMPORTANCEThe response to adverse conditions, such as exposure to antibiotics, nutrient starvation and competition with other microorganisms, is essential for the survival of a bacterial population. TA systems are modules composed of two elements, a toxic protein and an antitoxin (protein or RNA) that counteracts the toxin. Although many aspects of TA biological functions still await to be elucidated, TAs have often been implicated in bacterial response to stress, including the response to nutrient starvation, antibiotic treatment and bacteriophage infection. TAs are ubiquitous in free-living bacteria but rare in obligate intracellular species such as chlamydiae. We identified functional TA systems in Waddlia chondrophila, a chlamydial species with a strikingly broad host range compared to other chlamydiae. Our work contributes to understand how obligate intracellular bacteria react to adverse conditions that might arise from competition with other viruses/bacteria for the same replicative niche and would threaten their ability to replicate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ardissone
- Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gilbert Greub
- Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Shen L, Gao L, Swoboda AR, Ouellette SP. Targeted repression of topA by CRISPRi reveals a critical function for balanced DNA topoisomerase I activity in the Chlamydia trachomatis developmental cycle. mBio 2024; 15:e0258423. [PMID: 38265209 PMCID: PMC10865786 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02584-23] [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: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that is responsible for the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection. Changes in DNA topology in this pathogen have been linked to its pathogenicity-associated developmental cycle. Here, evidence is provided that the balanced activity of DNA topoisomerases contributes to controlling Chlamydia developmental processes. Utilizing catalytically inactivated Cas12 (dCas12)-based clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats interference (CRISPRi) technology, we demonstrate targeted knockdown of chromosomal topA transcription in C. trachomatis without detected toxicity of dCas12. Repression of topA impaired the developmental cycle of C. trachomatis mostly through disruption of its differentiation from a replicative form to an infectious form. Consistent with this, expression of late developmental genes of C. trachomatis was downregulated, while early genes maintained their expression. Importantly, the developmental defect associated with topA knockdown was rescued by overexpressing topA at an appropriate degree and time, directly linking the growth patterns to the levels of topA expression. Interestingly, topA knockdown had effects on DNA gyrase expression, indicating a potential compensatory mechanism for survival to offset TopA deficiency. C. trachomatis with topA knocked down displayed hypersensitivity to moxifloxacin that targets DNA gyrase in comparison with the wild type. These data underscore the requirement of integrated topoisomerase actions to support the essential developmental and transcriptional processes of C. trachomatis.IMPORTANCEWe used genetic and chemical tools to demonstrate the relationship of topoisomerase activities and their obligatory role for the chlamydial developmental cycle. Successfully targeting the essential gene topA with a CRISPRi approach, using dCas12, in C. trachomatis indicates that this method will facilitate the characterization of the essential genome. These findings have an important impact on our understanding of the mechanisms by which well-balanced topoisomerase functions in adaptation of C. trachomatis to unfavorable growth conditions imposed by antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Shen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Leiqiong Gao
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Abigail R. Swoboda
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Scot P. Ouellette
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
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Zalambani C, Rizzardi N, Marziali G, Foschi C, Morselli S, Djusse ME, Naldi M, Fato R, Calonghi N, Marangoni A. Role of D(-)-Lactic Acid in Prevention of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection in an In Vitro Model of HeLa Cells. Pathogens 2023; 12:883. [PMID: 37513730 PMCID: PMC10383594 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12070883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
A vaginal microbiota dominated by certain Lactobacillus species may have a protective effect against Chlamydia trachomatis infection. One of the key antimicrobial compounds produced is lactic acid, which is believed to play a central role in host defense. Lactobacillus strains producing the D(-)-lactic acid isomer are known to exert stronger protection. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this antimicrobial action are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of D(-)-lactic acid isomer in the prevention of C. trachomatis infection in an in vitro HeLa cell model. We selected two strains of lactobacilli belonging to different species: a vaginal isolate of Lactobacillus crispatus that releases both D(-) and L(+) isomers and a strain of Lactobacillus reuteri that produces only the L(+) isomer. Initially, we demonstrated that L. crispatus was significantly more effective than L. reuteri in reducing C. trachomatis infectivity. A different pattern of histone acetylation and lactylation was observed when HeLa cells were pretreated for 24 h with supernatants of Lactobacillus crispatus or L. reuteri, resulting in different transcription of genes such as CCND1, CDKN1A, ITAG5 and HER-1. Similarly, distinct transcription patterns were found in HeLa cells treated with 10 mM D(-)- or L(+)-lactic acid isomers. Our findings suggest that D(-) lactic acid significantly affects two non-exclusive mechanisms involved in C. trachomatis infection: regulation of the cell cycle and expression of EGFR and α5β1-integrin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Zalambani
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FABIT), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Nicola Rizzardi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FABIT), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Giacomo Marziali
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FABIT), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudio Foschi
- Microbiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
- Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Sara Morselli
- Microbiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Marielle Ezekielle Djusse
- Microbiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Marina Naldi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FABIT), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Romana Fato
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FABIT), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Natalia Calonghi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FABIT), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Antonella Marangoni
- Microbiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
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Wan W, Li D, Li D, Jiao J. Advances in genetic manipulation of Chlamydia trachomatis. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1209879. [PMID: 37449211 PMCID: PMC10337758 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1209879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis, one species of Chlamydia spp., has the greatest impact on human health and is the main cause of bacterial sexually transmitted diseases and preventable blindness among all Chamydia spp. species. The obligate intracellular parasitism and unique biphasic developmental cycle of C. trachomatis are the main barriers for the development of tools of genetic manipulation. The past decade has witnessed significant gains in genetic manipulation of C. trachomatis, including chemical mutagenesis, group II intron-based targeted gene knockout, fluorescence-reported allelic exchange mutagenesis (FRAEM), CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) and the recently developed transposon mutagenesis. In this review, we discuss the current status of genetic manipulations of C. trachomatis and highlights new challenges in the nascent field of Chlamydia genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqiang Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Danni Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Li
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Center for Pathogen Biology and Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jun Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
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Cheong HC, Sulaiman S, Looi CY, Chang LY, Wong WF. Chlamydia Infection Remodels Host Cell Mitochondria to Alter Energy Metabolism and Subvert Apoptosis. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1382. [PMID: 37374883 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia infection represents an important cause for concern for public health worldwide. Chlamydial infection of the genital tract in females is mostly asymptomatic at the early stage, often manifesting as mucopurulent cervicitis, urethritis, and salpingitis at the later stage; it has been associated with female infertility, spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, and cervical cancer. As an obligate intracellular bacterium, Chlamydia depends heavily on host cells for nutrient acquisition, energy production, and cell propagation. The current review discusses various strategies utilized by Chlamydia in manipulating the cell metabolism to benefit bacterial propagation and survival through close interaction with the host cell mitochondrial and apoptotic pathway molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Choon Cheong
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Sofiah Sulaiman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Chung Yeng Looi
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Li-Yen Chang
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Won Fen Wong
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
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Huang Y, Li S, He S, Li Y, He Q, Wu Y. Chlamydia psittaci inclusion membrane protein CPSIT_0842 induces macrophage apoptosis through MAPK/ERK-mediated autophagy. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2023; 157:106376. [PMID: 36716815 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2023.106376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Chlamydia psittaci is a multi-host zoonotic pathogen, which mainly infects poultry and inflicts an appreciable economic burden on the livestock farming industry. C. psittaci inclusion membrane proteins are uniquely positioned at the host-pathogen interface and are important virulence proteins. We have previously confirmed that Incs regulate host cell survival to help Chlamydia sp. evade host-cell-mediated defense mechanisms. However, the role of the Inc, CPSIT_0842, in the regulation of cell death following the establishment of persistent C. psittaci infection remains unknown. This study explored the effect of CPSIT_0842 on the crosstalk between the autophagic and apoptotic pathways in macrophages. Results showed that CPSIT_0842 initiated autophagy and blocked autophagic flux in human macrophages, as indicated by autophagy-related protein LC3-II, Beclin-1, and p62 upregulation, autophagosome accumulation, and lysosomal protein LAMP1 diminution. We also showed that the disruption of autophagic flux had a regulatory effect on CPSIT_0842-induced apoptosis. Moreover, the suppression of autophagy initiation by 3-methyladenine attenuated CPSIT_0842-induced apoptosis. By contrast, the induction of autophagic flux by rapamycin did not significantly affect CPSIT_0842-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that CPSIT_0842 induced macrophage apoptosis by initiating incomplete autophagy through the MAPK/ERK/mTOR signaling pathway, which may be instrumental to the ability of C. psittaci to evade the host innate immune response and establish persistent infection. The improved understanding of the autophagic and cell death pathways triggered upon bacterial inclusion will likely help in the development of novel treatment strategies for chlamydia infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanru Huang
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Sijia Li
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Siqin He
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Yumeng Li
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang 421000, Hunan, China
| | - Qingzhi He
- School of Biotechnology, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541199, China
| | - Yimou Wu
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, Hunan, China.
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9
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Shen L, Gao L, Swoboda AR, Ouellette SP. Targeted repression of DNA topoisomerase I by CRISPRi reveals a critical function for it in the Chlamydia trachomatis developmental cycle. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.14.532001. [PMID: 36993624 PMCID: PMC10054935 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.14.532001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that is responsible for the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infections. Changes in DNA topology in this pathogen have been linked to its pathogenicity-associated developmental cycle. Here, evidence is provided that the balanced activity of DNA topoisomerases (Topos) contributes to Chlamydia developmental processes. Utilizing catalytically inactivated Cas12 (dCas12) based-clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats interference (CRISPRi) technology, we demonstrate targeted knockdown of chromosomal topA transcription in C. trachomatis without detected toxicity of dCas12. Repression of topA impaired the growth of C. trachomatis mostly through disruption of its differentiation from a replicative form to an infectious form. Consistent with this, expression of late developmental genes of C. trachomatis was downregulated while early genes maintained their expression. Importantly, the growth defect associated with topA knockdown was rescued by overexpressing topA at an appropriate degree and time, directly linking the growth patterns to the levels of topA expression. Interestingly, topA knockdown had pleiotropic effects on DNA gyrase expression, indicating a potential compensatory mechanism for survival to offset TopA deficiency. C. trachomatis with topA knocked down displayed hypersensitivity to moxifloxacin that targets DNA gyrase in comparison with the wild type. These data underscore the requirement of integrated topoisomerase actions to support the essential development and transcriptional processes of C. trachomatis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Shen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Leiqiong Gao
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Abigail R. Swoboda
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Scot P. Ouellette
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
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10
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Dharamshi JE, Köstlbacher S, Schön ME, Collingro A, Ettema TJG, Horn M. Gene gain facilitated endosymbiotic evolution of Chlamydiae. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:40-54. [PMID: 36604515 PMCID: PMC9816063 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01284-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Chlamydiae is a bacterial phylum composed of obligate animal and protist endosymbionts. However, other members of the Planctomycetes-Verrucomicrobia-Chlamydiae superphylum are primarily free living. How Chlamydiae transitioned to an endosymbiotic lifestyle is still largely unresolved. Here we reconstructed Planctomycetes-Verrucomicrobia-Chlamydiae species relationships and modelled superphylum genome evolution. Gene content reconstruction from 11,996 gene families suggests a motile and facultatively anaerobic last common Chlamydiae ancestor that had already gained characteristic endosymbiont genes. Counter to expectations for genome streamlining in strict endosymbionts, we detected substantial gene gain within Chlamydiae. We found that divergence in energy metabolism and aerobiosis observed in extant lineages emerged later during chlamydial evolution. In particular, metabolic and aerobic genes characteristic of the more metabolically versatile protist-infecting chlamydiae were gained, such as respiratory chain complexes. Our results show that metabolic complexity can increase during endosymbiont evolution, adding an additional perspective for understanding symbiont evolutionary trajectories across the tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennah E Dharamshi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stephan Köstlbacher
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Vienna, Austria
- University of Vienna, Doctoral School in Microbiology and Environmental Science, Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Max E Schön
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Astrid Collingro
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Matthias Horn
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Vienna, Austria.
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Jahnke R, Matthiesen S, Zaeck LM, Finke S, Knittler MR. Chlamydia trachomatis Cell-to-Cell Spread through Tunneling Nanotubes. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0281722. [PMID: 36219107 PMCID: PMC9769577 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02817-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are transient cellular connections that consist of dynamic membrane protrusions. They play an important role in cell-to-cell communication and mediate the intercellular exchanges of molecules and organelles. TNTs can form between different cell types and may contribute to the spread of pathogens by serving as cytoplasmic corridors. We demonstrate that Chlamydia (C.) trachomatis-infected human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells and other cells form TNT-like structures through which reticulate bodies (RBs) pass into uninfected cells. Observed TNTs have a life span of 1 to 5 h and contain microtubules, which are essential for chlamydial transfer. They can bridge distances of up to 50 μm between connecting neighboring cells. Consistent with the biological role for TNTs, we show that C. trachomatis spread also occurs under conditions in which the extracellular route of chlamydial entry into host cells is blocked. Based on our findings, we propose that TNTs play a critical role in the direct, cell-to-cell transmission of chlamydia. IMPORTANCE Intracellular bacterial pathogens often undergo a life cycle in which they parasitize infected host cells in membranous vacuoles. Two pathways have been described by which chlamydia can exit infected host cells: lytic cell destruction or exit via extrusion formation. Whether direct, cell-to-cell contact may also play a role in the spread of infection is unknown. Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) interconnect the cytoplasm of adjacent cells to mediate efficient communication and the exchange of material between them. We used Chlamydia trachomatis and immortalized cells to analyze whether TNTs mediate bacterial transmission from an infected donor to uninfected acceptor cells. We show that chlamydia-infected cells build TNTs through which the intracellular reticulate bodies (RBs) of the chlamydia can pass into uninfected neighboring cells. Our study contributes to the understanding of the function of TNTs in the cell-to-cell transmission of intracellular pathogens and provides new insights into the strategies by which chlamydia spreads among multicellular tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rico Jahnke
- Institute of Immunology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Animal Health, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Svea Matthiesen
- Institute of Immunology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Animal Health, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Luca M. Zaeck
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Animal Health, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stefan Finke
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Animal Health, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Michael R. Knittler
- Institute of Immunology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Animal Health, Greifswald, Germany
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Genomic diversity and biosynthetic capabilities of sponge-associated chlamydiae. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:2725-2740. [PMID: 36042324 PMCID: PMC9666466 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sponge microbiomes contribute to host health, nutrition, and defense through the production of secondary metabolites. Chlamydiae, a phylum of obligate intracellular bacteria ranging from animal pathogens to endosymbionts of microbial eukaryotes, are frequently found associated with sponges. However, sponge-associated chlamydial diversity has not yet been investigated at the genomic level and host interactions thus far remain unexplored. Here, we sequenced the microbiomes of three sponge species and found high, though variable, Chlamydiae relative abundances of up to 18.7% of bacteria. Using genome-resolved metagenomics 18 high-quality sponge-associated chlamydial genomes were reconstructed, covering four chlamydial families. Among these, Candidatus Sororchlamydiaceae shares a common ancestor with Chlamydiaceae animal pathogens, suggesting long-term co-evolution with animals. Based on gene content, sponge-associated chlamydiae resemble members from the same family more than sponge-associated chlamydiae of other families, and have greater metabolic versatility than known chlamydial animal pathogens. Sponge-associated chlamydiae are also enriched in genes for degrading diverse compounds found in sponges. Unexpectedly, we identified widespread genetic potential for secondary metabolite biosynthesis across Chlamydiae, which may represent an unexplored source of novel natural products. This finding suggests that Chlamydiae members may partake in defensive symbioses and that secondary metabolites play a wider role in mediating intracellular interactions. Furthermore, sponge-associated chlamydiae relatives were found in other marine invertebrates, pointing towards wider impacts of the Chlamydiae phylum on marine ecosystems.
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13
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Kuwabara S, Landers ER, Fisher DJ. Impact of nutrients on the function of the chlamydial Rsb partner switching mechanism. Pathog Dis 2022; 80:6831632. [PMID: 36385643 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftac044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis is a leading cause of sexually transmitted infections and infectious blindness. Chlamydia undergo a biphasic developmental cycle alternating between the infectious elementary body (EB) and the replicative reticulate body (RB). The molecular mechanisms governing RB growth and RB-EB differentiation are unclear. We hypothesize that the bacterium senses host cell and bacterial energy levels and metabolites to ensure that development and growth coincide with nutrient availability. We predict that a partner switching mechanism (PSM) plays a key role in the sensing and response process acting as a molecular throttle sensitive to metabolite levels. Using purified wild type and mutant PSM proteins, we discovered that metal type impacts enzyme activity and the substrate specificity of RsbU and that RsbW prefers ATP over GTP as a phosphate donor. Immunoblotting analysis of RsbV1/V2 demonstrated the presence of both proteins beyond 20 hours post infection and we observed that an RsbV1-null strain has a developmental delay and exhibits differential growth attenuation in response to glucose levels. Collectively, our data support that the PSM regulates growth in response to metabolites and further defines biochemical features governing PSM-component interactions which could help in the development of novel PSM-targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiomi Kuwabara
- Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry Graduate Program, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States
| | - Evan R Landers
- Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry Graduate Program, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States
| | - Derek J Fisher
- Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry Graduate Program, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States.,School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States
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14
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Arthofer P, Delafont V, Willemsen A, Panhölzl F, Horn M. Defensive symbiosis against giant viruses in amoebae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2205856119. [PMID: 36037367 PMCID: PMC9457554 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2205856119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Protists are important regulators of microbial communities and key components in food webs with impact on nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning. In turn, their activity is shaped by diverse intracellular parasites, including bacterial symbionts and viruses. Yet, bacteria-virus interactions within protists are poorly understood. Here, we studied the role of bacterial symbionts of free-living amoebae in the establishment of infections with nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (Nucleocytoviricota). To investigate these interactions in a system that would also be relevant in nature, we first isolated and characterized a giant virus (Viennavirus, family Marseilleviridae) and a sympatric potential Acanthamoeba host infected with bacterial symbionts. Subsequently, coinfection experiments were carried out, using the fresh environmental isolates as well as additional amoeba laboratory strains. Employing fluorescence in situ hybridization and qPCR, we show that the bacterial symbiont, identified as Parachlamydia acanthamoebae, represses the replication of the sympatric Viennavirus in both recent environmental isolates as well as Acanthamoeba laboratory strains. In the presence of the symbiont, virions are still taken up, but viral factory maturation is inhibited, leading to survival of the amoeba host. The symbiont also suppressed the replication of the more complex Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus and Tupanvirus deep ocean (Mimiviridae). Our work provides an example of an intracellular bacterial symbiont protecting a protist host against virus infections. The impact of virus-symbiont interactions on microbial population dynamics and eventually ecosystem processes requires further attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Arthofer
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Doctoral School in Microbiology and Environmental Science, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Vincent Delafont
- Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions Laboratory, UMR CNRS, Université de Poitiers, 7267 Poitiers, France
| | - Anouk Willemsen
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Panhölzl
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Horn
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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15
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Bommana S, Richards G, Kama M, Kodimerla R, Jijakli K, Read TD, Dean D. Metagenomic Shotgun Sequencing of Endocervical, Vaginal, and Rectal Samples among Fijian Women with and without Chlamydia trachomatis Reveals Disparate Microbial Populations and Function across Anatomic Sites: a Pilot Study. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0010522. [PMID: 35579443 PMCID: PMC9241848 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00105-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis is a sexually transmitted pathogen and a global public health concern. Little is known about the microbial composition and function across endocervical, vaginal, and rectal microbiomes in the context of C. trachomatis infection. We evaluated the microbiomes of 10 age-matched high-risk Fijian women with and without C. trachomatis using metagenomic shotgun sequencing (MSS). Lactobacillus iners and Lactobacillus crispatus dominated the vagina and endocervix of uninfected women. Species often found in higher relative abundance in bacterial vaginosis (BV)-Mageeibacillus indolicus, Prevotella spp., Sneathia spp., Gardnerella vaginalis, and Veillonellaceae spp.-were dominant in C. trachomatis-infected women. This combination of BV pathogens was unique to Pacific Islanders compared to previously studied groups. The C. trachomatis-infected endocervix had a higher diversity of microbiota and microbial profiles that were somewhat different from those of the vagina. However, community state type III (CST-III) and CST-IV predominated, reflecting pathogenic microbiota regardless of C. trachomatis infection status. Rectal microbiomes were dominated by Prevotella and Bacteroides, although four women had unique microbiomes with Gardnerella, Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, and Brachyspira. A high level of microbial similarity across microbiomes in two C. trachomatis-infected women suggested intragenitorectal transmission. A number of metabolic pathways in the endocervix, driven by BV pathogens and C. trachomatis to meet nutritional requirements for survival/growth, 5-fold higher than that in the vagina indicated that endocervical microbial functions are likely more diverse and complex than those in the vagina. Our novel findings provide the impetus for larger prospective studies to interrogate microbial/microbiome interactions that promote C. trachomatis infection and better define the unique genitorectal microbiomes of Pacific Islanders. IMPORTANCE Chlamydia trachomatis is the primary cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections worldwide, with a disturbing increase in annual rates. While there is a plethora of data on healthy and pathogenic vaginal microbiomes-defining microbial profiles and associations with sexually transmitted infections (STIs)-far fewer studies have similarly examined the endocervix or rectum. Further, vulnerable populations, such as Pacific Islanders, remain underrepresented in research. We investigated the microbial composition, structure, and function of these anatomic microbiomes using metagenomic shotgun sequencing among a Fijian cohort. We found, primarily among C. trachomatis-infected women, unique microbial profiles in endocervical, vaginal, and rectal microbiomes with an increased diversity and more complex microbial pathways in endocervical than vaginal microbiomes. Similarities in microbiome composition across sites for some women suggested intragenitorectal transmission. These novel insights into genitorectal microbiomes and their purported function require prospective studies to better define Pacific Islander microbiomes and microbial/microbiome interactions that promote C. trachomatis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sankhya Bommana
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Gracie Richards
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Mike Kama
- Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Suva, Fiji
| | - Reshma Kodimerla
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Kenan Jijakli
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Timothy D. Read
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Deborah Dean
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, Oakland, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Joint Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco and University of California Berkeley, San Francisco, California, USA
- Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Benioff Center for Microbiome Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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16
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Triboulet S, N’Gadjaga MD, Niragire B, Köstlbacher S, Horn M, Aimanianda V, Subtil A. CT295 Is Chlamydia trachomatis’ Phosphoglucomutase and a Type 3 Secretion Substrate. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:866729. [PMID: 35795184 PMCID: PMC9251005 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.866729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The obligate intracellular bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis store glycogen in the lumen of the vacuoles in which they grow. Glycogen catabolism generates glucose-1-phosphate (Glc1P), while the bacteria can take up only glucose-6-phosphate (Glc6P). We tested whether the conversion of Glc1P into Glc6P could be catalyzed by a phosphoglucomutase (PGM) of host or bacterial origin. We found no evidence for the presence of the host PGM in the vacuole. Two C. trachomatis proteins, CT295 and CT815, are potential PGMs. By reconstituting the reaction using purified proteins, and by complementing PGM deficient fibroblasts, we demonstrated that only CT295 displayed robust PGM activity. Intriguingly, we showed that glycogen accumulation in the lumen of the vacuole of a subset of Chlamydia species (C. trachomatis, C. muridarum, C. suis) correlated with the presence, in CT295 orthologs, of a secretion signal recognized by the type three secretion (T3S) machinery of Shigella. C. caviae and C. pneumoniae do not accumulate glycogen, and their CT295 orthologs lack T3S signals. In conclusion, we established that the conversion of Glc1P into Glc6P was accomplished by a bacterial PGM, through the acquisition of a T3S signal in a “housekeeping” protein. Acquisition of this signal likely contributed to shaping glycogen metabolism within Chlamydiaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Triboulet
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3691, Unité de Biologie Cellulaire de l’Infection Microbienne, Paris, France
| | - Maimouna D. N’Gadjaga
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3691, Unité de Biologie Cellulaire de l’Infection Microbienne, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Collège Doctoral, Paris, France
| | - Béatrice Niragire
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3691, Unité de Biologie Cellulaire de l’Infection Microbienne, Paris, France
| | - Stephan Köstlbacher
- Centre for Microbiology and Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Horn
- Centre for Microbiology and Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vishukumar Aimanianda
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR2000, Unité de Mycologie Moléculaire, Paris, France
| | - Agathe Subtil
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3691, Unité de Biologie Cellulaire de l’Infection Microbienne, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Agathe Subtil,
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17
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Halter T, Köstlbacher S, Collingro A, Sixt BS, Tönshoff ER, Hendrickx F, Kostanjšek R, Horn M. Ecology and evolution of chlamydial symbionts of arthropods. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:45. [PMID: 37938728 PMCID: PMC9723776 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00124-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The phylum Chlamydiae consists of obligate intracellular bacteria including major human pathogens and diverse environmental representatives. Here we investigated the Rhabdochlamydiaceae, which is predicted to be the largest and most diverse chlamydial family, with the few described members known to infect arthropod hosts. Using published 16 S rRNA gene sequence data we identified at least 388 genus-level lineages containing about 14 051 putative species within this family. We show that rhabdochlamydiae are mainly found in freshwater and soil environments, suggesting the existence of diverse, yet unknown hosts. Next, we used a comprehensive genome dataset including metagenome assembled genomes classified as members of the family Rhabdochlamydiaceae, and we added novel complete genome sequences of Rhabdochlamydia porcellionis infecting the woodlouse Porcellio scaber, and of 'Candidatus R. oedothoracis' associated with the linyphiid dwarf spider Oedothorax gibbosus. Comparative analysis of basic genome features and gene content with reference genomes of well-studied chlamydial families with known host ranges, namely Parachlamydiaceae (protist hosts) and Chlamydiaceae (human and other vertebrate hosts) suggested distinct niches for members of the Rhabdochlamydiaceae. We propose that members of the family represent intermediate stages of adaptation of chlamydiae from protists to vertebrate hosts. Within the genus Rhabdochlamydia, pronounced genome size reduction could be observed (1.49-1.93 Mb). The abundance and genomic distribution of transposases suggests transposable element expansion and subsequent gene inactivation as a mechanism of genome streamlining during adaptation to new hosts. This type of genome reduction has never been described before for any member of the phylum Chlamydiae. This study provides new insights into the molecular ecology, genomic diversity, and evolution of representatives of one of the most divergent chlamydial families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Halter
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Doctoral School in Microbiology and Environmental Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephan Köstlbacher
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Doctoral School in Microbiology and Environmental Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Astrid Collingro
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara S Sixt
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Elena R Tönshoff
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Rok Kostanjšek
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matthias Horn
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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18
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Chen H, Min S, Wang L, Zhao L, Luo F, Lei W, Wen Y, Luo L, Zhou Q, Peng L, Li Z. Lactobacillus Modulates Chlamydia Infectivity and Genital Tract Pathology in vitro and in vivo. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:877223. [PMID: 35572713 PMCID: PMC9098263 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.877223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Since we previously reported that women infected with chlamydia had a significant overall reduction in Lactobacillus in the vagina microbiota as compared to those uninfected individuals; the interactions between the altered Lactobacillus and Chlamydia trachomatis, on the other hand, need to be elucidated. Here, we employed both in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate the effects of this changed Lactobacillus on Chlamydia infection. We found that L. iners, L. crispatus, L. jensenii, L. salivarius, L. gasseri, L. mucosae, and L. reuteri all significantly reduced C. trachomatis infection in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The strongest anti-Chlamydia effects were found in L. crispatus (90 percent reduction), whereas the poorest was found in L. iners (50 percent reduction). D (–) lactic acid was the key component in Lactobacillus cell-free supernatants (CFS) to inactivate Chlamydia EBs, showing a positive correlation with the anti-Chlamydia activity. The effects of D (–) lactic acid were substantially attenuated by neutralizing the pH value to 7.0. In vivo, mice intravaginally inoculated with Lactobacillus mixtures (L. crispatus, L. reuteri, and L. iners at a ratio of 1:1:1), but not single Lactobacillus, after genital Chlamydia infection, significantly attenuated the levels of Chlamydia live organism shedding in both the lower genital tract and the intestinal tract, reduced cytokines production (TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-1β) in the vagina, and lessened upper genital tract inflammation and pathogenicity. Taken together, these data demonstrate that Lactobacillus inhibits Chlamydia infectivity both in vivo and in vitro, providing useful information for the development of Lactobacillus as adjunctive treatment in Chlamydia infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongliang Chen
- Chenzhou No.1 People's Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Chenzhou, China.,Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China.,Chenzhou No.1 People's Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Chenzhou, China
| | - Shuling Min
- Chenzhou No.1 People's Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Chenzhou, China.,Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Li Wang
- Chenzhou No.1 People's Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Chenzhou, China
| | - Lanhua Zhao
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Fangzhen Luo
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Wenbo Lei
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Yating Wen
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Lipei Luo
- Chenzhou No.1 People's Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Chenzhou, China
| | - Qianting Zhou
- Chenzhou No.1 People's Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Chenzhou, China
| | - Lixiu Peng
- Chenzhou No.1 People's Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Chenzhou, China
| | - Zhongyu Li
- Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
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19
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Martyn JE, Gomez-Valero L, Buchrieser C. The evolution and role of eukaryotic-like domains in environmental intracellular bacteria: the battle with a eukaryotic cell. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6529235. [DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Intracellular pathogens that are able to thrive in different environments, such as Legionella spp. which preferentially live in protozoa in aquatic environments or environmental Chlamydiae which replicate either within protozoa or a range of animals, possess a plethora of cellular biology tools to influence their eukaryotic host. The host manipulation tools that evolved in the interaction with protozoa, confer these bacteria the capacity to also infect phylogenetically distinct eukaryotic cells, such as macrophages and thus they can also be human pathogens. To manipulate the host cell, bacteria use protein secretion systems and molecular effectors. Although these molecular effectors are encoded in bacteria, they are expressed and function in a eukaryotic context often mimicking or inhibiting eukaryotic proteins. Indeed, many of these effectors have eukaryotic-like domains. In this review we propose that the main pathways environmental intracellular bacteria need to subvert in order to establish the host eukaryotic cell as a replication niche are chromatin remodelling, ubiquitination signalling, and modulation of protein-protein interactions via tandem repeat domains. We then provide mechanistic insight into how these proteins might have evolved as molecular weapons. Finally, we highlight that in environmental intracellular bacteria the number of eukaryotic-like domains and proteins is considerably higher than in intracellular bacteria specialised to an isolated niche, such as obligate intracellular human pathogens. As mimics of eukaryotic proteins are critical components of host pathogen interactions, this distribution of eukaryotic-like domains suggests that the environment has selected them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Martyn
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires and CNRS UMR 3525, Paris, France
| | - Laura Gomez-Valero
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires and CNRS UMR 3525, Paris, France
| | - Carmen Buchrieser
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires and CNRS UMR 3525, Paris, France
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20
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Klasinc R, Reiter M, Digruber A, Tschulenk W, Walter I, Kirschner A, Spittler A, Stockinger H. A Novel Flow Cytometric Approach for the Quantification and Quality Control of Chlamydia trachomatis Preparations. Pathogens 2021; 10:1617. [PMID: 34959572 PMCID: PMC8706156 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10121617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogenic bacterium with a biphasic developmental cycle manifesting two distinct morphological forms: infectious elementary bodies (EBs) and replicative intracellular reticulate bodies (RBs). Current standard protocols for quantification of the isolates assess infectious particles by titering inclusion-forming units, using permissive cell lines, and analyzing via immunofluorescence. Enumeration of total particle counts is achieved by counting labeled EBs/RBs using a fluorescence microscope. Both methods are time-consuming with a high risk of observer bias. For a better assessment of C. trachomatis preparations, we developed a simple and time-saving flow cytometry-based workflow for quantifying small particles, such as EBs with a size of 300 nm. This included optimization of gain and threshold settings with the addition of a neutral density filter for small-particle discrimination. The nucleic acid dye SYBR® Green I (SGI) was used together with propidium iodide and 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein diacetate to enumerate and discriminate between live and dead bacteria. We found no significant differences between the direct particle count of SGI-stained C. trachomatis preparations measured by microscopy or flow cytometry (p > 0.05). Furthermore, we completed our results by introducing a cell culture-independent viability assay. Our measurements showed very good reproducibility and comparability to the existing state-of-the-art methods, indicating that the evaluation of C. trachomatis preparations by flow cytometry is a fast and reliable method. Thus, our method facilitates an improved assessment of the quality of C. trachomatis preparations for downstream applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romana Klasinc
- Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.R.); (A.K.); (H.S.)
| | - Michael Reiter
- Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.R.); (A.K.); (H.S.)
| | - Astrid Digruber
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Waltraud Tschulenk
- Institute of Morphology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (W.T.); (I.W.)
| | - Ingrid Walter
- Institute of Morphology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (W.T.); (I.W.)
| | - Alexander Kirschner
- Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.R.); (A.K.); (H.S.)
- Division Water Quality & Health, Department Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, 3500 Krems, Austria
| | - Andreas Spittler
- Core Facility Flow Cytometry and Department of Surgery, Research Laboratories, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Hannes Stockinger
- Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.R.); (A.K.); (H.S.)
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21
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Vaughn B, Abu Kwaik Y. Idiosyncratic Biogenesis of Intracellular Pathogens-Containing Vacuoles. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:722433. [PMID: 34858868 PMCID: PMC8632064 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.722433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While most bacterial species taken up by macrophages are degraded through processing of the bacteria-containing vacuole through the endosomal-lysosomal degradation pathway, intravacuolar pathogens have evolved to evade degradation through the endosomal-lysosomal pathway. All intra-vacuolar pathogens possess specialized secretion systems (T3SS-T7SS) that inject effector proteins into the host cell cytosol to modulate myriad of host cell processes and remodel their vacuoles into proliferative niches. Although intravacuolar pathogens utilize similar secretion systems to interfere with their vacuole biogenesis, each pathogen has evolved a unique toolbox of protein effectors injected into the host cell to interact with, and modulate, distinct host cell targets. Thus, intravacuolar pathogens have evolved clear idiosyncrasies in their interference with their vacuole biogenesis to generate a unique intravacuolar niche suitable for their own proliferation. While there has been a quantum leap in our knowledge of modulation of phagosome biogenesis by intravacuolar pathogens, the detailed biochemical and cellular processes affected remain to be deciphered. Here we discuss how the intravacuolar bacterial pathogens Salmonella, Chlamydia, Mycobacteria, Legionella, Brucella, Coxiella, and Anaplasma utilize their unique set of effectors injected into the host cell to interfere with endocytic, exocytic, and ER-to-Golgi vesicle traffic. However, Coxiella is the main exception for a bacterial pathogen that proliferates within the hydrolytic lysosomal compartment, but its T4SS is essential for adaptation and proliferation within the lysosomal-like vacuole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Vaughn
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Yousef Abu Kwaik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.,Center for Predictive Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
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22
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Dudiak BM, Nguyen TM, Needham D, Outlaw TC, McCafferty DG. Inhibition of the futalosine pathway for menaquinone biosynthesis suppresses Chlamydia trachomatis infection. FEBS Lett 2021; 595:2995-3005. [PMID: 34741525 PMCID: PMC9980418 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis, an obligate intracellular bacterium with limited metabolic capabilities, possesses the futalosine pathway for menaquinone biosynthesis. Futalosine pathway enzymes have promise as narrow-spectrum antibiotic targets, but the activity and essentiality of chlamydial menaquinone biosynthesis have yet to be established. In this work, menaquinone-7 (MK-7) was identified as a C. trachomatis-produced quinone through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. An immunofluorescence-based assay revealed that treatment of C. trachomatis-infected HeLa cells with the futalosine pathway inhibitor docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) reduced inclusion number, inclusion size, and infectious progeny. Supplementation with MK-7 nanoparticles rescued the effect of DHA on inclusion number, indicating that the futalosine pathway is a target of DHA in this system. These results open the door for menaquinone biosynthesis inhibitors to be pursued in antichlamydial development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tri M. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - David Needham
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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23
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Käding N, Schmidt N, Scholz C, Graspeuntner S, Rupp J, Shima K. Impact of First-Line Antimicrobials on Chlamydia trachomatis-Induced Changes in Host Metabolism and Cytokine Production. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:676747. [PMID: 34484137 PMCID: PMC8414654 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.676747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Urogenital infections with Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) are the most common bacterial sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. As an obligate intracellular bacterium, chlamydial replication and pathogenesis depends on the host metabolic activity. First-line antimicrobials such as doxycycline (DOX) and azithromycin (AZM) have been recommended for the treatment of C. trachomatis infection. However, accumulating evidence suggests that treatment with AZM causes higher rates of treatment failure than DOX. Here, we show that an inferior efficacy of AZM compared to DOX is associated with the metabolic status of host cells. Chlamydial metabolism and infectious progeny of C. trachomatis were suppressed by therapeutic relevant serum concentrations of DOX or AZM. However, treatment with AZM could not suppress host cell metabolic pathways, such as glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, which are manipulated by C. trachomatis. The host cell metabolic activity was associated with a significant reactivation of C. trachomatis after removal of AZM treatment, but not after DOX treatment. Furthermore, AZM insufficiently attenuated interleukin (IL)-8 expression upon C. trachomatis infection and higher concentrations of AZM above therapeutic serum concentration were required for effective suppression of IL-8. Our data highlight that AZM is not as efficient as DOX to revert host metabolism in C. trachomatis infection. Furthermore, insufficient treatment with AZM failed to inhibit chlamydial reactivation as well as C. trachomatis induced cytokine responses. Its functional relevance and the impact on disease progression have to be further elucidated in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Käding
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Nis Schmidt
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Celeste Scholz
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Simon Graspeuntner
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Jan Rupp
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Kensuke Shima
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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24
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Sixt BS. Host cell death during infection with Chlamydia: a double-edged sword. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:5902849. [PMID: 32897321 PMCID: PMC7794043 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylum Chlamydiae constitutes a group of obligate intracellular bacteria that infect a remarkably diverse range of host species. Some representatives are significant pathogens of clinical or veterinary importance. For instance, Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading infectious cause of blindness and the most common bacterial agent of sexually transmitted diseases. Chlamydiae are exceptionally dependent on their eukaryotic host cells as a consequence of their developmental biology. At the same time, host cell death is an integral part of the chlamydial infection cycle. It is therefore not surprising that the bacteria have evolved exquisite and versatile strategies to modulate host cell survival and death programs to their advantage. The recent introduction of tools for genetic modification of Chlamydia spp., in combination with our increasing awareness of the complexity of regulated cell death in eukaryotic cells, and in particular of its connections to cell-intrinsic immunity, has revived the interest in this virulence trait. However, recent advances also challenged long-standing assumptions and highlighted major knowledge gaps. This review summarizes current knowledge in the field and discusses possible directions for future research, which could lead us to a deeper understanding of Chlamydia's virulence strategies and may even inspire novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara S Sixt
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
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25
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Köstlbacher S, Collingro A, Halter T, Schulz F, Jungbluth SP, Horn M. Pangenomics reveals alternative environmental lifestyles among chlamydiae. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4021. [PMID: 34188040 PMCID: PMC8242063 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24294-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chlamydiae are highly successful strictly intracellular bacteria associated with diverse eukaryotic hosts. Here we analyzed metagenome-assembled genomes of the "Genomes from Earth's Microbiomes" initiative from diverse environmental samples, which almost double the known phylogenetic diversity of the phylum and facilitate a highly resolved view at the chlamydial pangenome. Chlamydiae are defined by a relatively large core genome indicative of an intracellular lifestyle, and a highly dynamic accessory genome of environmental lineages. We observe chlamydial lineages that encode enzymes of the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle and for light-driven ATP synthesis. We show a widespread potential for anaerobic energy generation through pyruvate fermentation or the arginine deiminase pathway, and we add lineages capable of molecular hydrogen production. Genome-informed analysis of environmental distribution revealed lineage-specific niches and a high abundance of chlamydiae in some habitats. Together, our data provide an extended perspective of the variability of chlamydial biology and the ecology of this phylum of intracellular microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Köstlbacher
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Collingro
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tamara Halter
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Matthias Horn
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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26
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Yang X, Siddique A, Khan AA, Wang Q, Malik A, Jan AT, Rudayni HA, Chaudhary AA, Khan S. Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection: Their potential implication in the Etiology of Cervical Cancer. J Cancer 2021; 12:4891-4900. [PMID: 34234859 PMCID: PMC8247366 DOI: 10.7150/jca.58582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic bacterial strains can alter the normal function of cells and induce different levels of inflammatory responses that are connected to the development of different diseases, such as tuberculosis, diarrhea, cancer etc. Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) is an intracellular obligate gram-negative bacterium which has been connected with the cervical cancer etiology. Nevertheless, establishment of causality and the underlying mechanisms of carcinogenesis of cervical cancer associated with C. trachomatis remain unclear. Studies reveal the existence of C. trachomatis in cervical cancer patients. The DNA repair pathways including mismatch repair, nucleotide excision, and base excision are vital in the abatement of accumulated mutations that can direct to the process of carcinogenesis. C. trachomatis recruits DDR proteins away from sites of DNA damage and, in this way, impedes the DDR. Therefore, by disturbing host cell-cycle control, chromatin and DDR repair, C. trachomatis makes a situation favorable for malignant transformation. Inflammation originated due to infection directs over production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and consequent oxidative DNA damage. This review may aid our current understanding of the etiology of cervical cancer in C. trachomatis-infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingju Yang
- Department of Nursing, Jinan People's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 271199, China
| | - Anam Siddique
- Department of Biosciences, Shri Ram Group of College (SRGC), Muzaffarnagar 251001, India
| | - Abdul Arif Khan
- Division of Microbiology, Indian Council of Medical Research-National AIDS Research Institute, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jinan Fifth People's Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, 250022, China
| | - Abdul Malik
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, P.O. Box 2457, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Arif Tasleem Jan
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri 185236, India
| | - Hassan Ahmed Rudayni
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11623, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anis Ahmad Chaudhary
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11623, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shahanavaj Khan
- Department of Biosciences, Shri Ram Group of College (SRGC), Muzaffarnagar 251001, India
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, P.O. Box 2457, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Health Sciences, Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Australia
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27
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Colpaert M, Kadouche D, Ducatez M, Pillonel T, Kebbi-Beghdadi C, Cenci U, Huang B, Chabi M, Maes E, Coddeville B, Couderc L, Touzet H, Bray F, Tirtiaux C, Ball S, Greub G, Colleoni C. Conservation of the glycogen metabolism pathway underlines a pivotal function of storage polysaccharides in Chlamydiae. Commun Biol 2021; 4:296. [PMID: 33674787 PMCID: PMC7935935 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01794-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The order Chlamydiales includes obligate intracellular pathogens capable of infecting mammals, fishes and amoeba. Unlike other intracellular bacteria for which intracellular adaptation led to the loss of glycogen metabolism pathway, all chlamydial families maintained the nucleotide-sugar dependent glycogen metabolism pathway i.e. the GlgC-pathway with the notable exception of both Criblamydiaceae and Waddliaceae families. Through detailed genome analysis and biochemical investigations, we have shown that genome rearrangement events have resulted in a defective GlgC-pathway and more importantly we have evidenced a distinct trehalose-dependent GlgE-pathway in both Criblamydiaceae and Waddliaceae families. Altogether, this study strongly indicates that the glycogen metabolism is retained in all Chlamydiales without exception, highlighting the pivotal function of storage polysaccharides, which has been underestimated to date. We propose that glycogen degradation is a mandatory process for fueling essential metabolic pathways that ensure the survival and virulence of extracellular forms i.e. elementary bodies of Chlamydiales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Colpaert
- University of Lille, CNRS, UMR8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Lille, France
| | - Derifa Kadouche
- University of Lille, CNRS, UMR8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Lille, France
| | - Mathieu Ducatez
- University of Lille, CNRS, UMR8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Lille, France
| | - Trestan Pillonel
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carole Kebbi-Beghdadi
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ugo Cenci
- University of Lille, CNRS, UMR8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Lille, France
| | - Binquan Huang
- University of Lille, CNRS, UMR8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Lille, France
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan/School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Malika Chabi
- University of Lille, CNRS, UMR8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Lille, France
| | - Emmanuel Maes
- University of Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, US 41 - UMS 2014 - PLBS, Lille, France
| | - Bernadette Coddeville
- University of Lille, CNRS, UMR8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Lille, France
| | - Loïc Couderc
- University of Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, US 41 - UMS 2014 - PLBS, Lille, France
| | - Hélène Touzet
- University of Lille, CNRS, Centrale Lille, UMR 9189 - CRIStAL - Centre de Recherche en Informatique Signal et Automatique de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Fabrice Bray
- University of Lille, CNRS, USR 3290-MSAP-Miniaturisation pour la Synthèse, l'Analyse et la Protéomique, Lille, France
| | - Catherine Tirtiaux
- University of Lille, CNRS, UMR8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Lille, France
| | - Steven Ball
- University of Lille, CNRS, UMR8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Lille, France
| | - Gilbert Greub
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Colleoni
- University of Lille, CNRS, UMR8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Lille, France.
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28
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The Balance of Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation and Nuclease Degradation: an Unknown Role of Bacterial Coinfections in COVID-19 Patients? mBio 2021; 12:mBio.03304-20. [PMID: 33593982 PMCID: PMC8545112 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03304-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is leading to public health crises worldwide. An understanding of the pathogenesis and the development of treatment strategies is of high interest. Recently, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been identified as a potential driver of severe SARS-CoV-2 infections in humans. NETs are extracellular DNA fibers released by neutrophils after contact with various stimuli and accumulate antimicrobial substances or host defense peptides. When massively released, NETs are described to contribute to immunothrombosis in acute respiratory distress syndrome and in vascular occlusions. Based on the increasing evidence that NETs contribute to severe COVID-19 cases, DNase treatment of COVID-19 patients to degrade NETs is widely discussed as a potential therapeutic strategy. Here, we discuss potential detrimental effects of NETs and their nuclease degradation, since NET fragments can boost certain bacterial coinfections and thereby increase the severity of the disease.
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29
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Nasir A, Romero-Severson E, Claverie JM. Investigating the Concept and Origin of Viruses. Trends Microbiol 2020; 28:959-967. [PMID: 33158732 PMCID: PMC7609044 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2020.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has piqued public interest in the properties, evolution, and emergence of viruses. Here, we discuss how these basic questions have surprisingly remained disputed despite being increasingly within the reach of scientific analysis. We review recent data-driven efforts that shed light into the origin and evolution of viruses and explain factors that resist the widespread acceptance of new views and insights. We propose a new definition of viruses that is not restricted to the presence or absence of any genetic or physical feature, detail a scenario for how viruses likely originated from ancient cells, and explain technical and conceptual biases that limit our understanding of virus evolution. We note that the philosophical aspects of virus evolution also impact the way we might prepare for future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arshan Nasir
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics (T-6), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA.
| | - Ethan Romero-Severson
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics (T-6), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Jean-Michel Claverie
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IGS, Structural and Genomic Information Laboratory (UMR7256), Mediterranean Institute of Microbiology (FR3479), Marseille, France
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30
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Transcriptional Landscape of Waddlia chondrophila Aberrant Bodies Induced by Iron Starvation. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8121848. [PMID: 33255276 PMCID: PMC7760296 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8121848] [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: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic infections caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the Chlamydiales order are related to the formation of persistent developmental forms called aberrant bodies (ABs), which undergo DNA replication without cell division. These enlarged bacteria develop and persist upon exposure to different stressful conditions such as β-lactam antibiotics, iron deprivation and interferon-γ. However, the mechanisms behind ABs biogenesis remain uncharted. Using an RNA-sequencing approach, we compared the transcriptional profile of ABs induced by iron starvation to untreated bacteria in the Chlamydia-related species Waddliachondrophila, a potential agent of abortion in ruminants and miscarriage in humans. Consistent with the growth arrest observed following iron depletion, our results indicate a significant reduction in the expression of genes related to energy production, carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism and cell wall/envelope biogenesis, compared to untreated, actively replicating bacteria. Conversely, three putative toxin-antitoxin modules were among the most up-regulated genes upon iron starvation, suggesting that their activation might be involved in growth arrest in adverse conditions, an uncommon feature in obligate intracellular bacteria. Our work represents the first complete transcriptomic profile of a Chlamydia-related species in stressful conditions and sets the grounds for further investigations on the mechanisms underlying chlamydial persistence.
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31
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Microbial Evolution: Chlamydial Creatures from the Deep. Curr Biol 2020; 30:R267-R269. [PMID: 32208150 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.01.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A metagenomic study of marine sediments from a hydrothermal vent field in the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge revealed wider diversity amongst members of the phylum Chlamydiae than was previously known. Unlike known chlamydiae, some of the newly described marine-sediment species may be potentially free-living.
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32
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Thiévent K, Szentiványi T, Aeby S, Glaizot O, Christe P, Greub G. Presence and diversity of Chlamydiae bacteria in Spinturnix myoti, an ectoparasite of bats. Parasite 2020; 27:54. [PMID: 33135998 PMCID: PMC7605392 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2020052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia spp. and Chlamydia-like organisms are able to infect vertebrates such as mammals, reptiles and birds, but also arthropods and protozoans. Since they have been detected in bats and bat feces, we expected Chlamydiae bacteria to also be present in the mite Spinturnix myoti, an ectoparasite of mouse-eared bats (Myotis spp.). The prevalence of Chlamydiales in 88 S. myoti was 57.95% and significantly depended on bat host species. In addition, the prevalence was significantly different between bat species living in sympatry or in allopatry. While there was uninterpretable sequencing for 16 samples, eight showed best BLAST hit identities lower than 92.5% and thus corresponded to new family-level lineages according to the established taxonomy cut-off. The four remaining sequences exhibited best BLAST hit identities ranging from 94.2 to 97.4% and were taxonomically assigned to three different family-level lineages, with two of them belonging to the Parachlamydiaceae, one to the Simkaniaceae, and one to the Chlamydiaceae. These results highlighted for the first time the presence of Chlamydia-like organisms and the possible zoonotic origin of Chlamydia sp. in S. myoti ectoparasites of bats, and therefore suggest that these ectoparasites may play a role in maintaining and/or transmitting members of the Chlamydiae phylum within Myotis spp. bat populations. Our results further highlight that the wide diversity of bacteria belonging to the Chlamydiae phylum is largely underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Thiévent
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria (CRIB), Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne 1011 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Tamara Szentiványi
- Museum of Zoology 1005 Lausanne Switzerland
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Sébastien Aeby
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria (CRIB), Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne 1011 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Olivier Glaizot
- Museum of Zoology 1005 Lausanne Switzerland
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Philippe Christe
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Gilbert Greub
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria (CRIB), Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne 1011 Lausanne Switzerland
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33
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Collingro A, Köstlbacher S, Horn M. Chlamydiae in the Environment. Trends Microbiol 2020; 28:877-888. [PMID: 32591108 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2020.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Chlamydiae have been known for more than a century as major pathogens of humans. Yet they are also found ubiquitously in the environment where they thrive within protists and in an unmatched wide range of animals. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding chlamydial diversity and distribution in nature. Studying these environmental chlamydiae provides a novel perspective on basic chlamydial biology and evolution. A picture is beginning to emerge with chlamydiae representing one of the evolutionarily most ancient and successful groups of obligate intracellular bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Collingro
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephan Köstlbacher
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Horn
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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34
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Hölzer M, Barf LM, Lamkiewicz K, Vorimore F, Lataretu M, Favaroni A, Schnee C, Laroucau K, Marz M, Sachse K. Comparative Genome Analysis of 33 Chlamydia Strains Reveals Characteristic Features of Chlamydia Psittaci and Closely Related Species. Pathogens 2020; 9:E899. [PMID: 33126635 PMCID: PMC7694038 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9110899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
To identify genome-based features characteristic of the avian and human pathogen Chlamydia(C.) psittaci and related chlamydiae, we analyzed whole-genome sequences of 33 strains belonging to 12 species. Using a novel genome analysis tool termed Roary ILP Bacterial Annotation Pipeline (RIBAP), this panel of strains was shown to share a large core genome comprising 784 genes and representing approximately 80% of individual genomes. Analyzing the most variable genomic sites, we identified a set of features of C. psittaci that in its entirety is characteristic of this species: (i) a relatively short plasticity zone of less than 30,000 nt without a tryptophan operon (also in C. abortus, C. avium, C. gallinacea, C. pneumoniae), (ii) a characteristic set of of Inc proteins comprising IncA, B, C, V, X, Y (with homologs in C. abortus, C. caviae and C. felis as closest relatives), (iii) a 502-aa SinC protein, the largest among Chlamydia spp., and (iv) an elevated number of Pmp proteins of subtype G (14 in C. psittaci, 14 in Cand. C. ibidis). In combination with future functional studies, the common and distinctive criteria revealed in this study provide important clues for understanding the complexity of host-specific behavior of individual Chlamydia spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Hölzer
- RNA Bioinformatics and High-Throughput Analysis, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany; (M.H.); (L.-M.B.); (K.L.); (M.L.); (M.M.)
| | - Lisa-Marie Barf
- RNA Bioinformatics and High-Throughput Analysis, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany; (M.H.); (L.-M.B.); (K.L.); (M.L.); (M.M.)
| | - Kevin Lamkiewicz
- RNA Bioinformatics and High-Throughput Analysis, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany; (M.H.); (L.-M.B.); (K.L.); (M.L.); (M.M.)
| | - Fabien Vorimore
- Animal Health Laboratory, Bacterial Zoonoses Unit, University Paris-Est, Anses, 94706 Maisons-Alfort, France; (F.V.); (K.L.)
| | - Marie Lataretu
- RNA Bioinformatics and High-Throughput Analysis, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany; (M.H.); (L.-M.B.); (K.L.); (M.L.); (M.M.)
| | - Alison Favaroni
- Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (Federal Research Institute for Animal Health), 07743 Jena, Germany; (A.F.); (C.S.)
| | - Christiane Schnee
- Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (Federal Research Institute for Animal Health), 07743 Jena, Germany; (A.F.); (C.S.)
| | - Karine Laroucau
- Animal Health Laboratory, Bacterial Zoonoses Unit, University Paris-Est, Anses, 94706 Maisons-Alfort, France; (F.V.); (K.L.)
| | - Manja Marz
- RNA Bioinformatics and High-Throughput Analysis, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany; (M.H.); (L.-M.B.); (K.L.); (M.L.); (M.M.)
| | - Konrad Sachse
- RNA Bioinformatics and High-Throughput Analysis, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany; (M.H.); (L.-M.B.); (K.L.); (M.L.); (M.M.)
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Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that can cause trachoma, cervicitis, urethritis, salpingitis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. To establish infection in host cells, Chlamydia must complete a multiple-cell-type developmental cycle. The developmental cycle consists of specialized cells, the EB cell, which mediates infection of new host cells, and the RB cell, which replicates and eventually produces more EB cells to mediate the next round of infection. By developing and testing mathematical models to discriminate between two competing hypotheses for the nature of the signal controlling RB-to-EB cell type switching, we demonstrate that RB-to-EB development follows a cell-autonomous program that does not respond to environmental cues. Additionally, we show that RB-to-EB development is a function of chlamydial growth and division. This study serves to further our understanding of the chlamydial developmental cycle that is central to the bacterium’s pathogenesis. The obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis is reliant on a developmental cycle consisting of two cell forms, termed the elementary body (EB) and the reticulate body (RB). The EB is infectious and utilizes a type III secretion system and preformed effector proteins during invasion, but it does not replicate. The RB replicates in the host cell but is noninfectious. This developmental cycle is central to chlamydial pathogenesis. In this study, we developed mathematical models of the developmental cycle that account for potential factors influencing RB-to-EB cell type switching during infection. Our models predicted that two categories of regulatory signals for RB-to-EB development could be differentiated experimentally, an “intrinsic” cell-autonomous program inherent to each RB and an “extrinsic” environmental signal to which RBs respond. To experimentally differentiate between mechanisms, we tracked the expression of C. trachomatis development-specific promoters in individual inclusions using fluorescent reporters and live-cell imaging. These experiments indicated that EB production was not influenced by increased multiplicity of infection or by superinfection, suggesting the cycle follows an intrinsic program that is not directly controlled by environmental factors. Additionally, live-cell imaging revealed that EB development is a multistep process linked to RB growth rate and cell division. The formation of EBs followed a progression with expression from the euo and ihtA promoters evident in RBs, while expression from the promoter for hctA was apparent in early EBs/IBs. Finally, expression from the promoters for the true late genes, hctB, scc2, and tarp, was evident in the maturing EB. IMPORTANCEChlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that can cause trachoma, cervicitis, urethritis, salpingitis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. To establish infection in host cells, Chlamydia must complete a multiple-cell-type developmental cycle. The developmental cycle consists of specialized cells, the EB cell, which mediates infection of new host cells, and the RB cell, which replicates and eventually produces more EB cells to mediate the next round of infection. By developing and testing mathematical models to discriminate between two competing hypotheses for the nature of the signal controlling RB-to-EB cell type switching, we demonstrate that RB-to-EB development follows a cell-autonomous program that does not respond to environmental cues. Additionally, we show that RB-to-EB development is a function of chlamydial growth and division. This study serves to further our understanding of the chlamydial developmental cycle that is central to the bacterium’s pathogenesis.
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Claverie JM. Fundamental Difficulties Prevent the Reconstruction of the Deep Phylogeny of Viruses. Viruses 2020; 12:E1130. [PMID: 33036160 PMCID: PMC7600955 DOI: 10.3390/v12101130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The extension of virology beyond its traditional medical, veterinary, or agricultural applications, now called environmental virology, has shown that viruses are both the most numerous and diverse biological entities on Earth. In particular, virus isolations from unicellular eukaryotic hosts (heterotrophic and photosynthetic protozoans) revealed numerous viral types previously unexpected in terms of virion structure, gene content, or mode of replication. Complemented by large-scale metagenomic analyses, these discoveries have rekindled interest in the enigma of the origin of viruses, for which a description encompassing all their diversity remains not available. Several laboratories have repeatedly tackled the deep reconstruction of the evolutionary history of viruses, using various methods of molecular phylogeny applied to the few shared "core" genes detected in certain virus groups (e.g., the Nucleocytoviricota). Beyond the practical difficulties of establishing reliable homology relationships from extremely divergent sequences, I present here conceptual arguments highlighting several fundamental limitations plaguing the reconstruction of the deep evolutionary history of viruses, and even more the identification of their unique or multiple origin(s). These arguments also underline the risk of establishing premature high level viral taxonomic classifications. Those limitations are direct consequences of the random mechanisms governing the reductive/retrogressive evolution of all obligate intracellular parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Michel Claverie
- Structural & Genomic Information Laboratory (IGS, UMR 7256), Mediterranean Institute of Microbiology (FR3479), Aix-Marseille University and CNRS, 13288 Marseille, France
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Molecular causes of an evolutionary shift along the parasitism-mutualism continuum in a bacterial symbiont. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:21658-21666. [PMID: 32817434 PMCID: PMC7474615 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005536117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Symbiotic relationships with microbes are ubiquitous among living beings and can be parasitic, such as in bacterial pathogens, or mutualistic, as in beneficial microbiomes. Among other factors, the outcome of microbe–host relationships is determined by the mode of symbiont transmission from host to host. Here we describe how bacterial symbionts increased in infectivity and virulence toward their amoeba host when transmission to a new host was essential for survival. The enhanced parasitism is a result of genomic changes and a pronounced switch of gene expression altering the symbionts’ mechanisms for host interaction. Our study provides both a molecular explanation as well as a blueprint for how changes in gene expression are sufficient to confer enhanced parasitism in microbes. Symbiosis with microbes is a ubiquitous phenomenon with a massive impact on all living organisms, shaping the world around us today. Theoretical and experimental studies show that vertical transmission of symbionts leads to the evolution of mutualistic traits, whereas horizontal transmission facilitates the emergence of parasitic features. However, these studies focused on phenotypic data, and we know little about underlying molecular changes at the genomic level. Here, we combined an experimental evolution approach with infection assays, genome resequencing, and global gene expression analysis to study the effect of transmission mode on an obligate intracellular bacterial symbiont. We show that a dramatic shift in the frequency of genetic variants, coupled with major changes in gene expression, allow the symbiont to alter its position in the parasitism–mutualism continuum depending on the mode of between-host transmission. We found that increased parasitism in horizontally transmitted chlamydiae residing in amoebae was a result of processes occurring at the infectious stage of the symbiont’s developmental cycle. Specifically, genes involved in energy production required for extracellular survival and the type III secretion system—the symbiont’s primary virulence mechanism—were significantly up-regulated. Our results identify the genomic and transcriptional dynamics sufficient to favor parasitic or mutualistic strategies.
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Stairs CW, Dharamshi JE, Tamarit D, Eme L, Jørgensen SL, Spang A, Ettema TJG. Chlamydial contribution to anaerobic metabolism during eukaryotic evolution. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabb7258. [PMID: 32923644 PMCID: PMC7449678 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb7258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The origin of eukaryotes is a major open question in evolutionary biology. Multiple hypotheses posit that eukaryotes likely evolved from a syntrophic relationship between an archaeon and an alphaproteobacterium based on H2 exchange. However, there are no strong indications that modern eukaryotic H2 metabolism originated from archaea or alphaproteobacteria. Here, we present evidence for the origin of H2 metabolism genes in eukaryotes from an ancestor of the Anoxychlamydiales-a group of anaerobic chlamydiae, newly described here, from marine sediments. Among Chlamydiae, these bacteria uniquely encode genes for H2 metabolism and other anaerobiosis-associated pathways. Phylogenetic analyses of several components of H2 metabolism reveal that Anoxychlamydiales homologs are the closest relatives to eukaryotic sequences. We propose that an ancestor of the Anoxychlamydiales contributed these key genes during the evolution of eukaryotes, supporting a mosaic evolutionary origin of eukaryotic metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney W. Stairs
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jennah E. Dharamshi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Daniel Tamarit
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708 WE Wageningen, Netherlands
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Laura Eme
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
- Unité d’Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Steffen L. Jørgensen
- Department of Earth Science, Centre for Deep Sea Research, University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Anja Spang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, NL-1790 AB Den Burg, Netherlands
| | - Thijs J. G. Ettema
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708 WE Wageningen, Netherlands
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Dharamshi JE, Tamarit D, Eme L, Stairs CW, Martijn J, Homa F, Jørgensen SL, Spang A, Ettema TJG. Marine Sediments Illuminate Chlamydiae Diversity and Evolution. Curr Biol 2020; 30:1032-1048.e7. [PMID: 32142706 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 12/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The bacterial phylum Chlamydiae is so far composed of obligate symbionts of eukaryotic hosts. Well known for Chlamydiaceae, pathogens of humans and other animals, Chlamydiae also include so-called environmental lineages that primarily infect microbial eukaryotes. Environmental surveys indicate that Chlamydiae are found in a wider range of environments than anticipated previously. However, the vast majority of this chlamydial diversity has been underexplored, biasing our current understanding of their biology, ecological importance, and evolution. Here, we report that previously undetected and active chlamydial lineages dominate microbial communities in deep anoxic marine sediments taken from the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge. Reaching relative abundances of up to 43% of the bacterial community, and a maximum diversity of 163 different species-level taxonomic units, these Chlamydiae represent important community members. Using genome-resolved metagenomics, we reconstructed 24 draft chlamydial genomes, expanding by over a third the known genomic diversity in this phylum. Phylogenomic analyses revealed several novel clades across the phylum, including a previously unknown sister lineage of the Chlamydiaceae, providing new insights into the origin of pathogenicity in this family. We were unable to identify putative eukaryotic hosts for these marine sediment chlamydiae, despite identifying genomic features that may be indicative of host-association. The high abundance and genomic diversity of Chlamydiae in these anoxic marine sediments indicate that some members could play an important, and thus far overlooked, ecological role in such environments and may indicate alternate lifestyle strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennah E Dharamshi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75123, Sweden
| | - Daniel Tamarit
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75123, Sweden; Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 WE, the Netherlands
| | - Laura Eme
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75123, Sweden; Unité d'Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay 91400, France
| | - Courtney W Stairs
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75123, Sweden
| | - Joran Martijn
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75123, Sweden; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Felix Homa
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75123, Sweden; Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 WE, the Netherlands
| | - Steffen L Jørgensen
- Department of Earth Science, Centre for Deep Sea Research, University of Bergen, Bergen 5020, Norway
| | - Anja Spang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75123, Sweden; Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, Den Burg 1790 AB, the Netherlands
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75123, Sweden; Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 WE, the Netherlands.
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Engineering a defined culture medium to grow Piscirickettsia salmonis for its use in vaccine formulations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 47:299-309. [DOI: 10.1007/s10295-020-02265-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Piscirickettsia salmonis is a facultative Gram-negative intracellular bacterium that produces piscirickettsiosis, disease that causes a high negative impact in salmonid cultures. The so-far-unidentified nutritional requirements have hindered its axenic culture at laboratory and industrial scales for the formulation of vaccines. The present study describes the development of a defined culture medium for P. salmonis. The culture medium was formulated through rational design involving auxotrophy test and statistical designs of experiments, considering the genome-scale metabolic reconstruction of P. salmonis reported by our group. The whole optimization process allowed for a twofold increase in biomass and a reduction of about 50% of the amino acids added to the culture medium. The final culture medium contains twelve amino acids, where glutamic acid, threonine and arginine were the main carbon and energy sources, supporting 1.65 g/L of biomass using 6.5 g/L of amino acids in the formulation. These results will contribute significantly to the development of new operational strategies to culture this bacterium for the production of vaccines.
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Gitsels A, Van Lent S, Sanders N, Vanrompay D. Chlamydia: what is on the outside does matter. Crit Rev Microbiol 2020; 46:100-119. [PMID: 32093536 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2020.1730300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
This review summarises major highlights on the structural biology of the chlamydial envelope. Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria, characterised by a unique biphasic developmental cycle. Depending on the stage of their lifecycle, they appear in the form of elementary or reticulate bodies. Since these particles have distinctive functions, it is not surprising that their envelope differs in lipid as well as in protein content. Vice versa, by identifying surface proteins, specific characteristics of the particles such as rigidity or immunogenicity may be deduced. Detailed information on the bacterial membranes will increase our understanding on the host-pathogen interactions chlamydiae employ to survive and grow and might lead to new strategies to battle chlamydial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlieke Gitsels
- Laboratory of Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sarah Van Lent
- Laboratory of Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Niek Sanders
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy, Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Daisy Vanrompay
- Laboratory of Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Cross-sectional study on Chlamydiaceae prevalence and associated risk factors on commercial and backyard poultry farms in Mexico. Prev Vet Med 2020; 176:104922. [PMID: 32062044 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.104922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Chlamydiaceae infections in poultry are mainly due to Chlamydia psittaci and Chlamydia gallinacea. While C. psittaci has long been known to affect birds and to have zoonotic potential, C. gallinacea is a newly described species that has been found to be widespread in chickens. As no data were available regarding the presence of Chlamydiaceae in Mexican poultry, a cross-sectional survey to detect the presence of Chlamydiaceae on commercial and backyard farms was carried out in eight federal states of Mexico with a high poultry density. Individual cloacal swabs were collected on 14 large-scale commercial poultry farms with controlled environment houses, 23 large-scale commercial poultry farms with open-sided houses, and 16 backyard farms. Samples were tested using a specific Chlamydiaceae real-time PCR technique. Chlamydial species were subsequently identified by a species-specific real-time PCR method. Information on potential risk factors was collected through a questionnaire. Logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors associated with Chlamydiaceae-positive results at the farm level on commercial farms. For backyard farms, a mixed-effect logistic regression model was used to consider information collected either at the animal or at the farm level. Overall, 7.1 % (n = 1/14) of controlled environment commercial farms, 26.1 % (n = 6/23) of open-sided commercial farms, and 75.0 % (n = 12/16) of backyard farms were Chlamydiaceae-positive. Apparent prevalence increased inversely to the level of confinement (controlled environment vs open-sided poultry houses vs backyards). Chlamydia gallinacea was the only chlamydial species detected. On commercial farms, egg-laying hen flocks had 6.7 times higher odds of being Chlamydiaceae-infected than broilers flocks (OR = 6.7, 95 % CI: 1.1-44.3, p = 0.04). On backyard farms, two variables were significantly associated with Chlamydiaceae infection: the lack of antibiotic use (OR = 8.4, 95 % CI: 1.84-38.49, p = 0.006), and an impaired health status (OR=8.8, 95 % CI: 1.9-38.9, p = 0.004). Further studies should be carried out to investigate the impact of C. gallinacea infection on egg quality and production performance in egg-laying hen flocks.
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Structure and Metal Binding Properties of Chlamydia trachomatis YtgA. J Bacteriol 2019; 202:JB.00580-19. [PMID: 31611288 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00580-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis is a globally significant cause of sexually transmitted bacterial infections and the leading etiological agent of preventable blindness. The first-row transition metal iron (Fe) plays critical roles in chlamydial cell biology, and acquisition of this nutrient is essential for the survival and virulence of the pathogen. Nevertheless, how C. trachomatis acquires Fe from host cells is not well understood, since it lacks genes encoding known siderophore biosynthetic pathways, receptors for host Fe storage proteins, and the Fe acquisition machinery common to many bacteria. Recent studies have suggested that C. trachomatis directly acquires host Fe via the ATP-binding cassette permease YtgABCD. Here, we characterized YtgA, the periplasmic solute binding protein component of the transport pathway, which has been implicated in scavenging Fe(III) ions. The structure of Fe(III)-bound YtgA was determined at 2.0-Å resolution with the bound ion coordinated via a novel geometry (3 Ns, 2 Os [3N2O]). This unusual coordination suggested a highly plastic metal binding site in YtgA capable of interacting with other cations. Biochemical analyses showed that the metal binding site of YtgA was not restricted to interaction with only Fe(III) ions but could bind all transition metal ions examined. However, only Mn(II), Fe(II), and Ni(II) ions bound reversibly to YtgA, with Fe being the most abundant cellular transition metal in C. trachomatis Collectively, these findings show that YtgA is the metal-recruiting component of the YtgABCD permease and is most likely involved in the acquisition of Fe(II) and Mn(II) from host cells.IMPORTANCE Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in developed countries, with an estimated global prevalence of 4.2% in the 15- to 49-year age group. Although infection is asymptomatic in more than 80% of infected women, about 10% of cases result in serious disease. Infection by C. trachomatis is dependent on the ability to acquire essential nutrients, such as the transition metal iron, from host cells. In this study, we show that iron is the most abundant transition metal in C. trachomatis and report the structural and biochemical properties of the iron-recruiting protein YtgA. Knowledge of the high-resolution structure of YtgA will provide a platform for future structure-based antimicrobial design approaches.
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Kulén M, Núñez-Otero C, Cairns AG, Silver J, Lindgren AEG, Wede E, Singh P, Vielfort K, Bahnan W, Good JAD, Svensson R, Bergström S, Gylfe Å, Almqvist F. Methyl sulfonamide substituents improve the pharmacokinetic properties of bicyclic 2-pyridone based Chlamydia trachomatis inhibitors. MEDCHEMCOMM 2019; 10:1966-1987. [PMID: 32206238 PMCID: PMC7069368 DOI: 10.1039/c9md00405j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Methyl sulfonamide substituents effectively improve the pharmacokinetic properties of bicyclic 2-pyridones, a new class of Chlamydia trachomatis infectivity inhibitors.
Chlamydia trachomatis infections are a global health problem and new approaches to treat C. trachomatis with drugs of high specificity would be valuable. A library of substituted ring fused 2-pyridones has been synthesized and evaluated for their ability to attenuate C. trachomatis infectivity. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies were performed, with the best candidates demonstrating that a C8-methylsulfonamide substituent improved pharmacokinetic properties important for oral administration. C8-Methyl sulfonamide analogue 30 inhibited C. trachomatis infectivity in low micromolar concentrations. Further pharmacokinetic evaluation at an oral dose of 10 mg kg–1 showed an apparent bioavailability of 41%, compared to C8-cyclopropyl and -methoxy analogues which had negligible oral uptake. In vitro ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) testing of solubility and Caco-2 cell permeability revealed that both solubility and permeability is greatly improved with the C8-methyl sulfonamide 30, effectively moving it from BCS (Biopharmaceutical Classification System) class IV to II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Kulén
- Department of Chemistry , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . .,Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ;
| | - Carlos Núñez-Otero
- Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ; .,Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden.,Department of Clinical microbiology , Umeå University , 901 85 Umeå , Sweden
| | - Andrew G Cairns
- Department of Chemistry , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . .,Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ;
| | - Jim Silver
- Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ; .,Department of Molecular Biology , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden.,Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden
| | - Anders E G Lindgren
- Department of Chemistry , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . .,Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ;
| | - Emma Wede
- Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ; .,Department of Molecular Biology , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden.,Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden
| | - Pardeep Singh
- Department of Chemistry , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . .,Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ;
| | - Katarina Vielfort
- Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ; .,Department of Molecular Biology , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden.,Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden
| | - Wael Bahnan
- Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ; .,Department of Molecular Biology , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden.,Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden
| | - James A D Good
- Department of Chemistry , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . .,Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ;
| | - Richard Svensson
- The Uppsala University Drug Optimization and Pharmaceutical Profiling Platform , Department of Pharmacy , Uppsala University , SE-751 23 Uppsala , Sweden.,SciLifeLab Drug Discovery and Development Platform , ADME of Therapeutics Facility , Uppsala University , SE-751 23 Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Sven Bergström
- Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ; .,Department of Molecular Biology , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden.,Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden
| | - Åsa Gylfe
- Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ; .,Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden.,Department of Clinical microbiology , Umeå University , 901 85 Umeå , Sweden
| | - Fredrik Almqvist
- Department of Chemistry , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . .,Umeå Centre for Microbial Research , Umeå University , 901 87 Umeå , Sweden . ;
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45
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Sigalova OM, Chaplin AV, Bochkareva OO, Shelyakin PV, Filaretov VA, Akkuratov EE, Burskaia V, Gelfand MS. Chlamydia pan-genomic analysis reveals balance between host adaptation and selective pressure to genome reduction. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:710. [PMID: 31510914 PMCID: PMC6740158 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6059-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chlamydia are ancient intracellular pathogens with reduced, though strikingly conserved genome. Despite their parasitic lifestyle and isolated intracellular environment, these bacteria managed to avoid accumulation of deleterious mutations leading to subsequent genome degradation characteristic for many parasitic bacteria. RESULTS We report pan-genomic analysis of sixteen species from genus Chlamydia including identification and functional annotation of orthologous genes, and characterization of gene gains, losses, and rearrangements. We demonstrate the overall genome stability of these bacteria as indicated by a large fraction of common genes with conserved genomic locations. On the other hand, extreme evolvability is confined to several paralogous gene families such as polymorphic membrane proteins and phospholipase D, and likely is caused by the pressure from the host immune system. CONCLUSIONS This combination of a large, conserved core genome and a small, evolvable periphery likely reflect the balance between the selective pressure towards genome reduction and the need to adapt to escape from the host immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga M. Sigalova
- Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, RAS, Moscow, Russia
- current address: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andrei V. Chaplin
- Microbiology and Virology Department, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga O. Bochkareva
- Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, RAS, Moscow, Russia
- current address: Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Pavel V. Shelyakin
- Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, RAS, Moscow, Russia
- Center for Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, RAS, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Evgeny E. Akkuratov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- current address: Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Valentina Burskaia
- Center for Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail S. Gelfand
- Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, RAS, Moscow, Russia
- Center for Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Computer Science, Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
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46
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Agbowuro AA, Hwang J, Peel E, Mazraani R, Springwald A, Marsh JW, McCaughey L, Gamble AB, Huston WM, Tyndall JD. Structure-activity analysis of peptidic Chlamydia HtrA inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem 2019; 27:4185-4199. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2019.07.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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47
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Rother M, Teixeira da Costa AR, Zietlow R, Meyer TF, Rudel T. Modulation of Host Cell Metabolism by Chlamydia trachomatis. Microbiol Spectr 2019; 7:10.1128/microbiolspec.bai-0012-2019. [PMID: 31111817 PMCID: PMC11026074 DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.bai-0012-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Propagation of the intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis is strictly bound to its host cells. The bacterium has evolved by minimizing its genome size at the cost of being completely dependent on its host. Many of the vital nutrients are synthesized only by the host, and this has complex implications. Recent advances in loss-of-function analyses and the metabolomics of human infected versus noninfected cells have provided comprehensive insight into the molecular changes that host cells undergo during the stage of infection. Strikingly, infected cells acquire a stage of high metabolic activity, featuring distinct aspects of the Warburg effect, a condition originally assigned to cancer cells. This condition is characterized by aerobic glycolysis and an accumulation of certain metabolites, altogether promoting the synthesis of crucial cellular building blocks, such as nucleotides required for DNA and RNA synthesis. The altered metabolic program enables tumor cells to rapidly proliferate as well as C. trachomatis-infected cells to feed their occupants and still survive. This program is largely orchestrated by a central control board, the tumor suppressor protein p53. Its downregulation in C. trachomatis-infected cells or mutation in cancer cells not only alters the metabolic state of cells but also conveys the prevention of programmed cell death involving mitochondrial pathways. While this points toward common features in the metabolic reprogramming of infected and rapidly proliferating cells, it also forwards novel treatment options against chronic intracellular infections involving well-characterized host cell targets and established drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Rother
- Steinbeis Innovation Center for Systems Biomedicine, 14612 Berlin-Falkensee, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Internal Medicine, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Department of Molecular Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Rike Zietlow
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Department of Molecular Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas F Meyer
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Department of Molecular Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Rudel
- Department of Microbiology, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
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48
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Pillonel T, Bertelli C, Aeby S, de Barsy M, Jacquier N, Kebbi-Beghdadi C, Mueller L, Vouga M, Greub G. Sequencing the Obligate Intracellular Rhabdochlamydia helvetica within Its Tick Host Ixodes ricinus to Investigate Their Symbiotic Relationship. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:1334-1344. [PMID: 30949677 PMCID: PMC6490308 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Rhabdochlamydiaceae family is one of the most widely distributed within the phylum Chlamydiae, but most of its members remain uncultivable. Rhabdochlamydia 16S rRNA was recently reported in more than 2% of 8,534 pools of ticks from Switzerland. Shotgun metagenomics was performed on a pool of five female Ixodes ricinus ticks presenting a high concentration of chlamydial DNA, allowing the assembly of a high-quality draft genome. About 60% of sequence reads originated from a single bacterial population that was named "Candidatus Rhabdochlamydia helvetica" whereas only few thousand reads mapped to the genome of "Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii," a symbiont normally observed in all I. ricinus females. The 1.8 Mbp genome of R. helvetica is smaller than other Chlamydia-related bacteria. Comparative analyses with other chlamydial genomes identified transposases of the PD-(D/E)XK nuclease family that are unique to this new genome. These transposases show evidence of interphylum horizontal gene transfers between multiple arthropod endosymbionts, including Cardinium spp. (Bacteroidetes) and diverse proteobacteria such as Wolbachia, Rickettsia spp. (Rickettsiales), and Caedimonas varicaedens (Holosporales). Bacterial symbionts were previously suggested to provide B-vitamins to hematophagous hosts. However, incomplete metabolic capacities including for B-vitamin biosynthesis, high bacterial density and limited prevalence suggest that R. helvetica is parasitic rather than symbiotic to its host. The identification of novel Rhabdochlamydia strains in different hosts and their sequencing will help understanding if members of this genus have become highly specialized parasites with reduced genomes, like the Chlamydiaceae, or if they could be pathogenic to humans using ticks as a transmission vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trestan Pillonel
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Claire Bertelli
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sébastien Aeby
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marie de Barsy
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Jacquier
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carole Kebbi-Beghdadi
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Linda Mueller
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Manon Vouga
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gilbert Greub
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
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49
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Almeida-da-Silva CLC, Alpagot T, Zhu Y, Lee SS, Roberts BP, Hung SC, Tang N, Ojcius DM. Chlamydia pneumoniae is present in the dental plaque of periodontitis patients and stimulates an inflammatory response in gingival epithelial cells. MICROBIAL CELL 2019; 6:197-208. [PMID: 30956972 PMCID: PMC6444558 DOI: 10.15698/mic2019.04.674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Chlamydia pneumoniae is an airborne, Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium which causes human respiratory infections and has been associated with atherosclerosis. Because individuals with periodontitis are at greater risk for atherosclerosis as well as respiratory infections, we in-vestigated the role of C. pneumoniae in inflammation and periodontal dis-ease. We found that C. pneumoniae was more frequently found in subgingival dental plaque obtained from periodontally diseased sites of the mouth versus healthy sites. The known periodontal pathogens, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, were also found in the plaque. In addition, C. pneumoniae could efficiently invade human gingival epithelial cells (GECs) in vitro, causing translocation of NF-κB to the nucleus along with increased secretion of mature IL-1β cytokine. Supernatants collected from C. pneumoniae-infected GECs showed increased activation of caspase-1 protein, which was significantly reduced when nlrp3 gene expression was silenced using shRNA lentiviral vectors. Our results demonstrate that C. pneumoniae was found in higher levels in periodontitis patients compared to control pa-tients. Additionally, C. pneumoniae could infect GECs, leading to inflammation caused by activation of NF-κB and the NLRP3 inflammasome. We propose that the presence of C. pneumoniae in subgingival dental plaque may contribute to periodontal disease and could be used as a potential risk indicator of perio-dontal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tamer Alpagot
- Department of Periodontics, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
| | - Ye Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
| | - Sonho Sierra Lee
- College of Letters and Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Program of Doctor of Dental Surgery, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
| | - Brian P Roberts
- College of Letters and Science, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Shu-Chen Hung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
| | - Norina Tang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
| | - David M Ojcius
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
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50
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Alzheimer's disease might depend on enabling pathogens which do not necessarily cross the blood-brain barrier. Med Hypotheses 2019; 125:129-136. [PMID: 30902141 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The development of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) might reflect, in its acquired aspects, a cooperative pathogenesis whereby infectious enablers which do not necessarily cross the blood-brain barrier augment the invasive properties of a less virulent organism, thus enabling it to infect the brain. An example interaction is described which involves Chlamydia species, Human papillomavirus (HPV), microbiota, and yeast, where yeast is a pathogen of low virulence which crosses the blood-brain barrier. The cooperative pathogenesis begins at the mucosal epithelium. Infection by Chlamydia, HPV, or dysbiosis of commensal bacteria disrupts the integrity of the mucosal epithelium, thereby allowing colonizing yeast to penetrate the epithelial barrier and enter into the bloodstream. Chlamydia and enabling commensals promote insulin resistance, which provides yeast with glucose and also sets the stage for accumulation of amyloid beta protein (ABP). Meanwhile, HPV-induced and hyperglycemia-induced immunological changes enable the spread of newly invasive yeast to the brain, where the release of inflammatory cytokines in response to yeast promotes production of ABP. Chlamydia also cross reacts with Candida species, which may stimulate further brain inflammation in response to Candida and may augment production of ABP thereby The yeast's less virulent origins, coupled with immune modulation by enablers, might explain why AD as a model of infectious encephalitis is always slow and insidious rather than occasionally febrile, accompanied by seizures, or marked by signs of meningeal inflammation.
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