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Nlp enhances biofilm formation by Yersinia pestis biovar microtus. Microb Pathog 2022; 169:105659. [PMID: 35760284 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105659] [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: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Biofilms formed by Yersinia pestis are able to attach to and block flea's proventriculus, which stimulates the transmission of this pathogen from fleas to mammals. In this study, we found that Nlp (YP1143) enhanced biofilm formation by Y. pestis and had regulatory effects on biofilm-associated genes at the transcriptional level. Phenotypic assays, including colony morphology assay, crystal violet staining, and Caenorhabditis elegans biofilm assay, disclosed that Nlp strongly promoted biofilm formation by Y. pestis. Further gene regulation assays showed that Nlp stimulated the expression of hmsHFRS, hmsCDE and hmsB, while had no regulatory effect on the expression of hmsT and hmsP at the transcriptional level. These findings promoted us to gain more understanding of the complex regulatory circuits controlling biofilm formation by Y. pestis.
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Hinnebusch BJ, Jarrett CO, Bland DM. Molecular and Genetic Mechanisms That Mediate Transmission of Yersinia pestis by Fleas. Biomolecules 2021; 11:210. [PMID: 33546271 PMCID: PMC7913351 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to cause plague in mammals represents only half of the life history of Yersinia pestis. It is also able to colonize and produce a transmissible infection in the digestive tract of the flea, its insect host. Parallel to studies of the molecular mechanisms by which Y. pestis is able to overcome the immune response of its mammalian hosts, disseminate, and produce septicemia, studies of Y. pestis-flea interactions have led to the identification and characterization of important factors that lead to transmission by flea bite. Y. pestis adapts to the unique conditions in the flea gut by altering its metabolic physiology in ways that promote biofilm development, a common strategy by which bacteria cope with a nutrient-limited environment. Biofilm localization to the flea foregut disrupts normal fluid dynamics of blood feeding, resulting in regurgitative transmission. Many of the important genes, regulatory pathways, and molecules required for this process have been identified and are reviewed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Joseph Hinnebusch
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (C.O.J.); (D.M.B.)
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Liu L, Zheng S. Transcriptional regulation of Yersinia pestis biofilm formation. Microb Pathog 2019; 131:212-217. [PMID: 30980880 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is transmitted primarily by infected fleas in nature. Y. pestis can produce biofilms that block flea's proventriculus and promote flea-borne transmission. Transcriptional regulation of Y. pestis biofilm formation plays an important role in the response to complex changes in environments, including temperature, pH, oxidative stress, and restrictive nutrition conditions, and contributes to Y. pestis growth, reproduction, transmission, and pathogenesis. A set of transcriptional regulators involved in Y. pestis biofilm production simultaneously controls a variety of biological functions and physiological pathways. Interactions between these regulators contribute to the development of Y. pestis gene regulatory networks, which are helpful for a quick response to complex environmental changes and better survival. The roles of crucial factors and regulators involved in response to complex environmental signals and Y. pestis biofilm formation as well as the precise gene regulatory networks are discussed in this review, which will give a better understanding of the complicated mechanisms of transcriptional regulation in Y. pestis biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Liu
- Department of Transfusion, General Hospital of Central Theater Command, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China; State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Shangen Zheng
- Department of Transfusion, General Hospital of Central Theater Command, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
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Hinnebusch BJ, Jarrett CO, Bland DM. "Fleaing" the Plague: Adaptations of Yersinia pestis to Its Insect Vector That Lead to Transmission. Annu Rev Microbiol 2018; 71:215-232. [PMID: 28886687 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-090816-093521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Interest in arthropod-borne pathogens focuses primarily on how they cause disease in humans. How they produce a transmissible infection in their arthropod host is just as critical to their life cycle, however. Yersinia pestis adopts a unique life stage in the digestive tract of its flea vector, characterized by rapid formation of a bacterial biofilm that is enveloped in a complex extracellular polymeric substance. Localization and adherence of the biofilm to the flea foregut is essential for transmission. Here, we review the molecular and genetic mechanisms of these processes and present a comparative evaluation and updated model of two related transmission mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Joseph Hinnebusch
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840;
| | - Clayton O Jarrett
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840;
| | - David M Bland
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840;
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Ribaudo N, Li X, Davis B, Wood TK, Huang ZJ. A Genome-Scale Modeling Approach to Quantify Biofilm Component Growth of Salmonella Typhimurium. J Food Sci 2016; 82:154-166. [PMID: 27992644 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.13565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) is an extremely dangerous foodborne bacterium that infects both animal and human subjects, causing fatal diseases around the world. Salmonella's robust virulence, antibiotic-resistant nature, and capacity to survive under harsh conditions are largely due to its ability to form resilient biofilms. Multiple genome-scale metabolic models have been developed to study the complex and diverse nature of this organism's metabolism; however, none of these models fully integrated the reactions and mechanisms required to study the influence of biofilm formation. This work developed a systems-level approach to study the adjustment of intracellular metabolism of S. typhimurium during biofilm formation. The most advanced metabolic reconstruction currently available, STM_v1.0, was 1st extended to include the formation of the extracellular biofilm matrix. Flux balance analysis was then employed to study the influence of biofilm formation on cellular growth rate and the production rates of biofilm components. With biofilm formation present, biomass growth was examined under nutrient rich and nutrient deficient conditions, resulting in overall growth rates of 0.8675 and 0.6238 h-1 respectively. Investigation of intracellular flux variation during biofilm formation resulted in the elucidation of 32 crucial reactions, and associated genes, whose fluxes most significantly adapt during the physiological response. Experimental data were found in the literature to validate the importance of these genes for the biofilm formation of S. typhimurium. This preliminary investigation on the adjustment of intracellular metabolism of S. typhimurium during biofilm formation will serve as a platform to generate hypotheses for further experimental study on the biofilm formation of this virulent bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Ribaudo
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Villanova Univ, Villanova, 19085, PA, U.S.A
| | - Xianhua Li
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Villanova Univ, Villanova, 19085, PA, U.S.A
| | - Brett Davis
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Villanova Univ, Villanova, 19085, PA, U.S.A
| | - Thomas K Wood
- Depts. of Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State Univ, Univ. Park, 16802, PA, U.S.A
| | - Zuyi Jacky Huang
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Villanova Univ, Villanova, 19085, PA, U.S.A
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Liu L, Fang N, Sun Y, Yang H, Zhang Y, Han Y, Zhou D, Yang R. Transcriptional regulation of the waaAE-coaD operon by PhoP and RcsAB in Yersinia pestis biovar Microtus. Protein Cell 2015; 5:940-4. [PMID: 25359466 PMCID: PMC4259886 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-014-0110-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, 100071, China
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Earl SC, Rogers MT, Keen J, Bland DM, Houppert AS, Miller C, Temple I, Anderson DM, Marketon MM. Resistance to Innate Immunity Contributes to Colonization of the Insect Gut by Yersinia pestis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133318. [PMID: 26177454 PMCID: PMC4503695 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of bubonic and pneumonic plague, is typically a zoonotic vector-borne disease of wild rodents. Bacterial biofilm formation in the proventriculus of the flea contributes to chronic infection of fleas and facilitates efficient disease transmission. However prior to biofilm formation, ingested bacteria must survive within the flea midgut, and yet little is known about vector-pathogen interactions that are required for flea gut colonization. Here we establish a Drosophila melanogaster model system to gain insight into Y. pestis colonization of the insect vector. We show that Y. pestis establishes a stable infection in the anterior midgut of fly larvae, and we used this model system to study the roles of genes involved in biofilm production and/or resistance to gut immunity stressors. We find that PhoP and GmhA both contribute to colonization and resistance to antimicrobial peptides in flies, and furthermore, the data suggest biofilm formation may afford protection against antimicrobial peptides. Production of reactive oxygen species in the fly gut, as in fleas, also serves to limit bacterial infection, and OxyR mediates Y. pestis survival in both insect models. Overall, our data establish the fruit fly as an informative model to elucidate the relationship between Y. pestis and its flea vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun C. Earl
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Miles T. Rogers
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Keen
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - David M. Bland
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Andrew S. Houppert
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Caitlynn Miller
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Ian Temple
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Deborah M. Anderson
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Melanie M. Marketon
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Induction of the Yersinia pestis PhoP-PhoQ regulatory system in the flea and its role in producing a transmissible infection. J Bacteriol 2013; 195:1920-30. [PMID: 23435973 DOI: 10.1128/jb.02000-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission of Yersinia pestis is greatly enhanced after it forms a bacterial biofilm in the foregut of the flea vector that interferes with normal blood feeding. Here we report that the ability to produce a normal foregut-blocking infection depends on induction of the Y. pestis PhoP-PhoQ two-component regulatory system in the flea. Y. pestis phoP-negative mutants achieved normal infection rates and bacterial loads in the flea midgut but produced a less cohesive biofilm both in vitro and in the flea and had a greatly reduced ability to localize to and block the flea foregut. Thus, not only is the PhoP-PhoQ system induced in the flea gut environment, but also this induction is required to produce a normal transmissible infection. The altered biofilm phenotype in the flea was not due to lack of PhoPQ-dependent or PmrAB-dependent addition of aminoarabinose to the Y. pestis lipid A, because an aminoarabinose-deficient mutant that is highly sensitive to cationic antimicrobial peptides had a normal phenotype in the flea digestive tract. In addition to enhancing transmissibility, induction of the PhoP-PhoQ system in the arthropod vector prior to transmission may preadapt Y. pestis to resist the initial encounter with the mammalian innate immune response.
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Bacteriophages capable of lysing Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis: efficiency of plating tests and identification of receptors in escherichia coli K-12. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2012; 954:123-34. [PMID: 22782755 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-3561-7_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Karasawa A, Erkens GB, Berntsson RPA, Otten R, Schuurman-Wolters GK, Mulder FAA, Poolman B. Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) domains 1 and 2 fulfill different roles in ionic strength sensing of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter OpuA. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:37280-91. [PMID: 21878634 PMCID: PMC3199475 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.284059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2011] [Revised: 08/26/2011] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The cystathionine β-synthase module of OpuA in conjunction with an anionic membrane surface acts as a sensor of internal ionic strength, which allows the protein to respond to osmotic stress. We now show by chemical modification and cross-linking studies that CBS2-CBS2 interface residues are critical for transport activity and/or ionic regulation of transport, whereas CBS1 serves no functional role. We establish that Cys residues in CBS1, CBS2, and the nucleotide-binding domain are more accessible for cross-linking at high than low ionic strength, indicating that these domains undergo conformational changes when transiting between the active and inactive state. Structural analyses suggest that the cystathionine β-synthase module is largely unstructured. Moreover, we could substitute CBS1 by a linker and preserve ionic regulation of transport. These data suggest that CBS1 serves as a linker and the structured CBS2-CBS2 interface forms a hinge point for ionic strength-dependent rearrangements that are transmitted to the nucleotide-binding domain and thereby affect translocation activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Karasawa
- From the Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysical Chemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Netherlands Proteomics Centre and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Guus B. Erkens
- From the Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysical Chemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Netherlands Proteomics Centre and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ronnie P.-A. Berntsson
- From the Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysical Chemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Netherlands Proteomics Centre and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Renee Otten
- From the Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysical Chemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Netherlands Proteomics Centre and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Gea K. Schuurman-Wolters
- From the Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysical Chemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Netherlands Proteomics Centre and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Frans A. A. Mulder
- From the Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysical Chemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Netherlands Proteomics Centre and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bert Poolman
- From the Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysical Chemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Netherlands Proteomics Centre and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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Filippov AA, Sergueev KV, He Y, Huang XZ, Gnade BT, Mueller AJ, Fernandez-Prada CM, Nikolich MP. Bacteriophage-resistant mutants in Yersinia pestis: identification of phage receptors and attenuation for mice. PLoS One 2011; 6:e25486. [PMID: 21980477 PMCID: PMC3182234 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2011] [Accepted: 09/06/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Bacteriophages specific for Yersinia pestis are routinely used for plague diagnostics and could be an alternative to antibiotics in case of drug-resistant plague. A major concern of bacteriophage therapy is the emergence of phage-resistant mutants. The use of phage cocktails can overcome this problem but only if the phages exploit different receptors. Some phage-resistant mutants lose virulence and therefore should not complicate bacteriophage therapy. Methodology/Principal Findings The purpose of this work was to identify Y. pestis phage receptors using site-directed mutagenesis and trans-complementation and to determine potential attenuation of phage-resistant mutants for mice. Six receptors for eight phages were found in different parts of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inner and outer core. The receptor for R phage was localized beyond the LPS core. Most spontaneous and defined phage-resistant mutants of Y. pestis were attenuated, showing increase in LD50 and time to death. The loss of different LPS core biosynthesis enzymes resulted in the reduction of Y. pestis virulence and there was a correlation between the degree of core truncation and the impact on virulence. The yrbH and waaA mutants completely lost their virulence. Conclusions/Significance We identified Y. pestis receptors for eight bacteriophages. Nine phages together use at least seven different Y. pestis receptors that makes some of them promising for formulation of plague therapeutic cocktails. Most phage-resistant Y. pestis mutants become attenuated and thus should not pose a serious problem for bacteriophage therapy of plague. LPS is a critical virulence factor of Y. pestis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey A Filippov
- Division of Bacterial and Rickettsial Diseases, Department of Emerging Bacterial Infections, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America.
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Bacterial Biofilm and Peculiarities of Its Formation in Plague Agent and in Other Pathogenic Yersinia. PROBLEMS OF PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS INFECTIONS 2011. [DOI: 10.21055/0370-1069-2011-4(110)-5-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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A unique arabinose 5-phosphate isomerase found within a genomic island associated with the uropathogenicity of Escherichia coli CFT073. J Bacteriol 2011; 193:2981-8. [PMID: 21498648 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00033-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies showed that deletion of genes c3405 to c3410 from PAI-metV, a genomic island from Escherichia coli CFT073, results in a strain that fails to compete with wild-type CFT073 after a transurethral cochallenge in mice and is deficient in the ability to independently colonize the mouse kidney. Our analysis of c3405 to c3410 suggests that these genes constitute an operon with a role in the internalization and utilization of an unknown carbohydrate. This operon is not found in E. coli K-12 but is present in a small number of pathogenic E. coli and Shigella boydii strains. One of the genes, c3406, encodes a protein with significant homology to the sugar isomerase domain of arabinose 5-phosphate isomerases but lacking the tandem cystathionine beta-synthase domains found in the other arabinose 5-phosphate isomerases of E. coli. We prepared recombinant c3406 protein, found it to possess arabinose 5-phosphate isomerase activity, and characterized this activity in detail. We also constructed a c3406 deletion mutant of E. coli CFT073 and demonstrated that this deletion mutant was still able to compete with wild-type CFT073 in a transurethral cochallenge in mice and could colonize the mouse kidney. These results demonstrate that the presence of c3406 is not essential for a pathogenic phenotype.
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Zhou D, Yang R. Formation and regulation of Yersinia biofilms. Protein Cell 2011; 2:173-9. [PMID: 21380640 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-011-1024-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2011] [Accepted: 02/18/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Flea-borne transmission is a recent evolutionary adaptation that distinguishes the deadly Yersinia pestis from its progenitor Y. Pseudotuberculosis, a mild pathogen transmitted via the food-borne route. Y. Pestis synthesizes biofilms in the flea gut, which is important for fleaborne transmission. Yersinia biofilms are bacterial colonies surrounded by extracellular matrix primarily containing a homopolymer of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine that are synthesized by a set of specific enzymes. Yersinia biofilm production is tightly regulated at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. All the known structural genes responsible for biofilm production are harbored in both Y. Pseudotuberculosis and Y. Pestis, but Y. Pestis has evolved changes in the regulation of biofilm development, thereby acquiring efficient arthropod-borne transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongsheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China.
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Biofilm development on Caenorhabditis elegans by Yersinia is facilitated by quorum sensing-dependent repression of type III secretion. PLoS Pathog 2011; 7:e1001250. [PMID: 21253572 PMCID: PMC3017118 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1001250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2010] [Accepted: 12/06/2010] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis forms biofilms on Caenorhabditis elegans which block nematode feeding. This genetically amenable host-pathogen model has important implications for biofilm development on living, motile surfaces. Here we show that Y. pseudotuberculosis biofilm development on C. elegans is governed by N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL)-mediated quorum sensing (QS) since (i) AHLs are produced in nematode associated biofilms and (ii) Y. pseudotuberculosis strains expressing an AHL-degrading enzyme or in which the AHL synthase (ypsI and ytbI) or response regulator (ypsR and ytbR) genes have been mutated, are attenuated. Although biofilm formation is also attenuated in Y. pseudotuberculosis strains carrying mutations in the QS-controlled motility regulator genes, flhDC and fliA, and the flagellin export gene, flhA, flagella are not required since fliC mutants form normal biofilms. However, in contrast to the parent and fliC mutant, Yop virulon proteins are up-regulated in flhDC, fliA and flhA mutants in a temperature and calcium independent manner. Similar observations were found for the Y. pseudotuberculosis QS mutants, indicating that the Yop virulon is repressed by QS via the master motility regulator, flhDC. By curing the pYV virulence plasmid from the ypsI/ytbI mutant, by growing YpIII under conditions permissive for type III needle formation but not Yop secretion and by mutating the type III secretion apparatus gene, yscJ, we show that biofilm formation can be restored in flhDC and ypsI/ytbI mutants. These data demonstrate that type III secretion blocks biofilm formation and is reciprocally regulated with motility via QS. Many Gram-negative bacteria communicate by producing and sensing the presence of chemical signal molecules such as the N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs). Bacterial cells use AHLs to convey information about their environment, metabolism and population size. This type of chemical signalling is called ‘quorum sensing’ (QS) and is often used by pathogenic bacteria to promote acute or chronic infections through the control of motility, toxins, tissue degrading enzymes and surface-associated biofilms. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is a human pathogen which forms biofilms on the surface of the nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans. This offers a simple means for investigating biofilm development on living tissues and can be used to identify genetic features of both the pathogen and the host that contribute to biofilm-associated infections. We have discovered that quorum sensing is required for Y. pseudotuberculosis biofilm formation on C. elegans through a regulatory pathway which involves the master motility regulator protein (FlhDC) reciprocally controlling bacterial swimming and the construction of a specialized secretion needle that delivers proteins into mammalian cells to disrupt their normal activities.
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Bryant KA, Kinkead LC, Larson MA, Hinrichs SH, Fey PD. Genetic analysis of the Staphylococcus epidermidis macromolecular synthesis operon: Serp1129 is an ATP binding protein and sigA transcription is regulated by both sigma(A)- and sigma(B)-dependent promoters. BMC Microbiol 2010; 10:8. [PMID: 20067631 PMCID: PMC2824700 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-10-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2009] [Accepted: 01/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The highly conserved macromolecular synthesis operon (MMSO) contains both dnaG (primase) and sigA (primary sigma factor). However, in previously evaluated gram-positive species, the MMSO is divergent upstream of dnaG. The MMSO of Bacillus subtilis contains three open reading frames (ORFs) that are differentially regulated by multiple promoters. In conjunction with studies to determine the expression profile of dnaG, the MMSO of Staphylococus epidermidis was characterized. Results The ORFs of S. epidermidis were compared to the previously described MMSO of B. subtilis and two additional ORFs in S. epidermidis, serp1129 and serp1130, were identified. The largest transcript, 4.8 kb in length, was expressed only in exponential growth and encompassed all four ORFs (serp1130, serp1129, dnaG, and sigA). A separate transcript (1.5 kb) comprising serp1130 and serp1129 was expressed in early exponential growth. Two smaller transcripts 1.3 and 1.2 kb in size were detected with a sigA probe in both exponential and post-exponential phases of growth. Western blot analysis correlated with the transcriptional profile and demonstrated that Serp1129 was detected only in the exponential phase of growth. Computational analysis identified that Serp1130 contained a CBS motif whereas Serp1129 contained an ATP/GTP binding motif. Functional studies of Serp1129 demonstrated that it was capable of binding both ATP and GTP. Comparisons with a sigB:dhfr mutant revealed that the 1.3 kb sigA transcript was regulated by a σB-dependent promoter. Conclusions These studies demonstrated that the S. epidermidis 1457 MMSO contains two ORFs (serp1129 and serp1130) not described within the B. subtilis MMSO and at least three promoters, one of which is σβ-dependent. The transcriptional regulation of sigA by σB provides evidence that the staphylococcal σB-dependent response is controlled at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. The conservation of serp1129 across multiple gram-positive organisms and its capability to bind ATP and GTP support the need for further investigation of its role in bacterial growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendall A Bryant
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5900, USA
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The hmsHFRS operon of Xenorhabdus nematophila is required for biofilm attachment to Caenorhabditis elegans. Appl Environ Microbiol 2008; 74:4509-15. [PMID: 18515487 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00336-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila is an insect pathogen and an obligate symbiont of the nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. X. nematophila makes a biofilm that adheres to the head of the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a capability X. nematophila shares with the biofilms made by Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. As in Yersinia spp., the X. nematophila biofilm requires a 4-gene operon, hmsHFRS. Also like its Yersinia counterparts, the X. nematophila biofilm is bound by the lectin wheat germ agglutinin, suggesting that beta-linked N-acetyl-D-glucosamine or N-acetylneuraminic acid is a component of the extracellular matrix. C. elegans mutants with aberrant surfaces that do not permit Yersinia biofilm attachment also are resistant to X. nematophila biofilms. An X. nematophila hmsH mutant that failed to make biofilms on C. elegans had no detectable defect in symbiotic association with S. carpocapsae, nor was virulence reduced against the insect Manduca sexta.
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Darby C. Uniquely insidious: Yersinia pestis biofilms. Trends Microbiol 2008; 16:158-64. [PMID: 18339547 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2008.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2007] [Revised: 01/16/2008] [Accepted: 01/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bubonic plague, one of history's deadliest infections, is transmitted by fleas infected with Yersinia pestis. The bacteria can starve fleas by blocking their digestive tracts, which stimulates the insects to bite repeatedly and thereby infect new hosts. Direct examination of infected fleas, aided by in vitro studies and experiments with the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, have established that Y. pestis forms a biofilm in the insect. The extracellular matrix of the biofilm seems to contain a homopolymer of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, which is a constituent of many bacterial biofilms. A regulatory mechanism involved in Y. pestis biofilm formation, cyclic-di-GMP signaling, is also widespread in bacteria; yet only Y. pestis forms biofilms in fleas. Here, the historical background of bubonic plague is briefly described and recent studies investigating the mechanisms by which these unique and deadly biofilms are formed are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Creg Darby
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, Box 0640/Room C-734, San Francisco, CA 94143-0640, USA.
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Hinnebusch BJ, Erickson DL. Yersinia pestis biofilm in the flea vector and its role in the transmission of plague. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2008; 322:229-48. [PMID: 18453279 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-75418-3_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Transmission by fleabite is a relatively recent evolutionary adaptation of Yersinia pestis, the bacterial agent of bubonic plague. To produce a transmissible infection, Y. pestis grows as an attached biofilm in the foregut of the flea vector. Biofilm formation both in the flea foregut and in vitro is dependent on an extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesized by the Yersinia hms gene products. The hms genes are similar to the pga and ica genes of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis, respectively, that act to synthesize a poly-beta-1,6-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine ECM required for biofilm formation. As with extracellular polysaccharide production in many other bacteria, synthesis of the Hms-dependent ECM is controlled by intracellular levels of cyclic-di-GMP. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, the food- and water-borne enteric pathogen from which Y. pestis evolved recently, possesses identical hms genes and can form biofilm in vitro but not in the flea. The genetic changes in Y. pestis that resulted in adapting biofilm-forming capability to the flea gut environment, a critical step in the evolution of vector-borne transmission, have yet to be identified. During a flea bite, Y. pestis is regurgitated into the dermis in a unique biofilm phenotype, and this has implications for the initial interaction with the mammalian innate immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- B J Hinnebusch
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIH, NIAID, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA.
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Keyamura K, Fujikawa N, Ishida T, Ozaki S, Su’etsugu M, Fujimitsu K, Kagawa W, Yokoyama S, Kurumizaka H, Katayama T. The interaction of DiaA and DnaA regulates the replication cycle in E. coli by directly promoting ATP DnaA-specific initiation complexes. Genes Dev 2007; 21:2083-99. [PMID: 17699754 PMCID: PMC1948862 DOI: 10.1101/gad.1561207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2007] [Accepted: 07/09/2007] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli DiaA is a DnaA-binding protein that is required for the timely initiation of chromosomal replication during the cell cycle. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of DiaA at 1.8 A resolution. DiaA forms a homotetramer consisting of a symmetrical pair of homodimers. Mutational analysis revealed that the DnaA-binding activity and formation of homotetramers are required for the stimulation of initiation by DiaA. DiaA tetramers can bind multiple DnaA molecules simultaneously. DiaA stimulated the assembly of multiple DnaA molecules on oriC, conformational changes in ATP-DnaA-specific initiation complexes, and unwinding of oriC duplex DNA. The mutant DiaA proteins are defective in these stimulations. DiaA associated also with ADP-DnaA, and stimulated the assembly of inactive ADP-DnaA-oriC complexes. Specific residues in the putative phosphosugar-binding motif of DiaA were required for the stimulation of initiation and formation of ATP-DnaA-specific-oriC complexes. Our data indicate that DiaA regulates initiation by a novel mechanism, in which DiaA tetramers most likely bind to multiple DnaA molecules and stimulate the assembly of specific ATP-DnaA-oriC complexes. These results suggest an essential role for DiaA in the promotion of replication initiation in a cell cycle coordinated manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Keyamura
- Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Norie Fujikawa
- RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Takuma Ishida
- Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Shogo Ozaki
- Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masayuki Su’etsugu
- Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Fujimitsu
- Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Wataru Kagawa
- RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Yokoyama
- RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Kurumizaka
- RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Katayama
- Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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Meredith TC, Mamat U, Kaczynski Z, Lindner B, Holst O, Woodard RW. Modification of Lipopolysaccharide with Colanic Acid (M-antigen) Repeats in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem 2007; 282:7790-8. [PMID: 17227761 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m611034200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Colanic acid (CA) or M-antigen is an exopolysaccharide produced by many enterobacteria, including the majority of Escherichia coli strains. Unlike other capsular polysaccharides, which have a close association with the bacterial surface, CA forms a loosely associated saccharide mesh that coats the bacteria, often within biofilms. Herein we show that a highly mucoid strain of E. coli K-12 ligates CA repeats to a significant proportion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core acceptor molecules, forming the novel LPS glycoform we call MLPS.MLPS biosynthesis is dependent upon (i) CA induction, (ii) LPS core biosynthesis, and (iii) the O-antigen ligase WaaL. Compositional analysis, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of a purified MLPS sample confirmed the presence of a CA repeat unit identical in carbohydrate sequence, but differing at multiple positions in anomeric configuration and linkage, from published structures of extracellular CA. The attachment point was identified as O-7 of the L-glycero-D-manno-heptose of the outer LPS core, the same position used for O-antigen ligation. When O-antigen biosynthesis was restored in the K-12 background and grown under conditions meeting the above specifications, only MLPS was observed, suggesting E. coli can reversibly change its proximal covalently linked cell surface polysaccharide coat from O-antigen to CA in response to certain environmental stimuli. The identification of MLPS has implications for potential underlying mechanisms coordinating the synthesis of various surface polysaccharides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C Meredith
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1065, USA
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