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Joiner JD, Steinchen W, Mozer N, Kronenberger T, Bange G, Poso A, Wagner S, Hartmann MD. HilE represses the activity of the Salmonella virulence regulator HilD via a mechanism distinct from that of intestinal long-chain fatty acids. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105387. [PMID: 37890783 PMCID: PMC10696396 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105387] [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: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of virulence factors essential for the invasion of host cells by Salmonella enterica is tightly controlled by a network of transcription regulators. The AraC/XylS transcription factor HilD is the main integration point of environmental signals into this regulatory network, with many factors affecting HilD activity. Long-chain fatty acids, which are highly abundant throughout the host intestine, directly bind to and repress HilD, acting as environmental cues to coordinate virulence gene expression. The regulatory protein HilE also negatively regulates HilD activity, through a protein-protein interaction. Both of these regulators inhibit HilD dimerization, preventing HilD from binding to target DNA. We investigated the structural basis of these mechanisms of HilD repression. Long-chain fatty acids bind to a conserved pocket in HilD, in a comparable manner to that reported for other AraC/XylS regulators, whereas HilE forms a stable heterodimer with HilD by binding to the HilD dimerization interface. Our results highlight two distinct, mutually exclusive mechanisms by which HilD activity is repressed, which could be exploited for the development of new antivirulence leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe D Joiner
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wieland Steinchen
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Department of Chemistry, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Nick Mozer
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thales Kronenberger
- Department of Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry and Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Excellence Cluster "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gert Bange
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Department of Chemistry, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Antti Poso
- Department of Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry and Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Samuel Wagner
- Excellence Cluster "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), Tübingen, Germany; Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Partner-site Tübingen, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marcus D Hartmann
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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2
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Izquierdo-Vega JA, Castillo-Juarez RJ, Sánchez-Gutiérrez M, Ares MA, De La Cruz MA. A Mini-Review of Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli with a Specific Target on the Virulence Factors Controlled by the AggR Master Regulator. Pol J Microbiol 2023; 72:347-354. [PMID: 37875068 PMCID: PMC10725161 DOI: 10.33073/pjm-2023-037] [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: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) strains have been linked to several outbreaks of severe diarrhea around the world, and this bacterium is now commonly resistant to antibiotics. As part of the pathophysiology of EAEC, the characteristic pattern of adherence looks like stacked bricks on the intestinal epithelium. This phenotype depends on an aggregative adhesion plasmid (pAA), which codes for a regulatory protein named AggR. The AggR protein is a master regulator that transcriptionally actives the main virulence genes in this E. coli pathotype, such as those that encode the aggregative adhesion fimbriae, dispersin and its secretion apparatus, Aar regulatory protein, and type VI secretion system. Several reports have shown that AggR positively affects most EAEC virulence genes, functioning as a classic transcriptional activator in the promoter region of these genes, interacting with the RNA polymerase. This minireview article integrates the information about virulence determinants of EAEC controlled by the AggR regulator.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Miguel A. Ares
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias, Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, México City, México
- Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, México
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3
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Rodriguez-Valverde D, Giron JA, Hu Y, Nataro JP, Ruiz-Perez F, Santiago AE. Highly-conserved regulatory activity of the ANR family in the virulence of diarrheagenic bacteria through interaction with master and global regulators. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7024. [PMID: 37120613 PMCID: PMC10148876 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33997-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
ANR (AraC negative regulators) are a novel class of small regulatory proteins commonly found in enteric pathogens. Aar (AggR-activated regulator), the best-characterized member of the ANR family, regulates the master transcriptional regulator of virulence AggR and the global regulator HNS in enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) by protein-protein interactions. On the other hand, Rnr (RegA-negative regulator) is an ANR homolog identified in attaching and effacing (AE) pathogens, including Citrobacter rodentium and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), sharing only 25% identity with Aar. We previously found that C. rodentium lacking Rnr exhibits prolonged shedding and increased gut colonization in mice compared to the parental strain. To gain mechanistic insights into this phenomenon, we characterized the regulatory role of Rnr in the virulence of prototype EPEC strain E2348/69 by genetic, biochemical, and human organoid-based approaches. Accordingly, RNA-seq analysis revealed more than 500 genes differentially regulated by Rnr, including the type-3 secretion system (T3SS). The abundance of EspA and EspB in whole cells and bacterial supernatants confirmed the negative regulatory activity of Rnr on T3SS effectors. We found that besides HNS and Ler, twenty-six other transcriptional regulators were also under Rnr control. Most importantly, the deletion of aar in EAEC or rnr in EPEC increases the adherence of these pathogens to human intestinal organoids. In contrast, the overexpression of ANR drastically reduces bacterial adherence and the formation of AE lesions in the intestine. Our study suggests a conserved regulatory mechanism and a central role of ANR in modulating intestinal colonization by these enteropathogens despite the fact that EAEC and EPEC evolved with utterly different virulence programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Rodriguez-Valverde
- Child Health Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, 409 Lane Road, MR-4 Building, P.O. Box 801326, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Jorge A Giron
- Centro de Detección Biomolecular, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, 445 N. 5th St, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Yang Hu
- CD Genomics, Shirley, NY, USA
| | - James P Nataro
- Child Health Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, 409 Lane Road, MR-4 Building, P.O. Box 801326, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Fernando Ruiz-Perez
- Child Health Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, 409 Lane Road, MR-4 Building, P.O. Box 801326, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Araceli E Santiago
- Child Health Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, 409 Lane Road, MR-4 Building, P.O. Box 801326, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
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4
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The AraC/XylS Protein MxiE and Its Coregulator IpgC Control a Negative Feedback Loop in the Transcriptional Cascade That Regulates Type III Secretion in Shigella flexneri. J Bacteriol 2022; 204:e0013722. [PMID: 35703565 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00137-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the AraC family of transcriptional regulators (AFTRs) control the expression of many genes important to cellular processes, including virulence. In Shigella species, the type III secretion system (T3SS), a key determinant for host cell invasion, is regulated by the three-tiered VirF/VirB/MxiE transcriptional cascade. Both VirF and MxiE belong to the AFTRs and are characterized as positive transcriptional regulators. Here, we identify a novel regulatory activity for MxiE and its coregulator IpgC, which manifests as a negative feedback loop in the VirF/VirB/MxiE transcriptional cascade. Our findings show that MxiE and IpgC downregulate the virB promoter and, hence, VirB protein production, thus decreasing VirB-dependent promoter activity at ospD1, one of the nearly 50 VirB-dependent genes. At the virB promoter, regions required for negative MxiE- and IpgC-dependent regulation were mapped and found to be coincident with regions required for positive VirF-dependent regulation. In tandem, negative MxiE- and IpgC-dependent regulation of the virB promoter only occurred in the presence of VirF, suggesting that MxiE and IpgC can function to counter VirF activation of the virB promoter. Lastly, MxiE and IpgC do not downregulate another VirF-activated promoter, icsA, demonstrating that this negative feedback loop targets the virB promoter. Our study provides insight into a mechanism that may reprogram Shigella virulence gene expression following type III secretion and provides the impetus to examine if MxiE and IpgC homologs in other important bacterial pathogens, such as Burkholderia pseudomallei and Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Typhi, coordinate similar negative feedback loops. IMPORTANCE The large AraC family of transcriptional regulators (AFTRs) control virulence gene expression in many bacterial pathogens. In Shigella species, the AraC/XylS protein MxiE and its coregulator IpgC positively regulate the expression of type III secretion system genes within the three-tiered VirF/VirB/MxiE transcriptional cascade. Our findings suggest a negative feedback loop in the VirF/VirB/MxiE cascade, in which MxiE and IpgC counter VirF-dependent activation of the virB promoter, thus making this the first characterization of negative MxiE- and IpgC-dependent regulation. Our study provides insight into a mechanism that likely reprograms Shigella virulence gene expression following type III secretion, which has implications for other important bacterial pathogens with functional homologs of MxiE and IpgC.
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5
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The structure-function relationship of bacterial transcriptional regulators as a target for enhanced biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons. Microbiol Res 2022; 262:127087. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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6
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Huang L, Wu C, Gao H, Xu C, Dai M, Huang L, Hao H, Wang X, Cheng G. Bacterial Multidrug Efflux Pumps at the Frontline of Antimicrobial Resistance: An Overview. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11040520. [PMID: 35453271 PMCID: PMC9032748 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11040520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Multidrug efflux pumps function at the frontline to protect bacteria against antimicrobials by decreasing the intracellular concentration of drugs. This protective barrier consists of a series of transporter proteins, which are located in the bacterial cell membrane and periplasm and remove diverse extraneous substrates, including antimicrobials, organic solvents, toxic heavy metals, etc., from bacterial cells. This review systematically and comprehensively summarizes the functions of multiple efflux pumps families and discusses their potential applications. The biological functions of efflux pumps including their promotion of multidrug resistance, biofilm formation, quorum sensing, and survival and pathogenicity of bacteria are elucidated. The potential applications of efflux pump-related genes/proteins for the detection of antibiotic residues and antimicrobial resistance are also analyzed. Last but not least, efflux pump inhibitors, especially those of plant origin, are discussed.
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Wójcicki M, Świder O, Daniluk KJ, Średnicka P, Akimowicz M, Roszko MŁ, Sokołowska B, Juszczuk-Kubiak E. Transcriptional Regulation of the Multiple Resistance Mechanisms in Salmonella-A Review. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10070801. [PMID: 34202800 PMCID: PMC8308502 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10070801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The widespread use of antibiotics, especially those with a broad spectrum of activity, has resulted in the development of multidrug resistance in many strains of bacteria, including Salmonella. Salmonella is among the most prevalent causes of intoxication due to the consumption of contaminated food and water. Salmonellosis caused by this pathogen is pharmacologically treated using antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones, ceftriaxone, and azithromycin. This foodborne pathogen developed several molecular mechanisms of resistance both on the level of global and local transcription modulators. The increasing rate of antibiotic resistance in Salmonella poses a significant global concern, and an improved understanding of the multidrug resistance mechanisms in Salmonella is essential for choosing the suitable antibiotic for the treatment of infections. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge of molecular mechanisms that control gene expression related to antibiotic resistance of Salmonella strains. We characterized regulators acting as transcription activators and repressors, as well as two-component signal transduction systems. We also discuss the background of the molecular mechanisms of the resistance to metals, regulators of multidrug resistance to antibiotics, global regulators of the LysR family, as well as regulators of histone-like proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Wójcicki
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Engineering, Department of Microbiology, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology—State Research Institute, Rakowiecka 36 Street, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland; (M.W.); (P.Ś.); (M.A.)
| | - Olga Świder
- Department of Food Safety and Chemical Analysis, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology—State Research Institute, Rakowiecka 36 Street, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland; (O.Ś.); (M.Ł.R.)
| | - Kamila J. Daniluk
- Department of Microbiology, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology—State Research Institute, Rakowiecka 36 Street, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland; (K.J.D.); (B.S.)
| | - Paulina Średnicka
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Engineering, Department of Microbiology, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology—State Research Institute, Rakowiecka 36 Street, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland; (M.W.); (P.Ś.); (M.A.)
| | - Monika Akimowicz
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Engineering, Department of Microbiology, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology—State Research Institute, Rakowiecka 36 Street, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland; (M.W.); (P.Ś.); (M.A.)
| | - Marek Ł. Roszko
- Department of Food Safety and Chemical Analysis, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology—State Research Institute, Rakowiecka 36 Street, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland; (O.Ś.); (M.Ł.R.)
| | - Barbara Sokołowska
- Department of Microbiology, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology—State Research Institute, Rakowiecka 36 Street, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland; (K.J.D.); (B.S.)
| | - Edyta Juszczuk-Kubiak
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Engineering, Department of Microbiology, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology—State Research Institute, Rakowiecka 36 Street, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland; (M.W.); (P.Ś.); (M.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-22-6063605
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8
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Cortés-Avalos D, Martínez-Pérez N, Ortiz-Moncada MA, Juárez-González A, Baños-Vargas AA, Estrada-de Los Santos P, Pérez-Rueda E, Ibarra JA. An update of the unceasingly growing and diverse AraC/XylS family of transcriptional activators. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:6219864. [PMID: 33837749 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional factors play an important role in gene regulation in all organisms, especially in Bacteria. Here special emphasis is placed in the AraC/XylS family of transcriptional regulators. This is one of the most abundant as many predicted members have been identified and more members are added because more bacterial genomes are sequenced. Given the way more experimental evidence has mounded in the past decades, we decided to update the information about this captivating family of proteins. Using bioinformatics tools on all the data available for experimentally characterized members of this family, we found that many members that display a similar functional classification can be clustered together and in some cases they have a similar regulatory scheme. A proposal for grouping these proteins is also discussed. Additionally, an analysis of surveyed proteins in bacterial genomes is presented. Altogether, the current review presents a panoramic view into this family and we hope it helps to stimulate future research in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Cortés-Avalos
- Laboratorio de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Noemy Martínez-Pérez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Mario A Ortiz-Moncada
- Laboratorio de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Aylin Juárez-González
- Laboratorio de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Arturo A Baños-Vargas
- Laboratorio de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Paulina Estrada-de Los Santos
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ernesto Pérez-Rueda
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México.,Facultad de Ciencias, Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
| | - J Antonio Ibarra
- Laboratorio de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
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9
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Abdelwahab R, Yasir M, Godfrey RE, Christie GS, Element SJ, Saville F, Hassan EA, Ahmed EH, Abu-Faddan NH, Daef EA, Busby SJW, Browning DF. Antimicrobial resistance and gene regulation in Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli from Egyptian children with diarrhoea: Similarities and differences. Virulence 2020; 12:57-74. [PMID: 33372849 PMCID: PMC7781526 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1859852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is a common diarrhoeagenic human pathogen, isolated from patients in both developing and industrialized countries, that is becoming increasingly resistant to many frontline antibiotics. In this study, we screened 50 E. coli strains from children presenting with diarrhea at the outpatients clinic of Assiut University Children’s Hospital, Egypt. We show that all of these isolates were resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics and identified two as being typical EAEC strains. Using whole genome sequencing, we determined that both isolates carried, amongst others, blaCTX-M and blaTEM antibiotic resistance genes, as well as many classical EAEC virulence determinants, including the transcriptional regulator, AggR. We demonstrate that the expression of these virulence determinants is dependent on AggR, including aar, which encodes for a repressor of AggR, Aar. Since biofilm formation is the hallmark of EAEC infection, we examined the effect of Aar overexpression on both biofilm formation and AggR-dependent gene expression. We show that whilst Aar has a minimal effect on AggR-dependent transcription it is able to completely disrupt biofilm formation, suggesting that Aar affects these two processes differently. Taken together, our results suggest a model for the induction of virulence gene expression in EAEC that may explain the ubiquity of EAEC in both sick and healthy individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radwa Abdelwahab
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham , Birmingham, UK.,Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University , Assiut, Egypt
| | - Muhammad Yasir
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham , Birmingham, UK.,Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park , Norwich, UK
| | - Rita E Godfrey
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham , Birmingham, UK
| | - Gabrielle S Christie
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham , Birmingham, UK
| | - Sarah J Element
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham , Birmingham, UK
| | - Faye Saville
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham , Birmingham, UK
| | | | | | | | - Enas A Daef
- Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University , Assiut, Egypt
| | - Stephen J W Busby
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham , Birmingham, UK
| | - Douglas F Browning
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham , Birmingham, UK
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10
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Golder T, Mukhopadhyay AK, Koley H, Nandy RK. Nonmetabolizable Arabinose Inhibits Vibrio cholerae Growth in M9 Medium with Gluconate as the Sole Carbon Source. Jpn J Infect Dis 2020; 73:343-348. [PMID: 32350213 DOI: 10.7883/yoken.jjid.2019.304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The serogroups O1 and O139 of the marine bacterium Vibrio cholerae are responsible for causing cholera in humans. The pentose sugar arabinose is nonmetabolizable by the pathogen and is present in environmental niches as well as in the human intestine. In this study, arabinose-mediated V. cholerae growth interference was assessed in M9 minimal medium containing gluconate as the sole carbon source in the light of Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway, an obligatory metabolic route for gluconate utilization. V. cholerae O1 and O139 strains failed to grow in the presence of ≥ 0.3% arabinose in M9 with 0.2% gluconate, but there was no growth inhibition in the presence of arabinose in M9 with 0.2% glucose. Transcriptional analysis of edd and eda, the genes constituting the ED pathway, showed ~100- and ~17-fold increases, respectively, in M9-gluconate. Minor increases of ~4- and ~2-fold for edd and eda, respectively, were noted in AKI medium supplemented with 0.5% arabinose. The observed arabinose-mediated growth inhibition can contribute toward deepening the understanding of altered phenotypes, if any, via complementation/expression studies in V. cholerae with pBAD vectors and arabinose as an inducer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taniya Golder
- ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), India
| | | | - Hemanta Koley
- ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), India
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11
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Belmont-Monroy L, Saitz-Rojas W, Soria-Bustos J, Mickey AS, Sherman NE, Orsburn BC, Ruiz-Perez F, Santiago AE. Characterization of a novel AraC/XylS-regulated family of N-acyltransferases in pathogens of the order Enterobacterales. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008776. [PMID: 32845938 PMCID: PMC7478709 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is a diarrheagenic pathotype associated with traveler’s diarrhea, foodborne outbreaks and sporadic diarrhea in industrialized and developing countries. Regulation of virulence in EAEC is mediated by AggR and its negative regulator Aar. Together, they control the expression of at least 210 genes. On the other hand, we observed that about one third of Aar-regulated genes are related to metabolism and transport. In this study we show the AggR/Aar duo controls the metabolism of lipids. Accordingly, we show that AatD, encoded in the AggR-regulated aat operon (aatPABCD) is an N-acyltransferase structurally similar to the essential Apolipoprotein N-acyltransferase Lnt and is required for the acylation of Aap (anti-aggregation protein). Deletion of aatD impairs post-translational modification of Aap and causes its accumulation in the bacterial periplasm. trans-complementation of 042aatD mutant with the AatD homolog of ETEC or with the N-acyltransferase Lnt reestablished translocation of Aap. Site-directed mutagenesis of the E207 residue in the putative acyltransferase catalytic triad disrupted the activity of AatD and caused accumulation of Aap in the periplasm due to reduced translocation of Aap at the bacterial surface. Furthermore, Mass spectroscopy revealed that Aap is acylated in a putative lipobox at the N-terminal of the mature protein, implying that Aap is a lipoprotein. Lastly, deletion of aatD impairs bacterial colonization of the streptomycin-treated mouse model. Our findings unveiled a novel N-acyltransferase family associated with bacterial virulence, and that is tightly regulated by AraC/XylS regulators in the order Enterobacterales. Although the regulatory scheme of AggR is well understood, the biological relevance of half of AggR-regulated proteins remains unknown. In this study we provide experimental evidence that the AggR-regulated AatD is a novel N-acyltransferase restricted to pathogens of the order Enterobacterales, including EAEC, ETEC, Yersinia sp., and C. rodentium. AatD is structurally similar to Lnt. However, unlike Lnt which is essential for cellular functions, AatD is a dedicated N-acyltransferase required for post-translational modification of virulence factors. Aap was identified as a lipoprotein acylated by AatD. Lipid modification in Aap provides an important post-translational mechanism to regulate the trafficking, stability and subcellular localization of Aap. In the absence of AatD, Aap is retained in the periplasmic space and cannot be translocated to the bacterial surface, presumably, restricting the biological function of the protein. Our data suggest that AggR and Aar virulence regulators, not only regulate the expression of Aap virulence factor at the transcriptional level, but also regulate translocation of Aap to the bacterial surface, which is required for full virulence of EAEC, unveiling an important mechanism of virulence regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Belmont-Monroy
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Public Health, UNAM School of Medicine and Federico Gomez Children’s Hospital, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Waleska Saitz-Rojas
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jorge Soria-Bustos
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Abigail S. Mickey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Nicholas E. Sherman
- W. M. Keck Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Lab. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Benjamin C. Orsburn
- W. M. Keck Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Lab. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Fernando Ruiz-Perez
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Araceli E. Santiago
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail: .
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12
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Ferrand A, Vergalli J, Pagès JM, Davin-Regli A. An Intertwined Network of Regulation Controls Membrane Permeability Including Drug Influx and Efflux in Enterobacteriaceae. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E833. [PMID: 32492979 PMCID: PMC7355843 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The transport of small molecules across membranes is a pivotal step for controlling the drug concentration into the bacterial cell and it efficiently contributes to the antibiotic susceptibility in Enterobacteriaceae. Two types of membrane transports, passive and active, usually represented by porins and efflux pumps, are involved in this process. Importantly, the expression of these transporters and channels are modulated by an armamentarium of tangled regulatory systems. Among them, Helix-turn-Helix (HTH) family regulators (including the AraC/XylS family) and the two-component systems (TCS) play a key role in bacterial adaptation to environmental stresses and can manage a decrease of porin expression associated with an increase of efflux transporters expression. In the present review, we highlight some recent genetic and functional studies that have substantially contributed to our better understanding of the sophisticated mechanisms controlling the transport of small solutes (antibiotics) across the membrane of Enterobacteriaceae. This information is discussed, taking into account the worrying context of clinical antibiotic resistance and fitness of bacterial pathogens. The localization and relevance of mutations identified in the respective regulation cascades in clinical resistant strains are discussed. The possible way to bypass the membrane/transport barriers is described in the perspective of developing new therapeutic targets to combat bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anne Davin-Regli
- UMR_MD1, U-1261, Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, SSA, IRBA, MCT, Faculté de Pharmacie, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille CEDEX 05, France; (A.F.); (J.V.); (J.-M.P.)
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13
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Dual Function of Aar, a Member of the New AraC Negative Regulator Family, in Escherichia coli Gene Expression. Infect Immun 2020; 88:IAI.00100-20. [PMID: 32253248 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00100-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is an E. coli pathotype associated with diarrhea and growth faltering. EAEC virulence gene expression is controlled by the autoactivated AraC family transcriptional regulator, AggR. AggR activates transcription of a large number of virulence genes, including Aar, which in turn acts as a negative regulator of AggR itself. Aar has also been shown to affect expression of E. coli housekeeping genes, including H-NS, a global regulator that acts at multiple promoters and silences AT-rich genes (such as those in the AggR regulon). Although Aar has been shown to bind both AggR and H-NS in vitro, functional significance of these interactions has not been shown in vivo In order to dissect this regulatory network, we removed the complex interdependence of aggR and aar by placing the genes under the control of titratable promoters. We measured phenotypic and genotypic changes on downstream genes in EAEC strain 042 and E. coli K-12 strain DH5α, which lacks the AggR regulon. In EAEC, we found that low expression of aar increases aafA fimbrial gene expression via H-NS; however, when aar is more highly expressed, it acts as a negative regulator via AggR. In DH5α, aar affected expression of E. coli genes in some cases via H-NS and in some cases independent of H-NS. Our data support the model that Aar interacts in concert with AggR, H-NS, and possibly other regulators and that these interactions are likely to be functionally significant in vivo.
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14
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Eraso JM, Kachroo P, Olsen RJ, Beres SB, Zhu L, Badu T, Shannon S, Cantu CC, Saavedra MO, Kubiak SL, Porter AR, DeLeo FR, Musser JM. Genetic heterogeneity of the Spy1336/R28-Spy1337 virulence axis in Streptococcus pyogenes and effect on gene transcript levels and pathogenesis. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229064. [PMID: 32214338 PMCID: PMC7098570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pyogenes is a strict human pathogen responsible for more than 700 million infections annually worldwide. Strains of serotype M28 S. pyogenes are typically among the five more abundant types causing invasive infections and pharyngitis in adults and children. Type M28 strains also have an unusual propensity to cause puerperal sepsis and neonatal disease. We recently discovered that a one-nucleotide indel in an intergenic homopolymeric tract located between genes Spy1336/R28 and Spy1337 altered virulence in a mouse model of infection. In the present study, we analyzed size variation in this homopolymeric tract and determined the extent of heterogeneity in the number of tandemly-repeated 79-amino acid domains in the coding region of Spy1336/R28 in large samples of strains recovered from humans with invasive infections. Both repeat sequence elements are highly polymorphic in natural populations of M28 strains. Variation in the homopolymeric tract results in (i) changes in transcript levels of Spy1336/R28 and Spy1337 in vitro, (ii) differences in virulence in a mouse model of necrotizing myositis, and (iii) global transcriptome changes as shown by RNAseq analysis of isogenic mutant strains. Variation in the number of tandem repeats in the coding sequence of Spy1336/R28 is responsible for size variation of R28 protein in natural populations. Isogenic mutant strains in which genes encoding R28 or transcriptional regulator Spy1337 are inactivated are significantly less virulent in a nonhuman primate model of necrotizing myositis. Our findings provide impetus for additional studies addressing the role of R28 and Spy1337 variation in pathogen-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus M. Eraso
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Priyanka Kachroo
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Randall J. Olsen
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Stephen B. Beres
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Luchang Zhu
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Traci Badu
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Sydney Shannon
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Concepcion C. Cantu
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Matthew Ojeda Saavedra
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Samantha L. Kubiak
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Adeline R. Porter
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Frank R. DeLeo
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - James M. Musser
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
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15
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Peñil-Celis A, Garcillán-Barcia MP. Crosstalk Between Type VI Secretion System and Mobile Genetic Elements. Front Mol Biosci 2019; 6:126. [PMID: 31799257 PMCID: PMC6863884 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2019.00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Many bacterial processes require cell-cell contacts. Such are the cases of bacterial conjugation, one of the main horizontal gene transfer mechanisms that physically spreads DNA, and the type VI secretion systems (T6SSs), which deploy antibacterial activity. Bacteria depend on conjugation to adapt to changing environments, while T6SS killing activity could pose a threat to mating partners. Here we review the experimental evidences of overlapping and interaction between the T6SSs, bacterial conjugation, and conjugative genetic elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arancha Peñil-Celis
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria, Universidad de Cantabria-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Santander, Spain
| | - M Pilar Garcillán-Barcia
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria, Universidad de Cantabria-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Santander, Spain
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16
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Chatterjee R, Shreenivas MM, Sunil R, Chakravortty D. Enteropathogens: Tuning Their Gene Expression for Hassle-Free Survival. Front Microbiol 2019; 9:3303. [PMID: 30687282 PMCID: PMC6338047 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteropathogenic bacteria have been the cause of the majority of foodborne illnesses. Much of the research has been focused on elucidating the mechanisms by which these pathogens evade the host immune system. One of the ways in which they achieve the successful establishment of a niche in the gut microenvironment and survive is by a chain of elegantly regulated gene expression patterns. Studies have shown that this process is very elaborate and is also regulated by several factors. Pathogens like, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), Salmonella Typhimurium, Shigellaflexneri, Yersinia sp. have been seen to employ various regulated gene expression strategies. These include toxin-antitoxin systems, quorum sensing systems, expression controlled by nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs), several regulons and operons specific to these pathogens. In the following review, we have tried to discuss the common gene regulatory systems of enteropathogenic bacteria as well as pathogen-specific regulatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritika Chatterjee
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India.,Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Meghanashree M Shreenivas
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India.,Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India.,Undergraduate Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Rohith Sunil
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India.,Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India.,Undergraduate Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Dipshikha Chakravortty
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India.,Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India.,Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
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17
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Krishna A, Holden MTG, Peacock SJ, Edwards AM, Wigneshweraraj S. Naturally occurring polymorphisms in the virulence regulator Rsp modulate Staphylococcus aureus survival in blood and antibiotic susceptibility. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2018; 164:1189-1195. [PMID: 30028663 PMCID: PMC6230762 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Nasal colonization by the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is a risk factor for subsequent infection. Loss of function mutations in the gene encoding the virulence regulator Rsp are associated with the transition of S. aureus from a colonizing isolate to one that causes bacteraemia. Here, we report the identification of several novel activity-altering mutations in rsp detected in clinical isolates, including for the first time, mutations that enhance agr operon activity. We assessed how these mutations affected infection-relevant phenotypes and found loss and enhancement of function mutations to have contrasting effects on S. aureus survival in blood and antibiotic susceptibility. These findings add to the growing body of evidence that suggests S. aureus 'trades off' virulence for the acquisition of traits that benefit survival in the host, and indicates that infection severity and treatment options can be significantly affected by mutations in the virulence regulator rsp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya Krishna
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew T. G. Holden
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
- School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Sharon J. Peacock
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Andrew M. Edwards
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, UK
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18
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Paredes-Amaya CC, Valdés-García G, Juárez-González VR, Rudiño-Piñera E, Bustamante VH. The Hcp-like protein HilE inhibits homodimerization and DNA binding of the virulence-associated transcriptional regulator HilD in Salmonella. J Biol Chem 2018. [PMID: 29535187 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
HilD is an AraC-like transcriptional regulator that plays a central role in Salmonella virulence. HilD controls the expression of the genes within the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) and of several genes located outside SPI-1, which are mainly required for Salmonella invasion of host cells. The expression, amount, and activity of HilD are tightly controlled by the activities of several factors. The HilE protein represses the expression of the SPI-1 genes through its interaction with HilD; however, the mechanism by which HilE affects HilD is unknown. In this study, we used genetic and biochemical assays revealing how HilE controls the transcriptional activity of HilD. We found that HilD needs to assemble in homodimers to induce expression of its target genes. Our results further indicated that HilE individually interacts with each the central and the C-terminal HilD regions, mediating dimerization and DNA binding, respectively. We also observed that these interactions consistently inhibit HilD dimerization and DNA binding. Interestingly, a computational analysis revealed that HilE shares sequence and structural similarities with Hcp proteins, which act as structural components of type 6 secretion systems in Gram-negative bacteria. In conclusion, our results uncover the molecular mechanism by which the Hcp-like protein HilE controls dimerization and DNA binding of the virulence-promoting transcriptional regulator HilD. Our findings may indicate that HilE's activity represents a functional adaptation during the evolution of Salmonella pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gilberto Valdés-García
- Molecular Medicine and Bioprocesses, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - Víctor R Juárez-González
- Molecular Medicine and Bioprocesses, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - Enrique Rudiño-Piñera
- Molecular Medicine and Bioprocesses, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
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19
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Giallourou N, Medlock GL, Bolick DT, Medeiros PHQS, Ledwaba SE, Kolling GL, Tung K, Guerry P, Swann JR, Guerrant RL. A novel mouse model of Campylobacter jejuni enteropathy and diarrhea. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007083. [PMID: 29791507 PMCID: PMC5988333 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Campylobacter infections are among the leading bacterial causes of diarrhea and of 'environmental enteropathy' (EE) and growth failure worldwide. However, the lack of an inexpensive small animal model of enteric disease with Campylobacter has been a major limitation for understanding its pathogenesis, interventions or vaccine development. We describe a robust standard mouse model that can exhibit reproducible bloody diarrhea or growth failure, depending on the zinc or protein deficient diet and on antibiotic alteration of normal microbiota prior to infection. Zinc deficiency and the use of antibiotics create a niche for Campylobacter infection to establish by narrowing the metabolic flexibility of these mice for pathogen clearance and by promoting intestinal and systemic inflammation. Several biomarkers and intestinal pathology in this model also mimic those seen in human disease. This model provides a novel tool to test specific hypotheses regarding disease pathogenesis as well as vaccine development that is currently in progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasa Giallourou
- Division of Computational and Systems Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gregory L. Medlock
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - David T. Bolick
- Division of Infectious Disease and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Pedro HQS Medeiros
- Institute of Biomedicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Solanka E. Ledwaba
- Department of Microbiology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, Limpopo, South Africa
| | - Glynis L. Kolling
- Division of Infectious Disease and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Kenneth Tung
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Patricia Guerry
- Enteric Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Jonathan R. Swann
- Division of Computational and Systems Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard L. Guerrant
- Division of Infectious Disease and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
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20
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Santiago AE, Yan MB, Hazen TH, Sauder B, Meza-Segura M, Rasko DA, Kendall MM, Ruiz-Perez F, Nataro JP. The AraC Negative Regulator family modulates the activity of histone-like proteins in pathogenic bacteria. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006545. [PMID: 28806780 PMCID: PMC5570504 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The AraC Negative Regulators (ANR) comprise a large family of virulence regulators distributed among diverse clinically important Gram-negative pathogens, including Vibrio spp., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Yersinia spp., Citrobacter spp., and pathogenic E. coli strains. We have previously reported broad effects of the ANR members on regulators of the AraC/XylS family. Here, we interrogate possible broader effects of the ANR members on the bacterial transcriptome. Our studies focused on Aar (AggR-activated regulator), an ANR family archetype in enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) isolate 042. Transcriptome analysis of EAEC strain 042, 042aar and 042aar(pAar) identified more than 200 genes that were differentially expressed (+/- 1.5 fold, p<0.05). Most of those genes are located on the bacterial chromosome (195 genes, 92.85%), and are associated with regulation, transport, metabolism, and pathogenesis, based on the predicted annotation; a considerable number of Aar-regulated genes encoded for hypothetical proteins (46 genes, 21.9%) and regulatory proteins (25, 11.9%). Notably, the transcriptional expression of three histone-like regulators, H-NS (orf1292), H-NS homolog (orf2834) and StpA, was down-regulated in the absence of aar and may explain some of the effects of Aar on gene expression. By employing a bacterial two-hybrid system, LacZ reporter assays, pull-down and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) analysis, we demonstrated that Aar binds directly to H-NS and modulates H-NS-induced gene silencing. Importantly, Aar was highly expressed in the mouse intestinal tract and was found to be necessary for maximal H-NS expression. In conclusion, this work further extends our knowledge of genes under the control of Aar and its biological relevance in vivo. The AraC Negative Regulators (ANR) is a large family of negative regulators distributed in several clinically relevant Gram-negative pathogens, including Vibrio spp., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Yersinia spp., Citrobacter spp., pathogenic E. coli, and members of the Pasteurellaceae. Previously, we showed that the ANR family suppresses transcriptional expression of virulence factors such as fimbriae, toxins, and the type VI secretion system by directly down-regulating AraC/XylS master regulators. Transcriptome and biochemical analysis of Aar (AggR-activated regulator), an ANR family archetype in enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) 042, demonstrated that Aar binds directly to H-NS and modulates the H-NS-induced gene expression. Accordingly, mutation of aar decreased expression of the H-NS-regulated Lpf fimbriae, LPS-related enzymes, GadXW operon and porins. Importantly, Aar was highly expressed in the mouse intestinal tract and was found to be necessary for maximal H-NS expression. These findings unveil an exquisite regulatory network in pathogenic bacteria, which operates by concomitant control of master transcriptional regulators of the AraC family and global negative H-NS regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Araceli E. Santiago
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Michael B. Yan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Tracy H. Hazen
- Institute for Genome Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology. University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Brooke Sauder
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Mario Meza-Segura
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - David A. Rasko
- Institute for Genome Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology. University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Melissa M. Kendall
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Fernando Ruiz-Perez
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - James P. Nataro
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
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21
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Hodson C, Yang J, Hocking DM, Azzopardi K, Chen Q, Holien JK, Parker MW, Tauschek M, Robins-Browne RM. Control of Virulence Gene Expression by the Master Regulator, CfaD, in the Prototypical Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Strain, H10407. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1525. [PMID: 28848532 PMCID: PMC5554520 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is the most common bacterial cause of diarrhea in children in developing countries, as well as in travelers to these countries. To cause disease, ETEC needs to produce a series of virulence proteins including enterotoxins, colonization factors and secretion pathways, which enable this pathogen to colonize the human small intestine and deliver enterotoxins to epithelial cells. Previously, a number of studies have demonstrated that CfaD, an AraC-like transcriptional regulator, plays a key role in virulence gene expression by ETEC. In this study, we carried out a transcriptomic analysis of ETEC strain, H10407, grown under different conditions, and determined the complete set of genes that are regulated by CfaD. In this way, we identified a number of new target genes, including rnr-1, rnr-2, etpBAC, agn43, flu, traM and ETEC_3214, whose expression is strongly activated by CfaD. Using promoter-lacZ reporters, primer extension and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we characterized the CfaD-mediated activation of several selected target promoters. We also showed that the gut-associated environmental signal, sodium bicarbonate, stimulates CfaD-mediated upregulation of its virulence target operons. Finally, we screened a commercial small molecule library and identified a compound (CH-1) that specifically inhibited the regulatory function of CfaD, and by 2-D analoging, we identified a second inhibitor (CH-2) with greater potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Hodson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, ParkvilleVIC, Australia
| | - Ji Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, ParkvilleVIC, Australia
| | - Dianna M Hocking
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, ParkvilleVIC, Australia
| | - Kristy Azzopardi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, ParkvilleVIC, Australia.,Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, ParkvilleVIC, Australia
| | - Qianyu Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, ParkvilleVIC, Australia
| | - Jessica K Holien
- Australian Cancer Research Foundation Rational Drug Discovery Centre, St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, FitzroyVIC, Australia
| | - Michael W Parker
- Australian Cancer Research Foundation Rational Drug Discovery Centre, St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, FitzroyVIC, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, ParkvilleVIC, Australia
| | - Marija Tauschek
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, ParkvilleVIC, Australia
| | - Roy M Robins-Browne
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, ParkvilleVIC, Australia.,Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, ParkvilleVIC, Australia
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Gawin A, Valla S, Brautaset T. The XylS/Pm regulator/promoter system and its use in fundamental studies of bacterial gene expression, recombinant protein production and metabolic engineering. Microb Biotechnol 2017; 10:702-718. [PMID: 28276630 PMCID: PMC5481539 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 02/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The XylS/Pm regulator/promoter system originating from the Pseudomonas putida TOL plasmid pWW0 is widely used for regulated low‐ and high‐level recombinant expression of genes and gene clusters in Escherichia coli and other bacteria. Induction of this system can be graded by using different cheap benzoic acid derivatives, which enter cells by passive diffusion, operate in a dose‐dependent manner and are typically not metabolized by the host cells. Combinatorial mutagenesis and selection using the bla gene encoding β‐lactamase as a reporter have demonstrated that the Pm promoter, the DNA sequence corresponding to the 5′ untranslated end of its cognate mRNA and the xylS coding region can be modified and improved relative to various types of applications. By combining such mutant genetic elements, altered and extended expression profiles were achieved. Due to their unique properties, obtained systems serve as a genetic toolbox valuable for heterologous protein production and metabolic engineering, as well as for basic studies aiming at understanding fundamental parameters affecting bacterial gene expression. The approaches used to modify XylS/Pm should be adaptable for similar improvements also of other microbial expression systems. In this review, we summarize constructions, characteristics, refinements and applications of expression tools using the XylS/Pm system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Gawin
- Department of Biotechnology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Svein Valla
- Department of Biotechnology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Trygve Brautaset
- Department of Biotechnology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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