Evaluation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes involved in resistance to killing by human macrophages

The mycobacterial glycoside hydrolase LamH enables capsular arabinomannan release and stimulates growth

Mycobacterial glycolipids are important cell envelope structures that drive host-pathogen interactions. Arguably, the most important amongst these are lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and its precursor, lipomannan (LM), which are both trafficked out of the bacterium to the host via unknown mechanisms. An important class of exported LM/LAM is the capsular derivative of these molecules which is devoid of its lipid anchor. Here, we describe the identification of a glycoside hydrolase family 76 enzyme that we term LamH which specifically cleaves α-1,6-mannoside linkages within LM and LAM, driving its export to the capsule releasing its phosphatidyl-myo-inositol mannoside lipid anchor. Unexpectedly, we found that the catalytic activity of this enzyme is important for efficient exit from stationary phase cultures where arabinomannan acts as a signal for growth phase transition. Finally, we demonstrate that LamH is important for Mycobacterium tuberculosis survival in macrophages. These data provide a new framework for understanding the biological role of LAM in mycobacteria.

Protein adaptations in extremophiles: An insight into extremophilic connection of mycobacterial proteome

The biological paradox about how extremophiles persist at extreme ecological conditions throws a fascinating picture of the enormous potential of a single cell to adapt to homeostatic conditions in order to propagate. Unicellular organisms face challenges from both environmental factors and the ecological niche provided by the host tissue. Although the existence of extremophiles and their physiological properties were known for a long time, availability of whole genome sequence has catapulted the study on mechanisms of adaptation and the underlying principles that have enabled these unique organisms to withstand evolutionary and environmental pressures. Comparative genomics has shown that extremophiles possess the unique set of genes and proteins that empower them with biochemical machinery necessary to thrive in extreme environments. The presence of these proteins safeguards the cell against a wide array of extreme conditions such as temperature, pressure, radiations, chemicals, drugs etc. An insight into these adaptive mechanisms in extremophiles may help us to devise strategies to alter the genes and proteins that may have therapeutic potential and commercial value. Here we present an overview of the various adaptations in extremophiles. We also try to explain how mycobacterium channelizes its proteome to survive in stress conditions posed by host immune system.

Biological and Epidemiological Consequences of MTBC Diversity

Tuberculosis is caused by different groups of bacteria belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). The combined action of human factors, environmental conditions and bacterial virulence determine the extent and form of human disease. MTBC virulence is a composite of different clinical phenotypes such as transmission rate and disease severity among others. Clinical phenotypes are also influenced by cellular and immunological phenotypes. MTBC phenotypes are determined by the genotype, therefore finding genotypes responsible for clinical phenotypes would allow discovering MTBC virulence factors. Different MTBC strains display different cellular and clinical phenotypes. Strains from Lineage 5 and Lineage 6 are metabolically different, grow slower, and are less virulent. Also, at least certain groups of Lineage 2 and Lineage 4 strains are more virulent in terms of disease severity and human-to-human transmission. Because phenotypic differences are ultimately caused by genotypic differences, different genomic loci have been related to various cellular and clinical phenotypes. However, defining the impact of specific bacterial genomic loci on virulence when other bacterial determinants, human and environmental factors are also impacting the phenotype would contribute to a better knowledge of tuberculosis virulence and ultimately benefit tuberculosis control.

Trypanosoma cruzi Differentiates and Multiplies within Chimeric Parasitophorous Vacuoles in Macrophages Coinfected with Leishmania amazonensis

The trypanosomatids Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi are excellent models for the study of the cell biology of intracellular protozoan infections. After their uptake by mammalian cells, the parasitic protozoan flagellates L. amazonensis and T. cruzi lodge within acidified parasitophorous vacuoles (PVs). However, whereas L. amazonensis develops in spacious, phagolysosome-like PVs that may enclose numerous parasites, T. cruzi is transiently hosted within smaller vacuoles from which it soon escapes to the host cell cytosol. To investigate if parasite-specific vacuoles are required for the survival and differentiation of T. cruzi, we constructed chimeric vacuoles by infection of L. amazonensis amastigote-infected macrophages with T. cruzi epimastigotes (EPIs) or metacyclic trypomastigotes (MTs). These chimeric vacuoles, easily observed by microscopy, allowed the entry and fate of T. cruzi in L. amazonensis PVs to be dynamically recorded by multidimensional imaging of coinfected cells. We found that although T. cruzi EPIs remained motile and conserved their morphology in chimeric vacuoles, T. cruzi MTs differentiated into amastigote-like forms capable of multiplying. These results demonstrate that the large adaptive vacuoles of L. amazonensis are permissive to T. cruzi survival and differentiation and that noninfective EPIs are spared from destruction within the chimeric PVs. We conclude that T. cruzi differentiation can take place in Leishmania-containing vacuoles, suggesting this occurs prior to their escape into the host cell cytosol.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific and MHC class I-restricted CD8+ T-cells exhibit a stem cell precursor-like phenotype in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis

The nature and longevity of the T-cell response directed against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) are important for effective pathogen containment. We analyzed ex vivo the nature of MTB antigen-specific T-cell responses directed against the MTB secreted antigens Rv0288, Rv1886c, Rv3875, the antigens Rv2958c, Rv2957, and Rv0447c (intracellular, non-secreted enzymes) in blood from Korean patients with active tuberculosis (TB). MTB-specific T-cell function was defined by intracellular cytokine production (interleukin (IL)-2, interferon gamma, tumour necrosis factor alpha, and IL-17) and by multimer-guided (HLA-A*02:01 and HLA-A*24:02) analysis of epitope-specific CD8+ T-cells, along with phenotypic markers (CD45RA and CCR7), CD107a, a marker for degranulation, and CD127 co-staining for T-cell differentiation and homing. Cytokine production analysis underestimated the frequencies of MTB antigen-specific T-cells defined by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-peptide multimer analysis. We showed that MTB antigen-specific CD8+ T-cells exhibit a distinct marker profile associated with the nature of the MTB antigens, i.e., Rv0288, Rv1886c, and Rv3875-reactive T-cells clustered in the precursor T-cell compartment, whereas Rv2958c, Rv2957, and Rv0447c-reactive T-cells were associated with the terminally differentiated T-cell phenotype, in the patient cohort. Rv0288, Rv1886c, and Rv3875-specific CD8+ T-cells were significantly enriched for CD107a+ T-cells in HLA-A*02:01 (p<0.0001) and HLA-A*24:02 (p=0.0018) positive individuals, as compared to Rv2958c, Rv2957, and Rv0447c antigens. CD127 (IL-7 receptor)-expressing T-cells were enriched in HLA-A*02:01-positive individuals for the Rv0288, Rv1886c, and Rv3875 specificities (p=0.03). A high proportion of antigen-specific T-cells showed a precursor-like phenotype (CD45RA+CCR7+) and expressed the stem cell-associated markers CD95 and c-kit. These data show that MTB-specific T-cells can express stem cell-like features; this is associated with the nature of the MTB antigen and the genetic background of the individual.

Differential cellular recognition pattern to M. tuberculosis targets defined by IFN-γ and IL-17 production in blood from TB + patients from Honduras as compared to health care workers: TB and immune responses in patients from Honduras

Background

A better understanding of the quality of cellular immune responses directed against molecularly defined targets will guide the development of TB diagnostics and identification of molecularly defined, clinically relevant M.tb vaccine candidates.

Methods

Recombinant proteins (n = 8) and peptide pools (n = 14) from M. tuberculosis (M.tb) targets were used to compare cellular immune responses defined by IFN-γ and IL-17 production using a Whole Blood Assay (WBA) in a cohort of 148 individuals, i.e. patients with TB + (n = 38), TB- individuals with other pulmonary diseases (n = 81) and individuals exposed to TB without evidence of clinical TB (health care workers, n = 29).

Results

M.tb antigens Rv2958c (glycosyltransferase), Rv2962c (mycolyltransferase), Rv1886c (Ag85B), Rv3804c (Ag85A), and the PPE family member Rv3347c were frequently recognized, defined by IFN-γ production, in blood from healthy individuals exposed to M.tb (health care workers). A different recognition pattern was found for IL-17 production in blood from M.tb exposed individuals responding to TB10.4 (Rv0288), Ag85B (Rv1886c) and the PPE family members Rv0978c and Rv1917c.

Conclusions

The pattern of immune target recognition is different in regard to IFN-γ and IL-17 production to defined molecular M.tb targets in PBMCs from individuals frequently exposed to M.tb. The data represent the first mapping of cellular immune responses against M.tb targets in TB patients from Honduras.

A Modified Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Vaccine with Reduced Activity of Antioxidants and Glutamine Synthetase Exhibits Enhanced Protection of Mice despite Diminished in Vivo Persistence

Early attempts to improve BCG have focused on increasing the expression of prominent antigens and adding recombinant toxins or cytokines to influence antigen presentation. One such modified BCG vaccine candidate has been withdrawn from human clinical trials due to adverse effects. BCG was derived from virulent Mycobacterium bovis and retains much of its capacity for suppressing host immune responses. Accordingly, we have used a different strategy for improving BCG based on reducing its immune suppressive capacity. We made four modifications to BCG Tice to produce 4dBCG and compared it to the parent vaccine in C57Bl/6 mice. The modifications included elimination of the oxidative stress sigma factor SigH, elimination of the SecA2 secretion channel, and reductions in the activity of iron co-factored superoxide dismutase and glutamine synthetase. After IV inoculation of 4dBCG, 95% of vaccine bacilli were eradicated from the spleens of mice within 60 days whereas the titer of BCG Tice was not significantly reduced. Subcutaneous vaccination with 4dBCG produced greater protection than vaccination with BCG against dissemination of an aerosolized challenge of M. tuberculosis to the spleen at 8 weeks post-challenge. At this time, 4dBCG-vaccinated mice also exhibited altered lung histopathology compared to BCG-vaccinated mice and control mice with less well-developed lymphohistiocytic nodules in the lung parenchyma. At 26 weeks post-challenge, 4dBCG-vaccinated mice but not BCG-vaccinated mice had significantly fewer challenge bacilli in the lungs than control mice. In conclusion, despite reduced persistence in mice a modified BCG vaccine with diminished antioxidants and glutamine synthetase is superior to the parent vaccine in conferring protection against M. tuberculosis. The targeting of multiple immune suppressive factors produced by BCG is a promising strategy for simultaneously improving vaccine safety and effectiveness.

The genome of Mycobacterium africanum West African 2 reveals a lineage-specific locus and genome erosion common to the M. tuberculosis complex

Background

M. africanum West African 2 constitutes an ancient lineage of the M. tuberculosis complex that commonly causes human tuberculosis in West Africa and has an attenuated phenotype relative to M. tuberculosis.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In search of candidate genes underlying these differences, the genome of M. africanum West African 2 was sequenced using classical capillary sequencing techniques. Our findings reveal a unique sequence, RD900, that was independently lost during the evolution of two important lineages within the complex: the “modern” M. tuberculosis group and the lineage leading to M. bovis. Closely related to M. bovis and other animal strains within the M. tuberculosis complex, M. africanum West African 2 shares an abundance of pseudogenes with M. bovis but also with M. africanum West African clade 1. Comparison with other strains of the M. tuberculosis complex revealed pseudogenes events in all the known lineages pointing toward ongoing genome erosion likely due to increased genetic drift and relaxed selection linked to serial transmission-bottlenecks and an intracellular lifestyle.

Conclusions/Significance

The genomic differences identified between M. africanum West African 2 and the other strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex may explain its attenuated phenotype, and pave the way for targeted experiments to elucidate the phenotypic characteristic of M. africanum. Moreover, availability of the whole genome data allows for verification of conservation of targets used for the next generation of diagnostics and vaccines, in order to ensure similar efficacy in West Africa.

Mycobacterium africanum, a close relative of M. tuberculosis, is studied for the following reasons: M. africanum is commonly isolated from West African patients with tuberculosis yet has not spread beyond this region, it is more common in HIV infected patients, and it is less likely to lead to tuberculosis after one is exposed to an infectious case. Understanding this organism's unique biology gets a boost from the decoding of its genome, reported in this issue. For example, genome analysis reveals that M. africanum contains a region shared with “ancient” lineages in the M. tuberculosis complex and other mycobacterial species, which was lost independently from both M. tuberculosis and M. bovis. This region encodes a protein involved in transmembrane transport. Furthermore, M. africanum has lost genes, including a known virulence gene and genes for vitamin synthesis, in addition to an intact copy of a gene that may increase its susceptibility to antibiotics that are insufficiently active against M. tuberculosis. Finally, the genome sequence and analysis reported here will aid in the development of new diagnostics and vaccines against tuberculosis, which need to take into account the differences between M. africanum and other species in order to be effective worldwide.

Pattern recognition and cellular immune responses to novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis-antigens in individuals from Belarus

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) is an enduring health problem worldwide and the emerging threat of multidrug resistant (MDR) TB and extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB is of particular concern. A better understanding of biomarkers associated with TB will aid to guide the development of better targets for TB diagnosis and for the development of improved TB vaccines.

Methods

Recombinant proteins (n = 7) and peptide pools (n = 14) from M. tuberculosis (M.tb) antigens associated with M.tb pathogenicity, modification of cell lipids or cellular metabolism, were used to compare T cell immune responses defined by IFN-γ production using a whole blood assay (WBA) from i) patients with TB, ii) individuals recovered from TB and iii) individuals exposed to TB without evidence of clinical TB infection from Minsk, Belarus.

Results

We identified differences in M.tb target peptide recognition between the test groups, i.e. a frequent recognition of antigens associated with lipid metabolism, e.g. cyclopropane fatty acyl phospholipid synthase. The pattern of peptide recognition was broader in blood from healthy individuals and those recovered from TB as compared to individuals suffering from pulmonary TB. Detection of biologically relevant M.tb targets was confirmed by staining for intracellular cytokines (IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ) in T cells from non-human primates (NHPs) after BCG vaccination.

Conclusions

PBMCs from healthy individuals and those recovered from TB recognized a broader spectrum of M.tb antigens as compared to patients with TB. The nature of the pattern recognition of a broad panel of M.tb antigens will devise better strategies to identify improved diagnostics gauging previous exposure to M.tb; it may also guide the development of improved TB-vaccines.

Impairment of d-alanine biosynthesis in Mycobacterium smegmatis determines decreased intracellular survival in human macrophages

d-Alanine is a structural component of mycobacterial peptidoglycan. The primary route of d-alanine biosynthesis in eubacteria is the enantiomeric conversion from l-alanine, a reaction catalysed by d-alanine racemase (Alr). Mycobacterium smegmatis alr insertion mutants are not dependent on d-alanine for growth and display a metabolic pattern consistent with an alternative pathway for d-alanine biosynthesis. In this study, we demonstrate that the M. smegmatis alr insertion mutant TAM23 can synthesize d-alanine at lower levels than the parental strain. The insertional inactivation of the alr gene also decreases the intracellular survival of mutant strains within primary human monocyte-derived macrophages. By complementation studies, we confirmed that the impairment of alr gene function is responsible for this reduced survival. Inhibition of superoxide anion and nitric oxide formation in macrophages suppresses the differential survival. In contrast, for bacteria grown in broth, both strains had approximately the same susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide, acidified sodium nitrite, low pH and polymyxin B. In contrast, TAM23 exhibited increased resistance to lysozyme. d-Alanine supplementation considerably increased TAM23 viability in nutritionally deficient media and within macrophages. These results suggest that nutrient deprivation in phagocytic cells combined with killing mediated by reactive intermediates underlies the decreased survival of alr mutants. This knowledge may be valuable in the construction of mycobacterial auxotrophic vaccine candidates.

Glutamine synthetase sequence evolution in the mycobacteria and their use as molecular markers for Actinobacteria speciation

BACKGROUND

Although the gene encoding for glutamine synthetase (glnA) is essential in several organisms, multiple glnA copies have been identified in bacterial genomes such as those of the phylum Actinobacteria, notably the mycobacterial species. Intriguingly, previous reports have shown that only one copy (glnA1) is essential for growth in M. tuberculosis, while the other copies (glnA2, glnA3 and glnA4) are not.

RESULTS

In this report it is shown that the glnA1 and glnA2 encoded glutamine synthetase sequences were inherited from an Actinobacteria ancestor, while the glnA4 and glnA3 encoded GS sequences were sequentially acquired during Actinobacteria speciation. The glutamine synthetase sequences encoded by glnA4 and glnA3 are undergoing reductive evolution in the mycobacteria, whilst those encoded by glnA1 and glnA2 are more conserved.

CONCLUSION

Different selective pressures by the ecological niche that the organisms occupy may influence the sequence evolution of glnA1 and glnA2 and thereby affecting phylogenies based on the protein sequences they encode. The findings in this report may impact the use of similar sequences as molecular markers, as well as shed some light on the evolution of glutamine synthetase in the mycobacteria.

Molecular characterization of clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and their association with phenotypic virulence in human macrophages

Among 125 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis collected in Hong Kong and Shanghai, China, between 2002 and 2004, IS6110 typing revealed that 71 strains (57%) belonged to the Beijing family. The intracellular growth of the strains in human peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages was measured ex vivo on days 0, 3, 6, and 10. Among all tested strains, three hypervirulent strains showed significant increases in intracellular growth after 10 days of incubation. With an initial bacterial load of 10(4) CFU, most of the clinical isolates and H37Ra (an avirulent strain) exhibited no intracellular survival on day 10, while the three hypervirulent strains together with H37Rv (a virulent strain) showed on average a two- to fourfold rise in CFU count. These three hypervirulent strains belonging to a non-Beijing family were isolated from patients suffering from tuberculosis meningitis. Cytokines secreted by gamma interferon-activated macrophages were measured daily after challenge with selected strains of M. tuberculosis. The levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha were elevated after 24 h of infection among all strains, but the levels were significantly lower among the three hypervirulent strains, whereas interleukin 10 (IL-10) and IL-12 were not detected. Results were concordant with the differential expression of the corresponding cytokine genes in activated macrophages, as monitored by real-time PCR. Our findings highlighted that these three hypervirulent strains may possess an innate mechanism for escaping host immunity, which accounts for their characteristic virulence in patients presenting with a more severe form of disease.

Relapsing fever spirochaetes produce a serine protease that provides resistance to oxidative stress and killing by neutrophils

The spirochaetes that cause tick-borne relapsing fever and Lyme disease are closely related human pathogens, yet they differ significantly in their ecology and pathogenicity. Genome sequencing of two species of relapsing fever spirochaetes, Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia turicatae, identified a chromosomal open reading frame, designated bhpA, not present in the Lyme disease spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi. The predicted amino acid sequence of bhpA was homologous with the HtrA serine proteases, which are involved with stress responses and virulence in other bacteria. B. hermsii produced an active serine protease that was recognized by BhpA antibodies and the recombinant BhpA protein-degraded beta-casein. bhpA was transcribed in vitro at all growth temperatures and transcription levels were slightly elevated at higher temperatures. These results correlated with the synthesis of BhpA during B. hermsii infection in mice. With the exception of Borrelia recurrentis, the bhpA gene, protein and enzymatic activity were found in all relapsing fever spirochaetes, but not in Lyme disease or related spirochaetes. Heterologous expression of bhpA in B. burgdorferi increased the spirochaete's resistance to both oxidative stress and killing by human neutrophils. Therefore, we propose that bhpA encodes a unique and functional serine protease in relapsing fever spirochaetes. This periplasmic enzyme may prevent the accumulation of proteins damaged by the innate immune response and contribute to the ability of the relapsing fever spirochaetes to achieve high cell densities in blood.

The dimycocerosate ester polyketide virulence factors of mycobacteria

Recent advances in the study of mycobacterial lipids indicate that the class of outer membrane lipids known as dimycocerosate esters (DIMs) are major virulence factors of clinically relevant mycobacteria including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae. DIMs are a structurally intriguing class of polyketide synthase-derived wax esters discovered over seventy years ago, yet, little was known until recently about their biosynthesis. Availability of several mycobacterial genomes has accelerated progress toward clarifying steps in the DIM biosynthetic pathway and it is our belief that reviewing the bases of our current knowledge will clarify outstanding issues and help direct future endeavors.

The central loop of Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase is flexible and functionally passive

Bacterial glutamine synthetases (GSs) are dodecameric aggregates comprised of two face-to-face hexameric rings, which form a cylindrical aqueous channel. Available crystal structures indicate that each subunit provides a 'central loop' that protrudes into this channel. Residues on either side of this loop contribute directly to substrate or metal ion cofactor binding. Although it has been suggested that this conspicuous structural feature may be functionally important, a systematic structure-function analysis of this loop has not been done. Here, we examine the behavior of a cysteine mutant, E165C, which yields inter-subunit disulfide bonds connecting the central loops. The inter-subunit disulfide bonds are readily detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Based on molecular models, the disulfide bonds would form only if the engineered cysteines on adjacent subunits moved approximately 5 A. Surprisingly, inter-subunit disulfide bonds between the central loops caused no detectable changes in the KMs for glutamate or ATP, nor the KD for either ATP or the transition state analog (L)-methionine sulfoximine (MSOX). Furthermore, covalent and quantitative adduction of the E165C mutant with iodo-acetamido-pyrene yielded nearly fully active enzyme bearing fluorescent pyrene excimers. The relative contribution of pyrene monomers to excimers in the steady state fluorescence is temperature dependent, suggesting thermal equilibrium between loop conformational states. However, the monomer-excimer ratio is independent of ligands such as MSOX, glutamate, or Mn2+. These results validate the suspected flexibility of the central loop, but raise significant doubt about its direct functional role in GS catalysis via conformational switching, including the proposed regulation of GS via ADP-ribosylation within this loop.

Mycobacterium marinum strains can be divided into two distinct types based on genetic diversity and virulence

Mycobacterium marinum causes a systemic tuberculosis-like disease in a large number of poikilothermic animals and is used as a model for mycobacterial pathogenesis. In the present study, we infected zebra fish (Danio rerio) with different strains of M. marinum to determine the variation in pathogenicity. Depending on the M. marinum isolate, the fish developed an acute or chronic disease. Acute disease was characterized by uncontrolled growth of the pathogen and death of all animals within 16 days, whereas chronic disease was characterized by granuloma formation in different organs and survival of the animals for at least 4 to 8 weeks. Genetic analysis of the isolates by amplified fragment length polymorphism showed that M. marinum strains could be divided in two clusters. Cluster I contained predominantly strains isolated from humans with fish tank granuloma, whereas the majority of the cluster II strains were isolated from poikilothermic species. Acute disease progression was noted only with strains belonging to cluster I, whereas all chronic-disease-causing isolates belonged to cluster II. This difference in virulence was also observed in vitro: cluster I isolate Mma20 was able to infect and survive more efficiently in the human macrophage THP-1 and the carp leukocyte CLC cell lines than was the cluster II isolate Mma11. We conclude that strain characteristics play an important role in the pathogenicity of M. marinum. In addition, the correlation between genetic variation and host origin suggests that cluster I isolates are more pathogenic for humans.

Mammalian Cell-Entry Proteins Encoded by the mce3 Operon of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are Expressed During Natural Infection in Humans

The mammalian cell-entry (mce)3 operon is one of four homologous mce operons on Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome that encodes six putative invasin/ adhesin-like proteins (Mce3A-F) possibly involved in the entry and survival of this bacterium inside macrophages. To study the in vivo expression of the mce3 operon-encoded proteins during natural human infection, the genes encoding Mce3A-F were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as fusion proteins with glutathione-S-transferase (GST) at the N-terminal and a x6 histidine (His) tag at the C-terminal end. The recombinant proteins appeared as major cellular proteins in SDS-PAGE gels and reacted with anti-GST and antipenta-His antibodies at the expected molecular mass of 70, 61, 68, 71, 66 and 72 [corrected] kDa for GST-Mce3A, GST-Mce3B, GST-Mce3C, GST-Mce3D, GST-Mce3E and GST-Mce3F, respectively. In Western immunoblots, all the six fusion proteins, particularly GST-Mce3A, GST-Mce3C, GST-Mce3D and GST-Mce3E, reacted with antibodies in combined human serum from 11 tuberculosis (TB) patients. Pure Mce3A, Mce3D and Mce3E could be isolated by specific proteolytic cleavage by thrombin protease of the respective purified fusion protein followed by preparative SDS-PAGE. The pure Mce3A, Mce3D and Mce3E reacted to various extents with antibodies in serum samples from TB patients. The Mce3E reacted with 51 of 55 (93%) and all the three proteins reacted with 34 of 55 (62%) serum samples. The Mce3A, Mce3D and Mce3E proteins also reacted, albeit at lower frequency, with one of 23 (4%) serum sample obtained from M. bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin-vaccinated healthy subjects and four of 18 (22%) serum samples from long-term contacts of TB patients showing reactivity with all the three Mce3 proteins. The data show that Mce3A, Mce3D and Mce3E encoded by mce3 operon of M. tuberculosis are expressed and elicit antibody responses in humans during natural infection with this pathogen.

Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis counterimmune (cim) mutants in immunodeficient mice by differential screening

Tuberculosis (TB) is characterized by lifetime persistence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Despite the induction of a vigorous host immune response that curtails disease progression in the majority of cases, the organism is not eliminated. Subsequent immunosuppression can lead to reactivation after a prolonged period of clinical latency. Thus, while it is clear that protective immune mechanisms are engaged during M. tuberculosis infection, it also appears that the pathogen has evolved effective countermechanisms. Genetic studies with animal infection models and with patients have revealed a key role for the cytokine gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) in resistance to TB. IFN-gamma activates a large number of antimicrobial pathways. Three of these IFN-gamma-dependent mechanisms have been implicated in defense against M. tuberculosis: inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), phagosome oxidase (phox), and the phagosome-associated GTPase LRG-47. In order to identify bacterial genes that provide protection against specific host immune pathways, we have developed the strategy of differential signature-tagged transposon mutagenesis. Using this approach we have identified three M. tuberculosis genes that are essential for progressive M. tuberculosis growth and rapid lethality in iNOS-deficient mice but not in IFN-gamma-deficient mice. We propose that these genes are involved in pathways that allow M. tuberculosis to counter IFN-gamma-dependent immune mechanisms other than iNOS.

Methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) deficiency affects the survival of Mycobacterium smegmatis within macrophages

Methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) is an antioxidant repair enzyme which reduces oxidized methionine to methionine. Since oxidation of methionine in proteins impairs their function, an absence of MsrA leads to abnormalities in different organisms, including alterations in the adherence patterns and in vivo survival of certain pathogenic bacteria. To understand the role of MsrA in intracellular survival of bacteria, we disrupted the gene encoding MsrA in Mycobacterium smegmatis through homologous recombination. The msrA mutant strain of M. smegmatis exhibited significantly reduced intracellular survival in murine J774A.1 macrophages compared to the survival of its wild-type counterpart. Furthermore, immunofluorescence and immunoblotting of phagosomes containing M. smegmatis strains revealed that the phagosomes with the msrA mutant strain acquired both p67(phox) of phagocyte NADPH oxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase much earlier than the phagosomes with the wild-type strain. In addition, the msrA mutant strain of M. smegmatis was observed to be more sensitive to hydroperoxides than the wild-type strain was in vitro. These results suggest that MsrA plays an important role in both extracellular and intracellular survival of M. smegmatis.

Adenylylation and catalytic properties of Mycobacterium tuberculosis glutamine synthetase expressed in Escherichia coli versus mycobacteria

Bacterial glutamine synthetases (GSs) are complex dodecameric oligomers that play a critical role in nitrogen metabolism, converting ammonia and glutamate to glutamine. Recently published reports suggest that GS from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb) may be a therapeutic target (Harth, G., and Horwitz, M. A. (2003) Infect. Immun. 71, 456-464). In some bacteria, GS is regulated via adenylylation of some or all of the subunits within the aggregate; catalytic activity is inversely proportional to the extent of adenylylation. The adenylylation and deadenylylation of GS are catalyzed by adenylyl transferase (ATase). Here, we demonstrate via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry that GS from pathogenic M. tuberculosis is adenylylated by the Escherichia coli ATase. The adenylyl group can be hydrolyzed by snake venom phosphodiesterase to afford the unmodified enzyme. The site of adenylylation of MTb GS by the E. coli ATase is Tyr-406, as indicated by the lack of adenylylation of the Y406F mutant, and, as expected, is based on amino acid sequence alignments. Using electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy methodology, we found that GS is not adenylylated when obtained directly from MTb cultures that are not supplemented with glutamine. Under these conditions, the highly related but non-pathogenic Mycobacterium bovis BCG yields partially ( approximately 25%) adenylylated enzyme. Upon the addition of glutamine to the cultures, the MTb GS becomes significantly adenylylated ( approximately 30%), whereas the adenylylation of M. bovis BCG GS does not change. Collectively, the results demonstrate that MTb GS is a substrate for E. coli ATase, but only low adenylylation states are accessible. This parallels the low adenylylation states observed for GS from mycobacteria and suggests the intriguing possibility that adenylylation in the pathogenic versus non-pathogenic mycobacteria is differentially regulated.

Expression of SA5K, a secretion antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, inside human macrophages and in sputum from tuberculosis patients

An 8.3 kDa protein (SA5K), secreted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis/Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in culture filtrate, has been previously described in our laboratory. In the present study, analysis of the distribution of SA5K gene (Rv1174c) among M. tuberculosis strains, isolated from a wide variety of clinical specimens, revealed that the gene is present in all clinical isolates analyzed (29/29). SA5K expression inside human macrophages infected with BCG was demonstrated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on RNA extracted from bacterial cells following 24 and 48 h of infection. In addition, in order to evaluate whether SA5K gene was also expressed at the site of infection in the lung, a nested RT-PCR assay was developed to detect specific mRNA in sputum samples collected from smear positive tuberculosis patients. SA5K mRNA was detected in all the samples containing high numbers of tubercle bacilli demonstrating that the corresponding gene is expressed during the course of clinical infection.

Partial genome sequencing of Rhodococcus equi ATCC 33701

Preliminary analysis of a partial (30% coverage) genome sequence of Rhodococcus equi has revealed a number of important features. The most notable was the extent of the homology of genes identified with those of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The similarities in the proportion of genes devoted to fatty acid degradation and to lipid biosynthesis was a striking but not surprising finding given the relatedness of these organisms and their success as intracellular pathogens. The rapid recent improvement in understanding of virulence in M. tuberculosis and other pathogenic mycobacteria has identified a large number of genes of putative or proven importance in virulence, homologs of many of which were also identified in R. equi. Although R. equi appears to have currently unique genes, and has important differences, its similarity to M. tuberculosis supports the need to understand the basis of virulence in this organism. The partial genome sequence will be a resource for workers interested in R. equi until such time as a full genome sequence has been characterized.

Structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis methionine sulfoxide reductase A in complex with protein-bound methionine

Peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase (MsrA) repairs oxidative damage to methionine residues arising from reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen intermediates. MsrA activity is found in a wide variety of organisms, and it is implicated as one of the primary defenses against oxidative stress. Disruption of the gene encoding MsrA in several pathogenic bacteria responsible for infections in humans results in the loss of their ability to colonize host cells. Here, we present the X-ray crystal structure of MsrA from the pathogenic bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis refined to 1.5 A resolution. In contrast to the three catalytic cysteine residues found in previously characterized MsrA structures, M. tuberculosis MsrA represents a class containing only two functional cysteine residues. The structure reveals a methionine residue of one MsrA molecule bound at the active site of a neighboring molecule in the crystal lattice and thus serves as an excellent model for protein-bound methionine sulfoxide recognition and repair.

Heterogeneity of RNA polymerase gene (rpoB) sequences of Mycobacterium gordonae clinical isolates identified with a DNA probe kit and by conventional methods

In a previous study, we have evaluated genetic identification by using the rpoB gene, which was recently introduced by Kim et al. (J. Clin. Microbiol. 39:2102-2109, 2001; J. Clin. Microbiol. 37:1714-1720, 1999). In this process, we examined the rpoB gene heterogeneity of clinical isolates identified as Mycobacterium gordonae with the conventional biological and biochemical tests and/or a commercially available DNA probe kit. Sequencing of the rpoB gene of 34 clinical isolates revealed that M. gordonae clinical isolates were classified into four major clusters (A, B, C, and D). Interestingly, organisms belonging to cluster D (15 isolates) did not hybridize with M. gordonae ATCC 14470 and specifically possessed urease activity. Therefore, it could be considered to be a novel mycobacterium. The identification of M. gordonae is known to have ambiguous results sometimes. On the other hand, identification of clinical isolates seems to be inconvenient and unsuitable because of a more than 99% 16S rRNA gene similarity value between clusters. These findings suggest that the existence of M. gordonae-like mycobacteria that share similar biochemical and biological characteristics with the 16S rRNA gene of an M. gordonae type strain but less similarity at the genomic DNA level may have complicated the identification of M. gordonae in many laboratories. Furthermore, compared with hsp65 PCR restriction analysis (PRA), rpoB PRA would have the advantage of producing no ambiguous results because of the intracluster homogeneity of the rpoB gene. In this case, rpoB would provide clearer results than hsp65, even if PRA analysis was used. We demonstrated that these M. gordonae-like mycobacteria were easily distinguished by PRA of the rpoB sequence. Additionally, the significance of this M. gordonae-like cluster may help to establish the comparison between the M. gordonae isolates from a clinical specimen and an infectious process in a given patient and to determine the true incidence of infection with this microorganism.

Role of immune sera in the in-vitro phagocytosis of Bordetella pertussis strains

In this study, phagocytosis of Bordetella pertussis was assessed using a human monocyte-derived macrophage line (THP-1) and immune sera from children who had received primary vaccination during the Italian clinical trial on the efficacy of two acellular three-component (PT-FHA-PRN) and one whole-cell pertussis vaccines. The results demonstrate that phagocytosis of opsonized bacteria with specific immune sera is not significantly enhanced compared with that of non-opsonized bacteria or bacteria opsonized with non-immune sera. A similar result was obtained also using B. pertussis strains showing variants of the pertactin antigen suggesting that those variations do not reduce the capability of the bacterium to invade the monocytes.

Involvement of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis secreted antigen SA-5K in intracellular survival of recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis

A new protein (SA-5K) secreted in culture filtrates by Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and few other mycobacterial species was previously identified and purified in our laboratory. In order to evaluate the putative role of SA-5K during intracellular mycobacterial growth, in the present study the SA-5K gene was cloned and expressed in Mycobacterium smegmatis, a rapid growing non-pathogenic mycobacterium which does not contain the gene for the protein. SA-5K expression in the THP-1 human macrophage cell line infected with the recombinant strain (M. smegmatis-pROL5K) was demonstrated by RT-PCR on RNA extracted from bacterial cells following 24 and 48 h of infection. Intracellular SA5K expression was associated with a higher cfu increase of M. smegmatis-pROL5K in comparison to the negative control strain (M. smegmatis recombinant for the cloning vector) (P=0.01). No significant change in SA-5K synthesis by M. smegmatis-pROL5K was observed when the recombinant strain was grown in vitro in different stress conditions such as iron deprivation, pH 4.5, presence of nitric oxide or hydrogen peroxide. The results presented in this study suggest a possible role for SA-5K in intracellular survival of recombinant M. smegmatis, though the function of the protein remains unknown.

Identification of two Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv ORFs involved in resistance to killing by human macrophages

BACKGROUND

The ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to survive and replicate in macrophages is crucial for the mycobacterium's ability to infect the host and cause tuberculosis. To identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes involved in survival in macrophages, a library of non-pathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis bacteria, each carrying an individual integrated cosmid containing M. tuberculosis H37Rv genomic DNA, was passed through THP-1 human macrophages three times.

RESULTS

Two of the clones recovered from this enrichment process, sur2 and sur3, exhibited significantly increased survival relative to wild-type bacteria. In coinfection experiments, the ratio of sur2 colonies to wild-type colonies was 1:1 at 0 hours but increased to 20:1 at 24 hours post phagocytosis. The ratio of sur3 colonies to wild-type colonies was 1:1 at 0 hours and 5:1 at 24 hours. The M. tuberculosis ORFs responsible for increased survival were shown to be Rv0365c for the sur2 clone and Rv2235 for the sur3 clone. These ORFs encode proteins with as-of-yet unknown functions.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified two M. tuberculosis ORFs which may be involved in the ability of tubercle bacilli to survive in macrophages.

Phospholipase region of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a preferential locus for IS6110 transposition

Enzymes with phospholipase C activity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been recently described. The three genes encoding these proteins, plcA, plcB, and plcC, are located at position 2351 of the genomic map of M. tuberculosis H37Rv and are arranged in tandem. We have previously described the presence of variations in the restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns of the plcA and plcB genes in M. tuberculosis clinical isolates. In the present work we investigated the origin of this polymorphism by sequence analysis of the phospholipase-encoding regions of 11 polymorphic M. tuberculosis clinical isolates. To do so, a long-PCR assay was used to amplify a 5,131-bp fragment that contains the plcA and plcB genes and part of the plcC gene. In the M. tuberculosis strains studied the production of an amplicon approximately 1,400 bp larger than anticipated was observed. Sequence analysis of the PCR products indicated the presence of a foreign sequence that corresponded to an IS6110 element. We observed insertion elements in the plcA, plcB, and plcC genes. One site in plcB had the highest incidence of transposition (5 out of 11 strains). In two strains the insertion element was found in plcA in the same nucleotide position. In all the cases, IS6110 was transposed in the same direction. The high level of transposition in the phospholipase region can lead to the excision of fragments of genomic DNA by recombination of neighboring IS6110 elements, as demonstrated by finding the deletion, in two strains, of a 2,837-bp fragment that included plcA and most of plcB. This can explain the negative results obtained by some authors when detecting the mtp40 sequence (plcA) by PCR. Given the high polymorphism in this region, the use of the mtp40 sequence as a genetic marker for M. tuberculosis sensu stricto is very restricted.

Advances in the immunopathogenesis of pulmonary tuberculosis

Tuberculosis remains a global emergency because of our lack of understanding of the details of its pathogenesis. In the last 12 months there have been striking advances in the molecular genetics of the organism. Mutated strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been used to study the genetic requirements for virulence and establishment of latency, and the biology of the interaction with host cells. Genes involved in lipid metabolism seem particularly important. The probable sites of latency within the host lungs have been identified by in situ polymerase chain reaction. The complex control by M. tuberculosis of apoptosis of T cells and macrophages has been somewhat clarified, and the data may suggest that M. tuberculosis causes death of a subset of T cells, while preserving some macrophages as hiding places with reduced microbicidal and antigen-presenting function. Similarly the demonstration of a very large relative increase in interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 expression, (together with IL-4delta2, the IL-4 splice variant), that correlates with lung damage, has been supported by data from flow cytometry and in situ hybridization, and indicates that a subversive T helper-2 (Th2) component in the response to M. tuberculosis may undermine the efficacy of immunity and contribute to immunopathology. Recently defined changes in metabolism of cortisol within the lesions may contribute to the development of the Th2 component. These findings underline the need to start testing vaccine candidates in models that mimic the situations in which bacille Calmette-Guerin fails, such as in the presence of latent infection, pre-existing Th2 responses to cross-reactive organisms, and stress.

glnE is an essential gene in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis possesses a homologue of glnE, potentially encoding a regulator of glutamine synthetase activity. We attempted to construct glnE-disrupted mutants using a two-step strategy, whereby a single-crossover strain was first isolated, followed by sacB counterselection to isolate the double-crossover strain. Of 192 sucrose-resistant colonies tested, none were mutants, although the wild-type double crossover could be easily isolated. When a second copy of the wild-type glnE was integrated into the chromosome, we could isolate both wild-type and mutant double-crossover strains. Thus, the chromosomal gene could only be replaced with a disrupted copy when another functional copy of the gene was provided, demonstrating that this gene is essential under the conditions tested.