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Liu X, Qin P, Wen H, Wang W, Zhao J. Seasonal meropenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii and influence of temperature-driven adaptation. BMC Microbiol 2024; 24:149. [PMID: 38678219 PMCID: PMC11055336 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03271-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recognition of seasonal trends in bacterial infection and drug resistance rates may enhance diagnosis, direct therapeutic strategies, and inform preventive measures. Limited data exist on the seasonal variability of Acinetobacter baumannii. We investigated the seasonality of A. baumannii, the correlation between temperature and meropenem resistance, and the impact of temperature on this bacterium. RESULTS Meropenem resistance rates increased with lower temperatures, peaking in winter/colder months. Nonresistant strain detection exhibited temperature-dependent seasonality, rising in summer/warmer months and declining in winter/colder months. In contrast, resistant strains showed no seasonality. Variations in meropenem-resistant and nonresistant bacterial resilience to temperature changes were observed. Nonresistant strains displayed growth advantages at temperatures ≥ 25 °C, whereas meropenem-resistant A. baumannii with β-lactamase OXA-23 exhibited greater resistance to low-temperature (4 °C) stress. Furthermore, at 4 °C, A. baumannii upregulated carbapenem resistance-related genes (adeJ, oxa-51, and oxa-23) and increased meropenem stress tolerance. CONCLUSIONS Meropenem resistance rates in A. baumannii display seasonality and are negatively correlated with local temperature, with rates peaking in winter, possibly linked to the differential adaptation of resistant and nonresistant isolates to temperature fluctuations. Furthermore, due to significant resistance rate variations between quarters, compiling monthly or quarterly reports might enhance comprehension of antibiotic resistance trends. Consequently, this could assist in formulating strategies to control and prevent resistance within healthcare facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxuan Liu
- Hebei Provincial Center for Clinical Laboratories, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, People's Republic of China
| | - Pu Qin
- Hebei Provincial Center for Clinical Laboratories, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, People's Republic of China
| | - Hainan Wen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, 067000, People's Republic of China
| | - Weigang Wang
- Hebei Provincial Center for Clinical Laboratories, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianhong Zhao
- Hebei Provincial Center for Clinical Laboratories, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, People's Republic of China.
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Noel HR, Keerthi S, Ren X, Winkelman JD, Troutman JM, Palmer LD. Genetic synergy between Acinetobacter baumannii undecaprenyl phosphate biosynthesis and the Mla system impacts cell envelope and antimicrobial resistance. mBio 2024; 15:e0280423. [PMID: 38364179 PMCID: PMC10936186 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02804-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen that poses a major health concern due to increasing multidrug resistance. The Gram-negative cell envelope is a key barrier to antimicrobial entry and includes an inner and outer membrane. The maintenance of lipid asymmetry (Mla) system is the main homeostatic mechanism by which Gram-negative bacteria maintain outer membrane asymmetry. Loss of the Mla system in A. baumannii results in attenuated virulence and increased susceptibility to membrane stressors and some antibiotics. We recently reported two strain variants of the A. baumannii type strain ATCC 17978: 17978VU and 17978UN. Here, ∆mlaF mutants in the two ATCC 17978 strains display different phenotypes for membrane stress resistance, antibiotic resistance, and pathogenicity in a murine pneumonia model. Although allele differences in obgE were previously reported to synergize with ∆mlaF to affect growth and stringent response, obgE alleles do not affect membrane stress resistance. Instead, a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the essential gene encoding undecaprenyl pyrophosphate (Und-PP) synthase, uppS, results in decreased enzymatic rate and decrease in total Und-P levels in 17978UN compared to 17978VU. The UppSUN variant synergizes with ∆mlaF to reduce capsule and lipooligosaccharide (LOS) levels, increase susceptibility to membrane stress and antibiotics, and reduce persistence in a mouse lung infection. Und-P is a lipid glycan carrier required for the biosynthesis of A. baumannii capsule, cell wall, and glycoproteins. These findings uncover synergy between Und-P and the Mla system in maintaining the A. baumannii cell envelope and antibiotic resistance.IMPORTANCEAcinetobacter baumannii is a critical threat to global public health due to its multidrug resistance and persistence in hospital settings. Therefore, novel therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. We report that a defective undecaprenyl pyrophosphate synthase (UppS) paired with a perturbed Mla system leads to synthetically sick cells that are more susceptible to clinically relevant antibiotics and show reduced virulence in a lung infection model. These results suggest that targeting UppS or undecaprenyl species and the Mla system may resensitize A. baumannii to antibiotics in combination therapies. This work uncovers a previously unknown synergistic relationship in cellular envelope homeostasis that could be leveraged for use in combination therapy against A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah R. Noel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sowmya Keerthi
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xiaomei Ren
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Jerry M. Troutman
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren D. Palmer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Bailey J, Gallagher L, Manoil C. Genome-scale analysis of essential gene knockout mutants to identify an antibiotic target process. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0110223. [PMID: 37966228 PMCID: PMC10720506 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01102-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe a genome-scale approach to identify the essential biological process targeted by a new antibiotic. The procedure is based on the identification of essential genes whose inactivation sensitizes a Gram-negative bacterium (Acinetobacter baylyi) to a drug and employs recently developed transposon mutant screening and single-mutant validation procedures. The approach, based on measuring the rates of loss of newly generated knockout mutants in the presence of antibiotic, provides an alternative to traditional procedures for studying essential functions using conditional expression or activity alleles. As a proof of principle study, we evaluated whether mutations enhancing sensitivity to the β-lactam antibiotic meropenem corresponded to the known essential target process of the antibiotic (septal peptidoglycan synthesis). We found that indeed mutations inactivating most genes needed for peptidoglycan synthesis and cell division strongly sensitized cells to meropenem. Additional classes of sensitizing mutations in essential genes were also identified, including those that inactivated capsule synthesis, DNA replication, or envelope stress response regulation. The essential capsule synthesis mutants appeared to enhance meropenem sensitivity by depleting a precursor needed for both capsule and peptidoglycan synthesis. The replication mutants may sensitize cells by impairing division. Nonessential gene mutations sensitizing cells to meropenem were also identified in the screen and largely corresponded to functions subordinately associated with the essential target process, such as in peptidoglycan recycling. Overall, these results help validate a new approach to identify the essential process targeted by an antibiotic and define the larger functional network determining sensitivity to it.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Bailey
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - L. Gallagher
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - C. Manoil
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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El-Araby AM, Jiménez-Faraco E, Feltzer R, Martin-Garcia JM, Karri BR, Ramachandran B, Kim C, Fisher JF, Hermoso JA, Mobashery S. Catalytic process of anhydro-N-acetylmuramic acid kinase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105198. [PMID: 37660917 PMCID: PMC10570956 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial cell envelope is the structure with which the bacterium engages with, and is protected from, its environment. Within this envelop is a conserved peptidoglycan polymer which confers shape and strength to the cell envelop. The enzymatic processes that build, remodel, and recycle the chemical components of this cross-linked polymer are preeminent targets of antibiotics and exploratory targets for emerging antibiotic structures. We report a comprehensive kinetic and structural analysis for one such enzyme, the Pseudomonas aeruginosa anhydro-N-acetylmuramic acid (anhNAM) kinase (AnmK). AnmK is an enzyme in the peptidoglycan-recycling pathway of this pathogen. It catalyzes the pairing of hydrolytic ring opening of anhNAM with concomitant ATP-dependent phosphoryl transfer. AnmK follows a random-sequential kinetic mechanism with respect to its anhNAM and ATP substrates. Crystallographic analyses of four distinct structures (apo AnmK, AnmK:AMPPNP, AnmK:AMPPNP:anhNAM, and AnmK:ATP:anhNAM) demonstrate that both substrates enter the active site independently in an ungated conformation of the substrate subsites, with protein loops acting as gates for anhNAM binding. Catalysis occurs within a closed conformational state for the enzyme. We observe this state crystallographically using ATP-mimetic molecules. A remarkable X-ray structure for dimeric AnmK sheds light on the precatalytic and postcatalytic ternary complexes. Computational simulations in conjunction with the high-resolution X-ray structures reveal the full catalytic cycle. We further report that a P. aeruginosa strain with disrupted anmK gene is more susceptible to the β-lactam imipenem compared to the WT strain. These observations position AnmK for understanding the nexus among peptidoglycan recycling, susceptibility to antibiotics, and bacterial virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr M El-Araby
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Eva Jiménez-Faraco
- Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Instituto de Química-Física "Blas Cabrera", Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rhona Feltzer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Jose M Martin-Garcia
- Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Instituto de Química-Física "Blas Cabrera", Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Bhaskara Rao Karri
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Balajee Ramachandran
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Choon Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Jed F Fisher
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Juan A Hermoso
- Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Instituto de Química-Física "Blas Cabrera", Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Shahriar Mobashery
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.
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Saini N, Aamir M, Singh VK, Deepak B, Mona S. Unveiling the microbial diversity and functional dynamics of Shiv Kund, Sohna hot spring, India through a shotgun metagenomics approach. Arch Microbiol 2023; 205:323. [PMID: 37651004 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03664-z] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
In this research, we examined the microbial diversity in Sohna hot spring, Haryana, India using shotgun metagenome sequencing based on the Illumina Hiseq 4000 sequencing technology. The raw sequence data from metagenomic paired-end libraries were analysed for taxonomic classification, diversity, and functional annotation using MG-RAST online server. The results showed the presence of total of 57 phyla, 931 genera, and 2068 species, predominantly occupied by Moraxellaceae (Gammaproteobacteria). However, at the species level, we reported the presence of some representative pathogenic taxa, such as Acinetobacter baumannii and Moraxella osloensis. The functional annotation predicted at various levels based on SEED-based subsystem, KEGG ortholog identity (KO), Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COGs) database identified the predominance of genes associated with primary and secondary metabolism along with a crucial role in environmental and genetic signals, cellular communication, and cell signalling. Comparative Genome Analysis (CGA) using The Pathosystem Resource Integration Centre (PATRIC) tool based on genome annotation and assembly of the metagenomic libraries for representative taxon Acinetobacter baumannii (NCBI tax id:470) characterized the reads with a unique genome identifier of 470.20380 (A. baumannii DDLJ4) which is evolutionary closer to A. baumannii ATCC 470.17978 400667.7. In addition, the CARD database results about the presence of potential AMR pathotypes and the prevalence of adeABC, adeIJK, abeM gene-specific clusters that function as multidrug efflux pumps. Overall, the results provided a comprehensive insight into virulence and anti-microbial resistance mechanism and could be useful for developing potential drug targets against the possible AMR pathotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Saini
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, India
| | - Mohd Aamir
- Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR-Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Vinay Kumar Singh
- Centre for Bioinformatics, School of Biotechnology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Bansal Deepak
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, India
| | - Sharma Mona
- Department of Environmental Studies, School of Interdisciplinary and Applied Sciences, Central University of Haryana, Mahendragarh, India.
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Penicillin Binding Protein 7/8 Is a Potential Drug Target in Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0103322. [PMID: 36475717 PMCID: PMC9872597 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01033-22] [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: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Limited therapeutic options dictate the need for new classes of antimicrobials active against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Presented data confirm and extend penicillin binding protein 7/8 (PBP 7/8) as a high-value target in the CR A. baumannii strain HUMC1. PBP 7/8 was essential for optimal growth/survival of HUMC1 in ex vivo human ascites and in a rat subcutaneous abscess model; in a mouse pneumonia model, the absence of PBP 7/8 decreased lethality 11-fold. The loss of PBP 7/8 resulted in increased permeability, sensitivity to complement, and lysozyme-mediated bactericidal activity. These changes did not appear to be due to alterations in the cellular fatty acid composition or capsule production. However, a decrease in lipid A and an increase in coccoidal cells and cell aggregation were noted. The compromise of the stringent permeability barrier in the PBP 7/8 mutant was reflected by an increased susceptibility to several antimicrobials. Importantly, expression of ampC was not significantly affected by the loss of PBP 7/8 and serial passage of the mutant strain in human ascites over 7 days did not yield revertants possessing a wild-type phenotype. In summary, these data and other features support PBP 7/8 as a high-value drug target for extensively drug-resistant and CR A. baumannii. Our results guide next-stage studies; the determination that the inactivation of PBP 7/8 results in an increased sensitivity to lysozyme enables the design of a high-throughput screening assay to identify small molecule compounds that can specifically inhibit PBP 7/8 activity.
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PBP1A Directly Interacts with the Divisome Complex to Promote Septal Peptidoglycan Synthesis in Acinetobacter baumannii. J Bacteriol 2022; 204:e0023922. [PMID: 36317921 PMCID: PMC9765026 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00239-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The class A penicillin-binding proteins (aPBPs), PBP1A and PBP1B, are major peptidoglycan synthases that synthesize more than half of the peptidoglycan per generation in Escherichia coli. Whereas aPBPs have distinct roles in peptidoglycan biosynthesis during growth (i.e., elongation and division), they are semiredundant; disruption of either is rescued by the other to maintain envelope homeostasis and promote proper growth. Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen that has a high propensity to overcome antimicrobial treatment. A. baumannii contains both PBP1A and PBP1B (encoded by mrcA and mrcB, respectively), but only mrcA deletion decreased fitness and contributed to colistin resistance through inactivation of lipooligosaccharide biosynthesis, indicating that PBP1B was not functionally redundant with the PBP1A activity. While previous studies suggested a distinct role for PBP1A in division, it was unknown whether its role in septal peptidoglycan biosynthesis was direct. Here, we show that A. baumannii PBP1A has a direct role in division through interactions with divisome components. PBP1A localizes to septal sites during growth, where it interacts with the transpeptidase PBP3, an essential division component that regulates daughter cell formation. PBP3 overexpression was sufficient to rescue the division defect in ΔmrcA A. baumannii; however, PBP1A overexpression was not sufficient to rescue the septal defect when PBP3 was inhibited, suggesting that their activity is not redundant. Overexpression of a major dd-carboxypeptidase, PBP5, also restored the canonical A. baumannii coccobacilli morphology in ΔmrcA cells. Together, these data support a direct role for PBP1A in A. baumannii division and highlights its role as a septal peptidoglycan synthase. IMPORTANCE Peptidoglycan biosynthesis is a validated target of β-lactam antibiotics, and it is critical that we understand essential processes in multidrug-resistant pathogens such as Acinetobacter baumannii. While model systems such as Escherichia coli have shown that PBP1A is associated with side wall peptidoglycan synthesis, we show herein that A. baumannii PBP1A directly interacts with the divisome component PBP3 to promote division, suggesting a unique role for the enzyme in this highly drug-resistant nosocomial pathogen. A. baumannii demonstrated unanticipated resistance and tolerance to envelope-targeting antibiotics, which may be driven by rewired peptidoglycan machinery and may underlie therapeutic failure during antibiotic treatment.
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Lazenby JJ, Li ES, Whitchurch CB. Cell wall deficiency - an alternate bacterial lifestyle? MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2022; 168. [PMID: 35925044 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Historically, many species of bacteria have been reported to produce viable, cell wall deficient (CWD) variants. A variety of terms have been used to refer to CWD bacteria and a plethora of methods described in which to induce, cultivate and propagate them. In this review, we will examine the long history of scientific research on CWD bacteria examining the methods by which CWD bacteria are generated; the requirements for survival in a CWD state; the replicative processes within a CWD state; and the reversion of CWD bacteria into a walled state, or lack thereof. In doing so, we will present evidence that not all CWD variants are alike and that, at least in some cases, CWD variants arise through an adaptive lifestyle switch that enables them to live and thrive without a cell wall, often to avoid antimicrobial activity. Finally, the implications of CWD bacteria in recurring infections, tolerance to antibiotic therapy and antimicrobial resistance will be examined to illustrate the importance of greater understanding of the CWD bacteria in human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Lazenby
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Erica S Li
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Cynthia B Whitchurch
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TK, UK
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