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Alexander AM, Luu JM, Raghuram V, Bottacin G, van Vliet S, Read TD, Goldberg JB. Experimentally evolved Staphylococcus aureus shows increased survival in the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by acquiring mutations in the amino acid transporter, GltT. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2024; 170:001445. [PMID: 38426877 PMCID: PMC10999751 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001445] [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] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
When cultured together under standard laboratory conditions Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been shown to be an effective inhibitor of Staphylococcus aureus. However, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus are commonly observed in coinfections of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) and in chronic wounds. Previous work from our group revealed that S. aureus isolates from CF infections are able to persist in the presence of P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 with a range of tolerances with some isolates being eliminated entirely and others maintaining large populations. In this study, we designed a serial transfer, evolution experiment to identify mutations that allow S. aureus to survive in the presence of P. aeruginosa. Using S. aureus USA300 JE2 as our ancestral strain, populations of S. aureus were repeatedly cocultured with fresh P. aeruginosa PAO1. After eight coculture periods, S. aureus populations that survived better in the presence of PAO1 were observed. We found two independent mutations in the highly conserved S. aureus aspartate transporter, gltT, that were unique to evolved P. aeruginosa-tolerant isolates. Subsequent phenotypic testing demonstrated that gltT mutants have reduced uptake of glutamate and outcompeted wild-type S. aureus when glutamate was absent from chemically defined media. These findings together demonstrate that the presence of P. aeruginosa exerts selective pressure on S. aureus to alter its uptake and metabolism of key amino acids when the two are cultured together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M. Alexander
- Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Justin M. Luu
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Vishnu Raghuram
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Giulia Bottacin
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41,4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Simon van Vliet
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41,4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Quartier Unil-Sorge, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Timothy D. Read
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Joanna B. Goldberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Ambreetha S, Zincke D, Balachandar D, Mathee K. Genomic and metabolic versatility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa contributes to its inter-kingdom transmission and survival. J Med Microbiol 2024; 73. [PMID: 38362900 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001791] [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] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most versatile bacteria with renowned pathogenicity and extensive drug resistance. The diverse habitats of this bacterium include fresh, saline and drainage waters, soil, moist surfaces, taps, showerheads, pipelines, medical implants, nematodes, insects, plants, animals, birds and humans. The arsenal of virulence factors produced by P. aeruginosa includes pyocyanin, rhamnolipids, siderophores, lytic enzymes, toxins and polysaccharides. All these virulent elements coupled with intrinsic, adaptive and acquired antibiotic resistance facilitate persistent colonization and lethal infections in different hosts. To date, treating pulmonary diseases remains complicated due to the chronic secondary infections triggered by hospital-acquired P. aeruginosa. On the contrary, this bacterium can improve plant growth by suppressing phytopathogens and insects. Notably, P. aeruginosa is one of the very few bacteria capable of trans-kingdom transmission and infection. Transfer of P. aeruginosa strains from plant materials to hospital wards, animals to humans, and humans to their pets occurs relatively often. Recently, we have identified that plant-associated P. aeruginosa strains could be pathologically similar to clinical isolates. In this review, we have highlighted the genomic and metabolic factors that facilitate the dominance of P. aeruginosa across different biological kingdoms and the varying roles of this bacterium in plant and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakthivel Ambreetha
- Developmental Biology and Genetics, Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Diansy Zincke
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Dananjeyan Balachandar
- Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Kalai Mathee
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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KavianFar A, Taherkhani H, Ahmadi A, Salimi M, Lanjanian H, Masoudi-Nejad A. Restoring the epigenetic landscape of lung microbiome: potential therapeutic approach for chronic respiratory diseases. BMC Pulm Med 2024; 24:2. [PMID: 38166878 PMCID: PMC10759706 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-023-02789-7] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis, present significant threats to global health. Recent studies have revealed the crucial role of the lung microbiome in the development of these diseases. Pathogens have evolved complex strategies to evade the immune response, with the manipulation of host cellular epigenetic mechanisms playing a pivotal role. There is existing evidence regarding the effects of Pseudomonas on epigenetic modifications and their association with pulmonary diseases. Therefore, this study aims to directly assess the connection between Pseudomonas abundance and chronic respiratory diseases. We hope that our findings will shed light on the molecular mechanisms behind lung pathogen infections. METHODS We analyzed data from 366 participants, including individuals with COPD, acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD), bronchiectasis, and healthy individuals. Previous studies have given limited attention to the impact of Pseudomonas on these groups and their comparison with healthy individuals. Two independent datasets from different ethnic backgrounds were used for external validation. Each dataset separately analyzed bacteria at the genus level. RESULTS The study reveals that Pseudomonas, a bacterium, was consistently found in high concentrations in all chronic lung disease datasets but it was present in very low abundance in the healthy datasets. This suggests that Pseudomonas may influence cellular mechanisms through epigenetics, contributing to the development and progression of chronic respiratory diseases. CONCLUSIONS This study emphasizes the importance of understanding the relationship between the lung microbiome, epigenetics, and the onset of chronic pulmonary disease. Enhanced recognition of molecular mechanisms and the impact of the microbiome on cellular functions, along with a better understanding of these concepts, can lead to improved diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azadeh KavianFar
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Department of Bioinformatics, Kish International Campus, University of Tehran, Kish Island, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Taherkhani
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Department of Bioinformatics, Kish International Campus, University of Tehran, Kish Island, Iran
| | - Ali Ahmadi
- Molecular Biology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mahdieh Salimi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Medical Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Lanjanian
- Cellular and Molecular Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Masoudi-Nejad
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Department of Bioinformatics, Kish International Campus, University of Tehran, Kish Island, Iran.
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
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Crisan CV, Van Tyne D, Goldberg JB. The type VI secretion system of the emerging pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia complex has antibacterial properties. mSphere 2023; 8:e0058423. [PMID: 37975665 PMCID: PMC10732056 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00584-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Infections with the opportunistic pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia complex can be fatal for immunocompromised patients. The mechanisms used by the bacterium to compete against other prokaryotes are not well understood. We found that the type VI secretion system (T6SS) allows S. maltophilia complex to eliminate other bacteria and contributes to the competitive fitness against a co-infecting isolate. The presence of T6SS genes in isolates across the globe highlights the importance of this apparatus as a weapon in the antibacterial arsenal of S. maltophilia complex. The T6SS may confer survival advantages to S. maltophilia complex isolates in polymicrobial communities in both environmental settings and during infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian V. Crisan
- Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory+Children’s Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airway Disease Research, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Daria Van Tyne
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joanna B. Goldberg
- Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory+Children’s Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airway Disease Research, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Crisan CV, Van Tyne D, Goldberg JB. The Type VI Secretion System of the Emerging Pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has Antibacterial Properties. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.30.542968. [PMID: 37398041 PMCID: PMC10312562 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.30.542968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Antagonistic behaviors between bacterial cells can have profound effects on microbial populations and disease outcomes. Polymicrobial interactions may be mediated by contact-dependent proteins with antibacterial properties. The Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) is a macromolecular weapon used by Gram-negative bacteria to translocate proteins into adjacent cells. The T6SS is used by pathogens to escape immune cells, eliminate commensal bacteria, and facilitate infection. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that causes a wide range of infections in immunocompromised patients and infects the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis. Infections with the bacterium can be deadly and are challenging to treat because many isolates are multidrug-resistant. We found that globally dispersed S. maltophilia clinical and environmental strains possess T6SS genes. We demonstrate that the T6SS of an S. maltophilia patient isolate is active and can eliminate other bacteria. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the T6SS contributes to the competitive fitness of S. maltophilia against a co-infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate, and that the T6SS alters the cellular organization of S. maltophilia and P. aeruginosa co-cultures. This study expands our knowledge of the mechanisms employed by S. maltophilia to secrete antibacterial proteins and compete against other bacteria. IMPORTANCE Infections with the opportunistic pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia can be fatal for immunocompromised patients. The mechanisms used by the bacterium to compete against other prokaryotes are not well understood. We found that the T6SS allows S. maltophilia to eliminate other bacteria and contributes to the competitive fitness against a co-infecting isolate. The presence of T6SS genes in isolates across the globe highlights the importance of this apparatus as a weapon in the antibacterial arsenal of S. maltophilia . The T6SS may confer survival advantages to S. maltophilia isolates in polymicrobial communities in both environmental settings and during infections.
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Jean-Pierre V, Boudet A, Sorlin P, Menetrey Q, Chiron R, Lavigne JP, Marchandin H. Biofilm Formation by Staphylococcus aureus in the Specific Context of Cystic Fibrosis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010597. [PMID: 36614040 PMCID: PMC9820612 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen whose characteristics support its success in various clinical settings including Cystic Fibrosis (CF). In CF, S. aureus is indeed the most commonly identified opportunistic pathogen in children and the overall population. S. aureus colonization/infection, either by methicillin-susceptible or methicillin-resistant strains, will become chronic in about one third of CF patients. The persistence of S. aureus in CF patients' lungs, despite various eradication strategies, is favored by several traits in both host and pathogen. Among the latter, living in biofilm is a highly protective way to survive despite deleterious environmental conditions, and is a common characteristic shared by the main pathogens identified in CF. This is why CF has earned the status of a biofilm-associated disease for several years now. Biofilm formation by S. aureus, and the molecular mechanisms governing and regulating it, have been extensively studied but have received less attention in the specific context of CF lungs. Here, we review the current knowledge on S. aureus biofilm in this very context, i.e., the importance, study methods, molecular data published on mono- and multi-species biofilm and anti-biofilm strategies. This focus on studies including clinical isolates from CF patients shows that they are still under-represented in the literature compared with studies based on reference strains, and underlines the need for such studies. Indeed, CF clinical strains display specific characteristics that may not be extrapolated from results obtained on laboratory strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Jean-Pierre
- HSM—HydroSciences Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Service de Microbiologie et Hygiène Hospitalière, CHU Nîmes, 34093 Montpellier, France
| | - Agathe Boudet
- VBIC—Virulence Bactérienne et Infections Chroniques, Université de Montpellier, INSERM U1047, Service de Microbiologie et Hygiène Hospitalière, CHU Nîmes, 30900 Nîmes, France
| | - Pauline Sorlin
- HSM—HydroSciences Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 34093 Montpellier, France
| | - Quentin Menetrey
- INFINITE—Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, Université de Lille, INSERM U1286, CHU Lille, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Raphaël Chiron
- HSM—HydroSciences Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Centre de Ressources et de Compétences de la Mucoviscidose, CHU Montpellier, 34295 Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Lavigne
- VBIC—Virulence Bactérienne et Infections Chroniques, Université de Montpellier, INSERM U1047, Service de Microbiologie et Hygiène Hospitalière, CHU Nîmes, 30900 Nîmes, France
| | - Hélène Marchandin
- HSM—HydroSciences Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Service de Microbiologie et Hygiène Hospitalière, CHU Nîmes, 34093 Montpellier, France
- Correspondence:
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