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Stevanovic M, Teuber Carvalho JP, Bittihn P, Schultz D. Dynamical model of antibiotic responses linking expression of resistance genes to metabolism explains emergence of heterogeneity during drug exposures. Phys Biol 2024; 21:036002. [PMID: 38412523 PMCID: PMC10988634 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ad2d64] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Antibiotic responses in bacteria are highly dynamic and heterogeneous, with sudden exposure of bacterial colonies to high drug doses resulting in the coexistence of recovered and arrested cells. The dynamics of the response is determined by regulatory circuits controlling the expression of resistance genes, which are in turn modulated by the drug's action on cell growth and metabolism. Despite advances in understanding gene regulation at the molecular level, we still lack a framework to describe how feedback mechanisms resulting from the interdependence between expression of resistance and cell metabolism can amplify naturally occurring noise and create heterogeneity at the population level. To understand how this interplay affects cell survival upon exposure, we constructed a mathematical model of the dynamics of antibiotic responses that links metabolism and regulation of gene expression, based on the tetracycline resistancetetoperon inE. coli. We use this model to interpret measurements of growth and expression of resistance in microfluidic experiments, both in single cells and in biofilms. We also implemented a stochastic model of the drug response, to show that exposure to high drug levels results in large variations of recovery times and heterogeneity at the population level. We show that stochasticity is important to determine how nutrient quality affects cell survival during exposure to high drug concentrations. A quantitative description of how microbes respond to antibiotics in dynamical environments is crucial to understand population-level behaviors such as biofilms and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjana Stevanovic
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, United States of America
| | - João Pedro Teuber Carvalho
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, United States of America
| | - Philip Bittihn
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniel Schultz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, United States of America
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Marchant P, Vivanco E, Silva A, Nevermann J, Fuentes I, Barrera B, Otero C, Calderón IL, Gil F, Fuentes JA. β-lactam-induced OMV release promotes polymyxin tolerance in Salmonella enterica sv. Typhi. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1389663. [PMID: 38591031 PMCID: PMC10999688 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1389663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria is a global concern, leading to a renewed reliance on older antibiotics like polymyxins as a last resort. Polymyxins, cationic cyclic peptides synthesized nonribosomally, feature a hydrophobic acyl tail and positively charged residues. Their antimicrobial mechanism involves initial interaction with Gram-negative bacterial outer-membrane components through polar and hydrophobic interactions. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), nano-sized proteoliposomes secreted from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, play a crucial role in tolerating harmful molecules, including cationic peptides such as polymyxins. Existing literature has documented environmental changes' impact on modulating OMV properties in Salmonella Typhimurium. However, less information exists regarding OMV production and characteristics in Salmonella Typhi. A previous study in our laboratory showed that S. Typhi ΔmrcB, a mutant associated with penicillin-binding protein (PBP, a β-lactam antibiotic target), exhibited hypervesiculation. Consequently, this study investigated the potential impact of β-lactam antibiotics on promoting polymyxin tolerance via OMVs in S. Typhi. Our results demonstrated that sub-lethal doses of β-lactams increased bacterial survival against polymyxin B in S. Typhi. This phenomenon stems from β-lactam antibiotics inducing hypervesiculation of OMVs with higher affinity for polymyxin B, capturing and diminishing its biologically effective concentration. These findings suggest that β-lactam antibiotic use may inadvertently contribute to decreased polymyxin effectivity against S. Typhi or other Gram-negative bacteria, complicating the effective treatment of infections caused by these pathogens. This study emphasizes the importance of evaluating the influence of β-lactam antibiotics on the interaction between OMVs and other antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Marchant
- Laboratorio de Genética y Patogénesis Bacteriana, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Erika Vivanco
- Laboratorio de Genética y Patogénesis Bacteriana, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Andrés Silva
- Laboratorio de Genética y Patogénesis Bacteriana, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jan Nevermann
- Laboratorio de Genética y Patogénesis Bacteriana, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ignacio Fuentes
- Laboratorio de Genética y Patogénesis Bacteriana, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Boris Barrera
- Escuela de Tecnología Médica, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomás, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carolina Otero
- Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Iván L. Calderón
- Laboratorio de RNAs Bacterianos, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando Gil
- Microbiota-Host Interactions and Clostridia Research Group, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan A. Fuentes
- Laboratorio de Genética y Patogénesis Bacteriana, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
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Stevanovic M, Carvalho JPT, Bittihn P, Schultz D. Dynamical model of antibiotic responses linking expression of resistance to metabolism explains emergence of heterogeneity during drug exposures. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.22.558994. [PMID: 37790326 PMCID: PMC10542528 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.22.558994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic responses in bacteria are highly dynamic and heterogeneous, with sudden exposure of bacterial colonies to high drug doses resulting in the coexistence of recovered and arrested cells. The dynamics of the response is determined by regulatory circuits controlling the expression of resistance genes, which are in turn modulated by the drug's action on cell growth and metabolism. Despite advances in understanding gene regulation at the molecular level, we still lack a framework to describe how feedback mechanisms resulting from the interdependence between expression of resistance and cell metabolism can amplify naturally occurring noise and create heterogeneity at the population level. To understand how this interplay affects cell survival upon exposure, we constructed a mathematical model of the dynamics of antibiotic responses that links metabolism and regulation of gene expression, based on the tetracycline resistance tet operon in E. coli. We use this model to interpret measurements of growth and expression of resistance in microfluidic experiments, both in single cells and in biofilms. We also implemented a stochastic model of the drug response, to show that exposure to high drug levels results in large variations of recovery times and heterogeneity at the population level. We show that stochasticity is important to determine how nutrient quality affects cell survival during exposure to high drug concentrations. A quantitative description of how microbes respond to antibiotics in dynamical environments is crucial to understand population-level behaviors such as biofilms and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjana Stevanovic
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - João Pedro Teuber Carvalho
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Philip Bittihn
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniel Schultz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, United States
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Sitsanidis E, Dutra LAL, Schirmer J, Chevigny R, Lahtinen M, Johansson A, Piras CC, Smith DK, Tiirola M, Pettersson M, Nissinen M. Probing the Gelation Synergies and Anti- Escherichia coli Activity of Fmoc-Phenylalanine/Graphene Oxide Hybrid Hydrogel. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:10225-10234. [PMID: 36969436 PMCID: PMC10034972 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The N-fluorenyl-9-methyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-protected amino acids have shown high antimicrobial application potential, among which the phenylalanine derivative (Fmoc-F) is the most well-known representative. However, the activity spectrum of Fmoc-F is restricted to Gram-positive bacteria only. The demand for efficient antimicrobial materials expanded research into graphene and its derivatives, although the reported results are somewhat controversial. Herein, we combined graphene oxide (GO) flakes with Fmoc-F amino acid to form Fmoc-F/GO hybrid hydrogel for the first time. We studied the synergistic effect of each component on gelation and assessed the material's bactericidal activity on Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli). GO flakes do not affect Fmoc-F self-assembly per se but modulate the elasticity of the gel and speed up its formation. The hybrid hydrogel affects E. coli survival, initially causing abrupt bacterial death followed by the recovery of the surviving ones due to the inoculum effect (IE). The combination of graphene with amino acids is a step forward in developing antimicrobial gels due to their easy preparation, chemical modification, graphene functionalization, cost-effectiveness, and physicochemical/biological synergy of each component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efstratios
D. Sitsanidis
- Department
of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, University
of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Lara A. L. Dutra
- Department
of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Nanoscience Center, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Johanna Schirmer
- Department
of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, University
of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Romain Chevigny
- Department
of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, University
of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Manu Lahtinen
- Department
of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, University
of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Andreas Johansson
- Department
of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, University
of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
- Department
of Physics, Nanoscience Center, University
of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Carmen C. Piras
- Department
of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - David K. Smith
- Department
of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Marja Tiirola
- Department
of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Nanoscience Center, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Mika Pettersson
- Department
of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, University
of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Maija Nissinen
- Department
of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, University
of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
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Bogri A, Otani S, Aarestrup FM, Brinch C. Interplay between strain fitness and transmission frequency determines prevalence of antimicrobial resistance. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.981377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The steep rise of infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to antimicrobial agents threatens global health. However, the association between antimicrobial use and the prevalence of resistance is not straightforward. Therefore, it is necessary to quantify the importance of additional factors that affect this relationship. We theoretically explore how the prevalence of resistance is affected by the combination of three factors: antimicrobial use, bacterial transmission, and fitness cost of resistance. We present a model that combines within-host, between-hosts and between-populations dynamics, built upon the competitive Lotka-Volterra equations. We developed the model in a manner that allows future experimental validation of the findings with single isolates in the laboratory. Each host may carry two strains (susceptible and resistant) that represent the host’s commensal microbiome and are not the target of the antimicrobial treatment. The model simulates a population of hosts who are treated periodically with antibiotics and transmit bacteria to each other. We show that bacterial transmission results in strain co-existence. Transmission disseminates resistant bacteria in the population, increasing the levels of resistance. Counterintuitively, when the cost of resistance is low, high transmission frequencies reduce resistance prevalence. Transmission between host populations leads to more similar resistance levels, increasing the susceptibility of the population with higher antimicrobial use. Overall, our results indicate that the interplay between bacterial transmission and strain fitness affects the prevalence of resistance in a non-linear way. We then place our results within the context of ecological theory, particularly on temporal niche partitioning and metapopulation rescue, and we formulate testable experimental predictions for future research.
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Purification and antibacterial properties of a novel bacteriocin against Escherichia coli from Bacillus subtilis isolated from blueberry ferments. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2021.111456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Mohammed HB, Rayyif SMI, Curutiu C, Birca AC, Oprea OC, Grumezescu AM, Ditu LM, Gheorghe I, Chifiriuc MC, Mihaescu G, Holban AM. Eugenol-Functionalized Magnetite Nanoparticles Modulate Virulence and Persistence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clinical Strains. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26082189. [PMID: 33920270 PMCID: PMC8069135 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient antibiotics to cure Pseudomonas aeruginosa persistent infections are currently insufficient and alternative options are needed. A promising lead is to design therapeutics able to modulate key phenotypes in microbial virulence and thus control the progression of the infectious process without selecting resistant mutants. In this study, we developed a nanostructured system based on Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and eugenol, a natural plant-compound which has been previously shown to interfere with microbial virulence when utilized in subinhibitory concentrations. The obtained functional NPs are crystalline, with a spherical shape and 10-15 nm in size. The subinhibitory concentrations (MIC 1/2) of the eugenol embedded magnetite NPs (Fe3O4@EUG) modulate key virulence phenotypes, such as attachment, biofilm formation, persister selection by ciprofloxacin, and the production of soluble enzymes. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the ability of functional magnetite NPs to modulate P. aeruginosa virulence and phenotypic resistance; our data highlights the potential of these bioactive nanostructures to be used as anti-pathogenic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamzah Basil Mohammed
- Microbiology & Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 77206 Bucharest, Romania; (H.B.M.); (S.M.I.R.); (C.C.); (L.-M.D.); (I.G.); (M.C.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Sajjad Mohsin I. Rayyif
- Microbiology & Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 77206 Bucharest, Romania; (H.B.M.); (S.M.I.R.); (C.C.); (L.-M.D.); (I.G.); (M.C.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Carmen Curutiu
- Microbiology & Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 77206 Bucharest, Romania; (H.B.M.); (S.M.I.R.); (C.C.); (L.-M.D.); (I.G.); (M.C.C.); (G.M.)
- Research Institute of the University of Bucharest—ICUB, University of Bucharest, 050657 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Alexandra Catalina Birca
- Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Politehnica University of Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania; (A.C.B.); (O.-C.O.)
| | - Ovidiu-Cristian Oprea
- Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Politehnica University of Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania; (A.C.B.); (O.-C.O.)
| | - Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu
- Research Institute of the University of Bucharest—ICUB, University of Bucharest, 050657 Bucharest, Romania;
- Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Politehnica University of Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania; (A.C.B.); (O.-C.O.)
| | - Lia-Mara Ditu
- Microbiology & Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 77206 Bucharest, Romania; (H.B.M.); (S.M.I.R.); (C.C.); (L.-M.D.); (I.G.); (M.C.C.); (G.M.)
- Research Institute of the University of Bucharest—ICUB, University of Bucharest, 050657 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Irina Gheorghe
- Microbiology & Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 77206 Bucharest, Romania; (H.B.M.); (S.M.I.R.); (C.C.); (L.-M.D.); (I.G.); (M.C.C.); (G.M.)
- Research Institute of the University of Bucharest—ICUB, University of Bucharest, 050657 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc
- Microbiology & Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 77206 Bucharest, Romania; (H.B.M.); (S.M.I.R.); (C.C.); (L.-M.D.); (I.G.); (M.C.C.); (G.M.)
- Research Institute of the University of Bucharest—ICUB, University of Bucharest, 050657 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Grigore Mihaescu
- Microbiology & Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 77206 Bucharest, Romania; (H.B.M.); (S.M.I.R.); (C.C.); (L.-M.D.); (I.G.); (M.C.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Alina-Maria Holban
- Microbiology & Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 77206 Bucharest, Romania; (H.B.M.); (S.M.I.R.); (C.C.); (L.-M.D.); (I.G.); (M.C.C.); (G.M.)
- Research Institute of the University of Bucharest—ICUB, University of Bucharest, 050657 Bucharest, Romania;
- Correspondence:
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