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Novazzi F, Colombini L, Perniciaro S, Genoni A, Agosti M, Santoro F, Mancini N. A family cluster of Streptococcus pyogenes associated with a fatal early-onset neonatal sepsis. Clin Microbiol Infect 2024:S1198-743X(24)00090-9. [PMID: 38432434 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2024.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Novazzi
- University of Insubria, Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, Italy; Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Italy.
| | | | - Simona Perniciaro
- Ospedale Filippo del Ponte Ostetricia e Ginecologia, Neonatology and NICU, Del Ponte Hospital, Varese, Italy
| | - Angelo Genoni
- University of Insubria, Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, Italy; Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Italy
| | - Massimo Agosti
- University of Insubria, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Italy
| | | | - Nicasio Mancini
- University of Insubria, Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, Italy; Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Italy
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2
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Catton EA, Bonsor DA, Herrera C, Stålhammar-Carlemalm M, Lyndin M, Turner CE, Soden J, van Strijp JAG, Singer BB, van Sorge NM, Lindahl G, McCarthy AJ. Human CEACAM1 is targeted by a Streptococcus pyogenes adhesin implicated in puerperal sepsis pathogenesis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2275. [PMID: 37080973 PMCID: PMC10119177 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37732-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Life-threatening bacterial infections in women after childbirth, known as puerperal sepsis, resulted in classical epidemics and remain a global health problem. While outbreaks of puerperal sepsis have been ascribed to Streptococcus pyogenes, little is known about disease mechanisms. Here, we show that the bacterial R28 protein, which is epidemiologically associated with outbreaks of puerperal sepsis, specifically targets the human receptor CEACAM1. This interaction triggers events that would favor the development of puerperal sepsis, including adhesion to cervical cells, suppression of epithelial wound repair and subversion of innate immune responses. High-resolution structural analysis showed that an R28 domain with IgI3-like fold binds to the N-terminal domain of CEACAM1. Together, these findings demonstrate that a single adhesin-receptor interaction can drive the pathogenesis of bacterial sepsis and provide molecular insights into the pathogenesis of one of the most important infectious diseases in medical history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin A Catton
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Section of Molecular Microbiology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Daniel A Bonsor
- University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Carolina Herrera
- Section of Immunology of Infection, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, W2 1NY, UK
| | | | - Mykola Lyndin
- Sumy State University, Sumy, 40000, Ukraine
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, 45147, Germany
| | - Claire E Turner
- The School of Biosciences, The Florey Institute, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jo Soden
- Retrogenix, Chinley, High Peak, SK23 6FJ, Chinley, UK
| | - Jos A G van Strijp
- Department of Medical Microbiology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Bernhard B Singer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Nina M van Sorge
- Department of Medical Microbiology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands.
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands.
- Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands.
| | - Gunnar Lindahl
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Medical Microbiology, Lund University, Lund, 223 62, Sweden.
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Applied Microbiology, Lund University, Lund, 221 00, Sweden.
| | - Alex J McCarthy
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Section of Molecular Microbiology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
- Department of Medical Microbiology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands.
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Zhu L, Eraso JM, Mangham RE, Ojeda Saavedra M, Olsen RJ, Beres SB, Musser JM. Genome-Wide Transposon Mutagenesis Screens Identify Group A Streptococcus Genes Affecting Susceptibility to β-Lactam Antibiotics. J Bacteriol 2022; 204:e0028722. [PMID: 36374114 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00287-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Group A streptococcus (GAS) is a Gram-positive human bacterial pathogen responsible for more than 700 million infections annually worldwide. Beta-lactam antibiotics are the primary agents used to treat GAS infections. Naturally occurring GAS clinical isolates with decreased susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics attributed to mutations in PBP2X have recently been documented. This prompted us to perform a genome-wide screen to identify GAS genes that alter beta-lactam susceptibility in vitro. Using saturated transposon mutagenesis, we screened for GAS gene mutations conferring altered in vitro susceptibility to penicillin G and/or ceftriaxone, two beta-lactam antibiotics commonly used to treat GAS infections. In the aggregate, we found that inactivating mutations in 150 GAS genes are associated with altered susceptibility to penicillin G and/or ceftriaxone. Many of the genes identified were previously not known to alter beta-lactam susceptibility or affect cell wall biosynthesis. Using isogenic mutant strains, we confirmed that inactivation of clpX (Clp protease ATP-binding subunit) or cppA (CppA proteinase) resulted in decreased in vitro susceptibility to penicillin G and ceftriaxone. Deletion of murA1 (UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 1-carboxyvinyltransferase) conferred increased susceptibility to ceftriaxone. Our results provide new information about the GAS genes affecting susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics. IMPORTANCE Beta-lactam antibiotics are the primary drugs prescribed to treat infections caused by group A streptococcus (GAS), an important human pathogen. However, the molecular mechanisms of GAS interactions with beta-lactam antibiotics are not fully understood. In this study, we performed a genome-wide mutagenesis screen to identify GAS mutations conferring altered susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics. In the aggregate, we discovered that mutations in 150 GAS genes were associated with altered beta-lactam susceptibility. Many identified genes were previously not known to alter beta-lactam susceptibility or affect cell wall biosynthesis. Our results provide new information about the molecular mechanisms of GAS interaction with beta-lactam antibiotics.
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Lyles KV, Thomas LS, Ouellette C, Cook LCC, Eichenbaum Z. HupZ, a Unique Heme-Binding Protein, Enhances Group A Streptococcus Fitness During Mucosal Colonization. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:867963. [PMID: 35774404 PMCID: PMC9237417 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.867963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a major pathogen that causes simple and invasive infections. GAS requires iron for metabolic processes and pathogenesis, and heme is its preferred iron source. We previously described the iron-regulated hupZ in GAS, showing that a recombinant HupZ-His6 protein binds and degrades heme. The His6 tag was later implicated in heme iron coordination by HupZ-His6. Hence, we tested several recombinant HupZ proteins, including a tag-free protein, for heme binding and degradation in vitro. We established that HupZ binds heme but without coordinating the heme iron. Heme-HupZ readily accepted exogenous imidazole as its axial heme ligand, prompting degradation. Furthermore, HupZ bound a fragment of heme c (whose iron is coordinated by the cytochrome histidine residue) and exhibited limited degradation. GAS, however, did not grow on a heme c fragment as an iron source. Heterologous HupZ expression in Lactococcus lactis increased heme b iron use. A GAS hupZ mutant showed reduced growth when using hemoglobin as an iron source, increased sensitivity to heme toxicity, and decreased fitness in a murine model for vaginal colonization. Together, the data demonstrate that HupZ contributes to heme metabolism and host survival, likely as a heme chaperone. HupZ is structurally similar to the recently described heme c-degrading enzyme, Pden_1323, suggesting that the GAS HupZ might be divergent to play a new role in heme metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin V. Lyles
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Lamar S. Thomas
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Department of Biology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Corbett Ouellette
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Laura C. C. Cook
- Binghamton Biofilm Research Center, Department of Biology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Zehava Eichenbaum
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- *Correspondence: Zehava Eichenbaum,
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Weckel A, Guilbert T, Lambert C, Plainvert C, Goffinet F, Poyart C, Méhats C, Fouet A. Streptococcus pyogenes infects human endometrium by limiting the innate immune response. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:130746. [PMID: 33320843 DOI: 10.1172/jci130746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Group A Streptococcus (GAS), a Gram-positive human-specific pathogen, yields 517,000 deaths annually worldwide, including 163,000 due to invasive infections and among them puerperal fever. Before efficient prophylactic measures were introduced, the mortality rate for mothers during childbirth was approximately 10%; puerperal fever still accounts for over 75,000 maternal deaths annually. Yet, little is known regarding the factors and mechanisms of GAS invasion and establishment in postpartum infection. We characterized the early steps of infection in an ex vivo infection model of the human decidua, the puerperal fever portal of entry. Coordinate analysis of GAS behavior and the immune response led us to demonstrate that (a) GAS growth was stimulated by tissue products; (b) GAS invaded tissue and killed approximately 50% of host cells within 2 hours, and these processes required SpeB protease and streptolysin O (SLO) activities, respectively; and (c) GAS impaired the tissue immune response. Immune impairment occurred both at the RNA level, with only partial induction of the innate immune response, and protein level, in an SLO- and SpeB-dependent manner. Our study indicates that efficient GAS invasion of the decidua and the restricted host immune response favored its propensity to develop rapid invasive infections in a gynecological-obstetrical context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonin Weckel
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, U1016, CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Département Hospitalo-Universitaire Risk & Pregnancy, Port Royal Maternity, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Guilbert
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, U1016, CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France
| | - Clara Lambert
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, U1016, CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Département Hospitalo-Universitaire Risk & Pregnancy, Port Royal Maternity, Paris, France
| | - Céline Plainvert
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, U1016, CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Département Hospitalo-Universitaire Risk & Pregnancy, Port Royal Maternity, Paris, France.,Centre National de Référence des Streptocoques.,Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre, Cochin, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris
| | - François Goffinet
- Département Hospitalo-Universitaire Risk & Pregnancy, Port Royal Maternity, Paris, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, and.,Service de Gynécologie Obstétrique I, Maternité Port Royal, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Claire Poyart
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, U1016, CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Département Hospitalo-Universitaire Risk & Pregnancy, Port Royal Maternity, Paris, France.,Centre National de Référence des Streptocoques.,Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre, Cochin, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris
| | - Céline Méhats
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, U1016, CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Département Hospitalo-Universitaire Risk & Pregnancy, Port Royal Maternity, Paris, France
| | - Agnès Fouet
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, U1016, CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Département Hospitalo-Universitaire Risk & Pregnancy, Port Royal Maternity, Paris, France.,Centre National de Référence des Streptocoques
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Zhu L, Olsen RJ, Beres SB, Saavedra MO, Kubiak SL, Cantu CC, Jenkins L, Waller AS, Sun Z, Palzkill T, Porter AR, DeLeo FR, Musser JM. Streptococcus pyogenes genes that promote pharyngitis in primates. JCI Insight 2020; 5:137686. [PMID: 32493846 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.137686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus; GAS) causes 600 million cases of pharyngitis annually worldwide. There is no licensed human GAS vaccine despite a century of research. Although the human oropharynx is the primary site of GAS infection, the pathogenic genes and molecular processes used to colonize, cause disease, and persist in the upper respiratory tract are poorly understood. Using dense transposon mutant libraries made with serotype M1 and M28 GAS strains and transposon-directed insertion sequencing, we performed genome-wide screens in the nonhuman primate (NHP) oropharynx. We identified many potentially novel GAS fitness genes, including a common set of 115 genes that contribute to fitness in both genetically distinct GAS strains during experimental NHP pharyngitis. Targeted deletion of 4 identified fitness genes/operons confirmed that our newly identified targets are critical for GAS virulence during experimental pharyngitis. Our screens discovered many surface-exposed or secreted proteins - substrates for vaccine research - that potentially contribute to GAS pharyngitis, including lipoprotein HitA. Pooled human immune globulin reacted with purified HitA, suggesting that humans produce antibodies against this lipoprotein. Our findings provide new information about GAS fitness in the upper respiratory tract that may assist in translational research, including developing novel vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luchang Zhu
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Randall J Olsen
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Stephen B Beres
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Matthew Ojeda Saavedra
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Samantha L Kubiak
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Concepcion C Cantu
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Leslie Jenkins
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Andrew S Waller
- Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Newmarket, United Kingdom
| | - Zhizeng Sun
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Timothy Palzkill
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Adeline R Porter
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Frank R DeLeo
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - James M Musser
- Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
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7
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MUSSER JAMESM. MOLECULAR MECHANISMS CONTRIBUTING TO FUZZY EPIDEMICS CAUSED BY GROUP A STREPTOCOCCUS, A FLESH-EATING HUMAN BACTERIAL PATHOGEN. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc 2020; 131:356-368. [PMID: 32675873 PMCID: PMC7358509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Epidemics caused by microbial pathogens are inherently interesting because they can kill large numbers of our brethren, cause social upheaval, and alter history. Microbial epidemics will likely continue to occur at unpredictable times and result in poorly predictable consequences. Over a 30-year period, we have used the human bacterial pathogen group A streptococcus (also known as Streptococcus pyogenes) as a model organism to gain understanding of the molecular mechanisms contributing to epidemics caused by this pathogen and attendant virulence mechanisms. These epidemics have affected tens of millions of individuals worldwide and were largely unrecognized until revealed by full-genome sequence data from many thousands of isolates from intercontinental sources. Molecular genetic strategies, coupled with extensive use of relevant animal infection models, have delineated precise evolutionary genetic changes that contribute to pathogen clone emergence and successful dissemination among humans. Here, we summarize a few key findings from these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- JAMES M. MUSSER
- Correspondence and reprint requests: James M. Musser, MD, PhD, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6565 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030713-441-5890713-441-3886
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