1
|
Rafiee Z, Rezaie M, Choi S. Combined electrical-electrochemical phenotypic profiling of antibiotic susceptibility of in vitro biofilm models. Analyst 2024. [PMID: 38686667 DOI: 10.1039/d4an00393d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
More than 65% of bacterial infections are caused by biofilms. However, standard biofilm susceptibility tests are not available for clinical use. All conventional biofilm models suffer from a long formation time and fail to mimic in vivo microbial biofilm conditions. Moreover, biofilms make it difficult to monitor the effectiveness of antibiotics. This work creates a powerful yet simple method to form a target biofilm and develops an innovative approach to monitoring the antibiotic's efficacy against a biofilm-associated infection. A paper-based culture platform can provide a new strategy for rapid microbial biofilm formation through capillary action. A combined electrical-electrochemical technique monitors bacterial metabolism rapidly and reliably by measuring microbial extracellular electron transfer (EET) and using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) across a microbe-electrode interface. Three representative pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, form their biofilms controllably within an hour. Within another hour their susceptibilities to three frontline antibiotics with different action modes (gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and ceftazidime) are examined. Our antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) technique provides a quantifiable minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of those antibiotics against the in vitro biofilm models and characterizes their action mechanisms. The results will have an important positive effect because they provide immediately actionable healthcare information at a reduced cost, revolutionizing public healthcare.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Rafiee
- Bioelectronics & Microsystems Laboratory, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, New York, 13902, USA.
| | - Maryam Rezaie
- Bioelectronics & Microsystems Laboratory, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, New York, 13902, USA.
| | - Seokheun Choi
- Bioelectronics & Microsystems Laboratory, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, New York, 13902, USA.
- Center for Research in Advanced Sensing Technologies & Environmental Sustainability, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, New York, 13902, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Coenye T. Biofilm antimicrobial susceptibility testing: where are we and where could we be going? Clin Microbiol Rev 2023; 36:e0002423. [PMID: 37812003 PMCID: PMC10732061 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00024-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Our knowledge about the fundamental aspects of biofilm biology, including the mechanisms behind the reduced antimicrobial susceptibility of biofilms, has increased drastically over the last decades. However, this knowledge has so far not been translated into major changes in clinical practice. While the biofilm concept is increasingly on the radar of clinical microbiologists, physicians, and healthcare professionals in general, the standardized tools to study biofilms in the clinical microbiology laboratory are still lacking; one area in which this is particularly obvious is that of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). It is generally accepted that the biofilm lifestyle has a tremendous impact on antibiotic susceptibility, yet AST is typically still carried out with planktonic cells. On top of that, the microenvironment at the site of infection is an important driver for microbial physiology and hence susceptibility; but this is poorly reflected in current AST methods. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the state of the art concerning biofilm AST and highlight the knowledge gaps in this area. Subsequently, potential ways to improve biofilm-based AST will be discussed. Finally, bottlenecks currently preventing the use of biofilm AST in clinical practice, as well as the steps needed to get past these bottlenecks, will be discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Coenye
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Moshynets OV, Baranovskyi TP, Cameron S, Iungin OS, Pokholenko I, Jerdan R, Kamyshnyi A, Krikunov AA, Potochilova VV, Rudnieva KL, Spiers AJ. Azithromycin possesses biofilm–inhibitory activity and potentiates non-bactericidal colistin methanesulfonate (CMS) and polymyxin B against Klebsiella pneumonia. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270983. [PMID: 35776759 PMCID: PMC9249213 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel antibiotic combinations may act synergistically to inhibit the growth of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens but predicting which combination will be successful is difficult, and standard antimicrobial susceptibility testing may not identify important physiological differences between planktonic free-swimming and biofilm-protected surface-attached sessile cells. Using a nominally macrolide-resistant model Klebsiella pneumoniae strain (ATCC 10031) we demonstrate the effectiveness of several macrolides in inhibiting biofilm growth in multi-well plates, and the ability of azithromycin (AZM) to improve the effectiveness of the antibacterial last-agent-of-choice for K. pneumoniae infections, colistin methanesulfonate (CMS), against biofilms. This synergistic action was also seen in biofilm tests of several K. pneumoniae hospital isolates and could also be identified in polymyxin B disc-diffusion assays on azithromycin plates. Our work highlights the complexity of antimicrobial-resistance in bacterial pathogens and the need to test antibiotics with biofilm models where potential synergies might provide new therapeutic opportunities not seen in liquid culture or colony-based assays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olena V. Moshynets
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
- * E-mail: (OVM); (AJS)
| | - Taras P. Baranovskyi
- Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Kyiv Regional Clinical Hospital, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Scott Cameron
- School of Applied Sciences, Abertay University, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Olga S. Iungin
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Ianina Pokholenko
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Robyn Jerdan
- School of Applied Sciences, Abertay University, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrew J. Spiers
- School of Applied Sciences, Abertay University, Dundee, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (OVM); (AJS)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Thöming JG, Häussler S. Pseudomonas aeruginosa Is More Tolerant Under Biofilm Than Under Planktonic Growth Conditions: A Multi-Isolate Survey. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:851784. [PMID: 35295755 PMCID: PMC8920030 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.851784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Biofilm-associated bacteria exhibit profound changes in bacterial physiology. They thrive in the environment but also in the human host in protected sessile communities. Antimicrobial therapy usually fails, despite the absence of genotypic resistance, and it is commonly accepted that biofilm-grown bacteria are up to 1,000-fold more resistant than planktonic cells. We are only at the beginning to understand the reasons for biofilm recalcitrance, and systematic approaches to describe biofilm-induced tolerance phenotypes are lacking. In this study, we investigated a large and highly diverse collection of 352 clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates for their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles under biofilm growth conditions towards the antibiotics ciprofloxacin, tobramycin, and colistin. We discovered characteristic patterns of drug-specific killing activity and detected conditional tolerance levels far lower (in the range of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC)), but also far higher (up to 16,000-fold increase compared to planktonic cells) than generally believed. This extremely broad distribution of biofilm-induced tolerance phenotypes across the clinical isolates was greatly influenced by the choice of the antibiotic. We furthermore describe cross-tolerance against ciprofloxacin and tobramycin, but not colistin, and observed an additive activity between biofilm-induced tolerance and genetically determined resistance. This became less evident when the biofilm-grown cells were exposed to very high antibiotic concentrations. Although much more remains to be learned on the molecular mechanisms underlying biofilm-induced tolerance, our data on intra-species variations in tolerance profiles provide valuable new insights. Furthermore, our observation that colistin appears to act independently of the tolerance mechanisms of individual clinical strains could make colistin a valuable therapeutic option in chronic biofilm-associated infections characterized by the presence of particularly tolerant strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janne G. Thöming
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Molecular Bacteriology, Twincore Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research GmbH, Hannover, Germany
| | - Susanne Häussler
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Molecular Bacteriology, Twincore Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research GmbH, Hannover, Germany
- Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- *Correspondence: Susanne Häussler,
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Bonyadi P, Saleh NT, Yamini M, Dehghani M, Amini K. Prevalence of antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Microb Pathog 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
|
6
|
Thöming JG, Häussler S. Transcriptional Profiling of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-08491-1_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
|
7
|
Blanco-Cabra N, López-Martínez MJ, Arévalo-Jaimes BV, Martin-Gómez MT, Samitier J, Torrents E. A new BiofilmChip device for testing biofilm formation and antibiotic susceptibility. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2021; 7:62. [PMID: 34344902 PMCID: PMC8333102 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-021-00236-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, three major circumstances threaten the management of bacterial infections: increasing antimicrobial resistance, expansion of chronic biofilm-associated infections, and lack of an appropriate approach to treat them. To date, the development of accelerated drug susceptibility testing of biofilms and of new antibiofouling systems has not been achieved despite the availability of different methodologies. There is a need for easy-to-use methods of testing the antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria that form biofilms and for screening new possible antibiofilm strategies. Herein, we present a microfluidic platform with an integrated interdigitated sensor (BiofilmChip). This new device allows an irreversible and homogeneous attachment of bacterial cells of clinical origin, even directly from clinical specimens, and the biofilms grown can be monitored by confocal microscopy or electrical impedance spectroscopy. The device proved to be suitable to study polymicrobial communities, as well as to measure the effect of antimicrobials on biofilms without introducing disturbances due to manipulation, thus better mimicking real-life clinical situations. Our results demonstrate that BiofilmChip is a straightforward tool for antimicrobial biofilm susceptibility testing that could be easily implemented in routine clinical laboratories.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Núria Blanco-Cabra
- Bacterial Infections and Antimicrobial Therapies Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria José López-Martínez
- Nanobioengineering Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN) Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Betsy Verónica Arévalo-Jaimes
- Bacterial Infections and Antimicrobial Therapies Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Josep Samitier
- Nanobioengineering Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN) Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Torrents
- Bacterial Infections and Antimicrobial Therapies Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.
- Microbiology Section, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Harrington NE, Sweeney E, Harrison F. Building a better biofilm - Formation of in vivo-like biofilm structures by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a porcine model of cystic fibrosis lung infection. Biofilm 2020; 2:100024. [PMID: 33381751 PMCID: PMC7762787 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2020.100024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm infections in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung are highly resistant to current antimicrobial treatments and are associated with increased mortality rates. The existing models for such infections are not able to reliably mimic the clinical biofilms observed. We aimed to further optimise an ex vivo pig lung (EVPL) model for P. aeruginosa CF lung infection that can be used to increase understanding of chronic CF biofilm infection. The EVPL model will facilitate discovery of novel infection prevention methods and treatments, and enhanced exploration of biofilm architecture. We investigated purine metabolism and biofilm formation in the model using transposon insertion mutants in P. aeruginosa PA14 for key genes: purD, gacA and pelA. Our results demonstrate that EVPL recapitulates a key aspect of in vivo P. aeruginosa infection metabolism, and that the pathogen forms a biofilm with a clinically realistic structure not seen in other in vitro studies. Two pathways known to be required for in vivo biofilm infection - the Gac regulatory pathway and production of the Pel exopolysaccharide - are essential to the formation of this mature, structured biofilm on EVPL tissue. We propose the high-throughput EVPL model as a validated biofilm platform to bridge the gap between in vitro work and CF lung infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Niamh E. Harrington
- School of Life Sciences, Gibbet Hill Campus, The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Esther Sweeney
- School of Life Sciences, Gibbet Hill Campus, The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Freya Harrison
- School of Life Sciences, Gibbet Hill Campus, The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hira J, Uddin MJ, Haugland MM, Lentz CS. From Differential Stains to Next Generation Physiology: Chemical Probes to Visualize Bacterial Cell Structure and Physiology. Molecules 2020; 25:E4949. [PMID: 33114655 PMCID: PMC7663024 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25214949] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical probes have been instrumental in microbiology since its birth as a discipline in the 19th century when chemical dyes were used to visualize structural features of bacterial cells for the first time. In this review article we will illustrate the evolving design of chemical probes in modern chemical biology and their diverse applications in bacterial imaging and phenotypic analysis. We will introduce and discuss a variety of different probe types including fluorogenic substrates and activity-based probes that visualize metabolic and specific enzyme activities, metabolic labeling strategies to visualize structural features of bacterial cells, antibiotic-based probes as well as fluorescent conjugates to probe biomolecular uptake pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Hira
- Research Group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology and Centre for New Antibacterial Strategies (CANS), UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway; (J.H.); (M.J.U.)
| | - Md. Jalal Uddin
- Research Group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology and Centre for New Antibacterial Strategies (CANS), UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway; (J.H.); (M.J.U.)
| | - Marius M. Haugland
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for New Antibacterial Strategies (CANS), UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway;
| | - Christian S. Lentz
- Research Group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology and Centre for New Antibacterial Strategies (CANS), UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway; (J.H.); (M.J.U.)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Meiers J, Zahorska E, Röhrig T, Hauck D, Wagner S, Titz A. Directing Drugs to Bugs: Antibiotic-Carbohydrate Conjugates Targeting Biofilm-Associated Lectins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Med Chem 2020; 63:11707-11724. [PMID: 32924479 PMCID: PMC7586336 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Chronic infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa are characterized by biofilm formation, which effectively enhances resistance toward antibiotics. Biofilm-specific antibiotic delivery could locally increase drug concentration to break antimicrobial resistance and reduce the drug's peripheral side effects. Two extracellular P. aeruginosa lectins, LecA and LecB, are essential structural components for biofilm formation and thus render a possible anchor for biofilm-targeted drug delivery. The standard-of-care drug ciprofloxacin suffers from severe systemic side effects and was therefore chosen for this approach. We synthesized several ciprofloxacin-carbohydrate conjugates and established a structure-activity relationship. Conjugation of ciprofloxacin to lectin probes enabled biofilm accumulation in vitro, reduced the antibiotic's cytotoxicity, but also reduced its antibiotic activity against planktonic cells due to a reduced cell permeability and on target activity. This work defines the starting point for new biofilm/lectin-targeted drugs to modulate antibiotic properties and ultimately break antimicrobial resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joscha Meiers
- Chemical Biology of Carbohydrates (CBCH), Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.,Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF), Standort Hannover-Braunschweig, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Pharmacy and Department of Chemistry, Saarland University, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Eva Zahorska
- Chemical Biology of Carbohydrates (CBCH), Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.,Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF), Standort Hannover-Braunschweig, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Pharmacy and Department of Chemistry, Saarland University, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Teresa Röhrig
- Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF), Standort Hannover-Braunschweig, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany.,Drug Design and Optimization (DDOP), Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Dirk Hauck
- Chemical Biology of Carbohydrates (CBCH), Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.,Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF), Standort Hannover-Braunschweig, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stefanie Wagner
- Chemical Biology of Carbohydrates (CBCH), Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.,Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF), Standort Hannover-Braunschweig, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Alexander Titz
- Chemical Biology of Carbohydrates (CBCH), Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.,Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF), Standort Hannover-Braunschweig, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Pharmacy and Department of Chemistry, Saarland University, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Hassan MM, Harrington NE, Sweeney E, Harrison F. Predicting Antibiotic-Associated Virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Using an ex vivo Lung Biofilm Model. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:568510. [PMID: 32983077 PMCID: PMC7492588 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.568510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial biofilms are known to have high antibiotic tolerance which directly affects clearance of bacterial infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Current antibiotic susceptibility testing methods are either based on planktonic cells or do not reflect the complexity of biofilms in vivo. Consequently, inaccurate diagnostics affect treatment choice, preventing bacterial clearance and potentially selecting for antibiotic resistance. This leads to prolonged, ineffective treatment. METHODS In this study, we use an ex vivo lung biofilm model to study antibiotic tolerance and virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Sections of pig bronchiole were dissected, prepared and infected with clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa and incubated in artificial sputum media to form biofilms, as previously described. Then, lung-associated biofilms were challenged with antibiotics, at therapeutically relevant concentrations, before their bacterial load and virulence were quantified and detected, respectively. RESULTS The results demonstrated minimal effect on the bacterial load with therapeutically relevant concentrations of ciprofloxacin and meropenem, with the latter causing an increased production of proteases and pyocyanin. A combination of meropenem and tobramycin did not show any additional decrease in bacterial load but demonstrated a slight decrease in total proteases and pyocyanin production. CONCLUSION In this initial study of six clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa showed high levels of antibiotic tolerance, with minimal effect on bacterial load and increased proteases production, which could negatively affect lung function. Thus, the ex vivo lung model has the potential to be effectively used in larger studies of antibiotic tolerance in in vivo-like biofilms, and show how sub optimal antibiotic treatment of biofilms may potentially contribute to exacerbations and eventual lung failure. We demonstrate a realistic model for understanding antibiotic resistance and tolerance in biofilms clinically and for molecules screening in anti-biofilm drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marwa M. Hassan
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Esther Sweeney
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Freya Harrison
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Thöming JG, Tomasch J, Preusse M, Koska M, Grahl N, Pohl S, Willger SD, Kaever V, Müsken M, Häussler S. Parallel evolutionary paths to produce more than one Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm phenotype. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2020; 6:2. [PMID: 31934344 PMCID: PMC6954232 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-019-0113-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Studying parallel evolution of similar traits in independent within-species lineages provides an opportunity to address evolutionary predictability of molecular changes underlying adaptation. In this study, we monitored biofilm forming capabilities, motility, and virulence phenotypes of a plethora of phylogenetically diverse clinical isolates of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We also recorded biofilm-specific and planktonic transcriptional responses. We found that P. aeruginosa isolates could be stratified based on the production of distinct organismal traits. Three major biofilm phenotypes, which shared motility and virulence phenotypes, were produced repeatedly in several isolates, indicating that the phenotypes evolved via parallel or convergent evolution. Of note, while we found a restricted general response to the biofilm environment, the individual groups of biofilm phenotypes reproduced biofilm transcriptional profiles that included the expression of well-known biofilm features, such as surface adhesive structures and extracellular matrix components. Our results provide insights into distinct ways to make a biofilm and indicate that genetic adaptations can modulate multiple pathways for biofilm development that are followed by several independent clinical isolates. Uncovering core regulatory pathways that drive biofilm-associated growth and tolerance towards environmental stressors promises to give clues to host and environmental interactions and could provide useful targets for new clinical interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janne G. Thöming
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jürgen Tomasch
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Matthias Preusse
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michal Koska
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nora Grahl
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sarah Pohl
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sven D. Willger
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Volkhard Kaever
- Research Core Unit Metabolomics and Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mathias Müsken
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Susanne Häussler
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Gutierrez Jauregui R, Fleige H, Bubke A, Rohde M, Weiss S, Förster R. IL-1β Promotes Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms on Implants in vivo. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1082. [PMID: 31156635 PMCID: PMC6534041 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Implant associated infections represent a serious health burden in clinics since some microorganisms are able to colonize biological surfaces or surfaces of indwelling medical devices and form biofilms. Biofilms represent communities of microorganisms attached to hydrated surfaces and enclosed in self-produced extracellular matrix. This renders them resistant to exogenous assaults like antibiotics or immune effector mechanisms. Little is known regarding the role of the immune system in the formation of biofilms during implant associated infections, largely due to the lack of suitable mouse models. Here we use colonized osmotic pumps in mice to study the interaction of an activated immune system with biofilm-forming Staphylococcus aureus encoding Gaussia luciferase. This approach permits biofilm formation on the osmotic pumps in living animals. It also allows the continuous supply of soluble immune cell activating agents, such as cytokines to study their effect on biofilm formation in vivo. Using non-invasive imaging of the bioluminescent signal emitted by the lux expressing bacteria for quantification of bacterial load in conjunction with light and electron microscopy, we observed that pump-supplied pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β strongly increased biofilm formation along with a massive influx of neutrophils adjacent to the biofilm-coated pumps. Thus, our data demonstrate that immune defense mechanisms can augment biofilm formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Henrike Fleige
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anja Bubke
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Manfred Rohde
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Siegfried Weiss
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Reinhold Förster
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,RESIST, Cluster of Excellence 2155, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Müsken M, Pawar V, Schwebs T, Bähre H, Felgner S, Weiss S, Häussler S. Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Antibiotic Killing and Regrowth of Biofilm-Residing Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:e01635-18. [PMID: 30297365 DOI: 10.1128/AAC.01635-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilm-residing bacteria embedded in an extracellular matrix are protected from diverse physicochemical insults. In addition to the general recalcitrance of biofilm bacteria, high bacterial loads in biofilm-associated infections significantly diminish the efficacy of antimicrobials due to a low per-cell antibiotic concentration. Accordingly, present antimicrobial treatment protocols that have been established to serve the eradication of acute infections fail to clear biofilm-associated chronic infections. In the present study, we applied automated confocal microscopy on Pseudomonas aeruginosa to monitor dynamic killing of biofilm-grown bacteria by tobramycin and colistin in real time. We revealed that the time required for surviving bacteria to repopulate the biofilm could be taken as a measure for effectiveness of the antimicrobial treatment. It depends on the (i) nature and concentration of the antibiotic, (ii) duration of antibiotic treatment, (iii) application as monotherapy or combination therapy, and (iv) interval of drug administration. The vicious cycle of killing and repopulation of biofilm bacteria could also be broken in an in vivo model system by applying successive antibiotic dosages at intervals that do not allow full reconstitution of the biofilm communities. Treatment regimens that consider the important aspects of antimicrobial killing kinetics bear the potential to improve control of biofilm regrowth. This is an important and underestimated factor that is bound to ensure sustainable treatment success of chronic infections.
Collapse
|