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Ren Y, Zhu R, You X, Li D, Guo M, Fei B, Liu Y, Yang X, Liu X, Li Y. Quercetin: a promising virulence inhibitor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa LasB in vitro. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:57. [PMID: 38180553 PMCID: PMC10770215 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12890-w] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
With the inappropriate use of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance has emerged as a major dilemma for patients infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Elastase B (LasB), a crucial extracellular virulence factor secreted by P. aeruginosa, has been identified as a key target for antivirulence therapy. Quercetin, a natural flavonoid, exhibits promising potential as an antivirulence agent. We aim to evaluate the impact of quercetin on P. aeruginosa LasB and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation revealed a rather favorable intermolecular interaction between quercetin and LasB. At the sub-MICs of ≤256 μg/ml, quercetin was found to effectively inhibit the production and activity of LasB elastase, as well as downregulate the transcription level of the lasB gene in both PAO1 and clinical strains of P. aeruginosa. Through correlation analysis, significant positive correlations were shown between the virulence gene lasB and the QS system regulatory genes lasI, lasR, rhlI, and rhlR in clinical strains of P. aeruginosa. Then, we found the lasB gene expression and LasB activity were significantly deficient in PAO1 ΔlasI and ΔlasIΔrhlI mutants. In addition, quercetin significantly downregulated the expression levels of regulated genes lasI, lasR, rhlI, rhlR, pqsA, and pqsR as well as effectively attenuated the synthesis of signaling molecules 3-oxo-C12-HSL and C4-HSL in the QS system of PAO1. Quercetin was also able to compete with the natural ligands OdDHL, BHL, and PQS for binding to the receptor proteins LasR, RhlR, and PqsR, respectively, resulting in the formation of more stabilized complexes. Taken together, quercetin exhibits enormous potential in combating LasB production and activity by disrupting the QS system of P. aeruginosa in vitro, thereby offering an alternative approach for the antivirulence therapy of P. aeruginosa infections. KEY POINTS: • Quercetin diminished the content and activity of LasB elastase of P. aeruginosa. • Quercetin inhibited the QS system activity of P. aeruginosa. • Quercetin acted on LasB based on the QS system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanying Ren
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Rui Zhu
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
- Henan Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Xiaojuan You
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
- Henan Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Dengzhou Li
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
- Henan Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Mengyu Guo
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Bing Fei
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Ximing Yang
- Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Peking, 100700, China.
| | - Xinwei Liu
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
- Henan Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
| | - Yongwei Li
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
- Henan Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbes & Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Identification of Pathogenic Microbes, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
- Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Antibiotics-Resistant Bacterial Infection Prevention & Therapy with Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
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Yang D, Zhao L, Li Q, Huang L, Qin Y, Wang P, Zhu C, Yan Q. The involvement of the T6SS vgrG gene in the pathogenicity of Pseudomonas plecoglossicida. J Fish Dis 2023; 46:1097-1108. [PMID: 37401135 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.13829] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Pseudomonas plecoglossicida, the causative agent of white spot disease of large yellow croaker, has caused serious economic losses to the aquaculture industry. The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a significant virulence system widely distributed among Gram-negative bacteria. VgrG, a structural and core component of T6SS, is crucial to the function of T6SS. To explore the biological profiles mediated by vgrG gene and its effects on the pathogenicity of P. plecoglossicida, the vgrG gene deletion (ΔvgrG) strain and complementary (C-ΔvgrG) strain were constructed and the differences in pathogenicity and virulence-related characteristics between different strains were analysed. The results showed that vgrG gene deletion significantly affected the virulence-related characteristics of P. plecoglossicida, including chemotaxis, adhesion, and biofilm formation. In addition, the LD50 of ΔvgrG strain was nearly 50-fold higher than that of the NZBD9 strain. Transcriptome data analysis suggested that the vgrG gene may affect the virulence of P. plecoglossicida by regulating the quorum sensing pathway to inhibit the secretion of virulence factors and affect biofilm formation. Besides, deletion of the vgrG gene may reduce bacterial pathogenicity by affecting bacterial signal transduction processes and the ability to adapt to chemotactic substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dou Yang
- Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
| | - Lingmin Zhao
- Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
| | - Qi Li
- Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
| | - Lixing Huang
- Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yingxue Qin
- Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
| | - Pan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Functional Feed and Environmental Regulation of Fujian Province, Fujian Dabeinong Aquatic Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd, Zhangzhou, China
| | - Chuanzhong Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Functional Feed and Environmental Regulation of Fujian Province, Fujian Dabeinong Aquatic Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd, Zhangzhou, China
| | - Qingpi Yan
- Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
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Qerqez AN, Silva RP, Maynard JA. Outsmarting Pathogens with Antibody Engineering. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2023; 14:217-241. [PMID: 36917814 PMCID: PMC10330301 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-101121-084508] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
There is growing interest in identifying antibodies that protect against infectious diseases, especially for high-risk individuals and pathogens for which no vaccine is yet available. However, pathogens that manifest as opportunistic or latent infections express complex arrays of virulence-associated proteins and are adept at avoiding immune responses. Some pathogens have developed strategies to selectively destroy antibodies, whereas others create decoy epitopes that trick the host immune system into generating antibodies that are at best nonprotective and at worst enhance pathogenesis. Antibody engineering strategies can thwart these efforts by accessing conserved neutralizing epitopes, generating Fc domains that resist capture or degradation and even accessing pathogens hidden inside cells. Design of pathogen-resistant antibodies can enhance protection and guide development of vaccine immunogens against these complex pathogens. Here, we discuss general strategies for design of antibodies resistant to specific pathogen defense mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahlam N Qerqez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA;
| | - Rui P Silva
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Jennifer A Maynard
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA;
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Abstract
Catalytic antibodies made it feasible to develop new catalysts, which had previously been the subject of research. Scientists have discovered natural antibodies that can hydrolyze substrates such as nucleic acids, proteins, and polysaccharides during decades of research, as well as several ways of producing antibodies with specialized characteristics and catalytic functions. These antibodies are widely used in chemistry, biology, and medicine. Catalytic antibodies can continue to play a role and even fully prevent the emergence of autoimmune disorders, especially in the field of infection and immunity, where the process of its occurrence and development often takes a long time. In this work, the development, design and evolution methodologies, and the expression systems and applications of catalytic antibodies, are discussed. Trial registration: not applicable.
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Camberlein V, Jézéquel G, Haupenthal J, Hirsch AKH. The Structures and Binding Modes of Small-Molecule Inhibitors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Elastase LasB. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:1060. [PMID: 36009930 PMCID: PMC9404851 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11081060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Elastase B (LasB) is a zinc metalloprotease and a crucial virulence factor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. As the need for new strategies to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR) constantly rises, this protein has become a key target in the development of novel antivirulence agents. The extensive knowledge of the structure of its active site, containing two subpockets and a zinc atom, led to various structure-based medicinal chemistry programs and the optimization of several chemical classes of inhibitors. This review provides a brief reminder of the structure of the active site and a summary of the disclosed P. aeruginosa LasB inhibitors. We specifically focused on the analysis of their binding modes with a detailed representation of them, hence giving an overview of the strategies aiming at targeting LasB by small molecules.
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Saetang J, Sangkhathat S, Jangphattananont N, Khopanlert W, Julamanee J, Tipmanee V. Computational discovery of binding mode of anti-TRBC1 antibody and predicted key amino acids of TRBC1. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1760. [PMID: 35110642 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05742-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that progresses aggressively with poor survival rate. CAR T cell targeting T-cell receptor β-chain constant domains 1 (TRBC1) of malignant T cells has been developed recently by using JOVI.1 monoclonal antibody as a template. However, the mode of JOVI.1 binding is still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the molecular interaction between JOVI.1 antibody and TRBC1 by using computational methods and molecular docking. Therefore, the TRBC protein crystal structures (TRBC1 and TRBC2) as well as the sequences of JOVI.1 CDR were chosen as the starting materials. TRBC1 and TRBC2 epitopes were predicted, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation was used to visualize the protein dynamic behavior. The structure of JOVI.1 antibody was also generated before the binding mode was predicted using molecular docking with an antibody mode. Epitope prediction suggested that the N3K4 region of TRBC1 may be a key to distinguish TRBC1 from TCBC2. MD simulation showed the major different surface conformation in this area between two TRBCs. The JOVI.1-TRBC1 structures with three binding modes demonstrated JOVI.1 interacted TRBC1 at N3K4 residues, with the predicted dissociation constant (Kd) ranging from 1.5 × 108 to 1.1 × 1010 M. The analysis demonstrated JOVI.1 needed D1 residues of TRBC1 for the interaction formation to N3K4 in all binding modes. In conclusion, we proposed the three binding modes of the JOVI.1 antibody to TRBC1 with the new key residue (D1) necessary for N3K4 interaction. This data was useful for JOVI.1 redesign to improve the PTCL-targeting CAR T cell.
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