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Huening KA, Groves JT, Wildenthal JA, Tabita FR, North JA. Escherichia coli possessing the dihydroxyacetone phosphate shunt utilize 5'-deoxynucleosides for growth. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0308623. [PMID: 38441472 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03086-23] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
All organisms utilize S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) as a key co-substrate for the methylation of biological molecules, the synthesis of polyamines, and radical SAM reactions. When these processes occur, 5'-deoxy-nucleosides are formed as byproducts such as S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine, 5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA), and 5'-deoxyadenosine (5dAdo). A prevalent pathway found in bacteria for the metabolism of MTA and 5dAdo is the dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) shunt, which converts these compounds into dihydroxyacetone phosphate and 2-methylthioacetaldehyde or acetaldehyde, respectively. Previous work in other organisms has shown that the DHAP shunt can enable methionine synthesis from MTA or serve as an MTA and 5dAdo detoxification pathway. Rather, the DHAP shunt in Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, when introduced into E. coli K-12, enables the use of 5dAdo and MTA as a carbon source for growth. When MTA is the substrate, the sulfur component is not significantly recycled back to methionine but rather accumulates as 2-methylthioethanol, which is slowly oxidized non-enzymatically under aerobic conditions. The DHAP shunt in ATCC 25922 is active under oxic and anoxic conditions. Growth using 5-deoxy-d-ribose was observed during aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration with Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), but not during fermentation or respiration with nitrate. This suggests the DHAP shunt may only be relevant for extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli lineages with the DHAP shunt that inhabit oxic or TMAO-rich extraintestinal environments. This reveals a heretofore overlooked role of the DHAP shunt in carbon and energy metabolism from ubiquitous SAM utilization byproducts and suggests a similar role may occur in other pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria with the DHAP shunt. IMPORTANCE The acquisition and utilization of organic compounds that serve as growth substrates are essential for Escherichia coli to grow and multiply. Ubiquitous enzymatic reactions involving S-adenosyl-l-methionine as a co-substrate by all organisms result in the formation of the 5'-deoxy-nucleoside byproducts, 5'-methylthioadenosine and 5'-deoxyadenosine. All E. coli possess a conserved nucleosidase that cleaves these 5'-deoxy-nucleosides into 5-deoxy-pentose sugars for adenine salvage. The DHAP shunt pathway is found in some extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, but its function in E. coli possessing it has remained unknown. This study reveals that the DHAP shunt enables the utilization of 5'-deoxy-nucleosides and 5-deoxy-pentose sugars as growth substrates in E. coli strains with the pathway during aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration with TMAO, but not fermentative growth. This provides an insight into the diversity of sugar compounds accessible by E. coli with the DHAP shunt and suggests that the DHAP shunt is primarily relevant in oxic or TMAO-rich extraintestinal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua T Groves
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - John A Wildenthal
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - F Robert Tabita
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Justin A North
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Heffernan JR, Wildenthal JA, Tran H, Katumba GL, McCoy WH, Henderson JP. Yersiniabactin is a quorum-sensing autoinducer and siderophore in uropathogenic Escherichia coli. mBio 2024; 15:e0027723. [PMID: 38236035 PMCID: PMC10865836 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00277-23] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Siderophores are secreted ferric ion chelators used to obtain iron in nutrient-limited environmental niches, including human hosts. While all Escherichia coli express the enterobactin (Ent) siderophore system, isolates from patients with urinary tract infections additionally express the genetically distinct yersiniabactin (Ybt) siderophore system. To determine whether the Ent and Ybt systems are functionally redundant for iron uptake, we compared the growth of different isogenic siderophore biosynthetic mutants in the presence of transferrin, a human iron-binding protein. We observed that Ybt expression does not compensate for deficient Ent expression following low-density inoculation. Using transcriptional and product analysis, we found this non-redundancy to be attributable to a density-dependent transcriptional stimulation cycle in which Ybt functions as an autoinducer. These results distinguish the Ybt system as a combined quorum-sensing and siderophore system. These functions may reflect Ybt as a public good within bacterial communities or as an adaptation to confined, subcellular compartments in infected hosts. This combined functionality may contribute to the extraintestinal pathogenic potential of E. coli and related Enterobacterales.IMPORTANCEPatients with urinary tract infections are often infected with Escherichia coli strains carrying adaptations that increase their pathogenic potential. One of these adaptations is the accumulation of multiple siderophore systems, which scavenge iron for nutritional use. While iron uptake is important for bacterial growth, the increased metabolic costs of siderophore production could diminish bacterial fitness during infections. In a siderophore-dependent growth condition, we show that the virulence-associated yersiniabactin siderophore system in uropathogenic E. coli is not redundant with the ubiquitous E. coli enterobactin system. This arises not from differences in iron-scavenging activity but because yersiniabactin is preferentially expressed during bacterial crowding, leaving bacteria dependent upon enterobactin for growth at low cell density. Notably, this regulatory mode arises because yersiniabactin stimulates its own expression, acting as an autoinducer in a previously unappreciated quorum-sensing system. This unexpected result connects quorum-sensing with pathogenic potential in E. coli and related Enterobacterales.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R. Heffernan
- Center for Women’s Infectious Disease Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - John A. Wildenthal
- Center for Women’s Infectious Disease Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Hung Tran
- Center for Women’s Infectious Disease Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - George L. Katumba
- Center for Women’s Infectious Disease Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - William H. McCoy
- Division of Dermatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jeffrey P. Henderson
- Center for Women’s Infectious Disease Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Wildenthal JA, Schwartz DJ, Nolan NS, Zhao L, Robinson JI, Jones E, Jawa R, Henderson JP, Marks LR. Everything but the Kitchen Sink: An Analysis of Bacterial and Chemical Contaminants Found in Syringe Residue From People Who Inject Drugs. Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofad628. [PMID: 38179104 PMCID: PMC10766411 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad628] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background People who inject drugs (PWID) are at high risk of severe wounds, invasive infections, and overdoses. To date, there are few data on the bacterial and chemical contaminants PWID are exposed to when using illicitly manufactured fentanyls and stimulants. Methods Previously used injection drug use equipment was recovered in St Louis, Missouri, by harm reduction organizations over a 12-month period. Syringe residue was analyzed for bacterial contaminants by routine culturing followed by whole genome sequencing of single bacterial isolates. Chemical adulterants in syringe residue were identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results Bacteria were cultured from 58.75% of 160 syringes analyzed. Polymicrobial growth was common and was observed in 23.75% of samples. Bacillus cereus was the most common pathogen present and was observed in 20.6% of syringe residues, followed closely by Staphylococcus aureus at 18.8%. One hundred syringes underwent mass spectrometry, which demonstrated that chemical adulterants were common and included caffeine, diphenhydramine, lidocaine, quinine, and xylazine. Conclusions Analysis of syringe residue from discarded drug use equipment demonstrates both chemical and biological contaminants, including medically important pathogens and adulterants.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Wildenthal
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Drew J Schwartz
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Nathanial S Nolan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Veterans Affairs St Louis Health Care, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Lingxia Zhao
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - John I Robinson
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Erin Jones
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Raagini Jawa
- Center for Research on Healthcare, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jeffrey P Henderson
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Laura R Marks
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
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Huening KA, Groves JT, Wildenthal JA, Tabita FR, North JA. Utilization of 5'-deoxy-nucleosides as Growth Substrates by Extraintestinal Pathogenic E. coli via the Dihydroxyacetone Phosphate Shunt. bioRxiv 2023:2023.08.10.552779. [PMID: 37609188 PMCID: PMC10441430 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.10.552779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
All organisms utilize S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) as a key co-substrate for methylation of biological molecules, synthesis of polyamines, and radical SAM reactions. When these processes occur, 5'-deoxy-nucleosides are formed as byproducts such as S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (SAH), 5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA), and 5'-deoxyadenosine (5dAdo). One of the most prevalent pathways found in bacteria for the metabolism of MTA and 5dAdo is the DHAP shunt, which converts these compounds into dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) and 2-methylthioacetaldehyde or acetaldehyde, respectively. Previous work has shown that the DHAP shunt can enable methionine synthesis from MTA or serve as an MTA and 5dAdo detoxification pathway. Here we show that in Extraintestinal Pathogenic E. coil (ExPEC), the DHAP shunt serves none of these roles in any significant capacity, but rather physiologically functions as an assimilation pathway for use of MTA and 5dAdo as growth substrates. This is further supported by the observation that when MTA is the substrate for the ExPEC DHAP shunt, the sulfur components is not significantly recycled back to methionine, but rather accumulates as 2-methylthioethanol, which is slowly oxidized non-enzymatically under aerobic conditions. While the pathway is active both aerobically and anaerobically, it only supports aerobic ExPEC growth, suggesting that it primarily functions in oxygenic extraintestinal environments like blood and urine versus the predominantly anoxic gut. This reveals a heretofore overlooked role of the DHAP shunt in carbon assimilation and energy metabolism from ubiquitous SAM utilization byproducts and suggests a similar role may occur in other pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria with the DHAP shunt.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua T. Groves
- The Ohio State University Department of Microbiology, Columbus, OH, 43210
| | - John A. Wildenthal
- The Ohio State University Department of Microbiology, Columbus, OH, 43210
| | - F. Robert Tabita
- The Ohio State University Department of Microbiology, Columbus, OH, 43210
| | - Justin A. North
- The Ohio State University Department of Microbiology, Columbus, OH, 43210
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5
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Wildenthal JA, Atkinson A, Lewis S, Sayood S, Nolan NS, Cabrera NL, Marschall J, Durkin MJ, Marks LR. Outcomes of Partial Oral Antibiotic Treatment for Complicated Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in People Who Inject Drugs. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 76:487-496. [PMID: 36052413 PMCID: PMC10169408 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [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: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Staphylococcus aureus represents the leading cause of complicated bloodstream infections among persons who inject drugs (PWID). Standard of care (SOC) intravenous (IV) antibiotics result in high rates of treatment success but are not feasible for some PWID. Transition to oral antibiotics may represent an alternative treatment option. METHODS We evaluated all adult patients with a history of injection drug use hospitalized from January 2016 through December 2021 with complicated S. aureus bloodstream infections, including infective endocarditis, epidural abscess, vertebral osteomyelitis, and septic arthritis. Patients were compared by antibiotic treatment (standard of care intravenous [SOC IV] antibiotics, incomplete IV therapy, or transition from initial IV to partial oral) using the primary composite endpoint of death or readmission from microbiologic failure within 90 days of discharge. RESULTS Patients who received oral antibiotics after an incomplete IV antibiotic course were significantly less likely to experience microbiologic failure or death than patients discharged without oral antibiotics (P < .001). There was no significant difference in microbiologic failure rates when comparing patients who were discharged on partial oral antibiotics after receiving at least 10 days of IV antibiotics with SOC regimens (P > .9). CONCLUSIONS Discharge of PWID with partially treated complicated S. aureus bacteremias without oral antibiotics results in high rates of morbidity and should be avoided. For PWID hospitalized with complicated S. aureus bacteremias who have received at least 10 days of effective IV antibiotic therapy after clearance of bacteremia, transition to oral antibiotics with outpatient support represents a potential alternative if the patient does not desire SOC IV antibiotic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Wildenthal
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Andrew Atkinson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Bern University Hospital, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sophia Lewis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Sena Sayood
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Nathanial S Nolan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Nicolo L Cabrera
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jonas Marschall
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Michael J Durkin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Laura R Marks
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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6
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Zou Z, Potter RF, McCoy WH, Wildenthal JA, Katumba GL, Mucha PJ, Dantas G, Henderson JP. E. coli catheter-associated urinary tract infections are associated with distinctive virulence and biofilm gene determinants. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e161461. [PMID: 36512427 PMCID: PMC9977300 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.161461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Urinary catheterization facilitates urinary tract colonization by E. coli and increases infection risk. Here, we aimed to identify strain-specific characteristics associated with the transition from colonization to infection in catheterized patients. In a single-site study population, we compared E. coli isolates from patients with catheter-associated asymptomatic bacteriuria (CAASB) to those with catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). CAUTI isolates were dominated by a phylotype B2 subclade containing the multidrug-resistant ST131 lineage relative to CAASB isolates, which were phylogenetically more diverse. A distinctive combination of virulence-associated genes was present in the CAUTI-associated B2 subclade. Catheter-associated biofilm formation was widespread among isolates and did not distinguish CAUTI from CAASB strains. Preincubation with CAASB strains could inhibit catheter colonization by multiple ST131 CAUTI isolates. Comparative genomic analysis identified a group of variable genes associated with high catheter biofilm formation present in both CAUTI and CAASB strains. Among these, ferric citrate transport (Fec) system genes were experimentally associated with enhanced catheter biofilm formation using reporter and fecA deletion strains. These results are consistent with a variable role for catheter biofilm formation in promoting CAUTI by ST131-like strains or resisting CAUTI by lower-risk strains that engage in niche exclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongsen Zou
- Center for Women’s Infectious Diseases Research
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
| | - Robert F. Potter
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, and
| | - William H. McCoy
- Center for Women’s Infectious Diseases Research
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Dermatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - John A. Wildenthal
- Center for Women’s Infectious Diseases Research
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
| | - George L. Katumba
- Center for Women’s Infectious Diseases Research
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
| | - Peter J. Mucha
- Department of Mathematics, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Gautam Dantas
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, and
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jeffrey P. Henderson
- Center for Women’s Infectious Diseases Research
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
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Marks LR, Calix JJ, Wildenthal JA, Wallace MA, Sawhney SS, Ransom EM, Durkin MJ, Henderson JP, Burnham CAD, Dantas G. Staphylococcus aureus injection drug use-associated bloodstream infections are propagated by community outbreaks of diverse lineages. Commun Med (Lond) 2021; 1:52. [PMID: 35602233 PMCID: PMC9053277 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-021-00053-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The ongoing injection drug use (IDU) crisis in the United States has been complicated by an emerging epidemic of Staphylococcus aureus IDU-associated bloodstream infections (IDU-BSI). Methods We performed a case-control study comparing S. aureus IDU-BSI and non-IDU BSI cases identified in a large US Midwestern academic medical center between Jan 1, 2016 and Dec 21, 2019. We obtained the whole-genome sequences of 154 S. aureus IDU-BSI and 91 S. aureus non-IDU BSI cases, which were matched with clinical data. We performed phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses to investigate clonal expansion of lineages and molecular features characteristic of IDU-BSI isolates. Results Here we show that patients with IDU-BSI experience longer durations of bacteremia and have lower medical therapy completion rates. In phylogenetic analyses, 45/154 and 1/91 contemporaneous IDU-BSI and non-IDU BSI staphylococcal isolates, respectively, group into multiple, unique clonal clusters, revealing that pathogen community transmission distinctively spurs IDU-BSI. Lastly, multiple S. aureus lineages deficient in canonical virulence genes are overrepresented among IDU-BSI, which may contribute to the distinguishable clinical presentation of IDU-BSI cases. Conclusions We identify clonal expansion of multiple S. aureus lineages among IDU-BSI isolates, but not non-IDU BSI isolates, in a community with limited access to needle exchange facilities. In the setting of expanding numbers of staphylococcal IDU-BSI cases consideration should be given to treating IDU-associated invasive staphylococcal infections as a communicable disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura R. Marks
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Juan J. Calix
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA ,grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - John A. Wildenthal
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Meghan A. Wallace
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Sanjam S. Sawhney
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA ,grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Eric M. Ransom
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Michael J. Durkin
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Jeffrey P. Henderson
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA ,grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA ,grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Carey-Ann D. Burnham
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA ,grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Gautam Dantas
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA ,grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA ,grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA ,grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO USA
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North JA, Narrowe AB, Xiong W, Byerly KM, Zhao G, Young SJ, Murali S, Wildenthal JA, Cannon WR, Wrighton KC, Hettich RL, Tabita FR. A nitrogenase-like enzyme system catalyzes methionine, ethylene, and methane biogenesis. Science 2020; 369:1094-1098. [PMID: 32855335 DOI: 10.1126/science.abb6310] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial production of gaseous hydrocarbons such as ethylene and methane affects soil environments and atmospheric climate. We demonstrate that biogenic methane and ethylene from terrestrial and freshwater bacteria are directly produced by a previously unknown methionine biosynthesis pathway. This pathway, present in numerous species, uses a nitrogenase-like reductase that is distinct from known nitrogenases and nitrogenase-like reductases and specifically functions in C-S bond breakage to reduce ubiquitous and appreciable volatile organic sulfur compounds such as dimethyl sulfide and (2-methylthio)ethanol. Liberated methanethiol serves as the immediate precursor to methionine, while ethylene or methane is released into the environment. Anaerobic ethylene production by this pathway apparently explains the long-standing observation of ethylene accumulation in oxygen-depleted soils. Methane production reveals an additional bacterial pathway distinct from archaeal methanogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A North
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Adrienne B Narrowe
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Weili Xiong
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Kathryn M Byerly
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Guanqi Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Sarah J Young
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Srividya Murali
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - John A Wildenthal
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - William R Cannon
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA.,Department of Mathematics, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92507, USA
| | - Kelly C Wrighton
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Robert L Hettich
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - F Robert Tabita
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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9
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North JA, Wildenthal JA, Erb TJ, Evans BS, Byerly KM, Gerlt JA, Tabita FR. A bifunctional salvage pathway for two distinct S-adenosylmethionine by-products that is widespread in bacteria, including pathogenic Escherichia coli. Mol Microbiol 2020; 113:923-937. [PMID: 31950558 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) is a necessary cosubstrate for numerous essential enzymatic reactions including protein and nucleotide methylations, secondary metabolite synthesis and radical-mediated processes. Radical SAM enzymes produce 5'-deoxyadenosine, and SAM-dependent enzymes for polyamine, neurotransmitter and quorum sensing compound synthesis produce 5'-methylthioadenosine as by-products. Both are inhibitory and must be addressed by all cells. This work establishes a bifunctional oxygen-independent salvage pathway for 5'-deoxyadenosine and 5'-methylthioadenosine in both Rhodospirillum rubrum and Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli. Homologous genes for this pathway are widespread in bacteria, notably pathogenic strains within several families. A phosphorylase (Rhodospirillum rubrum) or separate nucleoside and kinase (Escherichia coli) followed by an isomerase and aldolase sequentially function to salvage these two wasteful and inhibitory compounds into adenine, dihydroxyacetone phosphate and acetaldehyde or (2-methylthio)acetaldehyde during both aerobic and anaerobic growth. Both SAM by-products are metabolized with equal affinity during aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions, suggesting that the dual-purpose salvage pathway plays a central role in numerous environments, notably the human body during infection. Our newly discovered bifunctional oxygen-independent pathway, widespread in bacteria, salvages at least two by-products of SAM-dependent enzymes for carbon and sulfur salvage, contributing to cell growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A North
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - John A Wildenthal
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Tobias J Erb
- Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Bradley S Evans
- The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kathryn M Byerly
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - John A Gerlt
- Department of Biochemistry, The Institute for Genomic Biology, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Fred R Tabita
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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Satagopan S, North JA, Arbing MA, Varaljay VA, Haines SN, Wildenthal JA, Byerly KM, Shin A, Tabita FR. Structural Perturbations of Rhodopseudomonas palustris Form II RuBisCO Mutant Enzymes That Affect CO2 Fixation. Biochemistry 2019; 58:3880-3892. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sriram Satagopan
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Justin A. North
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Mark A. Arbing
- UCLA-DOE Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Vanessa A. Varaljay
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Sidney N. Haines
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - John A. Wildenthal
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Kathryn M. Byerly
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Annie Shin
- UCLA-DOE Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - F. Robert Tabita
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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North JA, Miller AR, Wildenthal JA, Young SJ, Tabita FR. Microbial pathway for anaerobic 5'-methylthioadenosine metabolism coupled to ethylene formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E10455-E10464. [PMID: 29133429 PMCID: PMC5715764 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1711625114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [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] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous cellular processes involving S-adenosyl-l-methionine result in the formation of the toxic by-product, 5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA). To prevent inhibitory MTA accumulation and retain biologically available sulfur, most organisms possess the "universal" methionine salvage pathway (MSP). However, the universal MSP is inherently aerobic due to a requirement of molecular oxygen for one of the key enzymes. Here, we report the presence of an exclusively anaerobic MSP that couples MTA metabolism to ethylene formation in the phototrophic bacteria Rhodospirillum rubrum and Rhodopseudomonas palustris In vivo metabolite analysis of gene deletion strains demonstrated that this anaerobic MSP functions via sequential action of MTA phosphorylase (MtnP), 5-(methylthio)ribose-1-phosphate isomerase (MtnA), and an annotated class II aldolase-like protein (Ald2) to form 2-(methylthio)acetaldehyde as an intermediate. 2-(Methylthio)acetaldehyde is reduced to 2-(methylthio)ethanol, which is further metabolized as a usable organic sulfur source, generating stoichiometric amounts of ethylene in the process. Ethylene induction experiments using 2-(methylthio)ethanol versus sulfate as sulfur sources further indicate anaerobic ethylene production from 2-(methylthio)ethanol requires protein synthesis and that this process is regulated. Finally, phylogenetic analysis reveals that the genes corresponding to these enzymes, and presumably the pathway, are widespread among anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria from soil and freshwater environments. These results not only establish the existence of a functional, exclusively anaerobic MSP, but they also suggest a possible route by which ethylene is produced by microbes in anoxic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A North
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Anthony R Miller
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - John A Wildenthal
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Sarah J Young
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - F Robert Tabita
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
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