Two‐Component Signaling in the Virulence of Staphylococcus aureus: A Silkworm Larvae‐Pathogenic Agent Infection Model of Virulence

Author(s):  
Kenji Kurokawa ◽  
Chikara Kaito ◽  
Kazuhisa Sekimizu
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingyi Yu ◽  
Lulin Rao ◽  
Lingling Zhan ◽  
Bingjie Wang ◽  
Qing Zhan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In recent years, clinical Staphylococcus aureus isolates have become highly resistant to antibiotics, which has raised concerns about the ability to control infections by these organisms. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of a new small molecule, ZY-214-4 (C19H11BrNO4), on S. aureus pigment production. Results At the concentration of 4 μg/mL, ZY-214-4 exerted a significant inhibitory effect on S. aureus pigment synthesis, without affecting its growth or inducing a toxic effect on the silkworm. An oxidant sensitivity test and a whole-blood killing test indicated that the S. aureus survival rate decreased significantly with ZY-214-4 treatment. Additionally, ZY-214-4 administration significantly reduced the expression of a pigment synthesis-related gene (crtM) and the superoxide dismutase genes (sodA) as determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis. ZY-214-4 treatment also improved the survival rate of S. aureus-infected silkworm larvae. Conclusions The small molecule ZY-214-4 has potential for the prevention of S. aureus infections by reducing the virulence associated with this bacterium.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 821
Author(s):  
Maite Villanueva ◽  
Melanie Roch ◽  
Iñigo Lasa ◽  
Adriana Renzoni ◽  
William L. Kelley

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections are a global health problem. New control strategies, including fifth-generation cephalosporins such as ceftaroline, have been developed, however rare sporadic resistance has been reported. Our study aimed to determine whether disruption of two-component environmental signal systems detectably led to enhanced susceptibility to ceftaroline in S. aureus CA-MRSA strain MW2 at sub-MIC concentrations where cells normally continue to grow. A collection of sequential mutants in all fifteen S. aureus non-essential two-component systems (TCS) was first screened for ceftaroline sub-MIC susceptibility, using the spot population analysis profile method. We discovered a role for both ArlRS and VraSR TCS as determinants responsible for MW2 survival in the presence of sub-MIC ceftaroline. Subsequent analysis showed that dual disruption of both arlRS and vraSR resulted in a very strong ceftaroline hypersensitivity phenotype. Genetic complementation analysis confirmed these results and further revealed that arlRS and vraSR likely regulate some common pathway(s) yet to be determined. Our study shows that S. aureus uses particular TCS environmental sensing systems for this type of defense and illustrates the proof of principle that if these TCS were inhibited, the efficacy of certain antibiotics might be considerably enhanced.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanaz Dehbashi ◽  
Hamed Tahmasebi ◽  
Behrouz Zeyni ◽  
Mohammad Reza Arabestani

Abstract Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-bloodstream infections (BSI) are predominantly seen in the hospital or healthcare-associated host. Nevertheless, the interactions of virulence factor (VFs) regulators and β-lactam resistance in MRSA-BSI are unclear. This study aims to characterize the molecular relationship of two-component systems of VFs and the expression of the β-lactamase gene in MRSA-BSI isolates. In this study, 639 samples were collected from BSI and identified by phenotypic methods. We performed extensive molecular characterization, including SCCmec type, agr type, VFs gene profiles determinations, and MLST on isolates. Also, a quantitative real-time PCR (q-RT PCR) assay was developed for identifying the gene expressions. Results Ninety-one (91) S. aureus and 61 MRSA (67.0%) strains were detected in BSI samples. The presence of VFs and SCCmec genes in MRSA isolates were as follows: tst (31.4%), etA (18.0%), etB (8.19%), lukS-PVL (31.4%), lukF-PV (18.0%), lukE-lukD (16.3%), edin (3.2%), hla (16.3%), hlb (18.0%), hld (14.7%), hlg (22.9%), SCCmecI (16.3%), SCCmecII (22.9%), SCCmecIII (36.0%), SCCmecIV (21.3%), and SCCmecV (16.3%). Quantitative real-time PCR showed overexpression of mecRI and mecI in the toxigenic isolates. Moreover, RNAIII and sarA genes were the highest expressions of MRSA strains. The multi-locus sequence typing data confirmed a high prevalence of CC5, CC8, and CC30. However, ST30, ST22, and ST5 were the most prevalent in the resistant and toxigenic strains. Conclusion We demonstrated that although regulation of β-lactamase gene expressions is a significant contributor to resistance development, two-component systems also influence antibiotic resistance development in MRSA-BSI isolates. This indicates that resistant strains might have pathogenic potential. We also confirmed that some MLST types are more successful colonizers with a potential for MRSA-BSI.


2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 3240-3249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. E. McEvoy ◽  
Brian Tsuji ◽  
Wei Gao ◽  
Torsten Seemann ◽  
Jessica L. Porter ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTVancomycin-intermediateStaphylococcus aureus(VISA) strains often arise by mutations in the essential two-component regulatorwalKR; however their impact onwalKRfunction has not been definitively established. Here, we investigated 10 MRSA strains recovered serially after exposure of vancomycin-susceptibleS. aureus(VSSA) JKD6009 to simulated human vancomycin dosing regimens (500 mg to 4,000 mg every 12 h) using a 10-day hollow fiber infection model. After continued exposure to the vancomycin regimens, two isolates displayed reduced susceptibility to both vancomycin and daptomycin, developing independent IS256insertions in thewalKR5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR). Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) revealed a 50% reduction inwalKRgene expression in the IS256mutants compared to the VSSA parent. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter analysis, promoter mapping, and site-directed mutagenesis confirmed these findings and showed that the IS256insertions had replaced two SigA-likewalKRpromoters with weaker, hybrid promoters. Removal of IS256reverted the phenotype to VSSA, showing that reduced expression of WalKR did induce the VISA phenotype. Analysis of selected WalKR-regulated autolysins revealed upregulation ofssaAbut no change in expression ofsakandsceDin both IS256mutants. Whole-genome sequencing of the two mutants revealed an additional IS256insertion withinagrCfor one mutant, and we confirmed that this mutation abolishedagrfunction. These data provide the first substantial analysis ofwalKRpromoter function and show that prolonged vancomycin exposure can result in VISA through an IS256-mediated reduction inwalKRexpression; however, the mechanisms by which this occurs remain to be determined.


2011 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 2154-2167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Xue ◽  
Yibo You ◽  
De Hong ◽  
Haipeng Sun ◽  
Baolin Sun

ABSTRACTThe Kdp system is widely distributed among bacteria. InEscherichia coli, the Kdp-ATPase is a high-affinity K+uptake system and its expression is activated by the KdpDE two-component system in response to K+limitation or salt stress. However, information about the role of this system in many bacteria still remains obscure. Here we demonstrate that KdpFABC inStaphylococcus aureusis not a major K+transporter and that the main function of KdpDE is not associated with K+transport but that instead it regulates transcription for a series of virulence factors through sensing external K+concentrations, indicating that this bacterium might modulate its infectious status through sensing specific external K+stimuli in different environments. Our results further reveal thatS. aureusKdpDE is upregulated by the Agr/RNAIII system, which suggests that KdpDE may be an important virulence regulator coordinating the external K+sensing and Agr signaling during pathogenesis in this bacterium.


2014 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 1019-1029 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julienne C. Kaiser ◽  
Sameha Omer ◽  
Jessica R. Sheldon ◽  
Ian Welch ◽  
David E. Heinrichs

The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; Ile, Leu, and Val) not only are important nutrients for the growth ofStaphylococcus aureusbut also are corepressors for CodY, which regulates virulence gene expression, implicating BCAAs as an important link between the metabolic state of the cell and virulence. BCAAs are either synthesized intracellularly or acquired from the environment.S. aureusencodes three putative BCAA transporters, designated BrnQ1, BrnQ2, and BrnQ3; their functions have not yet been formally tested. In this study, we mutated all threebrnQparalogs so as to characterize their substrate specificities and their roles in growthin vitroandin vivo. We demonstrated that in the community-associated, methicillin-resistantS. aureus(CA-MRSA) strain USA300, BrnQ1 is involved in uptake of all three BCAAs, BrnQ2 transports Ile, and BrnQ3 does not have a significant role in BCAA transport under the conditions tested. Of the three, only BrnQ1 is essential for USA300 to grow in a chemically defined medium that is limited for Leu or Val. Interestingly, we observed that abrnQ2mutant grew better than USA300 in media limited for Leu and Val, owing to the fact that this mutation leads to overexpression ofbrnQ1. In a murine infection model, thebrnQ1mutant was attenuated, but in contrast,brnQ2mutants had significantly increased virulence compared to that of USA300, a phenotype we suggest is at least partially linked to enhancedin vivoscavenging of Leu and Val through BrnQ1. These data uncover a hitherto-undiscovered connection between nutrient acquisition and virulence in CA-MRSA.


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