scholarly journals Predicting toxins found in toxin–antitoxin systems with a role in host-induced Burkholderia pseudomallei persistence

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany N. Ross ◽  
Joseph D. Thiriot ◽  
Shane M. Wilson ◽  
Alfredo G. Torres
Keyword(s):  
Burkholderia Pseudomallei ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Transcriptional Response ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Environmental Cues ◽  
In Vitro Experiments ◽  
Host Defenses ◽  
Data Driven Approach

Abstract Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bpm) is a bacterial pathogen that causes Melioidosis, a disease with up to 40% mortality and an infection relapse of 15–23% despite antibiotic treatment. Ineffective clearance of Bpm by antibiotics is believed to be due to persistence, a hibernation-like survival mechanism modulated, in part, by toxin–antitoxin systems (TAS). Several organisms possess a repertoire of TASs but defining environmental cues eliciting their activity is hindered by laborious in vitro experiments, especially when there are many toxins with redundant function. Here, we identified which of 103 proteins in Bpm that share features found in toxins of the TAS and repurposed transcriptional data to identify which ones play a role in surviving intracellular host defenses. Putative toxins with the strongest transcriptional response were found to have low conservation between Bpm strains, while toxins that were constitutively expressed were highly conserved. Further examination of highly conserved toxins BPSS0899, BPSS1321, and BPSL1494 showed that they were functional, and their mutation led to reduce survival within macrophages and reduced in vivo persistence-associated pathology (abscesses) during treatment, but did not affect macrophages persistence. These findings highlight the utility of a data-driven approach to select putative toxins and suggests a selective role for some TAS in host survival.

Kinase Targets for Mycolic Acid Biosynthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahinda S.R. Alsayed ◽  
Chau C. Beh ◽  
Neil R. Foster ◽  
Alan D. Payne ◽  
Yu Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Enzymatic Activity ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Mycolic Acid ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Mycolic Acids ◽  
Hydroxylated Fatty Acids

Background:Mycolic acids (MAs) are the characteristic, integral building blocks for the mycomembrane belonging to the insidious bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). These C60-C90 long α-alkyl-β-hydroxylated fatty acids provide protection to the tubercle bacilli against the outside threats, thus allowing its survival, virulence and resistance to the current antibacterial agents. In the post-genomic era, progress has been made towards understanding the crucial enzymatic machineries involved in the biosynthesis of MAs in M.tb. However, gaps still remain in the exact role of the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of regulatory mechanisms within these systems. To date, a total of 11 serine-threonine protein kinases (STPKs) are found in M.tb. Most enzymes implicated in the MAs synthesis were found to be phosphorylated in vitro and/or in vivo. For instance, phosphorylation of KasA, KasB, mtFabH, InhA, MabA, and FadD32 downregulated their enzymatic activity, while phosphorylation of VirS increased its enzymatic activity. These observations suggest that the kinases and phosphatases system could play a role in M.tb adaptive responses and survival mechanisms in the human host. As the mycobacterial STPKs do not share a high sequence homology to the human’s, there have been some early drug discovery efforts towards developing potent and selective inhibitors.Objective:Recent updates to the kinases and phosphatases involved in the regulation of MAs biosynthesis will be presented in this mini-review, including their known small molecule inhibitors.Conclusion:Mycobacterial kinases and phosphatases involved in the MAs regulation may serve as a useful avenue for antitubercular therapy.

scholarly journals Development of a gel dedicated to gel immersion endoscopy

2021 ◽  
Vol 09 (06) ◽  
pp. E918-E924
Author(s):  
Tomonori Yano ◽  
Atsushi Ohata ◽  
Yuji Hiraki ◽  
Makoto Tanaka ◽  
Satoshi Shinozaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Porcine Model ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
In Vitro Experiments ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Coagulative Necrosis ◽  
Novel Technique ◽  
In Vivo Experiments

Abstract Backgrounds and study aims Gel immersion endoscopy is a novel technique to secure the visual field during endoscopy. The aim of this study was to develop a dedicated gel for this technique. Methods To identify appropriate viscoelasticity and electrical conductivity, various gels were examined. Based on these results, the dedicated gel “OPF-203” was developed. Efficacy and safety of OPF-203 were evaluated in a porcine model. Results  In vitro experiments showed that a viscosity of 230 to 1900 mPa·s, loss tangent (tanδ) ≤ 0.6, and hardness of 240 to 540 N/cm2 were suitable. Ex vivo experiments showed electrical conductivity ≤ 220 μS/cm is appropriate. In vivo experiments using gastrointestinal bleeding showed that OPF-203 provided clear visualization compared to water. After electrocoagulation of gastric mucosa in OPF-203, severe coagulative necrosis was not observed in the muscularis but limited to the mucosa. Conclusions OPF-203 is useful for gel immersion endoscopy.

scholarly journals Study on Establishing Reference Safe Concentrations of MRI Contrast Agents for Optimized Images: Paramagnetic Gd-DTPA-BMEA and Superparamagnetic Ferucarbotran

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1165
Author(s):  
Wen-Tien Hsiao ◽  
Yi-Hong Chou ◽  
Jhong-Wei Tu ◽  
Ai-Yih Wang ◽  
Lu-Han Lai
Keyword(s):  
Contrast Agent ◽  
Contrast Agents ◽  
Mri Contrast Agents ◽  
Mri Contrast Agent ◽  
In Vitro Experiments ◽  
Mri Contrast ◽  
In Vivo Experiments ◽  
Contrast Agent Injection

The purpose of this study is to establish the minimal injection doses of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents that can achieve optimized images while improving the safety of injectable MRI drugs. Gadolinium-diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid (Gd-DTPA) and ferucarbotran, commonly used in clinical practice, were selected and evaluated with in vitro and in vivo experiments. MRI was acquired using T1-weighted (T1W) and T2-weighted (T2W) sequences, and the results were quantitatively analyzed. For in vitro experiments, results showed that T1W and T2W images were optimal when Gd-DTPA-bisamide (2-oxoethyl) (Gd-DTPA-BMEA) and ferucarbotran were diluted to a volume percentage of 0.6% and 0.05%; all comparisons were significant differences in grayscale statistics using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). For in vivo experiments, the contrast agent with optimal concentration percentages determined from in vitro experiments were injected into mice with an injection volume of 100 μL, and the images of brain, heart, liver, and mesentery before and after injection were compared. The statistical results showed that the p values of both T1W and T2W were less than 0.001, which were statistically significant. Under safety considerations for MRI contrast agent injection, optimized MRI images could still be obtained after reducing the injection concentration, which can provide a reference for the safety concentrations of MRI contrast agent injection in the future.

scholarly journals Arsenic Directly Binds to and Activates the Yeast AP-1-Like Transcription Factor Yap8

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 913-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nallani Vijay Kumar ◽  
Jianbo Yang ◽  
Jitesh K. Pillai ◽  
Swati Rawat ◽  
Carlos Solano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Transcriptional Response ◽  
Transcriptional Regulator ◽  
Yeast Protein ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arsenic Tolerance ◽  
Arsenic Sensing

The AP-1-like transcription factor Yap8 is critical for arsenic tolerance in the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the mechanism by which Yap8 senses the presence of arsenic and activates transcription of detoxification genes is unknown. Here we demonstrate that Yap8 directly binds to trivalent arsenite [As(III)]in vitroandin vivoand that approximately one As(III) molecule is bound per molecule of Yap8. As(III) is coordinated by three sulfur atoms in purified Yap8, and our genetic and biochemical data identify the cysteine residues that form the binding site as Cys132, Cys137, and Cys274. As(III) binding by Yap8 does not require an additional yeast protein, and Yap8 is regulated neither at the level of localization nor at the level of DNA binding. Instead, our data are consistent with a model in which a DNA-bound form of Yap8 acts directly as an As(III) sensor. Binding of As(III) to Yap8 triggers a conformational change that in turn brings about a transcriptional response. Thus, As(III) binding to Yap8 acts as a molecular switch that converts inactive Yap8 into an active transcriptional regulator. This is the first report to demonstrate how a eukaryotic protein couples arsenic sensing to transcriptional activation.

Anticancer effect of arsenic trioxide on cholangiocarcinoma: in vitro experiments and in vivo xenograft mouse model

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun-Young Kim ◽  
Sang Soo Lee ◽  
Ji Hoon Shin ◽  
Soo Hyun Kim ◽  
Dong-Ho Shin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Model ◽  
Arsenic Trioxide ◽  
In Vitro Experiments ◽  
Anticancer Effect ◽  
Xenograft Mouse Model

scholarly journals Biological Relevance of Colony Morphology and Phenotypic Switching by Burkholderia pseudomallei

2006 ◽  
Vol 189 (3) ◽  
pp. 807-817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narisara Chantratita ◽  
Vanaporn Wuthiekanun ◽  
Khaemaporn Boonbumrung ◽  
Rachaneeporn Tiyawisutsri ◽  
Mongkol Vesaratchavest ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Burkholderia Pseudomallei ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Colony Morphology ◽  
Phenotypic Switching ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Altered Expression ◽  
Replication Fitness

ABSTRACT Melioidosis is a notoriously protracted illness and is difficult to cure. We hypothesize that the causative organism, Burkholderia pseudomallei, undergoes a process of adaptation involving altered expression of surface determinants which facilitates persistence in vivo and that this is reflected by changes in colony morphology. A colony morphotyping scheme and typing algorithm were developed using clinical B. pseudomallei isolates. Morphotypes were divided into seven types (denoted I to VII). Type I gave rise to other morphotypes (most commonly type II or III) by a process of switching in response to environmental stress, including starvation, iron limitation, and growth at 42°C. Switching was associated with complex shifts in phenotype, one of which (type I to type II) was associated with a marked increase in production of factors putatively associated with in vivo concealment. Isogenic types II and III, derived from type I, were examined using several experimental models. Switching between isogenic morphotypes occurred in a mouse model, where type II appeared to become adapted for persistence in a low-virulence state. Isogenic type II demonstrated a significant increase in intracellular replication fitness compared with parental type I after uptake by epithelial cells in vitro. Isogenic type III demonstrated a higher replication fitness following uptake by macrophages in vitro, which was associated with a switch to type II. Mixed B. pseudomallei morphologies were common in individual clinical specimens and were significantly more frequent in samples of blood, pus, and respiratory secretions than in urine and surface swabs. These findings have major implications for therapeutics and vaccine development.

scholarly journals Reversible neutralization by congo red of the anthracidal power of serum

1937 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 471-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Gordon ◽  
N. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Guinea Pig ◽  
Congo Red ◽  
Inhibitory Action ◽  
Protein Solutions ◽  
Haemolytic Activity ◽  
In Vitro Experiments ◽  
Serum Complement ◽  
Destructive Effect

In earlier papers (Gordon, 1930) it was shown that congo red has an inactivating effect on serum complement, both haemolytic and bactericidal, and that this effect can be reversed by treating the serum and congo red mixture with charcoal, the charcoal removing the congo red and leaving the complement active again. A similar reversal of inactivation is obtained by using instead of the charcoal, heated serum (55° C. for 30 min.) or protein solutions. Later (Gordon, 1931), it was shown that congo red had an inactivating effect on the haemolysins of Streptococcus haemolyticus and B. welchii. The reversibility of this effect was not so easy to demonstrate as with complement. Charcoal had a destructive effect on the haemolysins and so could not be used. It was found, however, that when the concentration of congo red was just sufficient to neutralize the streptococcal haemolysin, the addition of cuprammonium artificial silk adsorbed the congo red and liberated the haemolysin. In the case of B. welchii this method of reversal was not suitable, as the artificial silk had a destructive effect on the haemolysin. Instead, reversibility was demonstrated by adding ox serum to the mixture of congo red and haemolysin. This brought about a redistribution of the congo red between the ox serum and the haemolysin and if the amount of congo red used had been only just sufficient to neutralize the haemolysin of B. welchii, then the haemolytic activity could again be demonstrated. Gordon and Robson (1933) showed that congo red interfered with the anaphylactic reaction tested both in vivo and in vitro, the guinea-pig uterus being used in the in vitro experiments, in which the inhibitory action of the dye was shown to be reversible. It was suggested that the congo red interfered with the entrance of antigen into the cell.

scholarly journals Interaction of integrins alpha 3 beta 1 and alpha 2 beta 1: potential role in keratinocyte intercellular adhesion.

1993 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 523-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
B E Symington ◽  
Y Takada ◽  
W G Carter
Keyword(s):  
Potential Role ◽  
Intercellular Adhesion ◽  
Epidermal Cells ◽  
Intercellular Contact ◽  
In Vitro Experiments ◽  
Selective Binding ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Do So

The colocalization of integrins alpha 2 beta 1 and alpha 3 beta 1 at intercellular contact sites of keratinocytes in culture and in epidermis suggests that these integrins may mediate intercellular adhesion (ICA). P1B5, an anti-alpha 3 beta 1 mAb previously reported to inhibit keratinocyte adhesion to epiligrin, was also found to induce ICA. Evidence that P1B5-induced ICA was mediated by alpha 2 beta 1 and alpha 3 beta 1 was obtained using both ICA assays and assays with purified, mAb-immobilized integrins. Selective binding of alpha 2 beta 1-coated beads to epidermal cells or plate-bound alpha 3 beta 1 was observed. This binding was inhibited by mAbs to integrin alpha 3, alpha 2, or beta 1 subunits and could be stimulated by P1B5. We also demonstrate a selective and inhibitable interaction between affinity-purified integrins alpha 2 beta 1 and alpha 3 beta 1. Finally, we show that expression of alpha 2 beta 1 by CHO fibroblasts results in the acquisition of collagen and alpha 3 beta 1 binding. Binding to both of these ligands is inhibited by P1H5, an anti-alpha 2 beta 1 specific mAb. Results of these in vitro experiments suggest that integrins alpha 2 beta 1 and alpha 3 beta 1 can interact and may do so to mediate ICA in vivo. Thus, alpha 3 beta 1 mediates keratinocyte adhesion to epiligrin and plays a second role in ICA via alpha 2 beta 1.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 Spike triggers barrier dysfunction and vascular leak via integrins and TGF-β signaling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott B Biering ◽  
Francielle Tramontini Gomes de Sousa ◽  
Laurentia V. Tjang ◽  
Felix Pahmeier ◽  
Richard Ruan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcriptional Response ◽  
Barrier Dysfunction ◽  
Vascular Leak ◽  
Endothelial Barrier Dysfunction ◽  
Mechanistic Insight ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Signaling Axis ◽  
Insight Into

Severe COVID-19 is associated with epithelial and endothelial barrier dysfunction within the lung as well as in distal organs. While it is appreciated that an exaggerated inflammatory response is associated with barrier dysfunction, the triggers of this pathology are unclear. Here, we report that cell-intrinsic interactions between the Spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 and epithelial/endothelial cells are sufficient to trigger barrier dysfunction in vitro and vascular leak in vivo, independently of viral replication and the ACE2 receptor. We identify an S-triggered transcriptional response associated with extracellular matrix reorganization and TGF-β signaling. Using genetic knockouts and specific inhibitors, we demonstrate that glycosaminoglycans, integrins, and the TGF-β signaling axis are required for S-mediated barrier dysfunction. Our findings suggest that S interactions with barrier cells are a contributing factor to COVID-19 disease severity and offer mechanistic insight into SARS-CoV-2 triggered vascular leak, providing a starting point for development of therapies targeting COVID-19 pathogenesis.

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