Impaired Alanine Transport or Exposure to d-Cycloserine Increases the Susceptibility of MRSA to β-lactam Antibiotics

Abstract Prolonging the clinical effectiveness of β-lactams, which remain first-line antibiotics for many infections, is an important part of efforts to address antimicrobial resistance. We report here that inactivation of the predicted d-cycloserine (DCS) transporter gene cycA resensitized methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to β-lactam antibiotics. The cycA mutation also resulted in hypersusceptibility to DCS, an alanine analogue antibiotic that inhibits alanine racemase and d-alanine ligase required for d-alanine incorporation into cell wall peptidoglycan. Alanine transport was impaired in the cycA mutant, and this correlated with increased susceptibility to oxacillin and DCS. The cycA mutation or exposure to DCS were both associated with the accumulation of muropeptides with tripeptide stems lacking the terminal d-ala-d-ala and reduced peptidoglycan cross-linking, prompting us to investigate synergism between β-lactams and DCS. DCS resensitized MRSA to β-lactams in vitro and significantly enhanced MRSA eradication by oxacillin in a mouse bacteremia model. These findings reveal alanine transport as a new therapeutic target to enhance the susceptibility of MRSA to β-lactam antibiotics.

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Impaired alanine transport or exposure to D-cycloserine increases the susceptibility of MRSA to β-lactam antibiotics

10.1101/616920 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Laura A. Gallagher ◽

Rebecca K. Shears ◽

Claire Fingleton ◽

Laura Alvarez ◽

Elaine M. Waters ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Wall ◽

Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

Therapeutic Target ◽

Clinical Effectiveness ◽

Alanine Racemase ◽

Transporter Gene ◽

First Line ◽

Alanine Transport ◽

Increased Susceptibility

AbstractProlonging the clinical effectiveness of β-lactams, which remain first-line antibiotics for many infections, is an important part of efforts to address antimicrobial resistance. We report here that inactivation of the predicted D-cycloserine (DCS) transporter genecycAre-sensitized MRSA to β-lactam antibiotics. ThecycAmutation also resulted in hyper-susceptibility to DCS, an alanine analogue antibiotic that inhibits alanine racemase and D-alanine ligase required for D-alanine incorporation into cell wall peptidoglycan (PG). Alanine transport was impaired in thecycAmutant and this correlated with increased susceptibility to oxacillin and DCS. ThecycAmutation or exposure to DCS were both associated with the accumulation of muropeptides with tripeptide stems lacking the terminal D-ala-D-ala and reduced PG crosslinking, prompting us to investigate synergism between β-lactams and DCS. DCS re-sensitised MRSA to β-lactamsin vitroand significantly enhanced MRSA eradication by oxacillin in a mouse bacteraemia model. These findings reveal alanine transport as a new therapeutic target to enhance the susceptibility of MRSA to β-lactam antibiotics.

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In vitro antibacterial activity of some spice extracts against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from nose of food handlers

International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research ◽

10.31838/ijpr/2020.12.03.412 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (03) ◽

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Antibacterial Activity ◽

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Food Handlers ◽

Methicillin Resistant ◽

In Vitro Antibacterial Activity

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The Effects of Shock Vancomycin Concentrations on the Formation of Heteroresistance in Staphylococcus aureus

Antibiotics and Chemotherapy ◽

10.37489/0235-2990-2020-65-9-10-3-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 65 (9-10) ◽

pp. 3-7

Author(s):

V. V. Gostev ◽

Yu. V. Sopova ◽

O. S. Kalinogorskaya ◽

M. E. Velizhanina ◽

I. V. Lazareva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

In Vitro Selection ◽

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

High Concentration ◽

Short Term ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Selection Of ◽

Selection Of Resistance ◽

Test Cultures

Glycopeptides are the basis of the treatment of infections caused by MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Previously, it was demonstrated that antibiotic tolerant phenotypes are formed during selection of resistance under the influence of high concentrations of antibiotics. The present study uses a similar in vitro selection model with vancomycin. Clinical isolates of MRSA belonging to genetic lines ST8 and ST239, as well as the MSSA (ATCC29213) strain, were included in the experiment. Test isolates were incubated for five hours in a medium with a high concentration of vancomycin (50 μg/ml). Test cultures were grown on the medium without antibiotic for 18 hours after each exposure. A total of ten exposure cycles were performed. Vancomycin was characterized by bacteriostatic action; the proportion of surviving cells after exposure was 70–100%. After selection, there was a slight increase in the MIC to vancomycin (MIC 2 μg/ml), teicoplanin (MIC 1.5–3 μg/ml) and daptomycin (MIC 0.25–2 μg/ml). According to the results of PAP analysis, all strains showed an increase in the area under curve depending on the concentration of vancomycin after selection, while a heteroresistant phenotype (with PAP/AUC 0.9) was detected in three isolates. All isolates showed walK mutations (T188S, D235N, E261V, V380I, and G223D). Exposure to short-term shock concentrations of vancomycin promotes the formation of heteroresistance in both MRSA and MSSA. Formation of VISA phenotypes is possible during therapy with vancomycin.

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Group V Phospholipase A2 Mediates Endothelial Dysfunction and Acute Lung Injury Caused by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10071731 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 1731

Author(s):

Yu Maw Htwe ◽

Huashan Wang ◽

Patrick Belvitch ◽

Lucille Meliton ◽

Mounica Bandela ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Acute Lung Injury ◽

Endothelial Dysfunction ◽

Lung Injury ◽

Phospholipase A2 ◽

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Group V ◽

Methicillin Resistant

Lung endothelial dysfunction is a key feature of acute lung injury (ALI) and clinical acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Previous studies have identified the lipid-generating enzyme, group V phospholipase A2 (gVPLA2), as a mediator of lung endothelial barrier disruption and inflammation. The current study aimed to determine the role of gVPLA2 in mediating lung endothelial responses to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, USA300 strain), a major cause of ALI/ARDS. In vitro studies assessed the effects of gVPLA2 inhibition on lung endothelial cell (EC) permeability after exposure to heat-killed (HK) MRSA. In vivo studies assessed the effects of intratracheal live or HK-MRSA on multiple indices of ALI in wild-type (WT) and gVPLA2-deficient (KO) mice. In vitro, HK-MRSA increased gVPLA2 expression and permeability in human lung EC. Inhibition of gVPLA2 with either the PLA2 inhibitor, LY311727, or with a specific monoclonal antibody, attenuated the barrier disruption caused by HK-MRSA. LY311727 also reduced HK-MRSA-induced permeability in mouse lung EC isolated from WT but not gVPLA2-KO mice. In vivo, live MRSA caused significantly less ALI in gVPLA2 KO mice compared to WT, findings confirmed by intravital microscopy assessment in HK-MRSA-treated mice. After targeted delivery of gVPLA2 plasmid to lung endothelium using ACE antibody-conjugated liposomes, MRSA-induced ALI was significantly increased in gVPLA2-KO mice, indicating that lung endothelial expression of gVPLA2 is critical in vivo. In summary, these results demonstrate an important role for gVPLA2 in mediating MRSA-induced lung EC permeability and ALI. Thus, gVPLA2 may represent a novel therapeutic target in ALI/ARDS caused by bacterial infection.

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