scholarly journals Escherichia coli O157 : H7 glutamate- and arginine-dependent acid-resistance systems protect against oxidative stress during extreme acid challenge

Microbiology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 155 (3) ◽  
pp. 805-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley L. Bearson ◽  
In Soo Lee ◽  
Thomas A. Casey

Micro-organisms may simultaneously encounter multiple stresses in their environment. To investigate the protection that several known Escherichia coli O157 : H7 acid-resistance systems might provide against both oxidative and acid stress, the addition of diamide, a membrane-permeable thiol-specific oxidizing agent, or hydrogen peroxide were used concurrent with acid challenge at pH 2.5 to determine bacterial survival. The addition of either diamide or hydrogen peroxide decreased bacterial survival in a dose-dependent manner for E. coli O157 : H7 during challenge at pH 2.5 following overnight growth in LB MES pH 5.5 (acid-resistance system 1, AR1). In contrast, the presence of either glutamate or arginine during challenge provided significant protection against diamide- and hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress during pH 2.5 acid challenge. Oxidative stress protection during acid challenge required gadC and adiA for the glutamate- (AR2) and arginine- (AR3) dependent acid-resistance systems, respectively. In addition, maximal protection against oxidative stress in the presence of glutamate required a low external pH (pH 2.5), since pH 5.5 did not protect. This study demonstrates that the glutamate- and arginine-dependent acid-resistance systems of E. coli O157 : H7 can simultaneously protect against oxidative stress during extreme acid challenge.

2000 ◽  
Vol 66 (9) ◽  
pp. 3911-3916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Ho Choi ◽  
David J. Baumler ◽  
Charles W. Kaspar

ABSTRACT An Escherichia coli O157:H7dps::nptI mutant (FRIK 47991) was generated, and its survival was compared to that of the parent in HCl (synthetic gastric fluid, pH 1.8) and hydrogen peroxide (15 mM) challenges. The survival of the mutant in log phase (5-h culture) was significantly impaired (4-log10-CFU/ml reduction) compared to that of the parent strain (ca. 1.0-log10-CFU/ml reduction) after a standard 3-h acid challenge. Early-stationary-phase cells (12-h culture) of the mutant decreased by ca. 4 log10CFU/ml while the parent strain decreased by approximately 2 log10 CFU/ml. No significant differences in the survival of late-stationary-phase cells (24-h culture) between the parent strain and the mutant were observed, although numbers of the parent strain declined less in the initial 1 h of acid challenge. FRIK 47991 was more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide challenge than was the parent strain, although survival improved in stationary phase. Complementation of the mutant with a functional dps gene restored acid and hydrogen peroxide tolerance to levels equal to or greater than those exhibited by the parent strain. These results demonstrate that decreases in survival were from the absence of Dps or a protein regulated by Dps. The results from this study establish that Dps contributes to acid tolerance in E. coli O157:H7 and confirm the importance of Dps in oxidative stress protection.


2013 ◽  
Vol 81 (9) ◽  
pp. 3472-3478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiqing Sheng ◽  
Y. N. Nguyen ◽  
Carolyn J. Hovde ◽  
Vanessa Sperandio

ABSTRACTEnterohemorrhagicEscherichia coli(EHEC) causes hemorrhagic colitis and life-threatening complications. The main reservoirs for EHEC are healthy ruminants. We reported that SdiA senses acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) in the bovine rumen to activate expression of the glutamate acid resistance (gad) genes priming EHEC's acid resistance before they pass into the acidic abomasum. Conversely, SdiA represses expression of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) genes, whose expression is not required for bacterial survival in the rumen but is necessary for efficient colonization at the rectoanal junction (RAJ) mucosa. Our previous studies show that SdiA-dependent regulation was necessary for efficient EHEC colonization of cattle fed a grain diet. Here, we compared the SdiA role in EHEC colonization of cattle fed a forage hay diet. We detected AHLs in the rumen of cattle fed a hay diet, and these AHLs activatedgadgene expression in an SdiA-dependent manner. The rumen fluid and fecal samples from hay-fed cattle were near neutrality, while the same digesta samples from grain-fed animals were acidic. Cattle fed either grain or hay and challenged with EHEC orally carried the bacteria similarly. EHEC was cleared from the rumen within days and from the RAJ mucosa after approximately one month. In competition trials, where animals were challenged with both wild-type and SdiA deletion mutant bacteria, diet did not affect the outcome that the wild-type strain was better able to persist and colonize. However, the wild-type strain had a greater advantage over the SdiA deletion mutant at the RAJ mucosa among cattle fed the grain diet.


Biologia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meltem Akbas ◽  
Tugrul Doruk ◽  
Serhat Ozdemir ◽  
Benjamin Stark

AbstractIn Escherichia coli, Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) protects against oxidative stress, perhaps, in part, by oxidizing OxyR. Here this protection, specifically VHb-associated effects on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase levels, was examined. Exponential or stationary phase cultures of SOD+ or SOD− E. coli strains with or without VHb and oxyR antisense were treated with 2 mM hydrogen peroxide without sublethal peroxide induction, and compared to untreated control cultures. The hydrogen peroxide treatment was toxic to both SOD+ and SOD− cells, but much more to SOD− cells; expression of VHb in SOD+ strains enhanced this toxicity. In contrast, the presence of VHb was generally associated in the SOD+ background with a modest increase in SOD activity that was not greatly affected by oxyR antisense or peroxide treatment. In both SOD+ and SOD− backgrounds, VHb was associated with higher catalase activity both in the presence and absence of peroxide. Contrary to its stimulatory effects in stationary phase, in exponential phase oxyR antisense generally decreased VHb levels.


2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (24) ◽  
pp. 7001-7012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuo Ma ◽  
Hope Richard ◽  
Don L. Tucker ◽  
Tyrrell Conway ◽  
John W. Foster

ABSTRACT An important feature of Escherichia coli pathogenesis is an ability to withstand extremely acidic environments of pH 2 or lower. This acid resistance property contributes to the low infectious dose of pathogenic E. coli species. One very efficient E. coli acid resistance system encompasses two isoforms of glutamate decarboxylase (gadA and gadB) and a putative glutamate:γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) antiporter (gadC). The system is subject to complex controls that vary with growth media, growth phase, and growth pH. Previous work has revealed that the system is controlled by two sigma factors, two negative regulators (cyclic AMP receptor protein [CRP] and H-NS), and an AraC-like regulator called GadX. Earlier evidence suggested that the GadX protein acts both as a positive and negative regulator of the gadA and gadBC genes depending on environmental conditions. New data clarify this finding, revealing a collaborative regulation between GadX and another AraC-like regulator called GadW (previously YhiW). GadX and GadW are DNA binding proteins that form homodimers in vivo and are 42% homologous to each other. GadX activates expression of gadA and gadBC at any pH, while GadW inhibits GadX-dependent activation. Regulation of gadA and gadBC by either regulator requires an upstream, 20-bp GAD box sequence. Northern blot analysis further indicates that GadW represses expression of gadX. The results suggest a control circuit whereby GadW interacts with both the gadA and gadX promoters. GadW clearly represses gadX and, in situations where GadX is missing, activates gadA and gadBC. GadX, however, activates only gadA and gadBC expression. CRP also represses gadX expression. It does this primarily by repressing production of sigma S, the sigma factor responsible for gadX expression. In fact, the acid induction of gadA and gadBC observed when rich-medium cultures enter stationary phase corresponds to the acid induction of sigma S production. These complex control circuits impose tight rein over expression of the gadA and gadBC system yet provide flexibility for inducing acid resistance under many conditions that presage acid stress.


PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Robertson ◽  
Marija Gizdavic-Nikolaidis ◽  
Michel K. Nieuwoudt ◽  
Simon Swift

Polyaniline (PANI) and functionalised polyanilines (fPANI) are novel antimicrobial agents whose mechanism of action was investigated.Escherichia colisingle gene deletion mutants revealed that the antimicrobial mechanism of PANI likely involves production of hydrogen peroxide while homopolymer poly(3-aminobenzoic acid), P3ABA, used as an example of a fPANI, disrupts metabolic and respiratory machinery, by targeting ATP synthase and causes acid stress. PANI was more active againstE. coliin aerobic, compared to anaerobic, conditions, while this was apparent for P3ABA only in rich media. Greater activity in aerobic conditions suggests involvement of reactive oxygen species. P3ABA treatment causes an increase in intracellular free iron, which is linked to perturbation of metabolic enzymes and could promote reactive oxygen species production. Addition of exogenous catalase protectedE. colifrom PANI antimicrobial action; however, this was not apparent for P3ABA treated cells. The results presented suggest that PANI induces production of hydrogen peroxide, which can promote formation of hydroxyl radicals causing biomolecule damage and potentially cell death. P3ABA is thought to act as an uncoupler by targeting ATP synthase resulting in a futile cycle, which precipitates dysregulation of iron homeostasis, oxidative stress, acid stress, and potentially the fatal loss of proton motive force.


2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (7) ◽  
pp. 2759-2768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron K. Mates ◽  
Atef K. Sayed ◽  
John W. Foster

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli has an ability, rare among the Enterobacteriaceae, to survive extreme acid stress under various host (e.g., human stomach) and nonhost (e.g., apple cider) conditions. Previous microarray studies have exposed a cluster of 12 genes at 79 centisomes collectively called an acid fitness island (AFI). Four AFI genes, gadA, gadX, gadW, and gadE, were already known to be involved in an acid resistance system that consumes an intracellular proton through the decarboxylation of glutamic acid. However, roles for the other eight AFI gene products were either unknown or subject to conflicting findings. Two new aspects of acid resistance are described that require participation of five of the remaining eight AFI genes. YhiF (a putative regulatory protein), lipoprotein Slp, and the periplasmic chaperone HdeA protected E. coli from organic acid metabolites produced during fermentation once the external pH was reduced to pH 2.5. HdeA appears to handle protein damage caused when protonated organic acids diffuse into the cell and dissociate, thereby decreasing internal pH. In contrast, YhiF- and Slp-dependent systems appear to counter the effects of the organic acids themselves, specifically succinate, lactate, and formate, but not acetate. A second phenomenon was defined by two other AFI genes, yhiD and hdeD, encoding putative membrane proteins. These proteins participate in an acid resistance mechanism exhibited only at high cell densities (>108 CFU per ml). Density-dependent acid resistance does not require any demonstrable secreted factor and may involve cell contact-dependent activation. These findings further define the complex physiology of E. coli acid resistance.


2008 ◽  
Vol 191 (6) ◽  
pp. 1868-1877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sivapriya Kailasan Vanaja ◽  
Teresa M. Bergholz ◽  
Thomas S. Whittam

ABSTRACTIntegrating laterally acquired virulence genes into the backbone regulatory network is important for the pathogenesis ofEscherichia coliO157:H7, which has captured many virulence genes through horizontal transfer during evolution. GadE is an essential transcriptional activator of the glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) system, the most efficient acid resistance (AR) mechanism inE. coli. The full contribution of GadE to the AR and virulence ofE. coliO157:H7 remains largely unknown. We inactivatedgadEinE. coliO157:H7 Sakai and compared global transcription profiles of the mutant with that of the wild type in the exponential and stationary phases of growth. Inactivation ofgadEsignificantly altered the expression of 60 genes independently of the growth phase and of 122 genes in a growth phase-dependent manner. Inactivation ofgadEmarkedly downregulated the expression ofgadA, gadB, andgadCand of many acid fitness island genes. Nineteen genes encoded on the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), includingler, showed a significant increase in expression upongadEinactivation. Inactivation oflerin the ΔgadEstrain reversed the effect ofgadEdeletion on LEE expression, indicating that Ler is necessary for LEE repression by GadE. GadE is also involved in downregulation of LEE expression under conditions of moderately acidic pH. Characterization of AR of the ΔgadEstrain revealed that GadE is indispensable for a functional GAD system and for survival ofE. coliO157:H7 in a simulated gastric environment. Altogether, these data indicate that GadE is critical for the AR ofE. coliO157:H7 and that it plays an important role in virulence by downregulating expression of LEE.


2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (10) ◽  
pp. 6228-6234 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Samelis ◽  
John N. Sofos ◽  
Patricia A. Kendall ◽  
Gary C. Smith

ABSTRACT A potential may exist for survival of and resistance development by Escherichia coli O157:H7 in environmental niches of meat plants applying carcass decontamination interventions. This study evaluated (i) survival or growth of acid-adapted and nonadapted E. coli O157:H7 strain ATCC 43895 in acetic acid (pH 3.6 ± 0.1) or in water (pH 7.2 ± 0.2) fresh beef decontamination runoff fluids (washings) stored at 4, 10, 15, or 25°C and (ii) resistance of cells recovered from the washings after 2 or 7 days of storage to a subsequent lactic acid (pH 3.5) stress. Corresponding cultures in sterile saline or in heat-sterilized water washings were used as controls. In acetic acid washings, acid-adapted cultures survived better than nonadapted cultures, with survival being greatest at 4°C and lowest at 25°C. The pathogen survived without growth in water washings at 4 and 10°C, while it grew by 0.8 to 2.7 log cycles at 15 and 25°C, and more in the absence of natural flora. E. coli O157:H7 cells habituated without growth in water washings at 4 or 10°C were the most sensitive to pH 3.5, while cells grown in water washings at 15 or 25°C were relatively the most resistant, irrespective of previous acid adaptation. Resistance to pH 3.5 of E. coli O157:H7 cells habituated in acetic acid washings for 7 days increased in the order 15°C > 10°C > 4°C, while at 25°C cells died off. These results indicate that growth inhibition by storage at low temperatures may be more important than competition by natural flora in inducing acid sensitization of E. coli O157:H7 in fresh meat environments. At ambient temperatures in meat plants, E. coli O157:H7 may grow to restore acid resistance, unless acid interventions are applied to inhibit growth and minimize survival of the pathogen. Acid-habituated E. coli O157:H7 at 10 to 15°C may maintain a higher acid resistance than when acid habituated at 4°C. These responses should be evaluated with fresh meat and may be useful for the optimization of decontamination programs and postdecontamination conditions of meat handling.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxia Li ◽  
Yuanhong Xie ◽  
Junhua Jin ◽  
Hui Liu ◽  
Xiuzhi Gao ◽  
...  

AbstractEscherichia coli can induce a group of stress-response proteins, including carbon starvation-induced lipoprotein (Slp), which is an outer membrane lipoprotein expressed in response to stressful environments. In this paper, slp null mutantE. coli were constructed by insertion of the group II intron, and then the growth sensitivity of the slp mutant strain was measured under 0.6% (vol/vol) hydrogen peroxide. The changes in resistance to hydrogen peroxide stress were investigated by detecting antioxidant activity and gene expression in the slp mutant strain. The results showed that deletion of the slp gene increased the sensitivity of E. coli under 0.6% (vol/vol) hydrogen peroxide oxidative stress. Analysis of the unique mapping rates from the transcriptome libraries revealed that four of thirteen remarkably up/down-regulated genes in E. coli were involved in antioxidant enzymes after mutation of the slp gene. Mutation of the slp gene caused a significant increase in catalase activity, which contributed to an increase in glutathione peroxidase activity. The katG gene was activated by the OxyR regulator, which was activated directly by 0.6% (vol/vol) hydrogen peroxide, and HPI encoded by katG was induced against oxidative stress. Therefore, the carbon starvation-induced lipoprotein Slp regulates the expression of antioxidant enzymes and the transcriptional activator OxyR in response to the hydrogen peroxide environment, ensuring that cells are protected from hydrogen peroxide oxidative stress at the level of enzyme activity and gene expression.


Genes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belén Mendoza-Chamizo ◽  
Anders Løbner-Olesen ◽  
Godefroid Charbon

The facultative aerobic bacterium Escherichia coli adjusts its cell cycle to environmental conditions. Because of its lifestyle, the bacterium has to balance the use of oxygen with the potential lethal effects of its poisonous derivatives. Oxidative damages perpetrated by molecules such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anions directly incapacitate metabolic activities relying on enzymes co-factored with iron and flavins. Consequently, growth is inhibited when the bacterium faces substantial reactive oxygen insults coming from environmental or cellular sources. Although hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anions do not oxidize DNA directly, these molecules feed directly or indirectly the generation of the highly reactive hydroxyl radical that damages the bacterial chromosome. Oxidized bases are normally excised and the single strand gap repaired by the base excision repair pathway (BER). This process is especially problematic in E. coli because replication forks do not sense the presence of damages or a stalled fork ahead of them. As consequence, single-strand breaks are turned into double-strand breaks (DSB) through replication. Since E. coli tolerates the presence of DSBs poorly, BER can become toxic during oxidative stress. Here we review the repair strategies that E. coli adopts to preserve genome integrity during oxidative stress and their relation to cell cycle control of DNA replication.


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