scholarly journals Exploration of bacterial bottlenecks and Streptococcus pneumoniae pathogenesis by CRISPRi-seq

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Liu ◽  
Jacqueline M. Kimmey ◽  
Vincent de Bakker ◽  
Victor Nizet ◽  
Jan-Willem Veening
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Post Infection ◽  
Systemic Infection ◽  
The Body ◽  
Genetic Screens ◽  
Animal Pathogens ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
One Step

AbstractStreptococcus pneumoniae is a commensal bacterium of the human nasopharynx, but can cause harmful infections if it spreads to other parts of the body, such as pneumonia, sepsis or meningitis. To facilitate pathogenesis studies, we constructed a doxycycline-inducible pooled CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) library targeting all operons in protypical S. pneumoniae strain D39V. Our library design allows fitness within the pool to be assessed by a one-step PCR reaction directly followed by Illumina sequencing (CRISPRi-seq). The doxycycline-inducible CRISPRi system is tightly controllable and suitable for both bottleneck exploration and evaluation of gene fitness in vitro and in vivo. Here, we applied CRISPRi-seq to identify genetic factors important for causing pneumococcal pneumonia. Mice were infected intratracheally with our CRISPRi library and bacteria collected at 24 h (from lung) and 48 h (from both lung and blood) post-infection. CRISPRi-seq showed a critical bottleneck at 48 h after intratracheal infection, with only a few bacteria surviving the brunt of the innate immune response to cause systemic infection. However, earlier at 24 h post-infection, many significant differences in gene fitness cost between in vitro and in vivo conditions were identified, including genes encoding known and putative novel virulence factors, genes essential only in vivo, and genes essential only in vitro. A key advantage of CRISPRi-seq over traditional transposon-based genetic screens is that all genes, including essential genes, can be tested for their role in virulence and pathogenicity. The approaches developed here should be generally applicable to study infection bottlenecks and in vivo fitness for other important human and animal pathogens.

scholarly journals Characterization of Pit, a Streptococcus pneumoniae Iron Uptake ABC Transporter

2002 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 4389-4398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy S. Brown ◽  
Sarah M. Gilliland ◽  
Javier Ruiz-Albert ◽  
David W. Holden
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Abc Transporter ◽  
Iron Uptake ◽  
Systemic Infection ◽  
Iron Chelator ◽  
Iron Deficient ◽  
Deficient Medium ◽  
Mutant Strains

ABSTRACT Bacteria frequently have multiple mechanisms for acquiring iron, an essential micronutrient, from the environment. We have identified a four-gene Streptococcus pneumoniae operon, named pit, encoding proteins with similarity to components of a putative Brachyspira hyodysenteriae iron uptake ABC transporter, Bit. An S. pneumoniae strain containing a defined mutation in pit has impaired growth in medium containing the iron chelator ethylenediamine di-o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, reduced sensitivity to the iron-dependent antibiotic streptonigrin, and impaired virulence in a mouse model of S. pneumoniae systemic infection. Furthermore, addition of a mutation in pit to a strain containing mutations in the two previously described S. pneumoniae iron uptake ABC transporters, piu and pia, resulted in a strain with impaired growth in two types of iron-deficient medium, a high degree of resistance to streptonigrin, and a reduced rate of iron uptake. Comparison of the susceptibilities to streptonigrin of the individual pit, piu, and pia mutant strains and comparison of the growth in iron-deficient medium and virulence of single and double mutant strains suggest that pia is the dominant iron transporter during in vitro and in vivo growth.

scholarly journals Hemoglobin stimulates vigorous growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae and shapes the pathogen's global transcriptome

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahmina Akhter ◽  
Edroyal Womack ◽  
Jorge E. Vidal ◽  
Yoann Le Breton ◽  
Kevin S. McIver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
The Body ◽  
Host Proteins ◽  
Vigorous Growth ◽  
Cultivation In Vitro ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Heme Binding Protein

Abstract Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) must acquire iron from the host to establish infection. We examined the impact of hemoglobin, the largest iron reservoir in the body, on pneumococcal physiology. Supplementation with hemoglobin allowed Spn to resume growth in an iron-deplete medium. Pneumococcal growth with hemoglobin was unusually robust, exhibiting a prolonged logarithmic growth, higher biomass, and extended viability in both iron-deplete and standard medium. We observed the hemoglobin-dependent response in multiple serotypes, but not with other host proteins, free iron, or heme. Remarkably, hemoglobin induced a sizable transcriptome remodeling, effecting virulence and metabolism in particular genes facilitating host glycoconjugates use. Accordingly, Spn was more adapted to grow on the human α − 1 acid glycoprotein as a sugar source with hemoglobin. A mutant in the hemoglobin/heme-binding protein Spbhp-37 was impaired for growth on heme and hemoglobin iron. The mutant exhibited reduced growth and iron content when grown in THYB and hemoglobin. In summary, the data show that hemoglobin is highly beneficial for Spn cultivation in vitro and suggest that hemoglobin might drive the pathogen adaptation in vivo. The hemoglobin receptor, Spbhp-37, plays a role in mediating the positive influence of hemoglobin. These novel findings provide intriguing insights into pneumococcal interactions with its obligate human host.

scholarly journals Isolation of Streptococcus pneumoniae Biofilm Mutants and Their Characterization during Nasopharyngeal Colonization

2008 ◽  
Vol 76 (11) ◽  
pp. 5049-5061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernesto J. Muñoz-Elías ◽  
Joan Marcano ◽  
Andrew Camilli
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Colonization ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Transposon Mutants ◽  
Bona Fide

ABSTRACT Asymptomatic colonization of the nasopharynx by Streptococcus pneumoniae precedes pneumococcal disease, yet pneumococcal colonization factors remain poorly understood. Many bacterial infections involve biofilms which protect bacteria from host defenses and antibiotics. To gain insight into the genetics of biofilm formation by S. pneumoniae, we conducted an in vitro screen for biofilm-altered mutants with the serotype 4 clinical isolate TIGR4. In a first screen of 6,000 mariner transposon mutants, we repeatedly isolated biofilm-overproducing acapsular mutants, suggesting that the capsule was antagonistic to biofilm formation. Therefore, we screened 6,500 additional transposon mutants in an S. pneumoniae acapsular background. Following this approach, we isolated 69 insertions in 49 different genes. The collection of mutants includes genes encoding bona fide and putative choline binding proteins, adhesins, synthases of membrane and cell wall components, extracellular and cell wall proteases, efflux pumps, ABC and PTS transporters, and transcriptional regulators, as well as several conserved and novel hypothetical proteins. Interestingly, while four insertions mapped to rrgA, encoding a subunit of a recently described surface pilus, rrgB and rrgC (encoding the other two pilus subunits) mutants had no biofilm defects, implicating the RrgA adhesin but not the pilus structure per se in biofilm formation. To correlate our findings to the process of colonization, we transferred a set of 29 mutations into the wild-type encapsulated strain and then tested the fitness of the mutants in vivo. Strikingly, we found that 23 of these mutants were impaired for nasopharyngeal colonization, thus establishing a link between biofilm formation and colonization.

scholarly journals TheIn VitroRedundant Enzymes PurN and PurT Are Both Essential for Systemic Infection of Mice in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium

2016 ◽  
Vol 84 (7) ◽  
pp. 2076-2085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotte Jelsbak ◽  
Mie I. B. Mortensen ◽  
Mogens Kilstrup ◽  
John E. Olsen
Keyword(s):  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Systemic Infection ◽  
Gene Deletions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Serovar Typhimurium ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Glycine Cleavage

Metabolic enzymes show a high degree of redundancy, and for that reason they are generally ignored in searches for novel targets for anti-infective substances. The enzymes PurN and PurT are redundantin vitroinSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium, in which they perform the third step of purine synthesis. Surprisingly, the results of the current study demonstrated that single-gene deletions of each of the genes encoding these enzymes caused attenuation (competitive infection indexes [CI] of <0.03) in mouse infections. While the ΔpurTmutant multiplied as fast as the wild-type strain in cultured J774A.1 macrophages, net multiplication of the ΔpurNmutant was reduced approximately 50% in 20 h. The attenuation of the ΔpurTmutant was abolished by simultaneous removal of the enzyme PurU, responsible for the formation of formate, indicating that the attenuation was related to formate accumulation or wasteful consumption of formyl tetrahydrofolate by PurU. In the process of further characterization, we disclosed that the glycine cleavage system (GCV) was the most important for formation of C1unitsin vivo(CI = 0.03 ± 0.03). In contrast, GlyA was the only important enzyme for the formation of C1unitsin vitro. The results with the ΔgcvTmutant further revealed that formation of serine by SerA and further conversion of serine into C1units and glycine by GlyA were not sufficient to ensure C1formation inS. Typhimuriumin vivo. The results of the present study call for reinvestigations of the concept of metabolic redundancy inS. Typhimuriumin vivo.

scholarly journals In Vivo Dual RNA-Seq Analysis Reveals the Basis for Differential Tissue Tropism of Clinical Isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikrant Minhas ◽  
Rieza Aprianto ◽  
Lauren J. McAllister ◽  
Hui Wang ◽  
Shannon C. David ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Single Cell Analysis ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Systemic Infection ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Transcriptional Responses ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Genes Encoding

ABSTRACTStreptococcus pneumoniae is a genetically diverse human-adapted pathogen commonly carried asymptomatically in the nasopharynx. We have recently shown that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the raffinose pathway regulatory gene rafR accounts for a significant difference in the capacity of clonally-related strains to cause localised versus systemic infection. Here we have used dual RNA-seq to show that this SNP extensively impacts both bacterial and host transcriptomes in infected lungs. It affects expression of bacterial genes encoding multiple sugar transporters, and fine-tunes carbohydrate metabolism, along with extensive rewiring of host transcriptional responses to infection, particularly expression of genes encoding cytokine and chemokine ligands and receptors. The dual RNA-seq data predicted a crucial role for differential neutrophil recruitment in the distinct virulence profiles of the infecting strains and single cell analysis revealed that while reduced expression of the RafR regulon driven by a single rafR SNP provides a clear advantage for pneumococci to colonize the ear, in the lung it leads to massive recruitment of neutrophils and bacterial clearance. Importantly, the observed disease outcomes were confirmed by in vivo neutrophil depletion showing that early detection of bacteria by the host in the lung environment is crucial for effective clearance. Thus, dual RNA-seq provides a powerful tool for understanding complex host-pathogen interactions and revealed how a single bacterial SNP can drive differential disease outcomes.

scholarly journals Activity of Tedizolid Phosphate (TR-701) in Murine Models of Infection with Penicillin-Resistant and Penicillin-Sensitive Streptococcus pneumoniae

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
pp. 4713-4717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunghak Choi ◽  
Weonbin Im ◽  
Ken Bartizal
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Inflammatory Cell ◽  
Systemic Infection ◽  
Murine Models ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lung Histopathology ◽  
Phosphate Treatment

ABSTRACTThein vitroactivity of tedizolid (previously known as torezolid, TR-700) against penicillin-resistantStreptococcus pneumoniae(PRSP) clinical isolates and thein vivoefficacy of tedizolid phosphate (torezolid phosphate, TR-701) in murine models of PRSP systemic infection and penicillin-susceptibleS. pneumoniae(PSSP) pneumonia were examined using linezolid as a comparator. The MIC90against 28 PRSP isolates was 0.25 μg/ml for tedizolid, whereas it was 1 μg/ml for linezolid. In mice infected systemically with a lethal inoculum of PRSP 1 h prior to a single administration of either antimicrobial, oral tedizolid phosphate was equipotent to linezolid (1 isolate) to 2-fold more potent than linezolid (3 isolates) for survival at day 7, with tedizolid phosphate 50% effective dose (ED50) values ranging from 3.19 to 11.53 mg/kg of body weight/day. In the PSSP pneumonia model, the ED50for survival at day 15 was 2.80 mg/kg/day for oral tedizolid phosphate, whereas it was 8.09 mg/kg/day for oral linezolid following 48 h of treatment with either agent. At equivalent doses (10 mg/kg once daily tedizolid phosphate or 5 mg/kg twice daily linezolid), pneumococcal titers in the lungs at 52 h postinfection were approximately 3 orders of magnitude lower with tedizolid phosphate treatment than with linezolid treatment or no treatment. Lung histopathology showed less inflammatory cell invasion into alveolar spaces in mice treated with tedizolid phosphate than in untreated or linezolid-treated mice. These results demonstrate that tedizolid phosphate is effective in murine models of PRSP systemic infection and PSSP pneumonia.

scholarly journals A Novel Ketolide, RBx 14255, with Activity against Multidrug-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (8) ◽  
pp. 4283-4289 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Samuel Raj ◽  
Tarani Kanta Barman ◽  
Vandana Kalia ◽  
Kedar Purnapatre ◽  
Smita Dube ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Pulmonary Infection ◽  
Systemic Infection ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pharmacokinetic Properties

ABSTRACTWe present here the novel ketolide RBx 14255, a semisynthetic macrolide derivative obtained by the derivatization of clarithromycin, for itsin vitroandin vivoactivities against sensitive and macrolide-resistantStreptococcus pneumoniae. RBx 14255 showed excellentin vitroactivity against macrolide-resistantS. pneumoniae, including an in-house-generated telithromycin-resistant strain (S. pneumoniae3390 NDDR). RBx 14255 also showed potent protein synthesis inhibition against telithromycin-resistantS. pneumoniae3390 NDDR. The binding affinity of RBx 14255 toward ribosomes was found to be more than that for other tested drugs. Thein vivoefficacy of RBx 14255 was determined in murine pulmonary infection induced by intranasal inoculation ofS. pneumoniaeATCC 6303 and systemic infection withS. pneumoniae3390 NDDR strains. The 50% effective dose (ED50) of RBx 14255 againstS. pneumoniaeATCC 6303 in a murine pulmonary infection model was 3.12 mg/kg of body weight. In addition, RBx 14255 resulted in 100% survival of mice with systemic infection caused by macrolide-resistantS. pneumoniae3390 NDDR at 100 mg/kg four times daily (QID) and at 50 mg/kg QID. RBx 14255 showed favorable pharmacokinetic properties that were comparable to those of telithromycin.

The Role of Polyphenols in the Modulation of Plasma Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant Capacity (NEAC)

2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 228-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Serafini ◽  
Giuseppa Morabito
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Capacity ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
The Body ◽  
Dietary Polyphenols ◽  
Enzymatic Antioxidant ◽  
Endogenous Antioxidant

Dietary polyphenols have been shown to scavenge free radicals, modulating cellular redox transcription factors in different in vitro and ex vivo models. Dietary intervention studies have shown that consumption of plant foods modulates plasma Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant Capacity (NEAC), a biomarker of the endogenous antioxidant network, in human subjects. However, the identification of the molecules responsible for this effect are yet to be obtained and evidences of an antioxidant in vivo action of polyphenols are conflicting. There is a clear discrepancy between polyphenols (PP) concentration in body fluids and the extent of increase of plasma NEAC. The low degree of absorption and the extensive metabolism of PP within the body have raised questions about their contribution to the endogenous antioxidant network. This work will discuss the role of polyphenols from galenic preparation, food extracts, and selected dietary sources as modulators of plasma NEAC in humans.

Репрограммированые in vitro на М3 фенотип макрофаги останавливают рост солидной карциномы in vivo

2018 ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
А.А. Раецкая ◽  
С.В. Калиш ◽  
С.В. Лямина ◽  
Е.В. Малышева ◽  
О.П. Буданова ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solid Tumor ◽  
Antitumor Effect ◽  
Tumor Development ◽  
Significant Inhibition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Ehrlich Carcinoma ◽  
Solid Carcinoma ◽  
Ec Cells

Цель исследования. Доказательство гипотезы, что репрограммированные in vitro на М3 фенотип макрофаги при введении в организм будут существенно ограничивать развитие солидной карциномы in vivo . Методика. Рост солидной опухоли инициировали у мышей in vivo путем подкожной инъекции клеток карциномы Эрлиха (КЭ). Инъекцию макрофагов с нативным М0 фенотипом и с репрограммированным M3 фенотипом проводили в область формирования солидной КЭ. Репрограммирование проводили с помощью низких доз сыворотки, блокаторов факторов транскрипции STAT3/6 и SMAD3 и липополисахарида. Использовали две схемы введения макрофагов: раннее и позднее. При раннем введении макрофаги вводили на 1-е, 5-е, 10-е и 15-е сут. после инъекции клеток КЭ путем обкалывания макрофагами с четырех сторон область развития опухоли. При позднем введении, макрофаги вводили на 10-е, 15-е, 20-е и 25-е сут. Через 15 и 30 сут. после введения клеток КЭ солидную опухоль иссекали и измеряли ее объем. Эффект введения макрофагов оценивали качественно по визуальной и пальпаторной характеристикам солидной опухоли и количественно по изменению ее объема по сравнению с группой без введения макрофагов (контроль). Результаты. Установлено, что M3 макрофаги при раннем введении от начала развития опухоли оказывают выраженный антиопухолевый эффект in vivo , который был существенно более выражен, чем при позднем введении макрофагов. Заключение. Установлено, что введение репрограммированных макрофагов M3 ограничивает развитие солидной карциномы в экспериментах in vivo . Противоопухолевый эффект более выражен при раннем введении М3 макрофагов. Обнаруженные в работе факты делают перспективным разработку клинической версии биотехнологии ограничения роста опухоли, путем предварительного программирования антиопухолевого врожденного иммунного ответа «в пробирке». Aim. To verify a hypothesis that macrophages reprogrammed in vitro to the M3 phenotype and injected into the body substantially restrict the development of solid carcinoma in vivo . Methods. Growth of a solid tumor was initiated in mice in vivo with a subcutaneous injection of Ehrlich carcinoma (EC) cells. Macrophages with a native M0 phenotype or reprogrammed towards the M3 phenotype were injected into the region of developing solid EC. Reprogramming was performed using low doses of serum, STAT3/6 and SMAD3 transcription factor blockers, and lipopolysaccharide. Two schemes of macrophage administration were used: early and late. With the early administration, macrophages were injected on days 1, 5, 10, and 15 following the injection of EC cells at four sides of the tumor development area. With the late administration, macrophages were injected on days 10, 15, 20, and 25. At 15 and 30 days after the EC cell injection, the solid tumor was excised and its volume was measured. The effect of macrophage administration was assessed both qualitatively by visual and palpation characteristics of solid tumor and quantitatively by changes in the tumor volume compared with the group without the macrophage treatment. Results. M3 macrophages administered early after the onset of tumor development exerted a pronounced antitumor effect in vivo , which was significantly greater than the antitumor effect of the late administration of M3 macrophages. Conclusion. The observed significant inhibition of in vivo growth of solid carcinoma by M3 macrophages makes promising the development of a clinical version of the biotechnology for restriction of tumor growth by in vitro pre-programming of the antitumor, innate immune response.

Nanocurcumin: A Double-Edged Sword for Microcancers

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (45) ◽  
pp. 5783-5792
Author(s):  
Kholood Abid Janjua ◽  
Adeeb Shehzad ◽  
Raheem Shahzad ◽  
Salman Ul Islam ◽  
Mazhar Ul Islam
Keyword(s):  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Dosage Forms ◽  
The Body ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Anticancer Activities ◽  
Road Map ◽  
Anticancer Effects

There is compelling evidence that drug molecules isolated from natural sources are hindered by low systemic bioavailability, poor absorption, and rapid elimination from the human body. Novel approaches are urgently needed that could enhance the retention time as well as the efficacy of natural products in the body. Among the various adopted approaches to meet this ever-increasing demand, nanoformulations show the most fascinating way of improving the bioavailability of dietary phytochemicals through modifying their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Curcumin, a yellowish pigment isolated from dried ground rhizomes of turmeric, exhibits tremendous pharmacological effects, including anticancer activities. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that curcumin mediates anticancer effects through the modulation (upregulation and/or downregulations) of several intracellular signaling pathways both at protein and mRNA levels. Scientists have introduced multiple modern techniques and novel dosage forms for enhancing the delivery, bioavailability, and efficacy of curcumin in the treatment of various malignancies. These novel dosage forms include nanoparticles, liposomes, micelles, phospholipids, and curcumin-encapsulated polymer nanoparticles. Nanocurcumin has shown improved anticancer effects compared to conventional curcumin formulations. This review discusses the underlying molecular mechanism of various nanoformulations of curcumin for the treatment of different cancers. We hope that this study will make a road map for preclinical and clinical investigations of cancer and recommend nano curcumin as a drug of choice for cancer therapy.

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