scholarly journals Correlated transcriptional responses provide insights into the synergy mechanisms of the furazolidone, vancomycin and sodium deoxycholate triple combination in Escherichia coli

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catrina Olivera ◽  
Murray P. Cox ◽  
Gareth J Rowlands ◽  
Jasna Rakonjac
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Sodium Deoxycholate ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
World Health ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Iron Starvation ◽  
Transcriptional Responses ◽  
Gram Negative

Effective therapeutic options are urgently needed to tackle antibiotic resistance. Furazolidone (FZ), vancomycin (VAN), and sodium deoxycholate (DOC) show promise as their combination can synergistically inhibit the growth of, and kill, multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria that are classified as critical priority by the World Health Organization. Here, we investigated the mechanisms of action and synergy of this drug combination using a transcriptomics approach in the model bacterium Escherichia coli. We show that FZ and DOC elicit highly similar gene perturbations indicative of iron starvation, decreased respiration and metabolism, and translational stress. In contrast, VAN induced envelope stress responses, in agreement with its known role in peptidoglycan synthesis inhibition. FZ induced the SOS response consistent with its DNA damaging effects, but we demonstrate that using FZ in combination with the other two compounds enables use of lower dosages and largely mitigates its mutagenic effects. Based on the gene expression changes identified, we propose a synergy mechanism where the combined effects of FZ, VAN, and DOC amplify damage to Gram-negative bacteria while simultaneously suppressing antibiotic resistance mechanisms.

scholarly journals Correlated Transcriptional Responses Provide Insights into the Synergy Mechanisms of the Furazolidone, Vancomycin, and Sodium Deoxycholate Triple Combination in Escherichia coli

mSphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catrina Olivera ◽  
Murray P. Cox ◽  
Gareth J. Rowlands ◽  
Jasna Rakonjac
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Sodium Deoxycholate ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Alternative Strategy ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Triple Combination ◽  
Transcriptional Responses ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Gram Negative

Synergistic antibiotic combinations are a promising alternative strategy for developing effective therapies for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. The synergistic combination of the existing antibiotics nitrofurans and vancomycin with sodium deoxycholate shows promise in inhibiting and killing multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

scholarly journals A Stress Response Monitoring Lipoprotein Trafficking to the Outer Membrane

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerrie L. May ◽  
Kelly M. Lehman ◽  
Angela M. Mitchell ◽  
Marcin Grabowicz
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Stress Response ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Stress System ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Trafficking Defects

ABSTRACTGram-negative bacteria produce lipid-anchored lipoproteins that are trafficked to their outer membrane (OM). These lipoproteins are essential components in each of the molecular machines that build the OM, including the Bam machine that assembles β-barrel proteins and the Lpt pathway that transports lipopolysaccharide. Stress responses are known to monitor Bam and Lpt function, yet no stress system has been found that oversees the fundamental process of lipoprotein trafficking. We used genetic and chemical biology approaches to induce several different lipoprotein trafficking stresses inEscherichia coli. Our results identified the Cpx two-component system as a stress response for monitoring trafficking. Cpx is activated by trafficking defects and is required to protect the cell against the consequence of the resulting stress. The OM-targeted lipoprotein NlpE acts as a sensor that allows Cpx to gauge trafficking efficiency. We reveal that NlpE signals to Cpx while it is transiting the inner membrane (IM)en routeto the OM and that only a small highly conserved N-terminal domain is required for signaling. We propose that defective trafficking causes NlpE to accumulate in the IM, activating Cpx to mount a transcriptional response that protects cells. Furthermore, we reconcile this new role of NlpE in signaling trafficking defects with its previously proposed role in sensing copper (Cu) stress by demonstrating that Cu impairs acylation of lipoproteins and, consequently, their trafficking to the OM.IMPORTANCEThe outer membrane built by Gram-negative bacteria such asEscherichia coliforms a barrier that prevents antibiotics from entering the cell, limiting clinical options at a time of prevalent antibiotic resistance. Stress responses ensure that barrier integrity is continuously maintained. We have identified the Cpx signal transduction system as a stress response that monitors the trafficking of lipid-anchored lipoproteins to the outer membrane. These lipoproteins are needed by every machine that builds the outer membrane. Cpx monitors just one lipoprotein, NlpE, to detect the efficiency of lipoprotein trafficking in the cell. NlpE and Cpx were previously shown to play a role in resistance to copper. We show that copper blocks lipoprotein trafficking, reconciling old and new observations. Copper is an important element in innate immunity against pathogens, and our findings suggest that NlpE and Cpx helpE. colisurvive the assault of copper on a key outer membrane assembly pathway.

Core oligosaccharide portion of lipopolysaccharide plays important roles on multiple antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianli Wang ◽  
Wenjian Ma ◽  
Yu Fang ◽  
Hao Liang ◽  
Huiting Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Multiple Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Core Oligosaccharide ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
The Core ◽  
K 12

Gram-negative bacteria are intrinsically resistant to antibiotics due to the presence of the cell envelope, but mechanisms are still not fully understood. In this study, a series of mutants that lack one or more major components associated with the cell envelope were constructed from Escherichia coli K-12 W3110. WJW02 can only synthesize Kdo 2 -lipid A which lacks the core oligosaccharide portion of lipopolysaccharide. WJW04, WJW07 and WJW08 were constructed from WJW02 by deleting the gene clusters relevant to the biosynthesis of exopolysaccharide, flagella and fimbria, respectively. WJW09, WJW010 and WJW011 cells cannot synthesize exopolysaccharide, flagella and fimbria, respectively. Comparing to the wild type W3110, mutants WJW02, WJW04, WJW07 and WJW08 cells showed decreased resistance to more than 10 different antibacterial drugs, but not the mutants WJW09, WJW010 and WJW011. This indicates that the core oligosaccharide portion of lipopolysaccharide plays important roles on multiple antibiotic resistance in E. coli and the 1 st heptose in core oligosaccharide portion is critical. Furthermore, the removal of the core oligosaccharide of LPS leads to influences on cell wall morphology, cell phenotypes, porins, efflux systems, and the respond behaviors to antibiotic stimulation. The results demonstrated the important role of lipopolysaccharide on the antibiotic resistance of Gram-negative bacteria.

scholarly journals An Essential Membrane Protein Modulates the Proteolysis of LpxC to Control Lipopolysaccharide Synthesis in Escherichia coli

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elayne M. Fivenson ◽  
Thomas G. Bernhardt
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Unknown Function ◽  
Barrier Function ◽  
Major Determinant ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Essential Protein

ABSTRACT Gram-negative bacteria are surrounded by a complex cell envelope that includes two membranes. The outer membrane prevents many drugs from entering these cells and is thus a major determinant of their intrinsic antibiotic resistance. This barrier function is imparted by the asymmetric architecture of the membrane with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet and phospholipids in the inner leaflet. The LPS and phospholipid synthesis pathways share an intermediate. Proper membrane biogenesis therefore requires that the flux through each pathway be balanced. In Escherichia coli, a major control point in establishing this balance is the committed step of LPS synthesis mediated by LpxC. Levels of this enzyme are controlled through its degradation by the inner membrane protease FtsH and its presumed adapter protein LapB (YciM). How turnover of LpxC is controlled has remained unclear for many years. Here, we demonstrate that the essential protein of unknown function YejM (PbgA) participates in this regulatory pathway. Suppressors of YejM essentiality were identified in lpxC and lapB, and LpxC overproduction was shown to be sufficient to allow survival of ΔyejM mutants. Furthermore, the stability of LpxC was shown to be reduced in cells lacking YejM, and genetic and physical interactions between LapB and YejM were detected. Taken together, our results are consistent with a model in which YejM directly modulates LpxC turnover by FtsH-LapB to regulate LPS synthesis and maintain membrane homeostasis. IMPORTANCE The outer membrane is a major determinant of the intrinsic antibiotic resistance of Gram-negative bacteria. It is composed of both lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and phospholipid, and the synthesis of these lipid species must be balanced for the membrane to maintain its barrier function in blocking drug entry. In this study, we identified an essential protein of unknown function as a key new factor in modulating LPS synthesis in the model bacterium Escherichia coli. Our results provide novel insight into how this organism and most likely other Gram-negative bacteria maintain membrane homeostasis and their intrinsic resistance to antibiotics.

scholarly journals Recalibration of the Antimicrobial MIC

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 01-02
Author(s):  
Daniel Amsterdam
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Health ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Gram Positive Bacteria ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Laboratory Assay

In 2009, the World health organization (WHO) referred to the problem of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance stating, “Antibiotic Resistance – one of the three greatest threats to human health.” In 2019 (i.e., just as the COVID-19 pandemic was evolving), more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections were identified in the United States, resulting in more than 35,000 deaths (CDC 2019). The initial laboratory assay which demonstrated the activity of an antibacterial compound was performed by Alexander Fleming. He showed that an extract from the mold, Penicillium rubens, could inhibit the growth of several species of Gram-positive bacteria – but not Gram-negative bacteria that were cross-streaked on agar against the diffused Penicillium compound.

scholarly journals An essential membrane protein modulates the proteolysis of LpxC to control lipopolysaccharide synthesis in Escherichia coli

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elayne M. Fivenson ◽  
Thomas G. Bernhardt
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Unknown Function ◽  
Barrier Function ◽  
Adaptor Protein ◽  
Major Determinant ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Essential Protein

ABSTRACTGram-negative bacteria are surrounded by a complex cell envelope that includes two membranes. The outer membrane prevents many drugs from entering these cells and is thus a major determinant of their intrinsic antibiotic resistance. This barrier function is imparted by the asymmetric architecture of the membrane with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet and phospholipids in the inner leaflet. The LPS and phospholipid synthesis pathways share a common intermediate. Proper membrane biogenesis therefore requires that the flux through each pathway be balanced. In Escherichia coli, a major control point in establishing this balance is the committed step of LPS synthesis mediated by LpxC. Levels of this enzyme are controlled through its degradation by the inner membrane protease FtsH and its presumed adaptor protein LapB(YciM). How turnover of LpxC is controlled has remained unclear for many years. Here, we demonstrate that the essential protein of unknown function YejM(PbgA), which we have renamed ClxD (control of LpxC degradation), participates in this regulatory pathway. Suppressors of ClxD essentiality were identified in lpxC and lapB, and LpxC overproduction was shown to be sufficient to allow survival of ΔclxD mutants. Furthermore, the half-life of LpxC was shown to be reduced in cells lacking ClxD, and genetic and physical interactions between LapB and ClxD were detected. Taken together, our results are consistent with a model in which ClxD directly modulates LpxC turnover by FtsH-LapB to regulate LPS synthesis and maintain membrane homeostasis.SIGNIFICANCEThe outer membrane is a major determinant of the intrinsic antibiotic resistance of Gram-negative bacteria. It is composed of both lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and phospholipid, and the synthesis of these lipid species must be balanced for the membrane to maintain its barrier function in blocking drug entry. In this report, we identify an essential protein of unknown function as a key new factor in maintaining LPS/phospholipid balance in the model bacterium Escherichia coli. Our results provide novel insight into how this organism and most likely other Gram-negative bacteria maintain membrane homeostasis and their intrinsic resistance to antibiotics.

scholarly journals Genomic and Resistance Epidemiology of Gram-Negative Bacteria in Africa: a Systematic Review and Phylogenomic Analyses from a One Health Perspective

mSystems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Osei Sekyere ◽  
Melese Abate Reta
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Antibiotic resistance (AR) remains a major threat to public and animal health globally. However, AR ramifications in developing countries are worsened by limited molecular diagnostics, expensive therapeutics, inadequate numbers of skilled clinicians and scientists, and unsanitary environments. The epidemiology of Gram-negative bacteria, their AR genes, and geographical distribution in Africa are described here. Data were extracted and analyzed from English-language articles published between 2015 and December 2019. The genomes and AR genes of the various species, obtained from the Pathosystems Resource Integration Center (PATRIC) and NCBI were analyzed phylogenetically using Randomized Axelerated Maximum Likelihood (RAxML) and annotated with Figtree. The geographic location of resistant clones/clades was mapped manually. Thirty species from 31 countries and 24 genera from 41 countries were analyzed from 146 articles and 3,028 genomes, respectively. Genes mediating resistance to β-lactams (including blaTEM-1, blaCTX-M, blaNDM, blaIMP, blaVIM, and blaOXA-48/181), fluoroquinolones (oqxAB, qnrA/B/D/S, gyrA/B, and parCE mutations, etc.), aminoglycosides (including armA and rmtC/F), sulfonamides (sul1/2/3), trimethoprim (dfrA), tetracycline [tet(A/B/C/D/G/O/M/39)], colistin (mcr-1), phenicols (catA/B, cmlA), and fosfomycin (fosA) were mostly found in Enterobacter spp. and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and also in Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter baumannii, etc., on mostly IncF-type, IncX3/4, ColRNAI, and IncR plasmids, within IntI1 gene cassettes, insertion sequences, and transposons. Clonal and multiclonal outbreaks and dissemination of resistance genes across species and countries and between humans, animals, plants, and the environment were observed; Escherichia coli ST103, K. pneumoniae ST101, S. enterica ST1/2, and Vibrio cholerae ST69/515 were common strains. Most pathogens were of human origin, and zoonotic transmissions were relatively limited. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance (AR) is one of the major public health threats and challenges to effective containment and treatment of infectious bacterial diseases worldwide. Here, we used different methods to map out the geographical hot spots, sources, and evolutionary epidemiology of AR. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella enterica, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., Neisseria meningitis/gonorrhoeae, Vibrio cholerae, Campylobacter jejuni, etc., were common pathogens shuttling AR genes in Africa. Transmission of the same clones/strains across countries and between animals, humans, plants, and the environment was observed. We recommend Enterobacter spp. or K. pneumoniae as better sentinel species for AR surveillance.

scholarly journals IS 1294 Reorganizes Plasmids in a Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Strain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yushan Pan ◽  
Tengli Zhang ◽  
Lijie Yu ◽  
Zhiyong Zong ◽  
Shiyu Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Gene Transfer ◽  
Horizontal Gene Transfer ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Coli Strain ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
16S Rrna Methylase

The increasing resistance to β-lactams and aminoglycoside antibiotics, mainly due to extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and 16S rRNA methylase genes, is becoming a serious problem in Gram-negative bacteria. Plasmids, as the vehicles for resistance gene capture and horizontal gene transfer, serve a key role in terms of antibiotic resistance emergence and transmission.

scholarly journals Investigation of gating in outer membrane porins provides new perspectives on antibiotic resistance mechanisms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Archit Kumar Vasan ◽  
Nandan Haloi ◽  
Rebecca Joy Ulrich ◽  
Mary Elizabeth Metcalf ◽  
Po-Chao Wen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Dynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Scale Motion

AbstractGram-negative bacteria pose a serious public health concern, primarily due to a higher frequency of antibiotic resistance conferred to them as a result of low permeability of their outer membrane (OM). Antibiotics capable of traversing the OM typically permeate through OM porins; thus, understanding the permeation properties of these porins is instrumental to the development of new antibiotics. A common macroscopic feature of many OM porins is their ability to transition between functionally distinct open and closed states that regulate transport properties and rate. To obtain a molecular basis for these processes, we performed tens of microseconds of molecular dynamics simulations of E. coli OM porin, OmpF. We observed that large-scale motion of the internal loop, L3, leads to widening and narrowing of the pore, suggesting its potential role in gating. Furthermore, Markov state analysis revealed multiple energetically stable conformations of L3 corresponding to open and closed states of the porin. Dynamics between these functional states occurs on the time scale of tens of microseconds and are mediated by the movement of highly conserved acidic residues of L3 to form H-bonds with opposing sides of the barrel wall of the pore. To validate our mechanism, we mutated key residues involved in the gating process that alter the H-bond pattern in the open/closed states and performed additional simulations. These mutations shifted the dynamic equilibrium of the pore towards open or closed states. Complementarily, the mutations favoring the open/closed states lead to increased/decreased accumulation of multiple antibiotics in our whole-cell accumulation assays. Notably, porins containing one of the mutations favoring the closed state has previously been found in antibiotic resistant bacterial strains. Overall, our 180 µs of simulation data (wild type and mutants) with concerted experiments suggests that regulation of the dynamic equilibrium between open and closed states of OM porins could be a mechanism by which Gram-negative bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance.

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