A peptide of a type I toxin-antitoxin system induces Helicobacter pylori morphological transformation from spiral-shape to coccoids

SummaryToxin-antitoxin systems are found in many bacterial chromosomes and plasmids with roles ranging from plasmid stabilization to biofilm formation and persistence. In these systems, the expression/activity of the toxin is counteracted by an antitoxin, which in type I systems is an antisense-RNA. While the regulatory mechanisms of these systems are mostly well-defined, the toxins’ biological activity and expression conditions are less understood. Here, these questions were investigated for a type I toxin-antitoxin system (AapA1-IsoA1) expressed from the chromosome of the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori. We show that expression of the AapA1 toxin in H. pylori causes growth arrest associated with rapid morphological transformation from spiral-shaped bacteria to round coccoid cells. Coccoids are observed in patients and during in vitro growth as a response to different stress conditions. The AapA1 toxin, first molecular effector of coccoids to be identified, targets H. pylori inner membrane without disrupting it, as visualized by Cryo-EM. The peptidoglycan composition of coccoids is modified with respect to spiral bacteria. No major changes in membrane potential or ATP concentration result from AapA1 expression, suggesting coccoid viability. Single-cell live microscopy tracking the shape conversion suggests a possible association of this process with cell elongation/division interference. Oxidative stress induces coccoid formation and is associated with repression of the antitoxin promoter and enhanced processing of its transcript, leading to an imbalance in favor of AapA1 toxin expression.Our data support the hypothesis of viable coccoids with characteristics of dormant bacteria that might be important in H. pylori infections refractory to treatment.Significance StatementHelicobacter pylori, a gastric pathogen causing 800,000 deaths in the world annually, is encountered both in vitro and in patients as spiral-shaped bacteria and as round cells named coccoids. We discovered that the toxin from a chromosomal type I toxin-antitoxin system is targeting H. pylori membrane and acting as an effector of H. pylori morphological conversion to coccoids. We showed that these round cells maintain their membrane integrity and metabolism, strongly suggesting that they are viable dormant bacteria. Oxidative stress was identified as a signal inducing toxin expression and coccoid formation. Our findings reveal new insights into a form of dormancy of this bacterium that might be associated with H. pylori infections refractory to treatment.

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A peptide of a type I toxin−antitoxin system inducesHelicobacter pylorimorphological transformation from spiral shape to coccoids

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.2016195117 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 117 (49) ◽

pp. 31398-31409

Author(s):

Lamya El Mortaji ◽

Alejandro Tejada-Arranz ◽

Aline Rifflet ◽

Ivo G. Boneca ◽

Gérard Pehau-Arnaudet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antisense Rna ◽

Type I ◽

Morphological Transformation ◽

Bacterial Chromosomes ◽

Concentration Result ◽

Expression Activity ◽

Spiral Shape ◽

H Pylori ◽

Plasmid Stabilization

Toxin−antitoxin systems are found in many bacterial chromosomes and plasmids with roles ranging from plasmid stabilization to biofilm formation and persistence. In these systems, the expression/activity of the toxin is counteracted by an antitoxin, which, in type I systems, is an antisense RNA. While the regulatory mechanisms of these systems are mostly well defined, the toxins’ biological activity and expression conditions are less understood. Here, these questions were investigated for a type I toxin−antitoxin system (AapA1−IsoA1) expressed from the chromosome of the human pathogenHelicobacter pylori. We show that expression of the AapA1 toxin inH. pyloricauses growth arrest associated with rapid morphological transformation from spiral-shaped bacteria to round coccoid cells. Coccoids are observed in patients and during in vitro growth as a response to different stress conditions. The AapA1 toxin, first molecular effector of coccoids to be identified, targetsH. pyloriinner membrane without disrupting it, as visualized by cryoelectron microscopy. The peptidoglycan composition of coccoids is modified with respect to spiral bacteria. No major changes in membrane potential or adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) concentration result from AapA1 expression, suggesting coccoid viability. Single-cell live microscopy tracking the shape conversion suggests a possible association of this process with cell elongation/division interference. Oxidative stress induces coccoid formation and is associated with repression of the antitoxin promoter and enhanced processing of its transcript, leading to an imbalance in favor of AapA1 toxin expression. Our data support the hypothesis of viable coccoids with characteristics of dormant bacteria that might be important inH. pyloriinfections refractory to treatment.

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In Vitro Activity of Sertraline, an Antidepressant, Against Antibiotic-Susceptible and Antibiotic-Resistant Helicobacter pylori Strains

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens8040228 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 228 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Paweł Krzyżek ◽

Roman Franiczek ◽

Barbara Krzyżanowska ◽

Łukasz Łaczmański ◽

Paweł Migdał ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Morphological Transformation ◽

Gastric Diseases ◽

Additive Interaction ◽

Antibiotic Resistant ◽

Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations ◽

Killing Assay ◽

H Pylori ◽

Light Fluorescence

Antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori, a spiral bacterium associated with gastric diseases, is a topic that has been intensively discussed in last decades. Recent discoveries indicate promising antimicrobial and antibiotic-potentiating properties of sertraline (SER), an antidepressant substance. The aim of the study, therefore, was to determine the antibacterial activity of SER in relation to antibiotic-sensitive and antibiotic-resistant H. pylori strains. The antimicrobial tests were performed using a diffusion-disk method, microdilution method, and time-killing assay. The interaction between SER and antibiotics (amoxicillin, clarithromycin, tetracycline, and metronidazole) was determined by using a checkerboard method. In addition, the study was expanded to include observations by light, fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy. The growth inhibition zones were in the range of 19–37 mm for discs impregnated with 2 mg of SER. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) counted for 2–8 µg/mL and 4–8 µg/mL, respectively. The time-killing assay showed the time-dependent and concentration-dependent bactericidal activity of SER. Bacteria exposed to MBCs (but not sub-MICs and MICs ≠ MBCs) underwent morphological transformation into coccoid forms. This mechanism, however, was not protective because these cells after a 24-h incubation had a several-fold reduced green/red fluorescence ratio compared to the control. Using the checkerboard assay, a synergistic/additive interaction of SER with all four antibiotics tested was demonstrated. These results indicate that SER may be a promising anti-H. pylori compound.

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The rod-to-coccoid body transformation in cultures of Helicobacter pylori

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100160686 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (3) ◽

pp. 626-627

Author(s):

A. R. Crooker ◽

W. G. Kraft ◽

T. L. Beard ◽

M. C. Myers

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Growth Cycle ◽

Negative Bacterium ◽

Body Formation ◽

Coccoid Form ◽

Spiral Form ◽

Prolonged Culture ◽

H Pylori ◽

Upper Gastrointestinal

Helicobacter pylori is a microaerophilic, gram-negative bacterium found in the upper gastrointestinal tract of humans. There is strong evidence that H. pylori is important in the etiology of gastritis; the bacterium may also be a major predisposing cause of peptic ulceration. On the gastric mucosa, the organism exists as a spiral form with one to seven sheathed flagella at one (usually) or both poles. Short spirals were seen in the first successful culture of the organism in 1983. In 1984, Marshall and Warren reported a coccoid form in older cultures. Since that time, other workers have observed rod and coccal forms in vitro; coccoid forms predominate in cultures 3-7 days old. We sought to examine the growth cycle of H. pylori in prolonged culture and the mode of coccoid body formation.

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Synthesis and In Vitro Enzymatic Studies of New 3-Aryldiazenyl Indoles as Promising Helicobacter pylori IMPDH Inhibitors

Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry ◽

10.2174/1568026619666190227212334 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 376-382 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Sachin Jangra ◽

Gayathri Purushothaman ◽

Kapil Juvale ◽

Srimadhavi Ravi ◽

Aishwarya Menon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Bacterial Infections ◽

Immunosuppressive Drugs ◽

Multi Drug Resistance ◽

Metabolic Enzyme ◽

World Population ◽

Inhibitor Molecule ◽

Nucleotide Synthesis ◽

H Pylori

Background & Objective:Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the primary causes of peptic ulcer followed by gastric cancer in the world population. Due to increased occurrences of multi-drug resistance to the currently available antibiotics, there is an urgent need for a new class of drugs against H. pylori. Inosine 5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), a metabolic enzyme plays a significant role in cell proliferation and cell growth. It catalyses guanine nucleotide synthesis. IMPDH enzyme has been exploited as a target for antiviral, anticancer and immunosuppressive drugs. Recently, bacterial IMPDH has been studied as a potential target for treating bacterial infections. Differences in the structural and kinetic parameters of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic IMPDH make it possible to target bacterial enzyme selectively.Methods:In the current work, we have synthesised and studied the effect of substituted 3-aryldiazenyl indoles on Helicobacter pylori IMPDH (HpIMPDH) activity. The synthesised molecules were examined for their inhibitory potential against recombinant HpIMPDH.Results:In this study, compounds 1 and 2 were found to be the most potent inhibitors amongst the database with IC50 of 0.8 ± 0.02µM and 1 ± 0.03 µM, respectively.Conclusion:When compared to the most potent known HpIMPDH inhibitor molecule C91, 1 was only four-fold less potent and can be a good lead for further development of selective and potent inhibitors of HpIMPDH.

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Synthesis, Molecular Modelling and Antibacterial Activity Against Helicobacter pylori of Novel Diflunisal Derivatives as Urease Enzyme Inhibitors

Letters in Drug Design & Discovery ◽

10.2174/1570180815666180627130208 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 392-400 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Göknil Pelin Coşkun ◽

Teodora Djikic ◽

Sadık Kalaycı ◽

Kemal Yelekçi ◽

Fikrettin Şahin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Antibacterial Activity ◽

Enzyme Inhibitors ◽

Binding Modes ◽

Bacterial Strains ◽

Urease Enzyme ◽

H Pylori ◽

Ulcer Treatment ◽

Main Factor

Background:The main factor for the prolongation of the ulcer treatment in the gastrointestinal system would be Helicobacter pylori infection, which can possibly lead to gastrointestinal cancer. Triple therapy is the treatment of choice by today's standards. However, observed resistance among the bacterial strains can make the situation even worse. Therefore, there is a need to discover new targeted antibacterial therapy in order to make success in the eradication of H. pylori infections.Methods:The targeted therapy rule is to identify the related macromolecules that are responsible for the survival of the bacteria. Thus, 2-[(2',4'-difluoro-4-hydroxybiphenyl-3-yl)carbonyl]-N- (substituted)hydrazinocarbothioamide (3-13) and 5-(2',4'-difluoro-4-hydroxybiphenyl-3-yl)-4- (substituted)-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones (14-17) were synthesized and evaluated for antibacterial activity in vitro against H. pylori.Results:All of the tested compounds showed remarkable antibacterial activity compared to the standard drugs (Ornidazole, Metronidazole, Nitrimidazin and Clarithromycin). Compounds 4 and 13 showed activity as 2µg/ml MIC value.Conclusion:In addition, we have investigated binding modes and energy of the compounds 4 and 13 on urease enzyme active by using the molecular docking tools.

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Myricetin as an Antivirulence Compound Interfering with a Morphological Transformation into Coccoid Forms and Potentiating Activity of Antibiotics against Helicobacter pylori

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22052695 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (5) ◽

pp. 2695

Author(s):

Paweł Krzyżek ◽

Paweł Migdał ◽

Emil Paluch ◽

Magdalena Karwańska ◽

Alina Wieliczko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Biofilm Formation ◽

Inhibitory Effect ◽

Morphological Transformation ◽

High Tendency ◽

Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations ◽

Coccoid Form ◽

Stomach Diseases ◽

Fold Reduction ◽

H Pylori

Helicobacter pylori, a gastric pathogen associated with a broad range of stomach diseases, has a high tendency to become resistant to antibiotics. One of the most important factors related to therapeutic failures is its ability to change from a spiral to a coccoid form. Therefore, the main aim of our original article was to determine the influence of myricetin, a natural compound with an antivirulence action, on the morphological transformation of H. pylori and check the potential of myricetin to increase the activity of antibiotics against this pathogen. We observed that sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of this compound have the ability to slow down the process of transformation into coccoid forms and reduce biofilm formation of this bacterium. Using checkerboard assays, we noticed that the exposure of H. pylori to sub-MICs of myricetin enabled a 4–16-fold reduction in MICs of all classically used antibiotics (amoxicillin, clarithromycin, tetracycline, metronidazole, and levofloxacin). Additionally, RT-qPCR studies of genes related to the H. pylori morphogenesis showed a decrease in their expression during exposure to myricetin. This inhibitory effect was more strongly seen for genes involved in the muropeptide monomers shortening (csd3, csd6, csd4, and amiA), suggesting their significant participation in the spiral-to-coccoid transition. To our knowledge, this is the first research showing the ability of any compound to synergistically interact with all five antibiotics against H. pylori and the first one showing the capacity of a natural substance to interfere with the morphological transition of H. pylori from spiral to coccoid forms.

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Nutrient Deficiency Promotes the Entry of Helicobacter pylori Cells into Candida Yeast Cells

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology10050426 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 426

Author(s):

Kimberly Sánchez-Alonzo ◽

Fabiola Silva-Mieres ◽

Luciano Arellano-Arriagada ◽

Cristian Parra-Sepúlveda ◽

Humberto Bernasconi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Nutrient Deficiency ◽

Gastric Epithelium ◽

Yeast Cells ◽

Nutrient Concentrations ◽

Fetal Bovine ◽

H Pylori ◽

Pcr Techniques ◽

Strain Dependent

Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium, has as a natural niche the human gastric epithelium. This pathogen has been reported to enter into Candida yeast cells; however, factors triggering this endosymbiotic relationship remain unknown. The aim of this work was to evaluate in vitro if variations in nutrient concentration in the cultured medium trigger the internalization of H. pylori within Candida cells. We used H. pylori–Candida co-cultures in Brucella broth supplemented with 1%, 5% or 20% fetal bovine serum or in saline solution. Intra-yeast bacteria-like bodies (BLBs) were observed using optical microscopy, while intra-yeast BLBs were identified as H. pylori using FISH and PCR techniques. Intra-yeast H. pylori (BLBs) viability was confirmed using the LIVE/DEAD BacLight Bacterial Viability kit. Intra-yeast H. pylori was present in all combinations of bacteria–yeast strains co-cultured. However, the percentages of yeast cells harboring bacteria (Y-BLBs) varied according to nutrient concentrations and also were strain-dependent. In conclusion, reduced nutrients stresses H. pylori, promoting its entry into Candida cells. The starvation of both H. pylori and Candida strains reduced the percentages of Y-BLBs, suggesting that starving yeast cells may be less capable of harboring stressed H. pylori cells. Moreover, the endosymbiotic relationship between H. pylori and Candida is dependent on the strains co-cultured.

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Putative Cooperative ATP–DnaA Binding to Double-Stranded DnaA Box and Single-Stranded DnaA-Trio Motif upon Helicobacter pylori Replication Initiation Complex Assembly

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22126643 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (12) ◽

pp. 6643

Author(s):

Pawel Jaworski ◽

Dorota Zyla-Uklejewicz ◽

Malgorzata Nowaczyk-Cieszewska ◽

Rafal Donczew ◽

Thorsten Mielke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Replication Initiation ◽

Dna Unwinding ◽

Rich Region ◽

Initiator Protein ◽

New Class ◽

H Pylori ◽

General Architecture ◽

Dnaa Box

oriC is a region of the bacterial chromosome at which the initiator protein DnaA interacts with specific sequences, leading to DNA unwinding and the initiation of chromosome replication. The general architecture of oriCs is universal; however, the structure of oriC and the mode of orisome assembly differ in distantly related bacteria. In this work, we characterized oriC of Helicobacter pylori, which consists of two DnaA box clusters and a DNA unwinding element (DUE); the latter can be subdivided into a GC-rich region, a DnaA-trio and an AT-rich region. We show that the DnaA-trio submodule is crucial for DNA unwinding, possibly because it enables proper DnaA oligomerization on ssDNA. However, we also observed the reverse effect: DNA unwinding, enabling subsequent DnaA–ssDNA oligomer formation—stabilized DnaA binding to box ts1. This suggests the interplay between DnaA binding to ssDNA and dsDNA upon DNA unwinding. Further investigation of the ts1 DnaA box revealed that this box, together with the newly identified c-ATP DnaA box in oriC1, constitute a new class of ATP–DnaA boxes. Indeed, in vitro ATP–DnaA unwinds H. pylori oriC more efficiently than ADP–DnaA. Our results expand the understanding of H. pylori orisome formation, indicating another regulatory pathway of H. pylori orisome assembly.

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Shedding Light on the African Enigma: In Vitro Testing of Homo sapiens-Helicobacter pylori Coevolution

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9020240 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 240

Author(s):

Bruno Cavadas ◽

Marina Leite ◽

Nicole Pedro ◽

Ana C. Magalhães ◽

Joana Melo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Host Response ◽

Homo Sapiens ◽

European Ancestry ◽

Genome Wide ◽

Expression Host ◽

H Pylori ◽

Human Ancestry

The continuous characterization of genome-wide diversity in population and case–cohort samples, allied to the development of new algorithms, are shedding light on host ancestry impact and selection events on various infectious diseases. Especially interesting are the long-standing associations between humans and certain bacteria, such as the case of Helicobacter pylori, which could have been strong drivers of adaptation leading to coevolution. Some evidence on admixed gastric cancer cohorts have been suggested as supporting Homo-Helicobacter coevolution, but reliable experimental data that control both the bacterium and the host ancestries are lacking. Here, we conducted the first in vitro coinfection assays with dual human- and bacterium-matched and -mismatched ancestries, in African and European backgrounds, to evaluate the genome wide gene expression host response to H. pylori. Our results showed that: (1) the host response to H. pylori infection was greatly shaped by the human ancestry, with variability on innate immune system and metabolism; (2) African human ancestry showed signs of coevolution with H. pylori while European ancestry appeared to be maladapted; and (3) mismatched ancestry did not seem to be an important differentiator of gene expression at the initial stages of infection as assayed here.

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A High-Throughput Metabolic Microarray Assay Reveals Antibacterial Effects of Black and Red Raspberries and Blackberries against Helicobacter pylori Infection

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10070845 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 845

Author(s):

Candace Goodman ◽

Katrina N. Lyon ◽

Aitana Scotto ◽

Cyra Smith ◽

Thomas A. Sebrell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

High Throughput ◽

Antibacterial Properties ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Helicobacter Pylori Infection ◽

Antibacterial Effects ◽

Biolog System ◽

Freeze Dried ◽

H Pylori

Helicobacter pylori infection is commonly treated with a combination of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors. However, since H. pylori is becoming increasingly resistant to standard antibiotic regimens, novel treatment strategies are needed. Previous studies have demonstrated that black and red berries may have antibacterial properties. Therefore, we analyzed the antibacterial effects of black and red raspberries and blackberries on H. pylori. Freeze-dried powders and organic extracts from black and red raspberries and blackberries were prepared, and high-performance liquid chromatography was used to measure the concentrations of anthocyanins, which are considered the major active ingredients. To monitor antibiotic effects of the berry preparations on H. pylori, a high-throughput metabolic growth assay based on the Biolog system was developed and validated with the antibiotic metronidazole. Biocompatibility was analyzed using human gastric organoids. All berry preparations tested had significant bactericidal effects in vitro, with MIC90 values ranging from 0.49 to 4.17%. Antimicrobial activity was higher for extracts than powders and appeared to be independent of the anthocyanin concentration. Importantly, human gastric epithelial cell viability was not negatively impacted by black raspberry extract applied at the concentration required for complete bacterial growth inhibition. Our data suggest that black and red raspberry and blackberry extracts may have potential applications in the treatment and prevention of H. pylori infection but differ widely in their MICs. Moreover, we demonstrate that the Biolog metabolic assay is suitable for high-throughput antimicrobial susceptibility screening of H. pylori.

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