scholarly journals Complex Response of the CpxAR Two-Component System to β-Lactams on Antibiotic Resistance and Envelope Homeostasis in Enterobacteriaceae

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muriel Masi ◽  
Elizabeth Pinet ◽  
Jean-Marie Pagès

ABSTRACT The Cpx stress response is widespread among Enterobacteriaceae. We previously reported a mutation in cpxA in a multidrug-resistant strain of Klebsiella aerogenes isolated from a patient treated with imipenem. This mutation yields a single-amino-acid substitution (Y144N) located in the periplasmic sensor domain of CpxA. In this work, we sought to characterize this mutation in Escherichia coli by using genetic and biochemical approaches. Here, we show that cpxAY144N is an activated allele that confers resistance to β-lactams and aminoglycosides in a CpxR-dependent manner, by regulating the expression of the OmpF porin and the AcrD efflux pump, respectively. We also demonstrate the effect of the intimate interconnection between the Cpx system and peptidoglycan integrity on the expression of an exogenous AmpC β-lactamase by using imipenem as a cell wall-active antibiotic or by inactivating penicillin-binding proteins. Moreover, our data indicate that the Y144N substitution abrogates the interaction between CpxA and CpxP and increases phosphotransfer activity on CpxR. Because the addition of a strong AmpC inducer such as imipenem is known to cause abnormal accumulation of muropeptides (disaccharide-pentapeptide and N-acetylglucosamyl-1,6-anhydro-N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanyl-d-glutamy-meso-diaminopimelic-acid-d-alanyl-d-alanine) in the periplasmic space, we propose these molecules activate the Cpx system by displacing CpxP from the sensor domain of CpxA. Altogether, these data could explain why large perturbations to peptidoglycans caused by imipenem lead to mutational activation of the Cpx system and bacterial adaptation through multidrug resistance. These results also validate the Cpx system, in particular, the interaction between CpxA and CpxP, as a promising therapeutic target.

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Balaram Khamari ◽  
Prakash Kumar ◽  
Bulagonda Eswarappa Pradeep

Introduction. Nitrofurantoin is one of the preferred antibiotics in the treatment of uropathogenic multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections. However, resistance to nitrofurantoin in extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacteria has severely limited the treatment options. Gap statement. Information related to co-resistance or collateral sensitivity (CS) with reference to nitrofurantoin resistant bacteria is limited. Aim. To study the potential of nitrofurantoin resistance as an indicator of the XDR phenotype in Enterobacteriaceae . Methods. One hundred (45 nitrofurantoin-resistant, 21 intermediately resistant and 34 nitrofurantoin-susceptible) Enterobacteriaceae were analysed in this study. Antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) against nitrofurantoin and 17 other antimicrobial agents across eight different classes was performed by using the Vitek 2.0 system. The isolates were screened for the prevalence of acquired antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and efflux pump genes by PCR. Results. In total, 51 % of nitrofurantoin-resistant and 28 % of intermediately nitrofurantoin resistant isolates exhibited XDR characteristics, while only 3 % of nitrofurantoin-sensitive isolates were XDR (P=0.0001). Significant co-resistance was observed between nitrofurantoin and other tested antibiotics (β-lactam, cephalosporin, carbapenem, aminoglycoside and tetracycline). Further, the prevalence of AMR and efflux pump genes was higher in the nitrofurantoin-resistant strains compared to the susceptible isolates. A strong association was observed between nitrofurantoin resistance and the presence of bla PER-1, bla NDM-1, bla OXA-48, ant(2) and oqxA-oqxB genes. Tigecycline (84 %) and colistin (95 %) were the only antibiotics to which the majority of the isolates were susceptible. Conclusion. Nitrofurantoin resistance could be an indicator of the XDR phenotype among Enterobacteriaceae , harbouring multiple AMR and efflux pump genes. Tigecycline and colistin are the only antibiotics that could be used in the treatment of such XDR infections. A deeper understanding of the co-resistance mechanisms in XDR pathogens and prescription of AST-based appropriate combination therapy may help mitigate this problem.


2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. McLeod ◽  
Samir H. Moussa ◽  
Meredith A. Hackel ◽  
Alita A. Miller

ABSTRACT Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex (ABC) organisms cause severe infections that are difficult to treat due to preexisting antibiotic resistance. Sulbactam-durlobactam (formerly sulbactam-ETX2514) (SUL-DUR) is a β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitor combination antibiotic designed to treat serious infections caused by ABC organisms, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. The in vitro antibacterial activities of SUL-DUR and comparator agents were determined by broth microdilution against 1,722 clinical isolates of ABC organisms collected in 2016 and 2017 from 31 countries across Asia/South Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Over 50% of these isolates were resistant to carbapenems. Against this collection of global isolates, SUL-DUR had a MIC50/MIC90 of 1/2 μg/ml compared to a MIC50/MIC90 of 8/64 μg/ml for sulbactam alone. This level of activity was found to be consistent across organisms, regions, sources of infection, and subsets of resistance phenotypes, including MDR and extensively drug-resistant isolates. The SUL-DUR activity was superior to those of the tested comparators, with only colistin having similar potency. Whole-genome sequencing of the 39 isolates (2.3%) with a SUL-DUR MIC of >4 μg/ml revealed that these strains encoded either the metallo-β-lactamase NDM-1, which durlobactam does not inhibit, or single amino acid substitutions near the active site of penicillin binding protein 3 (PBP3), the primary target of sulbactam. In summary, SUL-DUR demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against recent, geographically diverse clinical isolates of ABC organisms, including MDR isolates.


2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
María Pérez-Varela ◽  
Jordi Corral ◽  
Jesús Aranda ◽  
Jordi Barbé

ABSTRACTAcinetobacter baumanniihas emerged as an important multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen. In previous work, we identified a putative MFS transporter, AU097_RS17040, involved in the pathogenicity ofA. baumannii(M. Pérez-Varela, J. Corral, J. A. Vallejo, S. Rumbo-Feal, G. Bou, J. Aranda, and J. Barbé, Infect Immun 85:e00327-17, 2017,https://doi.org/10.1128/IAI.00327-17). In this study, we analyzed the susceptibility to diverse antimicrobial agents ofA. baumanniicells defective in this transporter, referred to as AbaQ. Our results showed that AbaQ is mainly involved in the extrusion of quinolone-type drugs inA. baumannii.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hang Yang ◽  
Yujing Gong ◽  
Huaidong Zhang ◽  
Irina Etobayeva ◽  
Paulina Miernikiewicz ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the leading pathogens that cause a variety of mucosal and invasive infections. With the increased emergence of multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae, new antimicrobials with mechanisms of action different from conventional antibiotics are urgently needed. In this study, we identified a putative lysin (gp20) encoded by the Streptococcus phage SPSL1 using the LytA autolysin as a template. Molecular dissection of gp20 revealed a binding domain (GPB) containing choline-binding repeats (CBRs) that are high specificity for S. pneumoniae. By fusing GPB to the CHAP (cysteine, histidine-dependent amidohydrolase/peptidase) catalytic domain of the PlyC lysin, we constructed a novel chimeric lysin, ClyJ, with improved activity to the pneumococcal Cpl-1 lysin. No resistance was observed in S. pneumoniae strains after exposure to incrementally doubling concentrations of ClyJ for 8 continuous days in vitro. In a mouse bacteremia model using penicillin G as a control, a single intraperitoneal injection of ClyJ improved the survival rate of lethal S. pneumoniae-infected mice in a dose-dependent manner. Given its high lytic activity and safety profile, ClyJ may represent a promising alternative to combat pneumococcal infections.


mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa D. Barnes ◽  
Magdalena A. Taracila ◽  
Joseph D. Rutter ◽  
Christopher R. Bethel ◽  
Ioannis Galdadas ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces a class C β-lactamase (e.g., PDC-3) that robustly hydrolyzes early generation cephalosporins often at the diffusion limit; therefore, bacteria possessing these β-lactamases are resistant to many β-lactam antibiotics. In response to this significant clinical threat, ceftolozane, a 3′ aminopyrazolium cephalosporin, was developed. Combined with tazobactam, ceftolozane promised to be effective against multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa. Alarmingly, Ω-loop variants of the PDC β-lactamase (V213A, G216R, E221K, E221G, and Y223H) were identified in ceftolozane/tazobactam-resistant P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. Herein, we demonstrate that the Escherichia coli strain expressing the E221K variant of PDC-3 had the highest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against a panel of β-lactam antibiotics, including ceftolozane and ceftazidime, a cephalosporin that differs in structure largely in the R2 side chain. The kcat values of the E221K variant for both substrates were equivalent, whereas the Km for ceftolozane (341 ± 64 µM) was higher than that for ceftazidime (174 ± 20 µM). Timed mass spectrometry, thermal stability, and equilibrium unfolding studies revealed key mechanistic insights. Enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations identified conformational changes in the E221K variant Ω-loop, where a hidden pocket adjacent to the catalytic site opens and stabilizes ceftolozane for efficient hydrolysis. Encouragingly, the diazabicyclooctane β-lactamase inhibitor avibactam restored susceptibility to ceftolozane and ceftazidime in cells producing the E221K variant. In addition, a boronic acid transition state inhibitor, LP-06, lowered the ceftolozane and ceftazidime MICs by 8-fold for the E221K-expressing strain. Understanding these structural changes in evolutionarily selected variants is critical toward designing effective β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor therapies for P. aeruginosa infections. IMPORTANCE The presence of β-lactamases (e.g., PDC-3) that have naturally evolved and acquired the ability to break down β-lactam antibiotics (e.g., ceftazidime and ceftolozane) leads to highly resistant and potentially lethal Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. We show that wild-type PDC-3 β-lactamase forms an acyl enzyme complex with ceftazidime, but it cannot accommodate the structurally similar ceftolozane that has a longer R2 side chain with increased basicity. A single amino acid substitution from a glutamate to a lysine at position 221 in PDC-3 (E221K) causes the tyrosine residue at 223 to adopt a new position poised for efficient hydrolysis of both cephalosporins. The importance of the mechanism of action of the E221K variant, in particular, is underscored by its evolutionary recurrences in multiple bacterial species. Understanding the biochemical and molecular basis for resistance is key to designing effective therapies and developing new β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations.


2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 2095-2102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian van Delden ◽  
Malcolm G. P. Page ◽  
Thilo Köhler

ABSTRACTBAL30072 is a monosulfactam conjugated with an iron-chelating dihydroxypyridone moiety. It is active against Gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistantPseudomonas aeruginosa. We selected mutants with decreased susceptibilities to BAL30072 inP. aeruginosaPAO1 under a variety of conditions. Under iron-deficient conditions, mutants with overexpression of AmpC β-lactamase predominated. These mutants were cross-resistant to aztreonam and ceftazidime. Similar mutants were obtained after selection at >16× the MIC in iron-sufficient conditions. At 4× to 8× the MIC, mutants with elevated MIC for BAL30072 but unchanged MICs for aztreonam or ciprofloxacin were selected. The expression ofampCand the major efflux pump genes were also unchanged. These BAL30072-specific mutants were characterized by transcriptome analysis, which revealed upregulation of the Fe-dicitrate operon, FecIRA. Whole-genome sequencing showed that this resulted from a single nucleotide change in the Fur-box of thefecIpromoter. Overexpression of either the FecI ECF sigma factor or the FecA receptor increased BAL30072 MICs 8- to 16-fold. AfecImutant and afecAmutant of PAO1 were hypersusceptible to BAL30072 (MICs < 0.06 μg/ml). The most downregulated gene belonged to the pyochelin synthesis operon, although mutants in pyochelin receptor or synthesis genes had unchanged MICs. ThepiuCgene, coding for a Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenase located next to thepiuAiron receptor gene, was also downregulated. The MICs of BAL30072 forpiuCandpiuAtransposon mutants were increased 8- and 16-fold, respectively. We conclude that the upregulation of the Fe-dicitrate system impacts the expression of other TonB-dependent iron transporters and that PiuA and PiuC contribute to the susceptibility ofP. aeruginosaPAO1 to BAL30072.


2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (12) ◽  
pp. 5826-5833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao-Hsien Chen ◽  
Chiang-Ching Huang ◽  
Tsao-Chuen Chung ◽  
Rouh-Mei Hu ◽  
Yi-Wei Huang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTKJ09C, a multidrug-resistant mutant ofStenotrophomonas maltophiliaKJ, was generated byin vitroselection with chloramphenicol. The multidrug-resistant phenotype of KJ09C was attributed to overexpression of a resistance nodulation division (RND)-type efflux system encoded by an operon consisting of five genes:smeU1,smeV,smeW,smeU2, andsmeX. Proteins encoded bysmeV,smeW, andsmeXwere similar to the membrane fusion protein, RND transporter, and outer membrane protein, respectively, of known RND-type systems. The proteins encoded bysmeU1andsmeU2were found to belong to the family of short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases. Mutant KJ09C exhibited increased resistance to chloramphenicol, quinolones, and tetracyclines and susceptibility to aminoglycosides; susceptibility to β-lactams and erythromycin was not affected. The expression of thesmeU1-V-W-U2-Xoperon was regulated by the divergently transcribed LysR-type regulator genesmeRv. Overexpression of the SmeVWX pump contributed to the acquired resistance to chloramphenicol, quinolones, and tetracyclines. Inactivation ofsmeVandsmeWcompletely abolished the activity of the SmeVWX pump, whereas inactivation ofsmeXalone decreased the activity of the SmeVWX pump. The enhanced aminoglycoside susceptibility observed in KJ09C resulted from SmeX overexpression.


2016 ◽  
Vol 84 (10) ◽  
pp. 2871-2877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole M. Chumbler ◽  
Melissa A. Farrow ◽  
Lynne A. Lapierre ◽  
Jeffrey L. Franklin ◽  
D. Borden Lacy

As the major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea,Clostridium difficileis a serious problem in health care facilities worldwide.C. difficileproduces two large toxins, TcdA and TcdB, which are the primary virulence factors in disease. The respective functions of these toxins have been difficult to discern, in part because the cytotoxicity profiles for these toxins differ with concentration and cell type. The goal of this study was to develop a cell culture model that would allow a side-by-side mechanistic comparison of the toxins. Conditionally immortalized, young adult mouse colonic (YAMC) epithelial cells demonstrate an exquisite sensitivity to both toxins with phenotypes that agree with observations in tissue explants. TcdA intoxication results in an apoptotic cell death that is dependent on the glucosyltransferase activity of the toxin. In contrast, TcdB has a bimodal mechanism; it induces apoptosis in a glucosyltransferase-dependent manner at lower concentrations and glucosyltransferase-independent necrotic death at higher concentrations. The direct comparison of the responses to TcdA and TcdB in cells and colonic explants provides the opportunity to unify a large body of observations made by many independent investigators.


2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (10) ◽  
pp. 6151-6156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey E. Nielsen ◽  
Erik C. Snesrud ◽  
Fatma Onmus-Leone ◽  
Yoon I. Kwak ◽  
Ricardo Avilés ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTTigecycline nonsusceptibility is concerning because tigecycline is increasingly relied upon to treat carbapenem- or colistin-resistant organisms. InEnterobacteriaceae, tigecycline nonsusceptibility is mediated by the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump, among others, and pump activity is often a downstream effect of mutations in their transcriptional regulators, cognate repressor genes, or noncoding regions, as demonstrated inEnterobacteriaceaeandAcinetobacterisolates. Here, we report the emergence of tigecycline nonsusceptibility in a longitudinal series of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR)Klebsiella pneumoniaeisolates collected during tigecycline therapy and the elucidation of its resistance mechanisms. Clinical isolates were recovered prior to and during tigecycline therapy of a 2.5-month-old Honduran neonate. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests to tigecycline determined that the MIC increased from 1 to 4 μg/ml prior to the completion of tigecycline therapy. Unlike other studies, we did not find increased expression oframA,ramR,oqxA,acrB,marA, orrarAgenes by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Whole-genome sequencing revealed an IS5insertion element in nonsusceptible isolates 85 bp upstream of a putative efflux pump operon, here namedkpgABC, previously unknown to be involved in resistance. Introduction of thekpgABCgenes in a non-kpgABCbackground increased the MIC of tigecycline 4-fold and is independent of a functional AcrAB-TolC pump. This is the first report to propose a function forkpgABCand identify an insertion element whose presence correlated with thein vivodevelopment of tigecycline nonsusceptibility inK. pneumoniae.


2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Guénard ◽  
Cédric Muller ◽  
Laura Monlezun ◽  
Philippe Benas ◽  
Isabelle Broutin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTConstitutive overproduction of the pump MexXY-OprM is recognized as a major cause of resistance to aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and zwitterionic cephalosporins inPseudomonas aeruginosa. In this study, 57 clonally unrelated strains recovered from non-cystic fibrosis patients were analyzed to characterize the mutations resulting in upregulation of themexXYoperon. Forty-four (77.2%) of the strains, classified asagrZmutants were found to harbor mutations inactivating the local repressor gene (mexZ) of themexXYoperon (n= 33; 57.9%) or introducing amino acid substitutions in its product, MexZ (n= 11; 19.3%). These sequence variations, which mapped in the dimerization domain, the DNA binding domain, or the rest of the MexZ structure, mostly affected amino acid positions conserved in TetR-like regulators. The 13 remaining MexXY-OprM strains (22.8%) contained intactmexZgenes encoding wild-type MexZ proteins. Eight (14.0%) of these isolates, classified asagrW1mutants, overexpressed the gene PA5471, which codes for the MexZ antirepressor AmrZ, with 5 strains exhibiting growth defects at 37°C and 44°C, consistent with mutations impairing ribosome activity. Interestingly, oneagrW1mutant appeared to harbor a 7-bp deletion in the coding sequence of the leader peptide, PA5471.1, involved in ribosome-dependent, translational attenuation of PA5471 expression. Finally, DNA sequencing and complementation experiments revealed that 5 (8.8%) strains, classified asagrW2mutants, harbored single amino acid variations in the sensor histidine kinase of ParRS, a two-component system known to positively controlmexXYexpression. Collectively, these results demonstrate that clinical strains ofP. aeruginosaexploit different regulatory circuitries to mutationally overproduce the MexXY-OprM pump and become multidrug resistant, which accounts for the high prevalence of MexXY-OprM mutants in the clinical setting.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document