scholarly journals VraSR Two-Component Regulatory System Contributes tomprF-Mediated Decreased Susceptibility to Daptomycin inIn Vivo-Selected Clinical Strains of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shrenik Mehta ◽  
Arabela X. Cuirolo ◽  
Konrad B. Plata ◽  
Sarah Riosa ◽  
Jared A. Silverman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Clinical Strains ◽  
Two Component ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTDaptomycin (DAP) is a new class of cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic highly active against methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) infections. Proposed mechanisms involve disruption of the functional integrity of the bacterial membrane in a Ca-dependent manner. In the present work, we investigated the molecular basis of DAP resistance in a group of isogenic MRSA clinical strains obtained from patients withS. aureusinfections after treatment with DAP. Different point mutations were found in themprFgene in DAP-resistant (DR) strains. Investigation of themprFL826F mutation in DR strains was accomplished by inactivation and transcomplementation of either full-length wild-type or mutatedmprFin DAP-susceptible (DS) strains, revealing that they were mechanistically linked to the DR phenotype. However, our data suggested thatmprFwas not the only factor determining the resistance to DAP. Differential gene expression analysis showed upregulation of the two-component regulatory systemvraSR. Inactivation ofvraSRresulted in increased DAP susceptibility, while complementation ofvraSRmutant strains restored DAP resistance to levels comparable to those observed in the corresponding DR wild-type strain. Electron microscopy analysis showed a thicker cell wall in DR CB5012 than DS CB5011, an effect that was related to the impact ofvraSRandmprFmutations in the cell wall. Moreover, overexpression ofvraSRin DS strains resulted in both increased resistance to DAP and decreased resistance to oxacillin, similar to the phenotype observed in DR strains. These results support the suggestion that, in addition to mutations inmprF,vraSRcontributes to DAP resistance in the present group of clinical strains.

scholarly journals VraSR and Virulence Trait Modulation during Daptomycin Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection

mSphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agustina Taglialegna ◽  
Maria C. Varela ◽  
Roberto R. Rosato ◽  
Adriana E. Rosato
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bacterial Physiology ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Mrsa Infection

ABSTRACT Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) threatens human health in hospital and community settings. The lipopeptide antibiotic daptomycin (DAP) is a frequently used treatment option for MRSA infection. DAP exposure can cause bacterial resistance because mutations are induced in genes implicated in cell membrane and cell wall metabolism. Adaptations aimed at surviving antimicrobial pressure can affect bacterial physiology and modify in vivo aptitude and pathogenesis. In this study, clinical DAP-susceptible (DAPs) and DAP-resistant (DAPr) MRSA isolates were used to investigate associations between DAP resistance and staphylococcal virulence. We previously found that VraSR is a critical sensor of cell membrane/wall homeostasis associated with DAP acquisition during MRSA infection. The present study found that DAPr CB1634 and CB5014 MRSA strains with vraSR upregulation were less virulent than their susceptible counterparts, CB1631 and CB5013. Differential gene-transcription profile analysis revealed that DAPr CB1634 had decreased agr two-component system expression, virulence factors, and highly suppressed hemolysis activity. Functional genetic analysis performed in DAPr CB1634 strains using vraSR inactivation followed by gene complementation found that vraSR acted as a transcriptional agrA regulator. These results indicated that VraSR has a broad range of regulatory functions. VraSR also appeared to affect DAPr adherence to epithelial cells, which would affect DAPr strain colonization and survival in the host. The correlation between DAP resistance and decreased virulence was also found in the CB5013 (DAPs) and CB5014 (DAPr) pair. Taken together, these findings are the first evidence that DAP resistance and MRSA virulence are tightly connected and involve compromised expression of regulatory and virulence determinants. IMPORTANCE Methicillin-resistant S. aureus continues to develop resistance to antimicrobials, including those in current clinical use as daptomycin (DAP). Resistance to DAP arises by mutations in cell membrane and cell wall genes and/or upregulation of the two-component VraSR system. However, less is known about the connection between the pathogen and virulence traits during DAP resistance development. We provide new insights into VraSR and its regulatory role for virulence factors during DAP resistance, highlighting coordinated interactions that favor the higher persistence of MRSA DAP-resistant strains in the infected host.

scholarly journals Epigallocatechin Gallate Induces Upregulation of the Two-Component VraSR System by Evoking a Cell Wall Stress Response in Staphylococcus aureus

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (22) ◽  
pp. 7954-7959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oren Levinger ◽  
Tamar Bikels-Goshen ◽  
Elad Landau ◽  
Merav Fichman ◽  
Roni Shapira
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Epigallocatechin Gallate ◽  
Wall Stress ◽  
Null Mutant ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cell Wall Stress ◽  
Two Component ◽  
A Cell

ABSTRACTWe previously found that a short exposure ofStaphylococcus aureusto subinhibitory (SI) doses of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) results in increased cell wall thickness, adaptation, and enhanced tolerance to cell-wall-targeted antibiotics. In this study, the response to EGCG ofsigBandvraSRtranscription factor mutants was characterized. We show that in contrast to the results observed for wild-type (WT) strains, anS. aureus315vraSRnull mutant exposed to SI doses of EGCG did not exhibit increased tolerance to EGCG and oxacillin. A diminished increase in tolerance to ampicillin (from 16-fold to 4-fold) and no change in the magnitude of resistance to vancomycin were observed. Preexposure to EGCG enhanced the tolerance of wild-type andsigBnull mutant cells to lysostaphin, but this enhancement was much weaker in thevraSRnull mutant. Marked upregulation (about 60-fold) ofvraRand upregulation of the peptidoglycan biosynthesis-associated genesmurA,murF, andpbp2(2-, 5-, and 6-fold, respectively) in response to SI doses of EGCG were determined by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). EGCG also induced the promoter ofsas016(encoding a cell wall stress protein of unknown function which is not induced invraSRnull mutants) in a concentration-dependent manner, showing kinetics comparable to those of cell-wall-targeting antibiotics. Taken together, our results suggest that the two-component VraSR system is involved in modulating the cell response to SI doses of EGCG.

scholarly journals The Pseudomonas aeruginosa PhoP-PhoQ Two-Component Regulatory System Is Induced upon Interaction with Epithelial Cells and Controls Cytotoxicity and Inflammation

2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (9) ◽  
pp. 3122-3131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaan L. Gellatly ◽  
Brittany Needham ◽  
Laurence Madera ◽  
M. Stephen Trent ◽  
Robert E. W. Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Lipid A ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regulatory Systems ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Inflammatory Phenotype

ABSTRACTThe adaptation ofPseudomonas aeruginosato its environment, including the host, is tightly controlled by its network of regulatory systems. The two-component regulatory system PhoPQ has been shown to play a role in the virulence and polymyxin resistance ofP. aeruginosaas well as several other Gram-negative species. Dysregulation of this system has been demonstrated in clinical isolates, yet how it affects virulence ofP. aeruginosais unknown. To investigate this, an assay was used whereby bacteria were cocultured with human bronchial epithelial cells. The interaction of wild-type (WT) bacteria that had adhered to epithelial cells led to a large upregulation of the expression of theoprH-phoP-phoQoperon and its target, thearnlipopolysaccharide (LPS) modification operon, in a PhoQ-dependent manner, compared to cells in the supernatant that had failed to adhere. Relative to the wild type, aphoQmutant cocultured on epithelial cells produced less secreted protease and lipase and, like thephoQmutant,piv,lipH, andlasBmutants demonstrated reduced cytotoxicity toward epithelial cells. Mutation inphoQalso resulted in alterations to lipid A and to increased inflammatory LPS. These data indicate that mutation ofphoQresults in a phenotype that is similar to the less virulent but more inflammatory phenotype of clinical strains isolated from chronic-stage cystic fibrosis lung infections.

scholarly journals Novel Combinations of Vancomycin plus Ceftaroline or Oxacillin against Methicillin-Resistant Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and Heterogeneous VISA

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 2376-2379 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Werth ◽  
C. Vidaillac ◽  
K. P. Murray ◽  
K. L. Newton ◽  
G. Sakoulas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Fluorescent Dye ◽  
Beta Lactam ◽  
Significant Inverse Correlation ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Kill ◽  
Wall Interactions

ABSTRACTWe demonstrated a significant inverse correlation between vancomycin and beta-lactam susceptibilities in vancomycin-intermediateStaphylococcus aureus(VISA) and heterogeneous VISA (hVISA) isolates. Using time-kill assays, vancomycin plus oxacillin or ceftaroline was synergistic against 3 of 5 VISA and 1 of 5 hVISA isolates or 5 of 5 VISA and 4 of 5 hVISA isolates, respectively. Beta-lactam exposure reduced overall vancomycin-Bodipy (dipyrrometheneboron difluoride [4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene] fluorescent dye) binding but may have improved vancomycin-cell wall interactions to improve vancomycin activity. Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanism behind vancomycin and beta-lactam synergy.

scholarly journals Linezolid Attenuates Lethal Lung Damage during Postinfluenza Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia

2019 ◽  
Vol 87 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atul K. Verma ◽  
Christopher Bauer ◽  
Vijaya Kumar Yajjala ◽  
Shruti Bansal ◽  
Keer Sun
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Therapeutic Effect ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Lung Damage ◽  
Alpha Toxin ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Linezolid Therapy ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus Pneumonia ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Postinfluenza methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection can quickly develop into severe, necrotizing pneumonia, causing over 50% mortality despite antibiotic treatments. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of antibiotic therapies and the impact of S. aureus alpha-toxin in a model of lethal influenza virus and MRSA coinfection. We demonstrate that antibiotics primarily attenuate alpha-toxin-induced acute lethality, even though both alpha-toxin-dependent and -independent mechanisms significantly contribute to animal mortality after coinfection. Furthermore, we found that the protein synthesis-suppressing antibiotic linezolid has an advantageous therapeutic effect on alpha-toxin-induced lung damage, as measured by protein leak and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. Importantly, using a Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-negative MRSA isolate from patient sputum, we show that linezolid therapy significantly improves animal survival from postinfluenza MRSA pneumonia compared with vancomycin treatment. Rather than improved viral or bacterial control, this advantageous therapeutic effect is associated with a significantly attenuated proinflammatory cytokine response and acute lung damage in linezolid-treated mice. Together, our findings not only establish a critical role of alpha-toxin in the extreme mortality of secondary MRSA pneumonia after influenza but also provide support for the possibility that linezolid could be a more effective treatment than vancomycin to improve disease outcomes.

scholarly journals Disruption of Glycolysis by Nutritional Immunity Activates a Two-Component System That Coordinates a Metabolic and Antihost Response by Staphylococcus aureus

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola K. Párraga Solórzano ◽  
Jiangwei Yao ◽  
Charles O. Rock ◽  
Thomas E. Kehl-Fie
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Metabolic Flux ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Two Component System ◽  
Component System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nutritional Immunity ◽  
Two Component

ABSTRACT During infection, bacteria use two-component signal transduction systems to sense and adapt to the dynamic host environment. Despite critically contributing to infection, the activating signals of most of these regulators remain unknown. This also applies to the Staphylococcus aureus ArlRS two-component system, which contributes to virulence by coordinating the production of toxins, adhesins, and a metabolic response that enables the bacterium to overcome host-imposed manganese starvation. Restricting the availability of essential transition metals, a strategy known as nutritional immunity, constitutes a critical defense against infection. In this work, expression analysis revealed that manganese starvation imposed by the immune effector calprotectin or by the absence of glycolytic substrates activates ArlRS. Manganese starvation imposed by calprotectin also activated the ArlRS system even when glycolytic substrates were present. A combination of metabolomics, mutational analysis, and metabolic feeding experiments revealed that ArlRS is activated by alterations in metabolic flux occurring in the latter half of the glycolytic pathway. Moreover, calprotectin was found to induce expression of staphylococcal leukocidins in an ArlRS-dependent manner. These studies indicated that ArlRS is a metabolic sensor that allows S. aureus to integrate multiple environmental stresses that alter glycolytic flux to coordinate an antihost response and to adapt to manganese starvation. They also established that the latter half of glycolysis represents a checkpoint to monitor metabolic state in S. aureus. Altogether, these findings contribute to understanding how invading pathogens, such as S. aureus, adapt to the host during infection and suggest the existence of similar mechanisms in other bacterial species. IMPORTANCE Two-component regulatory systems enable bacteria to adapt to changes in their environment during infection by altering gene expression and coordinating antihost responses. Despite the critical role of two-component systems in bacterial survival and pathogenesis, the activating signals for most of these regulators remain unidentified. This is exemplified by ArlRS, a Staphylococcus aureus global regulator that contributes to virulence and to resisting host-mediated restriction of essential nutrients, such as manganese. In this report, we demonstrate that manganese starvation and the absence of glycolytic substrates activate ArlRS. Further investigations revealed that ArlRS is activated when the latter half of glycolysis is disrupted, suggesting that S. aureus monitors flux through the second half of this pathway. Host-imposed manganese starvation also induced the expression of pore-forming toxins in an ArlRS-dependent manner. Cumulatively, this work reveals that ArlRS acts as a sensor that links nutritional status, cellular metabolism, and virulence regulation.

scholarly journals Nasal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) PCR Testing Reduces the Duration of MRSA-Targeted Therapy in Patients with Suspected MRSA Pneumonia

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nidhu Baby ◽  
Andrew C. Faust ◽  
Terri Smith ◽  
Lyndsay A. Sheperd ◽  
Laura Knoll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Targeted Therapy ◽  
Length Of Hospital Stay ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Methicillin Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Health Care Associated Pneumonia ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Suspected Pneumonia

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of pharmacist-ordered methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) PCR testing on the duration of empirical MRSA-targeted antibiotic therapy in patients with suspected pneumonia. This is a retrospective analysis of patients who received vancomycin or linezolid for suspected pneumonia before and after the implementation of a pharmacist-driven protocol for nasal MRSA PCR testing. Patients were included if they were adults of >18 years of age and initiated on vancomycin or linezolid for suspected MRSA pneumonia. The primary endpoint was the duration of vancomycin or linezolid therapy. After screening 368 patients, 57 patients met inclusion criteria (27 pre-PCR and 30 post-PCR). Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups, with the majority of patients classified as having health care-associated pneumonia (68.4%). The use of the nasal MRSA PCR test reduced the mean duration of MRSA-targeted therapy by 46.6 h (74.0 ± 48.9 h versus 27.4 ± 18.7 h; 95% confidence interval [CI], 27.3 to 65.8 h; P < 0.0001). Fewer patients in the post-PCR group required vancomycin serum levels and dose adjustment (48.1% versus 16.7%; P = 0.02). There were no significant differences between the pre- and post-PCR groups regarding days to clinical improvement (1.78 ± 2.52 versus 2.27 ± 3.34; P = 0.54), length of hospital stay (11.04 ± 9.5 versus 8.2 ± 7.8; P = 0.22), or hospital mortality (14.8% versus 6.7%; P = 0.41). The use of nasal MRSA PCR testing in patients with suspected MRSA pneumonia reduced the duration of empirical MRSA-targeted therapy by approximately 2 days without increasing adverse clinical outcomes.

scholarly journals Substrate Inhibition of VanA by d-Alanine Reduces Vancomycin Resistance in a VanX-Dependent Manner

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (8) ◽  
pp. 4930-4939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizah T. van der Aart ◽  
Nicole Lemmens ◽  
Willem J. van Wamel ◽  
Gilles P. van Wezel
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Streptomyces Coelicolor ◽  
Substrate Inhibition ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Vancomycin Resistance ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lipid Ii ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant

ABSTRACTThe increasing resistance of clinical pathogens against the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin, a last-resort drug against infections with Gram-positive pathogens, is a major problem in the nosocomial environment. Vancomycin inhibits peptidoglycan synthesis by binding to thed-Ala–d-Ala terminal dipeptide moiety of the cell wall precursor lipid II. Plasmid-transferable resistance is conferred by modification of the terminal dipeptide into the vancomycin-insensitive variantd-Ala–d-Lac, which is produced by VanA. Here we show that exogenousd-Ala competes withd-Lac as a substrate for VanA, increasing the ratio of wild-type to mutant dipeptide, an effect that was augmented by several orders of magnitude in the absence of thed-Ala–d-Ala peptidase VanX. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis showed that high concentrations ofd-Ala led to the production of a significant amount of wild-type cell wall precursors, whilevanX-null mutants produced primarily wild-type precursors. This enhanced the efficacy of vancomycin in the vancomycin-resistant model organismStreptomyces coelicolor, and the susceptibility of vancomycin-resistant clinical isolates ofEnterococcus faecium(VRE) increased by up to 100-fold. The enhanced vancomycin sensitivity ofS. coelicolorcells correlated directly to increased binding of the antibiotic to the cell wall. Our work offers new perspectives for the treatment of diseases associated with vancomycin-resistant pathogens and for the development of drugs that target vancomycin resistance.

scholarly journals Role of the LytSR Two-Component Regulatory System in Adaptation to Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides in Staphylococcus aureus

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 3875-3882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soo-Jin Yang ◽  
Yan Q. Xiong ◽  
Michael R. Yeaman ◽  
Kenneth W. Bayles ◽  
Wessam Abdelhady ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Target Tissue ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Cationic Antimicrobial Peptide ◽  
Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Response System ◽  
Two Component

ABSTRACTMany host defense cationic antimicrobial peptides (HDPs) perturb the staphylococcal cell membrane (CM) and alter transmembrane potential (ΔΨ) as key parts of their lethal mechanism. Thus, a sense-response system for detecting and mediating adaptive responses to such stresses could impact organism survival; theStaphylococcus aureusLytSR two-component regulatory system (TCRS) may serve as such a ΔΨ sensor. One well-known target of this system is thelrgABoperon, which, along with the relatedcidABCoperon, has been shown to be a regulator in the control of programmed cell death and lysis. We used an isogenic set ofS. aureusstrains: (i) UAMS-1, (ii) its isogenic ΔlytSand ΔlrgABmutants, and (iii) plasmid-complemented ΔlytSRand ΔlrgABmutants. The ΔlytSstrain displayed significantly increasedin vitrosusceptibilities to all HDPs tested (neutrophil-derived human neutrophil peptide 1 [hNP-1], platelet-derived thrombin-induced platelet microbicidal proteins [tPMPs], and the tPMP-mimetic peptide RP-1), as well as to calcium-daptomycin (DAP), a cationic antimicrobial peptide (CAP). In contrast, the ΔlrgABstrain exhibited no significant changes in susceptibilities to these cationic peptides, indicating that althoughlytSRpositively regulates transcription oflrgAB, increased HDP/CAP susceptibilities in the ΔlytSmutant werelrgABindependent. Further, parental UAMS-1 (but not the ΔlytSmutant) became more resistant to hNP-1 and DAP following pretreatment with carbonyl cyanidem-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) (a CM-depolarizing agent). Of note,lytSR-dependent survival against CAP/HDP killing was not associated with changes in either surface positive charge, expression ofmprFanddlt, or CM fluidity. The ΔlytSstrain (but not the ΔlrgABmutant) displayed a significant reduction in target tissue survival in an endocarditis model during DAP treatment. Collectively, these results suggest that thelytSRTCRS plays an important role in adaptive responses ofS. aureusto CM-perturbing HDPs/CAPs, likely by functioning as a sense-response system for detecting subtle changes in ΔΨ.

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