scholarly journals Loss of Function of the GdpP Protein Leads to Joint β-Lactam/Glycopeptide Tolerance in Staphylococcus aureus

2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 579-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Griffiths ◽  
A. J. O'Neill

ABSTRACTThe genetic basis of tolerance to inhibitors of peptidoglycan biosynthesis inStaphylococcus aureuswas investigated by generating tolerant mutantsin vitroand characterizing them by comparative genome sequencing. Two independently selected tolerant mutants harbored nonsynonymous mutations ingdpP, a gene encoding a putative membrane-located signaling protein. Insertional inactivation ofgdpPalso conferred tolerance. Our findings further implicate altered signal transduction as a route to antibiotic tolerance inS. aureus.

2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (7) ◽  
pp. 2382-2389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Montgomery ◽  
Susan Boyle-Vavra ◽  
Agnès Roux ◽  
Kazumi Ebine ◽  
Abraham L. Sonenshein ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTTheStaphylococcus aureusglobal regulator CodY responds to nutrient availability by controlling the expression of target genes.In vitro, CodY represses the transcription of virulence genes, but it is not known if CodY also represses virulencein vivo. The dominant community-associated methicillin-resistantS. aureus(CA-MRSA) clone, USA300, is hypervirulent and has increased transcription of global regulators and virulence genes; these features are reminiscent of a strain defective in CodY. Sequence analysis revealed, however, that thecodYgenes of USA300 and other sequencedS. aureusisolates are not significantly different from thecodYgenes in strains known to have active CodY.codYwas expressed in USA300, as well as in other pulsotypes assessed. Deletion ofcodYfrom a USA300 clinical isolate resulted in modestly increased expression of the global regulatorsagrandsaeRS, as well as the gene encoding the toxin alpha-hemolysin (hla). A substantial increase (>30-fold) in expression of thelukF-PVgene, encoding part of the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), was observed in thecodYmutant. All of these expression differences were reversed by complementation with a functionalcodYgene. Moreover, purified CodY protein bound upstream of thelukSF-PVoperon, indicating that CodY directly represses expression oflukSF-PV. Deletion ofcodYincreased the virulence of USA300 in necrotizing pneumonia and skin infection. Interestingly, deletion oflukSF-PVfrom thecodYmutant did not attenuate virulence, indicating that the hypervirulence of thecodYmutant was not explained by overexpression of PVL. These results demonstrate that CodY is active in USA300 and that CodY-mediated repression restrains the virulence of USA300.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 4644-4652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Min ◽  
Karen Ingraham ◽  
Jianzhong Huang ◽  
Lynn McCloskey ◽  
Sarah Rilling ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe continuous emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria is compromising the successful treatment of serious microbial infections. GSK1322322, a novel peptide deformylase (PDF) inhibitor, shows goodin vitroantibacterial activity and has demonstrated safety and efficacy in human proof-of-concept clinical studies.In vitrostudies were performed to determine the frequency of resistance (FoR) to this antimicrobial agent in major pathogens that cause respiratory tract and skin infections. Resistance to GSK1322322 occurred at high frequency through loss-of-function mutations in the formyl-methionyl transferase (FMT) protein inStaphylococcus aureus(4/4 strains) andStreptococcus pyogenes(4/4 strains) and via missense mutations inStreptococcus pneumoniae(6/21 strains), but the mutations were associated with severein vitroand/orin vivofitness costs. The overall FoR to GSK1322322 was very low inHaemophilus influenzae, with only one PDF mutant being identified in one of four strains. No target-based mutants were identified fromS. pyogenes, and only one or no PDF mutants were isolated in three of the fourS. aureusstrains studied. InS. pneumoniae, PDF mutants were isolated from only six of 21 strains tested; an additional 10 strains did not yield colonies on GSK1322322-containing plates. Most of the PDF mutants characterized from those three organisms (35/37 mutants) carried mutations in residues at or in close proximity to one of three highly conserved motifs that are part of the active site of the PDF protein, with 30 of the 35 mutations occurring at position V71 (using theS. pneumoniaenumbering system).


2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. e01948-20
Author(s):  
Dalin Rifat ◽  
Si-Yang Li ◽  
Thomas Ioerger ◽  
Keshav Shah ◽  
Jean-Philippe Lanoix ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe nitroimidazole prodrugs delamanid and pretomanid comprise one of only two new antimicrobial classes approved to treat tuberculosis (TB) in 50 years. Prior in vitro studies suggest a relatively low barrier to nitroimidazole resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but clinical evidence is limited to date. We selected pretomanid-resistant M. tuberculosis mutants in two mouse models of TB using a range of pretomanid doses. The frequency of spontaneous resistance was approximately 10−5 CFU. Whole-genome sequencing of 161 resistant isolates from 47 mice revealed 99 unique mutations, of which 91% occurred in 1 of 5 genes previously associated with nitroimidazole activation and resistance, namely, fbiC (56%), fbiA (15%), ddn (12%), fgd (4%), and fbiB (4%). Nearly all mutations were unique to a single mouse and not previously identified. The remaining 9% of resistant mutants harbored mutations in Rv2983 (fbiD), a gene not previously associated with nitroimidazole resistance but recently shown to be a guanylyltransferase necessary for cofactor F420 synthesis. Most mutants exhibited high-level resistance to pretomanid and delamanid, although Rv2983 and fbiB mutants exhibited high-level pretomanid resistance but relatively small changes in delamanid susceptibility. Complementing an Rv2983 mutant with wild-type Rv2983 restored susceptibility to pretomanid and delamanid. By quantifying intracellular F420 and its precursor Fo in overexpressing and loss-of-function mutants, we provide further evidence that Rv2983 is necessary for F420 biosynthesis. Finally, Rv2983 mutants and other F420H2-deficient mutants displayed hypersusceptibility to some antibiotics and to concentrations of malachite green found in solid media used to isolate and propagate mycobacteria from clinical samples.


2019 ◽  
Vol 202 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney E. Price ◽  
Dustin G. Brown ◽  
Dominique H. Limoli ◽  
Vanessa V. Phelan ◽  
George A. O’Toole

ABSTRACT Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients chronically infected with both Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus have worse health outcomes than patients who are monoinfected with either P. aeruginosa or S. aureus. We showed previously that mucoid strains of P. aeruginosa can coexist with S. aureus in vitro due to the transcriptional downregulation of several toxic exoproducts typically produced by P. aeruginosa, including siderophores, rhamnolipids, and HQNO (2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide). Here, we demonstrate that exogenous alginate protects S. aureus from P. aeruginosa in both planktonic and biofilm coculture models under a variety of nutritional conditions. S. aureus protection in the presence of exogenous alginate is due to the transcriptional downregulation of pvdA, a gene required for the production of the iron-scavenging siderophore pyoverdine as well as the downregulation of the PQS (Pseudomonas quinolone signal) (2-heptyl-3,4-dihydroxyquinoline) quorum sensing system. The impact of exogenous alginate is independent of endogenous alginate production. We further demonstrate that coculture of mucoid P. aeruginosa with nonmucoid P. aeruginosa strains can mitigate the killing of S. aureus by the nonmucoid strain of P. aeruginosa, indicating that the mechanism that we describe here may function in vivo in the context of mixed infections. Finally, we investigated a panel of mucoid clinical isolates that retain the ability to kill S. aureus at late time points and show that each strain has a unique expression profile, indicating that mucoid isolates can overcome the S. aureus-protective effects of mucoidy in a strain-specific manner. IMPORTANCE CF patients are chronically infected by polymicrobial communities. The two dominant bacterial pathogens that infect the lungs of CF patients are P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, with ∼30% of patients coinfected by both species. Such coinfected individuals have worse outcomes than monoinfected patients, and both species persist within the same physical space. A variety of host and environmental factors have been demonstrated to promote P. aeruginosa-S. aureus coexistence, despite evidence that P. aeruginosa kills S. aureus when these organisms are cocultured in vitro. Thus, a better understanding of P. aeruginosa-S. aureus interactions, particularly mechanisms by which these microorganisms are able to coexist in proximal physical space, will lead to better-informed treatments for chronic polymicrobial infections.


2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (12) ◽  
pp. 5480-5484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuhan Chang ◽  
Wen-Chien Chen ◽  
Pang-Hsin Hsieh ◽  
Dave W. Chen ◽  
Mel S. Lee ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effects of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cements loaded with daptomycin, vancomycin, and teicoplanin against methicillin-susceptibleStaphylococcus aureus(MSSA), methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA), and vancomycin-intermediateStaphylococcus aureus(VISA) strains. Standardized cement specimens made from 40 g PMMA loaded with 1 g (low-dose), 4 g (middle-dose) or 8 g (high-dose) antibiotics were tested for elution characteristics and antibacterial activities. The patterns of release of antibiotics from the cement specimens were evaluated usingin vitrobroth elution assay with high-performance liquid chromatography. The activities of broth elution fluid against differentStaphylococcus aureusstrains (MSSA, MRSA, and VISA) were then determined. The antibacterial activities of all the tested antibiotics were maintained after being mixed with PMMA. The cements loaded with higher dosages of antibiotics showed longer elution periods. Regardless of the antibiotic loading dose, the teicoplanin-loaded cements showed better elution efficacy and provided longer inhibitory periods against MSSA, MRSA, and VISA than cements loaded with the same dose of vancomycin or daptomycin. Regarding the choice of antibiotics for cement loading in the treatment ofStaphylococcus aureusinfection, teicoplanin was superior in terms of antibacterial effects.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (12) ◽  
pp. 7571-7580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Tao Jia ◽  
Qiang Fu ◽  
Wen-Hai Huang ◽  
Chang-Qing Zhang ◽  
Mohamed N. Rahaman

ABSTRACTThere is growing interest in biomaterials that can cure bone infection and also regenerate bone. In this study, two groups of implants composed of 10% (wt/wt) teicoplanin (TEC)-loaded borate bioactive glass (designated TBG) or calcium sulfate (TCS) were created and evaluated for their ability to release TECin vitroand to cure methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA)-induced osteomyelitis in a rabbit model. When immersed in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), both groups of implants provided a sustained release of TEC at a therapeutic level for up to 3 to 4 weeks while they were gradually degraded and converted to hydroxyapatite. The TBG implants showed a longer duration of TEC release and better retention of strength as a function of immersion time in PBS. Infected rabbit tibiae were treated by debridement, followed by implantation of TBG or TCS pellets or intravenous injection with TEC, or were left untreated. Evaluation at 6 weeks postimplantation showed that the animals implanted with TBG or TCS pellets had significantly lower radiological and histological scores, lower rates of MRSA-positive cultures, and lower bacterial loads than those preoperatively and those of animals treated intravenously. The level of bone regeneration was also higher in the defects treated with the TBG pellets. The results showed that local TEC delivery was more effective than intravenous administration for the treatment of MRSA-induced osteomyelitis. Borate glass has the advantages of better mechanical strength, more desirable kinetics of release of TEC, and a higher osteogenic capacity and thus could be an effective alternative to calcium sulfate for local delivery of TEC.


2016 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 844-858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Sikora ◽  
Sofia Andersson ◽  
Jadwiga Winiecka-Krusnell ◽  
Björn Hallström ◽  
Cecilia Alsmark ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIn order to improve genotyping and epidemiological analysis ofCryptosporidiumspp., genomic data need to be generated directly from a broad range of clinical specimens. Utilizing a robust method that we developed for the purification and generation of amplified target DNA, we present its application for the successful isolation and whole-genome sequencing of 14 differentCryptosporidium hominispatient specimens. Six isolates of subtype IbA10G2 were analyzed together with a single representative each of 8 other subtypes: IaA20R3, IaA23R3, IbA9G3, IbA13G3, IdA14, IeA11G3T3, IfA12G1, and IkA18G1. Parasite burden was measured over a range of more than 2 orders of magnitude for all samples, while the genomes were sequenced to mean depths of between 17× and 490× coverage. Sequence homology-based functional annotation identified several genes of interest, including the gene encodingCryptosporidiumoocyst wall protein 9 (COWP9), which presented a predicted loss-of-function mutation in all the sequence subtypes, except for that seen with IbA10G2, which has a sequence identical to theCryptosporidium parvumreference Iowa II sequence. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis showed that all the IbA10G2 genomes form a monophyletic clade in theC. hoministree as expected and yet display some heterogeneity within the IbA10G2 subtype. The current report validates the aforementioned method for isolating and sequencingCryptosporidiumdirectly from clinical stool samples. In addition, the analysis demonstrates the potential in mining data generated from sequencing multiple whole genomes ofCryptosporidiumfrom human fecal samples, while alluding to the potential for a higher degree of genotyping withinCryptosporidiumepidemiology.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 4497-4503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie E. Barber ◽  
Jordan R. Smith ◽  
Cortney E. Ireland ◽  
Blaise R. Boles ◽  
Warren E. Rose ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAnnually, medical device infections are associated with >250,000 catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), with up to 25% mortality.Staphylococcus aureus, a primary pathogen in these infections, is capable of biofilm production, allowing organism persistence in harsh environments, offering antimicrobial protection. With increases inS. aureusisolates with reduced susceptibility to current agents, ceftaroline (CPT) offers a therapeutic alternative. Therefore, we evaluated whether CPT would have a role against biofilm-producing methicillin-resistantS. aureus(MRSA), including those with decreased susceptibilities to alternative agents. In this study, we investigated CPT activity alone or combined with daptomycin (DAP) or rifampin (RIF) against 3 clinical biofilm-producing MRSA strains in anin vitrobiofilm pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model. Simulated antimicrobial regimens were as follows: 600 mg of CPT every 8 h (q8h) (free maximum concentration of drug [fCmax], 17.04 mg/liter; elimination half-life [t1/2], 2.66 h), 12 mg/kg of body weight/day of DAP (fCmax, 14.7 mg/liter;t1/2, 8 h), and 450 mg of RIF q12h (fCmax, 3.5 mg/liter;t1/2, 3.4 h), CPT plus DAP, and CPT plus RIF. Samples were obtained and plated to determine colony counts. Differences in log10CFU/cm2were evaluated by analysis of variance with Tukey'spost hoctest. The strains were CPT and vancomycin susceptible and DAP nonsusceptible (DNS). CPT displayed activity throughout the experiment. DAP demonstrated initial activity with regrowth at 24 h in all strains. RIF was comparable to the drug-free control, and little benefit was observed when combined with CPT. CPT plus DAP displayed potent activity, with an average log10CFU/cm2reduction of 3.33 ± 1.01 from baseline. CPT demonstrated activity against biofilm-producing DNS MRSA. CPT plus DAP displayed therapeutic enhancement over monotherapy, providing a potential option for difficult-to-treat medical device infections.


2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (17) ◽  
Author(s):  
Domonique A. Carson ◽  
Herman W. Barkema ◽  
Sohail Naushad ◽  
Jeroen De Buck

ABSTRACT Non-aureus staphylococci (NAS), the bacteria most commonly isolated from the bovine udder, potentially protect the udder against infection by major mastitis pathogens due to bacteriocin production. In this study, we determined the inhibitory capability of 441 bovine NAS isolates (comprising 26 species) against bovine Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, inhibiting isolates were tested against a human methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolate using a cross-streaking method. We determined the presence of bacteriocin clusters in NAS whole genomes using genome mining tools, BLAST, and comparison of genomes of closely related inhibiting and noninhibiting isolates and determined the genetic organization of any identified bacteriocin biosynthetic gene clusters. Forty isolates from 9 species (S. capitis, S. chromogenes, S. epidermidis, S. pasteuri, S. saprophyticus, S. sciuri, S. simulans, S. warneri, and S. xylosus) inhibited growth of S. aureus in vitro, 23 isolates of which, from S. capitis, S. chromogenes, S. epidermidis, S. pasteuri, S. simulans, and S. xylosus, also inhibited MRSA. One hundred five putative bacteriocin gene clusters encompassing 6 different classes (lanthipeptides, sactipeptides, lasso peptides, class IIa, class IIc, and class IId) in 95 whole genomes from 16 species were identified. A total of 25 novel bacteriocin precursors were described. In conclusion, NAS from bovine mammary glands are a source of potential bacteriocins, with >21% being possible producers, representing potential for future characterization and prospective clinical applications. IMPORTANCE Mastitis (particularly infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus) costs Canadian dairy producers $400 million/year and is the leading cause of antibiotic use on dairy farms. With increasing antibiotic resistance and regulations regarding use, there is impetus to explore bacteriocins (bacterially produced antimicrobial peptides) for treatment and prevention of bacterial infections. We examined the ability of 441 NAS bacteria from Canadian bovine milk samples to inhibit growth of S. aureus in the laboratory. Overall, 9% inhibited growth of S. aureus and 58% of those also inhibited MRSA. In NAS whole-genome sequences, we identified >21% of NAS as having bacteriocin genes. Our study represents a foundation to further explore NAS bacteriocins for clinical use.


2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (11) ◽  
pp. 5717-5720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hung-Jen Tang ◽  
Chi-Chung Chen ◽  
Kuo-Chen Cheng ◽  
Kuan-Ying Wu ◽  
Yi-Chung Lin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTTo compare thein vitroantibacterial efficacies and resistance profiles of rifampin-based combinations against methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) in a biofilm model, the antibacterial activities of vancomycin, teicoplanin, daptomycin, minocycline, linezolid, fusidic acid, fosfomycin, and tigecycline alone or in combination with rifampin against biofilm-embedded MRSA were measured. The rifampin-resistant mutation frequencies were evaluated. Of the rifampin-based combinations, rifampin enhances the antibacterial activities of and even synergizes with fusidic acid, tigecycline, and, to a lesser extent, linezolid, fosfomycin, and minocycline against biofilm-embedded MRSA. Such combinations with weaker rifampin resistance induction activities may provide a therapeutic advantage in MRSA biofilm-related infections.


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