scholarly journals Mouse-Colonizing Helicobacter pylori SS1 Is Unusually Susceptible to Metronidazole Due to Two Complementary Reductase Activities

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (11) ◽  
pp. 3127-3132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin-Yong Jeong ◽  
Douglas E. Berg

ABSTRACT In most strains of Helicobacter pylori, mutational inactivation of the rdxA (HP0954) gene, which encodes a nitroreductase that converts metronidazole (MTZ) from a harmless prodrug to a mutagenic and bacteriocidal product, is sufficient to make this pathogen resistant to clinically significant levels of MTZ. Here we report that SS1, a strain with the special ability to colonize mice, is unusual in being susceptible to very low concentrations of MTZ (0.5 μg/ml) and in being especially difficult to mutate to MTZ resistance (Mtzr). These phenotypic traits were traced to expression in this strain of the normally quiescent H. pylori frxAgene (HP0642, an rdxA paralog) along with rdxA. Transformation tests using rdxA::camand frxA::kan insertion mutant DNAs, with selection solely for the chloramphenicol and kanamycin resistance markers, and sequence analyses of frxA in spontaneous Mtzr derivatives of rdxA null mutant strains each showed that the development of Mtzr in SS1 required inactivation of both rdxA and frxA. Inactivation of either gene alone left SS1 susceptible to MTZ, although it was readily mutable from an MTZ-susceptible to an Mtzrphenotype. Reverse transcriptase PCR tests showed that frxAmRNA was at least 10-fold more abundant in SS1 than in reference strain 26695. It is proposed that these reductases play primarily nutritional roles during bacterial growth.

2002 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 685-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kylie J. Nolan ◽  
David J. McGee ◽  
Hazel M. Mitchell ◽  
Tassia Kolesnikow ◽  
Janette M. Harro ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori mutants devoid of urease activity fail to colonize the gastric mucosa of mice; however, the effect of decreased levels of urease on colonization has not been examined. The nixA gene, required for full urease activity, encodes a cytoplasmic membrane nickel transporter that imports nickel ions and leads to incorporation of nickel ions into apourease. A nixA mutant of the Sydney strain of H. pylori (SS1) was constructed by disruption of the nixA gene with a kanamycin resistance cassette. This mutant retained only half the urease activity of the wild-type (wild-type) SS1 strain. C57BL/6j (n = 75) and BALB/c (n = 75) mice were inoculated independently with the wild-type or the nixA strain. The level and distribution of colonization were assessed by bacterial colony counts and histological grading at 4, 12, and 24 weeks postinfection. Colonization levels of the nixA strain in BALB/c mice were significantly lower compared with SS1 (P = 0.005), while colonization in C57BL/6j mice was similar for both the wild-type and mutant strains. Subtle differences in colonization of the different regions of the stomach, determined by microscopic grading, were observed between wild-type SS1 and the nixA strain in BALB/c mice. On the contrary, when C57BL/6j (n = 35) and BALB/c (n = 35) mice were coinfected with the wild-type and nixA strains simultaneously, the nixA mutant failed to colonize and was outcompeted by the wild-type SS1 strain, which established normal levels of colonization. These results demonstrate the importance of the nixA gene for increasing the fitness of H. pylori for gastric colonization. Since nixA is required for full urease activity, the decreased fitness of the nixA mutant is likely due to reduced urease activity; however, pleiotropic effects of the mutation cannot be completely ruled out.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Lorena Harvey ◽  
Aung Soe Lin ◽  
Lili Sun ◽  
Tatsuki Koyama ◽  
Jennifer H. B. Shuman ◽  
...  

Helicobacter pylori genomes encode >60 predicted outer membrane proteins (OMPs). Several OMPs in the Hop family act as adhesins, but the functions of most Hop proteins are unknown. To identify hop mutant strains that exhibit altered fitness in vivo compared to fitness in vitro , we used a genetic barcoding method that allowed us to track changes in the proportional abundance of H. pylori strains within a mixed population. We generated a library of hop mutant strains, each containing a unique nucleotide barcode, as well as a library of control strains, each containing a nucleotide barcode in an intergenic region predicted to be a neutral locus unrelated to bacterial fitness. We orogastrically inoculated each of the libraries into mice and analyzed compositional changes in the populations over time in vivo compared to changes detected in the populations during library passage in vitro . The control library proliferated as a relatively stable community in vitro, but there was a reduction in the population diversity of this library in vivo and marked variation in the dominant strains recovered from individual animals, consistent with the existence of a non-selective bottleneck in vivo . We did not identify any OMP mutants exhibiting fitness defects exclusively in vivo without corresponding fitness defects in vitro . Conversely, a babA mutant exhibited a strong fitness advantage in vivo but not in vitro . These findings, when taken together with results of other studies, suggest that production of BabA may have differential effects on H. pylori fitness depending on the environmental conditions.


1999 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 2060-2070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Porwollik ◽  
Brian Noonan ◽  
Paul W. O’Toole

ABSTRACT Motility of Helicobacter species has been shown to be essential for successful colonization of the host. We have investigated the organization of a flagellar export locus in Helicobacter pylori. A 7-kb fragment of the H. pylori CCUG 17874 genome was cloned and sequenced, revealing an operon comprising an open reading frame of unknown function (ORF03), essential housekeeping genes (ileS and murB), flagellar export genes (fliI and fliQ), and a homolog to a gene implicated in virulence factor transport in other pathogens (virB11). A promoter for this operon, showing similarity to the Escherichia coli ς70 consensus, was identified by primer extension. Cotranscription of the genes in the operon was demonstrated by reverse transcription-PCR, and transcription of virB11, fliI, fliQ, andmurB was detected in human or mouse biopsies obtained from infected hosts. The genetic organization of this locus was conserved in a panel of H. pylori clinical isolates. EngineeredfliI and fliQ mutant strains were completely aflagellate and nonmotile, whereas a virB11 mutant still produced flagella. The fliI and fliQ mutant strains produced reduced levels of flagellin and the hook protein FlgE. Production of OMP4, a member of the outer membrane protein family identified in H. pylori 26695, was reduced in both thevirB11 mutant and the fliI mutant, suggesting related functions of the virulence factor export protein (VirB11) and the flagellar export component (FliI).


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung In Seo ◽  
Byoung Joo Do ◽  
Jin Gu Kang ◽  
Hyoung Su Kim ◽  
Myoung Kuk Jang ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Clarithromycin resistance in Helicobacter pylori is associated with point mutations in the 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. We investigated the point mutations in the 23S rRNA genes of patients with clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori and compared the H. pylori eradication rates based on the point mutations. Methods: A total of 431 adult patients with H. pylori infection were recruited in Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital in 2017 and 2018. Patients who did not have point mutations related to clarithromycin resistance and/or had clinically insignificant point mutations were treated with PAC (proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin, clarithromycin) for seven days, while patients with clinically significant point mutations were treated with PAM (proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin, metronidazole) for seven days. H. pylori eradication rates were compared. Results: Sequencing-based detection of point mutations identified four mutations that were considered clinically significant (A2142G, A2142C, A2143G, A2143C). The clarithromycin resistance rate was 21.3% in the overall group of patients. A2143G was the most clinically significant point mutation (84/431, 19.5%), while T2182C was the most clinically insignificant point mutation (283/431, 65.7%). The overall H. pylori eradication rate was 83.7%, and the seven-day PAM-treated clarithromycin-resistance group showed a significantly lower eradication rate than the seven-day PAC-treated nonresistance group (ITT; 55.4% (51/92) vs. 74.3% (252/339), p = 0.001, PP; 66.2% (51/77) vs. 88.4% (252/285), p = 0.0001). Conclusions: There were significantly lower eradication rates in the patients with clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori when treated with PAM for seven days. A future study comparing treatment regimens in clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori-infected patients may be necessary.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 384
Author(s):  
Hang Yeon Jeong ◽  
Tae Ho Lee ◽  
Ju Gyeong Kim ◽  
Sueun Lee ◽  
Changjong Moon ◽  
...  

We previously reported that 3-pentylcatechol (PC), a synthetic non-allergenic urushiol derivative, inhibited the growth of Helicobacter pylori in an in vitro assay using nutrient agar and broth. In this study, we aimed to investigate the in vivo antimicrobial activity of PC against H. pylori growing in the stomach mucous membrane. Four-week-old male C57BL/6 mice (n = 4) were orally inoculated with H. pylori Sydney Strain-1 (SS-1) for 8 weeks. Thereafter, the mice received PC (1, 5, and 15 mg/kg) and triple therapy (omeprazole, 0.7 mg/kg; metronidazole, 16.7 mg/kg; clarithromycin, 16.7 mg/kg, reference groups) once daily for 10 days. Infiltration of inflammatory cells in gastric tissue was greater in the H. pylori-infected group compared with the control group and lower in both the triple therapy- and PC-treated groups. In addition, upregulation of cytokine mRNA was reversed after infection, upon administration of triple therapy and PC. Interestingly, PC was more effective than triple therapy at all doses, even at 1/15th the dose of triple therapy. In addition, PC demonstrated synergism with triple therapy, even at low concentrations. The results suggest that PC may be more effective against H. pylori than established antibiotics.


2003 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 2920-2923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy E. Wanken ◽  
Tyrrell Conway ◽  
Kathryn A. Eaton

ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori mutants deficient in 6-phosphogluconate dehydratase (6PGD) were constructed. Colonization densities were lower and minimum infectious doses were higher for mutant strains than for wild-type strains. In spite of better colonization, however, wild-type strains did not displace the mutant in cocolonization experiments. Loss of 6PGD diminishes the fitness of H. pylori in vivo, but the pathway is nonessential for colonization.


2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 1593-1605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ann Pohl ◽  
Sabine Kienesberger ◽  
Martin J. Blaser

ABSTRACTLewis (Le) antigens are fucosylated oligosaccharides present in theHelicobacter pylorilipopolysaccharide. Expression of these antigens is believed to be important forH. pyloricolonization, since Le antigens also are expressed on the gastric epithelia in humans. A galactosyltransferase encoded by β-(1,3)galTis essential for production of type 1 (Leaand Leb) antigens. The upstream genejhp0562, which is present in many but not allH. pyloristrains, is homologous to β-(1,3)galTbut is of unknown function. BecauseH. pyloridemonstrates extensive intragenomic recombination, we hypothesized that these two genes could undergo DNA rearrangement. A PCR screen and subsequent sequence analyses revealed that the two genes can recombine at both the 5′ and 3′ ends. Chimeric β-(1,3)galT-like alleles can restore function in a β-(1,3)galTnull mutant, but neither native nor recombinantjhp0562can. Mutagenesis ofjhp0562revealed that it is essential for synthesis of both type 1 and type 2 Le antigens. Transcriptional analyses of both loci showed β-(1,3)galTexpression in all wild-type (WT) and mutant strains tested, whereasjhp0562was not expressed injhp0562null mutants, as expected. Sincejhp0562unexpectedly displayed functions in both type 1 and type 2 Le synthesis, we asked whethergalT, part of the type 2 synthesis pathway, had analogous functions in type 1 synthesis. Mutagenesis and complementation analysis confirmed thatgalTis essential for Lebproduction. In total, these results demonstrate thatgalTandjhp0562have functions that cross the expected Le synthesis pathways and thatjhp0562provides a substrate for intragenomic recombination to generate diverse Le synthesis enzymes.


2006 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 2237-2239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sakiko Inatsu ◽  
Ayumi Ohsaki ◽  
Kumiko Nagata

ABSTRACT Growth of Helicobacter pylori was inhibited by the quinones, idebenone, duroquinone, menadione, juglone, and coenzyme Q1 at low concentrations of 0.8 to 3.2 μg/ml. Idebenone specifically inhibited H. pylori growth by inhibiting respiration and decreasing the cellular ATP level. The respiratory inhibition was accompanied by reduction of idebenone by the H. pylori cells.


2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (23) ◽  
pp. 7506-7514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth M. Carpenter ◽  
Timothy K. McDaniel ◽  
Jeannette M. Whitmire ◽  
Hanan Gancz ◽  
Silvia Guidotti ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori is an important human pathogen. However, the study of this organism is often limited by a relative shortage of genetic tools. In an effort to expand the methods available for genetic study, an endogenous H. pylori plasmid was modified for use as a transcriptional reporter and as a complementation vector. This was accomplished by addition of an Escherichia coli origin of replication, a kanamycin resistance cassette, a promoterless gfpmut3 gene, and a functional multiple cloning site to form pTM117. The promoters of amiE and pfr, two well-characterized Fur-regulated promoters, were fused to the promoterless gfpmut3, and green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression of the fusions in wild-type and Δfur strains was analyzed by flow cytometry under iron-replete and iron-depleted conditions. GFP expression was altered as expected based on current knowledge of Fur regulation of these promoters. RNase protection assays were used to determine the ability of this plasmid to serve as a complementation vector by analyzing amiE, pfr, and fur expression in wild-type and Δfur strains carrying a wild-type copy of fur on the plasmid. Proper regulation of these genes was restored in the Δfur background under high- and low-iron conditions, signifying complementation of both iron-bound and apo Fur regulation. These studies show the potential of pTM117 as a molecular tool for genetic analysis of H. pylori.


2004 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
pp. 3782-3788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaaki Minami ◽  
Takafumi Ando ◽  
Shin-nosuke Hashikawa ◽  
Keizo Torii ◽  
Tadao Hasegawa ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Glycine is the simplest amino acid and is used as a metabolic product in some bacteria. However, an excess of glycine inhibits the growth of many bacteria, and it is used as a nonspecific antiseptic agent due to its low level of toxicity in animals. The effect of glycine on Helicobacter pylori is not precisely known. The present study was conducted to investigate (i) the effect of glycine on clarithromycin (CLR)-resistant and -susceptible strains of H. pylori, (ii) the effect of glycine in combination with amoxicillin (AMX), and (iii) the postantibiotic effect (PAE). The MIC at which 90% of strains are inhibited for glycine was almost 2.5 mg/ml for 31 strains of H. pylori, including CLR-resistant strains. We constructed isogenic CLR-resistant mutant strains by natural transformation and investigated the difference between clinical wild-type strains and isogenic mutants. There were no differences in the MICs between CLR-resistant and -susceptible strains or between clinical wild-type and mutant strains. The combination of AMX and glycine showed synergistic activity, with the minimum bactericidal concentration of AMX with glycine decreasing to 1/10 that of AMX alone. Glycine showed no PAE against H. pylori. These results suggest that glycine may be a useful antimicrobial agent against H. pylori not only alone but also in combination with antibacterial drugs for the treatment of H. pylori-associated diseases. Glycine may represent a component of a new type of eradication therapy for CLR-resistant H. pylori.


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