scholarly journals Genetic Tools To Enhance the Study of Gene Function and Regulation in Staphylococcus aureus

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 2218-2224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L. Bose ◽  
Paul D. Fey ◽  
Kenneth W. Bayles
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Yellow Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Exchange System ◽  
Fluorescent Reporter ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Genetic Tools ◽  
Allelic Exchange ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACTThebursa aurealistransposon has been used to create transposon insertion libraries ofBacillus anthracisandStaphylococcus aureus. To provide a set of genetic tools to enhance the utility of these libraries, we generated an allelic-exchange system that allows for the replacement of the transposon with useful genetic markers and fluorescent reporter genes. These tools were tested in the Nebraska Transposon Mutant Library (NTML), containing defined transposon insertions in 1,952 nonessentialS. aureusgenes. First, we generated a plasmid that allows researchers to replace the genes encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) and erythromycin resistance in the transposon with a noncoding DNA fragment, leaving a markerless mutation within the chromosome. Second, we produced allelic-exchange plasmids to replace the transposon with alternate antibiotic resistance cassettes encoding tetracycline, kanamycin, and spectinomycin resistance, allowing for the simultaneous selection of multiple chromosomal mutations. Third, we generated a series of fluorescent reporter constructs that, after allelic exchange, generate transcriptional reporters encoding codon-optimized enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (ECFP), enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP), DsRed.T3(DNT), and eqFP650, as well as superfolder green fluorescent protein (sGFP). Overall, combining the NTML with this allelic-exchange system provides an unparalleled resource for the study ofS. aureus.

scholarly journals Two-Plasmid Vector System for Independently Controlled Expression of Green and Red Fluorescent Fusion Proteins in Staphylococcus aureus

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (9) ◽  
pp. 3133-3136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Brzoska ◽  
Neville Firth
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fusion Proteins ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Plasmid Vector ◽  
Vector System ◽  
Red Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Filament Formation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACTWe have constructed a system for the regulated coexpression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and red fluorescent protein (RFP) fusions inStaphylococcus aureus. It was validated by simultaneous localization of cell division proteins FtsZ and Noc and used to detect filament formation by an actin-like ParM plasmid partitioning protein in its native coccoid host.

scholarly journals Stable Transformation of the ActinobacteriaFrankiaspp.

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Céline Pesce ◽  
Rediet Oshone ◽  
Sheldon G. Hurst ◽  
Victoria A. Kleiner ◽  
Louis S. Tisa
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Salt Tolerance ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Plasmid Transfer ◽  
Nitrogen Fixing ◽  
Actinorhizal Symbiosis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Genetic Tools ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Strain Cci3

ABSTRACTA stable and efficient plasmid transfer system was developed for nitrogen-fixing symbiotic actinobacteria of the genusFrankia, a key first step in developing a genetic system. Four derivatives of the broad-host-range cloning vector pBBR1MCS were successfully introduced into differentFrankiastrains by a filter mating withEscherichia colistrain BW29427. Initially, plasmid pHKT1 that expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) was introduced intoFrankia casuarinaestrain CcI3 at a frequency of 4.0 × 10−3, resulting in transformants that were tetracycline resistant and exhibited GFP fluorescence. The presence of the plasmid was confirmed by molecular approaches, including visualization on agarose gel and PCR. Several other pBBR1MCS plasmids were also introduced intoF. casuarinaestrain CcI3 and otherFrankiastrains at frequencies ranging from 10−2to 10−4, and the presence of the plasmids was confirmed by PCR. The plasmids were stably maintained for over 2 years and through passage in a plant host. As a proof of concept, a salt tolerance candidate gene from the highly salt-tolerantFrankiasp. strain CcI6 was cloned into pBBR1MCS-3. The resulting construct was introduced into the salt-sensitiveF. casuarinaestrain CcI3. Endpoint reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) showed that the gene was expressed inF. casuarinaestrain CcI3. The expression provided an increased level of salt tolerance for the transformant. These results represent stable plasmid transfer and exogenous gene expression inFrankiaspp., overcoming a major hurdle in the field. This step in the development of genetic tools inFrankiaspp. will open up new avenues for research on actinorhizal symbiosis.IMPORTANCEThe absence of genetic tools forFrankiaresearch has been a major hindrance to the associated field of actinorhizal symbiosis and the use of the nitrogen-fixing actinobacteria. This study reports on the introduction of plasmids intoFrankiaspp. and their functional expression of green fluorescent protein and a cloned gene. As the first step in developing genetic tools, this technique opens up the field to a wide array of approaches in an organism with great importance to and potential in the environment.

scholarly journals Decreased Vancomycin Susceptibility in Staphylococcus aureus Caused by IS256Tempering of WalKR Expression

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 3240-3249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. E. McEvoy ◽  
Brian Tsuji ◽  
Wei Gao ◽  
Torsten Seemann ◽  
Jessica L. Porter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Phenotype Analysis ◽  
Dosing Regimens ◽  
Mrsa Strains ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACTVancomycin-intermediateStaphylococcus aureus(VISA) strains often arise by mutations in the essential two-component regulatorwalKR; however their impact onwalKRfunction has not been definitively established. Here, we investigated 10 MRSA strains recovered serially after exposure of vancomycin-susceptibleS. aureus(VSSA) JKD6009 to simulated human vancomycin dosing regimens (500 mg to 4,000 mg every 12 h) using a 10-day hollow fiber infection model. After continued exposure to the vancomycin regimens, two isolates displayed reduced susceptibility to both vancomycin and daptomycin, developing independent IS256insertions in thewalKR5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR). Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) revealed a 50% reduction inwalKRgene expression in the IS256mutants compared to the VSSA parent. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter analysis, promoter mapping, and site-directed mutagenesis confirmed these findings and showed that the IS256insertions had replaced two SigA-likewalKRpromoters with weaker, hybrid promoters. Removal of IS256reverted the phenotype to VSSA, showing that reduced expression of WalKR did induce the VISA phenotype. Analysis of selected WalKR-regulated autolysins revealed upregulation ofssaAbut no change in expression ofsakandsceDin both IS256mutants. Whole-genome sequencing of the two mutants revealed an additional IS256insertion withinagrCfor one mutant, and we confirmed that this mutation abolishedagrfunction. These data provide the first substantial analysis ofwalKRpromoter function and show that prolonged vancomycin exposure can result in VISA through an IS256-mediated reduction inwalKRexpression; however, the mechanisms by which this occurs remain to be determined.

scholarly journals Is intracellular Staphylococcus aureus associated with recurrent infection in a rat model of open fracture?

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-76
Author(s):  
Tao Gao ◽  
Junqing Lin ◽  
Changqing Zhang ◽  
Hongyi Zhu ◽  
Xianyou Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Open Fracture ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Kirschner Wire ◽  
Recurrent Infection ◽  
Host Immune System ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Aims The purpose of this study was to determine whether intracellular Staphylococcus aureus is associated with recurrent infection in a rat model of open fracture. Methods After stabilizing with Kirschner wire, we created a midshaft femur fracture in Sprague-Dawley rats and infected the wound with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged S. aureus. After repeated debridement and negative swab culture was achieved, the isolation of GFP-containing cells from skin, bone marrow, and muscle was then performed. The composition and viability of intracellular S. aureus in isolated GFP-positive cells was assessed. We suppressed the host immune system and observed whether recurrent infection would occur. Finally, rats were assigned to one of six treatment groups (a combination of antibiotic treatment and implant removal/retention). The proportion of successful eradication was determined. Results Green fluorescent protein-containing cells were successfully isolated after the swab culture was negative from skin (n = 0, 0%), muscle (n = 10, 100%), and bone marrow (n = 10, 100%) of a total of ten rats. The phagocytes were predominant in GFP-positive cells from muscle (73%) and bone marrow (81%) with a significantly higher viability of intracellular S. aureus (all p-values < 0.001). The recurrent infection occurred in up to 75% of rats after the immunosuppression. The proportion of successful eradication was not associated with implant retention or removal, and the efficacy of linezolid in eradicating intracellular S. aureus is significantly higher than that of vancomycin. Conclusion Intracellular S. aureus is associated with recurrent infection in the rat model of open fracture. Usage of linezolid, a membrane-permeable antibiotic, is an effective strategy against intracellular S. aureus. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res. 2020;9(2):71–76.

scholarly journals pH of the Cytoplasm and Periplasm of Escherichia coli: Rapid Measurement by Green Fluorescent Protein Fluorimetry

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (15) ◽  
pp. 5601-5607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica C. Wilks ◽  
Joan L. Slonczewski
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Time Resolution ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Osmotic Shock ◽  
Yellow Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescence Signal ◽  
Cytoplasmic Ph ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
External Ph

ABSTRACT Cytoplasmic pH and periplasmic pH of Escherichia coli cells in suspension were observed with 4-s time resolution using fluorimetry of TorA-green fluorescent protein mutant 3* (TorA-GFPmut3*) and TetR-yellow fluorescent protein. Fluorescence intensity was correlated with pH using cell suspensions containing 20 mM benzoate, which equalizes the cytoplasmic pH with the external pH. When the external pH was lowered from pH 7.5 to 5.5, the cytoplasmic pH fell within 10 to 20 s to pH 5.6 to 6.5. Rapid recovery occurred until about 30 s after HCl addition and was followed by slower recovery over the next 5 min. As a control, KCl addition had no effect on fluorescence. In the presence of 5 to 10 mM acetate or benzoate, recovery from external acidification was diminished. Addition of benzoate at pH 7.0 resulted in cytoplasmic acidification with only slow recovery. Periplasmic pH was observed using TorA-GFPmut3* exported to the periplasm through the Tat system. The periplasmic location of the fusion protein was confirmed by the observation that osmotic shock greatly decreased the periplasmic fluorescence signal by loss of the protein but had no effect on the fluorescence of the cytoplasmic protein. Based on GFPmut3* fluorescence, the pH of the periplasm equaled the external pH under all conditions tested, including rapid acid shift. Benzoate addition had no effect on periplasmic pH. The cytoplasmic pH of E. coli was measured with 4-s time resolution using a method that can be applied to any strain construct, and the periplasmic pH was measured directly for the first time.

scholarly journals Spread from the Sink to the Patient: In Situ Study Using Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)-Expressing Escherichia coli To Model Bacterial Dispersion from Hand-Washing Sink-Trap Reservoirs

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shireen Kotay ◽  
Weidong Chai ◽  
William Guilford ◽  
Katie Barry ◽  
Amy J. Mathers
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Hand Washing ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Droplet Dispersion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Mode Of Transmission ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACT There have been an increasing number of reports implicating Gammaproteobacteria as often carrying genes of drug resistance from colonized sink traps to vulnerable hospitalized patients. However, the mechanism of transmission from the wastewater of the sink P-trap to patients remains poorly understood. Herein we report the use of a designated hand-washing sink lab gallery to model dispersion of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing Escherichia coli from sink wastewater to the surrounding environment. We found no dispersion of GFP-expressing E. coli directly from the P-trap to the sink basin or surrounding countertop with coincident water flow from a faucet. However, when the GFP-expressing E. coli cells were allowed to mature in the P-trap under conditions similar to those in a hospital environment, a GFP-expressing E. coli-containing putative biofilm extended upward over 7 days to reach the strainer. This subsequently resulted in droplet dispersion to the surrounding areas (<30 in.) during faucet operation. We also demonstrated that P-trap colonization could occur by retrograde transmission along a common pipe. We postulate that the organisms mobilize up to the strainer from the P-trap, resulting in droplet dispersion rather than dispersion directly from the P-trap. This work helps to further define the mode of transmission of bacteria from a P-trap reservoir to a vulnerable hospitalized patient. IMPORTANCE Many recent reports demonstrate that sink drain pipes become colonized with highly consequential multidrug-resistant bacteria, which then results in hospital-acquired infections. However, the mechanism of dispersal of bacteria from the sink to patients has not been fully elucidated. Through establishment of a unique sink gallery, this work found that a staged mode of transmission involving biofilm growth from the lower pipe to the sink strainer and subsequent splatter to the bowl and surrounding area occurs rather than splatter directly from the water in the lower pipe. We have also demonstrated that bacterial transmission can occur via connections in wastewater plumbing to neighboring sinks. This work helps to more clearly define the mechanism and risk of transmission from a wastewater source to hospitalized patients in a world with increasingly antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can thrive in wastewater environments and cause infections in vulnerable patients.

scholarly journals PVv3, a New Shuttle Vector for Gene Expression in Vibrio vulnificus

2013 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 1477-1481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karina Klevanskaa ◽  
Nadja Bier ◽  
Kerstin Stingl ◽  
Eckhard Strauch ◽  
Stefan Hertwig
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Vibrio Parahaemolyticus ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Vibrio Vulnificus ◽  
Shuttle Vector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACTAn efficient electroporation procedure forVibrio vulnificuswas designed using the new cloning vector pVv3 (3,107 bp). Transformation efficiencies up to 2 × 106transformants per μg DNA were achieved. The vector stably replicated in bothV. vulnificusandEscherichia coliand was also successfully introduced intoVibrio parahaemolyticusandVibrio cholerae. To demonstrate the suitability of the vector for molecular cloning, the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene and thevvhBAhemolysin operon were inserted into the vector and functionally expressed inVibrioandE. coli.

scholarly journals Construction and use of aCupriavidus necatorH16 soluble hydrogenase promoter (PSH) fusion togfp(green fluorescent protein)

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bat-Erdene Jugder ◽  
Jeffrey Welch ◽  
Nady Braidy ◽  
Christopher P. Marquis
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Promoter Activity ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Growth Media ◽  
Reporter System ◽  
Screening Assay ◽  
Fluorescent Reporter ◽  
Fusion Construct ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Hydrogenases are metalloenzymes that reversibly catalyse the oxidation or production of molecular hydrogen (H2). Amongst a number of promising candidates for application in the oxidation of H2is a soluble [Ni–Fe] uptake hydrogenase (SH) produced byCupriavidus necatorH16. In the present study, molecular characterisation of the SH operon, responsible for functional SH synthesis, was investigated by developing a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter system to characterise PSHpromoter activity using several gene cloning approaches. A PSHpromoter-gfp fusion was successfully constructed and inducible GFP expression driven by the PSHpromoter under de-repressing conditions in heterotrophic growth media was demonstrated in the recombinantC. necatorH16 cells. Here we report the first successful fluorescent reporter system to study PSHpromoter activity inC. necatorH16. The fusion construct allowed for the design of a simple screening assay to evaluate PSHactivity. Furthermore, the constructed reporter system can serve as a model to develop a rapid fluorescent based reporter for subsequent small-scale process optimisation experiments for SH expression.

scholarly journals Structural analysis of the bright monomeric yellow-green fluorescent protein mNeonGreen obtained by directed evolution

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (12) ◽  
pp. 1298-1307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien Clavel ◽  
Guillaume Gotthard ◽  
David von Stetten ◽  
Daniele De Sanctis ◽  
Hélène Pasquier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Directed Evolution ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescent Proteins ◽  
Yellow Fluorescent Protein ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Visible Absorption ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Until recently, genes coding for homologues of the autofluorescent protein GFP had only been identified in marine organisms from the phyla Cnidaria and Arthropoda. New fluorescent-protein genes have now been found in the phylum Chordata, coding for particularly bright oligomeric fluorescent proteins such as the tetrameric yellow fluorescent proteinlanYFP fromBranchiostoma lanceolatum. A successful monomerization attempt led to the development of the bright yellow-green fluorescent protein mNeonGreen. The structures oflanYFP and mNeonGreen have been determined and compared in order to rationalize the directed evolution process leading from a bright, tetrameric to a still bright, monomeric fluorescent protein. An unusual discolouration of crystals of mNeonGreen was observed after X-ray data collection, which was investigated using a combination of X-ray crystallography and UV–visible absorption and Raman spectroscopies, revealing the effects of specific radiation damage in the chromophore cavity. It is shown that X-rays rapidly lead to the protonation of the phenolate O atom of the chromophore and to the loss of its planarity at the methylene bridge.

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