scholarly journals Close Genetic Relationship between Legionella pneumophila Serogroup 1 Isolates from Sputum Specimens and Puddles on Roads, as Determined by Sequence-Based Typing

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (13) ◽  
pp. 3959-3966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-ichi Kanatani ◽  
Junko Isobe ◽  
Keiko Kimata ◽  
Tomoko Shima ◽  
Miwako Shimizu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Relationship ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Baths ◽  
Sources Of Infection ◽  
Legionnaires Disease ◽  
First Time ◽  
Close Genetic Relationship ◽  
Sequence Types

ABSTRACTWe investigated the prevalence ofLegionellaspecies isolated from puddles on asphalt roads. In addition, we carried out sequence-based typing (SBT) analysis on the genetic relationship betweenL. pneumophilaserogroup 1 (SG 1) isolates from puddles and from stock strains previously obtained from sputum specimens and public baths. Sixty-nine water samples were collected from puddles on roads at 6 fixed locations.Legionellaspecies were detected in 33 samples (47.8%) regardless of season. Among the 325 isolates from puddles, strains ofL. pneumophilaSG 1, a major causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, were the most frequently isolated (n= 62, 19.1%). Sixty-two isolates ofL. pneumophilaSG 1 from puddles were classified into 36 sequence types (STs) by SBT. ST120 and ST48 were identified as major STs. Environmental ST120 strains from puddles were found for the first time in this study. Among the 14 STs of the clinical isolates (n= 19), 4 STs (n= 6, 31.6%), including ST120, were also detected in isolates from puddles on roads, and the sources of infection in these cases remained unclear. Thelag-1gene, a tentative marker for clinical isolates, was prevalent in puddle isolates (61.3%). Our findings suggest that puddles on asphalt roads serve as potential reservoirs forL. pneumophilain the environment.

scholarly journals High Prevalence ofblaNDM-1Carbapenemase-Encoding Gene and 16S rRNAarmAMethyltransferase Gene among Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical Isolates in Egypt

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 3602-3605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Abd El-Gawad El-Sayed-Ahmed ◽  
Magdy Ali Amin ◽  
Wael Mustafa Tawakol ◽  
Lotfi Loucif ◽  
Sofiane Bakour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Distinct Sequence ◽  
Encoding Gene ◽  
First Time ◽  
Sequence Types ◽  
16S Rrna Methylase

ABSTRACTThe main objective of this study was to decipher the molecular mechanism of resistance to carbapenems and aminoglycosides in a large series of 150Acinetobacter baumanniiclinical isolates collected from July 2012 to September 2013 in Egypt. We report for the first time the emergence ofblaNDM-1and the cooccurrence of 16S rRNA methylasearmAwithblaNDM-1andblaOXA-23in Egyptian hospitals. Multilocus sequence typing identified 27 distinct sequence types, 11 of which were novel.

scholarly journals Human Lung Tissue Explants Reveal Novel Interactions during Legionella pneumophila Infections

2013 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 275-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Jäger ◽  
Sebastian Marwitz ◽  
Jana Tiefenau ◽  
Janine Rasch ◽  
Olga Shevchuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Tissue ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Human Lung ◽  
Transcriptional Response ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Bacterial Invasion ◽  
Human Lung Tissue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tissue Explants ◽  
Legionnaires Disease

ABSTRACTHistological and clinical investigations describe late stages of Legionnaires' disease but cannot characterize early events of human infection. Cellular or rodent infection models lack the complexity of tissue or have nonhuman backgrounds. Therefore, we developed and applied a novel model forLegionella pneumophilainfection comprising living human lung tissue. We stimulated lung explants withL. pneumophilastrains and outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) to analyze tissue damage, bacterial replication, and localization as well as the transcriptional response of infected tissue. Interestingly, we found that extracellular adhesion ofL. pneumophilato the entire alveolar lining precedes bacterial invasion and replication in recruited macrophages. In contrast, OMVs predominantly bound to alveolar macrophages. Specific damage to septa and epithelia increased over 48 h and was stronger in wild-type-infected and OMV-treated samples than in samples infected with the replication-deficient, type IVB secretion-deficient DotA−strain. Transcriptome analysis of lung tissue explants revealed a differential regulation of 2,499 genes after infection. The transcriptional response included the upregulation of uteroglobin and the downregulation of the macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO). Immunohistochemistry confirmed the downregulation of MARCO at sites of pathogen-induced tissue destruction. Neither host factor has ever been described in the context ofL. pneumophilainfections. This work demonstrates that the tissue explant model reproduces realistic features of Legionnaires' disease and reveals new functions for bacterial OMVs during infection. Our model allows us to characterize early steps of human infection which otherwise are not feasible for investigations.

scholarly journals Peptidyl-Prolyl-cis/trans-Isomerases Mip and PpiB ofLegionella pneumophilaContribute to Surface Translocation, Growth at Suboptimal Temperature, and Infection

2018 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Rasch ◽  
C. M. Ünal ◽  
A. Klages ◽  
Ü. Karsli ◽  
N. Heinsohn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Acanthamoeba Castellanii ◽  
Temperature Tolerance ◽  
Lung Damage ◽  
Atypical Pneumonia ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Legionnaires Disease ◽  
Environmental Fitness ◽  
Sliding Motility

ABSTRACTThe gammaproteobacteriumLegionella pneumophilais the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease, an atypical pneumonia that manifests itself with severe lung damage.L. pneumophila, a common inhabitant of freshwater environments, replicates in free-living amoebae and persists in biofilms in natural and man-made water systems. Its environmental versatility is reflected in its ability to survive and grow within a broad temperature range as well as its capability to colonize and infect a wide range of hosts, including protozoa and humans. Peptidyl-prolyl-cis/trans-isomerases (PPIases) are multifunctional proteins that are mainly involved in protein folding and secretion in bacteria. InL. pneumophilathe surface-associated PPIase Mip was shown to facilitate the establishment of the intracellular infection cycle in its early stages. The cytoplasmic PpiB was shown to promote cold tolerance. Here, we set out to analyze the interrelationship of these two relevant PPIases in the context of environmental fitness and infection. We demonstrate that the PPIases Mip and PpiB are important for surfactant-dependent sliding motility and adaptation to suboptimal temperatures, features that contribute to the environmental fitness ofL. pneumophila. Furthermore, they contribute to infection of the natural hostAcanthamoeba castellaniias well as human macrophages and human explanted lung tissue. These effects were additive in the case of sliding motility or synergistic in the case of temperature tolerance and infection, as assessed by the behavior of the double mutant. Accordingly, we propose that Mip and PpiB are virulence modulators ofL. pneumophilawith compensatory action and pleiotropic effects.

scholarly journals In Vitro Activity of Sulbactam-Durlobactam against Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus Complex Isolates Collected Globally in 2016 and 2017

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. McLeod ◽  
Samir H. Moussa ◽  
Meredith A. Hackel ◽  
Alita A. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Antibacterial Activities ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Level Of Activity ◽  
Severe Infections ◽  
Sources Of Infection

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.

scholarly journals The Resistome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Relationship to Phenotypic Susceptibility

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 427-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica N. Kos ◽  
Maxime Déraspe ◽  
Robert E. McLaughlin ◽  
James D. Whiteaker ◽  
Paul H. Roy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Susceptibility Data ◽  
Next Generation Sequencing Ngs ◽  
Sequence Types ◽  
Generation Sequencing ◽  
Phenotypic Susceptibility

ABSTRACTMany clinical isolates ofPseudomonas aeruginosacause infections that are difficult to eradicate due to their resistance to a wide variety of antibiotics. Key genetic determinants of resistance were identified through genome sequences of 390 clinical isolates ofP. aeruginosa, obtained from diverse geographic locations collected between 2003 and 2012 and were related to microbiological susceptibility data for meropenem, levofloxacin, and amikacin. β-Lactamases and integron cassette arrangements were enriched in the established multidrug-resistant lineages of sequence types ST111 (predominantly O12) and ST235 (O11). This study demonstrates the utility of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in defining relevant resistance elements and highlights the diversity of resistance determinants withinP. aeruginosa. This information is valuable in furthering the design of diagnostics and therapeutics for the treatment ofP. aeruginosainfections.

scholarly journals The Legionella pneumophila Metaeffector Lpg2505 (MesI) Regulates SidI-Mediated Translation Inhibition and Novel Glycosyl Hydrolase Activity

2020 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley M. Joseph ◽  
Adrienne E. Pohl ◽  
Theodore J. Ball ◽  
Troy G. Abram ◽  
David K. Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Glycosyl Hydrolase ◽  
Protein Translation ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Hydrolase Activity ◽  
Intracellular Replication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Translation Inhibition ◽  
Legionnaires Disease ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Legionella pneumophila, the etiological agent of Legionnaires’ disease, employs an arsenal of hundreds of Dot/Icm-translocated effector proteins to facilitate replication within eukaryotic phagocytes. Several effectors, called metaeffectors, function to regulate the activity of other Dot/Icm-translocated effectors during infection. The metaeffector Lpg2505 is essential for L. pneumophila intracellular replication only when its cognate effector, SidI, is present. SidI is a cytotoxic effector that interacts with the host translation factor eEF1A and potently inhibits eukaryotic protein translation by an unknown mechanism. Here, we evaluated the impact of Lpg2505 on SidI-mediated phenotypes and investigated the mechanism of SidI function. We determined that Lpg2505 binds with nanomolar affinity to SidI and suppresses SidI-mediated inhibition of protein translation. SidI binding to eEF1A and Lpg2505 is not mutually exclusive, and the proteins bind distinct regions of SidI. We also discovered that SidI possesses GDP-dependent glycosyl hydrolase activity and that this activity is regulated by Lpg2505. We have therefore renamed Lpg2505 MesI (metaeffector of SidI). This work reveals novel enzymatic activity for SidI and provides insight into how intracellular replication of L. pneumophila is regulated by a metaeffector.

scholarly journals Complete Genome Sequences of Six Legionella pneumophila Isolates from Two Collocated Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease in 2005 and 2008 in Sarpsborg/Fredrikstad, Norway

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Dybwad ◽  
Tone Aarskaug ◽  
Else-Marie Fykse ◽  
Elisabeth Henie Madslien ◽  
Janet Martha Blatny
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Genomics ◽  
Genetic Relationship ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Complete Genome ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Secretion Systems ◽  
Environmental Isolates ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
High Sequence Similarity ◽  
Legionnaires Disease

Here, we report the complete genome sequences of Legionella pneumophila isolates from two collocated outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease in 2005 and 2008 in Sarpsborg/Fredrikstad, Norway. One clinical and two environmental isolates were sequenced from each outbreak. The genome of all six isolates consisted of a 3.36 Mb-chromosome, while the 2005 genomes featured an additional 68 kb-episome sharing high sequence similarity with the L. pneumophila Lens plasmid. All six genomes contained multiple mobile genetic elements including novel combinations of type-IVA secretion systems. A comparative genomics study will be launched to resolve the genetic relationship between the L. pneumophila isolates.

scholarly journals Development of a DNA Microarray Method for Detection and Identification of All 15 Distinct O-Antigen Forms of Legionella pneumophila

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (21) ◽  
pp. 6647-6654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boyang Cao ◽  
Fangfang Yao ◽  
Xiangqian Liu ◽  
Lu Feng ◽  
Lei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Dna Microarray ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Detection Sensitivity ◽  
Immunological Methods ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Content Type ◽  
O Antigen ◽  
Detection And Identification ◽  
Legionnaires Disease ◽  
Reference Strains

ABSTRACTLegionellais ubiquitous in many environments. At least 50 species and 70 serogroups of the Gram-negative bacterium have been identified. Of the 50 species, 20 are pathogenic, andLegionella pneumophilais responsible for the great majority (approximately 90%) of the Legionnaires' disease cases that occur. Furthermore, of the 15L. pneumophilaserogroups identified, O1 alone causes more than 84% of the Legionnaires' disease cases that occur worldwide. Rapid and reliable assays for the detection and identification ofL. pneumophilain water, environmental, and clinical samples are in great demand.L. pneumophilabacteria are traditionally identified by their O antigens by immunological methods. We have recently developed an O serogroup-specific DNA microarray for the detection of all 15 distinct O-antigen forms ofL. pneumophila, including serogroups O1 to O15. A total of 35 strains were used to verify the specificity of the microarray, including 15L. pneumophilaO-antigen standard reference strains and sevenL. pneumophilaclinical isolates as target strains, seven reference strains of other non-pneumophila Legionellaspecies as closely related strains, and six non-Legionellabacterial species as nonrelated strains. The detection sensitivity was 1 ng of genomic DNA or 0.4 CFU/ml in water samples with filter enrichment and plate culturing. This study demonstrated that the microarray allows specific, sensitive, and reproducible detection ofL. pneumophilaserogroups. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a microarray serotyping method for all 15 distinct O-antigen forms ofL. pneumophila.

scholarly journals Population analysis of Legionella pneumophila reveals the basis of resistance to complement-mediated killing

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan A. Wee ◽  
Joana Alves ◽  
Diane S. J. Lindsay ◽  
Ross L. Cameron ◽  
Amy Pickering ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Analysis ◽  
Human Serum ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Population Analysis ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Classical Pathway ◽  
Evolutionary Analysis ◽  
Legionnaires Disease

AbstractLegionella pneumophila is the most common cause of the severe respiratory infection known as Legionnaires’ disease. L. pneumophila is typically a symbiont of free-living amoeba, and our understanding of the bacterial factors that determine human pathogenicity is limited. Here we carried out a population genomic study of 900 L. pneumophila isolates from human clinical and environmental samples to examine their genetic diversity, global distribution and the basis for human pathogenicity. We found that although some clones are more commonly associated with clinical infections, the capacity for human disease is representative of the breadth of species diversity. To investigate the bacterial genetic basis for human disease potential, we carried out a genome-wide association study that identified a single gene (lag-1), to be most strongly associated with clinical isolates. Molecular evolutionary analysis showed that lag-1, which encodes an O-acetyltransferase responsible for lipopolysaccharide modification, has been distributed horizontally across all major phylogenetic clades of L. pneumophila by frequent recent recombination events. Functional analysis revealed a correlation between the presence of a functional lag-1 gene and resistance to killing in human serum and bovine broncho-alveolar lavage. In addition, L. pneumophila strains that express lag-1 escaped complement-mediated phagocytosis by neutrophils. Importantly, we discovered that the expression of lag-1 confers the capacity to evade complement-mediated killing by inhibiting deposition of classical pathway molecules on the bacterial surface. In summary, our combined population and functional analyses identified L. pneumophila genetic traits linked to human disease and revealed the molecular basis for resistance to complement-mediated killing, a previously elusive trait of direct relevance to human disease pathogenicity.SignificanceLegionella pneumophila is an environmental bacterium associated with a severe pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease. A small number of L. pneumophila clones are responsible for a large proportion of human infections suggesting they have enhanced pathogenicity. Here, we employed a large-scale population analysis to investigate the evolution of human pathogenicity and identified a single gene (lag-1) that was more frequently found in clinical isolates. Functional analysis revealed that the lag-1-encoded O-acetyltransferase, involved in modification of lipopolysaccharide, conferred resistance to the classical pathway of complement in human serum. These findings solve a long-standing mystery in the field regarding L. pneumophila resistance to serum killing, revealing a novel mechanism by which L. pneumophila may avoid immune defences during infection.

scholarly journals Results of intensified source finding efforts among community-acquired cases of Legionnaires’ disease – first results of the German LeTriWa study; Berlin, 2016−2019

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Buchholz ◽  
H. J. Jahn ◽  
B. Brodhun ◽  
A-S. Lehfeld ◽  
M. Lewandowsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
External Source ◽  
District Health ◽  
Positive Strain ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Sources Of Infection ◽  
Legionnaires Disease ◽  
Infectious Source

AbstractIntroductionSources of infection of most cases of community-acquired Legionnaires’ disease (CALD) are unknown.ObjectiveIdentification of sources of infection of CALD.SettingBerlin; December 2016–May 2019.ParticipantsAdult cases of CALD reported to district health authorities and consenting to the study; age and hospital matched controls.Main outcome measurePercentage of cases of CALD with identified source of infection.MethodsAnalysis of secondary patient samples for monoclonal antibody (MAb) type (and sequence type); questionnaire-based interviews, analysis of standard household water samples for Legionella concentration followed by MAb (and sequence) typing of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (Lp1) isolates; among cases taking of additional water samples to identify the infectious source as appropriate; recruitment of control persons for comparison of exposure history and contents of standard household water samples. For each case an appraisal matrix was filled in to attribute any of three source types (external (non-residence) source, residential non-drinking water (RnDW) source, residential drinking water (RDW) as source) using three evidence types (microbiological results, cluster evidence, analytical-comparative evidence (using added information from controls)).ResultsInclusion of 111 study cases and 202 controls. Median age of cases was 67 years (range 25– 93 years), 74 (67 %) were male. Among 65 patients with urine typable for MAb type we found a MAb 3/1-positive strain in all of them.Compared to controls being a case was not associated with a higher Legionella concentration in standard household water samples, however, the presence of a MAb 3/1-positive strain was significantly associated (OR = 4.9, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.7 to 11). Thus, a source was attributed by microbiological evidence if it contained a MAb 3/1-positive strain, by cluster evidence if at least two cases were exposed to it and by analytical-comparative evidence if a case was exposed to it and the type of source was statistically significantly associated with being a case. We identified an infectious source in 53 (48 %) of 111 cases: in 16 (14 %) an external source, in 9 (8 %) a RnDW source, and in 28 (25 %) we attributed RDW. We attributed 9 cases to RnDW because cases were associated with wearing not regularly disinfected dentures (OR = 3.2, 95 % CI 1.3 to 7.8).ConclusionUsing the appraisal matrix we attributed almost half of all cases of CALD to an infectious source, predominantly RDW. Risk for LD seems to be conferred primarily by the type of Legionella rather than the amount. Dentures as a new infectious source needs further, in particular, integrated microbiological, molecular and epidemiological confirmation.

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