scholarly journals Peptidoglycan Acetylation of Campylobacter jejuni Is Essential for Maintaining Cell Wall Integrity and Colonization in Chicken Intestines

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (20) ◽  
pp. 6284-6290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taketoshi Iwata ◽  
Ayako Watanabe ◽  
Masahiro Kusumoto ◽  
Masato Akiba

ABSTRACTPeptidoglycan (PG) acetylation of Gram-positive bacteria confers lysozyme resistance and contributes to survival in the host. However, the importance of PG acetylation in Gram-negative bacteria has not been fully elucidated. The genes encoding putative PG acetyltransferase A (PatA) and B (PatB) are highly conserved inCampylobacter jejuni, the predominant cause of bacterial diarrhea worldwide. To evaluate the importance of PatA and PatB ofC. jejuni, we constructedpatAandpatBisogenic mutants and compared their phenotypes with those of the parental strains. Although transmission electron microscopy did not reveal morphological changes, both mutants exhibited decreased motility and biofilm formationin vitro. The extent of acetylation of the PG purified from thepatAandpatBmutants was significantly lower than the PG acetylation in the parental strains. Both mutants exhibited decreased lysozyme resistance and intracellular survival in macrophage cells. In a chick colonization experiment, significant colonization deficiency was observed for both mutants. These results suggest that PatA and PatB ofC. jejuniplay important roles in maintaining cell wall integrity by catalyzing PGO-acetylation and that the loss of these enzymes causes decreased motility and biofilm formation, thus leading to colonization deficiency in chicken infection.IMPORTANCEThe importance of peptidoglycan (PG) acetylation in Gram-negative bacteria has not been fully elucidated. The genes encoding putative PG acetyltransferase A (PatA) and B (PatB) are highly conserved inCampylobacter jejuni, the predominant cause of bacterial diarrhea worldwide. We evaluated the importance of these enzymes using isogenic mutants. The results of this study suggest that PatA and PatB ofC. jejuniplay important roles in maintaining cell wall integrity. The loss of these factors caused multiple phenotypic changes, leading to colonization deficiency in chicken infection. These data should be useful in developing novel control measures to prevent chicken colonization byC. jejuni. Inhibitors of the PG acetylation enzymes PatA and PatB might serve as potent anti-C. jejuniagents.

mBio ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ge Wang ◽  
Leja F. Lo ◽  
Lennart S. Forsberg ◽  
Robert J. Maier

ABSTRACTThe prominent host muramidase lysozyme cleaves bacterial peptidoglycan (PG), and the enzyme is abundant in mucosal secretions. The lytic enzyme susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria and mechanisms they use to thwart lytic enzyme activity are poorly studied. We previously characterized aHelicobacter pyloriPG modification enzyme, an N-deacetylase (PgdA) involved in lysozyme resistance. In this study, another PG modification enzyme, a putative PG O-acetyltransferase (PatA), was identified. Mass spectral analysis of the purified PG demonstrated that apatAstrain contained a greatly reduced amount of acetylated muropeptides, indicating a role for PatA inH. pyloriPG O-acetylation. The PG modification mutant strains (pgdA,patA, orpgdA patA) were more susceptible to lysozyme killing than the parent, but this assay required high lysozyme levels (up to 50 mg/ml). However, addition of host lactoferrin conferred lysozyme sensitivity toH. pylori, at physiologically relevant concentrations of both host components (3 mg/ml lactoferrin plus 0.3 mg/ml lysozyme). ThepgdA patAdouble mutant strain was far more susceptible to lysozyme/lactoferrin killing than the parent. Peptidoglycan purified from apgdA patAmutant was five times more sensitive to lysozyme than PG from the parent strain, while PG from both single mutants displayed intermediate sensitivity. Both sensitivity assays for whole cells and for purified PGs indicated that the modifications mediated by PgdA and PatA have a synergistic effect, conferring lysozyme tolerance. In a mouse infection model, significant colonization deficiency was observed for the double mutant at 3 weeks postinoculation. The results show that PG modifications affect the survival of a Gram-negative pathogen.IMPORTANCEPathogenic bacteria evade host antibacterial enzymes by a variety of mechanisms, which include resisting lytic enzymes abundant in the host. Enzymatic modifications to peptidoglycan (PG, the site of action of lysozyme) are a known mechanism used by Gram-positive bacteria to protect against host lysozyme attack. However, Gram-negative bacteria contain a thin layer of PG and a recalcitrant outer membrane permeability barrier to resist lysis, so molecular modifications to cell wall structure in order to combat lysis remain largely unstudied. Here we show that twoHelicobacter pyloriPG modification enzymes (PgdA and PatA) confer a clear protective advantage to a Gram-negative bacterium. They protect the bacterium from lytic enzyme degradation, albeit via different PG modification activities. Many pathogens are Gram negative, so some would be expected to have a similar cell wall-modifying strategy. Understanding such strategies may be useful for combating pathogen growth.


mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingbo Shen ◽  
Zuowei Wu ◽  
Yang Wang ◽  
Rong Zhang ◽  
Hong-Wei Zhou ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe recent emergence of a transferable colistin resistance mechanism, MCR-1, has gained global attention because of its threat to clinical treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. However, the possible transmission route ofmcr-1amongEnterobacteriaceaespecies in clinical settings is largely unknown. Here, we present a comprehensive genomic analysis ofEscherichia coliisolates collected in a hospital in Hangzhou, China. We found thatmcr-1-carrying isolates from clinical infections and feces of inpatients and healthy volunteers were genetically diverse and were not closely related phylogenetically, suggesting that clonal expansion is not involved in the spread ofmcr-1. Themcr-1gene was found on either chromosomes or plasmids, but in most of theE. coliisolates,mcr-1was carried on plasmids. The genetic context of the plasmids showed considerable diversity as evidenced by the different functional insertion sequence (IS) elements, toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems, heavy metal resistance determinants, and Rep proteins of broad-host-range plasmids. Additionally, the genomic analysis revealed nosocomial transmission ofmcr-1and the coexistence ofmcr-1with other genes encoding β-lactamases and fluoroquinolone resistance in theE. coliisolates. These findings indicate thatmcr-1is heterogeneously disseminated in both commensal and pathogenic strains ofE. coli, suggest the high flexibility of this gene in its association with diverse genetic backgrounds of the hosts, and provide new insights into the genome epidemiology ofmcr-1among hospital-associatedE. colistrains.IMPORTANCEColistin represents one of the very few available drugs for treating infections caused by extensively multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The recently emergentmcr-1colistin resistance gene threatens the clinical utility of colistin and has gained global attention. Howmcr-1spreads in hospital settings remains unknown and was investigated by whole-genome sequencing ofmcr-1-carryingEscherichia coliin this study. The findings revealed extraordinary flexibility ofmcr-1in its spread among genetically diverseE. colihosts and plasmids, nosocomial transmission ofmcr-1-carryingE. coli, and the continuous emergence of novel Inc types of plasmids carryingmcr-1and newmcr-1variants. Additionally,mcr-1was found to be frequently associated with other genes encoding β-lactams and fluoroquinolone resistance. These findings provide important information on the transmission and epidemiology ofmcr-1and are of significant public health importance as the information is expected to facilitate the control of this significant antibiotic resistance threat.


2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
José Manuel Ortiz de la Rosa ◽  
Patrice Nordmann ◽  
Laurent Poirel

ABSTRACT Many transferable quinolone resistance mechanisms have been identified in Gram-negative bacteria. The plasmid-encoded 65-amino-acid-long ciprofloxacin-modifying enzyme CrpP was recently identified in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. We analyzed a collection of 100 clonally unrelated and multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa clinical isolates, among which 46 were positive for crpP-like genes, encoding five CrpP variants conferring variable levels of reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones. These crpP-like genes were chromosomally located as part of pathogenicity genomic islands.


2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 728-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinícius Leite Pedro Bom ◽  
Patrícia Alves de Castro ◽  
Lizziane K. Winkelströter ◽  
Marçal Marine ◽  
Juliana I. Hori ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAspergillus fumigatusis an opportunistic pathogenic fungus able to infect immunocompromised patients, eventually causing disseminated infections that are difficult to control and lead to high mortality rates. It is important to understand how the signaling pathways that regulate these factors involved in virulence are orchestrated. Protein phosphatases are central to numerous signal transduction pathways. Here, we characterize theA. fumigatusprotein phosphatase 2A SitA, theSaccharomyces cerevisiaeSit4p homologue. ThesitAgene is not an essential gene, and we were able to construct anA. fumigatusnull mutant. The ΔsitAstrain had decreased MpkA phosphorylation levels, was more sensitive to cell wall-damaging agents, had increased β-(1,3)-glucan and chitin, was impaired in biofilm formation, and had decreased protein kinase C activity. The ΔsitAstrain is more sensitive to several metals and ions, such as MnCl2, CaCl2, and LiCl, but it is more resistant to ZnSO4. The ΔsitAstrain was avirulent in a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and induces an augmented tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) response in mouse macrophages. These results stress the importance ofA. fumigatusSitA as a possible modulator of PkcA/MpkA activity and its involvement in the cell wall integrity pathway.


mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon G. Murphy ◽  
Laura Alvarez ◽  
Myfanwy C. Adams ◽  
Shuning Liu ◽  
Joshua S. Chappie ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe cell wall is a strong, yet flexible, meshwork of peptidoglycan (PG) that gives a bacterium structural integrity. To accommodate a growing cell, the wall is remodeled by both PG synthesis and degradation.Vibrio choleraeencodes a group of three nearly identical zinc-dependent endopeptidases (EPs) that are predicted to hydrolyze PG to facilitate cell growth. Two of these (ShyA and ShyC) are conditionally essential housekeeping EPs, while the third (ShyB) is not expressed under standard laboratory conditions. To investigate the role of ShyB, we conducted a transposon screen to identify mutations that activateshyBtranscription. We found thatshyBis induced as part of the Zur-mediated zinc starvation response, a mode of regulation not previously reported for cell wall lytic enzymes.In vivo, ShyB alone was sufficient to sustain cell growth in low-zinc environments.In vitro, ShyB retained itsd,d-endopeptidase activity against purified sacculi in the presence of the metal chelator EDTA at concentrations that inhibit ShyA and ShyC. This insensitivity to metal chelation is likely what enables ShyB to substitute for other EPs during zinc starvation. Our survey of transcriptomic data from diverse bacteria identified other candidate Zur-regulated EPs, suggesting that this adaptation to zinc starvation is employed by other Gram-negative bacteria.IMPORTANCEBacteria encode a variety of adaptations that enable them to survive during zinc starvation, a condition which is encountered both in natural environments and inside the human host. InVibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the diarrheal disease cholera, we have identified a novel member of this zinc starvation response, a cell wall hydrolase that retains function and is conditionally essential for cell growth in low-zinc environments. Other Gram-negative bacteria contain homologs that appear to be under similar regulatory control. These findings are significant because they represent, to our knowledge, the first evidence that zinc homeostasis influences cell wall turnover. Anti-infective therapies commonly target the bacterial cell wall; therefore, an improved understanding of how the cell wall adapts to host-induced zinc starvation could lead to new antibiotic development. Such therapeutic interventions are required to combat the rising threat of drug-resistant infections.


Author(s):  
Xie Nianming ◽  
Ding Shaoqing ◽  
Wang Luping ◽  
Yuan Zenglin ◽  
Zhan Guolai ◽  
...  

Perhaps the data about periplasmic enzymes are obtained through biochemical methods but lack of morphological description. We have proved the existence of periplasmic bodies by electron microscope and described their ultrastructures. We hope this report may draw the attention of biochemists and mrophologists to collaborate on researches in periplasmic enzymes or periplasmic bodies with each other.One or more independent bodies may be seen in the periplasmic space between outer and inner membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, which we called periplasmic bodies. The periplasmic bodies have been found in seven species of bacteria at least, including the Pseudomonas aeroginosa. Shigella flexneri, Echerichia coli. Yersinia pestis, Campylobacter jejuni, Proteus mirabilis, Clostridium tetani. Vibrio cholerae and Brucella canis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsukasa Tominari ◽  
Ayumi Sanada ◽  
Ryota Ichimaru ◽  
Chiho Matsumoto ◽  
Michiko Hirata ◽  
...  

AbstractPeriodontitis is an inflammatory disease associated with severe alveolar bone loss and is dominantly induced by lipopolysaccharide from Gram-negative bacteria; however, the role of Gram-positive bacteria in periodontal bone resorption remains unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a major cell-wall factor of Gram-positive bacteria, on the progression of inflammatory alveolar bone loss in a model of periodontitis. In coculture of mouse primary osteoblasts and bone marrow cells, LTA induced osteoclast differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. LTA enhanced the production of PGE2 accompanying the upregulation of the mRNA expression of mPGES-1, COX-2 and RANKL in osteoblasts. The addition of indomethacin effectively blocked the LTA-induced osteoclast differentiation by suppressing the production of PGE2. Using ex vivo organ cultures of mouse alveolar bone, we found that LTA induced alveolar bone resorption and that this was suppressed by indomethacin. In an experimental model of periodontitis, LTA was locally injected into the mouse lower gingiva, and we clearly detected alveolar bone destruction using 3D-μCT. We herein demonstrate a new concept indicating that Gram-positive bacteria in addition to Gram-negative bacteria are associated with the progression of periodontal bone loss.


2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 1661-1667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santosh Kumar Tiwari ◽  
Katia Sutyak Noll ◽  
Veronica L. Cavera ◽  
Michael L. Chikindas

ABSTRACTTwo hybrid bacteriocins, enterocin E50-52/pediocin PA-1 (EP) and pediocin PA-1/enterocin E50-52 (PE), were designed by combining the N terminus of enterocin E50-52 and the C terminus of pediocin PA-1 and by combining the C terminus of pediocin PA-1 and the N terminus of enterocin E50-52, respectively. Both hybrid bacteriocins showed reduced MICs compared to those of their natural counterparts. The MICs of hybrid PE and EP were 64- and 32-fold lower, respectively, than the MIC of pediocin PA-1 and 8- and 4-fold lower, respectively, than the MIC of enterocin E50-52. In this study, the effect of hybrid as well as wild-type (WT) bacteriocins on the transmembrane electrical potential (ΔΨ) and their ability to induce the efflux of intracellular ATP were investigated. Enterocin E50-52, pediocin PA-1, and hybrid bacteriocin PE were able to dissipate ΔΨ, but EP was unable to deplete this component. Both hybrid bacteriocins caused a loss of the intracellular concentration of ATP. EP, however, caused a faster efflux than PE and enterocin E50-52. Enterocin E50-52 and hybrids PE and EP were active against the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria tested, such asMicrococcus luteus,Salmonella entericaserovar Enteritidis 20E1090, andEscherichia coliO157:H7. The hybrid bacteriocins designed and described herein are antimicrobial peptides with MICs lower those of their natural counterparts. Both hybrid peptides induce the loss of intracellular ATP and are capable of inhibiting Gram-negative bacteria, and PE dissipates the electrical potential. In this study, the MIC of hybrid bacteriocin PE decreased 64-fold compared to the MIC of its natural peptide counterpart, pediocin PA-1. Inhibition of Gram-negative pathogens confers an additional advantage for the application of these peptides in therapeutics.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (10) ◽  
pp. 5995-6002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin R. Baker ◽  
Bimal Jana ◽  
Henrik Franzyk ◽  
Luca Guardabassi

ABSTRACTThe envelope of Gram-negative bacteria constitutes an impenetrable barrier to numerous classes of antimicrobials. This intrinsic resistance, coupled with acquired multidrug resistance, has drastically limited the treatment options against Gram-negative pathogens. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate an assay for identifying compounds that increase envelope permeability, thereby conferring antimicrobial susceptibility by weakening of the cell envelope barrier in Gram-negative bacteria. A high-throughput whole-cell screening platform was developed to measureEscherichia colienvelope permeability to a β-galactosidase chromogenic substrate. The signal produced by cytoplasmic β-galactosidase-dependent cleavage of the chromogenic substrate was used to determine the degree of envelope permeabilization. The assay was optimized by using known envelope-permeabilizing compounds andE. coligene deletion mutants with impaired envelope integrity. As a proof of concept, a compound library comprising 36 peptides and 45 peptidomimetics was screened, leading to identification of two peptides that substantially increased envelope permeability. Compound 79 reduced significantly (from 8- to 125-fold) the MICs of erythromycin, fusidic acid, novobiocin and rifampin and displayed synergy (fractional inhibitory concentration index, <0.2) with these antibiotics by checkerboard assays in two genetically distinctE. colistrains, including the high-risk multidrug-resistant, CTX-M-15-producing sequence type 131 clone. Notably, in the presence of 0.25 μM of this peptide, both strains were susceptible to rifampin according to the resistance breakpoints (R> 0.5 μg/ml) for Gram-positive bacterial pathogens. The high-throughput screening platform developed in this study can be applied to accelerate the discovery of antimicrobial helper drug candidates and targets that enhance the delivery of existing antibiotics by impairing envelope integrity in Gram-negative bacteria.


2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Yu ◽  
Kelsey M. Hallinen ◽  
Kevin B. Wood

ABSTRACTSubinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics have been shown to enhance biofilm formation in multiple bacterial species. While antibiotic exposure has been associated with modulated expression of many biofilm-related genes, the mechanisms of drug-induced biofilm formation remain a focus of ongoing research efforts and may vary significantly across species. In this work, we investigate antibiotic-induced biofilm formation inEnterococcus faecalis, a leading cause of nosocomial infections. We show that biofilm formation is enhanced by subinhibitory concentrations of cell wall synthesis inhibitors but not by inhibitors of protein, DNA, folic acid, or RNA synthesis. Furthermore, enhanced biofilm is associated with increased cell lysis, increases in extracellular DNA (eDNA) levels, and increases in the density of living cells in the biofilm. In addition, we observe similar enhancement of biofilm formation when cells are treated with nonantibiotic surfactants that induce cell lysis. These findings suggest that antibiotic-induced biofilm formation is governed by a trade-off between drug toxicity and the beneficial effects of cell lysis. To understand this trade-off, we developed a simple mathematical model that predicts changes in antibiotic-induced biofilm formation due to external perturbations, and we verified these predictions experimentally. Specifically, we demonstrate that perturbations that reduce eDNA (DNase treatment) or decrease the number of living cells in the planktonic phase (a second antibiotic) decrease biofilm induction, while chemical inhibitors of cell lysis increase relative biofilm induction and shift the peak to higher antibiotic concentrations. Overall, our results offer experimental evidence linking cell wall synthesis inhibitors, cell lysis, increased eDNA levels, and biofilm formation inE. faecaliswhile also providing a predictive quantitative model that sheds light on the interplay between cell lysis and antibiotic efficacy in developing biofilms.


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