scholarly journals Imaging and Analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Swarming and Rhamnolipid Production

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (23) ◽  
pp. 8310-8317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua D. Morris ◽  
Jessica L. Hewitt ◽  
Lawrence G. Wolfe ◽  
Nachiket G. Kamatkar ◽  
Sarah M. Chapman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Nile Red ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rhamnolipid Production ◽  
Serovar Typhimurium ◽  
Surface Motility ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACTMany bacteria spread over surfaces by “swarming” in groups. A problem for scientists who study swarming is the acquisition of statistically significant data that distinguish two observations or detail the temporal patterns and two-dimensional heterogeneities that occur. It is currently difficult to quantify differences between observed swarm phenotypes. Here, we present a method for acquisition of temporal surface motility data using time-lapse fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging. We specifically demonstrate three applications of our technique with the bacteriumPseudomonas aeruginosa. First, we quantify the temporal distribution ofP. aeruginosacells tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and the surfactant rhamnolipid stained with the lipid dye Nile red. Second, we distinguish swarming ofP. aeruginosaandSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium in a coswarming experiment. Lastly, we quantify differences in swarming and rhamnolipid production of severalP. aeruginosastrains. While the best swarming strains produced the most rhamnolipid on surfaces, planktonic culture rhamnolipid production did not correlate with surface growth rhamnolipid production.

scholarly journals Regulation of RamA by RamR in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium: Isolation of a RamR Superrepressor

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 6037-6040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vito Ricci ◽  
Stephen J. W. Busby ◽  
Laura J. V. Piddock
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium ◽  
Promoter Sequence ◽  
Palindromic Sequence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gfp Reporter ◽  
Serovar Typhimurium ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACTRamA is a transcription factor involved in regulating multidrug resistance inSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium SL1344. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter fusions were exploited to investigate the regulation of RamA expression by RamR. We show that RamR represses theramApromoter by binding to a palindromic sequence and describe a superrepressor RamR mutant that binds to theramApromoter sequence more efficiently, thus exhibiting aramAinactivated phenotype.

scholarly journals Fluorescence-Based Reporter for Gauging Cyclic Di-GMP Levels in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (15) ◽  
pp. 5060-5069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morten T. Rybtke ◽  
Bradley R. Borlee ◽  
Keiji Murakami ◽  
Yasuhiko Irie ◽  
Morten Hentzer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Host Immune System ◽  
Chronic Infections ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACTThe increased tolerance toward the host immune system and antibiotics displayed by biofilm-formingPseudomonas aeruginosaand other bacteria in chronic infections such as cystic fibrosis bronchopneumonia is of major concern. Targeting of biofilm formation is believed to be a key aspect in the development of novel antipathogenic drugs that can augment the effect of classic antibiotics by decreasing antimicrobial tolerance. The second messenger cyclic di-GMP is a positive regulator of biofilm formation, and cyclic di-GMP signaling is now regarded as a potential target for the development of antipathogenic compounds. Here we describe the development of fluorescent monitors that can gauge the cellular level of cyclic di-GMP inP. aeruginosa. We have created cyclic di-GMP level reporters by transcriptionally fusing the cyclic di-GMP-responsivecdrApromoter to genes encoding green fluorescent protein. We show that the reporter constructs give a fluorescent readout of the intracellular level of cyclic di-GMP inP. aeruginosastrains with different levels of cyclic di-GMP. Furthermore, we show that the reporters are able to detect increased turnover of cyclic di-GMP mediated by treatment ofP. aeruginosawith the phosphodiesterase inducer nitric oxide. Considering that biofilm formation is a necessity for the subsequent development of a chronic infection and therefore a pathogenicity trait, the reporters display a significant potential for use in the identification of novel antipathogenic compounds targeting cyclic di-GMP signaling, as well as for use in research aiming at understanding the biofilm biology ofP. aeruginosa.

scholarly journals PilZ Domain Protein FlgZ Mediates Cyclic Di-GMP-Dependent Swarming Motility Control in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2016 ◽  
Vol 198 (13) ◽  
pp. 1837-1846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy E. Baker ◽  
Andreas Diepold ◽  
Sherry L. Kuchma ◽  
Jessie E. Scott ◽  
Dae Gon Ha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Swarming Motility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bacterial Surface ◽  
Important Regulator ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACTThe second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) is an important regulator of motility in many bacterial species. InPseudomonas aeruginosa, elevated levels of c-di-GMP promote biofilm formation and repress flagellum-driven swarming motility. The rotation ofP. aeruginosa's polar flagellum is controlled by two distinct stator complexes, MotAB, which cannot support swarming motility, and MotCD, which promotes swarming motility. Here we show that when c-di-GMP levels are elevated, swarming motility is repressed by the PilZ domain-containing protein FlgZ and by Pel polysaccharide production. We demonstrate that FlgZ interacts specifically with the motility-promoting stator protein MotC in a c-di-GMP-dependent manner and that a functional green fluorescent protein (GFP)-FlgZ fusion protein shows significantly reduced polar localization in a strain lacking the MotCD stator. Our results establish FlgZ as a c-di-GMP receptor affecting swarming motility byP. aeruginosaand support a model wherein c-di-GMP-bound FlgZ impedes motility via its interaction with the MotCD stator.IMPORTANCEThe regulation of surface-associated motility plays an important role in bacterial surface colonization and biofilm formation. c-di-GMP signaling is a widespread means of controlling bacterial motility, and yet the mechanism whereby this signal controls surface-associated motility inP. aeruginosaremains poorly understood. Here we identify a PilZ domain-containing c-di-GMP effector protein that contributes to c-di-GMP-mediated repression of swarming motility byP. aeruginosa. We provide evidence that this effector, FlgZ, impacts swarming motility via its interactions with flagellar stator protein MotC. Thus, we propose a new mechanism for c-di-GMP-mediated regulation of motility for a bacterium with two flagellar stator sets, increasing our understanding of surface-associated behaviors, a key prerequisite to identifying ways to control the formation of biofilm communities.

scholarly journals Pseudomonas aeruginosaBiofilm Antibiotic Resistance GenendvBExpression Requires the RpoS Stationary-Phase Sigma Factor

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clayton W. Hall ◽  
Aaron J. Hinz ◽  
Luke B.-P. Gagnon ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Jean-Paul Nadeau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Stationary Phase ◽  
Sigma Factor ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Planktonic Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Sigma Factor Rpos

ABSTRACTChronic, biofilm-based bacterial infections are exceptionally difficult to eradicate due to the high degree of antibiotic recalcitrance exhibited by cells in biofilm communities. In the opportunistic pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosa, biofilm recalcitrance is multifactorial and arises in part from the preferential expression of resistance genes in biofilms compared to exponential-phase planktonic cells. One such mechanism involvesndvB, which we have previously shown to be expressed specifically in biofilms. In this study, we investigated the regulatory basis of this lifestyle-specific expression by developing an unstable green fluorescent protein (GFP) transcriptional reporter to observe the expression pattern ofndvB. We found that in addition to its expression in biofilms,ndvBwas upregulated in planktonic cells as they enter stationary phase. The transcription ofndvBin both growth phases was shown to be dependent on the stationary-phase sigma factor RpoS, and mutation of a putative RpoS binding site in thendvBpromoter abolished the activity of the promoter in stationary-phase cells. Overall, we have expanded our understanding of the temporal expression ofndvBinP. aeruginosaand have uncovered a regulatory basis for its growth phase-dependent expression.IMPORTANCEBacterial biofilms are more resistant to antibiotics than free-living planktonic cells, and understanding the mechanistic basis of this resistance can inform treatments of biofilm-based infections. In addition to chemical and structural barriers that can inhibit antibiotic entry, the upregulation of specific genes in biofilms contributes to the resistance. We investigated this biofilm-specific gene induction by examining expression patterns ofndvB, a gene involved in biofilm resistance of the opportunistic pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosa. We characterizedndvBexpression in planktonic and biofilm growth conditions with an unstable green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter and found that the expression ofndvBin biofilms is dependent on the stationary-phase sigma factor RpoS. Overall, our results support the physiological similarity between biofilms and stationary-phase cells and suggest that the induction of some stationary-phase genes in biofilms may contribute to their increased antibiotic resistance.

scholarly journals Shift in Ribonucleotide Reductase Gene Expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa during Infection

2011 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 2663-2669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Britt-Marie Sjöberg ◽  
Eduard Torrents
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Interaction Model ◽  
Infection Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Novel Drugs ◽  
Reductase Gene ◽  
Environmental Requirements ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACTThe roles of different ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) in bacterial pathogenesis have not been studied systematically. In this work we analyzed the importance of the differentPseudomonas aeruginosaRNRs in pathogenesis using theDrosophila melanogasterhost-pathogen interaction model.P. aeruginosacodes for three different RNRs with different environmental requirements. Class II and III RNR chromosomal mutants exhibited reduced virulence in this model. Translational reporter fusions of RNR genenrdA,nrdJ, ornrdDto the green fluorescent protein were constructed to measure the expression of each class during the infection process. Analysis of theP. aeruginosainfection by flow cytometry revealed increased expression ofnrdJandnrdDand decreasednrdAexpression during the infection process. Expression of each RNR class fits with the pathogenicities of the chromosomal deletion mutants. An extended understanding of the pathogenicity and physiology ofP. aeruginosawill be important for the development of novel drugs against infections in cystic fibrosis patients.

scholarly journals Cyclic Di-GMP-Mediated Repression of Swarming Motility by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 Requires the MotAB Stator

2014 ◽  
Vol 197 (3) ◽  
pp. 420-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. Kuchma ◽  
N. J. Delalez ◽  
L. M. Filkins ◽  
E. A. Snavely ◽  
J. P. Armitage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Second Messenger ◽  
Swarming Motility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Green Fluorescent

The second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) plays a critical role in the regulation of motility. InPseudomonas aeruginosaPA14, c-di-GMP inversely controls biofilm formation and surface swarming motility, with high levels of this dinucleotide signal stimulating biofilm formation and repressing swarming.P. aeruginosaencodes two stator complexes, MotAB and MotCD, that participate in the function of its single polar flagellum. Here we show that the repression of swarming motility requires a functional MotAB stator complex. Mutating themotABgenes restores swarming motility to a strain with artificially elevated levels of c-di-GMP as well as stimulates swarming in the wild-type strain, while overexpression of MotA from a plasmid represses swarming motility. Using point mutations in MotA and the FliG rotor protein of the motor supports the conclusion that MotA-FliG interactions are critical for c-di-GMP-mediated swarming inhibition. Finally, we show that high c-di-GMP levels affect the localization of a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-MotD fusion, indicating a mechanism whereby this second messenger has an impact on MotCD function. We propose that when c-di-GMP level is high, the MotAB stator can displace MotCD from the motor, thereby affecting motor function. Our data suggest a newly identified means of c-di-GMP-mediated control of surface motility, perhaps conserved amongPseudomonas,Xanthomonas, and other organisms that encode two stator systems.

scholarly journals Vibrio cholerae Triggers SOS and Mutagenesis in Response to a Wide Range of Antibiotics: a Route towards Multiresistance

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 2438-2441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeynep Baharoglu ◽  
Didier Mazel
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Resistance Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Regulated Promoters

ABSTRACTAntibiotic resistance development has been linked to the bacterial SOS stress response. InEscherichia coli, fluoroquinolones are known to induce SOS, whereas other antibiotics, such as aminoglycosides, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol, do not. Here we address whether various antibiotics induce SOS inVibrio cholerae. Reporter green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions were used to measure the response of SOS-regulated promoters to subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics. We show that unlike the situation withE. coli, all these antibiotics induce SOS inV. cholerae.

Live imaging of Runx1 expression in the dorsal aorta tracks the emergence of blood progenitors from endothelial cells

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (6) ◽  
pp. 909-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enid Yi Ni Lam ◽  
Christopher J. Hall ◽  
Philip S. Crosier ◽  
Kathryn E. Crosier ◽  
Maria Vega Flores
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Living Organism ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Dorsal Aorta ◽  
Transgenic Zebrafish ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Abstract Blood cells of an adult vertebrate are continuously generated by hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that originate during embryonic life within the aorta-gonad-mesonephros region. There is now compelling in vivo evidence that HSCs are generated from aortic endothelial cells and that this process is critically regulated by the transcription factor Runx1. By time-lapse microscopy of Runx1-enhanced green fluorescent protein transgenic zebrafish embryos, we were able to capture a subset of cells within the ventral endothelium of the dorsal aorta, as they acquire hemogenic properties and directly emerge as presumptive HSCs. These nascent hematopoietic cells assume a rounded morphology, transiently occupy the subaortic space, and eventually enter the circulation via the caudal vein. Cell tracing showed that these cells subsequently populated the sites of definitive hematopoiesis (thymus and kidney), consistent with an HSC identity. HSC numbers depended on activity of the transcription factor Runx1, on blood flow, and on proper development of the dorsal aorta (features in common with mammals). This study captures the earliest events of the transition of endothelial cells to a hemogenic endothelium and demonstrates that embryonic hematopoietic progenitors directly differentiate from endothelial cells within a living organism.

scholarly journals A Ras-like GTPase Is Involved in Hyphal Growth Guidance in the Filamentous Fungus Ashbya gossypii

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 4622-4632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasmina Bauer ◽  
Philipp Knechtle ◽  
Jürgen Wendland ◽  
Hanspeter Helfer ◽  
Peter Philippsen
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Hyphal Growth ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Growth Direction ◽  
Ashbya Gossypii ◽  
Growth Guidance ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Hyphal Tip

Characteristic features of morphogenesis in filamentous fungi are sustained polar growth at tips of hyphae and frequent initiation of novel growth sites (branches) along the extending hyphae. We have begun to study regulation of this process on the molecular level by using the model fungus Ashbya gossypii. We found that the A. gossypii Ras-like GTPase Rsr1p/Bud1p localizes to the tip region and that it is involved in apical polarization of the actin cytoskeleton, a determinant of growth direction. In the absence of RSR1/BUD1, hyphal growth was severely slowed down due to frequent phases of pausing of growth at the hyphal tip. During pausing events a hyphal tip marker, encoded by the polarisome component AgSPA2, disappeared from the tip as was shown by in vivo time-lapse fluorescence microscopy of green fluorescent protein-labeled AgSpa2p. Reoccurrence of AgSpa2p was required for the resumption of hyphal growth. In the Agrsr1/bud1Δ deletion mutant, resumption of growth occurred at the hyphal tip in a frequently uncoordinated manner to the previous axis of polarity. Additionally, hyphal filaments in the mutant developed aberrant branching sites by mislocalizing AgSpa2p thus distorting hyphal morphology. These results define AgRsr1p/Bud1p as a key regulator of hyphal growth guidance.

scholarly journals New Recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG Expression Vectors: Improving Genetic Control over Mycobacterial Promoters

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (8) ◽  
pp. 2240-2246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex I. Kanno ◽  
Cibelly Goulart ◽  
Henrique K. Rofatto ◽  
Sergio C. Oliveira ◽  
Luciana C. C. Leite ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Bovis ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Expression Vectors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Mycobacteriophage L5 ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Selection Of

ABSTRACTThe expression of many antigens, stimulatory molecules, or even metabolic pathways in mycobacteria such asMycobacterium bovisBCG orM. smegmatiswas made possible through the development of shuttle vectors, and several recombinant vaccines have been constructed. However, gene expression in any of these systems relied mostly on the selection of natural promoters expected to provide the required level of expression by trial and error. To establish a systematic selection of promoters with a range of strengths, we generated a library of mutagenized promoters through error-prone PCR of the strong PL5promoter, originally from mycobacteriophage L5. These promoters were cloned upstream of the enhanced green fluorescent protein reporter gene, and recombinantM. smegmatisbacteria exhibiting a wide range of fluorescence levels were identified. A set of promoters was selected and identified as having high (pJK-F8), intermediate (pJK-B7, pJK-E6, pJK-D6), or low (pJK-C1) promoter strengths in bothM. smegmatisandM. bovisBCG. The sequencing of the promoter region demonstrated that it was extensively modified (6 to 11%) in all of the plasmids selected. To test the functionality of the system, two different expression vectors were demonstrated to allow corresponding expression levels of theSchistosoma mansoniantigen Sm29 in BCG. The approach used here can be used to adjust expression levels for synthetic and/or systems biology studies or for vaccine development to maximize the immune response.

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