scholarly journals A Naturally Occurring Rgg Variant in Serotype M3 Streptococcus pyogenes Does Not Activate speB Expression Due to Altered Specificity of DNA Binding

2009 ◽  
Vol 77 (12) ◽  
pp. 5411-5417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle V. Kappeler ◽  
Srivishnupriya Anbalagan ◽  
Alexander V. Dmitriev ◽  
Emily J. McDowell ◽  
Melody N. Neely ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Streptococcus Pyogenes ◽  
Murine Model ◽  
Cysteine Protease ◽  
Phenotypic Diversity ◽  
Transcriptional Regulator ◽  
Amino Acid Position ◽  
Invasive Disease ◽  
Naturally Occurring

ABSTRACT The transcriptional regulator Rgg of Streptococcus pyogenes is essential for expression of the secreted cysteine protease SpeB. Although all isolates of S. pyogenes possess the speB gene, not all of them produce the protein in vitro. In a murine model of infection, the absence of SpeB production is associated with invasive disease. We speculated that naturally occurring mutations in rgg, which would also abrogate SpeB production, may be present in invasive isolates of S. pyogenes. Examination of the inferred Rgg sequences available in public databases revealed that the rgg gene in strain MGAS315 (a serotype M3 strain associated with invasive disease) encodes a proline at amino acid position 103 (Rgg103P); in contrast, all other strains encode a serine at this position (Rgg103S). A caseinolytic assay and Western blotting indicated that strain MGAS315 does not produce SpeB in vitro. Gene-swapping experiments showed that the rgg gene of MGAS315 is solely responsible for the lack of SpeB expression. In contrast to Rgg103S, Rgg103P does not bind to the speB promoter in gel shift assays, which correlates with a lack of speB expression. Despite its inability to activate speB expression, Rgg103P retains the ability to bind to DNA upstream of norA and to influence its expression. Overall, this study illustrates how variation at the rgg locus may contribute to the phenotypic diversity of S. pyogenes.

scholarly journals The Transcriptional Regulator CpsY Is Important for Innate Immune Evasion in Streptococcus pyogenes

2016 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis A. Vega ◽  
Kayla M. Valdes ◽  
Ganesh S. Sundar ◽  
Ashton T. Belew ◽  
Emrul Islam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Pyogenes ◽  
Immune Evasion ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Group A Streptococcus ◽  
Transcriptional Regulator ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Host

ABSTRACTAs an exclusively human pathogen,Streptococcus pyogenes(the group A streptococcus [GAS]) has specifically adapted to evade host innate immunity and survive in multiple tissue niches, including blood. GAS can overcome the metabolic constraints of the blood environment and expresses various immunomodulatory factors necessary for survival and immune cell resistance. Here we present our investigation of one such factor, the predicted LysR family transcriptional regulator CpsY. The encoding gene,cpsY, was initially identified as being required for GAS survival in a transposon-site hybridization (TraSH) screen in whole human blood. CpsY is homologous with transcriptional regulators ofStreptococcus mutans(MetR),Streptococcus iniae(CpsY), andStreptococcus agalactiae(MtaR) that regulate methionine transport, amino acid metabolism, resistance to neutrophil-mediated killing, and survivalin vivo. Our investigation indicated that CpsY is involved in GAS resistance to innate immune cells of its human host. However, GAS CpsY does not manifest thein vitrophenotypes of its homologs in other streptococcal species. GAS CpsY appears to regulate a small set of genes that is markedly different from the regulons of its homologs. The differential expression of these genes depends on the growth medium, and CpsY modestly influences their expression. The GAS CpsY regulon includes known virulence factors (mntE,speB,spd,nga[spn],prtS[SpyCEP], andsse) and cell surface-associated factors of GAS (emm1,mur1.2,sibA[cdhA], andM5005_Spy0500). Intriguingly, the loss of CpsY in GAS does not result in virulence defects in murine models of infection, suggesting that CpsY function in immune evasion is specific to the human host.

scholarly journals Single amino acid mutations effect Zika virus replication in vitro and virulence in vivo

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole M. Collette ◽  
Victoria H.I. Lao ◽  
Dina R. Weilhammer ◽  
Barbara Zingg ◽  
Shoshana D. Cohen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Replication Rate ◽  
Adult Mice ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Viral Virulence

AbstractThe 2014-2016 Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas resulted in large deposits of next-generation sequencing data from clinical samples. This resource was mined to identify emerging mutations and trends in mutations as the outbreak progressed over time. Information on transmission dynamics, prevalence and persistence of intra-host mutants, and the position of a mutation on a protein were then used to prioritize 544 reported mutations based on their ability to impact ZIKV phenotype. Using this criteria, six mutants (representing naturally occurring mutations) were generated as synthetic infectious clones using a 2015 Puerto Rican epidemic strain PRVABC59 as the parental backbone. The phenotypes of these naturally occurring variants were examined using both cell culture and murine model systems. Mutants had distinct phenotypes, including changes in replication rate, embryo death, and decreased head size. In particular, a NS2B mutant previously detected during in vivo studies in rhesus macaques was found to cause lethal infections in adult mice, abortions in pregnant females, and increased viral genome copies in both brain tissue and blood of female mice. Additionally, mutants with changes in the region of NS3 that interfaces with NS5 during replication displayed reduced replication in the blood of adult mice. This analytical pathway, integrating both bioinformatic and wet lab experiments, provides a foundation for understanding how naturally occurring single mutations affect disease outcome and can be used to predict the of severity of future ZIKV outbreaks.Author summaryTo determine if naturally occurring individual mutations in the Zika virus epidemic genotype effect viral virulence or replication rate in vitro or in vivo, we generated an infectious clone representing the epidemic genotype of stain Puerto Rico, 2015. Using this clone, six mutants were created by changing nucleotides in the genome to cause one to two amino acid substitutions in the encoded proteins. The six mutants we generated represent mutations that differentiated the early epidemic genotype from genotypes that were either ancestral or that occurred later in the epidemic. We assayed each mutant for changes in growth rate, and for virulence in adult mice and pregnant mice. Three of the mutants caused catastrophic embryo effects including increased embryonic death or significant decrease in head diameter. Three other mutants that had mutations in a genome region associated with replication resulted in changes in in vitro and in vivo replication rates. These results illustrate the potential impact of individual mutations in viral phenotype.

scholarly journals Identification of Group A Streptococcus Antigenic Determinants Upregulated In Vivo

2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (9) ◽  
pp. 6026-6038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kowthar Y. Salim ◽  
Dennis G. Cvitkovitch ◽  
Peter Chang ◽  
Darrin J. Bast ◽  
Martin Handfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Murine Model ◽  
Vibrio Vulnificus ◽  
Group A Streptococcus ◽  
Hypothetical Protein ◽  
Invasive Disease ◽  
Antigenic Determinants ◽  
Expression Library ◽  
Group A

ABSTRACT Group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes a range of diseases in humans, from mild noninvasive infections to severe invasive infections. The molecular basis for the varying severity of disease remains unclear. We identified genes expressed during invasive disease using in vivo-induced antigen technology (IVIAT), applied for the first time in a gram-positive organism. Convalescent-phase sera from patients with invasive disease were pooled, adsorbed against antigens derived from in vitro-grown GAS, and used to screen a GAS genomic expression library. A murine model of invasive GAS disease was included as an additional source of sera for screening. Sequencing DNA inserts from clones reactive with both human and mouse sera indicated 16 open reading frames with homology to genes involved in metabolic activity to genes of unknown function. Of these, seven genes were assessed for their differential expression by quantitative real-time PCR both in vivo, utilizing a murine model of invasive GAS disease, and in vitro at different time points of growth. Three gene products—a putative penicillin-binding protein 1A, a putative lipoprotein, and a conserved hypothetical protein homologous to a putative translation initiation inhibitor in Vibrio vulnificus—were upregulated in vivo, suggesting that these genes play a role during invasive disease.

scholarly journals Correlation of In Vitro Susceptibilities to Newer Quinolones of Naturally Occurring Quinolone-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae Strains with Changes in GyrA and ParC

2001 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 734-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany R. Shultz ◽  
John W. Tapsall ◽  
Peter A. White
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
The Other ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Ciprofloxacin Resistance ◽  
Amino Acid Mutations ◽  
Sydney Australia

ABSTRACT The in vitro activities of ciprofloxacin, trovafloxacin, moxifloxacin, and grepafloxacin against 174 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in Sydney, Australia, were determined. The strains included 84 quinolone-less-sensitive and -resistant N. gonorrhoeae (QRNG) strains for which ciprofloxacin MICs were in the range of 0.12 to 16 μg/ml. The QRNG included strains isolated from patients whose infections were acquired in a number of countries, mostly in Southeast Asia. The gyrA and parCquinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDR) of 18 selected QRNG strains were sequenced, and the amino acid mutations observed were related to the MICs obtained. The activities of moxifloxacin and grepafloxacin against QRNG were comparable to that of ciprofloxacin. Trovafloxacin was more active than the other quinolones against some but not all of the QRNG strains. Increments in ciprofloxacin resistance occurred in a step-wise manner with point mutations initiated ingyrA resulting in amino acid alterations Ser91-to-Phe, Ser91-to-Tyr, Asp95-to-Gly, and Asp95-to-Asn. Single gyrAchanges correlated with ciprofloxacin MICs in the range 0.12 to 1 μg/ml. The Ser91 changes in GyrA were associated with higher MICs and further QRDR changes. QRNG strains for which ciprofloxacin MICs were greater than 1 μg/ml had both gyrA and parCQRDR point mutations. ParC alterations were seen in these isolates only in the presence of GyrA changes and comprised amino acid changes Asp86-to-Asn, Ser87-to-Asn, Ser87-to-Arg, Ser88-to-Pro, Glu91-to-Lys, and Glu91-to-Gln. QRNG strains for which MICs were in the higher ranges had double GyrA mutations, but again only with accompanying ParC alterations. Not only did the nature and combination of GyrA and ParC changes influence the incremental increases in ciprofloxacin MICs, but they seemingly also altered the differential activity of trovafloxacin. Our findings suggest that the newer quinolones of the type examined are unlikely to be useful replacements for ciprofloxacin in the treatment of gonorrhea, particularly where ciprofloxacin MICs are high or where resistance is widespread.

scholarly journals HIV-1 Protease, Reverse Transcriptase, and Integrase Variation

2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (13) ◽  
pp. 6058-6070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soo-Yon Rhee ◽  
Kris Sankaran ◽  
Vici Varghese ◽  
Mark A. Winters ◽  
Christopher B. Hurt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Amino Acid Position ◽  
Antiretroviral Drugs ◽  
Resistance Testing ◽  
Genotypic Resistance ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Genotypic Resistance Testing ◽  
Hiv 1 ◽  
Amino Acid Variants

ABSTRACTHIV-1 protease (PR), reverse transcriptase (RT), and integrase (IN) variability presents a challenge to laboratories performing genotypic resistance testing. This challenge will grow with increased sequencing of samples enriched for proviral DNA such as dried blood spots and increased use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to detect low-abundance HIV-1 variants. We analyzed PR and RT sequences from >100,000 individuals and IN sequences from >10,000 individuals to characterize variation at each amino acid position, identify mutations indicating APOBEC-mediated G-to-A editing, and identify mutations resulting from selective drug pressure. Forty-seven percent of PR, 37% of RT, and 34% of IN positions had one or more amino acid variants with a prevalence of ≥1%. Seventy percent of PR, 60% of RT, and 60% of IN positions had one or more variants with a prevalence of ≥0.1%. Overall 201 PR, 636 RT, and 346 IN variants had a prevalence of ≥0.1%. The median intersubtype prevalence ratios were 2.9-, 2.1-, and 1.9-fold for these PR, RT, and IN variants, respectively. Only 5.0% of PR, 3.7% of RT, and 2.0% of IN variants had a median intersubtype prevalence ratio of ≥10-fold. Variants at lower prevalences were more likely to differ biochemically and to be part of an electrophoretic mixture compared to high-prevalence variants. There were 209 mutations indicative of APOBEC-mediated G-to-A editing and 326 mutations nonpolymorphic treatment selected. Identification of viruses with a high number of APOBEC-associated mutations will facilitate the quality control of dried blood spot sequencing. Identifying sequences with a high proportion of rare mutations will facilitate the quality control of NGS.IMPORTANCEMost antiretroviral drugs target three HIV-1 proteins: PR, RT, and IN. These proteins are highly variable: many different amino acids can be present at the same position in viruses from different individuals. Some of the amino acid variants cause drug resistance and occur mainly in individuals receiving antiretroviral drugs. Some variants result from a human cellular defense mechanism called APOBEC-mediated hypermutation. Many variants result from naturally occurring mutation. Some variants may represent technical artifacts. We studied PR and RT sequences from >100,000 individuals and IN sequences from >10,000 individuals to quantify variation at each amino acid position in these three HIV-1 proteins. We performed analyses to determine which amino acid variants resulted from antiretroviral drug selection pressure, APOBEC-mediated editing, and naturally occurring variation. Our results provide information essential to clinical, research, and public health laboratories performing genotypic resistance testing by sequencing HIV-1 PR, RT, and IN.

scholarly journals A biocompatible betaine-functionalized polycation for coacervation

Soft Matter ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mintai P. Hwang ◽  
Xiaochu Ding ◽  
Jin Gao ◽  
Abhinav P. Acharya ◽  
Steven R. Little ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Quaternary Ammonium ◽  
Bacterial Activity ◽  
Complex Coacervation ◽  
Ammonium Group ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Quaternary Ammonium Group

Betaine, a naturally occurring amino acid, is conjugated onto a polyester backbone, in which the quaternary ammonium group imparts additional functionality to the resulting polycation (B-PED). B-PED demonstrates excellentin vitroandin vivobiocompatibility and is also assessed for its effect on angiogenesis, anti-bacterial activity, and complex coacervation.

scholarly journals Streptococcus pyogenes Arginine and Citrulline Catabolism Promotes Infection and Modulates Innate Immunity

2013 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 233-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary T. Cusumano ◽  
Michael E. Watson ◽  
Michael G. Caparon
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Innate Immunity ◽  
Streptococcus Pyogenes ◽  
Murine Model ◽  
Acid Stress ◽  
Arginine Deiminase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cutaneous Tissue

ABSTRACTA bacterium's ability to acquire nutrients from its host during infection is an essential component of pathogenesis. For the Gram-positive pathogenStreptococcus pyogenes, catabolism of the amino acid arginine via the arginine deiminase (ADI) pathway supplements energy production and provides protection against acid stressin vitro. Its expression is enhanced in murine models of infection, suggesting an important rolein vivo. To gain insight into the function of the ADI pathway in pathogenesis, the virulence of mutants defective in each of its enzymes was examined. Mutants unable to use arginine (ΔArcA) or citrulline (ΔArcB) were attenuated for carriage in a murine model of asymptomatic mucosal colonization. However, in a murine model of inflammatory infection of cutaneous tissue, the ΔArcA mutant was attenuated but the ΔArcB mutant was hyperattenuated, revealing an unexpected tissue-specific role for citrulline metabolism in pathogenesis. When mice defective for the arginine-dependent production of nitric oxide (iNOS−/−) were infected with the ΔArcA mutant, cutaneous virulence was rescued, demonstrating that the ability ofS. pyogenesto utilize arginine was dispensable in the absence of nitric oxide-mediated innate immunity. This work demonstrates the importance of arginine and citrulline catabolism and suggests a novel mechanism of virulence by whichS. pyogenesuses its metabolism to modulate innate immunity through depletion of an essential host nutrient.

scholarly journals Single Amino Acid Mutations Affect Zika Virus Replication In Vitro and Virulence In Vivo

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1295
Author(s):  
Nicole M. Collette ◽  
Victoria H. I. Lao ◽  
Dina R. Weilhammer ◽  
Barbara Zingg ◽  
Shoshana D. Cohen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Replication Rate ◽  
Adult Mice ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Viral Virulence

The 2014–2016 Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas resulted in large deposits of next-generation sequencing data from clinical samples. This resource was mined to identify emerging mutations and trends in mutations as the outbreak progressed over time. Information on transmission dynamics, prevalence, and persistence of intra-host mutants, and the position of a mutation on a protein were then used to prioritize 544 reported mutations based on their ability to impact ZIKV phenotype. Using this criteria, six mutants (representing naturally occurring mutations) were generated as synthetic infectious clones using a 2015 Puerto Rican epidemic strain PRVABC59 as the parental backbone. The phenotypes of these naturally occurring variants were examined using both cell culture and murine model systems. Mutants had distinct phenotypes, including changes in replication rate, embryo death, and decreased head size. In particular, a NS2B mutant previously detected during in vivo studies in rhesus macaques was found to cause lethal infections in adult mice, abortions in pregnant females, and increased viral genome copies in both brain tissue and blood of female mice. Additionally, mutants with changes in the region of NS3 that interfaces with NS5 during replication displayed reduced replication in the blood of adult mice. This analytical pathway, integrating both bioinformatic and wet lab experiments, provides a foundation for understanding how naturally occurring single mutations affect disease outcome and can be used to predict the of severity of future ZIKV outbreaks. To determine if naturally occurring individual mutations in the Zika virus epidemic genotype affect viral virulence or replication rate in vitro or in vivo, we generated an infectious clone representing the epidemic genotype of stain Puerto Rico, 2015. Using this clone, six mutants were created by changing nucleotides in the genome to cause one to two amino acid substitutions in the encoded proteins. The six mutants we generated represent mutations that differentiated the early epidemic genotype from genotypes that were either ancestral or that occurred later in the epidemic. We assayed each mutant for changes in growth rate, and for virulence in adult mice and pregnant mice. Three of the mutants caused catastrophic embryo effects including increased embryonic death or significant decrease in head diameter. Three other mutants that had mutations in a genome region associated with replication resulted in changes in in vitro and in vivo replication rates. These results illustrate the potential impact of individual mutations in viral phenotype.

Inhibition of Hemoglobin Degrading Protease Falcipain-2 as a Mechanism for Anti-Malarial Activity of Triazole-Amino Acid Hybrids

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 377-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vigyasa Singh ◽  
Rahul Singh Hada ◽  
Amad Uddin ◽  
Babita Aneja ◽  
Mohammad Abid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Cysteine Protease ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Antimalarial Activity ◽  
Docking Studies ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Trophozoite Stage ◽  
Hemoglobin Degradation

Background: Novel drug development against malaria parasite over old conventional antimalarial drugs is essential due to rapid and indiscriminate use of drugs, which led to the emergence of resistant strains. Methods: In this study, previously reported triazole-amino acid hybrids (13-18) are explored against Plasmodium falciparum as antimalarial agents. Among six compounds, 15 and 18 exhibited antimalarial activity against P. falciparum with insignificant hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity towards HepG2 mammalian cells. In molecular docking studies, both compounds bind into the active site of PfFP-2 and block its accessibility to the substrate that leads to the inhibition of target protein further supported by in vitro analysis. Results: Antimalarial half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 15 and 18 compounds were found to be 9.26 μM and 20.62 μM, respectively. Blood stage specific studies showed that compounds, 15 and 18 are effective at late trophozoite stage and block egress pathway of parasites. Decreased level of free monomeric heme was found in a dose dependent manner after the treatment with compounds 15 and 18, which was further evidenced by the reduction in percent of hemoglobin hydrolysis. Compounds 15 and 18 hindered hemoglobin degradation via intra- and extracellular cysteine protease falcipain-2 (PfFP-2) inhibitory activity both in in vitro and in vivo in P. falciparum. Conclusion: We report antimalarial potential of triazole-amino acid hybrids and their role in the inhibition of cysteine protease PfFP-2 as its mechanistic aspect.

Isolation of Group A Streptococci with Reduced In Vitro β-Lactam Susceptibility Harboring Amino Acid Substitutions in Penicillin-Binding Proteins in Japan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsubasa Ikeda ◽  
Rihito Suzuki ◽  
Wanchun Jin ◽  
Jun-ichi Wachino ◽  
Yoshichika Arakawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Streptococcus Pyogenes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Group A Streptococci ◽  
Penicillin Binding Protein ◽  
Penicillin Binding Proteins ◽  
Group A

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus , GAS) has long been regarded as being susceptible to β-lactams. However, amino acid substitutions in penicillin-binding protein (PBP)2X conferring reduced in vitro β-lactam susceptibility have been indicated since 2019 in the United States and Iceland. Here, we report the first isolation of Streptococcus pyogenes possessing the PBP2X substitution conferring reduced in vitro β-lactam susceptibility in Asia; however, the MICs were below the “susceptible” breakpoint of the CLSI.

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