Calcium Enhances Bile Salt-Dependent Virulence Activation in Vibrio cholerae

ABSTRACT Vibrio cholerae is the causative bacteria of the diarrheal disease cholera, but it also persists in aquatic environments, where it displays an expression profile that is distinct from that during infection. Upon entry into the host, a tightly regulated circuit coordinates the induction of two major virulence factors: cholera toxin and a toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP). It has been shown that a set of bile salts, including taurocholate, serve as host signals to activate V. cholerae virulence through inducing the activity of the transmembrane virulence regulator TcpP. In this study, we investigated the role of calcium, an abundant mental ion in the gut, in the regulation of virulence. We show that whereas Ca2+ alone does not affect virulence, Ca2+ enhances bile salt-dependent virulence activation for V. cholerae. The induction of TCP by murine intestinal contents is counteracted when Ca2+ is depleted by the high-affinity calcium chelator EGTA, suggesting that the calcium present in the gut is a relevant signal for V. cholerae virulence induction in vivo. We further show that Ca2+ enhances virulence by promoting bile salt-induced TcpP-TcpP interaction. Moreover, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) analysis demonstrated that exposure to bile salts and Ca2+ together decreases the recovery rate for fluorescently labeled TcpP, but not for another inner membrane protein (TatA). Together, these data support a model in which physiological levels of Ca2+ may result in altered bile salt-induced TcpP protein movement and activity, ultimately leading to an increased expression of virulence.

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Cooperative Role of Antibodies against Heat-Labile Toxin and the EtpA Adhesin in Preventing Toxin Delivery and Intestinal Colonization by Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology ◽

10.1128/cvi.00351-12 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 19 (10) ◽

pp. 1603-1608 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Koushik Roy ◽

David J. Hamilton ◽

James M. Fleckenstein

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Diarrheal Disease ◽

Vaccine Development ◽

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli ◽

Intestinal Colonization ◽

Content Type ◽

Heat Labile

ABSTRACTEnterotoxigenicEscherichia coli(ETEC) is an important cause of diarrheal disease in developing countries, where it is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Vaccine development for ETEC has been hindered by the heterogeneity of known molecular targets and the lack of broad-based sustained protection afforded by existing vaccine strategies. In an effort to explore the potential role of novel antigens in ETEC vaccines, we examined the ability of antibodies directed against the ETEC heat-labile toxin (LT) and the recently described EtpA adhesin to prevent intestinal colonizationin vivoand toxin delivery to epithelial cellsin vitro. We demonstrate that EtpA is required for the optimal delivery of LT and that antibodies against this adhesin play at least an additive role in preventing delivery of LT to target intestinal cells when combined with antibodies against either the A or B subunits of the toxin. Moreover, vaccination with a combination of LT and EtpA significantly impaired intestinal colonization. Together, these results suggest that the incorporation of recently identified molecules such as EtpA could be used to enhance current approaches to ETEC vaccine development.

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Neutrophils Are Essential for Containment of Vibrio cholerae to the Intestine during the Proinflammatory Phase of Infection

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.00356-12 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 80 (8) ◽

pp. 2905-2913 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Jessica Queen ◽

Karla J. Fullner Satchell

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Vibrio Cholerae ◽

Diarrheal Disease ◽

Innate Immune ◽

Infection Model ◽

Proinflammatory Response ◽

Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽

Live Attenuated Vaccine ◽

Content Type

ABSTRACTCholera is classically considered a noninflammatory diarrheal disease, in comparison to invasive enteric organisms, although there is a low-level proinflammatory response during early infection withVibrio choleraeand a strong proinflammatory reaction to live attenuated vaccine strains. Using an adult mouse intestinal infection model, this study examines the contribution of neutrophils to host defense to infection. Nontoxigenic El Tor O1V. choleraeinfection is characterized by the upregulation of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, and macrophage inflammatory protein 2 alpha in the intestine, indicating an acute innate immune response. Depletion of neutrophils from mice with anti-Ly6G IA8 monoclonal antibody led to decreased survival of mice. The role of neutrophils in protection of the host is to limit the infection to the intestine and control bacterial spread to extraintestinal organs. In the absence of neutrophils, the infection spread to the spleen and led to increased systemic levels of IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor alpha, suggesting the decreased survival in neutropenic mice is due to systemic shock. Neutrophils were found not to contribute to either clearance of colonizing bacteria or to alter the local immune response. However, when genes for secreted accessory toxins were deleted, the colonizing bacteria were cleared from the intestine, and this clearance is dependent upon neutrophils. Thus, the requirement for accessory toxins in virulence is negated in neutropenic mice, which is consistent with a role of accessory toxins in the evasion of innate immune cells in the intestine. Overall, these data support that neutrophils impact disease progression and suggest that neutrophil effectiveness can be manipulated through the deletion of accessory toxins.

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A Small Unstructured Region in Vibrio cholerae ToxT Mediates the Response to Positive and Negative Effectors and ToxT Proteolysis

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.02068-14 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 197 (3) ◽

pp. 654-668 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Joshua J. Thomson ◽

Sarah C. Plecha ◽

Jeffrey H. Withey

Keyword(s):

Vibrio Cholerae ◽

Virulence Factors ◽

Unsaturated Fatty Acids ◽

Diarrheal Disease ◽

Virulence Gene ◽

Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽

Content Type ◽

Terminal Domain ◽

Virulence Gene Regulation ◽

Host Signals

Vibrio choleraeis the causative agent of the severe diarrheal disease cholera. The production of the virulence factors that are required for human disease is controlled by a complex network of transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulators. ToxT is the transcription regulator that directly controls the production of the two major virulence factors, toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) and cholera toxin (CT). The solved crystal structure of ToxT revealed an unstructured region in the N-terminal domain between residues 100 and 110. This region and the surrounding amino acids have been previously implicated in ToxT proteolysis, resistance to inhibition by negative effectors, and ToxT dimerization. To better characterize this region, site-directed mutagenesis was performed to assess the effects on ToxT proteolysis and bile sensitivity. This analysis identified specific mutations within this unstructured region that prevent ToxT proteolysis and other mutations that reduce inhibition by bile and unsaturated fatty acids. In addition, we found that mutations that affect the sensitivity of ToxT to bile also affect the sensitivity of ToxT to its positive effector, bicarbonate. These results suggest that a small unstructured region in the ToxT N-terminal domain is involved in multiple aspects of virulence gene regulation and response to human host signals.

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Host Intestinal Signal-Promoted Biofilm Dispersal Induces Vibrio cholerae Colonization

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.02617-14 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 83 (1) ◽

pp. 317-323 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Amanda J. Hay ◽

Jun Zhu

Keyword(s):

Bile Salt ◽

Vibrio Cholerae ◽

Diarrheal Disease ◽

Virulence Gene ◽

Human Infection ◽

Content Type ◽

Abiotic Degradation ◽

Contaminated Food ◽

Free Media ◽

Biofilm Matrix

Vibrio choleraecauses human infection through ingestion of contaminated food and water, leading to the devastating diarrheal disease cholera.V. choleraeforms matrix-encased aggregates, known as biofilms, in the native aquatic environment. While the formation ofV. choleraebiofilms has been well studied, little is known about the dispersal from biofilms, particularly upon entry into the host. In this study, we found that the exposure of mature biofilms to physiologic levels of the bile salt taurocholate, a host signal for the virulence gene induction ofV. cholerae, induces an increase in the number of detached cells with a concomitant decrease in biofilm mass. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs of biofilms exposed to taurocholate revealed an altered, perhaps degraded, appearance of the biofilm matrix. The inhibition of protein synthesis did not alter rates of detachment, suggesting thatV. choleraeundergoes a passive dispersal. Cell-free media from taurocholate-exposed biofilms contains a larger amount of free polysaccharide, suggesting an abiotic degradation of biofilm matrix by taurocholate. Furthermore, we found thatV. choleraeis only able to induce virulence in response to taurocholate after exit from the biofilm. Thus, we propose a model in whichV. choleraeingested as a biofilm has coopted the host-derived bile salt signal to detach from the biofilm and go on to activate virulence.

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Aerobic Metabolism in Vibrio cholerae Is Required for Population Expansion during Infection

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.01989-20 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Andrew J. Van Alst ◽

Victor J. DiRita

Keyword(s):

Vibrio Cholerae ◽

Oxidative Metabolism ◽

Metabolic Pathways ◽

Diarrheal Disease ◽

Population Expansion ◽

Bacterial Disease ◽

High Cell ◽

Metabolic Processes ◽

Content Type

ABSTRACT Vibrio cholerae replicates to high cell density in the human small intestine, leading to the diarrheal disease cholera. During infection, V. cholerae senses and responds to environmental signals that govern cellular responses. Spatial localization of V. cholerae within the intestine affects nutrient availability and metabolic pathways required for replicative success. Metabolic processes used by V. cholerae to reach such high cell densities are not fully known. We sought to better define the metabolic traits that contribute to high levels of V. cholerae during infection. By disrupting the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex and pyruvate formate-lyase (PFL), we could differentiate aerobic and anaerobic metabolic pathway involvement in V. cholerae proliferation. We demonstrate that oxidative metabolism is a key contributor to the replicative success of V. cholerae in vivo using an infant mouse model in which PDH mutants were attenuated 100-fold relative to the wild type for colonization. Additionally, metabolism of host substrates, including mucin, was determined to support V. cholerae growth in vitro as a sole carbon source, primarily under aerobic growth conditions. Mucin likely contributes to population expansion during human infection as it is a ubiquitous source of carbohydrates. These data highlight oxidative metabolism as important in the intestinal environment and warrant further investigation of how oxygen and other host substrates shape the intestinal landscape that ultimately influences bacterial disease. We conclude from our results that oxidative metabolism of host substrates is a key driver of V. cholerae proliferation during infection, leading to the substantial bacterial burden exhibited in cholera patients. IMPORTANCE Vibrio cholerae remains a challenge in the developing world and incidence of the disease it causes, cholera, is anticipated to increase with rising global temperatures and with emergent, highly infectious strains. At present, the underlying metabolic processes that support V. cholerae growth during infection are less well understood than specific virulence traits, such as production of a toxin or pilus. In this study, we determined that oxidative metabolism of host substrates such as mucin contribute significantly to V. cholerae population expansion in vivo. Identifying metabolic pathways critical for growth can provide avenues for controlling V. cholerae infection and the knowledge may be translatable to other pathogens of the gastrointestinal tract.

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Role of Zooplankton Diversity in Vibrio cholerae Population Dynamics and in the Incidence of Cholera in the Bangladesh Sundarbans

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.01472-10 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 77 (17) ◽

pp. 6125-6132 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Guillaume Constantin de Magny ◽

Pronob K. Mozumder ◽

Christopher J. Grim ◽

Nur A. Hasan ◽

M. Niamul Naser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Population Dynamics ◽

Vibrio Cholerae ◽

Diarrheal Disease ◽

Ecological Factors ◽

Crustacean Zooplankton ◽

Content Type ◽

Life Threatening ◽

Bodies Of Water ◽

Zooplankton Communities

ABSTRACTVibrio cholerae, a bacterium autochthonous to the aquatic environment, is the causative agent of cholera, a severe watery, life-threatening diarrheal disease occurring predominantly in developing countries.V. cholerae, including both serogroups O1 and O139, is found in association with crustacean zooplankton, mainly copepods, and notably in ponds, rivers, and estuarine systems globally. The incidence of cholera and occurrence of pathogenicV. choleraestrains with zooplankton were studied in two areas of Bangladesh: Bakerganj and Mathbaria. Chitinous zooplankton communities of several bodies of water were analyzed in order to understand the interaction of the zooplankton population composition with the population dynamics of pathogenicV. choleraeand incidence of cholera. Two dominant zooplankton groups were found to be consistently associated with detection ofV. choleraeand/or occurrence of cholera cases, namely, rotifers and cladocerans, in addition to copepods. Local differences indicate there are subtle ecological factors that can influence interactions betweenV. cholerae, its plankton hosts, and the incidence of cholera.

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Vibrio cholerae LeuO Links the ToxR Regulon to Expression of Lipid A Remodeling Genes

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.00445-16 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 84 (11) ◽

pp. 3161-3171 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

X. Renee Bina ◽

Mondraya F. Howard ◽

Vanessa M. Ante ◽

James E. Bina

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factor ◽

Vibrio Cholerae ◽

Bile Salts ◽

Lipid A ◽

Diarrheal Disease ◽

Regulatory System ◽

Polymyxin B ◽

Environmental Cues ◽

Cationic Antimicrobial Peptide ◽

Content Type

Vibrio choleraeis an intestinal pathogen that causes the diarrheal disease cholera. Colonization of the intestine depends upon the expression of genes that allowV. choleraeto overcome host barriers, including low pH, bile acids, and the innate immune system. ToxR is a major contributor to this process. ToxR is a membrane-spanning transcription factor that coordinates gene expression in response to environmental cues. In previous work we showed that ToxR upregulatedleuOexpression in response to bile salts. LeuO is a LysR family transcription factor that contributes to acid tolerance, bile resistance, and biofilm formation inV. cholerae. Here, we investigated the function of ToxR and LeuO in cationic antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) resistance. We report that ToxR and LeuO contribute to CAMP resistance by regulatingcarRStranscription. CarRS is a two-component regulatory system that positively regulatesalmEFGexpression. AlmEFG confers CAMP resistance by glycinylation of lipid A. We found that the expression ofcarRSandalmEFGand the polymyxin B MIC increased in mutants lackingtoxRSorleuO. Conversely,leuOoverexpression decreased the polymyxin B MIC. Furthermore, we found that LeuO directly bound to thecarRSpromoter and that ToxR-dependent activation ofleuOtranscription regulatedcarRStranscription in response to bile salts. Our results suggest that LeuO functions downstream of ToxR to modulatecarRSexpression in response to environmental cues. This study extends the functional role of ToxR and LeuO in environmental adaptation to include cell surface remodeling and CAMP resistance.

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MetR-Regulated Vibrio cholerae Metabolism Is Required for Virulence

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.00236-12 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Ryan W. Bogard ◽

Bryan W. Davies ◽

John J. Mekalanos

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Vibrio Cholerae ◽

Virulence Factor ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Intestinal Colonization ◽

Wild Type ◽

Pathogenic Potential ◽

Content Type ◽

Mouse Intestine

ABSTRACTLysR-type transcriptional regulators (LTTRs) are the largest, most diverse family of prokaryotic transcription factors, with regulatory roles spanning metabolism, cell growth and division, and pathogenesis. Using a sequence-defined transposon mutant library, we screened a panel ofV. choleraeEl Tor mutants to identify LTTRs required for host intestinal colonization. Surprisingly, out of 38 LTTRs, only one severely affected intestinal colonization in the suckling mouse model of cholera: the methionine metabolism regulator, MetR. Genetic analysis of genes influenced by MetR revealed thatglyA1andmetJwere also required for intestinal colonization. Chromatin immunoprecipitation of MetR and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed interaction with and regulation ofglyA1, indicating that misregulation ofglyA1is likely responsible for the colonization defect observed in themetRmutant. TheglyA1mutant was auxotrophic for glycine but exhibited wild-type trimethoprim sensitivity, making folate deficiency an unlikely cause of its colonization defect. MetJ regulatory mutants are not auxotrophic but are likely altered in the regulation of amino acid-biosynthetic pathways, including those for methionine, glycine, and serine, and this misregulation likely explains its colonization defect. However, mutants defective in methionine, serine, and cysteine biosynthesis exhibited wild-type virulence, suggesting that these amino acids can be scavenged in vivo. Taken together, our results suggest that glycine biosynthesis may be required to alleviate an in vivo nutritional restriction in the mouse intestine; however, additional roles for glycine may exist. Irrespective of the precise nature of this requirement, this study illustrates the importance of pathogen metabolism, and the regulation thereof, as a virulence factor.IMPORTANCEVibrio choleraecontinues to be a severe cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Identification ofV. choleraefactors critical to disease progression offers the potential to develop or improve upon therapeutics and prevention strategies. To increase the efficiency of virulence factor discovery, we employed a regulator-centric approach to multiplex our in vivo screening capabilities and allow whole regulons inV. choleraeto be interrogated for pathogenic potential. We identified MetR as a new virulence regulator and serine hydroxymethyltransferase GlyA1 as a new MetR-regulated virulence factor, both required byV. choleraeto colonize the infant mouse intestine. Bacterial metabolism is a prerequisite to virulence, and current knowledge of in vivo metabolism of pathogens is limited. Here, we expand the known role of amino acid metabolism and regulation in virulence and offer new insights into the in vivo metabolic requirements ofV. choleraewithin the mouse intestine.

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Spo0A Suppresses sin Locus Expression in Clostridioides difficile

mSphere ◽

10.1128/msphere.00963-20 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Babita Adhikari Dhungel ◽

Revathi Govind

Keyword(s):

Diarrheal Disease ◽

Toxin Production ◽

The United States ◽

Upstream Region ◽

Pcr Analysis ◽

Bacterial Cells ◽

Master Regulator ◽

Content Type ◽

Clostridioides Difficile

ABSTRACT Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of nosocomial infection and is the causative agent of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. The severity of the disease is directly associated with toxin production, and spores are responsible for the transmission and persistence of the organism. Previously, we characterized sin locus regulators SinR and SinR′ (we renamed it SinI), where SinR is the regulator of toxin production and sporulation. The SinI regulator acts as its antagonist. In Bacillus subtilis, Spo0A, the master regulator of sporulation, controls SinR by regulating the expression of its antagonist, sinI. However, the role of Spo0A in the expression of sinR and sinI in C. difficile had not yet been reported. In this study, we tested spo0A mutants in three different C. difficile strains, R20291, UK1, and JIR8094, to understand the role of Spo0A in sin locus expression. Western blot analysis revealed that spo0A mutants had increased SinR levels. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis of its expression further supported these data. By carrying out genetic and biochemical assays, we show that Spo0A can bind to the upstream region of this locus to regulates its expression. This study provides vital information that Spo0A regulates the sin locus, which controls critical pathogenic traits such as sporulation, toxin production, and motility in C. difficile. IMPORTANCE Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrheal disease in the United States. During infection, C. difficile spores germinate, and the vegetative bacterial cells produce toxins that damage host tissue. In C. difficile, the sin locus is known to regulate both sporulation and toxin production. In this study, we show that Spo0A, the master regulator of sporulation, controls sin locus expression. Results from our study suggest that Spo0A directly regulates the expression of this locus by binding to its upstream DNA region. This observation adds new detail to the gene regulatory network that connects sporulation and toxin production in this pathogen.

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hfqPlays Important Roles in Virulence and Stress Adaptation in Cronobacter sakazakii ATCC 29544

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.03161-14 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 83 (5) ◽

pp. 2089-2098 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Seongok Kim ◽

Hyelyeon Hwang ◽

Kwang-Pyo Kim ◽

Hyunjin Yoon ◽

Dong-Hyun Kang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pathogenic Bacteria ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Soft Agar ◽

Host Cells ◽

Neonatal Meningitis ◽

Animal Cells ◽

Content Type ◽

Flagellar Biosynthesis

Cronobacterspp. are opportunistic pathogens that cause neonatal meningitis and sepsis with high mortality in neonates. Despite the peril associated withCronobacterinfection, the mechanisms of pathogenesis are still being unraveled. Hfq, which is known as an RNA chaperone, participates in the interaction with bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) to regulate posttranscriptionally the expression of various genes. Recent studies have demonstrated that Hfq contributes to the pathogenesis of numerous species of bacteria, and its roles are varied between bacterial species. Here, we tried to elucidate the role of Hfq inC. sakazakiivirulence. In the absence ofhfq,C. sakazakiiwas highly attenuated in disseminationin vivo, showed defects in invasion (3-fold) into animal cells and survival (103-fold) within host cells, and exhibited low resistance to hydrogen peroxide (102-fold). Remarkably, the loss ofhfqled to hypermotility on soft agar, which is contrary to what has been observed in other pathogenic bacteria. The hyperflagellated bacteria were likely to be attributable to the increased transcription of genes associated with flagellar biosynthesis in a strain lackinghfq. Together, these data strongly suggest thathfqplays important roles in the virulence ofC. sakazakiiby participating in the regulation of multiple genes.

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