scholarly journals The Manganese-Responsive Transcriptional Regulator MumR Protects Acinetobacter baumannii from Oxidative Stress

2019 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin R. Green ◽  
Lillian J. Juttukonda ◽  
Eric P. Skaar
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Transcriptional Regulator ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Host Immune Response ◽  
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Rapid Acquisition

ABSTRACT Acinetobacter baumannii is an emerging opportunistic pathogen that primarily infects critically ill patients in nosocomial settings. Because of its rapid acquisition of antibiotic resistance, infections caused by A. baumannii have become extremely difficult to treat, underlying the importance of identifying new antimicrobial targets for this pathogen. Manganese (Mn) is an essential nutrient metal required for a number of bacterial processes, including the response to oxidative stress. Here, we show that exogenous Mn can restore A. baumannii viability in the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This restoration is not dependent on the high-affinity Nramp family Mn transporter, MumT, as a ΔmumT mutant is no more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) killing than wild-type A. baumannii. However, mumR, which encodes the transcriptional regulator of mumT, is critical for growth and survival in the presence of H2O2, suggesting that MumR regulates additional genes that contribute to H2O2 resistance. RNA sequencing revealed a role for mumR in regulating the activity of a number of metabolic pathways, including two pathways, phenylacetate and gamma-aminobutyric acid catabolism, which were found to be important for resisting killing by H2O2. Finally, ΔmumR exhibited reduced fitness in a murine model of pneumonia, indicating that MumR-regulated gene products are crucial for protection against the host immune response. In summary, these results suggest that MumR facilitates resistance to the host immune response by activating a transcriptional program that is critical for surviving both Mn starvation and oxidative stress.

scholarly journals Failure To Recruit Anti-Inflammatory CD103+Dendritic Cells and a Diminished CD4+Foxp3+Regulatory T Cell Pool in Mice That Display Excessive Lung Inflammation and Increased Susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis

2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 1128-1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaniya Leepiyasakulchai ◽  
Lech Ignatowicz ◽  
Andrzej Pawlowski ◽  
Gunilla Källenius ◽  
Markus Sköld
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Dendritic Cells ◽  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Bacterial Growth ◽  
Lung Inflammation ◽  
Chronic Infection ◽  
Host Immune Response ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tnf Α

Susceptibility toMycobacterium tuberculosisis characterized by excessive lung inflammation, tissue damage, and failure to control bacterial growth. To increase our understanding of mechanisms that may regulate the host immune response in the lungs, we characterized dendritic cells expressing CD103 (αEintegrin) (αE-DCs) and CD4+Foxp3+regulatory T (Treg) cells duringM. tuberculosisinfection. In resistant C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, the number of lung αE-DCs increased dramatically duringM. tuberculosisinfection. In contrast, highly susceptible DBA/2 mice failed to recruit αE-DCs even during chronic infection. Even though tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is produced by multiple DCs and macrophage subsets and is required for control of bacterial growth, αE-DCs remained TNF-α negative. Instead, αE-DCs contained a high number of transforming growth factor beta-producing cells in infected mice. Further, we show that Tregcells in C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice induce gamma interferon during pulmonary tuberculosis. In contrast to resistant mice, the Tregcell population was diminished in the lungs, but not in the draining pulmonary lymph nodes (PLN), of highly susceptible mice during chronic infection. Tregcells have been reported to inhibitM. tuberculosis-specific T cell immunity, leading to increased bacterial growth. Still, despite the reduced number of lung Tregcells in DBA/2 mice, the bacterial load in the lungs was increased compared to resistant animals. Our results show that αE-DCs and Tregcells that may regulate the host immune response are increased inM. tuberculosis-infected lungs of resistant mice but diminished in infected lungs of susceptible mice.

scholarly journals Lon Protease Has Multifaceted Biological Functions inAcinetobacter baumannii

2018 ◽  
Vol 201 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carly Ching ◽  
Brendan Yang ◽  
Chineme Onwubueke ◽  
David Lazinski ◽  
Andrew Camilli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Lon Protease ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hospital Acquired Infections ◽  
Biofilm Development ◽  
Hospital Acquired

ABSTRACTAcinetobacter baumanniiis a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that is known to survive harsh environmental conditions and is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. Specifically, multicellular communities (known as biofilms) ofA. baumanniican withstand desiccation and survive on hospital surfaces and equipment. Biofilms are bacteria embedded in a self-produced extracellular matrix composed of proteins, sugars, and/or DNA. Bacteria in a biofilm are protected from environmental stresses, including antibiotics, which provides the bacteria with selective advantage for survival. Although some gene products are known to play roles in this developmental process inA. baumannii, mechanisms and signaling remain mostly unknown. Here, we find that Lon protease inA. baumanniiaffects biofilm development and has other important physiological roles, including motility and the cell envelope. Lon proteases are found in all domains of life, participating in regulatory processes and maintaining cellular homeostasis. These data reveal the importance of Lon protease in influencing keyA. baumanniiprocesses to survive stress and to maintain viability.IMPORTANCEAcinetobacter baumanniiis an opportunistic pathogen and is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections.A. baumanniiis difficult to eradicate and to manage, because this bacterium is known to robustly survive desiccation and to quickly gain antibiotic resistance. We sought to investigate biofilm formation inA. baumannii, since much remains unknown about biofilm formation in this bacterium. Biofilms, which are multicellular communities of bacteria, are surface attached and difficult to eliminate from hospital equipment and implanted devices. Our research identifies multifaceted physiological roles for the conserved bacterial protease Lon inA. baumannii. These roles include biofilm formation, motility, and viability. This work broadly affects and expands understanding of the biology ofA. baumannii, which will permit us to find effective ways to eliminate the bacterium.

scholarly journals PA0335, a Gene Encoding Histidinol Phosphate Phosphatase, Mediates Histidine Auxotrophy in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2019 ◽  
Vol 86 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulu Wang ◽  
Liyue Wang ◽  
Jian Zhang ◽  
Xintong Duan ◽  
Yuqi Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Growth Defect ◽  
Histidine Biosynthesis ◽  
Common Amino Acid ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Histidinol Phosphate Phosphatase

ABSTRACT The biosynthesis of histidine, a proteinogenic amino acid, has been extensively studied due to its importance in bacterial growth and survival. Histidinol-phosphate phosphatase (Hol-Pase), which is responsible for the penultimate step of histidine biosynthesis, is generally the last enzyme to be characterized in many bacteria because its origin and evolution are more complex compared to other enzymes in histidine biosynthesis. However, none of the enzymes in histidine biosynthesis, including Hol-Pase, have been characterized in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is an important opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen that can cause serious human infections. In our previous work, a transposon mutant of P. aeruginosa was found to display a growth defect on glucose-containing minimal solid medium. In this study, we found that the growth defect was due to incomplete histidine auxotrophy caused by PA0335 inactivation. Subsequently, PA0335 was shown to encode Hol-Pase, and its function and enzymatic activity were investigated using genetic and biochemical methods. In addition to PA0335, the roles of 12 other predicted genes involved in histidine biosynthesis in P. aeruginosa were examined. Among them, hisC2 (PA3165), hisH2 (PA3152), and hisF2 (PA3151) were found to be dispensable for histidine synthesis, whereas hisG (PA4449), hisE (PA5067), hisF1 (PA5140), hisB (PA5143), hisI (PA5066), hisC1 (PA4447), and hisA (PA5141) were essential because deletion of each resulted in complete histidine auxotrophy; similar to the case for PA0335, hisH1 (PA5142) or hisD (PA4448) deletion caused incomplete histidine auxotrophy. Taken together, our results outline the histidine synthesis pathway of P. aeruginosa. IMPORTANCE Histidine is a common amino acid in proteins. Because it plays critical roles in bacterial metabolism, its biosynthetic pathway in many bacteria has been elucidated. However, the pathway remains unclear in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important opportunistic pathogen in clinical settings; in particular, there is scant knowledge about histidinol-phosphate phosphatase (Hol-Pase), which has a complex origin and evolution. In this study, P. aeruginosa Hol-Pase was identified and characterized. Furthermore, the roles of all other predicted genes involved in histidine biosynthesis were examined. Our results illustrate the histidine synthesis pathway of P. aeruginosa. The knowledge obtained from this study may help in developing strategies to control P. aeruginosa-related infections. In addition, some enzymes of the histidine synthesis pathway from P. aeruginosa might be used as elements of histidine synthetic biology in other industrial microorganisms.

scholarly journals Pseudomonas aeruginosa Regulatory Protein AnvM Controls Pathogenicity in Anaerobic Environments and Impacts Host Defense

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingchao Zhang ◽  
Chuan-min Zhou ◽  
Qinqin Pu ◽  
Qun Wu ◽  
Shirui Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Anaerobic Conditions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sensing System ◽  
Quorum Sensing System ◽  
Aerobic And Anaerobic ◽  
Aerobic And Anaerobic Conditions

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one of the most common pathogens in hospital-acquired infections, is tightly controlled by a multilayered regulatory network, including the quorum sensing system (QS), the type VI secretion system (T6SS), and resistance to host immunity. We found that the P. aeruginosa 3880 (PA3880) gene, which encodes an unknown protein, acts as a regulator of anaerobic metabolism in response to oxidative stress and virulence in P. aeruginosa. More than 30 PA3880 homologs were found in other bacterial genomes, indicating that PA3880 is widely distributed in the Bacteria kingdom as a highly conserved gene. Deletion of the PA3880 gene changed the expression levels of more than 700 genes, including a group of virulence genes, under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. To further study the mechanisms of PA3880-mediated regulation in virulence, we utilized a bacterial two-hybrid assay and found that the PA3880 protein interacted directly with QS regulator MvfR and anaerobic regulator Anr. Loss of the PA3880 protein significantly blunted the pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa, resulting in increased host survival, decreased bacterial burdens, reduced inflammatory responses, and fewer lung injuries in challenged mice hosts. Mechanistically, we found that Cys44 was a critical site for the full function of PA3880 in influencing alveolar macrophage phagocytosis and bacterial clearance. We also found that AnvM directly interacted with host receptors Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR5, which might lead to activation of the host immune response. Hence, we gave the name AnvM (anaerobic and virulence modulator) to the PA3880 protein. This characterization of AnvM could help to uncover new targets and strategies to treat P. aeruginosa infections. IMPORTANCE Infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one of the most frequently isolated human pathogens, can create huge financial burdens. However, knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa remains elusive. We identified AnvM as a novel regulator of virulence in P. aeruginosa. Deletion of anvM altered the expression levels of more than 700 genes under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, including quorum sensing system genes and oxidative stress resistance genes. AnvM directly interacted with MvfR and Anr, thus regulating their downstream genes. More importantly, AnvM directly bound to TLR2 and TLR5, which turn on the host immune response. These findings provide insights into the significance of AnvM homologs in pathogenic bacteria and suggest a potential drug target against bacterial infection.

scholarly journals In Vivo Fitness Adaptations of Colistin-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates to Oxidative Stress

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal L. Jones ◽  
Shweta S. Singh ◽  
Yonas Alamneh ◽  
Leila G. Casella ◽  
Robert K. Ernst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Hydrogen Peroxide ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Catalase Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Increased Susceptibility

ABSTRACT The loss of fitness in colistin-resistant (CR) Acinetobacter baumannii was investigated using longitudinal isolates from the same patient. Early CR isolates were outcompeted by late CR isolates for growth in broth and survival in the lungs of mice. Fitness loss was associated with an increased susceptibility to oxidative stress since early CR strains had reduced in vitro survival in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and decreased catalase activity compared to that of late CR and colistin-susceptible (CS) strains.

scholarly journals Leptospira interrogans Catalase Is Required for Resistance to H2O2and for Virulence

2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. 3892-3899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azad Eshghi ◽  
Kristel Lourdault ◽  
Gerald L. Murray ◽  
Thanatchaporn Bartpho ◽  
Rasana W. Sermswan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Reactive Oxygen Species ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Innate Immune Response ◽  
Reactive Oxygen ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Leptospira Interrogans ◽  
Oxygen Species ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Host Innate Immune Response

ABSTRACTPathogenicLeptospiraspp. are likely to encounter higher concentrations of reactive oxygen species induced by the host innate immune response. In this study, we characterizedLeptospira interroganscatalase (KatE), the only annotated catalase found within pathogenicLeptospiraspecies, by assessing its role in resistance to H2O2-induced oxidative stress and during infection in hamsters. PathogenicL. interrogansbacteria had a 50-fold-higher survival rate under H2O2-induced oxidative stress than did saprophyticL. biflexabacteria, and this was predominantly catalase dependent. We also characterized KatE, the only annotated catalase found within pathogenicLeptospiraspecies. Catalase assays performed with recombinant KatE confirmed specific catalase activity, while protein fractionation experiments localized KatE to the bacterial periplasmic space. The insertional inactivation ofkatEin pathogenicLeptospirabacteria drastically diminished leptospiral viability in the presence of extracellular H2O2and reduced virulence in an acute-infection model. Combined, these results suggest thatL. interrogansKatE confersin vivoresistance to reactive oxygen species induced by the host innate immune response.

scholarly journals Metabolic Responses of Lactobacillus plantarum Strains during Fermentation and Storage of Vegetable and Fruit Juices

2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (7) ◽  
pp. 2206-2215 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Filannino ◽  
G. Cardinali ◽  
C. G. Rizzello ◽  
S. Buchin ◽  
M. De Angelis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Lactobacillus Plantarum ◽  
Malic Acid ◽  
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Cell Densities ◽  
Almost All ◽  
And Storage

ABSTRACTStrains ofLactobacillus plantarumwere grown and stored in cherry (ChJ), pineapple (PJ), carrot (CJ), and tomato (TJ) juices to mimic the chemical composition of the respective matrices. Wheat flour hydrolysate (WFH), whey milk (W), and MRS broth were also used as representatives of other ecosystems. The growth rates and cell densities ofL. plantarumstrains during fermentation (24 h at 30°C) and storage (21 days at 4°C) differed only in part, being mainly influenced by the matrix. ChJ and PJ were the most stressful juices for growth and survival. Overall, the growth in juices was negatively correlated with the initial concentration of malic acid and carbohydrates. The consumption of malic acid was noticeable for all juices, but mainly during fermentation and storage of ChJ. Decreases of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA)—with the concomitant increase of their respective branched alcohols—and His and increases of Glu and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were the main traits of the catabolism of free amino acids (FAA), which were mainly evident under less acidic conditions (CJ and TJ). The increase of Tyr was found only during storage of ChJ. Some aldehydes (e.g., 3-methyl-butanal) were reduced to the corresponding alcohols (e.g., 3-methyl-1-butanol). After both fermentation and storage, acetic acid increased in all fermented juices, which implied the activation of the acetate kinase route. Diacetyl was the ketone found at the highest level, and butyric acid increased in almost all fermented juices. Data were processed through multidimensional statistical analyses. Except for CJ, the juices (mainly ChJ) seemed to induce specific metabolic traits, which differed in part among the strains. This study provided more in-depth knowledge on the metabolic mechanisms of growth and maintenance ofL. plantarumin vegetable and fruit habitats, which also provided helpful information to select the most suitable starters for fermentation of targeted matrices.

scholarly journals Z-DNA Binding Protein Mediates Host Control of Toxoplasma gondii Infection

2016 ◽  
Vol 84 (10) ◽  
pp. 3063-3070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly J. Pittman ◽  
Patrick W. Cervantes ◽  
Laura J. Knoll
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Chronic Infection ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Dna Binding Protein ◽  
Host Immune Response ◽  
Activated Macrophages ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Z Dna

Intrinsic toToxoplasma gondiiinfection is the parasite-induced modulation of the host immune response, which ensures establishment of a chronic lifelong infection. This manipulation of the host immune response allowsT. gondiito not only dampen the ability of the host to eliminate the parasite but also trigger parasite differentiation to the slow-growing, encysted bradyzoite form. We previously used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to profile the transcriptomes of mice andT. gondiiduring acute and chronic stages of infection. One of the most abundant host transcripts during acute and chronic infection was Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1). In this study, we determined that ZBP1 functions to controlT. gondiigrowth. In activated macrophages isolated from ZBP1 deletion (ZBP1−/−) mice,T. gondiihas an increased rate of replication and a decreased rate of degradation. We also identified a novel function for ZBP1 as a regulator of nitric oxide (NO) production in activated macrophages, even in the absence ofT. gondiiinfection. Upon stimulation,T. gondii-infected ZBP1−/−macrophages display increased proinflammatory cytokines compared to wild-type macrophages under the same conditions. Thesein vitrophenotypes were recapitulatedin vivo, with ZBP1−/−mice having increased susceptibility to oral challenge, higher cyst burdens during chronic infection, and elevated inflammatory cytokine responses. Taken together, these results highlight a role for ZBP1 in assisting host control ofT. gondiiinfection.

scholarly journals mSphere of Influence: Role of IRGM1 in Disease Control

mSphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumanta Kumar Naik
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Quality Control ◽  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Host Immune Response ◽  
Specific Interest ◽  
Mitochondrial Quality Control ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Sumanta K. Naik works in the tuberculosis field, with a specific interest in the host immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how the paper “IRGM1 links mitochondrial quality control to autoimmunity” by Prashant Rai et al. (Nat Immunol, 22:312–321, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-020-00859-0) impacted his research by revealing new roles for Irgm1 in immune responses.

scholarly journals Phylogenomics of two ST1 antibiotic-susceptible non-clinical Acinetobacter baumannii strains reveals multiple lineages and complex evolutionary history in global clone 1

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Koong ◽  
Claire Johnson ◽  
Rayane Rafei ◽  
Monzer Hamze ◽  
Garry S. A. Myers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Outer Core ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Long Read ◽  
Complex Evolutionary History

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that is difficult to treat due to its resistance to extreme conditions, including desiccation and antibiotics. Most strains causing outbreaks around the world belong to two main global lineages, namely global clones 1 and 2 (GC1 and GC2). Here, we used a combination of Illumina short read and MinION (Oxford Nanopore) long-read sequence data with a hybrid assembly approach to complete the genome sequence of two antibiotic-sensitive GC1 strains, Ex003 and Ax270, recovered in Lebanon from water and a rectal swab of a cat, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of Ax270 and Ex003 with 186 publicly available GC1 genomes revealed two major clades, including five main lineages (L1–L5), and four single-isolate lineages outside of the two clades. Ax270 and Ex003, along with AB307-0294 and MRSN7213 (both predicted antibiotic-susceptible isolates) represent these individual lineages. Antibiotic resistance islands and transposons interrupting the comM gene remain important features in L1–L5, with L1 associated with the AbaR-type resistance islands, L2 with AbaR4, L3 strains containing either AbaR4 or its variants as well as Tn6022::ISAba42, and L4 and L5 associated with Tn6022 or its variants. Analysis of the capsule (KL) and outer core (OCL) polysaccharide loci further revealed a complex evolutionary history probably involving many recombination events. As more genomes become available, more GC1 lineages continue to emerge. However, genome sequence data from more diverse geographical regions are needed to draw a more accurate population structure of this globally distributed clone.

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