scholarly journals A Redox-Responsive Transcription Factor Is Critical for Pathogenesis and Aerobic Growth of Listeria monocytogenes

2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron T. Whiteley ◽  
Brittany R. Ruhland ◽  
Mauna B. Edrozo ◽  
Michelle L. Reniere

ABSTRACT Bacterial pathogens have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to sense and adapt to redox stress in nature and within the host. However, deciphering the redox environment encountered by intracellular pathogens in the mammalian cytosol is challenging, and that environment remains poorly understood. In this study, we assessed the contributions of the two redox-responsive, Spx-family transcriptional regulators to the virulence of Listeria monocytogenes, a Gram-positive facultative intracellular pathogen. Spx-family proteins are highly conserved in Firmicutes, and the L. monocytogenes genome contains two paralogues, spxA1 and spxA2. Here, we demonstrate that spxA1, but not spxA2, is required for the oxidative stress response and pathogenesis. SpxA1 function appeared to be conserved with the Bacillus subtilis homologue, and resistance to oxidative stress required the canonical CXXC redox-sensing motif. Remarkably, spxA1 was essential for aerobic growth, demonstrating that L. monocytogenes SpxA1 likely regulates a distinct set of genes. Although the ΔspxA1 mutant did not grow in the presence of oxygen in the laboratory, it was able to replicate in macrophages and colonize the spleens, but not the livers, of infected mice. These data suggest that the redox state of bacteria during infection differs significantly from that of bacteria growing in vitro. Further, the host cell cytosol may resemble an anaerobic environment, with tissue-specific variations in redox stress and oxygen concentration.

2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (8) ◽  
pp. 3233-3242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Meyer ◽  
Jeanette E. Bröms ◽  
Xijia Liu ◽  
Martin E. Rottenberg ◽  
Anders Sjöstedt

Certain intracellular bacteria use the host cell cytosol as the replicative niche. Although it has been hypothesized that the successful exploitation of this compartment requires a unique metabolic adaptation, supportive evidence is lacking. ForFrancisella tularensis, many genes of theFrancisellapathogenicity island (FPI) are essential for intracellular growth, and therefore, FPI mutants are useful tools for understanding the prerequisites of intracytosolic replication. We compared the growth of bacteria taken up by phagocytic or nonphagocytic cells with that of bacteria microinjected directly into the host cytosol, using the live vaccine strain (LVS) ofF. tularensis; five selected FPI mutants thereof, i.e., ΔiglA, ΔiglÇ ΔiglG, ΔiglI, and ΔpdpEstrains; andListeria monocytogenes. After uptake in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM), ASC−/−BMDM, MyD88−/−BMDM, J774 cells, or HeLa cells, LVS, ΔpdpEand ΔiglGmutants, andL. monocytogenesreplicated efficiently in all five cell types, whereas the ΔiglAand ΔiglCmutants showed no replication. After microinjection, all 7 strains showed effective replication in J774 macrophages, ASC−/−BMDM, and HeLa cells. In contrast to the rapid replication in other cell types,L. monocytogenesshowed no replication in MyD88−/−BMDM and LVS showed no replication in either BMDM or MyD88−/−BMDM after microinjection. Our data suggest that the mechanisms of bacterial uptake as well as the permissiveness of the cytosolic compartmentper seare important factors for the intracytosolic replication. Notably, none of the investigated FPI proteins was found to be essential for intracytosolic replication after microinjection.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (25) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thao D. Tran ◽  
Steven Huynh ◽  
Craig T. Parker ◽  
Robert Hnasko ◽  
Lisa Gorski ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Here, we report the complete genome sequences of three Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strains isolated from alfalfa, almond drupes, and grapes that inhibited the growth of Listeria monocytogenes strain 2011L-2857 in vitro. We also report multiple gene clusters encoding secondary metabolites that may be responsible for the growth inhibition of L. monocytogenes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey Lee Peters ◽  
Yaxiong Song ◽  
Daniel W. Bryan ◽  
Lauren K. Hudson ◽  
Thomas G. Denes

ABSTRACT Bacteriophages (phages) are currently available for use by the food industry to control the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Although phage biocontrols are effective under specific conditions, their use can select for phage-resistant bacteria that repopulate phage-treated environments. Here, we performed short-term coevolution experiments to investigate the impact of single phages and a two-phage cocktail on the regrowth of phage-resistant L. monocytogenes and the adaptation of the phages to overcome this resistance. We used whole-genome sequencing to identify mutations in the target host that confer phage resistance and in the phages that alter host range. We found that infections with Listeria phages LP-048, LP-125, or a combination of both select for different populations of phage-resistant L. monocytogenes bacteria with different regrowth times. Phages isolated from the end of the coevolution experiments were found to have gained the ability to infect phage-resistant mutants of L. monocytogenes and L. monocytogenes strains previously found to be broadly resistant to phage infection. Phages isolated from coinfected cultures were identified as recombinants of LP-048 and LP-125. Interestingly, recombination events occurred twice independently in a locus encoding two proteins putatively involved in DNA binding. We show that short-term coevolution of phages and their hosts can be utilized to obtain mutant and recombinant phages with adapted host ranges. These laboratory-evolved phages may be useful for limiting the emergence of phage resistance and for targeting strains that show general resistance to wild-type (WT) phages. IMPORTANCE Listeria monocytogenes is a life-threatening bacterial foodborne pathogen that can persist in food processing facilities for years. Phages can be used to control L. monocytogenes in food production, but phage-resistant bacterial subpopulations can regrow in phage-treated environments. Coevolution experiments were conducted on a Listeria phage-host system to provide insight into the genetic variation that emerges in both the phage and bacterial host under reciprocal selective pressure. As expected, mutations were identified in both phage and host, but additionally, recombination events were shown to have repeatedly occurred between closely related phages that coinfected L. monocytogenes. This study demonstrates that in vitro evolution of phages can be utilized to expand the host range and improve the long-term efficacy of phage-based control of L. monocytogenes. This approach may also be applied to other phage-host systems for applications in biocontrol, detection, and phage therapy.


mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel H. Becker ◽  
Kathrin Ulrich ◽  
Avantika Dhabaria ◽  
Beatrix Ueberheide ◽  
William Beavers ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the leading cause of death by an infectious disease among humans. Here, we describe a previously uncharacterized M. tuberculosis protein, Rv0991c, as a molecular chaperone that is activated by oxidation. Rv0991c has homologs in most bacterial lineages and appears to function analogously to the well-characterized Escherichia coli redox-regulated chaperone Hsp33, despite a dissimilar protein sequence. Rv0991c is transcriptionally coregulated with hsp60 and hsp70 chaperone genes in M. tuberculosis, suggesting that Rv0991c functions with these chaperones in maintaining protein quality control. Supporting this hypothesis, we found that, like oxidized Hsp33, oxidized Rv0991c prevents the aggregation of a model unfolded protein in vitro and promotes its refolding by the M. tuberculosis Hsp70 chaperone system. Furthermore, Rv0991c interacts with DnaK and can associate with many other M. tuberculosis proteins. We therefore propose that Rv0991c, which we named “Ruc” (redox-regulated protein with unstructured C terminus), represents a founding member of a new chaperone family that protects M. tuberculosis and other species from proteotoxicity during oxidative stress. IMPORTANCE M. tuberculosis infections are responsible for more than 1 million deaths per year. Developing effective strategies to combat this disease requires a greater understanding of M. tuberculosis biology. As in all cells, protein quality control is essential for the viability of M. tuberculosis, which likely faces proteotoxic stress within a host. Here, we identify an M. tuberculosis protein, Ruc, that gains chaperone activity upon oxidation. Ruc represents a previously unrecognized family of redox-regulated chaperones found throughout the bacterial superkingdom. Additionally, we found that oxidized Ruc promotes the protein-folding activity of the essential M. tuberculosis Hsp70 chaperone system. This work contributes to a growing body of evidence that oxidative stress provides a particular strain on cellular protein stability.


2019 ◽  
Vol 201 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingqing Gao ◽  
Le Xia ◽  
Xiaobo Wang ◽  
Zhengqin Ye ◽  
Jinbiao Liu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTStrains of avian pathogenicEscherichia coli(APEC), the common pathogen of avian colibacillosis, encounter reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the infection process. Superoxide dismutases (SODs), acting as antioxidant factors, can protect against ROS-mediated host defenses. Our previous reports showed that thesodAgene (encoding a Mn-cofactor-containing SOD [MnSOD]) is highly expressed during the septicemic infection process of APEC.sodAhas been proven to be a virulence factor of certain pathogens, but its role in the pathogenicity of APEC has not been fully identified. In this study, we deleted thesodAgene from the virulent APEC O2 strain E058 and examined thein vitroandin vivophenotypes of the mutant. ThesodAmutant was more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide in terms of both its growth and viability than was the wild type. The ability to form a biofilm was weakened in thesodAmutant. ThesodAmutant was significantly more easily phagocytosed by chicken macrophages than was the wild-type strain. Chicken infection assays revealed significantly attenuated virulence of thesodAmutant compared with the wild type at 24 h postinfection. The virulence phenotype was restored by complementation of thesodAgene. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR revealed that the inactivation ofsodAreduced the expression of oxidative stress response geneskatE,perR, andosmCbut did not affect the expression ofsodBandsodC. Taken together, our studies indicate that SodA is important for oxidative resistance and virulence of APEC E058.IMPORTANCEAvian colibacillosis, caused by strains of avian pathogenicEscherichia coli, is a major bacterial disease of severe economic significance to the poultry industry worldwide. The virulence mechanisms of APEC are not completely understood. This study investigated the influence of an antioxidant protein, SodA, on the phenotype and pathogenicity of APEC O2 strain E058. This is the first report demonstrating that SodA plays an important role in protecting a specific APEC strain against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress and contributes to the virulence of this pathotype strain. Identification of this virulence factor will enhance our knowledge of APEC pathogenic mechanisms, which is crucial for designing successful strategies against associated infections and transmission.


2011 ◽  
Vol 79 (9) ◽  
pp. 3711-3717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristel Lourdault ◽  
Gustavo M. Cerqueira ◽  
Elsio A. Wunder ◽  
Mathieu Picardeau

ABSTRACTLeptospira interrogansis the causative agent of leptospirosis, which is an emerging zoonotic disease. Resistance to stress conditions is largely uncharacterized for this bacterium. We therefore decided to analyze aclpBmutant that we obtained by random transposon mutagenesis. The mutant did not produce any of the two isoforms of ClpB. TheclpBmutant exhibited growth defects at 30° and 37°C and in poor nutrient medium and showed increased susceptibility to oxidative stress, whereas the genetically complemented strain was restored in ClpB expression andin vitrowild-type growth. We also showed that theclpBmutant was attenuated in virulence in an animal model of acute leptospirosis. Our findings demonstrate that ClpB is involved in the general stress response. The chaperone is also necessary, either directly or indirectly, for the virulence of the pathogenL. interrogans.


2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal L. Jones ◽  
Shweta S. Singh ◽  
Yonas Alamneh ◽  
Leila G. Casella ◽  
Robert K. Ernst ◽  
...  

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.


2011 ◽  
Vol 79 (9) ◽  
pp. 3596-3606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris S. Rae ◽  
Aimee Geissler ◽  
Paul C. Adamson ◽  
Daniel A. Portnoy

ABSTRACTListeria monocytogenesis a Gram-positive intracellular pathogen that is naturally resistant to lysozyme. Recently, it was shown that peptidoglycan modification by N-deacetylation or O-acetylation confers resistance to lysozyme in various Gram-positive bacteria, includingL. monocytogenes.L. monocytogenespeptidoglycan is deacetylated by the action ofN-acetylglucosamine deacetylase (Pgd) and acetylated byO-acetylmuramic acid transferase (Oat). We characterized Pgd−, Oat−, and double mutants to determine the specific role ofL. monocytogenespeptidoglycan acetylation in conferring lysozyme sensitivity during infection of macrophages and mice. Pgd−and Pgd−Oat−double mutants were attenuated approximately 2 and 3.5 logs, respectively,in vivo. In bone-marrow derived macrophages, the mutants demonstrated intracellular growth defects and increased induction of cytokine transcriptional responses that emanated from a phagosome and the cytosol. Lysozyme-sensitive mutants underwent bacteriolysis in the macrophage cytosol, resulting in AIM2-dependent pyroptosis. Each of thein vitrophenotypes was rescued upon infection of LysM−macrophages. The addition of extracellular lysozyme to LysM−macrophages restored cytokine induction, host cell death, andL. monocytogenesgrowth inhibition. This surprising observation suggests that extracellular lysozyme can access the macrophage cytosol and act on intracellular lysozyme-sensitive bacteria.


2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (11) ◽  
pp. 3676-3684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandra A. Latorre ◽  
Jo Ann S. Van Kessel ◽  
Jeffrey S. Karns ◽  
Michael J. Zurakowski ◽  
Abani K. Pradhan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTDairy farms are a reservoir forListeria monocytogenes, and the reduction of this pathogen at the farm level is important for reducing human exposure. The objectives of this research were to study the diversity ofL. monocytogenesstrains on a single dairy farm, assess strain dynamics within the farm, identify potential sources ofL. monocytogenesin bulk tank milk and milk filters, and assess the adherence abilities of representative strains. A total of 248L. monocytogenesisolates were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Combined AscI and ApaI restriction analysis yielded 40 PFGE types (strains). The most predominant strains were T (28.6%), D (22.6%), and F (14.9%). A high level of heterogeneity of strains among isolates from fecal (Simpson's index of diversity [SID] = 0.96) and environmental (SID = 0.96) samples was observed. A higher homogeneity of strains was observed among isolates from milk filters (SID = 0.71) and bulk tank milk (SID = 0.65). Six of 17L. monocytogenesisolates (35.3%) were classified in anin vitroassay as having a “low adherence ability,” 9 (52.9%) were classified as having a “medium adherence ability,” and 2 (11.8%) were classified as having a “high adherence ability.” TheL. monocytogenesstrains that were predominant and persistent showed significantly better adherence than did strains that were only sporadic, predominant, or persistent (P= 0.0006). Our results suggest that the milking system was exposed to severalL. monocytogenesstrains from different sources. Only 3 strains, however, were successful in persisting within the milking system, suggesting that some strains are more suitable to that particular ecological environment than others.


2015 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 573-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yamato Okita ◽  
Takeru Shiono ◽  
Ayano Yahagi ◽  
Satoru Hamada ◽  
Masayuki Umemura ◽  
...  

Listeria monocytogenesis a bacterial pathogen which establishes intracellular parasitism in various cells, including macrophages and nonhematopoietic cells, such as hepatocytes. It has been reported that several proinflammatory cytokines have pivotal roles in innate protection againstL. monocytogenesinfection. We found that a proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin 22 (IL-22), was expressed by CD3+CD4+T cells at an early stage ofL. monocytogenesinfection in mice. To assess the influence of IL-22 onL. monocytogenesinfection in hepatocytes, cells of a human hepatocellular carcinoma line, HepG2, were treated with IL-22 beforeL. monocytogenesinfectionin vitro. Gene expression analysis of the IL-22-treated HepG2 cells identified phospholipase A2 group IIA (PLA2G2A) as an upregulated antimicrobial molecule. Addition of recombinant PLA2G2A to the HepG2 culture significantly suppressedL. monocytogenesinfection. Culture supernatant of the IL-22-treated HepG2 cells contained bactericidal activity againstL. monocytogenes, and the activity was abrogated by a specific PLA2G2A inhibitor, demonstrating that HepG2 cells secreted PLA2G2A, which killed extracellularL. monocytogenes. Furthermore, colocalization of PLA2G2A andL. monocytogeneswas detected in the IL-22-treated infected HepG2 cells, which suggests involvement of PLA2G2A in the mechanism of intracellular killing ofL. monocytogenesby HepG2 cells. These results suggest that IL-22 induced at an early stage ofL. monocytogenesinfection enhances innate immunity againstL. monocytogenesin the liver by stimulating hepatocytes to produce an antimicrobial molecule, PLA2G2A.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document