scholarly journals Characterization of Anthrolysin O, the Bacillus anthracis Cholesterol-Dependent Cytolysin

2003 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 3183-3189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey G. Shannon ◽  
Cana L. Ross ◽  
Theresa M. Koehler ◽  
Richard F. Rest
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Anthracis ◽  
Hemolytic Activity ◽  
Brain Heart Infusion ◽  
Luria Bertani ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Listeriolysin O ◽  
Kanamycin Cassette ◽  
Putative Toxin ◽  
Anthrolysin O

ABSTRACT We characterized the expression of a putative toxin of Bacillus anthracis, a member of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) family, which includes listeriolysin O, perfringolysin O, and streptolysin O. We named this cytotoxin anthrolysin O (ALO). Although B. anthracis expresses minimal hemolytic activity in clinical settings, we show that Sterne strain 7702 expresses hemolytic activity when grown in brain heart infusion broth or in other rich bacteriologic media, but it secretes barely detectable amounts of hemolysin when grown in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth. Glucose supplementation of LB broth increases the amount of secreted hemolytic activity. Expression of hemolytic activity is maximal during mid- to late-log phase and decreases in the stationary phase. These observations are supported, in part, by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase PCR of alo mRNA. Hemolytic activity in growth supernatants was increased in the presence of reducing agent and almost totally inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by cholesterol; both of these activities are characteristic of a CDC toxin. A mutant of Sterne strain 7702, strain UT231, in which the alo gene was deleted and replaced by a kanamycin cassette, secreted barely detectable hemolytic activity into the growth medium. When strain UT231 was complemented in trans with native alo on a low-copy-number plasmid [strain UT231(pUTE554)], it regained the ability to secrete hemolytic activity, indicating that ALO is the major hemolysin secreted by this strain of B. anthracis in rich media in vitro. To further support the alo gene product being a hemolysin, recombinant B. anthracis ALO (rALO) purified from Escherichia coli was extremely active against washed human erythrocytes, with complete hemolysis detected at ∼30 molecules of rALO per erythrocyte. Considering the virulence roles of CDCs for other gram-positive bacteria, we speculate that ALO may have a role in anthrax virulence.

scholarly journals Activation of the latent PlcR regulon in Bacillus anthracis

Microbiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 156 (10) ◽  
pp. 2982-2993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inka Sastalla ◽  
Lauren M. Maltese ◽  
Olga M. Pomerantseva ◽  
Andrei P. Pomerantsev ◽  
Andrea Keane-Myers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Anthracis ◽  
Consensus Sequence ◽  
Transcriptional Analysis ◽  
Virulence Plasmid ◽  
Putative Protease ◽  
2D Gel ◽  
Culture Supernatants ◽  
Anthrolysin O

Many genes in Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis are under the control of the transcriptional regulator PlcR and its regulatory peptide, PapR. In Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, PlcR is inactivated by truncation, and consequently genes having PlcR binding sites are expressed at very low levels when compared with B. cereus. We found that activation of the PlcR regulon in B. anthracis by expression of a PlcR–PapR fusion protein does not alter sporulation in strains containing the virulence plasmid pXO1 and thereby the global regulator AtxA. Using comparative 2D gel electrophoresis, we showed that activation of the PlcR regulon in B. anthracis leads to upregulation of many proteins found in the secretome of B. cereus, including phospholipases and proteases, such as the putative protease BA1995. Transcriptional analysis demonstrated expression of BA1995 to be dependent on PlcR–PapR, even though the putative PlcR recognition site of the BA1995 gene does not exactly match the PlcR consensus sequence, explaining why this protein had escaped recognition as belonging to the PlcR regulon. Additionally, while transcription of major PlcR-dependent haemolysins, sphingomyelinase and anthrolysin O is enhanced in response to PlcR activation in B. anthracis, only anthrolysin O contributes significantly to lysis of human erythrocytes. In contrast, the toxicity of bacterial culture supernatants from a PlcR-positive strain towards murine macrophages occurred independently of anthrolysin O expression in vitro and in vivo.

scholarly journals Characterization of Listeria monocytogenes Expressing Anthrolysin O and Phosphatidylinositol-Specific Phospholipase C from Bacillus anthracis

2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 6639-6646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengyu Wei ◽  
Pamela Schnupf ◽  
Mathilde A. Poussin ◽  
Lauren A. Zenewicz ◽  
Hao Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Bacillus Anthracis ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Phospholipase C ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Listeriolysin O ◽  
Intracellular Growth ◽  
Cell Cytosol ◽  
Anthrolysin O ◽  
Cell Spread

ABSTRACT Two virulence factors of Listeria monocytogenes, listeriolysin O (LLO) and phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC), mediate escape of this pathogen from the phagocytic vacuole of macrophages, thereby allowing the bacterium access to the host cell cytosol for growth and spread to neighboring cells. We characterized their orthologs from Bacillus anthracis by expressing them in L. monocytogenes and characterizing their contribution to bacterial intracellular growth and cell-to-cell spread. We generated a series of L. monocytogenes strains expressing B. anthracis anthrolysin O (ALO) and PI-PLC in place of LLO and L. monocytogenes PI-PLC, respectively. We found that ALO was active at both acidic and neutral pH and could functionally replace LLO in mediating escape from a primary vacuole; however, ALO exerted a toxic effect on the host cell by damaging the plasma membrane. B. anthracis PI-PLC, unlike the L. monocytogenes ortholog, had high activity on glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins. L. monocytogenes expressing B. anthracis PI-PLC showed significantly decreased efficiencies of escape from a phagosome and in cell-to-cell spread. We further compared the level of cytotoxicity to host cells by using mutant strains expressing ALO in combination either with L. monocytogenes PI-PLC or with B. anthracis PI-PLC. The results demonstrated that the mutant strain expressing the combination of ALO and B. anthracis PI-PLC caused less damage to host cells than the strain expressing ALO and L. monocytogenes PI-PLC. The present study indicates that LLO and L. monocytogenes PI-PLC has adapted for L. monocytogenes intracellular growth and virulence and suggests that ALO and B. anthracis PI-PLC may have a role in B. anthracis pathogenesis.

scholarly journals Modeling Normal and Dysbiotic Subgingival Microbiomes: Effect of Nutrients

2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (6) ◽  
pp. 695-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Baraniya ◽  
M. Naginyte ◽  
T. Chen ◽  
J.M. Albandar ◽  
S.M. Chialastri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Human Serum ◽  
Brain Heart Infusion ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Microbial Dysbiosis ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Vitro Model ◽  
Associated Species

Screening for microbiome modulators requires availability of a high-throughput in vitro model that replicates subgingival dysbiosis and normobiosis, with a tool to measure microbial dysbiosis. Here, we tested various formulations to grow health- and periodontitis-associated subgingival microbiomes in parallel, and we describe a new subgingival dysbiosis index. Subgingival plaque samples pooled from 5 healthy subjects and, separately, 5 subjects with periodontitis were used to inoculate a Calgary Biofilm Device containing saliva-conditioned, hydroxyapatite-coated pegs. Microbiomes were grown for 7 d on either nutrient-rich media—including a modification of SHI medium, brain-heart infusion (BHI) supplemented with hemin and vitamin K, and a blend of SHI and BHI, each at 3 sucrose concentrations (0%, 0.05% and 0.1%)—or nutrient-limited media (saliva with 5%, 10%, or 20% inactivated human serum). The microbiomes were assessed for biomass, viability, and 16S rRNA profiles. In addition to richness and diversity, a dysbiosis index was calculated as the ratio of the sum of relative abundances of disease-associated species to that of health-associated species. The supplemented BHI and blend of SHI and BHI resulted in the highest biomass, whereas saliva-serum maximized viability. Distinct groups of bacteria were enriched in the different media. Regardless of medium type, the periodontitis-derived microbiomes showed higher species richness and alpha diversity and clustered with their inoculum separate from the health-derived microbiomes. Microbiomes grown in saliva-serum showed the highest species richness and the highest similarity to the clinical inocula in both health and disease. However, inclusion of serum reduced alpha diversity and increased dysbiosis in healthy microbiomes in a dose-dependent manner, mainly due to overenrichment of Porphyromonas species. The modification of SHI stood second in terms of species richness and diversity but resulted in low biomass and viability and significantly worsened dysbiosis in the periodontitis-derived microbiomes. Overall, saliva with 5% human serum was optimal for replicating subgingival microbiomes from health and disease.

scholarly journals BrnQ-type Branched-chain Amino Acid Transporters Influence Bacillus anthracis Growth and Virulence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soumita Dutta ◽  
Ileana D Corsi ◽  
Naomi Bier ◽  
Theresa M Koehler
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Bacillus Anthracis ◽  
Murine Model ◽  
Amino Acid Transporters ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Isoleucine Leucine ◽  
Virulence Gene Expression ◽  
Branched Chain Amino Acid ◽  
Branched Chain

Bacillus anthracis, the anthrax agent, exhibits robust proliferation in diverse niches of mammalian hosts. Metabolic attributes of B. anthracis that permit rapid growth in multiple mammalian tissues have not been established. We posit that branched-chain amino acid (BCAA: Isoleucine, leucine and valine) metabolism is key to B. anthracis pathogenesis. Increasing evidence indicates relationships between B. anthracis virulence and expression of BCAA-related genes. Expression of some BCAA-related genes is altered during culture in bovine blood in vitro and the bacterium exhibits valine auxotrophy in a blood serum mimic medium. Transcriptome analyses have revealed that the virulence regulator AtxA, that positively affects expression of the anthrax toxin and capsule genes, negatively regulates genes predicted to be associated with BCAA biosynthesis and transport. Here, we show that B. anthracis growth in defined media is severely restricted in the absence of exogenous BCAAs, indicating that BCAA transport is required for optimal growth in vitro. We demonstrate functional redundancy among multiple BrnQ-type BCAA transporters. Three transporters are associated with isoleucine and valine transport, and deletion of one, BrnQ3, attenuates virulence in a murine model for anthrax. Interestingly, an ilvD-null mutant lacking dihydroxy-acid dehydratase, an enzyme essential for BCAAs synthesis, exhibits unperturbed growth when cultured in media containing BCAAs, but is highly attenuated in the murine model. Finally, our data show that BCAAs enhance AtxA activity in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting a model in which BCAAs serve as a signal for virulence gene expression.

Chlorobutanol, a Preservative of Desmopressin, Inhibits Human Platelet Aggregation and Release In Vitro

1990 ◽  
Vol 64 (03) ◽  
pp. 473-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shih-Luen Chen ◽  
Wu-Chang Yang ◽  
Tung-Po Huang ◽  
Shiang Wann ◽  
Che-ming Teng
Keyword(s):  
Arachidonic Acid ◽  
Platelet Aggregation ◽  
Atp Release ◽  
Free Calcium ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Antiplatelet Effect ◽  
Human Platelet Aggregation ◽  
Acid Pathway ◽  
Arachidonic Acid Pathway

SummaryTherapeutic preparations of desmopressin for parenteral use contain the preservative chlorobutanol (5 mg/ml). We show here that chlorobutanol is a potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation and release. It exhibited a significant inhibitory activity toward several aggregation inducers in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Thromboxane B2 formation, ATP release, and elevation of cytosolic free calcium caused by collagen, ADP, epinephrine, arachidonic acid and thrombin respectively were markedly inhibited by chlorobutanol. Chlorobutanol had no effect on elastase- treated platelets and its antiplatelet effect could be reversed. It is concluded that the antiplatelet effect of chlorobutanol is mainly due to its inhibition on the arachidonic acid pathway but it is unlikely to have a nonspecitic toxic effect. This antiplatelet effect of chlorobutanol suggests that desmopressin, when administered for improving hemostasis, should not contain chlorobutanol as a preservative.

Oxygenation of 18-hydroxycorticosterone as the final reaction for aldosterone biosynthesis

1984 ◽  
Vol 107 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Itaru Kojima ◽  
Etsuro Ogata ◽  
Hiroshi Inano ◽  
Bun-ichi Tamaoki
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
In Vitro Production ◽  
Mitochondrial Preparation ◽  
Final Reaction ◽  
Vitro Production ◽  
Dose Dependent ◽  
Cytochrome P 450

Abstract. Incubation of 18-hydroxycorticosterone with the sonicated mitochondrial preparation of bovine adrenal glomerulosa tissue leads to the production of aldosterone, as measured by radioimmunoassay. The in vitro production of aldosterone from 18-hydroxycorticosterone requires both molecular oxygen and NADPH, and is inhibited by carbon monoxide. Cytochrome P-450 inhibitors such as metyrapone, SU 8000. SU 10603, SKF 525A, amphenone B and spironolactone decrease the biosynthesis of aldosterone from 18-hydroxycorticosterone. These results support the conclusion that the final reaction in aldosterone synthesis from 18-hydroxycorticosterone is catalyzed by an oxygenase, but not by 18-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. By the same preparation, the production of [3H]aldosterone but not [3H]18-hydroxycorticosterone from [1,2-3H ]corticosterone is decreased in a dose-dependent manner by addition of non-radioactive 18-hydroxycorticosterone.

An In Vitro Analysis of Sodium Hypochlorite Decontamination for the Reuse of Implant Healing Abutments

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Almehmadi
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Hypochlorite ◽  
Bacterial Culture ◽  
Brain Heart Infusion ◽  
In Vitro Study ◽  
Vitro Study ◽  
Sem Images ◽  
Streptococcus Sanguis ◽  
Implant Dentistry ◽  
Vitro Analysis

Abstract The re-use of healing abutments (HAs) has become common practice in implant dentistry for economic concerns and the aim of this in-vitro study was to assess the effect of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in decontamination of HAs. 122 HAs (Used and sterilized n=107; New n=15) were procured from 3 centers, of which 3 samples were discarded due to perforation in sterilization pouch.  For sterility assessment, the used HAs (n=80) were cultured in Brain Heart Infusion Broth (BHI) and Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), bacterial isolates were identified in 7 samples. Also, 24 used HAs were stained with Phloxine B, photographed and compared to new HAs (n=5). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) assessed the differences between the two sets of HAs, following which the 7 contaminated HAs along with 24 used HAs from staining experiment (Total=31) were subsequently treated with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and SEM images were observed. About 8.75% of HAs tested positive in bacterial culture; Streptococcus sanguis, Dermabacter hominis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, and Aspergillus species were isolated. Phloxine B staining was positive for used and sterilized HAs when compared to controls. The SEM images revealed deposits in the used HAs and although treatment with NaOCl eliminated the contamination of cultured HAs, the SEM showed visible debris in the HA thread region. This in-vitro study concluded that SEM images showed debris in used HAs at screw-hole and thread regions even though they tested negative in bacterial culture. The treatment with NaOCl of used HAs showed no bacterial contamination but the debris was observed in SEM images. Future studies on the chemical composition, biological implications, and clinical influence is warranted before considering the reuse of HAs.

Myricetin Preferentially Binds to Interfacial Regions in Domains 1 – 3 to Inhibit Cholesterol-Dependent Cytolysins: A Molecular Docking Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Espiritu
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Docking ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Docking Study ◽  
Listeriolysin O ◽  
Molecular Docking Study ◽  
Docking Analysis ◽  
Streptolysin O ◽  
Molecule Inhibitor ◽  
Human Cd59 ◽  
Anthrolysin O

<p>Cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) are proteinaceous toxins secreted as monomers by some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria that contribute to their pathogenicity. These toxins bind to either cholesterol or human CD59, leading to massive structural changes, toxin oligomerization, formation of very large pores, and ultimately cell death, making these proteins promising targets for inhibition. Myricetin, and its related flavonoids, have been previously identified as a candidate small molecule inhibitor of specific CDCs such as listeriolysin O (LLO) and suilysin (SLY), interfering with their oligomerization. In this work, molecular docking was performed to assess the interaction of myricetin with other CDCs whose crystal structures are already known. Results indicated that although myricetin bound to the hitherto identified cavity in domain 4 (D4), much more efficient and stable binding was obtained in sites along the interfacial regions of domains 1 – 3 (D1 – D3). This was common among the tested CDCs, which was primarily due to much more extensive stabilizing intermolecular interactions, as indicated by post-docking analysis. Specifically, myricetin bound to (1) the interface of the three domains in anthrolysin O (ALO), perfringolysin O (PFO), pneumolysin (PLY), SLY, and vaginolysin (VLY), (2) at/near the D1/D3 interface in LLO and streptolysin O (SLO), and (3) along the D2/D3 interface in intermedilysin (ILY). These findings provide theoretical basis on the possibility of using myricetin and its related compounds as a broad-spectrum inhibitor of CDCs to potentially address the diseases associated with these pathogens.</p>

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