scholarly journals Iron Acquisition in Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 198 (5) ◽  
pp. 857-866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce Wang ◽  
Jalal Moolji ◽  
Alex Dufort ◽  
Alfredo Staffa ◽  
Pilar Domenech ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTMycobacterium aviumsubsp.paratuberculosisis a host-adapted pathogen that evolved from the environmental bacteriumM. aviumsubsp.hominissuisthrough gene loss and gene acquisition. Growth ofM. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosisin the laboratory is enhanced by supplementation of the media with the iron-binding siderophore mycobactin J. Here we examined the production of mycobactins by related organisms and searched for an alternative iron uptake system inM. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosis. Through thin-layer chromatography and radiolabeled iron-uptake studies, we showed thatM. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosisis impaired for both mycobactin synthesis and iron acquisition. Consistent with these observations, we identified several mutations, including deletions, inM. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosisgenes coding for mycobactin synthesis. Using a transposon-mediated mutagenesis screen conditional on growth without myobactin, we identified a potential mycobactin-independent iron uptake system on aM. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosis-specific genomic island, LSPP15. We obtained a transposon (Tn) mutant with a disruption in the LSPP15 geneMAP3776cfor targeted study. The mutant manifests increased iron uptake as well as intracellular iron content, with genes downstream of the transposon insertion (MAP3775ctoMAP3772c[MAP3775-2c]) upregulated as the result of a polar effect. As an independent confirmation, we observed the same iron uptake phenotypes by overexpressingMAP3775-2cin wild-typeM. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosis. These data indicate that the horizontally acquired LSPP15 genes contribute to iron acquisition byM. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosis, potentially allowing the subsequent loss of siderophore production by this pathogen.IMPORTANCEMany microbes are able to scavenge iron from their surroundings by producing iron-chelating siderophores. One exception isMycobacterium aviumsubsp.paratuberculosis, a fastidious, slow-growing animal pathogen whose growth needs to be supported by exogenous mycobacterial siderophore (mycobactin) in the laboratory. Data presented here demonstrate that, compared to other closely relatedM. aviumsubspecies, mycobactin production and iron uptake are different inM. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosis, and these phenotypes may be caused by numerous deletions in its mycobactin biosynthesis pathway. Using a genomic approach, supplemented by targeted genetic and biochemical studies, we identified that LSPP15, a horizontally acquired genomic island, may encode an alternative iron uptake system. These findings shed light on the potential physiological consequence of horizontal gene transfer inM. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosisevolution.

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lulu Liu ◽  
Shisheng Li ◽  
Sijing Wang ◽  
Ziyang Dong ◽  
Haichun Gao

ABSTRACT Shewanella oneidensis is an extensively studied bacterium capable of respiring minerals, including a variety of iron ores, as terminal electron acceptors (EAs). Although iron plays an essential and special role in iron respiration of S. oneidensis, little has been done to date to investigate the characteristics of iron transport in this bacterium. In this study, we found that all proteins encoded by the pub-putA-putB cluster for putrebactin (S. oneidensis native siderophore) synthesis (PubABC), recognition-transport of Fe3+-putrebactin across the outer membrane (PutA), and reduction of ferric putrebactin (PutB) are essential to putrebactin-mediated iron uptake. Although homologs of PutA are many, none can function as its replacement, but some are able to work with other bacterial siderophores. We then showed that Fe2+-specific Feo is the other primary iron uptake system, based on the synthetical lethal phenotype resulting from the loss of both iron uptake routes. The role of the Feo system in iron uptake appears to be more critical, as growth is significantly impaired by the absence of the system but not of putrebactin. Furthermore, we demonstrate that hydroxyl acids, especially α-types such as lactate, promote iron uptake in a Feo-dependent manner. Overall, our findings underscore the importance of the ferrous iron uptake system in metal-reducing bacteria, providing an insight into iron homeostasis by linking these two biological processes. IMPORTANCE S. oneidensis is among the first- and the best-studied metal-reducing bacteria, with great potential in bioremediation and biotechnology. However, many questions regarding mechanisms closely associated with those applications, such as iron homeostasis, including iron uptake, export, and regulation, remain to be addressed. Here we show that Feo is a primary player in iron uptake in addition to the siderophore-dependent route. The investigation also resolved a few puzzles regarding the unexpected phenotypes of the putA mutant and lactate-dependent iron uptake. By elucidating the physiological roles of these two important iron uptake systems, this work revealed the breadth of the impacts of iron uptake systems on the biological processes.


mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha M. Liu ◽  
Christine J. Boinett ◽  
Anson C. K. Chan ◽  
Julian Parkhill ◽  
Michael E. P. Murphy ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTCampylobacter jejuniis a pathogenic bacterium that causes gastroenteritis in humans yet is a widespread commensal in wild and domestic animals, particularly poultry. Using RNA sequencing, we assessedC. jejunitranscriptional responses to medium supplemented with human fecal versus chicken cecal extracts and in extract-supplemented medium versus medium alone.C. jejuniexposed to extracts had altered expression of 40 genes related to iron uptake, metabolism, chemotaxis, energy production, and osmotic stress response. In human fecal versus chicken cecal extracts,C. jejunidisplayed higher expression of genes involved in respiration (fdhTU) and in known or putative iron uptake systems (cfbpA,ceuB,chuC, andCJJ81176_1649–1655[here designated1649–1655]). The1649–1655genes and downstream overlapping gene1656were investigated further. Uncharacterized homologues of this system were identified in 33 diverse bacterial species representing 6 different phyla, 21 of which are associated with human disease. The1649and1650(p19) genes encode an iron transporter and a periplasmic iron binding protein, respectively; however, the role of the downstream1651–1656genes was unknown. A Δ1651–1656deletion strain had an iron-sensitive phenotype, consistent with a previously characterized Δp19mutant, and showed reduced growth in acidic medium, increased sensitivity to streptomycin, and higher resistance to H2O2stress. In iron-restricted medium, the1651–1656andp19genes were required for optimal growth when using human fecal extracts as an iron source. Collectively, this implicates a function for the1649–1656gene cluster inC. jejuniiron scavenging and stress survival in the human intestinal environment.IMPORTANCEDirect comparative studies ofC. jejuniinfection of a zoonotic commensal host and a disease-susceptible host are crucial to understanding the causes of infection outcome in humans. These studies are hampered by the lack of a disease-susceptible animal model reliably displaying a similar pathology to human campylobacteriosis. In this work, we compared the phenotypic and transcriptional responses ofC. jejunito intestinal compositions of humans (disease-susceptible host) and chickens (zoonotic host) by using human fecal and chicken cecal extracts. The mammalian gut is a complex and dynamic system containing thousands of metabolites that contribute to host health and modulate pathogen activity. We identifiedC. jejunigenes more highly expressed during exposure to human fecal extracts in comparison to chicken cecal extracts and differentially expressed in extracts compared with medium alone, and targeted one specific iron uptake system for further molecular, genetic, and phenotypic study.


mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Dichtl ◽  
Egon Demetz ◽  
David Haschka ◽  
Piotr Tymoszuk ◽  
Verena Petzer ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTWe have recently shown that the catecholamine dopamine regulates cellular iron homeostasis in macrophages. As iron is an essential nutrient for microbes, and intracellular iron availability affects the growth of intracellular bacteria, we studied whether dopamine administration impacts the course ofSalmonellainfections. Dopamine was found to promote the growth ofSalmonellaboth in culture and within bone marrow-derived macrophages, which was dependent on increased bacterial iron acquisition. Dopamine administration to mice infected withSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium resulted in significantly increased bacterial burdens in liver and spleen, as well as reduced survival. The promotion of bacterial growth by dopamine was independent of the siderophore-binding host peptide lipocalin-2. Rather, dopamine enhancement of iron uptake requires both the histidine sensor kinase QseC and bacterial iron transporters, in particular SitABCD, and may also involve the increased expression of bacterial iron uptake genes. Deletion or pharmacological blockade of QseC reduced but did not abolish the growth-promoting effects of dopamine. Dopamine also modulated systemic iron homeostasis by increasing hepcidin expression and depleting macrophages of the iron exporter ferroportin, which enhanced intracellular bacterial growth.Salmonellalacking all central iron uptake pathways failed to benefit from dopamine treatment. These observations are potentially relevant to critically ill patients, in whom the pharmacological administration of catecholamines to improve circulatory performance may exacerbate the course of infection with siderophilic bacteria.IMPORTANCEHere we show that dopamine increases bacterial iron incorporation and promotesSalmonellaTyphimurium growth bothin vitroandin vivo. These observations suggest the potential hazards of pharmacological catecholamine administration in patients with bacterial sepsis but also suggest that the inhibition of bacterial iron acquisition might provide a useful approach to antimicrobial therapy.


2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (8) ◽  
pp. 2689-2703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Santander ◽  
Greg Golden ◽  
Soo-Young Wanda ◽  
Roy Curtiss

ABSTRACTThe ability of bacterial pathogens to take up iron from the host during infection is necessary for their multiplication within the host. However, host high-affinity iron binding proteins limit levels of free iron in fluids and tissues. To overcome this deficiency of iron during infection, bacterial pathogens have developed iron uptake systems that are upregulated in the absence of iron, typically tightly controlled by the ferric uptake regulator (Fur) protein. The iron uptake system ofEdwardsiella ictaluri, a host-restricted pathogen of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and the main pathogen of this fish in aquaculture, is unknown. Here we describe theE. ictaluriFur protein, the iron uptake machinery controlled by Fur, and the effects offurgene deletion on virulence and immunogenicity in the fish host. Analysis of theE. ictaluriFur protein shows that it lacks the N-terminal region found in the majority of pathogen-encoded Fur proteins. However, it is fully functional in regulated genes encoding iron uptake proteins.E. ictalurigrown under iron-limited conditions upregulates an outer membrane protein (HemR) that shows heme-hemoglobin transport activity and is tightly regulated by Fur.In vivostudies showed that anE. ictaluriΔfurmutant is attenuated and immune protective in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), triggering systemic immunity. We conclude that anE. ictaluriΔfurmutant could be an effective component of an immersion-oral vaccine for the catfish industry.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 2256-2264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marte S. Dragset ◽  
Giovanna Poce ◽  
Salvatore Alfonso ◽  
Teresita Padilla-Benavides ◽  
Thomas R. Ioerger ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTEfficient iron acquisition is crucial for the pathogenesis ofMycobacterium tuberculosis. Mycobacterial iron uptake and metabolism are therefore attractive targets for antitubercular drug development. Resistance mutations against a novel pyrazolopyrimidinone compound (PZP) that is active againstM. tuberculosishave been identified within the gene cluster encoding the ESX-3 type VII secretion system. ESX-3 is required for mycobacterial iron acquisition through the mycobactin siderophore pathway, which could indicate that PZP restricts mycobacterial growth by targeting ESX-3 and thus iron uptake. Surprisingly, we show that ESX-3 is not the cellular target of the compound. We demonstrate that PZP indeed targets iron metabolism; however, we found that instead of inhibiting uptake of iron, PZP acts as an iron chelator, and we present evidence that the compound restricts mycobacterial growth by chelating intrabacterial iron. Thus, we have unraveled the unexpected mechanism of a novel antimycobacterial compound.


2019 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Runci ◽  
Valentina Gentile ◽  
Emanuela Frangipani ◽  
Giordano Rampioni ◽  
Livia Leoni ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAcinetobacter baumanniiis an important nosocomial pathogen. Mechanisms that allowA. baumanniito cause human infection are still poorly understood. Iron is an essential nutrient for bacterial growthin vivo, and the multiplicity of iron uptake systems inA. baumanniisuggests that iron acquisition contributes to the ability ofA. baumanniito cause infection. In Gram-negative bacteria, active transport of ferrisiderophores and heme relies on the conserved TonB-ExbB-ExbD energy-transducing complex, while active uptake of ferrous iron is mediated by the Feo system. TheA. baumanniigenome invariably contains threetonBgenes (tonB1,tonB2, andtonB3), whose role in iron uptake is poorly understood. Here, we generatedA. baumanniimutants with knockout mutations in thefeoand/ortonBgene. We report thattonB3is essential forA. baumanniigrowth under iron-limiting conditions, whereastonB1,tonB2, andfeoBappear to be dispensable for ferric iron uptake.tonB3deletion resulted in reduced intracellular iron content despite siderophore overproduction, supporting a key role of TonB3 in iron uptake. In contrast to the case fortonB1andtonB2, the promoters oftonB3andfeocontain functional Fur boxes and are upregulated in iron-poor media. Both TonB3 and Feo systems are required for growth in complement-free human serum and contribute to resistance to the bactericidal activity of normal human serum, but only TonB3 appears to be essential for virulence in insect and mouse models of infection. Our findings highlight a central role of the TonB3 system forA. baumanniipathogenicity. Hence, TonB3 represents a promising target for novel antibacterial therapies and for the generation of attenuated vaccine strains.


2013 ◽  
Vol 81 (9) ◽  
pp. 3442-3450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen L. Ostberg ◽  
Amanda J. DeRocco ◽  
Shreni D. Mistry ◽  
Mary Kathryne Dickinson ◽  
Cynthia Nau Cornelissen

ABSTRACTThe transferrin-binding proteins TbpA and TbpB enableNeisseria gonorrhoeaeto obtain iron from human transferrin. The lipoprotein TbpB facilitates, but is not strictly required for, TbpA-mediated iron acquisition. The goal of the current study was to determine the contribution of two conserved regions within TbpB to the function of this protein. Using site-directed mutagenesis, the first mutation we constructed replaced the lipobox (LSAC) of TbpB with a signal I peptidase cleavage site (LAAA), while the second mutation deleted a conserved stretch of glycine residues immediately downstream of the lipobox. We then evaluated the resulting mutants for effects on TbpB expression, surface exposure, and transferrin iron utilization. Western blot analysis and palmitate labeling indicated that the lipobox, but not the glycine-rich motif, is required for lipidation of TbpB and tethering to the outer membrane. TbpB was released into the supernatant by the mutant that produces TbpB LSAC. Neither mutation disrupted the transport of TbpB across the bacterial cell envelope. When these mutant TbpB proteins were produced in a strain expressing a form of TbpA that requires TbpB for iron acquisition, growth on transferrin was either abrogated or dramatically diminished. We conclude that surface tethering of TbpB is required for optimal performance of the transferrin iron acquisition system, while the presence of the polyglycine stretch near the amino terminus of TbpB contributes significantly to transferrin iron transport function. Overall, these results provide important insights into the functional roles of two conserved motifs of TbpB, enhancing our understanding of this critical iron uptake system.


2019 ◽  
Vol 87 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bianca Bontempi Batista ◽  
Renato Elias Rodrigues de Souza Santos ◽  
Rafael Ricci-Azevedo ◽  
José Freire da Silva Neto

ABSTRACT Bacteria use siderophores to scavenge iron from environmental or host sources. The iron acquisition systems of Chromobacterium violaceum, a ubiquitous environmental bacterium that can cause infections in humans, are still unknown. In this work, we demonstrated that C. violaceum produces putative distinct endogenous siderophores, here named chromobactin and viobactin, and showed that they are each required for iron uptake and virulence. An in silico analysis in the genome of C. violaceum revealed that genes related to synthesis and uptake of chromobactin (cba) and viobactin (vba) are located within two secondary-metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. Using a combination of gene deletions and siderophore detection assays, we revealed that chromobactin and viobactin are catecholate siderophores synthesized from the common precursor 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate (2,3-DHB) on two nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) enzymes (CbaF and VbaF) and taken up by two TonB-dependent receptors (CbuA and VbuA). Infection assays in mice revealed that both the synthesis and the uptake of chromobactin or viobactin are required for the virulence of C. violaceum, since only the mutant strains that do not produce any siderophores or are unable to take up both of them were attenuated for virulence. In addition, the mutant strain unable to take up both siderophores showed a pronounced attenuation of virulence in vivo and reduced neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation in in vitro assays, suggesting that extracellularly accumulated siderophores modulate the host immune response. Overall, our results revealed that C. violaceum uses distinct endogenous siderophores for iron uptake and its establishment in the host.


Microbiology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 150 (9) ◽  
pp. 2931-2945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley L. Dubbels ◽  
Alan A. DiSpirito ◽  
John D. Morton ◽  
Jeremy D. Semrau ◽  
J. N. E. Neto ◽  
...  

Cells of the magnetotactic marine vibrio, strain MV-1, produce magnetite-containing magnetosomes when grown anaerobically or microaerobically. Stable, spontaneous, non-magnetotactic mutants were regularly observed when cells of MV-1 were cultured on solid media incubated under anaerobic or microaerobic conditions. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis showed that these mutants are not all genetically identical. Cellular iron content of one non-magnetotactic mutant strain, designated MV-1nm1, grown anaerobically, was ∼20- to 80-fold less than the iron content of wild-type (wt) MV-1 for the same iron concentrations, indicating that MV-1nm1 is deficient in some form of iron uptake. Comparative protein profiles of the two strains showed that MV-1nm1 did not produce several proteins produced by wt MV-1. To understand the potential roles of these proteins in iron transport better, one of these proteins was purified and characterized. This protein, a homodimer with an apparent subunit mass of about 19 kDa, was an iron-regulated, periplasmic protein (p19). Two potential ‘copper-handling’ motifs (MXM/MX2M) are present in the amino acid sequence of p19, and the native protein binds copper in a 1 : 1 ratio. The structural gene for p19, chpA (copper handling protein) and two other putative genes upstream of chpA were cloned and sequenced. These putative genes encode a protein similar to the iron permease, Ftr1, from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and a ferredoxin-like protein of unknown function. A periplasmic, copper-containing, iron(II) oxidase was also purified from wt MV-1 and MV-1nm1. This enzyme, like p19, was regulated by media iron concentration and contained four copper atoms per molecule of enzyme. It is hypothesized that ChpA, the iron permease and the iron(II) oxidase might have analogous functions for the three components of the S. cerevisiae copper-dependent high-affinity iron uptake system (Ctr1, Ftr1 and Fet3, respectively), and that strain MV-1 may have a similar iron uptake system. However, iron(II) oxidase purified from both wt MV-1 and MV-1nm1 displayed comparable iron oxidase activities using O2 as the electron acceptor, indicating that ChpA does not supply the multi-copper iron(II) oxidase with copper.


1983 ◽  
Vol 156 (2) ◽  
pp. 880-887 ◽  
Author(s):  
M A Walter ◽  
S A Potter ◽  
J H Crosa

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