scholarly journals Temporal Control of the Helicobacter pylori Cag Type IV Secretion System in a Mongolian Gerbil Model of Gastric Carcinogenesis

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aung Soe Lin ◽  
Mark S. McClain ◽  
Amber C. Beckett ◽  
Rhonda R. Caston ◽  
M. Lorena Harvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Gastric Carcinogenesis ◽  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Effector Protein ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Infected Control ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Hit And Run ◽  
H Pylori

ABSTRACT The Helicobacter pylori Cag type IV secretion system (T4SS) translocates the effector protein CagA and nonprotein bacterial constituents into host cells. In this study, we infected Mongolian gerbils with an H. pylori strain in which expression of the cagUT operon (required for Cag T4SS activity) is controlled by a TetR/tetO system. Transcript levels of cagU were significantly higher in gastric tissue from H. pylori-infected animals receiving doxycycline-containing chow (to derepress Cag T4SS activity) than in tissue from infected control animals receiving drug-free chow. At 3 months postinfection, infected animals receiving doxycycline had significantly increased gastric inflammation compared to infected control animals. Dysplasia (a premalignant histologic lesion) and/or invasive gastric adenocarcinoma were detected only in infected gerbils receiving doxycycline, not in infected control animals. We then conducted experiments in which Cag T4SS activity was derepressed during defined stages of infection. Continuous Cag T4SS activity throughout a 3-month time period resulted in higher rates of dysplasia and/or gastric cancer than observed when Cag T4SS activity was limited to early or late stages of infection. Cag T4SS activity for the initial 6 weeks of infection was sufficient for the development of gastric inflammation at the 3-month time point, with gastric cancer detected in a small proportion of animals. These experimental results, together with previous studies of cag mutant strains, provide strong evidence that Cag T4SS activity contributes to gastric carcinogenesis and help to define the stages of H. pylori infection during which Cag T4SS activity causes gastric alterations relevant for cancer pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE The “hit-and-run model” of carcinogenesis proposes that an infectious agent triggers carcinogenesis during initial stages of infection and that the ongoing presence of the infectious agent is not required for development of cancer. H. pylori infection and actions of CagA (an effector protein designated a bacterial oncoprotein, secreted by the Cag T4SS) are proposed to constitute a paradigm for hit-and-run carcinogenesis. In this study, we report the development of methods for controlling H. pylori Cag T4SS activity in vivo and demonstrate that Cag T4SS activity contributes to gastric carcinogenesis. We also show that Cag T4SS activity during an early stage of infection is sufficient to initiate a cascade of cellular alterations leading to gastric inflammation and gastric cancer at later time points.

scholarly journals CagY-Dependent Regulation of Type IV Secretion inHelicobacter pyloriIs Associated with Alterations in Integrin Binding

mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma C. Skoog ◽  
Vasilios A. Morikis ◽  
Miriam E. Martin ◽  
Greg A. Foster ◽  
Lucy P. Cai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Inflammatory Response ◽  
Persistent Infection ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Type Iv Secretion System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
H Pylori ◽  
Host Inflammatory Response

ABSTRACTStrains ofHelicobacter pylorithat cause ulcer or gastric cancer typically express a type IV secretion system (T4SS) encoded by thecagpathogenicity island (cagPAI). CagY is an ortholog of VirB10 that, unlike other VirB10 orthologs, has a large middle repeat region (MRR) with extensive repetitive sequence motifs, which undergo CD4+T cell-dependent recombination during infection of mice. Recombination in the CagY MRR reduces T4SS function, diminishes the host inflammatory response, and enables the bacteria to colonize at a higher density. Since CagY is known to bind human α5β1integrin, we tested the hypothesis that recombination in the CagY MRR regulates T4SS function by modulating binding to α5β1integrin. Using a cell-free microfluidic assay, we found thatH. pyloribinding to α5β1integrin under shear flow is dependent on the CagY MRR, but independent of the presence of the T4SS pili, which are only formed whenH. pyloriis in contact with host cells. Similarly, expression of CagY in the absence of other T4SS genes was necessary and sufficient for whole bacterial cell binding to α5β1integrin. Bacteria with variantcagYalleles that reduced T4SS function showed comparable reduction in binding to α5β1integrin, although CagY was still expressed on the bacterial surface. We speculate thatcagY-dependent modulation ofH. pyloriT4SS function is mediated by alterations in binding to α5β1integrin, which in turn regulates the host inflammatory response so as to maximize persistent infection.IMPORTANCEInfection withH. pylorican cause peptic ulcers and is the most important risk factor for gastric cancer, the third most common cause of cancer death worldwide. The majorH. pylorivirulence factor that determines whether infection causes disease or asymptomatic colonization is the type IV secretion system (T4SS), a sort of molecular syringe that injects bacterial products into gastric epithelial cells and alters host cell physiology. We previously showed that recombination in CagY, an essential T4SS component, modulates the function of the T4SS. Here we found that these recombination events produce parallel changes in specific binding to α5β1integrin, a host cell receptor that is essential for T4SS-dependent translocation of bacterial effectors. We propose that CagY-dependent binding to α5β1integrin acts like a molecular rheostat that alters T4SS function and modulates the host immune response to promote persistent infection.

scholarly journals Peptidomimetic Small Molecules Disrupt Type IV Secretion System Activity in Diverse Bacterial Pathogens

mBio ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie L. Shaffer ◽  
James A. D. Good ◽  
Santosh Kumar ◽  
K. Syam Krishnan ◽  
Jennifer A. Gaddy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Bacterial Pathogens ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Effector Protein ◽  
Secretion Systems ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
H Pylori

ABSTRACT Bacteria utilize complex type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) to translocate diverse effector proteins or DNA into target cells. Despite the importance of T4SSs in bacterial pathogenesis, the mechanism by which these translocation machineries deliver cargo across the bacterial envelope remains poorly understood, and very few studies have investigated the use of synthetic molecules to disrupt T4SS-mediated transport. Here, we describe two synthetic small molecules (C10 and KSK85) that disrupt T4SS-dependent processes in multiple bacterial pathogens. Helicobacter pylori exploits a pilus appendage associated with the cag T4SS to inject an oncogenic effector protein (CagA) and peptidoglycan into gastric epithelial cells. In H. pylori , KSK85 impedes biogenesis of the pilus appendage associated with the cag T4SS, while C10 disrupts cag T4SS activity without perturbing pilus assembly. In addition to the effects in H. pylori , we demonstrate that these compounds disrupt interbacterial DNA transfer by conjugative T4SSs in Escherichia coli and impede vir T4SS-mediated DNA delivery by Agrobacterium tumefaciens in a plant model of infection. Of note, C10 effectively disarmed dissemination of a derepressed IncF plasmid into a recipient bacterial population, thus demonstrating the potential of these compounds in mitigating the spread of antibiotic resistance determinants driven by conjugation. To our knowledge, this study is the first report of synthetic small molecules that impair delivery of both effector protein and DNA cargos by diverse T4SSs. IMPORTANCE Many human and plant pathogens utilize complex nanomachines called type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) to transport proteins and DNA to target cells. In addition to delivery of harmful effector proteins into target cells, T4SSs can disseminate genetic determinants that confer antibiotic resistance among bacterial populations. In this study, we sought to identify compounds that disrupt T4SS-mediated processes. Using the human gastric pathogen H. pylori as a model system, we identified and characterized two small molecules that prevent transfer of an oncogenic effector protein to host cells. We discovered that these small molecules also prevented the spread of antibiotic resistance plasmids in E. coli populations and diminished the transfer of tumor-inducing DNA from the plant pathogen A. tumefaciens to target cells. Thus, these compounds are versatile molecular tools that can be used to study and disarm these important bacterial machines.

scholarly journals The Helicobacter pylori Autotransporter ImaA Tempers the Bacterium's Interaction with α5β1 Integrin

2016 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Sause ◽  
Daniela Keilberg ◽  
Soufiane Aboulhouda ◽  
Karen M. Ottemann
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
H Pylori ◽  
Α5β1 Integrin ◽  
Cell Interface

ABSTRACT The human pathogen Helicobacter pylori uses the host receptor α5β1 integrin to trigger inflammation in host cells via its cag pathogenicity island (cag PAI) type IV secretion system (T4SS). Here, we report that the H. pylori ImaA protein (HP0289) decreases the action of the cag PAI T4SS via tempering the bacterium's interaction with α5β1 integrin. Previously, imaA-null mutants were found to induce an elevated inflammatory response that was dependent on the cag PAI T4SS; here we extend those findings to show that the elevated response is independent of the CagA effector protein. To understand how ImaA could be affecting cag PAI T4SS activity at the host cell interface, we utilized the Phyre structural threading program and found that ImaA has a region with remote homology to bacterial integrin-binding proteins. This region was required for ImaA function. Unexpectedly, we observed that imaA mutants bound higher levels of α5β1 integrin than wild-type H. pylori, an outcome that required the predicted integrin-binding homology region of ImaA. Lastly, we report that ImaA directly affected the amount of host cell β1 integrin but not other cellular integrins. Our results thus suggest a model in which H. pylori employs ImaA to regulate interactions between integrin and the T4SS and thus alter the host inflammatory strength.

scholarly journals Bacterial Energetic Requirements for Helicobacter pylori Cag Type IV Secretion System-Dependent Alterations in Gastric Epithelial Cells

2019 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aung Soe Lin ◽  
Samuel D. R. Dooyema ◽  
Arwen E. Frick-Cheng ◽  
M. Lorena Harvey ◽  
Giovanni Suarez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Type Iv Secretion System ◽  
Gastric Epithelial Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Mutant Strains ◽  
H Pylori ◽  
Tlr9 Activation ◽  
Bacterial Constituents

ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori colonizes the stomach in about half of the world’s population. H. pylori strains containing the cag pathogenicity island (cag PAI) are associated with a higher risk of gastric adenocarcinoma or peptic ulcer disease than cag PAI-negative strains. The cag PAI encodes a type IV secretion system (T4SS) that mediates delivery of the CagA effector protein as well as nonprotein bacterial constituents into gastric epithelial cells. H. pylori-induced nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) activation and interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion are attributed to T4SS-dependent delivery of lipopolysaccharide metabolites and peptidoglycan into host cells, and Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) activation is attributed to delivery of bacterial DNA. In this study, we analyzed the bacterial energetic requirements associated with these cellular alterations. Mutant strains lacking Cagα, Cagβ, or CagE (putative ATPases corresponding to VirB11, VirD4, and VirB4 in prototypical T4SSs) were capable of T4SS core complex assembly but defective in CagA translocation into host cells. Thus, the three Cag ATPases are not functionally redundant. Cagα and CagE were required for H. pylori-induced NF-κB activation, IL-8 secretion, and TLR9 activation, but Cagβ was dispensable for these responses. We identified putative ATP-binding motifs (Walker-A and Walker-B) in each of the ATPases and generated mutant strains in which these motifs were altered. Each of the Walker box mutant strains exhibited properties identical to those of the corresponding deletion mutant strains. These data suggest that Cag T4SS-dependent delivery of nonprotein bacterial constituents into host cells occurs through mechanisms different from those used for recruitment and delivery of CagA into host cells.

scholarly journals Maintenance of Type IV Secretion Function During Helicobacter pylori Infection in Mice

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e03147-20
Author(s):  
Emma C. Skoog ◽  
Miriam E. Martin ◽  
Roberto M. Barrozo ◽  
Lori M. Hansen ◽  
Lucy P. Cai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Murine Model ◽  
Pathogenicity Island ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Type Iv Secretion System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Biologically Relevant ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
H Pylori

ABSTRACTThe Helicobacter pylori type IV secretion system (T4SS) encoded on the cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI) secretes the CagA oncoprotein and other effectors into the gastric epithelium. During murine infection, T4SS function is lost in an immune-dependent manner, typically as a result of in-frame recombination in the middle repeat region of cagY, though single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cagY or in other essential genes may also occur. Loss of T4SS function also occurs in gerbils, nonhuman primates, and humans, suggesting that it is biologically relevant and not simply an artifact of the murine model. Here, we sought to identify physiologically relevant conditions under which T4SS function is maintained in the murine model. We found that loss of H. pylori T4SS function in mice was blunted by systemic Salmonella coinfection and completely eliminated by dietary iron restriction. Both have epidemiologic parallels in humans, since H. pylori strains from individuals in developing countries, where iron deficiency and systemic infections are common, are also more often cagPAI+ than strains from developed countries. These results have implications for our fundamental understanding of the cagPAI and also provide experimental tools that permit the study of T4SS function in the murine model.IMPORTANCE The type IV secretion system (T4SS) is the major Helicobacter pylori virulence factor, though its function is lost during murine infection. Loss of function also occurs in gerbils and in humans, suggesting that it is biologically relevant, but the conditions under which T4SS regulation occurs are unknown. Here, we found that systemic coinfection with Salmonella and iron deprivation each promote retention of T4SS function. These results improve our understanding of the cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI) and provide experimental tools that permit the study of T4SS function in the murine model.

scholarly journals Genes Required for Assembly of Pili Associated with the Helicobacter pylori cag Type IV Secretion System

2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (8) ◽  
pp. 3457-3470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Johnson ◽  
Jennifer A. Gaddy ◽  
Bradley J. Voss ◽  
Ewa E. Hennig ◽  
Timothy L. Cover
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Type Iv Secretion System ◽  
Gastric Epithelial Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Pilus Biogenesis ◽  
H Pylori

ABSTRACTHelicobacter pyloricauses numerous alterations in gastric epithelial cells through processes that are dependent on activity of thecagtype IV secretion system (T4SS). Filamentous structures termed “pili” have been visualized at the interface betweenH. pyloriand gastric epithelial cells, and previous studies suggested that pilus formation is dependent on the presence of thecagpathogenicity island (PAI). Thus far, there has been relatively little effort to identify specific genes that are required for pilus formation, and the role of pili in T4SS function is unclear. In this study, we selected 7 genes in thecagPAI that are known to be required for T4SS function and investigated whether these genes were required for pilus formation.cagT,cagX,cagV,cagM, andcag3mutants were defective in both T4SS function and pilus formation; complemented mutants regained T4SS function and the capacity for pilus formation.cagYandcagCmutants were defective in T4SS function but retained the capacity for pilus formation. These results define a set ofcagPAI genes that are required for both pilus biogenesis and T4SS function and reveal that these processes can be uncoupled in specific mutant strains.

scholarly journals In Situ Molecular Architecture of the Helicobacter pylori Cag Type IV Secretion System

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Hu ◽  
Pratick Khara ◽  
Liqiang Song ◽  
Aung Soe Lin ◽  
Arwen E. Frick-Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Type Iv Secretion System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Membrane Complex ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
H Pylori

ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori colonizes about half of humans worldwide, and its presence in the gastric mucosa is associated with an increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma, gastric lymphoma, and peptic ulcer disease. H. pylori strains carrying the cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI) are associated with increased risk of disease progression. The cagPAI encodes the Cag type IV secretion system (CagT4SS), which delivers the CagA oncoprotein and other effector molecules into human gastric epithelial cells. We visualized structures of native and mutant CagT4SS machines on the H. pylori cell envelope by cryoelectron tomography. Individual H. pylori cells contain multiple CagT4SS nanomachines, each composed of a wheel-shaped outer membrane complex (OMC) with 14-fold symmetry and an inner membrane complex (IMC) with 6-fold symmetry. CagX, CagY, and CagM are required for assembly of the OMC, whereas strains lacking Cag3 and CagT produce outer membrane complexes lacking peripheral components. The IMC, which has never been visualized in detail, is configured as six tiers in cross-section view and three concentric rings surrounding a central channel in end-on view. The IMC contains three T4SS ATPases: (i) VirB4-like CagE, arranged as a hexamer of dimers at the channel entrance; (ii) a hexamer of VirB11-like Cagα, docked at the base of the CagE hexamer; and (iii) VirD4-like Cagβ and other unspecified Cag subunits, associated with the stacked CagE/Cagα complex and forming the outermost rings. The CagT4SS and recently solved Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm system comprise new structural prototypes for the T4SS superfamily. IMPORTANCE Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) have been phylogenetically grouped into two subfamilies. The T4ASSs, represented by the Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB/VirD4T4SS, include “minimized” machines assembled from 12 VirB- and VirD4-like subunits and compositionally larger systems such as the Helicobacter pylori CagT4SS. T4BSSs encompass systems closely related in subunit composition to the Legionella pneumophila Dot/IcmT4SS. Here, we present structures of native and mutant H. pylori Cag machines determined by in situ cryoelectron tomography. We identify distinct outer and inner membrane complexes and, for the first time, visualize structural contributions of all three “signature” ATPases of T4SSs at the cytoplasmic entrance of the translocation channel. Despite their evolutionary divergence, the CagT4SS aligns structurally much more closely to the Dot/IcmT4SS than an available VirB/VirD4 subcomplex. Our findings highlight the diversity of T4SSs and suggest a structural classification scheme in which T4SSs are grouped as minimized VirB/VirD4-like or larger Cag-like and Dot/Icm-like systems.

scholarly journals In VivoExpression of Helicobacter pylori Virulence Genes in Patients with Gastritis, Ulcer, and Gastric Cancer

2011 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 594-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Avilés-Jiménez ◽  
Adriana Reyes-Leon ◽  
Erik Nieto-Patlán ◽  
Lori M. Hansen ◽  
Juan Burgueño ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ulcer Disease ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
H Pylori

ABSTRACTThe best-studiedHelicobacter pylorivirulence factor associated with development of peptic ulcer disease or gastric cancer (GC) rather than asymptomatic nonatrophic gastritis (NAG) is thecagpathogenicity island (cagPAI), which encodes a type IV secretion system (T4SS) that injects the CagA oncoprotein into host epithelial cells. Here we used real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) to measure thein vivoexpression of genes on thecagPAI and of other virulence genes in patients with NAG, duodenal ulcer (DU), or GC.In vivoexpression ofH. pylorivirulence genes was greater overall in gastric biopsy specimens of patients with GC than in those of patients with NAG or DU. However, sincein vitroexpression ofcagAwas not greater inH. pyloristrains from patients with GC than in those from patients with NAG or DU, increased expression in GCin vivois likely a result of environmental conditions in the gastric mucosa, though it may in turn cause more severe pathology. Increased expression of virulence genes in GC may represent a stress response to elevated pH or other environmental conditions in the stomach of patients with GC, which may be less hospitable toH. pyloricolonization than the acidic environment in patients with NAG or DU.

scholarly journals Genomic Insight into Symbiosis-Induced Insect Color Change by a Facultative Bacterial Endosymbiont, “CandidatusRickettsiella viridis”

mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naruo Nikoh ◽  
Tsutomu Tsuchida ◽  
Taro Maeda ◽  
Katsushi Yamaguchi ◽  
Shuji Shigenobu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Type Iv Secretion System ◽  
Effector Protein ◽  
Body Color ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Symbiont Genome

ABSTRACTMembers of the genusRickettsiellaare bacterial pathogens of insects and other arthropods. Recently, a novel facultative endosymbiont, “CandidatusRickettsiella viridis,” was described in the pea aphidAcyrthosiphon pisum, whose infection causes a striking host phenotype: red and green genetic color morphs exist in aphid populations, and upon infection with the symbiont, red aphids become green due to increased production of green polycyclic quinone pigments. Here we determined the complete genome sequence of the symbiont. The 1.6-Mb circular genome, harboring some 1,400 protein-coding genes, was similar to the genome of entomopathogenicRickettsiella grylli(1.6 Mb) but was smaller than the genomes of phylogenetically allied human pathogensCoxiella burnetii(2.0 Mb) andLegionella pneumophila(3.4 Mb). The symbiont’s metabolic pathways exhibited little complementarity to those of the coexisting primary symbiontBuchnera aphidicola, reflecting the facultative nature of the symbiont. The symbiont genome harbored neither polyketide synthase genes nor the evolutionarily allied fatty acid synthase genes that are suspected to catalyze the polycyclic quinone synthesis, indicating that the green pigments are produced not by the symbiont but by the host aphid. The symbiont genome retained many type IV secretion system genes and presumable effector protein genes, whose homologues inL. pneumophilawere reported to modulate a variety of the host's cellular processes for facilitating infection and virulence. These results suggest the possibility that the symbiont is involved in the green pigment production by affecting the host’s metabolism using the secretion machineries for delivering the effector molecules into the host cells.IMPORTANCEInsect body color is relevant to a variety of biological aspects such as species recognition, sexual selection, mimicry, aposematism, and crypsis. Hence, the bacterial endosymbiont “CandidatusRickettsiella viridis,” which alters aphid body color from red to green, is of ecological interest, given that different predators preferentially exploit either red- or green-colored aphids. Here we determined the complete 1.6-Mb genome of the symbiont and uncovered that, although the red-green color transition was ascribed to upregulated production of green polycyclic quinone pigments, the symbiont genome harbored few genes involved in the polycyclic quinone biosynthesis. Meanwhile, the symbiont genome contained type IV secretion system genes and presumable effector protein genes, whose homologues modulate eukaryotic cellular processes for facilitating infection and virulence in the pathogenLegionella pneumophila. We propose the hypothesis that the symbiont may upregulate the host’s production of polycyclic quinone pigments via cooption of secretion machineries and effector molecules for pathogenicity.

scholarly journals Identification of Pathogenicity Island Genes Associated with Loss of Type IV Secretion Function during Murine Infection with Helicobacter pylori

2020 ◽  
Vol 88 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori M. Hansen ◽  
Dylan J. Dekalb ◽  
Lucy P. Cai ◽  
Jay V. Solnick
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Pathogenicity Island ◽  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Common Mechanism ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Genetic Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
H Pylori

ABSTRACT Chronic Helicobacter pylori colonization in animal models often leads to downregulation of the type IV secretion system (T4SS), typically by recombination in cagY, which is an essential T4SS gene. However, 17 other cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI) genes, as well as some non-cagPAI genes, are also essential for T4SS function. To get a more complete picture of how H. pylori regulates the T4SS during animal colonization, we examined cagY in 534 mouse-passaged isolates that lost T4SS function, defined as a normalized interleukin-8 (IL-8) value of <0.3 relative to the input H. pylori strain PMSS1. In order to analyze the genetic changes in the strains with unchanged cagY, we sequenced the entire pathogenicity island of 60 such isolates using single-molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology (PacBio, Menlo Park, CA), and we compared the results to the PMSS1 wild type (WT). Of the 534 strains, 271 (51%) showed evidence of recombination in cagY, but we also found indels or nonsynonymous changes in 13 other essential cagPAI genes implicated in H. pylori T4SS function, most commonly cag5, cag10, and cagA. While cagY recombination is the most common mechanism by which H. pylori downregulates T4SS function during murine infection, loss of function is also associated with changes in other essential cagPAI genes.

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