scholarly journals Roles of Cholesteryl-α-Glucoside Transferase and Cholesteryl Glucosides in Maintenance of Helicobacter pylori Morphology, Cell Wall Integrity, and Resistance to Antibiotics

mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Majjid A. Qaria ◽  
Naveen Kumar ◽  
Arif Hussain ◽  
Shamsul Qumar ◽  
Sankara N. Doddam ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Infection of the human stomach caused by Helicobacter pylori is very common, as the pathogen colonizes more than half of the world’s population. It is associated with varied outcomes of infection, such as peptic ulcer disease, gastric ulcers, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and is generally considered a risk factor for the development of gastric adenocarcinoma. Cholesteryl glucosides (CGs) constitute a vital component of the cell wall of H. pylori and contribute to its pathogenicity and virulence. The hp0421 gene, which encodes cholesteryl-α-glucoside transferase (CGT), appears critical for the enzymatic function of integrating unique CGs into the cell wall of H. pylori, and deletion of this gene leads to depletion of CGs and their variants. Herein, we report that the deletion of hp0421 and consequent deficiency of cholesterol alter the morphology, shape, and cell wall composition of H. pylori cells, as demonstrated by high-resolution confocal microscopy and flow cytometry analyses of two different type strains of H. pylori, their isogenic knockouts as well as a reconstituted strain. Moreover, measurement of ethidium bromide (EtBr) influx by flow cytometry showed that lack of CGs increased cell wall permeability. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that the hp0421 isogenic knockout strains (Hp26695Δ421 and Hp76Δ421) were sensitive to antibiotics, such as fosfomycin, polymyxin B, colistin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin, in contrast to the wild-type strains that were resistant to the above antibiotics and tended to form denser biofilms. Lipid profile analysis of both Hp76 and Hp76Δ421 strains showed an aberrant profile of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in the Hp76Δ421 strain. Taken together, we herein provide a set of mechanistic evidences to demonstrate that CGs play critical roles in the maintenance of the typical spiral morphology of H. pylori and its cell wall integrity, and any alteration in CG content affects the characteristic morphological features and renders the H. pylori susceptible to various antibiotics. IMPORTANCE Helicobacter pylori is an important cause of chronic gastritis leading to peptic ulcer and is a major risk factor for gastric malignancies. Failure in the eradication of H. pylori infection and increasing antibiotic resistance are two major problems in preventing H. pylori colonization. Hence, a deeper understanding of the bacterial survival strategies is needed to tackle the increasing burden of H. pylori infection by an appropriate intervention. Our study demonstrated that the lack of cholesteryl glucosides (CGs) remarkably altered the morphology of H. pylori and increased permeability of the bacterial cell wall. Further, this study highlighted the substantial role of CGs in maintaining the typical H. pylori morphology that is essential for retaining its pathogenic potential. We also demonstrated that the loss of CGs in H. pylori renders the bacterium susceptible to different antibiotics.


mBio ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ge Wang ◽  
Leja F. Lo ◽  
Lennart S. Forsberg ◽  
Robert J. Maier

ABSTRACTThe prominent host muramidase lysozyme cleaves bacterial peptidoglycan (PG), and the enzyme is abundant in mucosal secretions. The lytic enzyme susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria and mechanisms they use to thwart lytic enzyme activity are poorly studied. We previously characterized aHelicobacter pyloriPG modification enzyme, an N-deacetylase (PgdA) involved in lysozyme resistance. In this study, another PG modification enzyme, a putative PG O-acetyltransferase (PatA), was identified. Mass spectral analysis of the purified PG demonstrated that apatAstrain contained a greatly reduced amount of acetylated muropeptides, indicating a role for PatA inH. pyloriPG O-acetylation. The PG modification mutant strains (pgdA,patA, orpgdA patA) were more susceptible to lysozyme killing than the parent, but this assay required high lysozyme levels (up to 50 mg/ml). However, addition of host lactoferrin conferred lysozyme sensitivity toH. pylori, at physiologically relevant concentrations of both host components (3 mg/ml lactoferrin plus 0.3 mg/ml lysozyme). ThepgdA patAdouble mutant strain was far more susceptible to lysozyme/lactoferrin killing than the parent. Peptidoglycan purified from apgdA patAmutant was five times more sensitive to lysozyme than PG from the parent strain, while PG from both single mutants displayed intermediate sensitivity. Both sensitivity assays for whole cells and for purified PGs indicated that the modifications mediated by PgdA and PatA have a synergistic effect, conferring lysozyme tolerance. In a mouse infection model, significant colonization deficiency was observed for the double mutant at 3 weeks postinoculation. The results show that PG modifications affect the survival of a Gram-negative pathogen.IMPORTANCEPathogenic bacteria evade host antibacterial enzymes by a variety of mechanisms, which include resisting lytic enzymes abundant in the host. Enzymatic modifications to peptidoglycan (PG, the site of action of lysozyme) are a known mechanism used by Gram-positive bacteria to protect against host lysozyme attack. However, Gram-negative bacteria contain a thin layer of PG and a recalcitrant outer membrane permeability barrier to resist lysis, so molecular modifications to cell wall structure in order to combat lysis remain largely unstudied. Here we show that twoHelicobacter pyloriPG modification enzymes (PgdA and PatA) confer a clear protective advantage to a Gram-negative bacterium. They protect the bacterium from lytic enzyme degradation, albeit via different PG modification activities. Many pathogens are Gram negative, so some would be expected to have a similar cell wall-modifying strategy. Understanding such strategies may be useful for combating pathogen growth.



2019 ◽  
Vol 201 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Desirée C. Yang ◽  
Kris M. Blair ◽  
Jennifer A. Taylor ◽  
Timothy W. Petersen ◽  
Tate Sessler ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTEvident in its name, the gastric pathogenHelicobacter pylorihas a helical cell morphology which facilitates efficient colonization of the human stomach. An improved light-focusing strategy allowed us to robustly distinguish even subtle perturbations ofH. pyloricell morphology by deviations in light-scattering properties measured by flow cytometry. Profiling of an arrayed genome-wide deletion library identified 28 genes that influence different aspects of cell shape, including properties of the helix, cell length or width, cell filament formation, cell shape heterogeneity, and cell branching. Included in this mutant collection were two that failed to form any helical cells, a soluble lytic transglycosylase and a previously uncharacterized putative multipass inner membrane protein HPG27_0728, renamed Csd7. A combination of cell fractionation, mutational, and immunoprecipitation experiments show that Csd7 and Csd2 collaborate to stabilize the Csd1 peptidoglycan (PG) endopeptidase. Thus, bothcsd2andcsd7mutants show the same enhancement of PG tetra-pentapeptide cross-linking ascsd1mutants. Csd7 also links Csd1 with the bactofilin CcmA via protein-protein interactions. Although Csd1 is stable inccmAmutants, these mutants show altered PG tetra-pentapeptide cross-linking, suggesting that Csd7 may directly or indirectly activate as well as stabilize Csd1. These data begin to illuminate a highly orchestrated program to regulate PG modifications that promote helical shape, which includes nine nonessential nonredundant genes required for helical shape and 26 additional genes that further modifyH. pylori’s cell morphology.IMPORTANCEThe stomach ulcer and cancer-causing pathogenHelicobacter pylorihas a helical cell shape which facilitates stomach infection. Using light scattering to measure perturbations of cell morphology, we identified 28 genes that influence different aspects of cell shape. A mutant in a previously uncharacterized protein renamed Csd7 failed to form any helical cells. Biochemical analyses showed that Csd7 collaborates with other proteins to stabilize the cell wall-degrading enzyme Csd1. Csd7 also links Csd1 with a putative filament-forming protein via protein-protein interactions. These data suggest that helical cell shape arises from a highly orchestrated program to regulate cell wall modifications. Targeting of this helical cell shape-promoting program could offer new ways to block infectivity of this important human pathogen.



2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 712-716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme Felga ◽  
Fernando Marcuz Silva ◽  
Ricardo Correa Barbuti ◽  
Tomas Navarro-Rodriguez ◽  
Schlioma Zaterka ◽  
...  

Introduction: The scheme proton pump inhibitor/amoxicillin/clarithromycin (PPI/AC) is still the first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections despite evidence suggesting its failure in up to 20% to 30% of patients. Methodology: This study involved 493 patients who were prescribed omeprazole (20 mg twice a day) or another proton pump inhibitor in equivalent dosage, amoxicillin (1 g twice a day), and clarithromycin (500 mg twice a day) for seven days. Efficacy was determined by negative urease test and absence of H. pylori on gastric biopsy samples twelve weeks after the end of treatment. Safety was defined according to the adverse effects reported. Mean age of the patients was (± SD) 48.96 ± 13, and demographic and clinical data were recorded for correlation with treatment outcomes. Results: Out of 493 patients, 316 (64.1%) presented duodenal ulcer, 111 (22.5%) gastric ulcer, and 66 (14.4%) simultaneous gastric and duodenal ulcers. Additionally, 267 (54.2%) patients had at least one risk factor for peptic ulcer disease, smoking being the most common (99 [36.5%]). Successful eradication was achieved in 408 patients. The eradication rates per protocol, and according to the intention to treat, were 88.8% and 82.7%, respectively.  Of 164 (35.5%) patients who presented adverse effects, 100 (61%) reported them as mild and only six (3.7%) patients had to discontinue treatment. Previous use of tobacco and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs was the only risk factor for treatment failure (P 0.00). Conclusion: PPI/AC is still a valuable and remarkably tolerable option for first-line H. pylori eradication in Brazil.



mSphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily G. Sweeney ◽  
Andrew Nishida ◽  
Alexandra Weston ◽  
Maria S. Bañuelos ◽  
Kristin Potter ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBacteria are often found living in aggregated multicellular communities known as biofilms. Biofilms are three-dimensional structures that confer distinct physical and biological properties to the collective of cells living within them. We used agent-based modeling to explore whether local cellular interactions were sufficient to give rise to global structural features of biofilms. Specifically, we asked whether chemorepulsion from a self-produced quorum-sensing molecule, autoinducer-2 (AI-2), was sufficient to recapitulate biofilm growth and cellular organization observed for biofilms ofHelicobacter pylori, a common bacterial resident of human stomachs. To carry out this modeling, we modified an existing platform, Individual-based Dynamics of Microbial Communities Simulator (iDynoMiCS), to incorporate three-dimensional chemotaxis, planktonic cells that could join or leave the biofilm structure, and cellular production of AI-2. We simulated biofilm growth of previously characterizedH. pyloristrains with various AI-2 production and sensing capacities. Using biologically plausible parameters, we were able to recapitulate both the variation in biofilm mass and cellular distributions observed with these strains. Specifically, the strains that were competent to chemotax away from AI-2 produced smaller and more heterogeneously spaced biofilms, whereas the AI-2 chemotaxis-defective strains produced larger and more homogeneously spaced biofilms. The model also provided new insights into the cellular demographics contributing to the biofilm patterning of each strain. Our analysis supports the idea that cellular interactions at small spatial and temporal scales are sufficient to give rise to larger-scale emergent properties of biofilms.IMPORTANCEMost bacteria exist in aggregated, three-dimensional structures called biofilms. Although biofilms play important ecological roles in natural and engineered settings, they can also pose societal problems, for example, when they grow in plumbing systems or on medical implants. Understanding the processes that promote the growth and disassembly of biofilms could lead to better strategies to manage these structures. We had previously shown thatHelicobacter pyloribacteria are repulsed by high concentrations of a self-produced molecule, AI-2, and thatH. pylorimutants deficient in AI-2 sensing form larger and more homogeneously spaced biofilms. Here, we used computer simulations of biofilm formation to show that localH. pyloribehavior of repulsion from high AI-2 could explain the overall architecture ofH. pyloribiofilms. Our findings demonstrate that it is possible to change global biofilm organization by manipulating local cell behaviors, which suggests that simple strategies targeting cells at local scales could be useful for controlling biofilms in industrial and medical settings.



2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 1703-1710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Formichella ◽  
Laura Romberg ◽  
Christian Bolz ◽  
Michael Vieth ◽  
Michael Geppert ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTHelicobacter pyloricolonizes half of the world's population, and infection can lead to ulcers, gastric cancer, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Serology is the only test applicable for large-scale, population-based screening, but current tests are hampered by a lack of sensitivity and/or specificity. Also, no serologic test allows the differentiation of type I and type II strains, which is important for predicting the clinical outcome.H. pylorivirulence factors have been associated with disease, but direct assessment of virulence factors requires invasive methods to obtain gastric biopsy specimens. Our work aimed at the development of a highly sensitive and specific, noninvasive serologic test to detect immune responses to importantH. pylorivirulence factors. This line immunoassay system (recomLine) is based on recombinant proteins. For this assay, six highly immunogenic virulence factors (CagA, VacA, GroEL, gGT, HcpC, and UreA) were expressed inEscherichia coli, purified, and immobilized to nitrocellulose membranes to detect serological immune responses in patient's sera. For the validation of the line assay, a cohort of 500 patients was screened, of which 290 (58.0%) wereH. pylorinegative and 210 (42.0%) were positive by histology. The assay showed sensitivity and specificity of 97.6% and 96.2%, respectively, compared to histology. In direct comparison to lysate blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), therecomLine assay had increased discriminatory power. For the assessment of individual risk for gastrointestinal disease, the test must be validated in a larger and defined patient cohort. Taking the data together, therecomLine assay provides a valuable tool for the diagnosis ofH. pyloriinfection.



2015 ◽  
Vol 197 (11) ◽  
pp. 1921-1930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Tsang ◽  
Timothy R. Hoover

ABSTRACTFlagellar biogenesis inHelicobacter pyloriis regulated by a transcriptional hierarchy governed by three sigma factors, RpoD (σ80), RpoN (σ54), and FliA (σ28), that temporally coordinates gene expression with the assembly of the flagellum. Previous studies showed that loss of flagellar protein export apparatus components inhibits transcription of flagellar genes. The FlgS/FlgR two-component system activates transcription of RpoN-dependent genes though an unknown mechanism. To understand better the extent to which flagellar gene regulation is coupled to flagellar assembly, we disrupted flagellar biogenesis at various points and determined how these mutations affected transcription of RpoN-dependent (flaBandflgE) and FliA-dependent (flaA) genes. The MS ring (encoded byfliF) is one of the earliest flagellar structures assembled. Deletion offliFresulted in the elimination of RpoN-dependent transcripts and an ∼4-fold decrease inflaAtranscript levels. FliH is a cytoplasmic protein that functions with the C ring protein FliN to shuttle substrates to the export apparatus. Deletions offliHand genes encoding C ring components (fliMandfliY) decreased transcript levels offlaBandflgEbut had little or no effect on transcript levels offlaA. Transcript levels offlaBandflgEwere elevated in mutants where genes encoding rod proteins (fliEandflgBC) were deleted, while transcript levels offlaAwas reduced ∼2-fold in both mutants. We propose that FlgS responds to an assembly checkpoint associated with the export apparatus and that FliH and one or more C ring component assist FlgS in engaging this flagellar structure.IMPORTANCEThe mechanisms used by bacteria to couple transcription of flagellar genes with assembly of the flagellum are poorly understood. The results from this study identified components of theH. pyloriflagellar basal body that either positively or negatively affect expression of RpoN-dependent flagellar genes. Some of these basal body proteins may interact directly with regulatory proteins that control transcription of theH. pyloriRpoN regulon, a hypothesis that can be tested by examining protein-protein interactionsin vitro.



2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (7) ◽  
pp. 2286-2296 ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Sause ◽  
Andrea R. Castillo ◽  
Karen M. Ottemann

ABSTRACTThe human pathogenHelicobacter pyloriemploys a diverse collection of outer membrane proteins to colonize, persist, and drive disease within the acidic gastric environment. In this study, we sought to elucidate the function of the host-induced geneHP0289, which encodes an uncharacterized outer membrane protein. We first generated an isogenicH. pylorimutant that lacksHP0289and found that the mutant has a colonization defect in single-strain infections and is greatly outcompeted in mouse coinfection experiments with wild-typeH. pylori. Furthermore, we used protease assays and biochemical fractionation coupled with an HP0289-targeted peptide antibody to verify that the HP0289 protein resides in the outer membrane. Our previous findings showed that theHP0289promoter is upregulated in the mouse stomach, and here we demonstrate thatHP0289expression is induced under acidic conditions in an ArsRS-dependent manner. Finally, we have shown that theHP0289mutant induces greater expression of the chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) and the cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in gastric carcinoma cells (AGS). Similarly, transcription of the IL-8 homolog keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) is elevated in murine infections with the HP0289 mutant than in murine infections with wild-typeH. pylori. On the basis of this phenotype, we renamed HP0289 ImaA forimmunomodulatoryautotransporter protein. Our work has revealed that genes inducedin vivoplay an important role inH. pyloripathogenesis. Specifically, the outer membrane protein ImaA modulates a component of the host inflammatory response, and thus may allowH. pylorito fine tune the host immune response based on ImaA expression.



mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adria Carbo ◽  
Danyvid Olivares-Villagómez ◽  
Raquel Hontecillas ◽  
Josep Bassaganya-Riera ◽  
Rupesh Chaturvedi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe development of gastritis duringHelicobacter pyloriinfection is dependent on an activated adaptive immune response orchestrated by T helper (Th) cells. However, the relative contributions of the Th1 and Th17 subsets to gastritis and control of infection are still under investigation. To investigate the role of interleukin-21 (IL-21) in the gastric mucosa duringH. pyloriinfection, we combined mathematical modeling of CD4+T cell differentiation within vivomechanistic studies. We infected IL-21-deficient and wild-type mice withH. pyloristrain SS1 and assessed colonization, gastric inflammation, cellular infiltration, and cytokine profiles. ChronicallyH. pylori-infected IL-21-deficient mice had higherH. pyloricolonization, significantly less gastritis, and reduced expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines compared to these parameters in infected wild-type littermates. Thesein vivodata were used to calibrate anH. pyloriinfection-dependent, CD4+T cell-specific computational model, which then described the mechanism by which IL-21 activates the production of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and IL-17 during chronicH. pyloriinfection. The model predicted activated expression of T-bet and RORγt and the phosphorylation of STAT3 and STAT1 and suggested a potential role of IL-21 in the modulation of IL-10. Driven by our modeling-derived predictions, we found reduced levels of CD4+splenocyte-specifictbx21androrcexpression, reduced phosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT3, and an increase in CD4+T cell-specific IL-10 expression inH. pylori-infected IL-21-deficient mice. Our results indicate that IL-21 regulates Th1 and Th17 effector responses during chronicH. pyloriinfection in a STAT1- and STAT3-dependent manner, therefore playing a major role controllingH. pyloriinfection and gastritis.IMPORTANCEHelicobacter pyloriis the dominant member of the gastric microbiota in more than 50% of the world’s population.H. pyloricolonization has been implicated in gastritis and gastric cancer, as infection withH. pyloriis the single most common risk factor for gastric cancer. Current data suggest that, in addition to bacterial virulence factors, the magnitude and types of immune responses influence the outcome of colonization and chronic infection. This study uses a combined computational and experimental approach to investigate how IL-21, a proinflammatory T cell-derived cytokine, maintains the chronic proinflammatory T cell immune response driving chronic gastritis duringH. pyloriinfection. This research will also provide insight into a myriad of other infectious and immune disorders in which IL-21 is increasingly recognized to play a central role. The use of IL-21-related therapies may provide treatment options for individuals chronically colonized withH. pylorias an alternative to aggressive antibiotics.



2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 527-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Fatih Abasiyanik ◽  
Ersan Sander ◽  
Barik A Salih

BACKGROUND: Several reports have shown the prevalence of anti-CagA antibodies to be associated with the development of peptic ulcer diseases, while others have indicated that there is no such association.AIM: To examine the prevalence of antibodies to CagA and otherHelicobacter pyloriantigens in symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects in Turkey.SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sixty-six symptomatic subjects, 16 to 74 years of age, were examined forH pyloriby biopsy-based tests and ELISA. One hundred nineteen asymptomatic subjects, 20 to 65 years of age, were also tested serologically for the presence ofH pylori. Samples from both groups that were found to be positive forH pyloriby ELISA were then tested by immunoblotting.RESULTS: Fifty-four (82%) symptomatic subjects and 76 (64%) asymptomatic subjects were found to beH pylori-positive by ELISA. Samples from 30 symptomatic subjects who were found to beH pylori-positive by ELISA were analyzed by immunoblotting. Antibodies to CagA (116 kDa) antigen were detected in immunoblots of 11 of 14 (79%) with chronic gastritis, 12 of 13 (92%) with duodenal ulcer and three of three (100%) with gastric cancer. Antigens of the following molecular weights were also detected in these 30 subjects: 89 kDa (VacA) in 21 (70%), 37 kDa in 21 (70%), 35 kDa in 19 (63%), 30 kDa in 27 (90%) and 19.5 kDa in 19 (63%). Immunoblots of 40 ELISA-positive asymptomatic subjects showed that 33 (83%) had antibodies to CagA antigen, 26 (65%) to VacA antigen, 30 (75%) to a 37 kDa antigen, 30 (75%) to a 35 kDa antigen, 39 (98%) to a 30 kDa antigen and 36 (90%) to a 19.5 kDa antigen.CONCLUSIONS: Antibodies to CagA antigen were prevalent in both groups, regardless of the presence of gastroduodenal disease.



2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-93
Author(s):  
Sakolwan Suchartlikitwong ◽  
Kamolyut Lapumnuaypol ◽  
Rungsun Rerknimitr ◽  
Duangporn Werawatganon

Abstract Background The current epidemiology of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in Thailand is poorly understood and the reported prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection is outdated. Objectives To investigate the etiologies of UGIB and prevalence of H. pylori infection in Thailand, including its association with UGIB. Methods We retrieved information regarding patients attending the endoscopic unit of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital from June 2007 to January 2013. A database search using keywords “upper gastrointestinal bleeding” and “iron deficiency” was used. From 4,454 diagnoses, after exclusion criteria, 3,488 patients (2,042 male (58.5%) and 1,446 female (41.5%); mean age 63.3 ± 15.94 years, range 13–103 years) were included. Results The three most common causes of UGIB were peptic ulcer (38.2%), nonulcer-mucosal lesions (23.4%), and esophageal-related causes (20.4%). The 5 year-incidence of H. pylori was 25%–30%. The overall prevalence was 27%. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was found to decrease with age from 43.8% at <40 years to 21.7% at >79 years old. H. pylori infection was significantly associated with duodenal and gastroduodenal ulcers. Cirrhosis and nonulcer-mucosal lesions were significantly unrelated to H. pylori infection. Patients with concurrent cirrhosis with peptic ulcer were found to be negative for H. pylori infection. Conclusion Peptic ulcer is the leading cause of UGIB in Thailand. However, its incidence is declining. Patients who presented to hospital with UGIB were older, compared with those a decade ago. H. pylori infection plays an important role in UGIB and its incidence was stable during the past 5 years.



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