scholarly journals The Response Regulator BfmR Is a Potential Drug Target for Acinetobacter baumannii

mSphere ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Russo ◽  
Akshay Manohar ◽  
Janet M. Beanan ◽  
Ruth Olson ◽  
Ulrike MacDonald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Bactericidal Activity ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Antibiotics ◽  
Increased Sensitivity

ABSTRACT Increasing antibiotic resistance in bacteria, particularly Gram-negative bacilli, has significantly affected the ability of physicians to treat infections, with resultant increased morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. In fact, some strains of bacteria are resistant to all available antibiotics, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, which is the focus of this report. Therefore, the development of new antibiotics active against these resistant strains is urgently needed. In this study, BfmR is further validated as an intriguing target for a novel class of antibiotics. Successful inactivation of BfmR would confer the multiple benefits of a decreased ability of A. baumannii to survive in human body fluids, increased sensitivity to complement-mediated bactericidal activity and, importantly, increased sensitivity to other antibiotics. Structural studies support the potential for this “druggable” target, as they identify the potential for small-molecule binding at functionally relevant sites. Next-phase high-throughput screening studies utilizing BfmR are warranted. Identification and validation is the first phase of target-based antimicrobial development. BfmR (RstA), a response regulator in a two-component signal transduction system (TCS) in Acinetobacter baumannii, is an intriguing potential antimicrobial target. A unique characteristic of BfmR is that its inhibition would have the dual benefit of significantly decreasing in vivo survival and increasing sensitivity to selected antimicrobials. Studies on the clinically relevant strain AB307-0294 have shown BfmR to be essential in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that this phenotype in strains AB307-0294 and AB908 is mediated, in part, by enabling growth in human ascites fluid and serum. Further, BfmR conferred resistance to complement-mediated bactericidal activity that was independent of capsular polysaccharide. Importantly, BfmR also increased resistance to the clinically important antimicrobials meropenem and colistin. BfmR was highly conserved among A. baumannii strains. The crystal structure of the receiver domain of BfmR was determined, lending insight into putative ligand binding sites. This enabled an in silico ligand binding analysis and a blind docking strategy to assess use as a potential druggable target. Predicted binding hot spots exist at the homodimer interface and the phosphorylation site. These data support pursuing the next step in the development process, which includes determining the degree of inhibition needed to impact growth/survival and the development a BfmR activity assay amenable to high-throughput screening for the identification of inhibitors. Such agents would represent a new class of antimicrobials active against A. baumannii which could be active against other Gram-negative bacilli that possess a TCS with shared homology. IMPORTANCE Increasing antibiotic resistance in bacteria, particularly Gram-negative bacilli, has significantly affected the ability of physicians to treat infections, with resultant increased morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. In fact, some strains of bacteria are resistant to all available antibiotics, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, which is the focus of this report. Therefore, the development of new antibiotics active against these resistant strains is urgently needed. In this study, BfmR is further validated as an intriguing target for a novel class of antibiotics. Successful inactivation of BfmR would confer the multiple benefits of a decreased ability of A. baumannii to survive in human body fluids, increased sensitivity to complement-mediated bactericidal activity and, importantly, increased sensitivity to other antibiotics. Structural studies support the potential for this “druggable” target, as they identify the potential for small-molecule binding at functionally relevant sites. Next-phase high-throughput screening studies utilizing BfmR are warranted.

scholarly journals Fluorescence High-Throughput Screening for Inhibitors of TonB Action

2017 ◽  
Vol 199 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany L. Nairn ◽  
Olivia S. Eliasson ◽  
Dallas R. Hyder ◽  
Noah J. Long ◽  
Aritri Majumdar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Compound Libraries

ABSTRACT Gram-negative bacteria acquire ferric siderophores through TonB-dependent outer membrane transporters (TBDT). By fluorescence spectroscopic hgh-throughput screening (FLHTS), we identified inhibitors of TonB-dependent ferric enterobactin (FeEnt) uptake through Escherichia coli FepA (EcoFepA). Among 165 inhibitors found in a primary screen of 17,441 compounds, we evaluated 20 in secondary tests: TonB-dependent ferric siderophore uptake and colicin killing and proton motive force-dependent lactose transport. Six of 20 primary hits inhibited TonB-dependent activity in all tests. Comparison of their effects on [59Fe]Ent and [14C]lactose accumulation suggested several as proton ionophores, but two chemicals, ebselen and ST0082990, are likely not proton ionophores and may inhibit TonB-ExbBD. The facility of FLHTS against E. coli led us to adapt it to Acinetobacter baumannii. We identified its FepA ortholog (AbaFepA), deleted and cloned its structural gene, genetically engineered 8 Cys substitutions in its surface loops, labeled them with fluorescein, and made fluorescence spectroscopic observations of FeEnt uptake in A. baumannii. Several Cys substitutions in AbaFepA (S279C, T562C, and S665C) were readily fluoresceinated and then suitable as sensors of FeEnt transport. As in E. coli, the test monitored TonB-dependent FeEnt uptake by AbaFepA. In microtiter format with A. baumannii, FLHTS produced Z′ factors 0.6 to 0.8. These data validated the FLHTS strategy against even distantly related Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. Overall, it discovered agents that block TonB-dependent transport and showed the potential to find compounds that act against Gram-negative CRE (carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae)/ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) pathogens. Our results suggest that hundreds of such chemicals may exist in larger compound libraries. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria has spurred efforts to find novel compounds against new targets. The CRE/ESKAPE pathogens are resistant bacteria that include Acinetobacter baumannii, a common cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia and sepsis. We performed fluorescence high-throughput screening (FLHTS) against Escherichia coli to find inhibitors of TonB-dependent iron transport, tested them against A. baumannii, and then adapted the FLHTS technology to allow direct screening against A. baumannii. This methodology is expandable to other drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. Compounds that block TonB action may interfere with iron acquisition from eukaryotic hosts and thereby constitute bacteriostatic antibiotics that prevent microbial colonization of human and animals. The FLHTS method may identify both species-specific and broad-spectrum agents against Gram-negative bacteria.

scholarly journals A High-Throughput Approach To Identify Compounds That Impair Envelope Integrity in Escherichia coli

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (10) ◽  
pp. 5995-6002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin R. Baker ◽  
Bimal Jana ◽  
Henrik Franzyk ◽  
Luca Guardabassi
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Chromogenic Substrate ◽  
Intrinsic Resistance ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Screening Platform

ABSTRACTThe envelope of Gram-negative bacteria constitutes an impenetrable barrier to numerous classes of antimicrobials. This intrinsic resistance, coupled with acquired multidrug resistance, has drastically limited the treatment options against Gram-negative pathogens. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate an assay for identifying compounds that increase envelope permeability, thereby conferring antimicrobial susceptibility by weakening of the cell envelope barrier in Gram-negative bacteria. A high-throughput whole-cell screening platform was developed to measureEscherichia colienvelope permeability to a β-galactosidase chromogenic substrate. The signal produced by cytoplasmic β-galactosidase-dependent cleavage of the chromogenic substrate was used to determine the degree of envelope permeabilization. The assay was optimized by using known envelope-permeabilizing compounds andE. coligene deletion mutants with impaired envelope integrity. As a proof of concept, a compound library comprising 36 peptides and 45 peptidomimetics was screened, leading to identification of two peptides that substantially increased envelope permeability. Compound 79 reduced significantly (from 8- to 125-fold) the MICs of erythromycin, fusidic acid, novobiocin and rifampin and displayed synergy (fractional inhibitory concentration index, <0.2) with these antibiotics by checkerboard assays in two genetically distinctE. colistrains, including the high-risk multidrug-resistant, CTX-M-15-producing sequence type 131 clone. Notably, in the presence of 0.25 μM of this peptide, both strains were susceptible to rifampin according to the resistance breakpoints (R> 0.5 μg/ml) for Gram-positive bacterial pathogens. The high-throughput screening platform developed in this study can be applied to accelerate the discovery of antimicrobial helper drug candidates and targets that enhance the delivery of existing antibiotics by impairing envelope integrity in Gram-negative bacteria.

scholarly journals Efficacy of Humanized Cefiderocol Exposures over 72 Hours against a Diverse Group of Gram-Negative Isolates in the Neutropenic Murine Thigh Infection Model

2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. e01040-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean M. Stainton ◽  
Marguerite L. Monogue ◽  
Masakatsu Tsuji ◽  
Yoshinori Yamano ◽  
Roger Echols ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Diverse Group ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adaptive Resistance

ABSTRACT Herein, we evaluated sustainability of humanized exposures of cefiderocol in vivo over 72 h against pathogens with cefiderocol MICs of 0.5 to 16 μg/ml in the neutropenic murine thigh model. In Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacteriaceae displaying MICs of 0.5 to 8 μg/ml (n = 11), sustained kill was observed at 72 h among 9 isolates. Postexposure MICs revealed a single 2-dilution increase in one animal compared with controls (1/54 samples, 1.8%) at 72 h. Adaptive resistance during therapy was not observed.

scholarly journals Toll-Like Receptors 2 and 4 Modulate Pulmonary Inflammation and Host Factors Mediated by Outer Membrane Vesicles Derived from Acinetobacter baumannii

2019 ◽  
Vol 87 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad R. Marion ◽  
Jaewook Lee ◽  
Lokesh Sharma ◽  
Kyong-Su Park ◽  
Changjin Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Pulmonary Inflammation ◽  
Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Outer Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Toll Like Receptors ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intranasal Introduction

ABSTRACT Pneumonia due to Gram-negative bacteria is associated with high mortality. Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative bacterium that is associated with hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Bacteria have been described to release outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) that are capable of mediating systemic inflammation. The mechanism by which A. baumannii OMVs mediate inflammation is not fully defined. We sought to investigate the roles that Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play in A. baumannii OMV-mediated pulmonary inflammation. We isolated OMVs from A. baumannii cultures and intranasally introduced the OMVs into mice. Intranasal introduction of A. baumannii OMVs mediated pulmonary inflammation, which is associated with neutrophil recruitment and weight loss. In addition, A. baumannii OMVs increased the release of several chemokines and cytokines in the mouse lungs. The proinflammatory responses were partially inhibited in TLR2- and TLR4-deficient mice compared to those of wild-type mice. This study highlights the important roles of TLRs in A. baumannii OMV-induced pulmonary inflammation in vivo.

scholarly journals In Vivo-Validated Essential Genes Identified in Acinetobacter baumannii by Using Human Ascites Overlap Poorly with Essential Genes Detected on Laboratory Media

mBio ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy C. Umland ◽  
L. Wayne Schultz ◽  
Ulrike MacDonald ◽  
Janet M. Beanan ◽  
Ruth Olson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Essential Genes ◽  
Target Space ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gene Products ◽  
Putative Gene ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Growth And Survival

ABSTRACTA critical feature of a potential antimicrobial target is the characteristic of being essential for growth and survival during host infection. For bacteria, genome-wide essentiality screens are usually performed on rich laboratory media. This study addressed whether genes detected in that manner were optimal for the identification of antimicrobial targets since thein vivomilieu is fundamentally different. Mutant derivatives of a clinical isolate ofAcinetobacter baumanniiwere screened for growth on human ascites, anex vivomedium that reflects the infection environment. A subset of 34 mutants with unique gene disruptions that demonstrated little to no growth on ascites underwent evaluation in a rat subcutaneous abscess model, establishing 18 (53%) of these genes asin vivoessential. The putative gene products all had annotated biological functions, represented unrecognized or underexploited antimicrobial targets, and could be grouped into five functional categories: metabolic, two-component signaling systems, DNA/RNA synthesis and regulation, protein transport, and structural. TheseA. baumannii in vivoessential genes overlapped poorly with the sets of essential genes from other Gram-negative bacteria catalogued in the Database of Essential Genes (DEG), including those ofAcinetobacter baylyi, a closely related species. However, this finding was not due to the absence of orthologs. None of the 18in vivoessential genes identified in this study, or their putative gene products, were targets of FDA-approved drugs or drugs in the developmental pipeline, indicating that a significant portion of the available target space within pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria is currently neglected.IMPORTANCEThe human pathogenAcinetobacter baumanniiis of increasing clinical importance, and a growing proportion of isolates are multiantimicrobial-resistant, pan-antimicrobial-resistant, or extremely resistant strains. This scenario is reflective of the general problem of a critical lack of antimicrobials effective against antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, such asPseudomonas aeruginosa,Klebsiella pneumoniae,Enterobactersp., andEscherichia coli. This study identified a set ofA. baumanniigenes that are essential for growth and survival during infection and demonstrated the importance of using clinically relevant media andin vivovalidation while screening for essential genes for the purpose of developing new antimicrobials. Furthermore, it established that if a gene is absent from the Database of Essential Genes, it should not be excluded as a potential antimicrobial target. Lastly, a new set of high-value potential antimicrobial targets for pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria has been identified.

scholarly journals In VitroandIn VivoActivities of E-101 Solution against Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates from U.S. Military Personnel

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 3603-3608 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Denys ◽  
J. C. Davis ◽  
P. D. O'Hanley ◽  
J. T. Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Bactericidal Activity ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Full Thickness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Full Thickness Excision ◽  
Time Kill

ABSTRACTWe evaluated thein vitroandin vivoactivity of a novel topical myeloperoxidase-mediated antimicrobial, E-101 solution, against 5 multidrug-resistantAcinetobacter baumanniiisolates recovered from wounded American soldiers. Time-kill studies demonstrated rapid bactericidal activity against allA. baumanniistrains tested in the presence of 3% blood. Thein vitrobactericidal activity of E-101 solution againstA. baumanniistrains was confirmed in a full-thickness excision rat model. Additionalin vivostudies appear warranted.

scholarly journals Corifungin, a New Drug Lead against Naegleria, Identified from a High-Throughput Screen

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 5450-5457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjan Debnath ◽  
Josefino B. Tunac ◽  
Silvia Galindo-Gómez ◽  
Angélica Silva-Olivares ◽  
Mineko Shibayama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amphotericin B ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Drug Status ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Compound Libraries

ABSTRACTPrimary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rapidly fatal infection caused by the free-living amebaNaegleria fowleri. The drug of choice in treating PAM is the antifungal antibiotic amphotericin B, but its use is associated with severe adverse effects. Moreover, few patients treated with amphotericin B have survived PAM. Therefore, fast-acting and efficient drugs are urgently needed for the treatment of PAM. To facilitate drug screening for this pathogen, an automated, high-throughput screening methodology was developed and validated for the closely related speciesNaegleria gruberi. Five kinase inhibitors and an NF-kappaB inhibitor were hits identified in primary screens of three compound libraries. Most importantly for a preclinical drug discovery pipeline, we identified corifungin, a water-soluble polyene macrolide with a higher activity againstNaegleriathan that of amphotericin B. Transmission electron microscopy ofN. fowleritrophozoites incubated with different concentrations of corifungin showed disruption of cytoplasmic and plasma membranes and alterations in mitochondria, followed by complete lysis of amebae.In vivoefficacy of corifungin in a mouse model of PAM was confirmed by an absence of detectable amebae in the brain and 100% survival of mice for 17 days postinfection for a single daily intraperitoneal dose of 9 mg/kg of body weight given for 10 days. The same dose of amphotericin B did not reduce ameba growth, and mouse survival was compromised. Based on these results, the U.S. FDA has approved orphan drug status for corifungin for the treatment of PAM.

scholarly journals A High-Throughput Screening Approach To Repurpose FDA-Approved Drugs for Bactericidal Applications againstStaphylococcus aureusSmall-Colony Variants

mSphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan P. Trombetta ◽  
Paul M. Dunman ◽  
Edward M. Schwarz ◽  
Stephen L. Kates ◽  
Hani A. Awad
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
Bactericidal Activity ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Airway Infections ◽  
Approved Drugs ◽  
Conventional Antibiotics ◽  
Fda Approved Drugs

ABSTRACTDrug repurposing offers an expedited and economical route to develop new clinical therapeutics in comparison to traditional drug development. Growth-based high-throughput screening is concomitant with drug repurposing and enables rapid identification of new therapeutic uses for investigated drugs; however, this traditional method is not compatible with microorganisms with abnormal growth patterns such asStaphylococcus aureussmall-colony variants (SCV). SCV subpopulations are auxotrophic for key compounds in biosynthetic pathways, which result in low growth rate. SCV formation is also associated with reduced antibiotic susceptibility, and the SCV’s ability to revert to the normal cell growth state is thought to contribute to recurrence ofS. aureusinfections. Thus, there is a critical need to identify antimicrobial agents that are potent against SCV in order to effectively treat chronic infections. Accordingly, here we describe adapting an adenylate kinase (AK)-based cell death reporter assay to identify members of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug library that display bactericidal activity againstS. aureusSCV. Four library members, daunorubicin, ketoconazole, rifapentine, and sitafloxacin, exhibited potent SCV bactericidal activity against a stableS. aureusSCV. Further investigation showed that sitafloxacin was potent against methicillin-susceptible and -resistantS. aureus, as well asS. aureuswithin an established biofilm. Taken together, these results demonstrate the ability to use the AK assay to screen small-molecule libraries for SCV bactericidal agents and highlight the therapeutic potential of sitafloxacin to be repurposed to treat chronicS. aureusinfections associated with SCV and/or biofilm growth states.IMPORTANCEConventional antibiotics fail to successfully treat chronic osteomyelitis, endocarditis, and device-related and airway infections. These recurring infections are associated with the emergence of SCV, which are recalcitrant to conventional antibiotics. Studies have investigated antibiotic therapies to treat SCV-related infections but have had little success, emphasizing the need to identify novel antimicrobial drugs. However, drug discovery is a costly and time-consuming process. An alternative strategy is drug repurposing, which could identify FDA-approved and well-characterized drugs that could have off-label utility in treating SCV. In this study, we adapted a high-throughput AK-based assay to identify 4 FDA-approved drugs, daunorubicin, ketoconazole, rifapentine, and sitafloxacin, which display antimicrobial activity againstS. aureusSCV, suggesting an avenue for drug repurposing in order to effectively treat SCV-related infections. Additionally, this screening paradigm can easily be adapted for other drug/chemical libraries to identify compounds bactericidal against SCV.

scholarly journals Genetic Determinants of Intrinsic Colistin Tolerance in Acinetobacter baumannii

2012 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 542-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Indriati Hood ◽  
Kyle W. Becker ◽  
Christelle M. Roux ◽  
Paul M. Dunman ◽  
Eric P. Skaar
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Innate Immune System ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Mutant Library ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Colistin Resistance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Antibiotics ◽  
Increased Sensitivity

ABSTRACTAcinetobacter baumanniiis a leading cause of multidrug-resistant infections worldwide. This organism poses a particular challenge due to its ability to acquire resistance to new antibiotics through adaptation or mutation. This study was undertaken to determine the mechanisms governing the adaptability ofA. baumanniito the antibiotic colistin. Screening of a transposon mutant library identified over 30 genes involved in inducible colistin resistance inA. baumannii. One of the genes identified waslpsB, which encodes a glycosyltransferase involved in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis. We demonstrate that loss of LpsB function results in increased sensitivity to both colistin and cationic antimicrobial peptides of the innate immune system. Moreover, LpsB is critical for pathogenesis in a pulmonary model of infection. Taken together, these data define bacterial processes required for intrinsic colistin tolerance inA. baumanniiand underscore the importance of outer membrane structure in both antibiotic resistance and the pathogenesis ofA. baumannii.

scholarly journals Four Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Species Carrying Distinct Carbapenemases in a Single Patient

2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 1031-1033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baixing Ding ◽  
Fupin Hu ◽  
Yang Yang ◽  
Qinglan Guo ◽  
Jinwei Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Enterobacter Aerogenes ◽  
Single Patient ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Carbapenem Resistant

Carbapenem-resistantEscherichia coli,Klebsiella pneumoniae,Enterobacter aerogenes, andAcinetobacter baumanniiwere isolated from a single patient, each producing different carbapenemases (NDM-1, KPC-2, IMP, and OXA-23, respectively). The NDM-1-producingE. colistrain was preceded by a clonally related carbapenem-susceptible strain a month earlier, suggestingin vivoacquisition ofblaNDM-1.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document