scholarly journals Two homologous Salmonella serogroup C1-specific genes are required for flagellar motility and cell invasion

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiujuan Zhou ◽  
Bin Liu ◽  
Yanhong Liu ◽  
Chunlei Shi ◽  
Pina M. Fratamico ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Salmonella is a major bacterial pathogen associated with a large number of outbreaks of foodborne diseases. Many highly virulent serovars that cause human illness belong to Salmonella serogroup C1, and Salmonella ser. Choleraesuis is a prominent cause of invasive infections in Asia. Comparative genomic analysis in our previous study showed that two homologous genes, SC0368 and SC0595 in Salmonella ser. Choleraesuis were unique to serogroup C1. In this study, two single-deletion mutants (Δ0368 and Δ0595) and one double-deletion mutant (Δ0368Δ0595) were constructed based on the genome. All these mutants and the wild-type strain were subjected to RNA-Seq analysis to reveal functional relationships of the two serogroup C1-specific genes. Results Data from RNA-Seq indicated that deletion of SC0368 resulted in defects in motility through repression of σ28 in flagellar regulation Class 3. Consistent with RNA-Seq data, results from transmission electron microcopy (TEM) showed that flagella were not present in △0368 and △0368△0595 mutants resulting in both swimming and swarming defects. Interestingly, the growth rates of two non-motile mutants △0368 and △0368△0595 were significantly greater than the wild-type, which may be associated with up-regulation of genes encoding cytochromes, enhancing bacterial proliferation. Moreover, the △0595 mutant was significantly more invasive in Caco-2 cells as shown by bacterial enumeration assays, and the expression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core synthesis-related genes (rfaB, rfaI, rfaQ, rfaY, rfaK, rfaZ) was down-regulated only in the △0368△0595 mutant. In addition, this study also speculated that these two genes might be contributing to serotype conversion for Salmonella C1 serogroup based on their apparent roles in biosynthesis of LPS and the flagella. Conclusion A combination of biological and transcriptomic (RNA-Seq) analyses has shown that the SC0368 and SC0595 genes are involved in biosynthesis of flagella and complete LPS, as well as in bacterial growth and virulence. Such information will aid to revealing the role of these specific genes in bacterial physiology and evolution within the serogroup C1.

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2342
Author(s):  
Na Li ◽  
Yigang Zeng ◽  
Bijie Hu ◽  
Tongyu Zhu ◽  
Sine Lo Svenningsen ◽  
...  

Prophage 919TP is widely distributed among Vibrio cholera and is induced to produce free φ919TP phage particles. However, the interactions between prophage φ919TP, the induced phage particle, and its host remain unknown. In particular, phage resistance mechanisms and potential fitness trade-offs, resulting from phage resistance, are unresolved. In this study, we examined a prophage 919TP-deleted variant of V. cholerae and its interaction with a modified lytic variant of the induced prophage (φ919TP cI-). Specifically, the phage-resistant mutant was isolated by challenging a prophage-deleted variant with lytic phage φ919TP cI-. Further, the comparative genomic analysis of wild-type and φ919TP cI--resistant mutant predicted that phage φ919TP cI- selects for phage-resistant mutants harboring a mutation in key steps of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-antigen biosynthesis, causing a single-base-pair deletion in gene gmd. Our study showed that the gmd-mediated O-antigen defect can cause pleiotropic phenotypes, e.g., cell autoaggregation and reduced swarming motility, emphasizing the role of phage-driven diversification in V. cholerae. The developed approach assists in the identification of genetic determinants of host specificity and is used to explore the molecular mechanism underlying phage-host interactions. Our findings contribute to the understanding of prophage-facilitated horizontal gene transfer and emphasize the potential for developing new strategies to optimize the use of phages in bacterial pathogen control.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changle Zhao ◽  
Yinping Wan ◽  
Xiaojie Cao ◽  
Huili Zhang ◽  
Xin Bao

Abstract Background The microbial synthesis of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) and Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) remains the most promising industrial production route. Methylobacterium has been used to generate PQQ and other value-added chemicals from cheap carbon feedstocks.However, the low PQQ and CoQ10 production capacity of the Methylobacterium strains is a major limitation The regulation mechanism for PQQ and CoQ10 biosynthesis in this strain has also not been fully elucidated. Results Methylobacterium sp. CLZ strain was isolated from soil contaminated with chemical wastewater, which can simultaneously produce PQQ, CoQ10, and carotenoids by using cheap methanol as carbon source. We investigated a mutant strain NI91, which increased the PQQ and CoQ10 yield by 72.44% and 59.80%, respectively. Whole-genome sequencing of NI91 and wild-type strain CLZ revealed that both contain a 5.28 Mb chromosome. The comparative genomic analysis and validation study revealed that a significant increase in biomass and PQQ production was associated with the base mutations in the methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) synthesis genes, mxaD and mxaJ. The significant increase in CoQ10 production may be associated with the base mutations in dxs gene, a key gene in the MEP/DOXP pathway. Conclusions A PQQ producing strain that simultaneously produces CoQ10 and carotenoids was selected and after ANI analysis, named as Methylobacterium sp. CLZ. After random mutagenesis of this strain, we obtained NI91 strain, which showed increased production of PQQ and CoQ10. Based on comparative genomic analysis of the whole genome of mutant strain NI91 and wild-type strain CLZ, a total of 270 SNPs and InDels events were detected, which provided a reference for subsequent research. The mutations in mxaD, mxaJ and dxs genes may be related to the high yield of PQQ and CoQ10. These findings will enhance our understanding of the PQQ and CoQ10 over-production mechanism in Methylobacterium sp. NI91 at the genomic level. It will also provide useful clues for strain engineering in order to improve the PQQ and CoQ10 production.


2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Demirdjian ◽  
Hector Sanchez ◽  
Daniel Hopkins ◽  
Brent Berwin

ABSTRACTPseudomonas aeruginosais a bacterial pathogen that causes severe chronic infections in immunocompromised individuals. This bacterium is highly adaptable to its environments, which frequently select for traits that promote bacterial persistence. A clinically significant temporal adaptation is the formation of surface- or cell-adhered bacterial biofilms that are associated with increased resistance to immune and antibiotic clearance. Extensive research has shown that bacterial flagellar motility promotes formation of such biofilms, whereupon the bacteria subsequently become nonmotile. However, recent evidence shows that antibiotic-tolerant nonattached bacterial aggregates, distinct from surface-adhered biofilms, can form, and these have been reported in the context of lung infections, otitis media, nonhealing wounds, and soft tissue fillers. It is unclear whether the same bacterial traits are required for aggregate formation as for biofilm formation. In this report, using isogenic mutants, we demonstrate thatP. aeruginosaaggregates in liquid cultures are spontaneously formed independent of bacterial flagellar motility and independent of an exogenous scaffold. This contrasts with the role of the flagellum to initiate surface-adhered biofilms. Similarly to surface-attached biofilms, these aggregates exhibit increased antibiotic tolerance compared to planktonic cultures. These findings provide key insights into the requirements for aggregate formation that contrast with those for biofilm formation and that may have relevance for the persistence and dissemination of nonmotile bacteria found within chronic clinical infections.IMPORTANCEIn this work, we have investigated the role of bacterial motility with regard to antibiotic-tolerant bacterial aggregate formation. Previous work has convincingly demonstrated thatP. aeruginosaflagellar motility promotes the formation of surface-adhered biofilms in many systems. In contrast, aggregate formation byP. aeruginosawas observed for nonmotile but not for motile cells in the presence of an exogenous scaffold. Here, we demonstrate that both wild-typeP. aeruginosaand mutants that genetically lack motility spontaneously form antibiotic-tolerant aggregates in the absence of an exogenously added scaffold. Additionally, we also demonstrate that wild-type (WT) and nonmotileP. aeruginosabacteria can coaggregate, shedding light on potential physiological interactions and heterogeneity of aggregates.


2006 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 4766-4777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Obert ◽  
Jack Sublett ◽  
Deepak Kaushal ◽  
Ernesto Hinojosa ◽  
Theresa Barton ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia and gram-positive sepsis. While multiple virulence determinants have been identified, the combination of features that determines the propensity of an isolate to cause invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) remains unknown. In this study, we determined the genetic composition of 42 invasive and 30 noninvasive clinical isolates of serotypes 6A, 6B, and 14 by comparative genomic hybridization. Comparison of the present/absent gene matrix (i.e., comparative genomic analysis [CGA]) identified a candidate core genome consisting of 1,553 genes (73% of the TIGR4 genome), 154 genes whose presence correlated with the ability to cause IPD, and 176 genes whose presence correlated with the noninvasive phenotype. Genes identified by CGA were cross-referenced with the published signature-tagged mutagenesis studies, which served to identify core and IPD-correlated genes required for in vivo passage. Among these, two pathogenicity islands, region of diversity 8a (RD8a), which encodes a neuraminidase and V-type sodium synthase, and RD10, which encodes PsrP, a protein homologous to the platelet adhesin GspB in Streptococcus gordonii, were identified. Mice infected with a PsrP mutant were delayed in the development of bacteremia and demonstrated reduced mortality versus wild-type-infected controls. Finally, the presence of seven RDs was determined to correlate with the noninvasive phenotype, a finding that suggests some RDs may contribute to asymptomatic colonization. In conclusion, RDs are unequally distributed between invasive and noninvasive isolates, RD8a and RD10 are correlated with the propensity of an isolate to cause IPD, and PsrP is required for full virulence in mice.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter De Maayer ◽  
Talia Pillay ◽  
Teresa A Coutinho

Abstract Background: Flagellar motility is an efficient means of movement that allows bacteria to successfully colonize and compete with other microorganisms within their respective environments. The production and functioning of flagella is highly energy intensive and therefore flagellar motility is a tightly regulated process. Despite this, some bacteria have been observed to possess multiple flagellar systems which allow distinct forms of motility. Results: Comparative genomic analyses showed that, in addition to the previously identified primary peritrichous (flag-1) and secondary, lateral (flag-2) flagellar loci, three novel types of flagellar loci, varying in both gene content and gene order, are encoded on the genomes of members of the order Enterobacterales. The flag-3 and flag-4 loci encode predicted peritrichous flagellar systems while the flag-5 locus encodes a polar flagellum. In total, 798/4,028 (~20%) of the studied taxa incorporate dual flagellar systems, while nineteen taxa incorporate three distinct flagellar loci. Phylogenetic analyses indicate the complex evolutionary histories of the flagellar systems among the Enterobacterales. Conclusions: Supernumerary flagellar loci are relatively common features across a broad taxonomic spectrum in the order Enterobacterales. Here, we report the occurrence of five (flag-1 to flag-5) flagellar loci on the genomes of enterobacterial taxa, as well as the occurrence of three flagellar systems in select members of the Enterobacterales. Considering the energetic burden of maintaining and operating multiple flagellar systems, they are likely to play a role in the ecological success of members of this family and we postulate on their potential biological functions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed A. Abouelkhair

AbstractBackgroundStaphylococcus aureus is a major bacterial pathogen that causes a variety of diseases, ranging from wound infections to severe bacteremia or food poisoning. The course and severity of the disease are mainly dependent on the bacterium genotype as well as host factors. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is currently the most extensive genotyping method available, followed by bioinformatic sequence analysis.MethodsA total of 253 uncharacterized staphylococcus genome sequences were downloaded from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) (August 2012 to March 2020) from different studies. Samples were clustered based on core and accessory pairwise distances between isolates and then analyzed by multilocus sequence typing tool (MLST). Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec), spa typing, variant calling, core genome alignment, and recombination sites prediction were performed on detected S. aureus isolates. S. aureus isolates were also analyzed for the presence of genes coding for virulence factors and antibiotic resistance.Results and conclusionUncategorized genome sequences were clustered into 24 groups. About 182 uncharacterized Staphylococcus genomes were identified at the species level based on MLST, including 32 S. lugdunensis genome sequence, thus doubling the number of the publicly accessible S. lugdunensis genome sequence in Genbank. MLST identified another four species (S. epidermidis (33/253), S. lugdunensis (32/253), S. haemolyticus (41/253), S. hominis (24/253) and S. aureus (52/253)). Among the 52 S. aureus isolates, 21 (40.38%) isolates carried mecA gene, with 57.14% classified as SCCmec IV. The results of this study provide knowledge that facilitates evolutionary studies of staphylococcal species and other bacteria at the genome level.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter De Maayer ◽  
Talia Pillay ◽  
Teresa A. Coutinho

Abstract Background Flagellar motility is an efficient means of movement that allows bacteria to successfully colonize and compete with other microorganisms within their respective environments. The production and functioning of flagella is highly energy intensive and therefore flagellar motility is a tightly regulated process. Despite this, some bacteria have been observed to possess multiple flagellar systems which allow distinct forms of motility. Results Comparative genomic analyses showed that, in addition to the previously identified primary peritrichous (flag-1) and secondary, lateral (flag-2) flagellar loci, three novel types of flagellar loci, varying in both gene content and gene order, are encoded on the genomes of members of the order Enterobacterales. The flag-3 and flag-4 loci encode predicted peritrichous flagellar systems while the flag-5 locus encodes a polar flagellum. In total, 798/4028 (~ 20%) of the studied taxa incorporate dual flagellar systems, while nineteen taxa incorporate three distinct flagellar loci. Phylogenetic analyses indicate the complex evolutionary histories of the flagellar systems among the Enterobacterales. Conclusions Supernumerary flagellar loci are relatively common features across a broad taxonomic spectrum in the order Enterobacterales. Here, we report the occurrence of five (flag-1 to flag-5) flagellar loci on the genomes of enterobacterial taxa, as well as the occurrence of three flagellar systems in select members of the Enterobacterales. Considering the energetic burden of maintaining and operating multiple flagellar systems, they are likely to play a role in the ecological success of members of this family and we postulate on their potential biological functions.


DNA Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiu Feng ◽  
Yintao Jia ◽  
Ren Zhu ◽  
Kang Chen ◽  
Yifeng Chen

Abstract The lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) are the largest and highest lake group in the world. Gymnocypris selincuoensis is the only cyprinid fish living in lake Selincuo, the largest lake on QTP. However, its genetic resource is still blank, limiting studies on molecular and genetic analysis. In this study, the transcriptome of G. selincuoensis was first generated by using PacBio Iso-Seq and Illumina RNA-seq. A full-length (FL) transcriptome with 75,435 transcripts was obtained by Iso-Seq with N50 length of 3,870 bp. Among all transcripts, 75,016 were annotated to public databases, 64,710 contain complete open reading frames and 2,811 were long non-coding RNAs. Based on all- vs.-all BLAST, 2,069 alternative splicing events were detected, and 80% of them were validated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Tissue gene expression atlas showed that the number of detected expressed transcripts ranged from 37,397 in brain to 19,914 in muscle, with 10,488 transcripts detected in all seven tissues. Comparative genomic analysis with other cyprinid fishes identified 77 orthologous genes with potential positive selection (Ka/Ks > 0.3). A total of 56,696 perfect simple sequence repeats were identified from FL transcripts. Our results provide valuable genetic resources for further studies on adaptive evolution, gene expression and population genetics in G. selincuoensis and other congeneric fishes.


Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenghui Liu ◽  
Hongyan Sheng ◽  
Benjamin Azu Okorley ◽  
Yu Li ◽  
Frederick Leo Sossah

Ewingella americana is a cosmopolitan bacterial pathogen that has been isolated from many hosts. Here, we sequenced a high-quality genome of E. americana B6-1 isolated from Flammulina filiformis, an important cultivated mushroom, performed a comparative genomic analysis with four other E. americana strains from various origins, and tested the susceptibility of B6-1 to antibiotics. The genome size, predicted genes, and GC (guanine-cytosine) content of B6-1 was 4.67 Mb, 4301, and 53.80%, respectively. The origin of the strains did not significantly affect the phylogeny, but mobile genetic elements shaped the evolution of the genus Ewingella. The strains encoded a set of common genes for type secretion, virulence effectors, CAZymes, and toxins required for pathogenicity in all hosts. They also had antibiotic resistance, pigments to suppress or evade host defense responses, as well as genes for adaptation to different environmental conditions, including temperature, oxidation, and nutrients. These findings provide a better understanding of the virulence, antibiotic resistance, and host adaptation strategies of Ewingella, and they also contribute to the development of effective control strategies.


2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (6) ◽  
pp. 2113-2126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youfu Zhao ◽  
Zhonghua Ma ◽  
George W. Sundin

ABSTRACT Members of the pPT23A plasmid family of Pseudomonas syringae play an important role in the interaction of this bacterial pathogen with host plants. Complete sequence analysis of several pPT23A family plasmids (PFPs) has provided a glimpse of the gene content and virulence function of these plasmids. We constructed a macroarray containing 161 genes to estimate and compare the gene contents of 23 newly analyzed and eight known PFPs from 12 pathovars of P. syringae, which belong to four genomospecies. Hybridization results revealed that PFPs could be distinguished by the type IV secretion system (T4SS) encoded and separated into four groups. Twelve PFPs along with pPSR1 from P. syringae pv. syringae, pPh1448B from P. syringae pv. phaseolicola, and pPMA4326A from P. syringae pv. maculicola encoded a type IVA T4SS (VirB-VirD4 conjugative system), whereas 10 PFPs along with pDC3000A and pDC3000B from P. syringae pv. tomato encoded a type IVB T4SS (tra system). Two plasmids encoded both T4SSs, whereas six other plasmids carried none or only a few genes of either the type IVA or type IVB secretion system. Most PFPs hybridized to more than one putative type III secretion system effector gene and to a variety of additional genes encoding known P. syringae virulence factors. The overall gene contents of individual PFPs were more similar among plasmids within each of the four groups based on T4SS genes; however, a number of genes, encoding plasmid-specific functions or hypothetical proteins, were shared among plasmids from different T4SS groups. The only gene shared by all PFPs in this study was the repA gene, which encoded sequences with 87 to 99% amino acid identityamong 25 sequences examined. We proposed a model to illustrate the evolution and gene acquisition of the pPT23A plasmid family. To our knowledge, this is the first such attempt to conduct a global genetic analysis of this important plasmid family.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document