scholarly journals Lysine-specific gingipain K and heme/hemoglobin receptor HmuR are involved in heme utilization in Porphyromonas gingivalis.

2004 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 253-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waltena Simpson ◽  
Teresa Olczak ◽  
Caroline A Genco
Keyword(s):  
Porphyromonas Gingivalis ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Double Mutant ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Outer Membrane Receptor ◽  
Iron Source ◽  
Identification And Characterization

We have previously reported on the identification and characterization of the Porphyromonas gingivalis A7436 strain outer membrane receptor HmuR, which is involved in the acquisition of hemin and hemoglobin. We demonstrated that HmuR interacts with the lysine- (Kgp) and arginine- (HRgpA) specific proteases (gingipains) and that Kgp and HRgpA can bind and degrade hemoglobin. Here, we report on the physiological significance of the HmuR-Kgp complex in heme utilization in P. gingivalis through the construction and characterization of a defined kgp mutant and a hmuR kgp double mutant in P. gingivalis A7436. The P. gingivalis kgp mutant exhibited a decreased ability to bind both hemin and hemoglobin. Growth of this strain with hemoglobin was delayed and its ability to utilize hemin as a sole iron source was diminished as compared to the wild type strain. Inactivation of both the hmuR and kgp genes resulted in further decreased ability of P. gingivalis to bind hemoglobin and hemin, as well as diminished ability to utilize either hemin or hemoglobin as a sole iron source. Collectively, these in vivo results further confirmed that both HmuR and Kgp are involved in the utilization of hemin and hemoglobin in P. gingivalis A7436.

scholarly journals Identification and Testing of Porphyromonas gingivalis Virulence Genes with a pPGIVET System

2002 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 928-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Wu ◽  
Seok-Woo Lee ◽  
Jeffrey D. Hillman ◽  
Ann Progulske-Fox
Keyword(s):  
Mutant Strain ◽  
Porphyromonas Gingivalis ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Receptor Protein ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Kb Cells ◽  
Mutant Strains

ABSTRACT An in vivo expression technology (IVET) system was designed to identify previously unknown virulence genes of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Fourteen ivi (for in vivo induced) genes that are induced during infection in a mouse abscess model were identified in our study. Of these, seven had homology to genes in the NCBI database, and the rest had no homology to reported DNA sequences. In order to determine virulence-related properties of these genes, three mutant strains, deleted of ivi8 (no homology to genes in the database), ivi10 (homologous to a putative TonB-dependent outer membrane receptor protein), and ivi11 (an immunoreactive 33-kDa antigen PG125 in P. gingivalis), were created. The mutants were tested in a mouse abscess model for alterations in virulence relative to the wild type by a competition assay in BALB/c mice. After 5 days we observed the enrichment of the wild-type strain over mutant strains Δivi10 and Δivi11, which indicated that mutant strains Δivi10 and Δivi11 are less able to survive in this model than the wild-type strain, while Δivi8 survives as well as the wild-type strain. We propose that knockout of these ivi genes reduced the ability of the mutated P. gingivalis to survive and cause infection compared to the wild-type strain at the site of injection. Also, in separate experiments, groups of mice were challenged with subcutaneous injections of each individual mutant strain (Δivi8, Δivi10, and Δivi11) or with the wild-type strain alone and were then examined to assess their general health status. The results showed that knockout of these ivi genes conferred a reduction in virulence. The ability of the mutants to invade KB cells compared to the wild type was also determined. Interestingly, the CFU counts of the mutant strain Δivi10 recovered from KB cells were eight times lower than those of the wild type, indicating that this mutant has a lower capacity for invasion. These results demonstrate that IVET is a powerful tool in discovering virulence genes and the significant role that ivi genes play in the pathogenesis of this species.

scholarly journals Cooperation between LepA and PlcH Contributes to theIn VivoVirulence and Growth ofPseudomonas aeruginosain Mice

2010 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yutaka Kida ◽  
Takashi Shimizu ◽  
Koichi Kuwano
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Double Mutant ◽  
Minimal Medium ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Lavage Fluid ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Nutrient Source ◽  
Blood Specimens

ABSTRACTPseudomonas aeruginosa-derived large extracellular protease (LepA) and hemolytic phospholipase C (PlcH) are considered to play an important role in the pathogenicity of this organism. Although bacterial growth appears to be closely related to virulence, little is known about whether LepA and PlcH participate in the growth and virulence ofP. aeruginosa. In this study, we investigated whether LepA and PlcH contribute to the virulence and growth ofP. aeruginosausing a wild-type strain and mutants. The growth rate of the isogeniclepAsingle mutant was lower than that of the wild-type strain in a minimal medium containing serum albumin or hemoglobin as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. Furthermore, the growth rate of thelepA plcHdouble mutant decreased greatly compared with that of the wild-type strain in a minimal medium containing erythrocytes as a sole nutrient source for growth. Thus, these results indicate that cooperation between LepA and PlcH would contribute to the utilization of erythrocytes as a sole nutrient source for the growth ofP. aeruginosa. In addition, mouse infection experiments demonstrated that the virulence of thelepAandplcHsingle mutants was attenuated, and the numbers of the mutants were lower than the numbers of the wild-type strain in peritoneal lavage fluid and whole-blood specimens. In particular, the virulence and growth rate of thelepA plcHdouble mutant were markedly lower than those of the wild-type strain. Collectively, these results suggest that LepA and PlcH contribute to thein vivovirulence and growth ofP. aeruginosa.

scholarly journals In VivoEfficacy of Human Simulated Regimens of Carbapenems and Comparator Agents against NDM-1-Producing Enterobacteriaceae

2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 1671-1677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dora E. Wiskirchen ◽  
Patrice Nordmann ◽  
Jared L. Crandon ◽  
David P. Nicolau
Keyword(s):  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Similar Efficacy ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Prolonged Infusion ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTDoripenem and ertapenem have demonstrated efficacy against several NDM-1-producing isolatesin vivo, despite having high MICs. In this study, we sought to further characterize the efficacy profiles of humanized regimens of standard (500 mg given every 8 h) and high-dose, prolonged infusion of doripenem (2 g given every 8 h, 4-h infusion) and 1 g of ertapenem given intravenously every 24 h and the comparator regimens of ceftazidime at 2 g given every 8 h (2-h infusion), levofloxacin at 500 mg every 24 h, and aztreonam at 2 g every 6 h (1-h infusion) against a wider range of isolates in a murine thigh infection model. An isogenic wild-type strain and NDM-1-producingKlebsiella pneumoniaeand eight clinical NDM-1-producing members of the familyEnterobacteriaceaewere tested in immunocompetent- and neutropenic-mouse models. The wild-type strain was susceptible to all of the agents, while the isogenic NDM-1-producing strain was resistant to ceftazidime, doripenem, and ertapenem. Clinical NDM-1-producing strains were resistant to nearly all five of the agents (two were susceptible to levofloxacin). In immunocompetent mice, all of the agents produced ≥1-log10CFU reductions of the isogenic wild-type and NDM-1-producing strains after 24 h. Minimal efficacy of ceftazidime, aztreonam, and levofloxacin against the clinical NDM-1-producing strains was observed. However, despitein vitroresistance, ≥1-log10CFU reductions of six of eight clinical strains were achieved with high-dose, prolonged infusion of doripenem and ertapenem. Slight enhancements of doripenem activity over the standard doses were obtained with high-dose, prolonged infusion for three of the four isolates tested. Similar efficacy observations were noted in neutropenic mice. These data suggest that carbapenems are a viable treatment option for infections caused by NDM-1-producingEnterobacteriaceae.

scholarly journals Sialidase and Sialoglycoproteases Can Modulate Virulence in Porphyromonas gingivalis

2011 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 2779-2791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilson Aruni ◽  
Elaine Vanterpool ◽  
Devon Osbourne ◽  
Francis Roy ◽  
Arun Muthiah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Porphyromonas Gingivalis ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sialidase Activity ◽  
Catalytic Domains ◽  
Virulence Regulation ◽  
Isogenic Mutants ◽  
Related Proteins

ABSTRACTThePorphyromonas gingivalisrecombinant VimA can interact with the gingipains and several other proteins, including a sialidase. Sialylation can be involved in protein maturation; however, its role in virulence regulation inP. gingivalisis unknown. The three sialidase-related proteins inP. gingivalisshowed the characteristic sialidase Asp signature motif (SXDXGXTW) and other unique domains. To evaluate the roles of the associated genes, randomly chosenP. gingivalisisogenic mutants created by allelic exchange and designated FLL401 (PG0778::ermF), FLL402 (PG1724::ermF), and FLL403 (PG0352::ermF-ermAM) were characterized. Similar to the wild-type strain, FLL402 and FLL403 displayed a black-pigmented phenotype in contrast to FLL401, which was not black pigmented. Sialidase activity inP. gingivalisFLL401 was reduced by approximately 70% in comparison to those in FLL402 and FLL403, which were reduced by approximately 42% and 5%, respectively. Although there were no changes in the expression of the gingipain genes, their activities were reduced by 60 to 90% in all the isogenic mutants compared to that for the wild type. Immunoreactive bands representing the catalytic domains for RgpA, RgpB, and Kgp were present in FLL402 and FLL403 but were missing in FLL401. While adhesion was decreased, the capacity for invasion of epithelial cells by the isogenic mutants was increased by 11 to 16% over that of the wild-type strain. Isogenic mutants defective inPG0778andPG0352were more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide than the wild type. Taken together, these results suggest that theP. gingivalissialidase activity may be involved in regulating gingipain activity and other virulence factors and may be important in the pathogenesis of this organism.

scholarly journals Characterization of a Wild-Type Strain ofFrancisella TularensisIsolated from a Cat

2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 374-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Inzana ◽  
Gretchen E. Glindemann ◽  
Gerald Snider ◽  
Susan Gardner ◽  
Lisa Crofton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type

scholarly journals Analysis and Manipulation of Aspartate Pathway Genes for l-Lysine Overproduction from Methanol by Bacillus methanolicus

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (17) ◽  
pp. 6020-6026 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingemar Nærdal ◽  
Roman Netzer ◽  
Trond E. Ellingsen ◽  
Trygve Brautaset
Keyword(s):  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Feedback Inhibition ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bacillus Methanolicus ◽  
Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase ◽  
Aspartate Pathway ◽  
Lysine Overproduction

ABSTRACTWe investigated the regulation and roles of six aspartate pathway genes inl-lysine overproduction inBacillus methanolicus:dapG, encoding aspartokinase I (AKI);lysC, encoding AKII;yclM, encoding AKIII;asd, encoding aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase;dapA, encoding dihydrodipicolinate synthase; andlysA, encodingmeso-diaminopimelate decarboxylase. Analysis of the wild-type strain revealed thatin vivo lysCtranscription was repressed 5-fold byl-lysine and induced 2-fold bydl-methionine added to the growth medium. Surprisingly,yclMtranscription was repressed 5-fold bydl-methionine, while thedapG,asd,dapA, andlysAgenes were not significantly repressed by any of the aspartate pathway amino acids. We show that thel-lysine-overproducing classicalB. methanolicusmutant NOA2#13A52-8A66 has—in addition to ahom-1mutation—chromosomal mutations in thedapGcoding region and in thelysApromoter region. No mutations were found in itsdapA,lysC,asd, andyclMgenes. The mutantdapGgene product had abolished feedback inhibition bymeso-diaminopimelatein vitro, and thelysAmutation was accompanied by an elevated (6-fold)lysAtranscription levelin vivo. Moreover,yclMtranscription was increased 16-fold in mutant strain NOA2#13A52-8A66 compared to the wild-type strain. Overexpression of wild-type and mutant aspartate pathway genes demonstrated that all six genes are important forl-lysine overproduction as tested in shake flasks, and the effects were dependent on the genetic background tested. Coupled overexpression of up to three genes resulted in additive (above 80-fold) increasedl-lysine production levels.

scholarly journals Contribution of Urease to Colonization by Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (8) ◽  
pp. 2589-2600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan R. Steyert ◽  
James B. Kaper
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Nitrogen Availability ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Maximum Activity ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Urease Enzyme

ABSTRACTShiga toxin-producingEscherichia coli(STEC) is a food-borne pathogen with a low infectious dose that colonizes the colon in humans and can cause severe clinical manifestations such as hemolytic-uremic syndrome. The urease enzyme, encoded in the STEC chromosome, has been demonstrated to act as a virulence factor in other bacterial pathogens. The NH3produced as urease hydrolyzes urea can aid in buffering bacteria in acidic environments as well as provide an easily assimilated source of nitrogen that bacteria can use to gain a metabolic advantage over intact microflora. Here, we explore the role of urease in STEC pathogenicity. The STEC urease enzyme exhibited maximum activity near neutral pH and during the stationary-growth phase. Experiments altering growth conditions performed with three phylogenetically distinct urease-positive strains demonstrated that the STECuregene cluster is inducible by neither urea nor pH but does respond to nitrogen availability. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) data indicate that nitrogen inhibits the transcriptional response. The deletion of theuregene locus was constructed in STEC strain 88-0643, and theuremutant was used with the wild-type strain in competition experiments in mouse models to examine the contribution of urease. The wild-type strain was twice as likely to survive passage through the acidic stomach and demonstrated an enhanced ability to colonize the intestinal tract compared to theuremutant strain. Thesein vivoexperiments reveal that, although the benefit STEC gains from urease expression is modest and not absolutely required for colonization, urease can contribute to the pathogenicity of STEC.

scholarly journals Regulation of ppk Expression and In Vivo Function of Ppk in Streptomyces lividans TK24

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (17) ◽  
pp. 6269-6276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofiane Ghorbel ◽  
Aleksey Smirnov ◽  
Hichem Chouayekh ◽  
Brice Sperandio ◽  
Catherine Esnault ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mutant Strain ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Sufficient Conditions ◽  
Streptomyces Lividans ◽  
Antibiotic Biosynthesis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
In The Wild

ABSTRACT The ppk gene of Streptomyces lividans encodes an enzyme catalyzing, in vitro, the reversible polymerization of the γ phosphate of ATP into polyphosphate and was previously shown to play a negative role in the control of antibiotic biosynthesis (H. Chouayekh and M. J. Virolle, Mol. Microbiol. 43:919-930, 2002). In the present work, some regulatory features of the expression of ppk were established and the polyphosphate content of S. lividans TK24 and the ppk mutant was determined. In Pi sufficiency, the expression of ppk was shown to be low but detectable. DNA gel shift experiments suggested that ppk expression might be controlled by a repressor using ATP as a corepressor. Under these conditions, short acid-soluble polyphosphates accumulated upon entry into the stationary phase in the wild-type strain but not in the ppk mutant strain. The expression of ppk under Pi-limiting conditions was shown to be much higher than that under Pi-sufficient conditions and was under positive control of the two-component system PhoR/PhoP. Under these conditions, the polyphosphate content of the cell was low and polyphosphates were reproducibly found to be longer and more abundant in the ppk mutant strain than in the wild-type strain, suggesting that Ppk might act as a nucleoside diphosphate kinase. In light of our results, a novel view of the role of this enzyme in the regulation of antibiotic biosynthesis in S. lividans TK24 is proposed.

scholarly journals A Single Amino Acid at Residue 188 of Hexon Protein is Responsible for the Pathogenicity of the Emerging Novel Fowl Adenovirus 4

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Zhang ◽  
Aijing Liu ◽  
Yanan Wang ◽  
Hongyu Cui ◽  
Yulong Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Mutant Strain ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Live Attenuated Vaccine ◽  
Hexon Protein

Since 2015, severe hydropericardium-hepatitis syndrome (HHS) associated with a novel fowl adenovirus 4 (FAdV-4) has emerged in China, representing a new challenge for the poultry industry. Although various highly pathogenic FAdV-4 strains have been isolated, the virulence factor and the pathogenesis of novel FAdV-4 are unclear. In our previous studies, we reported that a large genomic deletion (1966 bp) is not related to increased virulence. In this study, two recombinant chimeric viruses, rHN20 strain and rFB2 strain, were generated from a highly pathogenic FAdV-4 strain by replacing hexon or fiber-2 gene of a non-pathogenic FAdV-4, respectively. Both chimeric strains showed similar titers to the wild type strain in vitro . Notably, rFB2 and the wild type strain induced 100% mortality, while no mortality or clinical signs appeared in chickens inoculated with rHN20, indicating that hexon, but not fiber-2, determines the novel FAdV-4 virulence. Furthermore, an R188I mutation in the hexon protein identified residue 188 as the key amino acid for the reduced pathogenicity. The rR188I mutant strain was significantly neutralized by chicken serum in vitro and in vivo , whereas the wild type strain was able to replicate efficiently. Finally, the immunogenicity of the rescued rR188I was investigated. Non-pathogenic rR188I provided full protection against lethal FAdV-4 challenge. Collectively, these findings provide an in-depth understanding of the molecular basis of novel FAdV-4 pathogenicity and present rR188I as a potential live attenuated vaccine candidate or a novel vaccine vector for HHS vaccines. Importance HHS associated with a novel FAdV-4 infection in chickens has caused huge economic losses to the poultry industry in China since 2015. The molecular basis for the increased virulence remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the hexon gene is vital for FAdV-4 pathogenicity. Furthermore, we show that the amino acid residue at position 188 of the hexon protein is responsible for pathogenicity. Importantly, the rR188I mutant strain was neutralized by chicken serum in vitro and in vivo , whereas the wild type strain was not. Further, the rR188I mutant strain provided complete protection against FAdV-4 challenge. Our results provide a molecular basis of the increased virulence of novel FAdV-4. We propose that the rR188I mutant is a potential live attenuated vaccine against HHS and a new vaccine vector for HHS-combined vaccines.

scholarly journals Regulation and Characterization of a Newly Deduced Cell Wall Hydrolase Gene (cwlJ) Which Affects Germination of Bacillus subtilis Spores

1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (6) ◽  
pp. 1375-1380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu Ishikawa ◽  
Kunio Yamane ◽  
Junichi Sekiguchi
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Catalytic Domain ◽  
Slow Release ◽  
Dipicolinic Acid ◽  
Northern Hybridization ◽  
Predicted Amino Acid Sequence ◽  
Wild Type

ABSTRACT The predicted amino acid sequence of Bacillus subtilis ycbQ (renamed cwlJ) exhibits high similarity to those of the deduced C-terminal catalytic domain of SleBs, the specific cortex-hydrolyzing enzyme of B. cereus and the deduced one of B. subtilis. We constructed acwlJ::lacZ fusion in the B. subtilischromosome. The β-galactosidase activity and results of Northern hybridization and primer extension analyses of the cwlJgene indicated that it is transcribed by EςE RNA polymerase. cwlJ-deficient spores responded to bothl-alanine and AGFK, the A 580 values of spore suspensions decreased more slowly than in the case of the wild-type strain, and the mutant spores released less dipicolinic acid than did those of the wild-type strain during germination. However, the mutant spores released only slightly less hexosamine than did the wild-type spores. In contrast, B. subtilis sleB spores did not release hexosamine at a significant level. While cwlJand sleB spores were able to germinate, CJSB (cwlJ sleB) spores could not germinate but exhibited initial germination reactions, e.g., partial decrease inA 580 and slow release of dipicolinic acid. CJSB spores became slightly gray after 6 h in the germinant, but their refractility was much greater than that of sleB mutant spores. The roles of the sleB and cwlJmutations in germination and spore maturation are also discussed.

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