Ultraviolet Radiation Sensitivity of White Mutants and Red Wild-Type Serratia marcescens

1971 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 312 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Hanks ◽  
E. Mroz
2020 ◽  
Vol 88 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Danelle R. Weakland ◽  
Sara N. Smith ◽  
Bailey Bell ◽  
Ashootosh Tripathi ◽  
Harry L. T. Mobley

ABSTRACT Serratia marcescens is a bacterium frequently found in the environment, but over the last several decades it has evolved into a concerning clinical pathogen, causing fatal bacteremia. To establish such infections, pathogens require specific nutrients; one very limited but essential nutrient is iron. We sought to characterize the iron acquisition systems in S. marcescens isolate UMH9, which was recovered from a clinical bloodstream infection. Using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we identified two predicted siderophore gene clusters (cbs and sch) that were regulated by iron. Mutants were constructed to delete each iron acquisition locus individually and in conjunction, generating both single and double mutants for the putative siderophore systems. Mutants lacking the sch gene cluster lost their iron-chelating ability as quantified by the chrome azurol S (CAS) assay, whereas the cbs mutant retained wild-type activity. Mass spectrometry-based analysis identified the chelating siderophore to be serratiochelin, a siderophore previously identified in Serratia plymuthica. Serratiochelin-producing mutants also displayed a decreased growth rate under iron-limited conditions created by dipyridyl added to LB medium. Additionally, mutants lacking serratiochelin were significantly outcompeted during cochallenge with wild-type UMH9 in the kidneys and spleen after inoculation via the tail vein in a bacteremia mouse model. This result was further confirmed by an independent challenge, suggesting that serratiochelin is required for full S. marcescens pathogenesis in the bloodstream. Nine other clinical isolates have at least 90% protein identity to the UMH9 serratiochelin system; therefore, our results are broadly applicable to emerging clinical isolates of S. marcescens causing bacteremia.


2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 1495-1501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayush Kumar ◽  
Elizabeth A. Worobec

ABSTRACT Serratia marcescens is an important nosocomial agent known for causing various infections in immunocompromised individuals. Resistance of this organism to a broad spectrum of antibiotics makes the treatment of infections very difficult. This study was undertaken to identify multidrug resistance efflux pumps in S. marcescens. Three mutant strains of S. marcescens were isolated in vitro by the serial passaging of a wild-type strain in culture medium supplemented with ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, or ofloxacin. Fluoroquinolone accumulation assays were performed to detect the presence of a proton gradient-dependent efflux mechanism. Two of the mutant strains were found to be effluxing norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin, while the third was found to efflux only ofloxacin. A genomic library of S. marcescens wild-type strain UOC-67 was constructed and screened for RND pump-encoding genes by using DNA probes for two putative RND pump-encoding genes. Two different loci were identified: sdeAB, encoding an MFP and an RND pump, and sdeCDE, encoding an MFP and two different RND pumps. Northern blot analysis revealed overexpression of sdeB in two mutant strains effluxing fluoroquinolones. Analysis of the sdeAB and sdeCDE loci in Escherichia coli strain AG102MB, deficient in the RND pump (AcrB), revealed that gene products of sdeAB are responsible for the efflux of a diverse range of substrates that includes ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, chloramphenicol, sodium dodecyl sulfate, ethidium bromide, and n-hexane, while those of sdeCDE did not result in any change in susceptibilities to any of these agents.


2018 ◽  
Vol 190 (5) ◽  
pp. 538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingwen Xu ◽  
Nipa H. Patel ◽  
Tareq Saleh ◽  
Emmanuel K. Cudjoe ◽  
Moureq Alotaibi ◽  
...  

mBio ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark T. Anderson ◽  
Lindsay A. Mitchell ◽  
Lili Zhao ◽  
Harry L. T. Mobley

ABSTRACTSerratia marcescensis an opportunistic pathogen that causes a range of human infections, including bacteremia, keratitis, wound infections, and urinary tract infections. Compared to other members of theEnterobacteriaceaefamily, the genetic factors that facilitateSerratiaproliferation within the mammalian host are less well defined. Anin vivoscreen of transposon insertion mutants identified 212S. marcescensfitness genes that contribute to bacterial survival in a murine model of bloodstream infection. Among those identified, 11 genes were located within an 18-gene cluster encoding predicted extracellular polysaccharide biosynthesis proteins. A mutation in thewzxgene contained within this locus conferred a loss of fitness in competition infections with the wild-type strain and a reduction in extracellular uronic acids correlating with capsule loss. A second gene,pgm, encoding a phosphoglucomutase exhibited similar capsule-deficient phenotypes, linking central glucose metabolism with capsule production and fitness ofSerratiaduring mammalian infection. Further evidence of the importance of central metabolism was obtained with apfkAglycolytic mutant that demonstrated reduced replication in human serum and during murine infection. An MgtB magnesium transporter homolog was also among the fitness factors identified, and anS. marcescens mgtBmutant exhibited decreased growth in defined medium containing low concentrations of magnesium and was outcompeted ~10-fold by wild-type bacteria in mice. Together, these newly identified genes provide a more complete understanding of the specific requirements forS. marcescenssurvival in the mammalian host and provide a framework for further investigation of the means by whichS. marcescenscauses opportunistic infections.IMPORTANCESerratia marcescensis a remarkably prolific organism that replicates in diverse environments, including as an opportunistic pathogen in human bacteremia. The genetic requirements forS. marcescenssurvival in the mammalian bloodstream were defined in this work by transposon insertion sequencing. In total, 212 genes that contribute to bacterial fitness were identified. When sorted via biological function, two of the major fitness categories identified herein were genes encoding capsule polysaccharide biogenesis functions and genes involved in glucose utilization. Further investigation determined that certain glucose metabolism fitness genes are also important for the generation of extracellular polysaccharides. Together, these results identify critical biological processes that allowS. marcescensto colonize the mammalian bloodstream.


2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (9) ◽  
pp. 2585-2594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tal Hover ◽  
Tal Maya ◽  
Sapir Ron ◽  
Hani Sandovsky ◽  
Yana Shadkchan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTWe have found a remarkable capacity for the ubiquitous Gram-negative rod bacteriumSerratia marcescensto migrate along and kill the mycelia of zygomycete molds. This migration was restricted to zygomycete molds and several basidiomycete species. No migration was seen on any molds of the phylum Ascomycota.S. marcescensmigration did not require fungal viability or surrounding growth medium, as bacteria migrated along aerial hyphae as well.S. marcescensdid not exhibit growth tropism toward zygomycete mycelium. Bacterial migration along hyphae proceeded only when the hyphae grew into the bacterial colony.S. marcescenscells initially migrated along the hyphae, forming attached microcolonies that grew and coalesced to generate a biofilm that covered and killed the mycelium. Flagellum-defective strains ofS. marcescenswere able to migrate along zygomycete hyphae, although they were significantly slower than the wild-type strain and were delayed in fungal killing. Bacterial attachment to the mycelium does not necessitate type 1 fimbrial adhesion, since mutants defective in this adhesin migrated equally well as or faster than the wild-type strain. Killing does not depend on the secretion ofS. marcescenschitinases, as mutants in which all three chitinase genes were deleted retained wild-type killing abilities. A better understanding of the mechanisms by whichS. marcescensbinds to, spreads on, and kills fungal hyphae might serve as an excellent model system for such interactions in general; fungal killing could be employed in agricultural fungal biocontrol.


Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 4796-4796
Author(s):  
Katherine Chen ◽  
Darcy Franicola ◽  
Donna Shields ◽  
Michael W. Epperly ◽  
Xichen Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Both marrow-transplanted and non-transplanted Fanconi Anemia (FA) patients are often radiosensitive. Due to an increased risk of developing secondary malignancies, these patients require dose and volume modification during radiotherapy. To determine whether abrogation of TGF-β signaling alters the radiation sensitivity of Fancd2-/- mice, cell lines derived from double knockout (DKO) (SMAD3-/- Fancd2-/-) mice were compared with those from Fancd2-/-, SMAD3-/-, and wild-type mice for ionizing irradiation sensitivity. Bone marrow stromal cell lines were derived from long-term bone marrow cultures of DKO, Fancd2-/-, SMAD3-/-, and wild-type SMAD3+/+ (129/Sv) X Fancd2+/+ (B6) F1 mice. Radiation sensitivity was determined using clonogenic irradiation survival curves. There was no significant difference in radiosensitivity comparing DKO cells (Do = 1.95 ± 0.06 Gy, ň = 4.3 ± 0.7) to the wild type SMAD3+/+ (129/Sv) X Fancd2+/+ (B6) F1 cell line (Do = 2.00 ± 0.11 Gy, and ň = 5.1 ± 0.7, p = 0.7003 and 0.4820, respectively). The Fancd2-/- cell line was more radiosensitive with a Do of 1.37 ± 0.09 Gy compared to 1.95 ± 0.07 and 2.00 ± 0.11 for DKO and wild type cells (p = 0.0063 and 0.0360, respectively. In contrast, the SMAD3-/- cell line was more radioresistant with an increased shoulder on the irradiation survival curve (ň = 12.1 ± 2.9) compared to the DKO or wild type SMAD3+/+ (129/Sv) X Fancd2+/+ (B6) F1 cell lines (ň = 4.335 ± 0.7 or 5.1 ± 0.7, p = 0.00277 or 0.0426, respectively). This confirms and extends results with SMAD3-/- mouse derived cell lines on another background strain (C57BL/6J) (Epperly, et al., Radiation Research, 165:671-677, 2006). TGF-β signaling was abrogated in both DKO and SMAD3-/- mouse cell lines (measured by TGF-β inhibition of fresh marrow CFU-GEMM in vitro), confirming the phenotype of altered TGF-β signaling. Therefore, radiosensitivity associated with the Fancd2-/- genotype was abrogated by interruption of the TGF-β signaling pathway in the same cells. Supported by research grant NIAID/NIH, U19A168021. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Author(s):  
Nicholas A. Stella ◽  
Kimberly M. Brothers ◽  
Robert M. Q. Shanks

Introduction. Serratia marcescens is a bacterial pathogen that causes ventilator-associated pneumonia and ocular infections. The FlhD and FlhC proteins complex to form a heteromeric transcription factor whose regulon, in S. marcescens , regulates genes for the production of flagellum, phospholipase A and the cytolysin ShlA. The previously identified mutation, scrp-31, resulted in highly elevated expression of the flhDC operon. The scrp-31 mutant was observed to be more cytotoxic to human airway and ocular surface epithelial cells than the wild-type bacteria and the present study sought to identify the mechanism underlying the increased cytotoxicity phenotype. Hypothesis/Gap Statement. Although FlhC and FlhD have been implicated as virulence determinants, the mechanisms by which these proteins regulate bacterial cytotoxicity to different cell types remains unclear. Aim. This study aimed to evaluate the mechanisms of FlhDC-mediated cytotoxicity to human epithelial cells by S. marcescens . Methodology. Wild-type and mutant bacteria and bacterial secretomes were used to challenge airway and ocular surface cell lines as evaluated by resazurin and calcein AM staining. Pathogenesis was further tested using a Galleria mellonella infection model. Results. The increased cytotoxicity of scrp-31 bacteria and secretomes to both cell lines was eliminated by mutation of flhD and shlA. Mutation of the flagellin gene had no impact on cytotoxicity under any tested condition. Elimination of the phospholipase gene, phlA, had no effect on bacteria-induced cytotoxicity to either cell line, but reduced cytotoxicity caused by secretomes to airway epithelial cells. Mutation of flhD and shlA, but not phlA, reduced bacterial killing of G. mellonella larvae. Conclusion. This study indicates that the S. marcescens FlhDC-regulated secreted proteins PhlA and ShlA, but not flagellin, are cytotoxic to airway and ocular surface cells and demonstrates differences in human epithelial cell susceptibility to PhlA.


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