scholarly journals Acinetobacter baumannii: Resistance and Virulence mediated through bacterial type IV secretion system

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-45
Author(s):  
Andrés Zúñiga-Bahamon ◽  
Fabián Tobar ◽  
Juan Fernando Duque ◽  
Pedro Moreno

Introduction: Type IV Bacterial Secretion Systems (TFSS) have a variety of biological functions such as the exchange of genetic material with other bacteria and virulent translocation of DNA with its effector proteins into host cells. A. baumannii is a pathogen that causes infections in humans and exhibits high rates of multidrug resistance to drugs. Objective: To relate how type IV secretion systems is associated with patterns of resistance and virulence in A. baumannii. Materials and Methods: Exhaustive search in PMC (NCBI) using a set of keywords was performed. Results: The search yielded 133 articles. Fourteen articles were analysed to determine the bacterial secretion system and the resistant and virulence of AA. baumannii. Conclusions: Systems of bacterial type IV secretion present in A. baumannii are crucial in understanding the patterns of virulence and resistance. Key words: Pathogenicity, type four secretion system (T4SS), A. baumannii, virulence factors, multidrug bacterial resistance (MDR), horizontal gene transfer (HGT).

mBio ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin P. Smith ◽  
Cheryl N. Miller ◽  
Robert Child ◽  
Jennifer A. Cundiff ◽  
Jean Celli

ABSTRACTBrucella abortus, the bacterial agent of the worldwide zoonosis brucellosis, primarily infects host phagocytes, where it undergoes an intracellular cycle within a dedicated membrane-bound vacuole, theBrucella-containing vacuole (BCV). Initially of endosomal origin (eBCV), BCVs are remodeled into replication-permissive organelles (rBCV) derived from the host endoplasmic reticulum, a process that requires modulation of host secretory functions via delivery of effector proteins by theBrucellaVirB type IV secretion system (T4SS). Following replication, rBCVs are converted into autophagic vacuoles (aBCVs) that facilitate bacterial egress and subsequent infections, arguing that the bacterium sequentially manipulates multiple cellular pathways to complete its cycle. The VirB T4SS is essential for rBCV biogenesis, as VirB-deficient mutants are stalled in eBCVs and cannot mediate rBCV biogenesis. This has precluded analysis of whether the VirB apparatus also drives subsequent stages of theBrucellaintracellular cycle. To address this issue, we have generated aB. abortusstrain in which VirB T4SS function is conditionally controlled via anhydrotetracycline (ATc)-dependent complementation of a deletion of thevirB11gene encoding the VirB11 ATPase. We show in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) that early VirB production is essential for optimal rBCV biogenesis and bacterial replication. Transient expression ofvirB11prior to infection was sufficient to mediate normal rBCV biogenesis and bacterial replication but led to T4SS inactivation and decreased aBCV formation and bacterial release, indicating that these postreplication stages are also T4SS dependent. Hence, our findings support the hypothesis of additional, postreplication roles of type IV secretion in theBrucellaintracellular cycle.IMPORTANCEMany intracellular bacterial pathogens encode specialized secretion systems that deliver effector proteins into host cells to mediate the multiple stages of their intracellular cycles. Because these intracellular events occur sequentially, classical genetic approaches cannot address the late roles that these apparatuses play, as secretion-deficient mutants cannot proceed past their initial defect. Here we have designed a functionally controllable VirB type IV secretion system (T4SS) in the bacterial pathogenBrucella abortusto decipher its temporal requirements during the bacterium’s intracellular cycle in macrophages. By controlling production of the VirB11 ATPase, which energizes the T4SS, we show not only that this apparatus is required early to generate theBrucellareplicative organelle but also that it contributes to completion of the bacterium’s cycle and bacterial egress. Our findings expand upon the pathogenic functions of theBrucellaVirB T4SS and illustrate targeting of secretion ATPases as a useful strategy to manipulate the activity of bacterial secretion systems.


MedChemComm ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 682-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Boudaher ◽  
Carrie L. Shaffer

The search for new ammunition to combat antibiotic resistance has uncovered diverse inhibitors of the bacterial type IV secretion system.


mBio ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julieta Aguilar ◽  
Todd A. Cameron ◽  
John Zupan ◽  
Patricia Zambryski

ABSTRACTType IV secretion systems (T4SS) transfer DNA and/or proteins into recipient cells. Here we performed immunofluorescence deconvolution microscopy to localize the assembled T4SS by detection of its native components VirB1, VirB2, VirB4, VirB5, VirB7, VirB8, VirB9, VirB10, and VirB11 in the C58 nopaline strain ofAgrobacterium tumefaciens, following induction of virulence (vir) gene expression. These different proteins represent T4SS components spanning the inner membrane, periplasm, or outer membrane. Native VirB2, VirB5, VirB7, and VirB8 were also localized in theA. tumefaciensoctopine strain A348. Quantitative analyses of the localization of all the above Vir proteins in nopaline and octopine strains revealed multiple foci in single optical sections in over 80% and 70% of the bacterial cells, respectively. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-VirB8 expression followingvirinduction was used to monitor bacterial binding to live host plant cells; bacteria bind predominantly along their lengths, with few bacteria binding via their poles or subpoles.vir-induced attachment-defective bacteria or bacteria without the Ti plasmid do not bind to plant cells. These data support a model where multiplevir-T4SS around the perimeter of the bacterium maximize effective contact with the host to facilitate efficient transfer of DNA and protein substrates.IMPORTANCETransfer of DNA and/or proteins to host cells through multiprotein type IV secretion system (T4SS) complexes that span the bacterial cell envelope is critical to bacterial pathogenesis. Early reports suggested that T4SS components localized at the cell poles. Now, higher-resolution deconvolution fluorescence microscopy reveals that all structural components of theAgrobacterium tumefaciens vir-T4SS, as well as its transported protein substrates, localize to multiple foci around the cell perimeter. These results lead to a new model ofA. tumefaciensattachment to a plant cell, whereA. tumefacienstakes advantage of the multiplevir-T4SS along its length to make intimate lateral contact with plant cells and thereby effectively transfer DNA and/or proteins through thevir-T4SS. The T4SS ofA. tumefaciensis among the best-studied T4SS, and the majority of its components are highly conserved in different pathogenic bacterial species. Thus, the results presented can be applied to a broad range of pathogens that utilize T4SS.


mBio ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arwen E. Frick-Cheng ◽  
Tasia M. Pyburn ◽  
Bradley J. Voss ◽  
W. Hayes McDonald ◽  
Melanie D. Ohi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) can function to export or import DNA, and can deliver effector proteins into a wide range of target cells. Relatively little is known about the structural organization of T4SSs that secrete effector proteins. In this report, we describe the isolation and analysis of a membrane-spanning core complex from the Helicobacter pylori cag T4SS, which has an important role in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. We show that this complex contains five H. pylori proteins, CagM, CagT, Cag3, CagX, and CagY, each of which is required for cag T4SS activity. CagX and CagY are orthologous to the VirB9 and VirB10 components of T4SSs in other bacterial species, and the other three Cag proteins are unique to H. pylori . Negative stain single-particle electron microscopy revealed complexes 41 nm in diameter, characterized by a 19-nm-diameter central ring linked to an outer ring by spoke-like linkers. Incomplete complexes formed by Δ cag3 or Δ cagT mutants retain the 19-nm-diameter ring but lack an organized outer ring. Immunogold labeling studies confirm that Cag3 is a peripheral component of the complex. The cag T4SS core complex has an overall diameter and structural organization that differ considerably from the corresponding features of conjugative T4SSs. These results highlight specialized features of the H. pylori cag T4SS that are optimized for function in the human gastric mucosal environment. IMPORTANCE Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are versatile macromolecular machines that are present in many bacterial species. In this study, we investigated a T4SS found in the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. H. pylori is an important cause of stomach cancer, and the H. pylori T4SS contributes to cancer pathogenesis by mediating entry of CagA (an effector protein regarded as a “bacterial oncoprotein”) into gastric epithelial cells. We isolated and analyzed the membrane-spanning core complex of the H. pylori T4SS and showed that it contains unique proteins unrelated to components of T4SSs in other bacterial species. These results constitute the first structural analysis of the core complex from this important secretion system.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Wei Chang ◽  
Carrie L. Shaffer ◽  
Lee A. Rettberg ◽  
Debnath Ghosal ◽  
Grant J. Jensen

SummaryThe bacterial type IV secretion system (T4SS) is a versatile nanomachine that translocates diverse effector molecules between microbes and into eukaryotic cells. Using electron cryotomography, here we reveal the molecular architecture of the cancer-associatedHelicobacter pylori cagT4SS. Although most components are unique toH. pylori, thecagT4SS exhibits remarkable architectural similarity to previously studied T4SSs. WhenH. pyloriencounters host cells, however, the bacterium elaborates rigid, membranous tubes perforated by lateral ports. Dense, pilus-like rod structures extending from the inner membrane were also observed. We propose that the membrane tubes assemble out of the T4SS and are the delivery system forcagT4SS cargo. These studies reveal the architecture of a dynamic molecular machine that evolved to function in the human gastric niche.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Fromm ◽  
Christoph Dehio

Bartonella spp. are facultative intracellular pathogens that infect a wide range of mammalian hosts including humans. The VirB/VirD4 type IV secretion system (T4SS) is a key virulence factor utilized to translocate Bartonella effector proteins (Beps) into host cells in order to subvert their functions. Crucial for effector translocation is the C-terminal Bep intracellular delivery (BID) domain that together with a positively charged tail sequence forms a bipartite translocation signal. Multiple BID domains also evolved secondary effector functions within host cells. The majority of Beps possess an N-terminal filamentation induced by cAMP (FIC) domain and a central connecting oligonucleotide binding (OB) fold. FIC domains typically mediate AMPylation or related post-translational modifications of target proteins. Some Beps harbor other functional modules, such as tandem-repeated tyrosine-phosphorylation (EPIYA-related) motifs. Within host cells the EPIYA-related motifs are phosphorylated, which facilitates the interaction with host signaling proteins. In this review, we will summarize our current knowledge on the molecular functions of the different domains present in Beps and highlight examples of Bep-dependent host cell modulation.


2010 ◽  
Vol 192 (22) ◽  
pp. 6001-6016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnar N. Schroeder ◽  
Nicola K. Petty ◽  
Aurélie Mousnier ◽  
Clare R. Harding ◽  
Adam J. Vogrin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Legionella pneumophila is a ubiquitous inhabitant of environmental water reservoirs. The bacteria infect a wide variety of protozoa and, after accidental inhalation, human alveolar macrophages, which can lead to severe pneumonia. The capability to thrive in phagocytic hosts is dependent on the Dot/Icm type IV secretion system (T4SS), which translocates multiple effector proteins into the host cell. In this study, we determined the draft genome sequence of L. pneumophila strain 130b (Wadsworth). We found that the 130b genome encodes a unique set of T4SSs, namely, the Dot/Icm T4SS, a Trb-1-like T4SS, and two Lvh T4SS gene clusters. Sequence analysis substantiated that a core set of 107 Dot/Icm T4SS effectors was conserved among the sequenced L. pneumophila strains Philadelphia-1, Lens, Paris, Corby, Alcoy, and 130b. We also identified new effector candidates and validated the translocation of 10 novel Dot/Icm T4SS effectors that are not present in L. pneumophila strain Philadelphia-1. We examined the prevalence of the new effector genes among 87 environmental and clinical L. pneumophila isolates. Five of the new effectors were identified in 34 to 62% of the isolates, while less than 15% of the strains tested positive for the other five genes. Collectively, our data show that the core set of conserved Dot/Icm T4SS effector proteins is supplemented by a variable repertoire of accessory effectors that may partly account for differences in the virulences and prevalences of particular L. pneumophila strains.


mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin P. Smith ◽  
Alexis Cotto-Rosario ◽  
Elizabeth Borghesan ◽  
Kiara Held ◽  
Cheryl N. Miller ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Intracellular bacterial pathogens remodel cellular functions during their infectious cycle via the coordinated actions of effector molecules delivered through dedicated secretion systems. While the function of many individual effectors is known, how they interact to promote pathogenesis is rarely understood. The zoonotic bacterium Brucella abortus, the causative agent of brucellosis, delivers effector proteins via its VirB type IV secretion system (T4SS) which mediate biogenesis of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived replicative Brucella-containing vacuole (rBCV). Here, we show that T4SS effectors BspB and RicA display epistatic interactions in Brucella replication. Defects in rBCV biogenesis and Brucella replication caused by deletion of bspB were dependent on the host GTPase Rab2a and suppressed by the deletion of ricA, indicating a role of Rab2-binding effector RicA in these phenotypic defects. Rab2a requirements for rBCV biogenesis and Brucella intracellular replication were abolished upon deletion of both bspB and ricA, demonstrating that the functional interaction of these effectors engages Rab2-dependent transport in the Brucella intracellular cycle. Expression of RicA impaired host secretion and caused Golgi fragmentation. While BspB-mediated changes in ER-to-Golgi transport were independent of RicA and Rab2a, BspB-driven alterations in Golgi vesicular traffic also involved RicA and Rab2a, defining BspB and RicA’s functional interplay at the Golgi interface. Altogether, these findings support a model where RicA modulation of Rab2a functions impairs Brucella replication but is compensated by BspB-mediated remodeling of Golgi apparatus-associated vesicular transport, revealing an epistatic interaction between these T4SS effectors. IMPORTANCE Bacterial pathogens with an intracellular lifestyle modulate many host cellular processes to promote their infectious cycle. They do so by delivering effector proteins into host cells via dedicated secretion systems that target specific host functions. While the roles of many individual effectors are known, how their modes of action are coordinated is rarely understood. Here, we show that the zoonotic bacterium Brucella abortus delivers the BspB effector that mitigates the negative effect on bacterial replication that the RicA effector exerts via modulation of the host small GTPase Rab2. These findings provide an example of functional integration between bacterial effectors that promotes proliferation of pathogens.


eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarissa L Durie ◽  
Michael J Sheedlo ◽  
Jeong Min Chung ◽  
Brenda G Byrne ◽  
Min Su ◽  
...  

Legionella pneumophila is an opportunistic pathogen that causes the potentially fatal pneumonia Legionnaires’ Disease. This infection and subsequent pathology require the Dot/Icm Type IV Secretion System (T4SS) to deliver effector proteins into host cells. Compared to prototypical T4SSs, the Dot/Icm assembly is much larger, containing ~27 different components including a core complex reported to be composed of five proteins: DotC, DotD, DotF, DotG, and DotH. Using single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), we report reconstructions of the core complex of the Dot/Icm T4SS that includes a symmetry mismatch between distinct structural features of the outer membrane cap (OMC) and periplasmic ring (PR). We present models of known core complex proteins, DotC, DotD, and DotH, and two structurally similar proteins within the core complex, DotK and Lpg0657. This analysis reveals the stoichiometry and contact interfaces between the key proteins of the Dot/Icm T4SS core complex and provides a framework for understanding a complex molecular machine.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shan Wang ◽  
Dan Wang ◽  
Dan Du ◽  
Shanshan Li ◽  
Wei Yan

Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are related to not only secretion of effector proteins and virulence factors, but also to bacterial conjugation systems that promote bacterial horizontal gene transfer. The subgroup T4BSS, with a unique mosaic architecture system, consists of nearly 30 proteins that are similar to those from other secretory systems. Despite being intensively studied, the secretion mechanism of T4BSS remains unclear. This review systematically summarizes the protein composition, coding gene set, core complex, and protein interactions of T4BSS. The interactions of proteins in the core complex of the system and the operation mechanism between each element needs to be further studied.


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