scholarly journals A nadA Mutation Confers Nicotinic Acid Auxotrophy in Pro-carcinogenic Intestinal Escherichia coli NC101

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lacey R. Lopez ◽  
Cassandra J. Barlogio ◽  
Christopher A. Broberg ◽  
Jeremy Wang ◽  
Janelle C. Arthur

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and inflammation-associated colorectal cancer (CRC) are linked to blooms of adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) in the intestinal microbiota. AIEC are functionally defined by their ability to adhere/invade epithelial cells and survive/replicate within macrophages. Changes in micronutrient availability can alter AIEC physiology and interactions with host cells. Thus, culturing AIEC for mechanistic investigations often involves precise nutrient formulation. We observed that the pro-inflammatory and pro-carcinogenic AIEC strain NC101 failed to grow in minimal media (MM). We hypothesized that NC101 was unable to synthesize a vital micronutrient normally found in the host gut. Through nutrient supplementation studies, we identified that NC101 is a nicotinic acid (NA) auxotroph. NA auxotrophy was not observed in the other non-toxigenic E. coli or AIEC strains we tested. Sequencing revealed NC101 has a missense mutation in nadA, a gene encoding quinolinate synthase A that is important for de novo nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) biosynthesis. Correcting the identified nadA point mutation restored NC101 prototrophy without impacting AIEC function, including motility and AIEC-defining survival in macrophages. Our findings, along with the generation of a prototrophic NC101 strain, will greatly enhance the ability to perform in vitro functional studies that are needed for mechanistic investigations on the role of intestinal E. coli in digestive disease.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lacey R. Lopez ◽  
Cassandra J. Barlogio ◽  
Christopher A. Broberg ◽  
Jeremy Wang ◽  
Janelle C. Arthur

AbstractInflammatory bowel diseases and inflammation-associated colorectal cancer are linked to blooms of adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) in the intestinal microbiota. AIEC are functionally defined by their ability to adhere/invade epithelial cells and survive/replicate within macrophages. Changes in micronutrient availability can alter AIEC physiology and interactions with host cells. Thus, culturing AIEC for mechanistic investigations often involves precise nutrient formulation. We observed that the pro-inflammatory and pro-carcinogenic AIEC strain NC101 failed to grow in minimal media (MM). We hypothesized that NC101 was unable to synthesize a vital micronutrient normally found in the host gut. Through nutrient supplementation studies, we identified that NC101 is a nicotinic acid (NA) auxotroph. NA auxotrophy was not observed in the other non-toxigenic E. coli or AIEC strains we tested. Sequencing revealed NC101 has a missense mutation in nadA, a gene encoding quinolinate synthase A that is important for de novo NAD biosynthesis. Correcting the identified nadA point mutation restored NC101 prototrophy without impacting AIEC function, including motility and AIEC-defining survival in macrophages. Our findings, along with the generation of a prototrophic NC101 strain, will greatly enhance the ability to perform in vitro functional studies that are needed for mechanistic investigations on the role of intestinal E. coli in digestive disease.ImportanceInflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are significant global health concerns that are influenced by gut resident microbes, like adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC). Nutrient availability influences specialized metabolite production, AIEC-defining functional attributes, and AIEC:host interactions. NC101 is a pro-inflammatory and pro-carcinogenic AIEC strain commonly used for studies on IBD and CRC. We identified that NC101 growth in vitro requires a micronutrient found in the host gut. By correcting an identified mutation, we generated an NC101 strain that no longer has micronutrient restrictions. Our findings will facilitate future research that necessitates precise nutrient manipulation, enhancing AIEC functional studies and investigations on other auxotrophic intestinal microbiota members. Broadly, this will improve the study of bacterial:host interactions impacting health and disease.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Madeleine Huber

Operons wurden zuerst im Jahre 1961 beschrieben. Bis heute ist bekannt, dass die prokaryotischen Domänen Bacteria und Archaea Gene sowohl in monocistronischen als auch in bi- oder polycistronischen Transkripten exprimieren können. Häufig überlappen Gene sogar in ihren Sequenzen. Diese überlappenden Genpaare stehen nicht in Korrelation mit der Kompaktheit ihres Genoms. Das führt zu der Annahme, dass eine Art der Regulation vorliegt, welche weitere Proteine oder Gene nicht benötigt. Diese könnte eine gekoppelte Translation sein. Das bedeutet die Translation des stromabwärts-liegenden Gens ist abhängig von der Translation eines stromaufwärts-liegenden Gens. Diese Abhängigkeit kann zum Beispiel durch lang reichende Sekundärstrukturen entstehen, bei welchen Ribosomenbindestellen (RBS) des stromabwärts-liegenden Gens blockiert sind. Die de novo-Initiation am stromabwärts-liegenden Gen kann nur stattfinden, wenn das erste Gen translatiert wird und dabei die Sekundärstruktur an der RBS aufgeschmolzen wird. Für Genpaare in E. coli ist dieser Mechanismus gut untersucht. Ein anderes Beispiel für die Translationskopplung ist die Termination-Reinitiation, bei welcher ein Ribosom das erste Gen translatiert bis zum Stop-Codon, dort terminiert und direkt am stromabwärts-liegenden Start-Codon reinitiiert. Der Mechanismus via Termination-Reinitiation ist bis jetzt nur für eukaryontische Viren beschrieben worden. Im Gegensatz zu einer Kopplung über Sekundärstrukturen kommt es bei der Termination-Reinitiation am stromabwärts-liegenden Gen nicht zu einer de novo-Initiation sondern eine Reinitiation des Ribosoms findet statt. Diese Arbeit analysiert jene Art der Translationskopplung an Genen polycistronischer mRNAs in jeweils einem Modellorganismus als Vertreter der Archaea (Haloferax volcanii) und Bacteria (Escherichia coli). Hierfür wurden Reportergenvektoren erstellt, welche die überlappenden Genpaare an Reportergene fusionierten. Für diese Reportergene ist es möglich die Transkriptmenge zu quantifizieren sowie für die exprimierten Proteine Enzymassays durchgeführt werden können. Aus beiden Werten können Translationseffizienzen berechnet werden indem jeweils die Enzymaktivität pro Transkriptmenge ermittelt wird. Durch ein prämatures Stop-Codon in diesen Konstrukten ist es möglich zu unterscheiden ob es für die Translation des zweiten Gens essentiell ist, dass das Ribosom den Überlapp erreicht. Hiermit konnte für neun Genpaare in H. volcanii und vier Genpaare in E. coli gezeigt werden, dass eine Art der Kopplung stattfindet bei der es sich um eine Termination-Reinitiation handelt. Des Weiteren wurde analysiert, welche Auswirkungen intragene Shine-Dalgarno Sequenzen bei dem Event der Translationskopplung besitzen. Durch die Mutation solcher Motive und dem Vergleich der Translationseffizienzen der Konstrukte, mit und ohne einer SD Sequenz, wird für alle analysierten Genpaare beider Modellorganismen gezeigt, dass die SD Sequenz einen Einfluss auf diese Art der Kopplung hat. Zwischen den Genpaaren ist dieser Einfluss jedoch stark variabel. Weiterhin wurde der maximale Abstand zwischen zwei bicistronischen Genen untersucht, für welchen Translationskopplung via Termination-Reinitiation noch stattfinden kann. Hierfür wird durch site-directed mutagenesis jeweils ein prämatures Stop-Codon im stromaufwärts-liegenden Gen eingebracht, welches den intergenen Abstand zwischen den Genen in den jeweiligen Konstrukten vergrößert. Der Vergleich aller Konstrukte eines Genpaars zeigt in beiden Modellorganismen, dass die Termination-Reinitiation vom intergenen Abstand abhängig ist und die Translationseffizienz des stromabwärts-liegenden Reporters bereits ab 15 Nukleotiden Abstand abnimmt. Eine weitere Fragestellung dieser Arbeit war es, den genauen Mechanismus der Termination-Reinitiation zu analysieren. Für Ribosomen gibt es an der mRNA nach der Termination der Translation zwei Möglichkeiten: Entweder als 70S Ribosom bestehen zu bleiben und ein weiteres Start-Codon auf der mRNA zu suchen oder in seine beiden Untereinheiten zu dissoziieren, während die 50S Untereinheit die mRNA verlässt und die 30S Untereinheit über Wechselwirkungen an der mRNA verbleiben kann. Um diesen Mechanismus auf molekularer Ebene zu untersuchen, wird ein Versuchsablauf vorgestellt. Dieser ermöglicht das Event bei der Termination-Reinitiation in vitro zu analysieren. Eine Unterscheidung von 30S oder 70S Ribosomen bei der Reinitiation der Translation des stromabwärts-liegenden Gens wird ermöglicht. Die Idee dabei basiert auf einem ribosome display, bei welchem Translationskomplexe am Ende der Translation nicht in ihre Bestandteile zerfallen können, da die eingesetzte mRNA kein Stop-Codon enthält Der genaue Versuchsablauf, die benötigten Bestandteile sowie proof-of-principal Versuche sind in der Arbeit dargestellt und mögliche Optimierungen werden diskutiert.


1991 ◽  
Vol 174 (5) ◽  
pp. 1167-1177 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Vuopio-Varkila ◽  
G K Schoolnik

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli grow as discrete colonies on the mucous membranes of the small intestine. A similar pattern can be demonstrated in vitro; termed localized adherence (LA), it is characterized by the presence of circumscribed clusters of bacteria attached to the surfaces of cultured epithelial cells. The LA phenotype was studied using B171, an O111:NM enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) strain, and HEp-2 cell monolayers. LA could be detected 30-60 min after exposure of HEp-2 cells to B171. However, bacteria transferred from infected HEp-2 cells to fresh monolayers exhibited LA within 15 min, indicating that LA is an inducible phenotype. Induction of the LA phenotype was found to be associated with de novo protein synthesis and changes in the outer membrane proteins, including the production of a new 18.5-kD polypeptide. A partial NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of this polypeptide was obtained and showed it to be identical through residue 12 to the recently described bundle-forming pilus subunit of EPEC. Expression of the 18.5-kD polypeptide required the 57-megadalton enteropathogenic E. coli adherence plasmid previously shown to be required for the LA phenotype in vitro and full virulence in vivo. This observation, the correspondence of the 18.5-kD polypeptide to an EPEC-specific pilus protein, and the temporal correlation of its expression with the development of the LA phenotype suggest that it may contribute to the EPEC colonial mode of growth.


2014 ◽  
Vol 197 (5) ◽  
pp. 905-912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuriy A. Knirel ◽  
Nikolai S. Prokhorov ◽  
Alexander S. Shashkov ◽  
Olga G. Ovchinnikova ◽  
Evelina L. Zdorovenko ◽  
...  

The O polysaccharide of the lipopolysaccharide (O antigen) of Gram-negative bacteria often serves as a receptor for bacteriophages that can make the phage dependent on a given O-antigen type, thus supporting the concept of the adaptive significance of the O-antigen variability in bacteria. The O-antigen layer also modulates interactions of many bacteriophages with their hosts, limiting the access of the viruses to other cell surface receptors. Here we report variations of O-antigen synthesis and structure in an environmentalEscherichia coliisolate, 4s, obtained from horse feces, and its mutants selected for resistance to bacteriophage G7C, isolated from the same fecal sample. The 4s O antigen was found to be serologically, structurally, and genetically related to the O antigen ofE. coliO22, differing only in side-chain α-d-glucosylation in the former, mediated by agtrlocus on the chromosome. Spontaneous mutations ofE. coli4s occurring with an unusually high frequency affected either O-antigen synthesis or O-acetylation due to the inactivation of the gene encoding the putative glycosyltransferase WclH or the putative acetyltransferase WclK, respectively, by the insertion of IS1-like elements. These mutations induced resistance to bacteriophage G7C and also modified interactions ofE. coli4s with several other bacteriophages conferring either resistance or sensitivity to the host. These findings suggest that O-antigen synthesis and O-acetylation can both ensure the specific recognition of the O-antigen receptor following infection by some phages and provide protection of the host cells against attack by other phages.


2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 1801-1812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Kleta ◽  
Marcel Nordhoff ◽  
Karsten Tedin ◽  
Lothar H. Wieler ◽  
Rafal Kolenda ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTEnteropathogenicEscherichia coli(EPEC) is recognized as an important intestinal pathogen that frequently causes acute and persistent diarrhea in humans and animals. The use of probiotic bacteria to prevent diarrhea is gaining increasing interest. The probioticE. colistrain Nissle 1917 (EcN) is known to be effective in the treatment of several gastrointestinal disorders. While bothin vitroandin vivostudies have described strong inhibitory effects of EcN on enteropathogenic bacteria, including pathogenicE. coli, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we examined the inhibitory effect of EcN on infections of porcine intestinal epithelial cells with atypical enteropathogenicE. coli(aEPEC) with respect to single infection steps, including adhesion, microcolony formation, and the attaching and effacing phenotype. We show that EcN drastically reduced the infection efficiencies of aEPEC by inhibiting bacterial adhesion and growth of microcolonies, but not the attaching and effacing of adherent bacteria. The inhibitory effect correlated with EcN adhesion capacities and was predominantly mediated by F1C fimbriae, but also by H1 flagella, which served as bridges between EcN cells. Furthermore, EcN seemed to interfere with the initial adhesion of aEPEC to host cells by secretion of inhibitory components. These components do not appear to be specific to EcN, but we propose that the strong adhesion capacities enable EcN to secrete sufficient local concentrations of the inhibitory factors. The results of this study are consistent with a mode of action whereby EcN inhibits secretion of virulence-associated proteins of EPEC, but not their expression.


2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (17) ◽  
pp. 5198-5202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pongpan Laksanalamai ◽  
Dennis L. Maeder ◽  
Frank T. Robb

ABSTRACT The small heat shock protein (sHSP) from the hyperthermophilePyrococcus furiosus was specifically induced at the level of transcription by heat shock at 105°C. The gene encoding this protein was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant sHSP prevented the majority of E. coli proteins from aggregating in vitro for up to 40 min at 105°C. The sHSP also prevented bovine glutamate dehydrogenase from aggregating at 56°C. Survivability of E. colioverexpressing the sHSP was enhanced approximately sixfold during exposure to 50°C for 2 h compared with the control culture, which did not express the sHSP. Apparently, the sHSP confers a survival advantage on mesophilic bacteria by preventing protein aggregation at supraoptimal temperatures.


1993 ◽  
Vol 289 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Quinn ◽  
A G Diamond ◽  
A K Masters ◽  
D E Brookfield ◽  
N G Wallis ◽  
...  

The dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase subunit (E2p) of mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex has two highly conserved lipoyl domains each modified with a lipoyl cofactor bound in amide linkage to a specific lysine residue. A sub-gene encoding the inner lipoyl domain of human E2p has been over-expressed in Escherichia coli. Two forms of the domain have been purified, corresponding to lipoylated and non-lipoylated species. The apo-domain can be lipoylated in vitro with partially purified E. coli lipoate protein ligase, and the lipoylated domain can be reductively acetylated by human E1p (pyruvate dehydrogenase). Availability of the two forms will now allow detailed biochemical and structural studies of the human lipoyl domains.


2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
pp. 2423-2432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeon Cheol Lee ◽  
Jin Ha Kim ◽  
Jin Sook Kim ◽  
Wonhee Jang ◽  
Sang Yong Kim

ABSTRACT Thymidine is an important precursor in the production of various antiviral drugs, including azidothymidine for the treatment of AIDS. Since thymidine-containing nucleotides are synthesized only by the de novo pathway during DNA synthesis, it is not easy to produce a large amount of thymidine biologically. In order to develop a host strain to produce thymidine, thymidine phosphorylase, thymidine kinase, and uridine phosphorylase genes were deleted from an Escherichia coli BL21 strain to develop BLdtu. Since the genes coding for the enzymes related to the nucleotide salvage pathway were disrupted, BLdtu was unable to utilize thymidine or thymine, and thymidine degradation activity was completely abrogated. We additionally expressed T4 thymidylate synthase, T4 nucleotide diphosphate reductase, bacteriophage PBS2 TMP phosphohydrolase, E. coli dCTP deaminase, and E. coli uridine kinase in the BLdtu strain to develop a thymidine-producing strain (BLdtu24). BLdtu24 produced 649.3 mg liter−1 of thymidine in a 7-liter batch fermenter for 24 h, and neither thymine nor uridine was detected. However, the dUTP/dTTP ratio was increased in BLdtu24, which could lead to increased double-strand breakages and eventually to cell deaths during fermentation. To enhance thymidine production and to prevent cell deaths during fermentation, we disrupted a gene (encoding uracil-DNA N-glycosylase) involved in DNA excision repair to suppress the consumption of dTTP and developed BLdtug24. Compared with the thymidine production in BLdtu24, the thymidine production in BLdtug24 was increased by ∼1.2-fold (740.3 mg liter−1). Here, we show that a thymidine-producing strain with a relatively high yield can be developed using a metabolic engineering approach.


2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (5) ◽  
pp. 1786-1797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina N. Andreishcheva ◽  
Willie F. Vann

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli K1 is responsible for 80% of E. coli neonatal meningitis and is a common pathogen in urinary tract infections. Bacteria of this serotype are encapsulated with the α(2-8)-polysialic acid NeuNAc(α2-8), common to several bacterial pathogens. The gene cluster encoding the pathway for synthesis of this polymer is organized into three regions: (i) kpsSCUDEF, (ii) neuDBACES, and (iii) kpsMT. The K1 polysialyltransferase, NeuS, cannot synthesize polysialic acid de novo without other products of the gene cluster. Membranes isolated from strains having the entire K1 gene cluster can synthesize polysialic acid de novo. We designed a series of plasmid constructs containing fragments of regions 1 and 2 in two compatible vectors to determine the minimum number of gene products required for de novo synthesis of the polysialic acid from CMP-NeuNAc in K1 E. coli. We measured the ability of the various combinations of region 1 and 2 fragments to restore polysialyltransferase activity in vitro in the absence of exogenously added polysaccharide acceptor. The products of region 2 genes neuDBACES alone were not sufficient to support de novo synthesis of polysialic acid in vitro. Only membrane fractions harboring NeuES and KpsCS could form sialic polymer in the absence of exogenous acceptor at the concentrations formed by wild-type E. coli K1 membranes. Membrane fractions harboring NeuES and KpsC together could form small quantities of the sialic polymer de novo.


Toxins ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruballa ◽  
Shiromizu ◽  
Bernal ◽  
Pineda ◽  
Sabbione ◽  
...  

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains are food-borne pathogens that can cause different clinical conditions. Shiga toxin 2a and/or 2c (Stx2)-producing E. coli O157:H7 is the serotype most frequently associated with severe human disease. In this work we analyzed the hypothesis that host cells participate in Stx2 production, cell damage, and inflammation during EHEC infection. With this aim, macrophage-differentiated THP-1 cells and the intestinal epithelial cell line HCT-8 were incubated with E. coli O157:H7. A time course analysis of cellular and bacterial survival, Stx2 production, stx2 transcription, and cytokine secretion were analyzed in both human cell lines. We demonstrated that macrophages are able to internalize and kill EHEC. Simultaneously, Stx2 produced by internalized bacteria played a major role in macrophage death. In contrast, HCT-8 cells were completely resistant to EHEC infection. Besides, macrophages and HCT-8 infected cells produce IL-1β and IL-8 inflammatory cytokines, respectively. At the same time, bacterial stx2-specific transcripts were detected only in macrophages after EHEC infection. The interplay between bacteria and host cells led to Stx production, triggering of inflammatory response and cell damage, all of which could contribute to a severe outcome after EHEC infections.


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