scholarly journals A Low-Prevalence Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism in the Sensor Kinase PhoR in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Suppresses Its Autophosphatase Activity and Reduces Pathogenic Fitness: Implications in Evolutionary Selection

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uchenna Watson Waturuocha ◽  
M. S. Krishna ◽  
Vandana Malhotra ◽  
Narendra M. Dixit ◽  
Deepak Kumar Saini

The genome sequencing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative organism of tuberculosis, has significantly improved our understanding of the mechanisms that drive the establishment of infection and disease progression. Several clinical strains of M. tuberculosis exhibit single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the implications of which are only beginning to be understood. Here, we examined the impact of a specific polymorphism in PhoR, the sensor kinase of the PhoPR two-component system. Biochemical analysis revealed reduced autophosphatase/ATPase activity, which led to enhanced downstream gene expression. We complemented M. tuberculosis H37Ra with the wild-type and mutant phoPR genes and characterized the strains in a cell line infection model. We provide an explanation for the low prevalence of the SNP in clinical strains (∼1%), as the mutation causes a survival disadvantage in the host cells. The study provides a rare example of selection of a signaling node under competing evolutionary forces, wherein a biochemically superior mutation aids bacterial adaptation within-host but has low fitness for infection and hence is not selected. Our study highlights the importance of accounting for such SNPs to test therapeutic and co-therapeutic methods to combat TB.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0256664
Author(s):  
Uchenna Watson Waturuocha ◽  
Athira P. J. ◽  
Krishna Kumar Singh ◽  
Vandana Malhotra ◽  
M. S. Krishna ◽  
...  

The DNA polymorphisms found in clinical strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis drive altered physiology, virulence, and pathogenesis in them. Although the lineages of these clinical strains can be traced back to common ancestor/s, there exists a plethora of difference between them, compared to those that have evolved in the laboratory. We identify a mutation present in ~80% of clinical strains, which maps in the HATPase domain of the sensor kinase MtrB and alters kinase and phosphatase activities, and affects its physiological role. The changes conferred by the mutation were probed by in-vitro biochemical assays which revealed changes in signaling properties of the sensor kinase. These changes also affect bacterial cell division rates, size and membrane properties. The study highlights the impact of DNA polymorphisms on the pathophysiology of clinical strains and provides insights into underlying mechanisms that drive signal transduction in pathogenic bacteria.


2016 ◽  
Vol 213 (5) ◽  
pp. 809-825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yancheng Liu ◽  
Shumin Tan ◽  
Lu Huang ◽  
Robert B. Abramovitch ◽  
Kyle H. Rohde ◽  
...  

Successful chemotherapy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) must eradicate the bacterium within the context of its host cell. However, our understanding of the impact of this environment on antimycobacterial drug action remains incomplete. Intriguingly, we find that Mtb in myeloid cells isolated from the lungs of experimentally infected mice exhibit tolerance to both isoniazid and rifampin to a degree proportional to the activation status of the host cells. These data are confirmed by in vitro infections of resting versus activated macrophages where cytokine-mediated activation renders Mtb tolerant to four frontline drugs. Transcriptional analysis of intracellular Mtb exposed to drugs identified a set of genes common to all four drugs. The data imply a causal linkage between a loss of fitness caused by drug action and Mtb’s sensitivity to host-derived stresses. Interestingly, the environmental context exerts a more dominant impact on Mtb gene expression than the pressure on the drugs’ primary targets. Mtb’s stress responses to drugs resemble those mobilized after cytokine activation of the host cell. Although host-derived stresses are antimicrobial in nature, they negatively affect drug efficacy. Together, our findings demonstrate that the macrophage environment dominates Mtb’s response to drug pressure and suggest novel routes for future drug discovery programs.


mBio ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Drusano ◽  
Nicole Sgambati ◽  
Adam Eichas ◽  
David L. Brown ◽  
Robert Kulawy ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTMoxifloxacin is under development for expanded use againstMycobacterium tuberculosis. Rifampin is a mainstay of therapy. We examined the interaction of moxifloxacin plus rifampin for log-phase and nonreplicating persister (NRP) organisms. For this evaluation, we employed our hollow-fiber infection model, in which organisms are exposed to clinically relevant drug concentration-time profiles and the impact on bacterial cell kill and resistant subpopulation amplification is determined. In log phase, resistance emergence was observed in all monotherapy regimens and in no combination therapy regimen. No difference was seen in time to a 3-log reduction in the bacterial burden; there was a significant difference in time to resistance emergence (P= 0.0006). In the NRP experiment, no resistance emergence was seen. There was a significant difference between the monotherapy and combination therapy regimens in time to a 3-log reduction in the bacterial burden (P= 0.042). The combination is efficacious for suppressing resistant organisms but is antagonistic for cell kill.IMPORTANCEM. tuberculosisinfects one-third of the world’s population. Multiresistant organisms have become more frequent, threatening our ability to provide adequate chemotherapy. Moxifloxacin has been seen as an important new agent with the potential to supplant isoniazid or add to the rifampin/isoniazid combination.M. tuberculosisalso exists in different physiological states, including the NRP phenotype. We examined the moxifloxacin/rifampin combination in a newin vitrosystem to allow judgment of how moxifloxacin would interact with rifampin and allow its performance in clinical trials to be placed into perspective. Importantly, the combination suppressed resistance emergence, but at the price of slightly slowing bacterial cell kill. This new combination is a welcome addition to the physician’s armamentarium.


2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Drusano ◽  
Brandon Duncanson ◽  
C. A. Scanga ◽  
S. Kim ◽  
S. Schmidt ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Preclinical animal models of infection are employed to develop new agents but also to screen among molecules to rank them. There are often major differences between human pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles and those developed by animal models of infection, and these may lead to substantial differences in efficacy relative to that seen in humans. Linezolid is a repurposed agent employed to great effect for therapy of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this study, we used the hollow-fiber infection model (HFIM) to evaluate the impact of different pharmacokinetic profiles of mice and nonhuman primates (NHP) versus humans on bacterial cell kill as well as resistance suppression. We examined both plasma and epithelial lining fluid (ELF) profiles. We examined simulated exposures equivalent to 600 mg and 900 mg daily of linezolid in humans. For both plasma and ELF exposures, the murine PK profile provided estimates of effect that were biased low relative to human and NHP PK profiles. Mathematical modeling identified a linkage between minimum concentrations (Cmin) and bacterial kill and peak concentrations (Cpeak) and resistance suppression, with the latter being supported by a prospective validation study. Finding new agents with novel mechanisms of action against M. tuberculosis is difficult. It would be a tragedy to discard a new agent because of a biased estimate of effect in a preclinical animal system. The HFIM provides a system to benchmark evaluation of new compounds in preclinical animal model systems against human PK effects (species scale-up estimates of PK), to safeguard against unwarranted rejection of promising new agents.


PLoS Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. e3001355
Author(s):  
Richard C. Lavin ◽  
Calvin Johnson ◽  
Yong-Mo Ahn ◽  
Kyle M. Kremiller ◽  
Matthew Sherwood ◽  
...  

Sensing and response to environmental cues, such as pH and chloride (Cl−), is critical in enabling Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) colonization of its host. Utilizing a fluorescent reporter Mtb strain in a chemical screen, we have identified compounds that dysregulate Mtb response to high Cl− levels, with a subset of the hits also inhibiting Mtb growth in host macrophages. Structure–activity relationship studies on the hit compound “C6,” or 2-(4-((2-(ethylthio)pyrimidin-5-yl)methyl)piperazin-1-yl)benzo[d]oxazole, demonstrated a correlation between compound perturbation of Mtb Cl− response and inhibition of bacterial growth in macrophages. C6 accumulated in both bacterial and host cells, and inhibited Mtb growth in cholesterol media, but not in rich media. Subsequent examination of the Cl− response of Mtb revealed an intriguing link with bacterial growth in cholesterol, with increased transcription of several Cl−-responsive genes in the simultaneous presence of cholesterol and high external Cl− concentration, versus transcript levels observed during exposure to high external Cl− concentration alone. Strikingly, oral administration of C6 was able to inhibit Mtb growth in vivo in a C3HeB/FeJ murine infection model. Our work illustrates how Mtb response to environmental cues can intersect with its metabolism and be exploited in antitubercular drug discovery.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. e1009713
Author(s):  
Jeffrey S. Bourgeois ◽  
Liuyang Wang ◽  
Agustin F. Rabino ◽  
Jeffrey Everitt ◽  
Monica I. Alvarez ◽  
...  

Salmonella hijack host machinery in order to invade cells and establish infection. While considerable work has described the role of host proteins in invasion, much less is known regarding how natural variation in these invasion-associated host proteins affects Salmonella pathogenesis. Here we leveraged a candidate cellular GWAS screen to identify natural genetic variation in the ARHGEF26 (Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor 26) gene that renders lymphoblastoid cells susceptible to Salmonella Typhi and Typhimurium invasion. Experimental follow-up redefined ARHGEF26’s role in Salmonella epithelial cell infection. Specifically, we identified complex serovar-by-host interactions whereby ARHGEF26 stimulation of S. Typhi and S. Typhimurium invasion into host cells varied in magnitude and effector-dependence based on host cell type. While ARHGEF26 regulated SopB- and SopE-mediated S. Typhi (but not S. Typhimurium) infection of HeLa cells, the largest effect of ARHGEF26 was observed with S. Typhimurium in polarized MDCK cells through a SopB- and SopE2-independent mechanism. In both cell types, knockdown of the ARHGEF26-associated protein DLG1 resulted in a similar phenotype and serovar specificity. Importantly, we show that ARHGEF26 plays a critical role in S. Typhimurium pathogenesis by contributing to bacterial burden in the enteric fever murine model, as well as inflammation in the colitis infection model. In the enteric fever model, SopB and SopE2 are required for the effects of Arhgef26 deletion on bacterial burden, and the impact of sopB and sopE2 deletion in turn required ARHGEF26. In contrast, SopB and SopE2 were not required for the impacts of Arhgef26 deletion on colitis. A role for ARHGEF26 on inflammation was also seen in cells, as knockdown reduced IL-8 production in HeLa cells. Together, these data reveal pleiotropic roles for ARHGEF26 during infection and highlight that many of the interactions that occur during infection that are thought to be well understood likely have underappreciated complexity.


2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 4524-4529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alix Pantel ◽  
Stéphanie Petrella ◽  
Stéphanie Matrat ◽  
Florence Brossier ◽  
Sylvaine Bastian ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe main mechanism of fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance inMycobacterium tuberculosisis mutation in DNA gyrase (GyrA2GyrB2), especially ingyrA. However, the discovery of unknown mutations ingyrBwhose implication in FQ resistance is unclear has become more frequent. We investigated the impact on FQ susceptibility of eightgyrBmutations inM. tuberculosisclinical strains, three of which were previously identified in an FQ-resistant strain. We measured FQ MICs and also DNA gyrase inhibition by FQs in order to clarify the role of these mutations in FQ resistance. Wild-type GyrA, wild-type GyrB, and mutant GyrB subunits produced from engineeredgyrBalleles by mutagenesis were overexpressed inEscherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and used to reconstitute highly active gyrase complexes. MICs and DNA gyrase inhibition were determined for moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, and enoxacin. We demonstrated that the eight substitutions in GyrB (D473N, P478A, R485H, S486F, A506G, A547V, G551R, and G559A), recently identified in FQ-resistant clinical strains or encountered inM. tuberculosisstrains isolated in France, are not implicated in FQ resistance. These results underline that, as opposed to phenotypic FQ susceptibility testing, the DNA gyrase inhibition assay is the only way to prove the role of a DNA gyrase mutation in FQ resistance. Therefore, the use of FQ in the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) patients should not be ruled out only on the basis of the presence of mutations ingyrB.


2016 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. 1672-1681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Ebner ◽  
Janina Rinker ◽  
Minh Thu Nguyen ◽  
Peter Popella ◽  
Mulugeta Nega ◽  
...  

Excretion of cytoplasmic proteins in pro- and eukaryotes, also referred to as “nonclassical protein export,” is a well-known phenomenon. However, comparatively little is known about the role of the excreted proteins in relation to pathogenicity. Here, the impact of two excreted glycolytic enzymes, aldolase (FbaA) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), on pathogenicity was investigated inStaphylococcus aureus. Both enzymes bound to certain host matrix proteins and enhanced adherence of the bacterial cells to host cells but caused a decrease in host cell invasion. FbaA and GAPDH also bound to the cell surfaces of staphylococcal cells by interaction with the major autolysin, Atl, that is involved in host cell internalization. Surprisingly, FbaA showed high cytotoxicity to both MonoMac 6 (MM6) and HaCaT cells, while GAPDH was cytotoxic only for MM6 cells. Finally, the contribution of external FbaA and GAPDH toS. aureuspathogenicity was confirmed in an insect infection model.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinay Kumar Nandicoori ◽  
Saba Naz ◽  
Kumar Paritosh ◽  
Priyadarshini Sanyal ◽  
Sidra Khan ◽  
...  

The emergence of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is alarming and demands in-depth knowledge for timely diagnosis. We performed genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) using 2237 clinical strains of Mtb to identify novel genetic factors that evoke drug resistance. In addition to the known direct targets, for the first time, we identified a strong association between the mutations in the DNA repair genes and the multidrug-resistant phenotype. To evaluate the impact of variants identified in the clinical samples in the evolution of drug resistance, we utilized knockouts and complemented strains in Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msm) and Mtb. Results show that variant mutations abrogated the function of MutY and UvrB. MutY variant showed enhanced survival compared with wild-type (Rv) when the Mtb strains were subjected to multiple rounds of ex vivo antibiotic stress. Notably, in an in vivo Guinea pig infection model, the MutY variant outcompeted the wild-type strain. Collectively, we show that novel variant mutations in the DNA repair genes abrogate their function and contribute to better survival under antibiotic/host stress conditions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 904-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pampi Chakraborty ◽  
Savita Kulkarni ◽  
Ramakrishna Rajan ◽  
Krishna Sainis

Introduction: It is possible that the difference in virulence and prevalence of different strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is related to the diverse immune response they evoke in the host. Outbreak strains have been shown to subvert the innate immune response as a potential host evasion mechanism. However, the immunological outcome of the interactions of different clinical strains with different host cells is still not understood. Methodology: Extremely Drug Resistant (XDR) Beijing, a modern lineage clinical strain and a comparator ancient lineage strain, EAI-5, were selected for the present study. The early induction of proinflammatory cytokines in human peripheral blood monocyte derived macrophages (MDM), monocyte derived dendritic cells (MDDC) and whole blood (WB) infected by selected clinical isolates and laboratory strains H37Rv and BCG were assessed. Results: The two clinical strains exhibited distinct patterns of cytokine induction. The ancient lineage strain induced substantially higher expression of all proinflammatory cytokines like TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-12 and chemokines like MCP-1, IL-8. However, the modern lineage strain exhibited suppressed response for the same. Further, the immune responses to two strains were conserved in infected MDM, MDDC and WB i.e. showing similar patterns of response across multiple human hosts. However, the differential response pattern was not observed when bacterial sonicates were used instead of live mycobacteria. Conclusions: The lineage specific patterns in induction of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines by different M. tuberculosis strains remain similar in macrophage and dendritic cells isolated from different individuals. The present study also confirms that whole cell sonicates of different lineages of M. tuberculosis fail to induce such lineage specific response.


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