Characterization of the novel OXA-213-like β-lactamase OXA-822 from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela Tietgen ◽  
Laura Leukert ◽  
Julian Sommer ◽  
Jan S Kramer ◽  
Steffen Brunst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Acinetobacter Calcoaceticus ◽  
Amino Acid Sequence Similarity ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
The Novel ◽  
High Turnover

Abstract Objectives This study analysed the novel carbapenem-hydrolysing class D β-lactamase OXA-822 identified in the clinical Acinetobacter calcoaceticus isolate AC_2117. Methods WGS was employed for identification of β-lactamases. Micro-broth dilution was used for evaluation of antibiotic susceptibility of AC_2117 and transformants containing blaOXA-822. After heterologous purification of OXA-822, OXA-359 and OXA-213, enzyme kinetics were determined using spectrometry. The effect of OXA-822 upon meropenem treatment was analysed in the Galleria mellonella in vivo infection model. Results OXA-822 is a member of the intrinsic OXA-213-like family found in A. calcoaceticus and Acinetobacter pittii. Amino acid sequence similarity to the nearest related OXA-359 was 97%. Production of OXA-822, OXA-359 and OXA-213 in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC® 19606T resulted in elevated MICs for carbapenems (up to 16-fold). Penicillinase activity of the purified OXA-822 revealed high KM values, in the millimolar range, combined with high turnover numbers. OXA-822 showed the highest affinity to carbapenems, but affinity to imipenem was ∼10-fold lower compared with other carbapenems. Molecular modelling revealed that imipenem does not interact with a negatively charged side chain of OXA-822, as doripenem does, leading to the lower affinity. Presence of OXA-822 decreased survival of infected Galleria mellonella larvae after treatment with meropenem. Only 52.7% ± 7.7% of the larvae survived after 24 h compared with 90.9% ± 3.7% survival in the control group. Conclusions The novel OXA-822 from a clinical A. calcoaceticus isolate displayed penicillinase and carbapenemase activity in vitro, elevated MICs in different species and decreased carbapenem susceptibility in A. baumannii in vivo.

scholarly journals Designing P. aeruginosa synthetic phages with reduced genomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana P. Pires ◽  
Rodrigo Monteiro ◽  
Dalila Mil-Homens ◽  
Arsénio Fialho ◽  
Timothy K. Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Antibacterial Properties ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Promising Therapeutic Approach ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
First Time

AbstractIn the era where antibiotic resistance is considered one of the major worldwide concerns, bacteriophages have emerged as a promising therapeutic approach to deal with this problem. Genetically engineered bacteriophages can enable enhanced anti-bacterial functionalities, but require cloning additional genes into the phage genomes, which might be challenging due to the DNA encapsulation capacity of a phage. To tackle this issue, we designed and assembled for the first time synthetic phages with smaller genomes by knocking out up to 48% of the genes encoding hypothetical proteins from the genome of the newly isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage vB_PaeP_PE3. The antibacterial efficacy of the wild-type and the synthetic phages was assessed in vitro as well as in vivo using a Galleria mellonella infection model. Overall, both in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that the knock-outs made in phage genome do not impair the antibacterial properties of the synthetic phages, indicating that this could be a good strategy to clear space from phage genomes in order to enable the introduction of other genes of interest that can potentiate the future treatment of P. aeruginosa infections.

Emergence of ceftazidime/avibactam resistance in KPC-3-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in vivo

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 3211-3216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Göttig ◽  
Denia Frank ◽  
Eleonora Mungo ◽  
Anika Nolte ◽  
Michael Hogardt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Combination Therapy ◽  
Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽  
Selection Pressure ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Phenotypic Characterization ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Development Of Resistance ◽  
Time Kill

Abstract Objectives The β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combination ceftazidime/avibactam is active against KPC-producing Enterobacterales. Herein, we present molecular and phenotypic characterization of ceftazidime/avibactam resistance in KPC-3-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae that emerged in vivo and in vitro. Methods Sequence analysis of blaKPC-3 was performed from clinical and in vitro-generated ceftazidime/avibactam-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates. Time–kill kinetics and the Galleria mellonella infection model were applied to evaluate the activity of ceftazidime/avibactam and imipenem alone and in combination. Results The ceftazidime/avibactam-resistant clinical K. pneumoniae isolate revealed the amino acid change D179Y in KPC-3. Sixteen novel mutational changes in KPC-3 among in vitro-selected ceftazidime/avibactam-resistant isolates were described. Time–kill kinetics showed the emergence of a resistant subpopulation under selection pressure with either imipenem or ceftazidime/avibactam. However, combined selection pressure with imipenem plus ceftazidime/avibactam prevented the development of resistance and resulted in bactericidal activity. Concordantly, the G. mellonella infection model revealed that monotherapy with ceftazidime/avibactam is prone to select for resistance in vivo and that combination therapy with imipenem results in significantly better survival. Conclusions Ceftazidime/avibactam is a valuable antibiotic against MDR and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales. Based on time–kill kinetics as well as an in vivo infection model we postulate a combination therapy of ceftazidime/avibactam and imipenem as a strategy to prevent the development of ceftazidime/avibactam resistance in KPC-producing Enterobacterales in vivo.

scholarly journals In VivoEfficacy of Anuran Trypsin Inhibitory Peptides against Staphylococcal Skin Infection and the Impact of Peptide Cyclization

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 2113-2121 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Malik ◽  
O. N. Silva ◽  
I. C. M. Fensterseifer ◽  
L. Y. Chan ◽  
R. J. Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Cyclic Peptide ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Inhibitory Activities ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTStaphylococcus aureusis a virulent pathogen that is responsible for a wide range of superficial and invasive infections. Its resistance to existing antimicrobial drugs is a global problem, and the development of novel antimicrobial agents is crucial. Antimicrobial peptides from natural resources offer potential as new treatments against staphylococcal infections. In the current study, we have examined the antimicrobial properties of peptides isolated from anuran skin secretions and cyclized synthetic analogues of these peptides. The structures of the peptides were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, revealing high structural and sequence similarity with each other and with sunflower trypsin inhibitor 1 (SFTI-1). SFTI-1 is an ultrastable cyclic peptide isolated from sunflower seeds that has subnanomolar trypsin inhibitory activity, and this scaffold offers pharmaceutically relevant characteristics. The five anuran peptides were nonhemolytic and noncytotoxic and had trypsin inhibitory activities similar to that of SFTI-1. They demonstrated weakin vitroinhibitory activities againstS. aureus, but several had strong antibacterial activities againstS. aureusin anin vivomurine wound infection model. pYR, an immunomodulatory peptide fromRana sevosa, was the most potent, with complete bacterial clearance at 3 mg · kg−1. Cyclization of the peptides improved their stability but was associated with a concomitant decrease in antimicrobial activity. In summary, these anuran peptides are promising as novel therapeutic agents for treating infections from a clinically resistant pathogen.

scholarly journals A COUP-TF/Svp homolog is highly expressed during vitellogenesis in the mosquito Aedes aegypti

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Miura ◽  
J Zhu ◽  
NT Dittmer ◽  
L Chen ◽  
AS Raikhel
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Blood Meal ◽  
Fat Body ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Amino Acid Sequence Similarity ◽  
Receptor Complex ◽  
Ecdysone Receptor ◽  
Ecdysteroid Receptor

In the mosquito Aedes aegypti, vitellogenesis is activated via an ecdysteroid hormonal cascade initiated by a blood meal. The functional ecdysone receptor is a heterodimer composed of the ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle, the homolog of the retinoid X receptor. The precise tuning of this hormonal response requires participation of both positive and negative transcriptional regulators. In Drosophila, Svp, a homolog of chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor (COUP-TF), inhibits ecdysone receptor complex-mediated transactivation in vitro and in vivo. Here we report the cloning and characterization of the Svp homolog in mosquito Aedes aegypti, AaSvp. It possesses a high degree of amino acid sequence similarity to the members of the COUP-TF/Svp subfamily. AaSvp transcripts and protein are present in the fat body at high levels from the state of arrest to about 60 h post blood meal. AaSvp binds strongly to a variety of direct repeats of the sequence AGGTCA, but weakly to inverted repeats such as hsp27 EcRE. Transient transfection assays in Drosophila S2 cells showed that AaSvp was able to repress 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E)-dependent transactivation mediated by the mosquito ecdysteroid receptor complex. These data suggest that AaSvp negatively regulates the 20E signaling in the fat body during mosquito vitellogenesis.

scholarly journals The Bacterial Actin-Like Cytoskeleton

2006 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 888-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rut Carballido-López
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Amino Acid Sequence Similarity ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Cell Morphogenesis ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Macromolecular Trafficking ◽  
Nucleoprotein Complexes ◽  
Dna Partitioning

SUMMARY Recent advances have shown conclusively that bacterial cells possess distant but true homologues of actin (MreB, ParM, and the recently uncovered MamK protein). Despite weak amino acid sequence similarity, MreB and ParM exhibit high structural homology to actin. Just like F-actin in eukaryotes, MreB and ParM assemble into highly dynamic filamentous structures in vivo and in vitro. MreB-like proteins are essential for cell viability and have been implicated in major cellular processes, including cell morphogenesis, chromosome segregation, and cell polarity. ParM (a plasmid-encoded actin homologue) is responsible for driving plasmid-DNA partitioning. The dynamic prokaryotic actin-like cytoskeleton is thought to serve as a central organizer for the targeting and accurate positioning of proteins and nucleoprotein complexes, thereby (and by analogy to the eukaryotic cytoskeleton) spatially and temporally controlling macromolecular trafficking in bacterial cells. In this paper, the general properties and known functions of the actin orthologues in bacteria are reviewed.

scholarly journals An Optimized Bacteriophage Cocktail Can Effectively Control Salmonella in vitro and in Galleria mellonella

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Y. Nale ◽  
Gurinder K. Vinner ◽  
Viviana C. Lopez ◽  
Anisha M. Thanki ◽  
Preeda Phothaworn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Future Application ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Prophylactic Regimen ◽  
Phage Cocktail ◽  
Resistant Strains ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Further Development

Salmonella spp. is a leading cause of gastrointestinal enteritis in humans where it is largely contracted via contaminated poultry and pork. Phages can be used to control Salmonella infection in the animals, which could break the cycle of infection before the products are accessible for consumption. Here, the potential of 21 myoviruses and a siphovirus to eliminate Salmonella in vitro and in vivo was examined with the aim of developing a biocontrol strategy to curtail the infection in poultry and swine. Together, the phages targeted the twenty-three poultry and ten swine prevalent Salmonella serotype isolates tested. Although individual phages significantly reduced bacterial growth of representative isolates within 6 h post-infection, bacterial regrowth occurred 1 h later, indicating proliferation of resistant strains. To curtail bacteriophage resistance, a novel three-phage cocktail was developed in vitro, and further investigated in an optimized Galleria mellonella larva Salmonella infection model colonized with representative swine, chicken and laboratory strains. For all the strains examined, G. mellonella larvae given phages 2 h prior to bacterial exposure (prophylactic regimen) survived and Salmonella was undetectable 24 h post-phage treatment and throughout the experimental time (72 h). Administering phages with bacteria (co-infection), or 2 h post-bacterial exposure (remedial regimen) also improved survival (73–100% and 15–88%, respectively), but was less effective than prophylaxis application. These pre-livestock data support the future application of this cocktail for further development to effectively treat Salmonella infection in poultry and pigs. Future work will focus on cocktail formulation to ensure stability and incorporation into feeds and used to treat the infection in target animals.

scholarly journals Therapeutic Effect and Mechanisms of the Novel Monosulfactam 0073

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Sun ◽  
Xueyuan Liao ◽  
Zhigang Huang ◽  
Yaliu Xie ◽  
Yanbin Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
Serial Passage ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the novel monosulfactam 0073 against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in vitro and in vivo and to characterize the mechanisms underlying 0073 activity. The in vitro activities of 0073, aztreonam, and the combination with avibactam were assessed by MIC and time-kill assays. The safety of 0073 was evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthizol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and acute toxicity assays. Murine thigh infection and pneumonia models were employed to define in vivo efficacy. A penicillin-binding protein (PBP) competition assay and confocal microscopy were conducted. The inhibitory action of 0073 against β-lactamases was evaluated by the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), and resistance development was evaluated via serial passage. The monosulfactam 0073 showed promising antimicrobial activity against Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii isolates producing metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) and serine β-lactamases. In preliminary experiments, compound 0073 exhibited safety both in vitro and in vivo. In the murine thigh infection model and the pneumonia models in which infection was induced by P. aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, 0073 significantly reduced the bacterial burden. Compound 0073 targeted several PBPs and exerted inhibitory effects against some serine β-lactamases. Finally, 0073 showed a reduced propensity for resistance selection compared with that of aztreonam. The novel monosulfactam 0073 exhibited increased activity against β-lactamase-producing Gram-negative organisms compared with the activity of aztreonam and showed good safety profiles both in vitro and in vivo. The underlying mechanisms may be attributed to the affinity of 0073 for several PBPs and its inhibitory activity against some serine β-lactamases. These data indicate that 0073 represents a potential treatment for infections caused by β-lactamase-producing multidrug-resistant bacteria.

scholarly journals A Galleria mellonella infection model reveals double and triple antibiotic combination therapies with enhanced efficacy versus a multidrug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2014 ◽  
Vol 63 (7) ◽  
pp. 945-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Krezdorn ◽  
Sophie Adams ◽  
Peter J. Coote
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Resistant Strain ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Therapeutic Benefit ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Combination Therapies ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Strain

The aim of this study was to compare the inhibitory effect of antibiotic combinations in vitro with efficacy in Galleria mellonella larvae in vivo to identify efficacious combinations that target Pseudomonas aeruginosa. P. aeruginosa NCTC 13437, a multidrug-resistant strain resistant to β-lactams and aminoglycosides, was used. Susceptibility to cefotaxime, piperacillin, meropenem, amikacin, levofloxacin and colistin alone, or in dual or triple combinations, was measured in vitro via a 24 h time-kill assay. In vitro results were then compared with the efficacy of the same dual or triple antibiotic combinations versus G. mellonella larvae infected with P. aeruginosa. G. mellonella haemolymph burden of P. aeruginosa was determined over 96 h post-infection and treatment with the most potent combination therapies. Many dual and triple combinations of antibiotics displayed synergistic inhibition of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa in vitro. There was little correlation between combinations that were synergistic in vitro and those that showed enhanced efficacy in vivo versus infected G. mellonella larvae. The most potent dual and triple combinations in vivo were cefotaxime plus piperacillin, and meropenem plus piperacillin and amikacin, respectively. Fewer combinations were found to offer enhanced therapeutic benefit in vivo compared with in vitro. The therapeutic benefit arising from treatment with antibiotic combinations in vivo correlated with reduced larval burden of P. aeruginosa. This study has identified antibiotic combinations that merit further investigation for their clinical potential and has demonstrated the utility of using G. mellonella to screen for novel antibiotic treatments that demonstrate efficacy in vivo.

scholarly journals Differential regulation of the levels of three gap junction mRNAs in Xenopus embryos.

1990 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 597-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
R L Gimlich ◽  
N M Kumar ◽  
N B Gilula
Keyword(s):  
Gap Junction ◽  
Connexin 43 ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Cdna Libraries ◽  
Amino Acid Sequence Similarity ◽  
Oocyte Growth ◽  
Gap Junction Proteins ◽  
Junction Proteins

Xenopus mRNAs that potentially encode gap junction proteins in the oocyte and early embryo have been identified by low-stringency screening of cDNA libraries with cloned mammalian gap junction cDNAs. The levels of these mRNAs show strikingly different temporal regulation and tissue distribution. Using a nomenclature designed to stress important structural similarities of distinct gap junction gene products, the deduced polypeptides have been designated the Xenopus alpha 1 and alpha 2 gap junction proteins. The alpha 2 gap junction mRNA is a maternal transcript that disappears by the late gastrula stage. It is not detected in any organ of the adult except the ovary, and resides primarily, if not exclusively, in the oocytes and early embryos. The alpha 1 gap junction mRNA appears during organogenesis, and is detected in RNA from a wide variety of organs. It is also found in full-grown oocytes, but is rapidly degraded upon oocyte maturation, both in vivo and in vitro. The alpha 1 and alpha 2 mRNAs encode proteins with different degrees of amino acid sequence similarity to the predominant gap junction subunit of the mammalian heart (connexin 43). Together with our earlier report of a mid-embryonic (beta 1) gap junction mRNA, the results suggest that intercellular communication during oocyte growth and postfertilization development is a complex phenomenon involving the coordinated regulation of several genes.

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