scholarly journals Diguanylate Cyclases AdrA and STM1987 Regulate Salmonella enterica Exopolysaccharide Production during Plant Colonization in an Environment-Dependent Manner

2015 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 1237-1248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly N. Cowles ◽  
David K. Willis ◽  
Tyler N. Engel ◽  
Jeffrey B. Jones ◽  
Jeri D. Barak

ABSTRACTIncreasing evidence indicates that despite exposure to harsh environmental stresses,Salmonella entericasuccessfully persists on plants, utilizing fresh produce as a vector to animal hosts. Among the importantS. entericaplant colonization factors are those involved in biofilm formation.S. entericabiofilm formation is controlled by the signaling molecule cyclic di-GMP and represents a sessile lifestyle on surfaces that protects the bacterium from environmental factors. Thus, the transition from a motile, planktonic lifestyle to a sessile lifestyle may represent a vital step in bacterial success. This study examined the mechanisms ofS. entericaplant colonization, including the role of diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) and phosphodiesterases (PDEs), the enzymes involved in cyclic di-GMP metabolism. We found that two biofilm components, cellulose and curli, are differentially required at distinct stages in root colonization and that the DGC STM1987 regulates cellulose production in this environment independent of AdrA, the DGC that controls the majority ofin vitrocellulose production. In addition, we identified a new function for AdrA in the transcriptional regulation of colanic acid and demonstrated thatadrAand colanic acid biosynthesis are associated withS. entericadesiccation tolerance on the leaf surface. Finally, two PDEs with known roles in motility, STM1344 and STM1697, had competitive defects in the phyllosphere, suggesting that regulation of motility is crucial forS. entericasurvival in this niche. Our results indicate that specific conditions influence the contribution of individual DGCs and PDEs to bacterial success, perhaps reflective of differential responses to environmental stimuli.

2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa H. Miceli ◽  
Stella M. Bernardo ◽  
T. S. Neil Ku ◽  
Carla Walraven ◽  
Samuel A. Lee

ABSTRACTInfections and thromboses are the most common complications associated with central venous catheters. Suggested strategies for prevention and management of these complications include the use of heparin-coated catheters, heparin locks, and antimicrobial lock therapy. However, the effects of heparin onCandida albicansbiofilms and planktonic cells have not been previously studied. Therefore, we sought to determine thein vitroeffect of a heparin sodium preparation (HP) on biofilms and planktonic cells ofC. albicans. Because HP contains two preservatives, methyl paraben (MP) and propyl paraben (PP), these compounds and heparin sodium without preservatives (Pure-H) were also tested individually. The metabolic activity of the mature biofilm after treatment was assessed using XTT [2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide] reduction and microscopy. Pure-H, MP, and PP caused up to 75, 85, and 60% reductions of metabolic activity of the mature preformedC. albicansbiofilms, respectively. Maximal efficacy against the mature biofilm was observed with HP (up to 90%) compared to the individual compounds (P< 0.0001). Pure-H, MP, and PP each inhibitedC. albicansbiofilm formation up to 90%. A complete inhibition of biofilm formation was observed with HP at 5,000 U/ml and higher. When tested against planktonic cells, each compound inhibited growth in a dose-dependent manner. These data indicated that HP, MP, PP, and Pure-H havein vitroantifungal activity againstC. albicansmature biofilms, formation of biofilms, and planktonic cells. Investigation of high-dose heparin-based strategies (e.g., heparin locks) in combination with traditional antifungal agents for the treatment and/or prevention ofC. albicansbiofilms is warranted.


2020 ◽  
Vol 202 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng-Lun Hsieh ◽  
Christopher M. Waters ◽  
Deborah M. Hinton

ABSTRACT Vibrio cholerae biofilm biogenesis, which is important for survival, dissemination, and persistence, requires multiple genes in the Vibrio polysaccharides (vps) operons I and II as well as the cluster of ribomatrix (rbm) genes. Transcriptional control of these genes is a complex process that requires several activators/repressors and the ubiquitous signaling molecule, cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP). Previously, we demonstrated that VpsR directly activates RNA polymerase containing σ70 (σ70-RNAP) at the vpsL promoter (PvpsL), which precedes the vps-II operon, in a c-di-GMP-dependent manner by stimulating formation of the transcriptionally active, open complex. Using in vitro transcription, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and DNase I footprinting, we show here that VpsR also directly activates σ70-RNAP transcription from other promoters within the biofilm formation cluster, including PvpsU, at the beginning of the vps-I operon, PrbmA, at the start of the rbm cluster, and PrbmF, which lies upstream of the divergent rbmF and rbmE genes. In this capacity, we find that VpsR is able to behave both as a class II activator, which functions immediately adjacent/overlapping the core promoter sequence (PvpsL and PvpsU), and as a class I activator, which functions farther upstream (PrbmA and PrbmF). Because these promoters vary in VpsR-DNA binding affinity in the absence and presence of c-di-GMP, we speculate that VpsR’s mechanism of activation is dependent on both the concentration of VpsR and the level of c-di-GMP to increase transcription, resulting in finely tuned regulation. IMPORTANCE Vibrio cholerae, the bacterial pathogen that is responsible for the disease cholera, uses biofilms to aid in survival, dissemination, and persistence. VpsR, which directly senses the second messenger c-di-GMP, is a major regulator of this process. Together with c-di-GMP, VpsR directly activates transcription by RNA polymerase containing σ70 from the vpsL biofilm biogenesis promoter. Using biochemical methods, we demonstrate for the first time that VpsR/c-di-GMP directly activates σ70-RNA polymerase at the first genes of the vps and ribomatrix operons. In this regard, it functions as either a class I or class II activator. Our results broaden the mechanism of c-di-GMP-dependent transcription activation and the specific role of VpsR in biofilm formation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 84 (11) ◽  
pp. 3243-3251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haley E. Adcox ◽  
Erin M. Vasicek ◽  
Varun Dwivedi ◽  
Ky V. Hoang ◽  
Joanne Turner ◽  
...  

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, the causative agent of typhoid fever in humans, forms biofilms encapsulated by an extracellular matrix (ECM). Biofilms facilitate colonization and persistent infection in gallbladders of humans and mouse models of chronic carriage. Individual roles of matrix components have not been completely elucidated in vitro or in vivo . To examine individual functions, strains of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, the murine model of S . Typhi, in which various ECM genes were deleted or added, were created to examine biofilm formation, colonization, and persistence in the gallbladder. Studies show that curli contributes most significantly to biofilm formation. Expression of Vi antigen decreased biofilm formation in vitro and virulence and bacterial survival in vivo without altering the examined gallbladder pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines. Oppositely, loss of all ECM components (Δ wcaM Δ csgA Δ yihO Δ bcsE ) increased virulence and bacterial survival in vivo and reduced gallbladder interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels. Colanic acid and curli mutants had the largest defects in biofilm-forming ability and contributed most significantly to the virulence increase of the Δ wcaM Δ csgA Δ yihO Δ bcsE mutant strain. While the Δ wcaM Δ csgA Δ yihO Δ bcsE mutant was not altered in resistance to complement or growth in macrophages, it attached and invaded macrophages better than the wild-type (WT) strain. These data suggest that ECM components have various levels of importance in biofilm formation and gallbladder colonization and that the ECM diminishes disseminated disease in our model, perhaps by reducing cell attachment/invasion and dampening inflammation by maintaining/inducing IL-10 production. Understanding how ECM components aid acute disease and persistence could lead to improvements in therapeutic treatment of typhoid fever patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 201 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Neiger ◽  
Juan F. González ◽  
Geoffrey Gonzalez-Escobedo ◽  
Harkness Kuck ◽  
Peter White ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Typhoid fever, a human-specific disease, is primarily caused by the pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. It is estimated that 3 to 5% of people infected with typhoid fever become chronic carriers. Studies have demonstrated that a mechanism of chronic carriage involves biofilm formation on gallstone surfaces. In the course of a previous study using a chronic carriage mouse model, a Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolate was recovered from a mouse gallstone that exhibited a 2-fold increase in biofilm formation over the wild type. In order to identify the gene(s) responsible for the phenotype, the genomic sequences of this isolate and others were determined and compared. These sequences identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 14 genes. Mutations in the most promising candidates, envZ and rcsB, were created, but neither showed increased biofilm-forming ability separately or in combination. The hyperbiofilm isolate did, however, present variations in cellular appendages observable using different techniques and a preferential binding to cholesterol. The isolate was also examined for systemic virulence and the ability to colonize the gallbladder/gallstones in a mouse model of chronic infection, demonstrating a systemic virulence defect and decreased gallbladder/gallstone colonization. Finally, to determine if the appearance of hyperbiofilm isolates could be replicated in vitro and if this was a common event, wild-type Salmonella spp. were grown long term in vitro under gallbladder-mimicking conditions, resulting in a high proportion of isolates that replicated the hyperbiofilm phenotype of the original isolate. Thus, Salmonella spp. acquire random mutations under the gallbladder/gallbladder-simulating conditions that may aid persistence but negatively affect systemic virulence. IMPORTANCE Chronic carriers are the main reservoirs for the spread of typhoid fever in regions of endemicity. Salmonella Typhi forms biofilms on gallstones in order to persist. A strain with enhanced biofilm-forming ability was recovered after a nine-month chronic-carriage mouse study. After sequencing this strain and recreating some of the mutations, we could not duplicate the phenotype. The isolate did show a difference in flagella, a preference to bind to cholesterol, and a systemic virulence defect. Finally, gallbladder conditions were simulated in vitro. After 60 days, there was a 4.5-fold increase in hyperbiofilm isolates when a gallstone was present. These results indicate that Salmonella spp. can undergo genetic changes that improve persistence in gallbladder albeit at the cost of decreased virulence.


2013 ◽  
Vol 81 (9) ◽  
pp. 3148-3162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shifeng Wang ◽  
Huoying Shi ◽  
Yuhua Li ◽  
Zhaoxing Shi ◽  
Xin Zhang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTColanic acid (CA) is a common exopolysaccharide produced by many genera in theEnterobacteriaceae. It is critical for biofilm formation on HEp-2 cells and on chicken intestinal tissue bySalmonella. In this study, we generated different CA synthesis gene mutants and evaluated the immune responses induced by these mutants. One of these mutations, Δ(wza-wcaM)8, which deleted the whole operon for CA synthesis, was introduced into twoSalmonellavaccine strains attenuated by auxotrophic traits or by the regulated delayed attenuation strategy (RDAS). The mice immunized with the auxotrophicSalmonellavaccine strain with the deletion mutation Δ(wza-wcaM)8developed higher vaginal IgA titers against the heterologous protective antigen and higher levels of antigen-specific IgA secretion cells in lungs. InSalmonellavaccine strains with RDAS, the strain with the Δ(wza-wcaM)8mutation resulted in higher levels of protective antigen production duringin vitrogrowth. Mice immunized with this strain developed higher serum IgG and mucosal IgA antibody responses at 2 weeks. This strain also resulted in better gamma interferon (IFN-γ) responses than the strain without this deletion at doses of 108and 109CFU. Thus, the mutation Δ(wza-wcaM)8will be included in various recombinant attenuatedSalmonellavaccine (RASV) strains with RDAS derived fromSalmonella entericaserovar Paratyphi A andSalmonella entericaserovar Typhi to induce protective immunity against bacterial pathogens.


2011 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 4342-4352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhaarini Raghunathan ◽  
Timothy J. Wells ◽  
Faye C. Morris ◽  
Robert K. Shaw ◽  
Saeeda Bobat ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTSalmonella entericais a major cause of morbidity worldwide and mortality in children and immunocompromised individuals in sub-Saharan Africa. Outer membrane proteins ofSalmonellaare of significance because they are at the interface between the pathogen and the host, they can contribute to adherence, colonization, and virulence, and they are frequently targets of antibody-mediated immunity. In this study, the properties of SadA, a purported trimeric autotransporter adhesin ofSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium, were examined. We demonstrated that SadA is exposed on theSalmonellacell surfacein vitroandin vivoduring infection of mice. Expression of SadA resulted in cell aggregation, biofilm formation, and increased adhesion to human intestinal Caco-2 epithelial cells. Immunization of mice with folded, full-length, purified SadA elicited an IgG response which provided limited protection against bacterial challenge. When anti-SadA IgG titers were enhanced by administering alum-precipitated protein, a modest additional protection was afforded. Therefore, despite SadA having pleiotropic functions, it is not a dominant, protective antigen for antibody-mediated protection againstSalmonella.


2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (9) ◽  
pp. 3214-3226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan A. Ledeboer ◽  
Bradley D. Jones

ABSTRACT Recently, we demonstrated that Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium can form biofilm on HEp-2 cells in a type 1 fimbria-dependent manner. Previous work on Salmonella exopolysaccharide (EPS) in biofilm indicated that the EPS composition can vary based upon the substratum on which the bacterial biofilm forms. We have investigated the role of genes important in the production of colanic acid and cellulose, common components of EPS. A mutation in the colanic acid biosynthetic gene, wcaM, was introduced into S. enterica serovar Typhimurium strain BJ2710 and was found to disrupt biofilm formation on HEp-2 cells and chicken intestinal tissue, although biofilm formation on a plastic surface was unaffected. Complementation of the wcaM mutant with the functional gene restored the biofilm phenotype observed in the parent strain. A mutation in the putative cellulose biosynthetic gene, yhjN, was found to disrupt biofilm formation on HEp-2 cells and chicken intestinal epithelium, as well as on a plastic surface. Our data indicate that Salmonella attachment to, and growth on, eukaryotic cells represent complex interactions that are facilitated by species of EPS.


2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 931-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Li ◽  
Michael J. Svarovsky ◽  
Amy J. Karlsson ◽  
Joel P. Wagner ◽  
Karen Marchillo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Candida albicans is the leading cause of systemic fungal infections in immunocompromised humans. The ability to form biofilms on surfaces in the host or on implanted medical devices enhances C. albicans virulence, leading to antimicrobial resistance and providing a reservoir for infection. Biofilm formation is a complex multicellular process consisting of cell adhesion, cell growth, morphogenic switching between yeast form and filamentous states, and quorum sensing. Here we describe the role of the C. albicans EAP1 gene, which encodes a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored, glucan-cross-linked cell wall protein, in adhesion and biofilm formation in vitro and in vivo. Deleting EAP1 reduced cell adhesion to polystyrene and epithelial cells in a gene dosage-dependent manner. Furthermore, EAP1 expression was required for C. albicans biofilm formation in an in vitro parallel plate flow chamber model and in an in vivo rat central venous catheter model. EAP1 expression was upregulated in biofilm-associated cells in vitro and in vivo. Our results illustrate an association between Eap1p-mediated adhesion and biofilm formation in vitro and in vivo.


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (36) ◽  
pp. E5048-E5057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona W. Orr ◽  
Gregory P. Donaldson ◽  
Geoffrey B. Severin ◽  
Jingxin Wang ◽  
Herman O. Sintim ◽  
...  

The bacterial second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) controls biofilm formation and other phenotypes relevant to pathogenesis. Cyclic-di-GMP is synthesized by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs). Phosphodiesterases (PDE-As) end signaling by linearizing c-di-GMP to 5ʹ-phosphoguanylyl-(3ʹ,5ʹ)-guanosine (pGpG), which is then hydrolyzed to two GMP molecules by yet unidentified enzymes termed PDE-Bs. We show that pGpG inhibits a PDE-A fromPseudomonas aeruginosa. In a dual DGC and PDE-A reaction, excess pGpG extends the half-life of c-di-GMP, indicating that removal of pGpG is critical for c-di-GMP homeostasis. Thus, we sought to identify the PDE-B enzyme(s) responsible for pGpG degradation. A differential radial capillary action of ligand assay-based screen for pGpG binding proteins identified oligoribonuclease (Orn), an exoribonuclease that hydrolyzes two- to five-nucleotide-long RNAs. Purified Orn rapidly converts pGpG into GMP. To determine whether Orn is the primary enzyme responsible for degrading pGpG, we assayed cell lysates of WT and ∆ornstrains ofP. aeruginosaPA14 for pGpG stability. The lysates from ∆ornshowed 25-fold decrease in pGpG hydrolysis. Complementation with WT, but not active site mutants, restored hydrolysis. Accumulation of pGpG in the ∆ornstrain could inhibit PDE-As, increasing c-di-GMP concentration. In support, we observed increased transcription from the c-di-GMP–regulatedpelpromoter. Additionally, the c-di-GMP–governed auto-aggregation and biofilm phenotypes were elevated in the ∆ornstrain in apel-dependent manner. Finally, we directly detect elevated pGpG and c-di-GMP in the ∆ornstrain. Thus, we identified that Orn serves as the primary PDE-B enzyme that removes pGpG, which is necessary to complete the final step in the c-di-GMP degradation pathway.


2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 1206-1214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Yan ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Hongyan Ma ◽  
David Chiu ◽  
James D. Bryers

ABSTRACTNosocomial infections are the fourth leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, resulting in 2 million infections and ∼100,000 deaths each year. More than 60% of these infections are associated with some type of biomedical device.Staphylococcus epidermidisis a commensal bacterium of the human skin and is the most common nosocomial pathogen infecting implanted medical devices, especially those in the cardiovasculature.S. epidermidisantibiotic resistance and biofilm formation on inert surfaces make these infections hard to treat. Accumulation-associated protein (Aap), a cell wall-anchored protein ofS. epidermidis, is considered one of the most important proteins involved in the formation ofS. epidermidisbiofilm. A small recombinant protein vaccine comprising a single B-repeat domain (Brpt1.0) ofS. epidermidisRP62A Aap was developed, and the vaccine's efficacy was evaluatedin vitrowith a biofilm inhibition assay andin vivoin a murine model of biomaterial-associated infection. A high IgG antibody response againstS. epidermidisRP62A was detected in the sera of the mice after two subcutaneous immunizations with Brpt1.0 coadministered with Freund's adjuvant. Sera from Brpt1.0-immunized mice inhibitedin vitroS. epidermidisRP62A biofilm formation in a dose-dependent pattern. After receiving two immunizations, each mouse was surgically implanted with a porous scaffold disk containing 5 × 106CFU ofS. epidermidisRP62A. Weight changes, inflammatory markers, and histological assay results after challenge withS. epidermidisindicated that the mice immunized with Brpt1.0 exhibited significantly higher resistance toS. epidermidisRP62A implant infection than the control mice. Day 8 postchallenge, there was a significantly lower number of bacteria in scaffold sections and surrounding tissues and a lower residual inflammatory response to the infected scaffold disks for the Brpt1.0-immunized mice than for of the ovalbumin (Ova)-immunized mice.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document