Suggested alternative starch utilization system from the human gut bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia M. Chaudet ◽  
David R. Rose
Keyword(s):  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Human Colon ◽  
Bacteroides Thetaiotaomicron ◽  
Starch Utilization ◽  
Human Digestive System ◽  
Polysaccharide Utilization Loci

The human digestive system is host to a highly populated ecosystem of bacterial species that significantly contributes to our assimilation of dietary carbohydrates. Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron is a member of this ecosystem, and participates largely in the role of the gut microbiome by breaking down dietary complex carbohydrates. This process of acquiring glycans from the colon lumen is predicted to rely on the mechanisms of proteins that are part of a classified system known as polysaccharide utilization loci (PUL). These loci are responsible for binding substrates at the cell outer membrane, internalizing them, and then hydrolyzing them within the periplasm into simple sugars. Here we report our investigation into specific components of a PUL, and suggest an alternative starch utilization system in B. thetaiotaomicron. Our analysis of an outer membrane binding protein, a SusD homolog, highlights its contribution to this PUL by acquiring starch-based sugars from the colon lumen. Through our structural characterization of two Family GH31 α-glucosidases, we reveal the flexibility of this bacterium with respect to utilizing a range of starch-derived glycans with an emphasis on branched substrates. With these results we demonstrate the predicted function of a gene locus that is capable of contributing to starch hydrolysis in the human colon.

scholarly journals Nanopore-Sequencing Characterization of the Gut Microbiota of Melolontha melolontha Larvae: Contribution to Protection against Entomopathogenic Nematodes?

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 396
Author(s):  
Ewa Sajnaga ◽  
Marcin Skowronek ◽  
Agnieszka Kalwasińska ◽  
Waldemar Kazimierczak ◽  
Karolina Ferenc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Antagonistic Activity ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Nanopore Sequencing ◽  
Bacterial Phyla ◽  
Melolontha Melolontha

This study focused on the potential relationships between midgut microbiota of the common cockchafer Melolontha melolontha larvae and their resistance to entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) infection. We investigated the bacterial community associated with control and unsusceptible EPN-exposed insects through nanopore sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the most abundant bacterial phyla within the complex and variable midgut microbiota of the wild M. melolontha larvae. The core microbiota was found to include 82 genera, which accounted for 3.4% of the total number of identified genera. The EPN-resistant larvae differed significantly from the control ones in the abundance of many genera belonging to the Actinomycetales, Rhizobiales, and Clostridiales orders. Additionally, the analysis of the microbiome networks revealed different sets of keystone midgut bacterial genera between these two groups of insects, indicating differences in the mutual interactions between bacteria. Finally, we detected Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus as gut residents and various bacterial species exhibiting antagonistic activity against these entomopathogens. This study paves the way to further research aimed at unravelling the role of the host gut microbiota on the output of EPN infection, which may contribute to enhancement of the efficiency of nematodes used in eco-friendly pest management.

scholarly journals The Mutation of Conservative Asp268 Residue in the Peptidoglycan-Associated Domain of the OmpA Protein Affects Multiple Acinetobacter baumannii Virulence Characteristics

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jūratė Skerniškytė ◽  
Emilija Karazijaitė ◽  
Julien Deschamps ◽  
Renatas Krasauskas ◽  
Romain Briandet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Outer Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Clinical Strain ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Terminal Domain ◽  
Ompa Protein

Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial human pathogen of increasing concern due to its multidrug resistance profile. The outer membrane protein A (OmpA) is an abundant bacterial cell surface component involved in A. baumannii pathogenesis. It has been shown that the C-terminal domain of OmpA is located in the periplasm and non-covalently associates with the peptidoglycan layer via two conserved amino acids, thereby anchoring OmpA to the cell wall. Here, we investigated the role of one of the respective residues, D268 in OmpA of A. baumannii clinical strain Ab169, on its virulence characteristics by complementing the ΔompA mutant with the plasmid-borne ompAD268A allele. We show that while restoring the impaired biofilm formation of the ΔompA strain, the Ab169ompAD268A mutant tended to form bacterial filaments, indicating the abnormalities in cell division. Moreover, the Ab169 OmpA D268-mediated association to peptidoglycan was required for the manifestation of twitching motility, desiccation resistance, serum-induced killing, adhesion to epithelial cells and virulence in a nematode infection model, although it was dispensable for the uptake of β-lactam antibiotics by outer membrane vesicles. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that the OmpA C-terminal domain-mediated association to peptidoglycan is critical for a number of virulent properties displayed by A. baumannii outside and within the host.

scholarly journals Physiological Characterization of SusG, an Outer Membrane Protein Essential for Starch Utilization byBacteroides thetaiotaomicron

1999 ◽  
Vol 181 (23) ◽  
pp. 7206-7211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Shipman ◽  
Kyu Hong Cho ◽  
Hilary A. Siegel ◽  
Abigail A. Salyers
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Protein ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Outer Membrane Protein ◽  
Main Role ◽  
Binding Assays ◽  
Bacterial Surface ◽  
Physiological Characterization ◽  
Starch Utilization

ABSTRACT Results from previous studies had suggested that Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron utilizes starch by binding the polysaccharide to the bacterial surface and subsequently degrading the polymer by using cell-associated enzymes. Most of the starch-degrading activity was localized to the periplasm, but a portion appeared to be membrane associated. This raised the possibility that some breakdown might occur in the outer membrane prior to exposure of the polysaccharide to the periplasmic polysaccharide-degrading enzymes. In this study, we show that SusG, an outer membrane protein which has been shown genetically to be essential for starch utilization, has enzymatic activity. Results of protease accessibility experiments support the hypothesis that SusG is exposed on the cell surface. Results of [14C]starch binding assays, however, show that SusG plays a negligible role in binding of starch to the cell surface. Consistent with this, SusG has a relatively high Km for starch and by itself is not sufficient to allow cells to grow on starch or to bind starch. Hence, the main role of SusG is to hydrolyze starch, but the binding of starch to the cell surface is evidently mediated by other proteins presumably interacting with SusG.

scholarly journals Depolarization, Bacterial Membrane Composition, and the Antimicrobial Action of Ceragenins

2010 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 3708-3713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel F. Epand ◽  
Jake E. Pollard ◽  
Jonathan O. Wright ◽  
Paul B. Savage ◽  
Richard M. Epand
Keyword(s):  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Cytoplasmic Membrane ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Membrane Depolarization ◽  
Membrane Lipid ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Inner Membrane ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Cytoplasmic Membranes

ABSTRACT Ceragenins are cholic acid-derived antimicrobial agents that mimic the activity of endogenous antimicrobial peptides. Ceragenins target bacterial membranes, yet the consequences of these interactions have not been fully elucidated. The role of the outer membrane in allowing access of the ceragenins to the cytoplasmic membrane of Gram-negative bacteria was studied using the ML-35p mutant strain of Escherichia coli that has been engineered to allow independent monitoring of small-molecule flux across the inner and outer membranes. The ceragenins CSA-8, CSA-13, and CSA-54 permeabilize the outer membrane of this bacterium, suggesting that the outer membrane does not play a major role in preventing the access of these agents to the cytoplasmic membrane. However, only the most potent of these ceragenins, CSA-13, was able to permeabilize the inner membrane. Interestingly, neither CSA-8 nor CSA-54 caused inner membrane permeabilization over a 30-min period, even at concentrations well above those required for bacterial toxicity. To further assess the role of membrane interactions, we measured membrane depolarization in Gram-positive bacteria with different membrane lipid compositions, as well as in Gram-negative bacteria. We found greatly increased membrane depolarization at the minimal bactericidal concentration of the ceragenins for bacterial species containing a high concentration of phosphatidylethanolamine or uncharged lipids in their cytoplasmic membranes. Although membrane lipid composition affected bactericidal efficiency, membrane depolarization was sufficient to cause lethality, providing that agents could access the cytoplasmic membrane. Consequently, we propose that in targeting bacterial cytoplasmic membranes, focus be placed on membrane depolarization as an indicator of potency.

scholarly journals Respiratory Co-Infections: Modulators of SARS-CoV-2 Patients’ Clinical Sub-Phenotype

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priyanka Mehta ◽  
Shweta Sahni ◽  
Samreen Siddiqui ◽  
Neha Mishra ◽  
Pooja Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Distress ◽  
Respiratory Virus ◽  
Clinical Phenotype ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Anaerobic Bacteria ◽  
Respiratory Pathogens ◽  
Efficient Treatment ◽  
Treatment Administration

Co-infection with ancillary pathogens is a significant modulator of morbidity and mortality in infectious diseases. There have been limited reports of co-infections accompanying SARS-CoV-2 infections, albeit lacking India specific study. The present study has made an effort toward elucidating the prevalence, diversity and characterization of co-infecting respiratory pathogens in the nasopharyngeal tract of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients. Two complementary metagenomics based sequencing approaches, Respiratory Virus Oligo Panel (RVOP) and Holo-seq, were utilized for unbiased detection of co-infecting viruses and bacteria. The limited SARS-CoV-2 clade diversity along with differential clinical phenotype seems to be partially explained by the observed spectrum of co-infections. We found a total of 43 bacteria and 29 viruses amongst the patients, with 18 viruses commonly captured by both the approaches. In addition to SARS-CoV-2, Human Mastadenovirus, known to cause respiratory distress, was present in a majority of the samples. We also found significant differences of bacterial reads based on clinical phenotype. Of all the bacterial species identified, ∼60% have been known to be involved in respiratory distress. Among the co-pathogens present in our sample cohort, anaerobic bacteria accounted for a preponderance of bacterial diversity with possible role in respiratory distress. Clostridium botulinum, Bacillus cereus and Halomonas sp. are anaerobes found abundantly across the samples. Our findings highlight the significance of metagenomics based diagnosis and detection of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory co-infections in the current pandemic to enable efficient treatment administration and better clinical management. To our knowledge this is the first study from India with a focus on the role of co-infections in SARS-CoV-2 clinical sub-phenotype.

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