Atsushi Tabata

Correlation between Resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Quaternary Ammonium Compounds and Expression of Outer Membrane Protein OprR

ABSTRACT The adaptation mechanism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145 to quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) was investigated. A P. aeruginosa strain with adapted resistance to QACs was developed by a standard broth dilution method. It was revealed that P. aeruginosa exhibited remarkable resistance to N-dodecylpyridinium iodide (P-12), whose structure is similar to that of a common disinfectant, cetylpyridinium chloride. Adapted resistance to benzalkonium chloride (BAC), which is commonly used as a disinfectant, was also observed in P. aeruginosa. Moreover, the P-12-resistant strain exhibited cross-resistance to BAC. Analysis of the outer membrane protein of the P-12-resistant strain by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a significant increase in the level of expression of a protein (named OprR) whose molecular mass was approximately 26 kDa. The actual function of OprR is not yet clear; however, OprR was expected to be an outer membrane-associated protein with homology to lipoproteins of other bacterial species, according to a search of the National Center for Biotechnology Information website with the BLAST program by use of the N-terminal sequence of OprR. A correlation between the level of expression of OprR and the level of resistance of P. aeruginosa to QACs was observed by using a PA2800 gene knockout mutant derived from the P-12-resistant strain. The knockout mutant recovered susceptibility not only to P-12 but also to BAC. These results suggested that OprR significantly participated in the adaptation of P. aeruginosa to QACs, such as P-12 and BAC.

Role of Streptococcus intermedius DnaK chaperone system in stress tolerance and pathogenicity

Streptococcus intermedius is a facultatively anaerobic, opportunistic pathogen that causes purulent infections and abscess formation. The DnaK chaperone system has been characterized in several pathogenic bacteria and seems to have important functions in stress resistance and pathogenicity. However, the role of DnaK in S. intermedius remains unclear. Therefore, we constructed a dnaK knockout mutant that exhibited slow growth, thermosensitivity, accumulation of GroEL in the cell, and reduced cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells. The level of secretion of a major pathogenic factor, intermedilysin, was not affected by dnaK mutation. We further examined the function and property of the S. intermedius DnaK chaperone system by using Escherichia coli ΔdnaK and ΔrpoH mutant strains. S. intermedius DnaK could not complement the thermosensitivity of E. coli ΔdnaK mutant. However, the intact S. intermedius DnaK chaperone system could complement the thermosensitivity and acid sensitivity of E. coli ΔdnaK mutant. The S. intermedius DnaK chaperone system could regulate the activity and stability of the heat shock transcription factor σ32 in E. coli, although S. intermedius does not utilize σ32 for heat shock transcription. The S. intermedius DnaK chaperone system was also able to efficiently eliminate the aggregated proteins from ΔrpoH mutant cells. Overall, our data showed that the S. intermedius DnaK chaperone system has important functions in quality control of cellular proteins but has less participation in the modulation of expression of pathogenic factors.

Role of catabolite control protein A in the regulation of intermedilysin production by Streptococcus intermedius.

ABSTRACT Streptococcus intermedius is an opportunistic pathogen of humans that causes purulent infections, including brain and liver abscesses. This pathogen secretes a human-specific cytolysin, intermedilysin, which has been recognized as a major virulence factor. However, most of the expressional control mechanisms of ily are still unknown. To determine these mechanisms, we analyzed the nucleotide sequence of the ily promoter region. We found a highly homologous region to the catabolite-repressible element (cre) in the ily promoter region and observed a considerable decrease in the amount of secreted intermedilysin when cells were grown in a culture medium containing high concentrations of glucose/utilizable carbohydrates. Disruption of the ccpA gene, which encodes catabolite control protein A, did not induce catabolite repression of ily by glucose/utilizable carbohydrates. In cre mutants, catabolite repression of ily was partially restored, and purified catabolite control protein A bound to an oligonucleotide containing the cre consensus sequence in the ily promoter region. In addition, a prolonged lag phase and slower doubling time of the ccpA mutant cells were observed. Our data show that S. intermedius can modulate ily expression and growth rate through catabolite control protein A-mediated monitoring of the extracellular glucose/utilizable carbohydrate concentration.

Novel Twin Streptolysin S-Like Peptides Encoded in the sag Operon Homologue of Beta-Hemolytic Streptococcus anginosus

Streptococcus anginosus is a member of the anginosus group streptococci, which form part of the normal human oral flora. In contrast to the pyogenic group streptococci, our knowledge of the virulence factors of the anginosus group streptococci, including S. anginosus, is not sufficient to allow a clear understanding of the basis of their pathogenicity. Generally, hemolysins are thought to be important virulence factors in streptococcal infections. In the present study, a sag operon homologue was shown to be responsible for beta-hemolysis in S. anginosus strains by random gene knockout. Interestingly, contrary to pyogenic group streptococci, beta-hemolytic S. anginosus was shown to have two tandem sagA homologues, encoding streptolysin S (SLS)-like peptides, in the sag operon homologue. Gene deletion and complementation experiments revealed that both genes were functional, and these SLS-like peptides were essential for beta-hemolysis in beta-hemolytic S. anginosus. Furthermore, the amino acid sequence of these SLS-like peptides differed from that of the typical SLS of S. pyogenes, especially in their propeptide domain, and an amino acid residue indicated to be important for the cytolytic activity of SLS in S. pyogenes was deleted in both S. anginosus homologues. These data suggest that SLS-like peptides encoded by two sagA homologues in beta-hemolytic S. anginosus may be potential virulence factors with a different structure essential for hemolytic activity and/or the maturation process compared to the typical SLS present in pyogenic group streptococci.

Characterization of recombinant Streptococcus mitis‐derived human platelet aggregation factor

Ohkuni H, Nagamune H, Ozaki N, Tabata A, Todome Y, Watanabe Y, Takahashi H, Ohkura K, Kourai H, Ohtsuka H, Fischetti VA, Zabriskie JB. Characterization of recombinant Streptococcus mitis‐derived human platelet aggregation factor. APMIS 2012; 120: 56–71.

Estrogen stimuli promote osteoblastic differentiation via the subtilisin-like proprotein convertase PACE4 in MC3T3-E1 cells

Estrogenic compounds include endogenous estrogens such as estradiol as well as soybean isoflavones, such as daidzein and its metabolite equol, which are known phytoestrogens that prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Indeed, mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells, a murine osteoblastic cell line, was significantly decreased in medium containing fetal bovine serum treated with charcoal-dextran to deplete endogenous estrogens, but estradiol and these soybean isoflavones dose-dependently restored the differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells; equol was tenfold more effective than daidzein. These differentiation-promoting effects were inhibited by the addition of fulvestrant, which is a selective downregulator of estrogen receptors. Analysis of the expression pattern of bone-related genes by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR)/quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), which focused on responsiveness to the estrogen stimuli, revealed that the transcription of PACE4, a subtilisin-like proprotein convertase, was tightly linked with the differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells induced by estrogen stimuli. Moreover, treatment with RNAi of PACE4 in MC3T3-E1 cells resulted in a drastic decrease of mineralization in the presence of estrogen stimuli. These results strongly suggest that PACE4 participates in bone formation at least in osteoblast differentiation, and estrogen receptor-mediated stimuli induce osteoblast differentiation through the upregulation of PACE4 expression.

Investigation of the chaperone function of the small heat shock protein-AgsA.

BackgroundA small heat shock protein AgsA was originally isolated from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. We previously demonstrated that AgsA was an effective chaperone that could reduce the amount of heat-aggregated proteins in an Escherichia colirpoH mutant. AgsA appeared to promote survival at lethal temperatures by cooperating with other chaperones in vivo. To investigate the aggregation prevention mechanisms of AgsA, we constructed N- or C-terminal truncated mutants and compared their properties with wild type AgsA.ResultsAgsA showed significant overall homology to wheat sHsp16.9 allowing its three-dimensional structure to be predicted. Truncations of AgsA until the N-terminal 23rd and C-terminal 11th amino acid (AA) from both termini preserved its in vivo chaperone activity. Temperature-controlled gel filtration chromatography showed that purified AgsA could maintain large oligomeric complexes up to 50°C. Destabilization of oligomeric complexes was observed for N-terminal 11- and 17-AA truncated AgsA; C-terminal 11-AA truncated AgsA could not form large oligomeric complexes. AgsA prevented the aggregation of denatured lysozyme, malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and citrate synthase (CS) but did not prevent the aggregation of insulin at 25°C. N-terminal 17-AA truncated AgsA showed no chaperone activity towards MDH. C-terminal 11-AA truncated AgsA showed weak or no chaperone activity towards lysozyme, MDH and CS although it prevented the aggregation of insulin at 25°C. When the same amount of AgsA and C-terminal 11-AA truncated AgsA were mixed (half of respective amount required for efficient chaperone activities), good chaperone activity for all substrates and temperatures was observed. Detectable intermolecular exchanges between AgsA oligomers at 25°C were not observed using fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis; however, significant exchanges between AgsA oligomers and C-terminal truncated AgsA were observed at 25°C.ConclusionsOur data demonstrate that AgsA has several regions necessary for efficient chaperone activity: region(s) important for lysozyme chaperone activity are located outer surface of the oligomeric complex while those region(s) important for insulin are located inside the oligomeric complex and those for MDH are located within the N-terminal arm. In addition, the equilibrium between the oligomer and the dimer structures appears to be important for its efficient chaperone activity.

LacR Mutations Are Frequently Observed in Streptococcus intermedius and Are Responsible for Increased Intermedilysin Production and Virulence

ABSTRACT Streptococcus intermedius secretes a human-specific cytolysin, intermedilysin (ILY), which is considered to be the major virulence factor of this pathogen. We screened for a repressor of ily expression by using random gene disruption in a low-ILY-producing strain (PC574). Three independent high-ILY-producing colonies that had plasmid insertions within a gene that has high homology to lacR were isolated. Validation of these observations was achieved through disruption of lacR in strain PC574 with an erythromycin cassette, which also led to higher hemolytic activity, increased transcription of ily, and higher cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells, compared to the parental strain. The direct binding of LacR within the ily promoter region was shown by a biotinylated DNA probe pulldown assay, and the amount of ILY secreted into the culture supernatant by PC574 cells was increased by adding lactose or galactose to the medium as a carbon source. Furthermore, we examined lacR nucleotide sequences and the hemolytic activity of 50 strains isolated from clinical infections and 7 strains isolated from dental plaque. Of the 50 strains isolated from infections, 13 showed high ILY production, 11 of these 13 strains had one or more point mutations and/or an insertion mutation in LacR, and almost all mutations were associated with a marked decline in LacR function. These results strongly suggest that mutation in lacR is required for the overproduction of ILY, which is associated with an increase in pathogenicity of S. intermedius.

The diversity of receptor recognition in cholesterol-dependent cytolysins

Cholesterol‐dependent cytolysins (CDCs) are bacterial pore‐forming toxins secreted mainly by pathogenic Gram‐positive bacteria. CDCs generally recognize and bind to membrane cholesterol to create pores and lyse target cells. However, in contrast to typical CDCs such as streptolysin O, several atypical CDCs have been reported. The first of these was intermedilysin, which is secreted by Streptococcus intermedius and has human cell‐specificity, human CD59 (huCD59) being its receptor. In the study reported here, the diversity of receptor recognition among CDCs was investigated and multi‐receptor recognition characteristics were identified within this toxin family. Streptococcus mitis‐derived human platelet aggregation factor (Sm‐hPAF) secreted by S. mitis strain Nm‐65 isolated from a patient with Kawasaki disease was previously shown to hemolyze erythrocytes in a species‐dependent manner, its maximum activity being in human cells. In the present study, it was found that Sm‐hPAF recognizes both membrane cholesterol and huCD59 as receptors for triggering pore‐formation. Moreover, vaginolysin (VLY) of Gardnerella vaginalis showed similar characteristics to Sm‐hPAF regarding receptor recognition. On the basis of the results presented here, the mode of receptor recognition of CDCs can be categorized into the following three groups: (i) Group I, comprising typical CDCs with high affinity to cholesterol and no or very little affinity to huCD59; (ii) Group II, including atypical CDCs such as ILY, with no or very little affinity to cholesterol and high affinity to huCD59; and (iii) Group III, which contains atypical CDCs such as Sm‐hPAF and VLY with affinity to both cholesterol and huCD59.

Small heat shock protein AgsA: an effective stabilizer of enzyme activities.

A small heat shock protein, AgsA, possesses chaperone activity that can reduce the amount of heat-aggregated protein in vivo, and suppress the aggregation of chemical- and heat-denatured proteins in vitro. Therefore, we examined the ability of AgsA to stabilize the activity of several enzymes by using this chaperone activity. We observed that AgsA can stabilize the enzymatic activities of Renilla (Renilla reniformis) luciferase, firefly (Photinus pyralis) luciferase, and β-galactosidase, and showed comparable or greater stabilization of these enzymes than bovine serum albumin (BSA), a well-known stabilizer of enzyme activities. In particular, AgsA revealed better stabilization of Renilla luciferase and β-galactosidase than BSA under disulfide bond-reducing conditions with dithiothreitol. In addition, AgsA also increased the enzymatic performance of β-galactosidase and various restriction enzymes to a comparable or greater extent than BSA. These data indicate that AgsA may be useful as a general stabilizer of enzyme activities.