Kang-Mu Lee

Contribution of cell elongation to the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during anaerobic respiration.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a gram-negative bacterium of clinical importance, forms more robust biofilm during anaerobic respiration, a mode of growth presumed to occur in abnormally thickened mucus layer lining the cystic fibrosis (CF) patient airway. However, molecular basis behind this anaerobiosis-triggered robust biofilm formation is not clearly defined yet. Here, we identified a morphological change naturally accompanied by anaerobic respiration in P. aeruginosa and investigated its effect on the biofilm formation in vitro. A standard laboratory strain, PAO1 was highly elongated during anaerobic respiration compared with bacteria grown aerobically. Microscopic analysis demonstrated that cell elongation likely occurred as a consequence of defective cell division. Cell elongation was dependent on the presence of nitrite reductase (NIR) that reduces nitrite (NO2 −) to nitric oxide (NO) and was repressed in PAO1 in the presence of carboxy-PTIO, a NO antagonist, demonstrating that cell elongation involves a process to respond to NO, a spontaneous byproduct of the anaerobic respiration. Importantly, the non-elongated NIR-deficient mutant failed to form biofilm, while a mutant of nitrate reductase (NAR) and wild type PAO1, both of which were highly elongated, formed robust biofilm. Taken together, our data reveal a role of previously undescribed cell biological event in P. aeruginosa biofilm formation and suggest NIR as a key player involved in such process.

Vitamin B12-mediated restoration of defective anaerobic growth leads to reduced biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa undergoes cell elongation and forms robust biofilms during anaerobic respiratory growth using nitrate (NO3 −) as an alternative electron acceptor. Understanding the mechanism of cell shape change induced upon anaerobiosis is crucial to the development of effective treatments against P. aeruginosa biofilm infection. Here, we uncovered the molecular basis of anaerobiosis-triggered cell elongation and identified vitamin B12 to be a molecule that can reinstate defective anaerobic growth of P. aeruginosa. The ratio of total cellular DNA content to protein content was significantly decreased in the PAO1 strain grown under anaerobic conditions, indicating that DNA replication is impaired during anaerobic growth. Anaerobic growth of PAO1 reached a higher cell density in the presence of vitamin B12, an essential coenzyme of class II ribonucleotide reductase. In addition, cell morphology returned to a normal rod shape and transcription of stress-response genes was downregulated under the same anaerobic growth conditions. These results suggest that vitamin B12, the production of which was suppressed during anaerobic growth, can restore cellular machineries for DNA replication and therefore facilitate better anaerobic growth of P. aeruginosa with normal cell division. Importantly, biofilm formation was substantially decreased when grown with vitamin B12, further demonstrating that anaerobiosis-induced cell elongation is responsible for robust biofilm formation. Taken together, our data reveal mechanistic details of a morphological change that naturally occurs during anaerobic growth of P. aeruginosa and illustrates the ability of vitamin B12 to modulate the biofilm-forming capacity of P. aeruginosa under such condition.

Inhibitory effects of broccoli extract on Escherichia coli O157:H7 quorum sensing and in vivo virulence

Broccoli extract (BE) has numerous beneficial effects on human health including anticancer activity. Quorum sensing (QS), mediated by self-produced autoinducer (AI) molecules, is a key process for the production of virulence determinants in pathogenic bacteria. BE suppressed AI-2 synthesis and AI-2-mediated bacterial motility in a dose-dependent manner in Escherichia coli O157:H7. In addition, expression of the ler gene that regulates AI-3 QS system was also diminished in response to treatment with BE. Furthermore, in an in vivo efficacy test using Caenorhabditis elegans as a host organism, C. elegans fed on E. coli O157:H7 in the presence of BE survived longer than those fed solely on the pathogenic bacteria. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that quercetin was the most active among the tested broccoli-derived compounds in downregulating virulence gene expression, while treatment with myricetin significantly suppressed the expression of the eae gene involved in type III secretion system. These data suggest that BE and its flavonoid constituents can inhibit expression of QS-associated genes, thereby downregulating the virulence attributes of E. coli O157:H7 both in vitro and in vivo. This study clearly elucidates BEs QS-inhibitory activity and suggests that BE has the potential to be developed as an anti-infective agent.

Anaerobiosis-Induced Loss of Cytotoxicity Is Due to Inactivation of Quorum Sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen of clinical importance, causes chronic airway infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Current literature suggests that pockets with reduced oxygen tension exist in the CF airway mucus. However, virulence features of this opportunistic pathogen under such conditions are largely unknown. Cell-free supernatant of the standard laboratory P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 obtained from anaerobic culture, but not aerobic culture, failed to kill A549 human airway epithelial cells. Further investigation revealed that this reduced cytotoxicity upon anaerobiosis was due to the suppressed secretion of elastase, a virulence factor controlled by P. aeruginosa quorum sensing (QS). Both a lacZ-reporter fusion assay and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) analysis demonstrated that transcription of the elastase-encoding lasB gene was substantially decreased during anaerobic growth compared with aerobic growth. Moreover, transcription of other genes controlled by the LasI/R QS system, such as rhlR, vqsR, mvfR, and rsaL, was also repressed under the same anaerobic growth conditions. Importantly, synthesis of 3-oxo-C12-HSL (PAI-1), an autoinducer molecule that mediates induction of the LasI/R QS system, was >22-fold decreased during anaerobic growth while C4-HSL (PAI-2), which mediates RhlI/R QS, was nondetectable under the same growth conditions. Transcription of the lasB gene was restored by exogenous supplementation with autoinducers, with PAI-2 more effective than PAI-1 or Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) at restoring transcription of the lasB gene. Together, these results suggest that anaerobiosis deprives P. aeruginosa of the ability to regulate its virulence via QS and this misregulation attenuates the pathogenic potential of this important pathogen.

Activation of Cholera Toxin Production by Anaerobic Respiration of Trimethylamine N-oxide in Vibrio cholerae

Background: The human intestine, in which Vibrio cholerae exerts its virulence, is an anaerobic environment. Results: When grown anaerobically with trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), V. cholerae exhibited enhanced growth and cholera toxin (CT) production was remarkably induced. Conclusion: Anaerobic TMAO respiration may serve as a signal to increase V. cholerae virulence. Significance: A novel growth condition that induces CT production is uncovered. Vibrio cholerae is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes cholera. Although the pathogenesis caused by this deadly pathogen takes place in the intestine, commonly thought to be anaerobic, anaerobiosis-induced virulence regulations are not fully elucidated. Anerobic growth of the V. cholerae strain, N16961, was promoted when trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) was used as an alternative electron acceptor. Strikingly, cholera toxin (CT) production was markedly induced during anaerobic TMAO respiration. N16961 mutants unable to metabolize TMAO were incapable of producing CT, suggesting a mechanistic link between anaerobic TMAO respiration and CT production. TMAO reductase is transported to the periplasm via the twin arginine transport (TAT) system. A similar defect in both anaerobic TMAO respiration and CT production was also observed in a N16961 TAT mutant. In contrast, the abilities to grow on TMAO and to produce CT were not affected in a mutant of the general secretion pathway. This suggests that V. cholerae may utilize the TAT system to secrete CT during TMAO respiration. During anaerobic growth with TMAO, N16961 cells exhibit green fluorescence when stained with 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate, a specific dye for reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, CT production was decreased in the presence of an ROS scavenger suggesting a positive role of ROS in regulating CT production. When TMAO was co-administered to infant mice infected with N16961, the mice exhibited more severe pathogenic symptoms. Together, our results reveal a novel anaerobic growth condition that stimulates V. cholerae to produce its major virulence factor.

A novel siderophore system is essential for the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in airway mucus.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa establishes airway infections in Cystic Fibrosis patients. Here, we investigate the molecular interactions between P. aeruginosa and airway mucus secretions (AMS) derived from the primary cultures of normal human tracheal epithelial (NHTE) cells. PAO1, a prototype strain of P. aeruginosa, was capable of proliferating during incubation with AMS, while all other tested bacterial species perished. A PAO1 mutant lacking PA4834 gene became susceptible to AMS treatment. The ΔPA4834 mutant was grown in AMS supplemented with 100 μM ferric iron, suggesting that the PA4834 gene product is involved in iron metabolism. Consistently, intracellular iron content was decreased in the mutant, but not in PAO1 after the AMS treatment. Importantly, a PAO1 mutant unable to produce both pyoverdine and pyochelin remained viable, suggesting that these two major siderophore molecules are dispensable for maintaining viability during incubation with AMS. The ΔPA4834 mutant was regrown in AMS amended with 100 μM nicotianamine, a phytosiderophore whose production is predicted to be mediated by the PA4836 gene. Infectivity of the ΔPA4834 mutant was also significantly compromised in vivo. Together, our results identify a genetic element encoding a novel iron acquisition system that plays a previously undiscovered role in P. aeruginosa airway infection.

Correlation between genotype and phenotype in patients with bi-allelic SLC26A4 mutations

Mutation of SLC26A4 is the most common cause of prelingual hearing loss in East Asia. Patients with SLC26A4 mutations have variable phenotypes ranging from non‐syndromic hearing loss to Pendred syndrome. Here, we analyzed the correlation between genotype and various inner ear phenotypes and found a possible underlying mechanism. This study included 111 patients with bi‐allelic SLC26A4 mutations who had bilateral enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) and hearing loss. p.H723R (61%), c.919‐2A>G (24%), and p.T410M (4%) were the most common mutations in Korean patients with EVAs. Residual hearing in patients with c.919‐2A>G or p.T410M mutations was better than that of patients with p.H723R homozygous mutations. Interestingly, quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed normal pendrin transcript (6–17% of normal levels) was produced from patients with c.919‐2A>G homozygous mutations. Surface expression ratio of pendrin and residual anion exchange activity were higher in cells transfected with p.T410M in comparison to cells transfected with p.H723R. These results suggest that there is a correlation between degree of residual hearing and the SLC26A4 genotype commonly found in the East Asian population.

Functional Screening of a Metagenomic Library Reveals Operons Responsible for Enhanced Intestinal Colonization by Gut Commensal Microbes

ABSTRACT Evidence suggests that gut microbes colonize the mammalian intestine through propagation as an adhesive microbial community. A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of murine bowel microbiota DNA in the surrogate host Escherichia coli DH10B was screened for enhanced adherence capability. Two out of 5,472 DH10B clones, 10G6 and 25G1, exhibited enhanced capabilities to adhere to inanimate surfaces in functional screens. DNA segments inserted into the 10G6 and 25G1 clones were 52 and 41 kb and included 47 and 41 protein-coding open reading frames (ORFs), respectively. DNA sequence alignments, tetranucleotide frequency, and codon usage analysis strongly suggest that these two DNA fragments are derived from species belonging to the genus Bacteroides. Consistent with this finding, a large portion of the predicted gene products were highly homologous to those of Bacteroides spp. Transposon mutagenesis and subsequent experiments that involved heterologous expression identified two operons associated with enhanced adherence. E. coli strains transformed with the 10a or 25b operon adhered to the surface of intestinal epithelium and colonized the mouse intestine more vigorously than did the control strain. This study has revealed the genetic determinants of unknown commensals (probably resembling Bacteroides species) that enhance the ability of the bacteria to colonize the murine bowel.

A Drug-Repositioning Screening Identifies Pentetic Acid as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Suppressing the Elastase-Mediated Virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative bacterium of clinical significance, produces elastase as a predominant exoprotease. Here, we screened a library of chemical compounds currently used for human medication and identified diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA, pentetic acid) as an agent that suppresses the production of elastase. Elastase activity found in the prototype P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 was significantly decreased when grown with a concentration as low as 20 μM DTPA. Supplementation with Zn2+ or Mn2+ ions restored the suppressive effect of DTPA, suggesting that the DTPA-mediated decrease in elastase activity is associated with ion-chelating activity. In DTPA-treated PAO1 cells, transcription of the elastase-encoding lasB gene and levels of the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS), a molecule that mediates P. aeruginosa quorum sensing (QS), were significantly downregulated, reflecting the potential involvement of the PQS QS system in DTPA-mediated elastase suppression. Biofilm formation was also decreased by DTPA treatment. When A549 alveolar type II-like adenocarcinoma cells were infected with PAO1 cells in the presence of DTPA, A549 cell viability was substantially increased. Furthermore, the intranasal delivery of DTPA to PAO1-infected mice alleviated the pathogenic effects of PAO1 cells in the animals. Together, our results revealed a novel function for a known molecule that may help treat P. aeruginosa airway infection.

(p)ppGpp, a Small Nucleotide Regulator, Directs the Metabolic Fate of Glucose in Vibrio cholerae.

Background: Bacteria respond to nutrient starvation by (p)ppGpp that activates the stringent response. Results: V. cholerae mutants defective in (p)ppGpp production lost their viability during glucose-supplemented growth because of overproduction of organic acids. Conclusion: (p)ppGpp regulates energy metabolism, contributing to the successful proliferation of V. cholerae under glucose-rich environments. Significance: We report a previously unexplored role of (p)ppGpp in V. cholerae glucose metabolism. When V. cholerae encounters nutritional stress, it activates (p)ppGpp-mediated stringent response. The genes relA and relV are involved in the production of (p)ppGpp, whereas the spoT gene encodes an enzyme that hydrolyzes it. Herein, we show that the bacterial capability to produce (p)ppGpp plays an essential role in glucose metabolism. The V. cholerae mutants defective in (p)ppGpp production (i.e. ΔrelAΔrelV and ΔrelAΔrelVΔspoT mutants) lost their viability because of uncontrolled production of organic acids, when grown with extra glucose. In contrast, the ΔrelAΔspoT mutant, a (p)ppGpp overproducer strain, exhibited better growth in the presence of the same glucose concentration. An RNA sequencing analysis demonstrated that transcriptions of genes consisting of an operon for acetoin biosynthesis were markedly elevated in N16961, a seventh pandemic O1 strain, but not in its (p)ppGpp0 mutant during glucose-stimulated growth. Transposon insertion in acetoin biosynthesis gene cluster resulted in glucose-induced loss of viability of the ΔrelAΔspoT mutant, further suggesting the crucial role of acetoin production in balanced growth under glucose-rich environments. Additional deletion of the aphA gene, encoding a negative regulator for acetoin production, failed to rescue the (p)ppGpp0 mutant from the defective glucose-mediated growth, suggesting that (p)ppGpp-mediated acetoin production occurs independent of the presence of AphA. Overall, our results reveal that (p)ppGpp, in addition to its well known role as a stringent response mediator, positively regulates acetoin production that contributes to the successful glucose metabolism and consequently the proliferation of V. cholerae cells under a glucose-rich environment, a condition that may mimic the human intestine.