Marie I. Samanovic

Copper in Microbial Pathogenesis: Meddling with the Metal

Transition metals such as iron, zinc, copper, and manganese are essential for the growth and development of organisms ranging from bacteria to mammals. Numerous studies have focused on the impact of iron availability during bacterial and fungal infections, and increasing evidence suggests that copper is also involved in microbial pathogenesis. Not only is copper an essential cofactor for specific microbial enzymes, but several recent studies also strongly suggest that copper is used to restrict pathogen growth in vivo. Here, we review evidence that animals use copper as an antimicrobial weapon and that, in turn, microbes have developed mechanisms to counteract the toxic effects of copper.

Distinct roles of apolipoprotein components within the trypanosome lytic factor complex revealed in a novel transgenic mouse model

Humans express a unique subset of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) called trypanosome lytic factors (TLFs) that kill many Trypanosoma parasite species. The proteins apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, apoL-I, and haptoglobin-related protein, which are involved in TLF structure and function, were expressed through the introduction of transgenes in mice to explore their physiological roles in vivo. Transgenic expression of human apolipoprotein L-I alone conferred trypanolytic activity in vivo. Coexpression of human apolipoprotein A-I and haptoglobin-related protein (Hpr) had an effect on the integration of apolipoprotein L-I into HDL, and both proteins were required to increase the specific activity of TLF, which was measurable in vitro. Unexpectedly, truncated apolipoprotein L-I devoid of the serum resistance gene interacting domain, which was previously shown to kill human infective trypanosomes, was not trypanolytic in transgenic mice despite being coexpressed with human apolipoprotein A-I and Hpr and incorporated into HDLs. We conclude that all three human apolipoproteins act cooperatively to achieve maximal killing capacity and that truncated apolipoprotein L-I does not function in transgenic animals.

Identification of Three Classes of Heteroaromatic Compounds with Activity against Intracellular Trypanosoma cruzi by Chemical Library Screening

The development of new drugs against Chagas disease is a priority since the currently available medicines have toxic effects, partial efficacy and are targeted against the acute phase of disease. At present, there is no drug to treat the chronic stage. In this study, we have optimized a whole cell-based assay for high throughput screening of compounds that inhibit infection of mammalian cells by Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes. A 2000-compound chemical library was screened using a recombinant T. cruzi (Tulahuen strain) expressing β-galactosidase. Three hits were selected for their high activity against T. cruzi and low toxicity to host cells in vitro: PCH1, NT1 and CX1 (IC50: 54, 190 and 23 nM, respectively). Each of these three compounds presents a different mechanism of action on intracellular proliferation of T. cruzi amastigotes. CX1 shows strong trypanocidal activity, an essential characteristic for the development of drugs against the chronic stage of Chagas disease where parasites are found intracellular in a quiescent stage. NT1 has a trypanostatic effect, while PCH1 affects parasite division. The three compounds also show high activity against intracellular T. cruzi from the Y strain and against the related kinetoplastid species Leishmania major and L. amazonensis. Characterization of the anti–T. cruzi activity of molecules chemically related to the three library hits allowed the selection of two compounds with IC50 values of 2 nM (PCH6 and CX2). These values are approximately 100 times lower than those of the medicines used in patients against T. cruzi. These results provide new candidate molecules for the development of treatments against Chagas disease and leishmaniasis.

Trypanosome Lytic Factor, an Antimicrobial High-Density Lipoprotein, Ameliorates Leishmania Infection

Innate immunity is the first line of defense against invading microorganisms. Trypanosome Lytic Factor (TLF) is a minor sub-fraction of human high-density lipoprotein that provides innate immunity by completely protecting humans from infection by most species of African trypanosomes, which belong to the Kinetoplastida order. Herein, we demonstrate the broader protective effects of human TLF, which inhibits intracellular infection by Leishmania, a kinetoplastid that replicates in phagolysosomes of macrophages. We show that TLF accumulates within the parasitophorous vacuole of macrophages in vitro and reduces the number of Leishmania metacyclic promastigotes, but not amastigotes. We do not detect any activation of the macrophages by TLF in the presence or absence of Leishmania, and therefore propose that TLF directly damages the parasite in the acidic parasitophorous vacuole. To investigate the physiological relevance of this observation, we have reconstituted lytic activity in vivo by generating mice that express the two main protein components of TLFs: human apolipoprotein L-I and haptoglobin-related protein. Both proteins are expressed in mice at levels equivalent to those found in humans and circulate within high-density lipoproteins. We find that TLF mice can ameliorate an infection with Leishmania by significantly reducing the pathogen burden. In contrast, TLF mice were not protected against infection by the kinetoplastid Trypanosoma cruzi, which infects many cell types and transiently passes through a phagolysosome. We conclude that TLF not only determines species specificity for African trypanosomes, but can also ameliorate an infection with Leishmania, while having no effect on T. cruzi. We propose that TLFs are a component of the innate immune system that can limit infections by their ability to selectively damage pathogens in phagolysosomes within the reticuloendothelial system.

The Copper-Responsive RicR Regulon Contributes to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Virulence

ABSTRACT As with most life on Earth, the transition metal copper (Cu) is essential for the viability of the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, infected hosts can also use Cu to control microbial growth. Several Cu-responsive pathways are present in M. tuberculosis, including the regulated in copper repressor (RicR) regulon, which is unique to pathogenic mycobacteria. In this work, we describe the contribution of each RicR-regulated gene to Cu resistance in vitro and to virulence in animals. We found that the deletion or disruption of individual RicR-regulated genes had no impact on virulence in mice, although several mutants had Cu hypersensitivity. In contrast, a mutant unable to activate the RicR regulon was not only highly susceptible to Cu but also attenuated in mice. Thus, these data suggest that several genes of the RicR regulon are required simultaneously to combat Cu toxicity in vivo or that this regulon is also important for resistance against Cu-independent mechanisms of host defense. IMPORTANCE Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis, killing millions of people every year. Therefore, understanding the biology of M. tuberculosis is crucial for the development of new therapies to treat this devastating disease. Our studies reveal that although host-supplied Cu can suppress bacterial growth, M. tuberculosis has a unique pathway, the RicR regulon, to defend against Cu toxicity. These findings suggest that Cu homeostasis pathways in both the host and the pathogen could be exploited for the treatment of tuberculosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis, killing millions of people every year. Therefore, understanding the biology of M. tuberculosis is crucial for the development of new therapies to treat this devastating disease. Our studies reveal that although host-supplied Cu can suppress bacterial growth, M. tuberculosis has a unique pathway, the RicR regulon, to defend against Cu toxicity. These findings suggest that Cu homeostasis pathways in both the host and the pathogen could be exploited for the treatment of tuberculosis.

The Pup-Proteasome System of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Proteasomes are ATP-dependent protein degradation machines present in all archaea and eukaryotes, and found in several bacterial species of the order Actinomycetales. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), an Actinomycete pathogenic to humans, requires proteasome function to cause disease. In this chapter, we describe what is currently understood about the biochemistry of the Mtb proteasome and its role in virulence. The characterization of the Mtb proteasome has led to the discovery that proteins can be targeted for degradation by a small protein modifier in bacteria as they are in eukaryotes. Furthermore, the understanding of proteasome function in Mtb has helped reveal new insight into how the host battles infections.

Activity of trypanosome lytic factor: a novel component of innate immunity

Trypanosome lytic factors (TLFs) are high-density lipoproteins and components of primate innate immunity. TLFs are characterized by their ability to kill extracellular protozoon parasites of the genus Trypanosoma. Two subspecies of Trypanosoma brucei have evolved resistance to TLFs and can consequently infect humans, resulting in the disease African sleeping sickness. The unique protein components of TLFs are a hemoglobin-binding protein, haptoglobin-related protein and a pore-forming protein, apoL-I. The recent advances in our understanding of the roles that these proteins play in the mechanism of TLF-mediated lysis are highlighted in this article. In light of recent data, which demonstrate that TLFs can ameliorate infection by the intracellular pathogen Leishmania, we also discuss the broader function of TLFs as components of innate immunity.

Game of 'Somes: Protein Destruction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Pathogenesis.

The proteasome system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is required for causing disease. Proteasomes are multisubunit chambered proteases and, until recently, were only known to participate in adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent proteolysis in bacteria. In this review, we discuss the latest advances in understanding how both ATP-dependent and ATP-independent proteasome-regulated pathways contribute to M. tuberculosis virulence.

Loss-of-function mutations in HspR rescue the growth defect of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteasome activator E (pafE) mutant.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis uses a proteasome to degrade proteins by both ATP-dependent and -independent pathways. While much has been learned about ATP-dependent degradation, relatively little is understood about the ATP-independent pathway, which is controlled by Mycobacterium tuberculosisproteasome accessory factor E (PafE). Recently, we found that a Mycobacterium tuberculosispafE mutant has slowed growth in vitro and is sensitive to killing by heat stress. However, we did not know if these phenotypes were caused by an inability to degrade the PafE-proteasome substrate HspR (heat shock protein repressor), an inability to degrade any damaged or misfolded proteins, or a defect in another protein quality control pathway. To address this question, we characterized pafE suppressor mutants that grew similarly to pafE+ bacteria under normal culture conditions. All but one suppressor mutant analyzed contained mutations that inactivated HspR function, demonstrating that the slowed growth and heat shock sensitivity of a pafE mutant were caused primarily by the inability of the proteasome to degrade HspR.IMPORTANCEMycobacterium tuberculosis encodes a proteasome that is highly similar to eukaryotic proteasomes and is required for virulence. We recently discovered a proteasome cofactor, PafE, which is required for the normal growth, heat shock resistance, and full virulence of M. tuberculosis In this study, we demonstrate that PafE influences this phenotype primarily by promoting the expression of protein chaperone genes that are necessary for surviving proteotoxic stress.

Cytokinins beyond plants: synthesis by Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) resides mainly inside macrophages, which produce nitric oxide (NO) to combat microbial infections. Earlier studies revealed that proteasome-associated genes are required for M. tuberculosis to resist NO via a previously uncharacterized mechanism. Twelve years later, we elucidated the link between proteasome function and NO resistance in M. tuberculosis in Molecular Cell, 57 (2015), pp. 984-994. In a proteasome degradation-defective mutant, Rv1205, a homologue of the plant enzyme LONELY GUY (LOG) that is involved in the synthesis of phytohormones called cytokinins, accumulates and as a consequence results in the overproduction of cytokinins. Cytokinins break down into aldehydes that kill mycobacteria in the presence of NO. Importantly, this new discovery reveals for the first time that a mammalian bacterial pathogen produces cytokinins and leaves us with the question: why is M. tuberculosis, an exclusively human pathogen, producing cytokinins?