Zhoujia Wang

Comparative Proteomics Analyses Reveal the virB of B. melitensis Affects Expression of Intracellular Survival Related Proteins

Backgound Brucella melitensis is a facultative, intracellular, pathogenic bacterium that replicates within macrophages. The type IV secretion system encoded by the virB operon (virB) is involved in Brucella intracellular survival. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms, especially the target proteins affected by the virB, remain largely unclear. Methodology/Principal Findings In order to define the proteins affected by virB, the proteomes of wild-type and the virB mutant were compared under in vitro conditions where virB was highly activated. The differentially expressed proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS. Forty-four down-regulated and eighteen up-regulated proteins which exhibited a 2-fold or greater change were identified. These proteins included those involved in amino acid transport and metabolism, lipid metabolism, energy production, cell membrane biogenesis, translation, post-translational modifications and protein turnover, as well as unknown proteins. Interestingly, several important virulence related proteins involved in intracellular survival, including VjbR, DnaK, HtrA, Omp25, and GntR, were down-regulated in the virB mutant. Transcription analysis of virB and vjbR at different growth phase showed that virB positively affect transcription of vjbR in a growth phase dependent manner. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that transcription of these genes was also affected by virB during macrophage cell infection, consistent with the observed decreased survival of the virB mutant in macrophage. Conclusions/Significance These data indicated that the virB operon may control the intracellular survival of Brucella by affecting the expression of relevant proteins.

Rapid and quantitative detection of Brucella by up-converting phosphor technology-based lateral-flow assay

A rapid and quantitative up-converting phosphor technology-based later-flow assay (UPT-LF assay) was developed for on-site detection of Brucella. Different Brucella species both in pure cultures and in spiked samples could be quantitatively detected. The detection limit for pure culture was 5 x 10(6)CFU/ml and the sensitivity for different spiked samples ranged from 2.0 x 10(3) to 3.9 x 10(5)CFU/mg. The UPT-LF assay showed high specificity, reproducibility and stability, providing great potential for Brucella on-site detection.

Impact of Hfq on Global Gene Expression and Intracellular Survival in Brucella melitensis

Brucella melitensis is a facultative intracellular bacterium that replicates within macrophages. The ability of brucellae to survive and multiply in the hostile environment of host macrophages is essential to its virulence. The RNA-binding protein Hfq is a global regulator that is involved in stress resistance and pathogenicity. Here we demonstrate that Hfq is essential for stress adaptation and intracellular survival in B. melitensis. A B. melitensis hfq deletion mutant exhibits reduced survival under environmental stresses and is attenuated in cultured macrophages and mice. Microarray-based transcriptome analyses revealed that 359 genes involved in numerous cellular processes were dysregulated in the hfq mutant. From these same samples the proteins were also prepared for proteomic analysis to directly identify Hfq-regulated proteins. Fifty-five proteins with significantly affected expression were identified in the hfq mutant. Our results demonstrate that Hfq regulates many genes and/or proteins involved in metabolism, virulence, and stress responses, including those potentially involved in the adaptation of Brucella to the oxidative, acid, heat stress, and antibacterial peptides encountered within the host. The dysregulation of such genes and/or proteins could contribute to the attenuated hfq mutant phenotype. These findings highlight the involvement of Hfq as a key regulator of Brucella gene expression and facilitate our understanding of the role of Hfq in environmental stress adaptation and intracellular survival of B. melitensis.

The 16MΔvjbR as an ideal live attenuated vaccine candidate for differentiation between Brucella vaccination and infection.

Brucellosis brings great economic burdens for developing countries. Live attenuated vaccines are the most efficient means for prevention and control of animal Brucellosis. However, the difficulties of differentiating of infection from vaccine immunization, which is essential for eradication programs, limit their applications. Therefore, the development of a vaccine that could differentiate infection from immunization will overcome the limitations and get extensive application. VjbR is a quorum sensing regulator involving in Brucellas intracellular survival. The vjbR∷Tn5 mutants have been proven effective against wild type strain challenge, implying its possibility of use in vaccine candidate development. To further evaluate this candidate gene, in the present study, the antigenicity of purified recombinant VjbR protein was analyzed. Antibodies to Brucella melitensis VjbR could be detected in sera from patients and animals with brucellosis but not in control ones, implying the potential use of this protein as a diagnostic antigen. Then a vjbR mutant of B. melitensis 16M was constructed by replacing the vjbR with kanamycin gene. The mutant showed reduced survival in macrophage and mice. Vaccination of BALB/c mice with 16MΔvjbR conferred significant protective immunity against B. melitensis strain 16M challenges, being equivalent to which induced by the license vaccine Rev.1. The vjbR deletion mutant elicited an anti-Brucella-specific immunoglobulin G response and induced the secretion of gamma interferon and interleukin-10. The most importance is that, the use of vjbR mutants as vaccines in association with diagnostic tests based on the VjbR antigen would allow the serological differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals. These results suggest that 16MΔvjbR is an ideal live attenuated vaccine candidate against B. melitensis and deserves further evaluation for vaccine development.

Coexistence of blaNDM-1 with the Prevalent blaOXA23 and blaIMP in Pan-drug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates in China

To the Editor—The emergence of New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase–1 (NDM1) in India, Pakistan, and the UK has sparked great fear of the threat posed by resistant microbial strains and by the use of antibiotics worldwide [1]. Thus far, NDM-1 carbapenemase has been detected in several countries in a diverse group of bacteria. Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as one of the most troublesome pathogens for health care institutions globally. Its clinical significance has been propelled by its remarkable capability to upregulate or acquire resistance determinants, making it one of the most important organisms threatening the current antibiotic era. In Chinese hospitals, A. baumannii is the most common genus of carbapenemresistant bacteria [2]. We screened carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii for the presence of blaNDM-1 and successfully detected a blaNDM-1–positive strain, to our knowledge the first such strain of A. baumannii isolated in China. In addition to carbapenem, this isolate is resistant to various types of antibiotics—consistent with what has been observed in other countries [1]. Resistance to carbapenem is mainly mediated by 4 classes of carbapenemases among different bacterial species [3]. The carbapenemases found in A. baumannii thus far belong to either the OXA class D family of serine b-lactamases or to the IMP/VIM class B family of metallo-b-lactamases [4]. Polymerase chain reaction screening was performed to identify OXA type (OXA-23, OXA-24, and OXA-58–like) and the IMP/VIM genes. Of the 122 A. baumannii isolates from Chinese patients, 115 (94.2%) were positive for OXA-23 and 66 (54.0%) were positive for IMP. No other carbapenemase genes were detected. Sequencing of blaOXA-23 and blaIMP genes showed 100% identity with previously reported genes. All the IMP-positive isolates were also positive for OXA-23. The isolates positive for both OXA-23 and IMP showed increased resistance to most antibiotics (Table 1). Interestingly, the NDM1–positive isolate was also positive for both OXA-23 and IMP. The blaNDM-1– positive strain was more resistant to antibiotics than were strains that harbor both OXA-23 and IMP. However, we also found that the NDM-1–positive strain was susceptible to several fluoroquinolone antibiotics and to polymyxin B. Hospital-acquired infections with A. baumannii have been reported worldwide [5]. The success of the organism has been attributed to its ability for long-term survival in a hospital environment and its ability to rapidly acquire resistance to antibiotics. Although the exact mechanisms remain to be further defined, the emergence of blaNDM-1 in A. baumannii, and its coexistence with other carbapenemase genes, will seriously limit future therapeutic options.

Immunization of mice with recombinant protein CobB or AsnC confers protection against Brucella abortus infection.

Due to drawbacks of live attenuated vaccines, much more attention has been focused on screening of Brucella protective antigens as subunit vaccine candidates. Brucella is a facultative intracellular bacterium and cell mediated immunity plays essential roles for protection against Brucella infection. Identification of Brucella antigens that present T-cell epitopes to the host could enable development of such vaccines. In this study, 45 proven or putative pathogenesis-associated factors of Brucella were selected according to currently available data. After expressed and purified, 35 proteins were qualified for analysis of their abilities to stimulate T-cell responses in vitro. Then, an in vitro gamma interferon (IFN-γ) assay was used to identify potential T-cell antigens from B. abortus. In total, 7 individual proteins that stimulated strong IFN-γ responses in splenocytes from mice immunized with B. abortus live vaccine S19 were identified. The protective efficiencies of these 7 recombinant proteins were further evaluated. Mice given BAB1_1316 (CobB) or BAB1_1688 (AsnC) plus adjuvant could provide protection against virulent B. abortus infection, similarly with the known protective antigen Cu-Zn SOD and the license vaccine S19. In addition, CobB and AsnC could induce strong antibodies responses in BALB/c mice. Altogether, the present study showed that CobB or AsnC protein could be useful antigen candidates for the development of subunit vaccines against brucellosis with adequate immunogenicity and protection efficacy.

The type IV secretion system affects the expression of Omp25/Omp31 and the outer membrane properties of Brucella melitensis

The type IV secretion system (T4SS) contributes to Brucella intracellular survival through its effector proteins. Comparative proteomic analysis showed that intracellular survival proteins are expressed differentially in a virB mutant. Interestingly, several outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are also differentially expressed, implying that T4SS might affect the OM properties of Brucella. To further evaluate the impact of T4SS on OM, in the present study, the OM proteomes were isolated and compared. Many more products of OMPs, particularly different products of the Omp25/Omp31 family, were found to be altered in the virB mutant. The transcription profiles of Omp25/Omp31 were different from those of their protein products, implying their regulation by virB at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. The virB mutant aggregates at a high cell density and produces exopolysaccharide, a phenotype resembling that of the vjbR mutant. The virB mutant showed increased sensitivity to polymyxin B and decreased survival under oxidative, high-salt and high-osmolarity stresses, indicating drastic membrane alterations. These results indicated that in addition to being an effector protein secretion system, T4SS affects OM properties that might be important for the adaptation of Brucella to both in vitro and in vivo hostile environments.

Cytotoxicity of Brucella smooth strains for macrophages is mediated by increased secretion of the type IV secretion system.

Some Brucella rough mutants cause cytotoxicity that resembles oncosis and necrosis in macrophages. This cytotoxicity requires the type IV secretion system (T4SS). In rough mutants, the cell-surface O antigen is shortened and the T4SS structure is thus exposed on the surface. Cytotoxicity effector proteins can therefore be more easily secreted. This enhanced secretion of effector proteins might cause the increased levels of cytotoxicity observed. However, whether this cytotoxicity is unique to the rough mutant and is mediated by overexpression of the T4SS has not been definitively determined. To test this, in the present study, a virB inactivation mutant (BMDeltavirB) and an overexpression strain (BM-VIR) of a smooth Brucella melitensis strain (BM) were constructed and their cytotoxicity for macrophages and intracellular survival capability were analysed and compared. Cytotoxicity was detected in macrophages infected with higher concentrations of strains BM or BM-VIR, but not in those infected with BMDeltavirB. The quorum sensing signal molecule N-dodecanoyl-dl-homoserine lactone (C(12)-HSL), a molecule that can inhibit expression of virB, inhibited the cytotoxicity of BM and BM-VIR, but not of BMDeltavirB. These results indicated that overexpression of virB is responsible for Brucella cytotoxicity in macrophages. Transcription analysis showed that virB is regulated in a cell-density-dependent manner both in in vitro culture and during macrophage infection. When compared with BM, BM-VIR showed a reduced survival capacity in macrophages and mice, but both strains demonstrated similar resistance to in vitro stress conditions designed to simulate intracellular environments. Taken together, the cytotoxicity of Brucella for macrophages is probably mediated by increased secretion of effector proteins that results from overexpression of virB or an increase in the number of bacterial cells. The observation that both inactivation and overexpression of virB are detrimental for Brucella intracellular survival also indicated that the expression of virB is tightly regulated in a cell-density-dependent manner.

Identification of a Novel Small Non-Coding RNA Modulating the Intracellular Survival of Brucella melitensis.

Bacterial small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) are gene expression modulators respond to environmental changes, stressful conditions, and pathogenesis. In this study, by using a combined bioinformatic and experimental approach, eight novel sRNA genes were identified in intracellular pathogen Brucella melitensis. BSR0602, one sRNA that was highly induced in stationary phase, was further examined and found to modulate the intracellular survival of B. melitensis. BSR0602 was present at very high levels in vitro under stresses similar to those encountered during infection in host macrophages. Furthermore, BSR0602 was found to be highly expressed in the spleens of infected mice, suggesting its potential role in the control of pathogenesis. BSR0602 targets the mRNAs coding for gntR, a global transcriptional regulator, which is required for B. melitensis virulence. Overexpression of BSR0602 results in distinct reduction in the gntR mRNA level. B. melitensis with high level of BSR0602 is defective in bacteria intracellular survival in macrophages and defective in growth in the spleens of infected mice. Therefore, BSR0602 may directly inhibit the expression of gntR, which then impairs Brucellae intracellular survival and contributes to Brucella infection. Our findings suggest that BSR0602 is responsible for bacterial adaptation to stress conditions and thus modulate B. melitensis intracellular survival.

High Severity and Fatality of Human Infections With Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Infection in China

Severe infection by a novel influenza virus, distinct from the circulating human influenza A virus, in humans usually heralds a sporadic pattern of severehuman infection or an influenza pandemic [1]. Accordingly, the discovery of the novel avian influenza A(H7N9) virus is of great public health significance [2]. Because this virus has not been detected previously in humans or in animals, many urgent questions and global public health concerns need to be addressed [3]. Study of the early cases could provide key