WorldWideScience

Sample records for coli host cells

  1. Pertussis Toxin Exploits Host Cell Signaling Pathways Induced by Meningitis-Causing E. coli K1-RS218 and Enhances Adherence of Monocytic THP-1 Cells to Human Cerebral Endothelial Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Julia Starost

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Pertussis toxin (PTx, the major virulence factor of the whooping cough-causing bacterial pathogen Bordetella pertussis, permeabilizes the blood–brain barrier (BBB in vitro and in vivo. Breaking barriers might promote translocation of meningitis-causing bacteria across the BBB, thereby facilitating infection. PTx activates several host cell signaling pathways exploited by the neonatal meningitis-causing Escherichia coli K1-RS218 for invasion and translocation across the BBB. Here, we investigated whether PTx and E. coli K1-RS218 exert similar effects on MAPK p38, NF-κB activation and transcription of downstream targets in human cerebral endothelial TY10 cells using qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and ELISA in combination with specific inhibitors. PTx and E. coli K1-RS218 activate MAPK p38, but only E. coli K1-RS218 activates the NF-κB pathway. mRNA and protein levels of p38 and NF-κB downstream targets including IL-6, IL-8, CxCL-1, CxCL-2 and ICAM-1 were increased. The p38 specific inhibitor SB203590 blocked PTx-enhanced activity, whereas E. coli K1-RS218’s effects were inhibited by the NF-κB inhibitor Bay 11-7082. Further, we found that PTx enhances the adherence of human monocytic THP-1 cells to human cerebral endothelial TY10 cells, thereby contributing to enhanced translocation. These modulations of host cell signaling pathways by PTx and meningitis-causing E. coli support their contributions to pathogen and monocytic THP-1 cells translocation across the BBB.

  2. Toxicity of the bacteriophage λ cII gene product to Escherichia coli arises from inhibition of host cell DNA replication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kedzierska, Barbara; Glinkowska, Monika; Iwanicki, Adam; Obuchowski, Michal; Sojka, Piotr; Thomas, Mark S.; Wegrzyn, Grzegorz

    2003-01-01

    The bacteriophage λ cII gene codes for a transcriptional activator protein which is a crucial regulator at the stage of the 'lysis-versus-lysogeny' decision during phage development. The CII protein is highly toxic to the host, Escherichia coli, when overproduced. However, the molecular mechanism of this toxicity is not known. Here we demonstrate that DNA synthesis, but not total RNA synthesis, is strongly inhibited in cII-overexpressing E. coli cells. The toxicity was also observed when the transcriptional stimulator activity of CII was abolished either by a point mutation in the cII gene or by a point mutation, rpoA341, in the gene coding for the RNA polymerase α subunit. Moreover, inhibition of cell growth, caused by both wild-type and mutant CII proteins in either rpoA + or rpoA341 hosts, could be relieved by overexpression of the E. coli dnaB and dnaC genes. In vitro replication of an oriC-based plasmid DNA was somewhat impaired by the presence of the CII, and several CII-resistant E. coli strains contain mutations near dnaC. We conclude that the DNA replication machinery may be a target for the toxic activity of CII

  3. Effects of Genetic Variation on the E. coli Host-Circuit Interface

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefano Cardinale

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Predictable operation of engineered biological circuitry requires the knowledge of host factors that compete or interfere with designed function. Here, we perform a detailed analysis of the interaction between constitutive expression from a test circuit and cell-growth properties in a subset of genetic variants of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Differences in generic cellular parameters such as ribosome availability and growth rate are the main determinants (89% of strain-specific differences of circuit performance in laboratory-adapted strains but are responsible for only 35% of expression variation across 88 mutants of E. coli BW25113. In the latter strains, we identify specific cell functions, such as nitrogen metabolism, that directly modulate circuit behavior. Finally, we expose aspects of carbon metabolism that act in a strain- and sequence-specific manner. This method of dissecting interactions between host factors and heterologous circuits enables the discovery of mechanisms of interference necessary for the development of design principles for predictable cellular engineering.

  4. Oligomannose-Rich Membranes of Dying Intestinal Epithelial Cells Promote Host Colonization by Adherent-Invasive E. coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tetiana Dumych

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available A novel mechanism is revealed by which clinical isolates of adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC penetrate into the epithelial cell layer, replicate, and establish biofilms in Crohn's disease. AIEC uses the FimH fimbrial adhesin to bind to oligomannose glycans on the surface of host cells. Oligomannose glycans exposed on early apoptotic cells are the preferred binding targets of AIEC, so apoptotic cells serve as potential entry points for bacteria into the epithelial cell layer. Thereafter, the bacteria propagate laterally in the epithelial intercellular spaces. We demonstrate oligomannosylation at two distinct sites of a glycoprotein receptor for AIEC, carcinoembryonic antigen related cell adhesion molecule 6 (CEACAM6 or CD66c, on human intestinal epithelia. After bacterial binding, FimH interacts with CEACAM6, which then clusters. The presence of the highest-affinity epitope for FimH, oligomannose-5, on CEACAM6 is demonstrated using LC-MS/MS. As mannose-dependent infections are abundant, this mechanism might also be used by other adherent-invasive pathogens.

  5. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Samonella, Shigella and Yersinia: cellular aspects of host-bacteria interactions in enteric diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reis Roberta

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract A successful infection of the human intestine by enteropathogenic bacteria depends on the ability of bacteria to attach and colonize the intestinal epithelium and, in some cases, to invade the host cell, survive intracellularly and disseminate from cell to cell. To accomplish these processes bacteria have evolved an arsenal of molecules that are mostly secreted by dedicated type III secretion systems, and that interact with the host, subverting normal cellular functions. Here we overview the most important molecular strategies developed by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Shigella flexneri, and Yersinia enterocolitica to cause enteric infections. Despite having evolved different effectors, these four microorganisms share common host cellular targets.

  6. The Protein Interaction Network of Bacteriophage Lambda with Its Host, Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blasche, Sonja; Wuchty, Stefan; Rajagopala, Seesandra V.

    2013-01-01

    Although most of the 73 open reading frames (ORFs) in bacteriophage λ have been investigated intensively, the function of many genes in host-phage interactions remains poorly understood. Using yeast two-hybrid screens of all lambda ORFs for interactions with its host Escherichia coli, we determined a raw data set of 631 host-phage interactions resulting in a set of 62 high-confidence interactions after multiple rounds of retesting. These links suggest novel regulatory interactions between the E. coli transcriptional network and lambda proteins. Targeted host proteins and genes required for lambda infection are enriched among highly connected proteins, suggesting that bacteriophages resemble interaction patterns of human viruses. Lambda tail proteins interact with both bacterial fimbrial proteins and E. coli proteins homologous to other phage proteins. Lambda appears to dramatically differ from other phages, such as T7, because of its unusually large number of modified and processed proteins, which reduces the number of host-virus interactions detectable by yeast two-hybrid screens. PMID:24049175

  7. Co-ordinate regulation of distinct host cell signalling pathways by multifunctional enteropathogenic Escherichia coli effector molecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenny, Brendan; Ellis, Sarah; Leard, Alan D; Warawa, Jonathan; Mellor, Harry; Jepson, Mark A

    2002-05-01

    Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a major cause of paediatric diarrhoea and a model for the family of attaching and effacing (A/E) pathogens. A/E pathogens encode a type III secretion system to transfer effector proteins into host cells. The EPEC Tir effector protein acts as a receptor for the bacterial surface protein intimin and is involved in the formation of Cdc42-independent, actin-rich pedestal structures beneath the adhered bacteria. In this paper, we demonstrate that EPEC binding to HeLa cells also induces Tir-independent, cytoskeletal rearrangement evidenced by the early, transient formation of filopodia-like structures at sites of infection. Filopodia formation is dependent on expression of the EPEC Map effector molecule - a protein that targets mitochondria and induces their dysfunction. We show that Map-induced filopodia formation is independent of mitochondrial targeting and is abolished by cellular expression of the Cdc42 inhibitory WASP-CRIB domain, demonstrating that Map has at least two distinct functions in host cells. The transient nature of the filopodia is related to an ability of EPEC to downregulate Map-induced cell signalling that, like pedestal formation, was dependent on both Tir and intimin proteins. The ability of Tir to downregulate filopodia was impaired by disrupting a putative GTPase-activating protein (GAP) motif, suggesting that Tir may possess such a function, with its interaction with intimin triggering this activity. Furthermore, we also found that Map-induced cell signalling inhibits pedestal formation, revealing that the cellular effects of Tir and Map must be co-ordinately regulated during infection. Possible implications of the multifunctional nature of EPEC effector molecules in pathogenesis are discussed.

  8. Metabolic investigation of host/pathogen interaction using MS2-infected Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jain Rishi

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background RNA viruses are responsible for a variety of illnesses among people, including but not limited to the common cold, the flu, HIV, and ebola. Developing new drugs and new strategies for treating diseases caused by these viruses can be an expensive and time-consuming process. Mathematical modeling may be used to elucidate host-pathogen interactions and highlight potential targets for drug development, as well providing the basis for optimizing patient treatment strategies. The purpose of this work was to determine whether a genome-scale modeling approach could be used to understand how metabolism is impacted by the host-pathogen interaction during a viral infection. Escherichia coli/MS2 was used as the host-pathogen model system as MS2 is easy to work with, harmless to humans, but shares many features with eukaryotic viruses. In addition, the genome-scale metabolic model of E. coli is the most comprehensive model at this time. Results Employing a metabolic modeling strategy known as "flux balance analysis" coupled with experimental studies, we were able to predict how viral infection would alter bacterial metabolism. Based on our simulations, we predicted that cell growth and biosynthesis of the cell wall would be halted. Furthermore, we predicted a substantial increase in metabolic activity of the pentose phosphate pathway as a means to enhance viral biosynthesis, while a break down in the citric acid cycle was predicted. Also, no changes were predicted in the glycolytic pathway. Conclusions Through our approach, we have developed a technique of modeling virus-infected host metabolism and have investigated the metabolic effects of viral infection. These studies may provide insight into how to design better drugs. They also illustrate the potential of extending such metabolic analysis to higher order organisms, including humans.

  9. The host response to the probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917: Specific up-regulation of the proinflammatory chemokine MCP-1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ukena Sya N

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of live microorganisms to influence positively the course of intestinal disorders such as infectious diarrhea or chronic inflammatory conditions has recently gained increasing interest as a therapeutic alternative. In vitro and in vivo investigations have demonstrated that probiotic-host eukaryotic cell interactions evoke a large number of responses potentially responsible for the effects of probiotics. The aim of this study was to improve our understanding of the E. coli Nissle 1917-host interaction by analyzing the gene expression pattern initiated by this probiotic in human intestinal epithelial cells. Methods Gene expression profiles of Caco-2 cells treated with E. coli Nissle 1917 were analyzed with microarrays. A second human intestinal cell line and also pieces of small intestine from BALB/c mice were used to confirm regulatory data of selected genes by real-time RT-PCR and cytometric bead array (CBA to detect secretion of corresponding proteins. Results Whole genome expression analysis revealed 126 genes specifically regulated after treatment of confluent Caco-2 cells with E. coli Nissle 1917. Among others, expression of genes encoding the proinflammatory molecules monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 ligand 2 (MCP-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 alpha (MIP-2α and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 beta (MIP-2β was increased up to 10 fold. Caco-2 cells cocultured with E. coli Nissle 1917 also secreted high amounts of MCP-1 protein. Elevated levels of MCP-1 and MIP-2α mRNA could be confirmed with Lovo cells. MCP-1 gene expression was also up-regulated in mouse intestinal tissue. Conclusion Thus, probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 specifically upregulates expression of proinflammatory genes and proteins in human and mouse intestinal epithelial cells.

  10. Identification and monitoring of host cell proteins by mass spectrometry combined with high performance immunochemistry testing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katrin Bomans

    Full Text Available Biotherapeutics are often produced in non-human host cells like Escherichia coli, yeast, and various mammalian cell lines. A major focus of any therapeutic protein purification process is to reduce host cell proteins to an acceptable low level. In this study, various E. coli host cell proteins were identified at different purifications steps by HPLC fractionation, SDS-PAGE analysis, and tryptic peptide mapping combined with online liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS. However, no host cell proteins could be verified by direct LC-MS analysis of final drug substance material. In contrast, the application of affinity enrichment chromatography prior to comprehensive LC-MS was adequate to identify several low abundant host cell proteins at the final drug substance level. Bacterial alkaline phosphatase (BAP was identified as being the most abundant host cell protein at several purification steps. Thus, we firstly established two different assays for enzymatic and immunological BAP monitoring using the cobas® technology. By using this strategy we were able to demonstrate an almost complete removal of BAP enzymatic activity by the established therapeutic protein purification process. In summary, the impact of fermentation, purification, and formulation conditions on host cell protein removal and biological activity can be conducted by monitoring process-specific host cell proteins in a GMP-compatible and high-throughput (> 1000 samples/day manner.

  11. Escherichia coli : host interactions in the pathogenesis of canine pyometra

    OpenAIRE

    Henriques, Sofia Correia Rosa de Barros

    2016-01-01

    Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências Veterinárias na Especialidade de Ciências Biológicas e Biomédicas Canine pyometra develops as a result of a complex interaction of etiological and physiopathological factors, such as the virulence and type of the bacteria and the individual host defence mechanisms. Since Escherichia coli is the most common bacterium isolated from uterus of bitches with pyometra, one main objective of this work was to characterize E. coli virulence potential, and...

  12. Comparative Study on Different Expression Hosts for Alkaline Phytase Engineered in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Weiwei; Yu, Hongwei; Ye, Lidan

    2016-07-01

    The application of alkaline phytase as a feed additive is restricted by the poor specific activity. Escherichia coli is a frequently used host for directed evolution of proteins including alkaline phytase towards improved activity. However, it is not suitable for production of food-grade products due to potential pathogenicity. To combine the advantages of different expression systems, mutants of the alkaline phytase originated from Bacillus subtilis 168 (phy168) were first generated via directed evolution in E. coli and then transformed to food-grade hosts B. subtilis and Pichia pastoris for secretory expression. In order to investigate the suitability of different expression systems, the phy168 mutants expressed in different hosts were characterized and compared in terms of specific activity, pH profile, pH stability, temperature profile, and thermostability. The specific activity of B. subtilis-expressed D24G/K70R/K111E/N121S mutant at pH 7.0 and 60 °C was 30.4 U/mg, obviously higher than those in P. pastoris (22.7 U/mg) and E. coli (19.7 U/mg). Moreover, after 10 min incubation at 80 °C, the B. subtilis-expressed D24G/K70R/K111E/N121S retained about 70 % of the activity at pH 7.0 and 37 °C, whereas the values were only about 25 and 50 % when expressed in P. pastoris and E. coli, respectively. These results suggested B. subtilis as an appropriate host for expression of phy168 mutants and that the strategy of creating mutants in one host and expressing them in another might be a new solution to industrial production of proteins with desired properties.

  13. Host cell and expression engineering for development of an E. coli ketoreductase catalyst: Enhancement of formate dehydrogenase activity for regeneration of NADH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mädje Katharina

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Enzymatic NADH or NADPH-dependent reduction is a widely applied approach for the synthesis of optically active organic compounds. The overall biocatalytic conversion usually involves in situ regeneration of the expensive NAD(PH. Oxidation of formate to carbon dioxide, catalyzed by formate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.2; FDH, presents an almost ideal process solution for coenzyme regeneration that has been well established for NADH. Because isolated FDH is relatively unstable under a range of process conditions, whole cells often constitute the preferred form of the biocatalyst, combining the advantage of enzyme protection in the cellular environment with ease of enzyme production. However, the most prominent FDH used in biotransformations, the enzyme from the yeast Candida boidinii, is usually expressed in limiting amounts of activity in the prime host for whole cell biocatalysis, Escherichia coli. We therefore performed expression engineering with the aim of enhancing FDH activity in an E. coli ketoreductase catalyst. The benefit resulting from improved NADH regeneration capacity is demonstrated in two transformations of technological relevance: xylose conversion into xylitol, and synthesis of (S-1-(2-chlorophenylethanol from o-chloroacetophenone. Results As compared to individual expression of C. boidinii FDH in E. coli BL21 (DE3 that gave an intracellular enzyme activity of 400 units/gCDW, co-expression of the FDH with the ketoreductase (Candida tenuis xylose reductase; XR resulted in a substantial decline in FDH activity. The remaining FDH activity of only 85 U/gCDW was strongly limiting the overall catalytic activity of the whole cell system. Combined effects from increase in FDH gene copy number, supply of rare tRNAs in a Rosetta strain of E. coli, dampened expression of the ketoreductase, and induction at low temperature (18°C brought up the FDH activity threefold to a level of 250 U/gCDW while reducing the XR activity by

  14. Enhanced host immune recognition of E.coli causing mastitis in CD-14 transgenic mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escherchia coli causes mastitis, an economically significant disease in dairy animals. E. coli endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) when bound by host membrane proteins such as CD-14, causes release of pro-inflammatory cytokines recruiting neutrophils as a early innate immune response. Excessive pr...

  15. Modified Vero cell induced by Bifidobacterium bifidum inhibits enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 cytopathic effect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tahamtan, Y.

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC, such as E. coli O157:H7, are emerging food-borne pathogens worldwide. This micro-organism can damage the epithelial tissue of the large intestine. The cytotoxic effects can be neutralized by probiotics such as Bifidobacterium bifidum. Probiotics are viable cells that have beneficial effects on the health of the host. The preventing activity of B. bifidum against E. coli O157 was studied using a Vero cell model. Vero cell was pretreated with viable B. bifidum and incubated for either 3 h to 24 h and then collected from the cell to make modified Vero cell (MVC. Indirect antibacterial effects of B. bifidum were demonstrated by reduction of attachment of E. coli O157:H7 to MVC. The maximum reduction was resulted in pretreatment of Vero cell with B. bifidum for 24 h before infection. B. bifidum attenuated E. coli O157:H7 attachment to MVC up to 10 days of incubation. To our knowledge, MCV prevented Vero cell line injury induced by E. coli O157:H7. Therefore, B. bifidum can be used for inhibition of E. coli O157:H7 cytopathic effect (CPE in Vero cell model, even as pretreatment of the cell line.

  16. NleB/SseK effectors from Citrobacter rodentium, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enterica display distinct differences in host substrate specificity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    El Qaidi, Samir; Chen, Kangming; Halim, Adnan

    2017-01-01

    proteins with N-acetyl-D-glucosamine to inhibit antibacterial and inflammatory host responses. NleB is conserved among the attaching/effacing pathogens enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), and Citrobacter rodentium. Moreover, Salmonella enterica strains encode up to three Nle......B orthologs named SseK1, SseK2, and SseK3. However, there are conflicting reports regarding the activities and host protein targets among the NleB/SseK orthologs. Therefore, here we performed in vitro glycosylation assays and cell culture experiments to compare the activities and substrate specificities...... of these effectors. SseK1, SseK3, EHEC NleB1, EPEC NleB1, and C. rodentium NleB blocked TNF-mediated NF-κB pathway activation, whereas SseK2 and NleB2 did not. C. rodentium NleB, EHEC NleB1, and SseK1 glycosylated host glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). C. rodentium NleB, EHEC NleB1, EPEC NleB1...

  17. Chromosomal replication incompatibility in Dam methyltransferase deficient Escherichia coli cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Freiesleben, Ulrik Von

    1996-01-01

    Dam methyltransferase deficient Escherichia coli cells containing minichromosomes were constructed. Free plasmid DNA could not be detected in these cells and the minichromosomes were found to be integrated in multiple copies in the origin of replication (oriC) region of the host chromosome....... The absence of the initiation cascade in Dam- cells is proposed to account for this observation of apparent incompatibility between plasmid and chromosomal copies of oriC. Studies using oriC-pBR322 chimeric plasmids and their deletion derivatives indicated that the incompatibility determinant is an intact...

  18. A novel mechanism of bacterial toxin transfer within host blood cell-derived microvesicles.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne-lie Ståhl

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin (Stx is the main virulence factor of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, which are non-invasive strains that can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS, associated with renal failure and death. Although bacteremia does not occur, bacterial virulence factors gain access to the circulation and are thereafter presumed to cause target organ damage. Stx was previously shown to circulate bound to blood cells but the mechanism by which it would potentially transfer to target organ cells has not been elucidated. Here we show that blood cell-derived microvesicles, shed during HUS, contain Stx and are found within patient renal cortical cells. The finding was reproduced in mice infected with Stx-producing Escherichia coli exhibiting Stx-containing blood cell-derived microvesicles in the circulation that reached the kidney where they were transferred into glomerular and peritubular capillary endothelial cells and further through their basement membranes followed by podocytes and tubular epithelial cells, respectively. In vitro studies demonstrated that blood cell-derived microvesicles containing Stx undergo endocytosis in glomerular endothelial cells leading to cell death secondary to inhibited protein synthesis. This study demonstrates a novel virulence mechanism whereby bacterial toxin is transferred within host blood cell-derived microvesicles in which it may evade the host immune system.

  19. Isolating E.Coli Bacteriophage from Raw Sewage and Determining its Selectivity to the Host Cell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SM Imeni

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and destroy prokaryote cells, specifically the bacteria. They act too selective, so as each bacteriophage affects only on specific type of bacteria. Due to their specific features, bacteriophages can be used as an appropriate substitute for antibiotics in infectious diseases treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate E. coli-specific bacteriophage from raw sewage. Methods: Eight samples of raw sewage, each containing approximately 50 ml of raw sewage with 10 minute gap, were prepared from Zargandeh wastewater treatment plant, Tehran, Iran. The sewages were mixed with Brain-heart infusion medium (BHI as a liquid culture medium in order to let the microorganisms grow. Incubation, purification and determination of bacteria were followed repeatedly to isolate the bacteriophage. Then it was tested on E.coli (ATCC 25922, Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 19433, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 2392, and Yersinia enterocolitica (ATCC 9610 in order to determine the bacteriophage selectivity. Results: The E.coli bacteriophages were successfully isolated from all the eight samples, that were completely able to lyse and destroy E.coli bacterial cells, though no effect was observed on other types of bacteria. Conclusion: The study findings revealed that bacteriophages act selectively. Considering the raise of antibiotic resistance in the world, bacteriophages can serve as a good substitute for antibiotics in treating infectious diseases.

  20. Synergy between type 1 fimbriae expression and C3 opsonisation increases internalisation of E. coli by human tubular epithelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ke; Zhou, Wuding; Hong, Yuzhi; Sacks, Steven H; Sheerin, Neil S

    2009-03-31

    Bacterial infection of the urinary tract is a common clinical problem with E. coli being the most common urinary pathogen. Bacterial uptake into epithelial cells is increasingly recognised as an important feature of infection. Bacterial virulence factors, especially fimbrial adhesins, have been conclusively shown to promote host cell invasion. Our recent study reported that C3 opsonisation markedly increases the ability of E. coli strain J96 to internalise into human proximal tubular epithelial cells via CD46, a complement regulatory protein expressed on host cell membrane. In this study, we further assessed whether C3-dependent internalisation by human tubular epithelial cells is a general feature of uropathogenic E. coli and investigated features of the bacterial phenotype that may account for any heterogeneity. In 31 clinical isolates of E. coli tested, C3-dependent internalisation was evident in 10 isolates. Type 1 fimbriae mediated-binding is essential for C3-dependent internalisation as shown by phenotypic association, type 1 fimbrial blockade with soluble ligand (mannose) and by assessment of a type 1 fimbrial mutant. we propose that efficient internalisation of uropathogenic E. coli by the human urinary tract depends on co-operation between type 1 fimbriae-mediated adhesion and C3 receptor -ligand interaction.

  1. Rates of Mutation and Host Transmission for an Escherichia coli Clone over 3 Years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reeves, Peter R.; Liu, Bin; Zhou, Zhemin; Li, Dan; Guo, Dan; Ren, Yan; Clabots, Connie; Lan, Ruiting; Johnson, James R.; Wang, Lei

    2011-01-01

    Although over 50 complete Escherichia coli/Shigella genome sequences are available, it is only for closely related strains, for example the O55:H7 and O157:H7 clones of E. coli, that we can assign differences to individual evolutionary events along specific lineages. Here we sequence the genomes of 14 isolates of a uropathogenic E. coli clone that persisted for 3 years within a household, including a dog, causing a urinary tract infection (UTI) in the dog after 2 years. The 20 mutations observed fit a single tree that allows us to estimate the mutation rate to be about 1.1 per genome per year, with minimal evidence for adaptive change, including in relation to the UTI episode. The host data also imply at least 6 host transfer events over the 3 years, with 2 lineages present over much of that period. To our knowledge, these are the first direct measurements for a clone in a well-defined host community that includes rates of mutation and host transmission. There is a concentration of non-synonymous mutations associated with 2 transfers to the dog, suggesting some selection pressure from the change of host. However, there are no changes to which we can attribute the UTI event in the dog, which suggests that this occurrence after 2 years of the clone being in the household may have been due to chance, or some unknown change in the host or environment. The ability of a UTI strain to persist for 2 years and also to transfer readily within a household has implications for epidemiology, diagnosis, and clinical intervention. PMID:22046404

  2. Dynamic localization of MreB in Vibrio parahaemolyticus and in the ectopic host bacterium Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiu, Shen-Wen; Chen, Shau-Yan; Wong, Hin-chung

    2008-11-01

    MreB, a homolog of eukaryotic actin, participates in morphogenesis, cell division, cell polarity, and chromosome segregation in prokaryotes. In this study, a yellow fluorescent protein conjugate (YFP-MreB(Vp)) was generated to investigate the behavior of MreB in merodiploid strain SC9 of the enteropathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Under normal growth conditions, YFP-MreB(Vp) formed helical filaments with a pitch of 0.64 +/- 0.09 microm in about 85% of exponential-phase cells, and different clusters, relaxed coils, and ring configurations were observed in a small proportion of the cells. Overexpression of YFP-MreB(Vp) substantially altered the structure of the MreB cytoskeleton and resulted in swollen and pleomorphic cells. Disturbing the activities of penicillin-binding proteins or adding magnesium suppressed the morphological distortions. These results indicate that mislocalization of cell wall-synthesizing machinery was responsible for morphological abnormality. By expressing YFP-MreB(Vp) in the ectopic host bacterium Escherichia coli, shrinkage, fragmentation, and annealing of MreB(Vp) filaments were directly observed. This work revealed the dynamic pattern of the localization of YFP-MreB(Vp) in V. parahaemolyticus and its relationship to cell morphogenesis, and the YFP-MreB(Vp)-E. coli system may be used to investigate the dynamic spatial structures of the MreB cytoskeleton in vivo.

  3. Vp130, a chloroviral surface protein that interacts with the host Chlorella cell wall

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onimatsu, Hideki; Sugimoto, Ichiro; Fujie, Makoto; Usami, Shoji; Yamada, Takashi

    2004-01-01

    A protein, Vp130, that interacts with the host cell wall was isolated from Chlorovirus CVK2. From its peptide sequence, the gene for Vp130 was identified on the PBCV-1 genomic sequence as an ORF combining A140R and A145R. In Vp130, the N-terminus was somehow modified and the C-terminus was occupied by 23-26 tandem repeats of a PAPK motif. In the internal region, Vp130 contained seven repeats of 70-73 amino acids, each copy of which was separated by PAPK sequences. This protein was well conserved among NC64A viruses. A recombinant rVp130N protein formed in Escherichia coli was shown not only to bind directly to the host cell wall in vitro but also to specifically bind to the host cells, as demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy. Because externally added rVp130N competed with CVK2 to bind to host cells, Vp130 is most likely to be a host-recognizing protein on the virion

  4. Genetic Structure of Natural Populations of Escherichia coli in Wild Hosts on Different Continents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souza, Valeria; Rocha, Martha; Valera, Aldo; Eguiarte, Luis E.

    1999-01-01

    Current knowledge of genotypic and phenotypic diversity in the species Escherichia coli is based almost entirely on strains recovered from humans or zoo animals. In this study, we analyzed a collection of 202 strains obtained from 81 mammalian species representing 39 families and 14 orders in Australia and the Americas, as well as several reference strains; we also included a strain from a reptile and 10 from different families of birds collected in Mexico. The strains were characterized genotypically by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) and phenotypically by patterns of sugar utilization, antibiotic resistance, and plasmid profile. MLEE analysis yielded an estimated genetic diversity (H) of 0.682 for 11 loci. The observed genetic diversity in this sample is the greatest yet reported for E. coli. However, this genetic diversity is not randomly distributed; geographic effects and host taxonomic group accounted for most of the genetic differentiation. The genetic relationship among the strains showed that they are more associated by origin and host order than is expected by chance. In a dendrogram, the ancestral cluster includes primarily strains from Australia and ECOR strains from groups B and C. The most differentiated E. coli in our analysis are strains from Mexican carnivores and strains from humans, including those in the ECOR group A. The kinds and numbers of sugars utilized by the strains varied by host taxonomic group and country of origin. Strains isolated from bats were found to exploit the greatest range of sugars, while those from primates utilized the fewest. Toxins are more frequent in strains from rodents from both continents than in any other taxonomic group. Strains from Mexican wild mammals were, on average, as resistant to antibiotics as strains from humans in cities. On average, the Australian strains presented a lower antibiotic resistance than the Mexican strains. However, strains recovered from hosts in cities carried significantly more

  5. The oxygen effect in E. coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myasnik, M.N.; Skvortsov, V.G.; Sokolov, V.A.

    1982-01-01

    In experiments on E. coli strains deficient in some stages of DNA repair from radiation damages, it was demonstrated that the value of the oxygen effect, under optimal conditions for manifestation thereof, decreases in the following order: E. coli WP2 (the wild type) → E. coli WP2 exr - and E. coli B → E. coli WP2 uvr A6 → E. coli WP2 rec Al and E. coli WP2 hcr - exr - . It was detected that 0.14 M NaCl solution sensitizes the anoxic cells of some E. coli strains to the effect of γ-radiation. It was established that mutation of the uvr A-gene increases sharply the sensitivity of cells to iradiation under the anoxic conditions in the presence of NaCl, the reverse'' oxygen effect being observed

  6. Synthesis of dopamine in E. coli using plasmid-based expression system and its marked effect on host growth profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Arunangshu; Verma, Anita; Mukherjee, Krishna J

    2017-09-14

    L-Dopa and dopamine are important pathway intermediates toward the synthesis of catecholamine such as epinephrine and norepinephrine from amino acid L-tyrosine. Dopamine, secreted from dopaminergic nerve cells, serves as an important neurotransmitter. We report the synthesis of dopamine by extending the aromatic amino acid pathway of Escherichia coli DH5α by the expression of 4-hydroxyphenylacetate-3-hydrolase (HpaBC) from E. coli and an engineered dopa decarboxylase (DDC) from pig kidney cell. The activity of HpaBC and DDC require 200 µM iron supplementation and 50 µM vitamin B6, respectively as additives to the growth media. The maximum concentration of L-dopa and dopamine obtained from the broth was around 26 and 27 mg/L after 24 hr of separate shake flask studies. We observed that in the presence of dopamine synthesized in vivo host growth was remarkably enhanced. These observations lead us to an interesting finding about the role of these catecholamines on bacterial growth. It is clear that synthesis of dopamine in vivo actually promotes growth much efficiently as compared to when dopamine is added to the system from outside. From HPLC and GC-MS data it was further observed that L-dopa was stable within the observable time of experiments whereas dopamine actually was subjected to degradation via oxidation and host consumption.

  7. Actin Cytoskeleton Manipulation by Effector Proteins Secreted by Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli Pathotypes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Navarro-Garcia

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The actin cytoskeleton is a dynamic structure necessary for cell and tissue organization, including the maintenance of epithelial barriers. Disruption of the epithelial barrier coincides with alterations of the actin cytoskeleton in several disease states. These disruptions primarily affect the paracellular space, which is normally regulated by tight junctions. Thereby, the actin cytoskeleton is a common and recurring target of bacterial virulence factors. In order to manipulate the actin cytoskeleton, bacteria secrete and inject toxins and effectors to hijack the host cell machinery, which interferes with host-cell pathways and with a number of actin binding proteins. An interesting model to study actin manipulation by bacterial effectors is Escherichia coli since due to its genome plasticity it has acquired diverse genetic mobile elements, which allow having different E. coli varieties in one bacterial species. These E. coli pathotypes, including intracellular and extracellular bacteria, interact with epithelial cells, and their interactions depend on a specific combination of virulence factors. In this paper we focus on E. coli effectors that mimic host cell proteins to manipulate the actin cytoskeleton. The study of bacterial effector-cytoskeleton interaction will contribute not only to the comprehension of the molecular causes of infectious diseases but also to increase our knowledge of cell biology.

  8. Cycle Inhibiting Factors (Cifs: Cyclomodulins That Usurp the Ubiquitin-Dependent Degradation Pathway of Host Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric Oswald

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Cycle inhibiting factors (Cifs are type III secreted effectors produced by diverse pathogenic bacteria. Cifs are “cyclomodulins” that inhibit the eukaryotic host cell cycle and also hijack other key cellular processes such as those controlling the actin network and apoptosis. This review summarizes current knowledge on Cif since its first characterization in enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, the identification of several xenologues in distant pathogenic bacteria, to its structure elucidation and the recent deciphering of its mode of action. Cif impairs the host ubiquitin proteasome system through deamidation of ubiquitin or the ubiquitin-like protein NEDD8 that regulates Cullin-Ring-ubiquitin Ligase (CRL complexes. The hijacking of the ubiquitin-dependent degradation pathway of host cells results in the modulation of various cellular functions such as epithelium renewal, apoptosis and immune response. Cif is therefore a powerful weapon in the continuous arm race that characterizes host-bacteria interactions.

  9. Day-to-Day Dynamics of Commensal Escherichia coli in Zimbabwean Cows Evidence Temporal Fluctuations within a Host-Specific Population Structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massot, Méril; Couffignal, Camille; Clermont, Olivier; D'Humières, Camille; Chatel, Jérémie; Plault, Nicolas; Andremont, Antoine; Caron, Alexandre; Mentré, France; Denamur, Erick

    2017-07-01

    To get insights into the temporal pattern of commensal Escherichia coli populations, we sampled the feces of four healthy cows from the same herd in the Hwange District of Zimbabwe daily over 25 days. The cows had not received antibiotic treatment during the previous 3 months. We performed viable E. coli counts and characterized the 326 isolates originating from the 98 stool samples at a clonal level, screened them for stx and eae genes, and tested them for their antibiotic susceptibilities. We observed that E. coli counts and dominant clones were different among cows, and very few clones were shared. No clone was shared by three or four cows. Clone richness and evenness were not different between cows. Within each host, the variability in the E. coli count was evidenced between days, and no clone was found to be dominant during the entire sampling period, suggesting the existence of clonal interference. Dominant clones tended to persist longer than subdominant ones and were mainly from phylogenetic groups A and B1. Five E. coli clones were found to contain both the stx 1 and stx 2 genes, representing 6.3% of the studied isolates. All cows harbored at least one Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strain. Resistance to tetracycline, penicillins, trimethoprim, and sulfonamides was rare and observed in three clones that were shed at low levels in two cows. This study highlights the fact that the commensal E. coli population, including the STEC population, is host specific, is highly dynamic over a short time frame, and rarely carries antibiotic resistance determinants in the absence of antibiotic treatment. IMPORTANCE The literature about the dynamics of commensal Escherichia coli populations is very scarce. Over 25 days, we followed the total E. coli counts daily and characterized the sampled clones in the feces of four cows from the same herd living in the Hwange District of Zimbabwe. This study deals with the day-to-day dynamics of both quantitative and

  10. Microsporidia infection impacts the host cell's cycle and reduces host cell apoptosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higes, Mariano; Sagastume, Soledad; Juarranz, Ángeles; Dias-Almeida, Joyce; Budge, Giles E.; Meana, Aránzazu; Boonham, Neil

    2017-01-01

    Intracellular parasites can alter the cellular machinery of host cells to create a safe haven for their survival. In this regard, microsporidia are obligate intracellular fungal parasites with extremely reduced genomes and hence, they are strongly dependent on their host for energy and resources. To date, there are few studies into host cell manipulation by microsporidia, most of which have focused on morphological aspects. The microsporidia Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are worldwide parasites of honey bees, infecting their ventricular epithelial cells. In this work, quantitative gene expression and histology were studied to investigate how these two parasites manipulate their host’s cells at the molecular level. Both these microsporidia provoke infection-induced regulation of genes involved in apoptosis and the cell cycle. The up-regulation of buffy (which encodes a pro-survival protein) and BIRC5 (belonging to the Inhibitor Apoptosis protein family) was observed after infection, shedding light on the pathways that these pathogens use to inhibit host cell apoptosis. Curiously, different routes related to cell cycle were modified after infection by each microsporidia. In the case of N. apis, cyclin B1, dacapo and E2F2 were up-regulated, whereas only cyclin E was up-regulated by N. ceranae, in both cases promoting the G1/S phase transition. This is the first report describing molecular pathways related to parasite-host interactions that are probably intended to ensure the parasite’s survival within the cell. PMID:28152065

  11. Ebola virus host cell entry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakurai, Yasuteru

    2015-01-01

    Ebola virus is an enveloped virus with filamentous structure and causes a severe hemorrhagic fever in human and nonhuman primates. Host cell entry is the first essential step in the viral life cycle, which has been extensively studied as one of the therapeutic targets. A virus factor of cell entry is a surface glycoprotein (GP), which is an only essential viral protein in the step, as well as the unique particle structure. The virus also interacts with a lot of host factors to successfully enter host cells. Ebola virus at first binds to cell surface proteins and internalizes into cells, followed by trafficking through endosomal vesicles to intracellular acidic compartments. There, host proteases process GPs, which can interact with an intracellular receptor. Then, under an appropriate circumstance, viral and endosomal membranes are fused, which is enhanced by major structural changes of GPs, to complete host cell entry. Recently the basic research of Ebola virus infection mechanism has markedly progressed, largely contributed by identification of host factors and detailed structural analyses of GPs. This article highlights the mechanism of Ebola virus host cell entry, including recent findings.

  12. Molecular Mechanisms of Host Cytoskeletal Rearrangements by Shigella Invasins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Hyuck Lee

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Pathogen-induced reorganization of the host cell cytoskeleton is a common strategy utilized in host cell invasion by many facultative intracellular bacteria, such as Shigella, Listeria, enteroinvasive E. coli and Salmonella. Shigella is an enteroinvasive intracellular pathogen that preferentially infects human epithelial cells and causes bacillary dysentery. Invasion of Shigella into intestinal epithelial cells requires extensive remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton with the aid of pathogenic effector proteins injected into the host cell by the activity of the type III secretion system. These so-called Shigella invasins, including IpaA, IpaC, IpgB1, IpgB2 and IpgD, modulate the actin-regulatory system in a concerted manner to guarantee efficient entry of the bacteria into host cells.

  13. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 1 Contributes to Escherichia coli K1 Invasion of Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells through the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt Signaling Pathway▿ †

    OpenAIRE

    Zhao, Wei-Dong; Liu, Wei; Fang, Wen-Gang; Kim, Kwang Sik; Chen, Yu-Hua

    2010-01-01

    Escherichia coli is the most common Gram-negative organism causing neonatal meningitis. Previous studies demonstrated that E. coli K1 invasion of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC) is required for penetration into the central nervous system, but the microbe-host interactions that are involved in this process remain incompletely understood. Here we report the involvement of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) expressed on human brain microvascular endothelial cells...

  14. Human Meningitis-Associated Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    KIM, KWANG SIK

    2016-01-01

    E. coli is the most common Gram-negative bacillary organism causing meningitis and E. coli meningitis continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world. Our incomplete knowledge of its pathogenesis contributes to such mortality and morbidity. Recent reports of E. coli strains producing CTX-M-type or TEM-type extended-spectrum β-lactamases create a challenge. Studies using in vitro and in vivo models of the blood-brain barrier have shown that E. coli meningitis follows a high-degree of bacteremia and invasion of the blood-brain barrier. E. coli invasion of the blood-brain barrier, the essentials step in the development of E. coli meningitis, requires specific microbial and host factors as well as microbe- and host-specific signaling molecules. Blockade of such microbial and host factors contributing to E. coli invasion of the blood-brain barrier is shown to be efficient in preventing E. coli penetration into the brain. The basis for requiring a high-degree of bacteremia for E. coli penetration of the blood-brain barrier, however, remains unclear. Continued investigation on the microbial and host factors contributing to a high-degree of bacteremia and E. coli invasion of the blood-brain barrier is likely to identify new targets for prevention and therapy of E. coli meningitis. PMID:27223820

  15. Novel roles for the AIDA adhesin from diarrheagenic Escherichia coli:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sherlock, Orla; Schembri, Mark; Reisner, A.

    2004-01-01

    Diarrhea-causing Escherichia coli strains are responsible for numerous cases of gastrointestinal disease and constitute a serious health problem throughout the world. The ability to recognize and attach to host intestinal surfaces is an essential step in the pathogenesis of such strains. AIDA...... binds to mammalian cells. Here, we show that AIDA possesses self-association characteristics and can mediate autoaggregation of E. coli cells. We demonstrate that intercellular AIDA-AIDA interaction is responsible for bacterial autoaggregation. Interestingly, AIDA-expressing cells can interact...

  16. Porcine aminopeptidase N binds to F4+ enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli fimbriae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Pengpeng; Wang, Yiting; Zhu, Congrui; Zou, Yajie; Yang, Ying; Liu, Wei; Hardwidge, Philip R; Zhu, Guoqiang

    2016-02-09

    F4(+) enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains cause diarrheal disease in neonatal and post-weaned piglets. Several different host receptors for F4 fimbriae have been described, with porcine aminopeptidase N (APN) reported most recently. The FaeG subunit is essential for the binding of the three F4 variants to host cells. Here we show in both yeast two-hybrid and pulldown assays that APN binds directly to FaeG, the major subunit of F4 fimbriae, from three serotypes of F4(+) ETEC. Modulating APN gene expression in IPEC-J2 cells affected ETEC adherence. Antibodies raised against APN or F4 fimbriae both reduced ETEC adherence. Thus, APN mediates the attachment of F4(+) E. coli to intestinal epithelial cells.

  17. Temporal genetic variability and host sources of Escherichia coli associated with fecal pollution from domesticated animals in the shellfish culture environment of Xiangshan Bay, East China Sea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu Linglin; Shuai Jiangbing; Wang Yanbo; Ma Hongjia; Li Jianrong

    2011-01-01

    This study was conducted to analyze the genetic variability of Escherichia coli from domesticated animal wastes for microbial source tracking (MST) application in fecal contaminated shellfish growing waters of Xiangshan Bay, East China Sea. (GTG) 5 primer was used to generate 1363 fingerprints from E. coli isolated from feces of known 9 domesticated animal sources around this shellfish culture area. Jackknife analysis of the complete (GTG) 5 -PCR DNA fingerprint library indicated that isolates were assigned to the correct source groups with an 84.28% average rate of correct classification. Based on one-year source tracking data, the dominant sources of E. coli were swine, chickens, ducks and cows in this water area. Moreover, annual and spatial changes of E. coli concentrations and host sources may affect the level and distribution of zoonotic pathogen species in waters. Our findings will further contribute to preventing fecal pollution in aquatic environments and quality control of shellfish. - Highlights: → The host-origin library developed by (GTG) 5 -PCR could be used to shellfish water MST. → Fecal pollution of Xiangshan Bay arose from multiple sources of agricultural wastes. → High level of E. coli concentration in shellfish water increases the health risk. → Annual changes of E. coli host sources affect distribution of zoonotic pathogens. - The temporal genetic variability and dominant host sources of E. coli in fecal contaminated shellfish growing waters of Xiangshan Bay was characterized.

  18. Interaction of bovine peripheral blood polymorphonuclear cells and Leptospira species; innate responses in the natural bovine reservoir host.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer H Wilson-Welder

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Cattle are the reservoir hosts of Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo, and can also be reservoir hosts of other Leptospira species such as L. kirschneri, and L. interrogans. As a reservoir host, cattle shed Leptospira, infecting other animals, including humans. Previous studies with human and murine neutrophils have shown activation of neutrophil extracellular trap or NET formation, and upregulation of inflammatory mediators by neutrophils in the presence of Leptospira. Humans, companion animals and most widely studied models of Leptospirosis are of acute infection, hallmarked by systemic inflammatory response, neutrophilia and septicemia. In contrast, cattle exhibit chronic infection with few outward clinical signs aside from reproductive failure. Taking into consideration that there is host species variation in innate immunity, especially in pathogen recognition and response, the interaction of bovine peripheral blood polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs and several Leptospira strains was evaluated. Studies including bovine-adapted strains, human pathogen strains, a saprophyte and inactivated organisms. Incubation of PMNs with Leptospira did induce slight activation of neutrophil NETs, greater than unstimulated cells but less than the quantity from E. coli P4 stimulated PMNs. Very low but significant from non-stimulated, levels of reactive oxygen peroxides were produced in the presence of all Leptospira strains and E. coli P4. Similarly, significant levels of reactive nitrogen intermediaries (NO2 was produced from PMNs when incubated with the Leptospira strains and greater quantities in the presence of E. coli P4. PMNs incubated with Leptospira induced RNA transcripts of IL-1β, MIP-1α, and TNF-α, with greater amounts induced by live organisms when compared to heat-inactivated leptospires. Transcript for inflammatory cytokine IL-8 was also induced, at similar levels regardless of Leptospira strain or viability. However, incubation of

  19. Escherichia coli pyomyositis in an immunocompromised host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Umesh; Schwan, William R; Agger, William A

    2011-08-01

    Pyomyositis due to Escherichia coli (E. coil) is rarely reported in immunocompromised patients with hematological malignancy. We present a case report of a 34-year-old man who developed E. coli pyomyositis as a complication of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the right hip suggested myofascial infection of the gluteal muscles, and a needle muscle aspiration grew E. coli phylogenetic group B2. The patient responded to intravenous piperacillin/tazobactam followed by prolonged oral levofloxacin. Pyomyositis should be suspected in all immunocompromised patients complaining of muscle pain and may exhibit signs of localized muscle infection. Appropriate antibiotic therapy targeting fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli should be considered for initial empiric therapy of pyomyositis in immunocompromised patients.

  20. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli translocate Tir and form an intimin-Tir intimate attachment to red blood cell membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Robert K; Daniell, Sarah; Frankel, Gad; Knutton, Stuart

    2002-05-01

    Type III secretion allows bacteria to inject effector proteins into host cells. In enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) the type III secreted protein, Tir, is translocated to the host-cell plasma membrane where it functions as a receptor for the bacterial adhesin intimin, leading to intimate bacterial attachment and "attaching and effacing" (A/E) lesion formation. To study EPEC type III secretion the interaction of EPEC with monolayers of red blood cells (RBCs) has been exploited and in a recent study [Shaw, R. K., Daniell, S., Ebel, F., Frankel, G. & Knutton, S. (2001 ). Cell Microbiol 3, 213-222] it was shown that EPEC induced haemolysis of RBCs and translocation of EspD, a putative pore-forming type III secreted protein in the RBC membrane. Here it is demonstrated that EPEC are able to translocate and correctly insert Tir into the RBC membrane and produce an intimin-Tir intimate bacterial attachment, identical to that seen in A/E lesions. Following translocation Tir did not undergo any change in apparent molecular mass or become tyrosine-phosphorylated and there was no focusing of RBC cytoskeletal actin beneath intimately adherent bacteria, and no pedestal formation. This study, employing an RBC model of infection, has demonstrated that Tir translocation can be separated from host-cell-mediated Tir modifications; the data show that the EPEC type III protein translocation apparatus is sufficient to deliver and correctly insert Tir into host-cell membranes independent of eukaryotic cell functions.

  1. Alterations induced in Escherichia Coli cells by gamma radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kappke, J.; Schelin, H.R.; Paschuk, S.A.; Denyak, V.; Silva, E.R. da; Jesus, E.F.O. de; Lopes, R.T.; Carlin, N.; Toledo, E.S.

    2007-01-01

    Modifications occurred in Escherichia coli cells exposed to gamma radiation ( 60 Co source) were investigated. The irradiations were done at the LIN-COPPE laboratory of the UFRJ and the analysis at the Biology Department of the UTFPR. The E. coli cells were irradiated with 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 300, 480, 600 e 750 Gy doses. The samples were analyzed with Gram-stain, biochemical tests in EPM, MIO and Lysine Broth, Simmons Cytrate Medium and Rhamnose Broth, antibiogram and isolation of auxotrophic mutants. It was observed that for the received doses the E. coli did not show morphological alterations in the tests. Some E. Coli cells showed to be able to deaminade the L-tryptophan or they changed their sensibility for amoxillin and cephaloonine after the irradiation. The existence of aauxotrophic mutants after irradiation was also verified. (author)

  2. Conjugation in Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyer, Herbert

    1966-01-01

    Boyer, Herbert (Yale University, New Haven, Conn.). Conjugation in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 91:1767–1772. 1966.—The sex factor of Escherichia coli K-12 was introduced into an E. coli B/r strain by circumventing the host-controlled modification and restriction incompatibilities known to exist between these closely related strains. The sexual properties of the constructed F+ B strain and its Hfr derivatives were examined. These studies showed that the E. coli strain B/r F+ and Hfr derivatives are similar to the E. coli strain K-12 F+ and Hfr derivatives. However, the site of sex factor integration was found to be dependent on the host genome. PMID:5327905

  3. Engineering cell wall synthesis mechanism for enhanced PHB accumulation in E. coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xing-Chen; Guo, Yingying; Liu, Xu; Chen, Xin-Guang; Wu, Qiong; Chen, Guo-Qiang

    2018-01-01

    The rigidity of bacterial cell walls synthesized by a complicated pathway limit the cell shapes as coccus, bar or ellipse or even fibers. A less rigid bacterium could be beneficial for intracellular accumulation of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) as granular inclusion bodies. To understand how cell rigidity affects PHB accumulation, E. coli cell wall synthesis pathway was reinforced and weakened, respectively. Cell rigidity was achieved by thickening the cell walls via insertion of a constitutive gltA (encoding citrate synthase) promoter in front of a series of cell wall synthesis genes on the chromosome of several E. coli derivatives, resulting in 1.32-1.60 folds increase of Young's modulus in mechanical strength for longer E. coli cells over-expressing fission ring FtsZ protein inhibiting gene sulA. Cell rigidity was weakened by down regulating expressions of ten genes in the cell wall synthesis pathway using CRISPRi, leading to elastic cells with more spaces for PHB accumulation. The regulation on cell wall synthesis changes the cell rigidity: E. coli with thickened cell walls accumulated only 25% PHB while cell wall weakened E. coli produced 93% PHB. Manipulation on cell wall synthesis mechanism adds another possibility to morphology engineering of microorganisms. Copyright © 2017 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Biocatalytically active silCoat-composites entrapping viable Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Findeisen, A; Thum, O; Ansorge-Schumacher, M B

    2014-02-01

    Application of whole cells in industrial processes requires high catalytic activity, manageability, and viability under technical conditions, which can in principle be accomplished by appropriate immobilization. Here, we report the identification of carrier material allowing exceptionally efficient adsorptive binding of Escherichia coli whole cells hosting catalytically active carbonyl reductase from Candida parapsilosis (CPCR2). With the immobilizates, composite formation with both hydrophobic and hydrophilized silicone was achieved, yielding advanced silCoat-material and HYsilCoat-material, respectively. HYsilCoat-whole cells were viable preparations with a cell loading up to 400 mg(E. coli) · g(-1)(carrier) and considerably lower leaching than native immobilizates. SilCoat-whole cells performed particularly well in neat substrate exhibiting distinctly increased catalytic activity.

  5. Effects of Saponins against Clinical E. coli Strains and Eukaryotic Cell Line

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arabski, Michał; Węgierek-Ciuk, Aneta; Czerwonka, Grzegorz; Lankoff, Anna; Kaca, Wiesław

    2012-01-01

    Saponins are detergent-like substances showing antibacterial as well as anticancer potential. In this study, the effects of saponins from Quillaja saponaria were analyzed against prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Multidrug-resistant clinical E. coli strains were isolated from human urine. As eukaryotic cells, the CHO-K1 cell lines were applied. Antibacterial effect of ampicillin, streptomycin, and ciprofloxacin in the presence of saponins was measured by cultivation methods. Properties of saponins against CHO-K1 cells were measured by the MTT test, hemolysis assay and flow cytometry. Saponin from Quillaja saponaria has a cytotoxic effect at concentrations higher than 25 μg/mL and in the range of 12–50 μg/mL significantly increases the level of early apoptotic cells. Saponin at dose of 12 μg/mL enhances the six E. coli strains growth. We postulate that saponins increase the influx of nutrients from the medium into E. coli cells. Saponins do not have synergetic effects on antibacterial action of tested antibiotics. In contrary, in the presence of saponins and antibiotics, more CFU/mL E. coli cells were observed. This effect was similar to saponins action alone towards E. coli cells. In conclusion, saponins was cytotoxic against CHO-K1 cells, whereas against E. coli cells this effect was not observed. PMID:22500084

  6. Effects of Saponins against Clinical E. coli Strains and Eukaryotic Cell Line

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michał Arabski

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Saponins are detergent-like substances showing antibacterial as well as anticancer potential. In this study, the effects of saponins from Quillaja saponaria were analyzed against prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Multidrug-resistant clinical E. coli strains were isolated from human urine. As eukaryotic cells, the CHO-K1 cell lines were applied. Antibacterial effect of ampicillin, streptomycin, and ciprofloxacin in the presence of saponins was measured by cultivation methods. Properties of saponins against CHO-K1 cells were measured by the MTT test, hemolysis assay and flow cytometry. Saponin from Quillaja saponaria has a cytotoxic effect at concentrations higher than 25 μg/mL and in the range of 12–50 μg/mL significantly increases the level of early apoptotic cells. Saponin at dose of 12 μg/mL enhances the six E. coli strains growth. We postulate that saponins increase the influx of nutrients from the medium into E. coli cells. Saponins do not have synergetic effects on antibacterial action of tested antibiotics. In contrary, in the presence of saponins and antibiotics, more CFU/mL E. coli cells were observed. This effect was similar to saponins action alone towards E. coli cells. In conclusion, saponins was cytotoxic against CHO-K1 cells, whereas against E. coli cells this effect was not observed.

  7. Identification of Sphingomyelinase on the Surface of Chlamydia pneumoniae: Possible Role in the Entry into Its Host Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tuula A. Peñate Medina

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We have recently suggested a novel mechanism, autoendocytosis, for the entry of certain microbes into their hosts, with a key role played by the sphingomyelinase-catalyzed topical conversion of sphingomyelin to ceramide, the differences in the biophysical properties of these two lipids providing the driving force. The only requirement for such microbes to utilize this mechanism is that they should have a catalytically active SMase on their outer surface while the target cells should expose sphingomyelin in the external leaflet of their plasma membrane. In pursuit of possible microbial candidates, which could utilize this putative mechanism, we conducted a sequence similarity search for SMase. Because of the intriguing cellular and biochemical characteristics of the poorly understood entry of Chlamydia into its host cells these microbes were of particular interest. SMase activity was measured in vitro from isolated C. pneumoniae elementary bodies (EB and in the lysate from E. coli cells transfected with a plasmid expressing CPn0300 protein having sequence similarity to SMase. Finally, pretreatment of host cells with exogenous SMase resulting in loss plasma membrane sphingomyelin attenuated attachment of EB.

  8. Pathogenesis of Streptococcus infantarius subspecies coli Isolated from Sea Otters with Infective Endocarditis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Counihan, Katrina L; Gill, Verena A; Miller, Melissa A; Burek-Huntington, Kathleen A; LeFebvre, Rance B; Byrne, Barbara A

    2015-06-01

    The Gram positive bacterial coccus Streptococcus infantarius subspecies coli is increasingly linked with development of fatal vegetative infective endocarditis and septicemia in humans, sea otters (Enhydra lutris) and other animals. However, the pathogenesis of these infections is poorly understood. Using S. infantarius subsp. coli strains isolated from sea otters with infective endocarditis, this study evaluated adherence and invasion of epithelial and endothelial cells, adherence to extracellular matrix components, and macrophage survival. Significant adherence to endothelial-derived cells was observed for 62% of isolates, 24% adhered to epithelial cell lines, and 95% invaded one or both cell types in vitro. The importance of the hyaluronic acid capsule in host cell adherence and invasion was also evaluated. Capsule removal significantly reduced epithelial adherence and invasion for most S. infantarius subsp. coli isolates, suggesting that the capsule facilitates attachment to and invasion of epithelium. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay testing revealed that all isolates adhered significantly to the extracellular matrix components collagen IV, fibronectin, laminin and hyaluronic acid. Finally, significant bacterial survival following phagocytosis by macrophages was apparent for 81% of isolates at one or more time points. Taken collectively these findings indicate that S. infantarius subsp. coli has multiple pathogenic properties that may be important to host colonization, invasion and disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Construction and characterisation of a genetically engineered Escherichia coli strain for the epoxide hydrolase-catalysed kinetic resolution of epoxides

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Visser, H.; Oliveira Vil Filho, de M.; Liese, A.; Weijers, C.A.G.M.; Verdoes, J.C.

    2003-01-01

    The Rhodotorula glutinis epoxide hydrolase, Eph1, was produced in the heterologous host Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) in order to develop a highly effective epoxide hydrolysis system. A 138-fold increase in Eph1 activity was found in cell extracts of the recombinant E. coli when compared to cell

  10. ENTRAPMENT OF FLUORESCENT E. COLI CELLS IN ALGINATE GEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. VINTILA

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available By this experiment we will demonstrate the possibility to obtain genetically modified microbial strains that can be used as markers in different studies. The trait transferred in this study is the fluorescence in UV light expressed by a gene isolated from jellyfish. This gene was insered into a plasmid carrying ampiciline resistance and in the operon for arabinose fermentation. The plasmid was called pGLO. E coli HB101 K-12, ampicillin resistant colonies has been obtained. The colonies on the LB/amp/ara plate fluoresce green under UV light and the transformed colonies can grow on ampicillin. Transformation efficiency = 362 transformed colonies/ μg DNA. The cells where immobilized by entrapment in alginate gel to study the phenomenon involved in cells immobilization. After immobilization in alginate gel, 5x104 cells of E. coli pGLO / capsule and 1,4 x 105 cells of E. coli HB101/capsule has been found. Fluorescent microscopy revealed the presence of pGLO carrying cells into the capsules. After cultivation of alginate capsules containing E. coli in LB broth, and fluorescent microscopy of the capsule sections, several observations of the phenomenon involved in continuous fermentation using biocatalysts in has been made. These cells grow and migrate to the cortical part of the matrix where they are immobilized.

  11. In vivo photoinactivation of Escherichia coli ribonucleoside reductase by near-ultraviolet light

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peters, J.

    1977-01-01

    Some experimental work is described showing that near-U.V. irradiation of E.coli cells selectively destroys RDP-reductase (ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase) activity in vivo are providing evidence relating the loss of RDP-reductase to loss of cellular visibility and the inactivity of irrdiated cells to support the replication of DNA phages. The data are consistent with the interpretation that the principal cause in the killing of exponentially growing E.coli cells by near-U.V., and the loss of ability of irradiated host cells to support the replication of DNA phages, is the photoinactivation of the RDP-reductase complex. (U.K.)

  12. In vivo photoinactivation of Escherichia coli ribonucleoside reductase by near-ultraviolet light

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peters, J [California Univ., Irvine (USA)

    1977-06-09

    Some experimental work is described showing that near-uv irradiation of E.coli cells selectively destroys RDP-reductase (ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase) activity in vivo are providing evidence relating the loss of RDP-reductase to loss of cellular visibility and the inactivity of irrdiated cells to support the replication of DNA phages. The data are consistent with the interpretation that the principal cause in the killing of exponentially growing E.coli cells by near-uv, and the loss of ability of irradiated host cells to support the replication of DNA phages, is the photoinactivation of the RDP-reductase complex.

  13. How much territory can a single E. coli cell control?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ziad W. El-Hajj

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Bacteria have been traditionally classified in terms of size and shape and are best known for their very small size. E. coli cells in particular are small rods, each 1-2 microns. However the size varies with the medium, and faster growing cells are larger because they must have more ribosomes to make more protoplasm per unit time, and ribosomes take up space. Indeed, Maaloe's experiments on how E. coli establishes its size began with shifts between rich and poor media.Recently much larger bacteria have been described, including Epulopiscium fishelsoni at 700 μm and Thiomargarita namibiensisis at 750 μm. These are not only much longer than E. coli cells but also much wider, necessitating considerable intracellular organization. Epulopiscium cells for instance, at 80 μm wide, enclose a large enough volume of cytoplasm to present it with major transport problems.This review surveys E. coli cells much longer than those which grow in nature and in usual lab cultures. These include cells mutated in a single gene (metK which are 2-4x longer than their nonmutated parent. This metK mutant stops dividing when slowly starved of S-adenosylmethionine but continues to elongate to 50 μm and more. FtsZ mutants have been routinely isolated as long cells which form during growth at 42°C. The SOS response is a well-characterized regulatory network that is activated in response to DNA damage and also results in cell elongation. Our champion elongated E. coli is a metK strain with a further, as yet unidentified mutation, which reaches 750 μm with no internal divisions and no increase in width.

  14. Human Intestinal Cells Modulate Conjugational Transfer of Multidrug Resistance Plasmids between Clinical Escherichia coli Isolates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Machado, Ana Manuel; Sommer, Morten

    2014-01-01

    Bacterial conjugation in the human gut microbiota is believed to play a major role in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence plasmids. However, the modulation of bacterial conjugation by the human host remains poorly understood and there is a need for controlled systems...... to study this process. We established an in vitro co-culture system to study the interaction between human intestinal cells and bacteria. We show that the conjugation efficiency of a plasmid encoding an extended spectrum beta-lactamase is reduced when clinical isolates of Escherichia coli are co...... of the intestinal cells exposed to bacteria leading to a two-fold reduction in conjugation efficiency. These results show that human gut epithelial cells can modulate bacterial conjugation and may have relevance to gene exchange in the gut....

  15. Genes under positive selection in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Lise; Bollback, Jonathan P; Dimmic, Matt

    2007-01-01

    We used a comparative genomics approach to identify genes that are under positive selection in six strains of Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri, including five strains that are human pathogens. We find that positive selection targets a wide range of different functions in the E. coli genome......, including cell surface proteins such as beta barrel porins, presumably because of the involvement of these genes in evolutionary arms races with other bacteria, phages, and/or the host immune system. Structural mapping of positively selected sites on trans-membrane beta barrel porins reveals...... that the residues under positive selection occur almost exclusively in the extracellular region of the proteins that are enriched with sites known to be targets of phages, colicins, or the host immune system. More surprisingly, we also find a number of other categories of genes that show very strong evidence...

  16. Host Specificity of Salmonella typhimurium Deoxyribonucleic Acid Restriction and Modification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slocum, Harvey; Boyer, Herbert W.

    1973-01-01

    The restriction and modification genes of Salmonella typhimurium which lie near the thr locus were transferred to a restrictionless mutant of Escherichia coli. These genes were found to be allelic to the E. coli K, B, and A restriction and modification genes. E. coli recombinants with the restriction and modification host specificity of S. typhimurium restricted phage λ that had been modified by each of the seven known host specificities of E. coli at efficiency of plating levels of about 10−2. Phage λ modified with the S. typhimurium host specificity was restricted by six of the seven E. coli host specificities but not by the RII (fi− R-factor controlled) host specificity. It is proposed that the restriction and modification enzymes of this S. typhimurium host specificity have two substrates, one of which is a substrate for the RII host specificity enzymes. PMID:4570605

  17. Apa is a trimeric autotransporter adhesin of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae responsible for autoagglutination and host cell adherence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Longwen; Zhou, Liang; Sun, Changjiang; Feng, Xin; Du, ChongTao; Gao, Yu; Ji, Qun; Yang, Shuxin; Wang, Yu; Han, Wenyu; Langford, P R; Lei, Liancheng

    2012-10-01

    Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia, and adherence to host cells is a key step in the pathogenic process. Although trimeric autotransporter adhesins (TAAs) were identified in many pathogenic bacteria in recent years, none in A. pleuropneumoniae have been characterized. In this study, we identified a TAA from A. pleuropneumoniae, Apa, and characterized the contribution of its amino acid residues to the adhesion process. Sequence analysis of the C-terminal amino acid residues of Apa revealed the presence of a putative translocator domain and six conserved HsfBD1-like or HsfBD2-like binding domains. Western blot analysis revealed that the 126 C-terminal amino acids of Apa could form trimeric molecules. By confocal laser scanning microscopy, one of these six domains (ApaBD3) was determined to mediate adherence to epithelial cells. Adherence assays and adherence inhibition assays using a recombinant E. coli- ApaBD3 strain which expressed ApaBD3 on the surface of E. coli confirmed that this domain was responsible for the adhesion activity. Moreover, cellular enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays demonstrated that ApaBD3 mediated high-level adherence to epithelial cell lines. Intriguingly, autoagglutination was observed with the E. coli- ApaBD3 strain, and this phenomenon was dependent upon the association of the expressed ApaBD3 with the C-terminal translocator domain. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Heterologous expression of enterocin A, a bacteriocin from Enterococcus faecium, fused to a cellulose-binding domain in Escherichia coli results in a functional protein with inhibitory activity against Listeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klocke, Michael; Mundt, Kerstin; Idler, Frank; Jung, Sabrina; Backhausen, Jan E

    2005-06-01

    The genes for the bacteriocins enterocin A and B were isolated from Enterococcus faecium ATB 197a. Using the pET37b(+) vector, the enterocin genes were fused to an Escherichia coli specific export signal sequence, a cellulose-binding domain (CBD(cenA)) and a S-tag under the control of a T7lac promotor. The constructs were subsequently cloned into E. coli host cells. The expression of the recombinant enterocins had different effects on both the host cells and other Gram-positive bacteria. The expression of entA in Esc. coli led to the synthesis and secretion of functional active enterocin A fusion proteins, which were active against some Gram-positive indicator bacteria, but did not influence the viability of the host cells. In contrast, the expression of enterocin B fusion proteins led to a reduced viability of the host cells, indicating a misfolding of the protein or interference with the cellular metabolism of Esc. coli. Indicator strains of Gram-positive bacteria were not inhibited by purified enterocin B fusion proteins. However, recombinant enterocin B displayed inhibitory activity after the proteolytic cleavage of the fused peptides.

  19. Escherichia coli as a production host for novel enzymes from basidiomycota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zelena, Katerina; Eisele, Nadine; Berger, Ralf G

    2014-12-01

    Many enzymes from basidiomycota have been identified and more recently characterized on the molecular level. This report summarizes the potential biotechnological applications of these enzymes and evaluates recent advances in their heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. Being one of the most widely used hosts for the production of recombinant proteins, there are, however, recurrent problems of recovering substantial yields of correctly folded and active enzymes. Various strategies for the efficient production of recombinant proteins from basidiomycetous fungi are reviewed including the current knowledge on vectors and expression strains, as well as methods for enhancing the solubility of target expression products and their purification. Research efforts towards the refolding of recombinant oxidoreductases and hydrolases are presented to illustrate successful production strategies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Substances released from probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 potentiate NF-κB activity in Escherichia coli-stimulated urinary bladder cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karlsson, Mattias; Scherbak, Nikolai; Khalaf, Hazem; Olsson, Per-Erik; Jass, Jana

    2012-11-01

    Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 is a probiotic bacterium used to maintain urogenital health. The putative mechanism for its probiotic effect is by modulating the host immunity. Urinary tract infections (UTI) are often caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli that frequently evade or suppress immune responses in the bladder and can target pathways, including nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB). We evaluated the role of L. rhamnosus GR-1 on NF-κB activation in E. coli-stimulated bladder cells. Viable L. rhamnosus GR-1 was found to potentiate NF-κB activity in E. coli-stimulated T24 bladder cells, whereas heat-killed lactobacilli demonstrated a marginal increase in NF-κB activity. Surface components released by trypsin- or LiCl treatment, or the resultant heat-killed shaved lactobacilli, had no effect on NF-κB activity. Isolation of released products from L. rhamnosus GR-1 demonstrated that the induction of NF-κB activity was owing to released product(s) with a relatively large native size. Several putative immunomodulatory proteins were identified, namely GroEL, elongation factor Tu and NLP/P60. GroEL and elongation factor Tu have previously been shown to elicit immune responses from human cells. Isolating and using immune-augmenting substances produced by lactobacilli is a novel strategy for the prevention or treatment of UTI caused by immune-evading E. coli. © 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Interactions of the Hindgut Mucosa-Associated Microbiome with Its Host Regulate Shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 by Cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ou; McAllister, Tim A; Plastow, Graham; Stanford, Kim; Selinger, Brent; Guan, Le Luo

    2018-01-01

    Cattle are the primary carrier of Escherichia coli O157:H7, a foodborne human pathogen, and those shedding >10 4 CFU/gram of feces of E. coli O157:H7 are defined as supershedders (SS). This study investigated the rectoanal junction (RAJ) mucosa-associated microbiota and its relationship with host gene expression in SS and in cattle from which E. coli O157:H7 was not detected (nonshedders [NS]), aiming to elucidate the mechanisms involved in supershedding. In total, 14 phyla, 66 families, and 101 genera of RAJ mucosa-associated bacteria were identified and Firmicutes (61.5 ± 7.5%), Bacteroidetes (27.9 ± 6.4%), and Proteobacteria (5.5 ± 2.1%) were the predominant phyla. Differential abundance analysis of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) identified 2 OTUs unique to SS which were members of Bacteroides and Clostridium and 7 OTUs unique to NS which were members of Coprococcus , Prevotella , Clostridium , and Paludibacter Differential abundance analysis of predicted microbial functions (using PICRUSt [phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states]) revealed that 3 pathways had higher abundance (log 2 fold change, 0.10 to 0.23) whereas 12 pathways had lower abundance (log 2 fold change, -0.36 to -0.20) in SS. In addition, we identified significant correlations between expression of 19 differentially expressed genes and the relative abundance of predicted microbial functions, including nucleic acid polymerization and carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Our findings suggest that differences in RAJ microbiota at both the compositional and functional levels may be associated with E. coli O157:H7 supershedding and that certain microbial groups and microbial functions may influence RAJ physiology of SS by affecting host gene expression. IMPORTANCE Cattle with fecal E. coli O157:H7 at >10 4 CFU per gram of feces have been defined as the supershedders, and they are responsible for the most of the E. coli O157:H7 spread into farm

  2. Following Drug Uptake and Reactions inside Escherichia coli Cells by Raman Microspectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Raman microspectroscopy combined with Raman difference spectroscopy reveals the details of chemical reactions within bacterial cells. The method provides direct quantitative data on penetration of druglike molecules into Escherichia coli cells in situ along with the details of drug–target reactions. With this label-free technique, clavulanic acid and tazobactam can be observed as they penetrate into E. coli cells and subsequently inhibit β-lactamase enzymes produced within these cells. When E. coli cells contain a β-lactamase that forms a stable complex with an inhibitor, the Raman signature of the known enamine acyl–enzyme complex is detected. From Raman intensities it is facile to measure semiquantitatively the number of clavulanic acid molecules taken up by the lactamase-free cells during growth. PMID:24901294

  3. The study of preparation for immobilized cells membranes of E. Coli. by radiation technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao Jin; Chen Pin; Yu Yi

    1991-01-01

    The paper described the preparation of immobilized cells membranes with E. Coli by radiation technique. The nylon 6 was grafted with HEMA, which as a matrix to prepare immobilized cells membranes with E. Coli. by radiation entrapment at low temperature. The results showed that the retentive activity possessed a maximum value for membranes with E. Coli. when the irradiation dose was at 10-12 kGy, the entrapped cells has 2.3 g/ml at 50% HEMA concentration, the optimum pH and optimum temperature for membranes with E. Coli. are as same the original cells

  4. Effect of a lytic bacteriophage on rabbits experimentally infected with pathogenic Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Zhao

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli is severely threatening the rabbit industry in China, and the concern over antibiotic-resistant bacteria has given rise to an urgent need for antibiotic alternatives. In this study, a member (ZRP1 of the Myoviridae family was isolated from rabbit faeces using a strain of rabbit atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (ZR1 as host. The one-step growth curve indicated that the latent period was around 25 to 30 min and the burst size was 144±31 plaque-forming unit/cell. The rate of phage-resistant mutation was 7×10–5±4×10–5. When the bacteriophage input at the multiplicity of infection (MOI was 0.1, 1 or 10, the growth of host E. coli in broth was inhibited for 5 h. A single intravenous injection of ZRP1 at MOI 0.1, 1 or 10 significantly prolonged the survival time of rabbits which simultaneously received a lethal dose of ZR1.

  5. Molecular mechanisms of induced mutagenesis. Replication in vivo of bacteriophage phiX174 single-stranded, ultraviolet light-irradiated DNA in intact and irradiated host cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Caillet-Fauquet, P; Defais, M; Radman, M [Brussels Univ. (Belgium)

    1977-11-25

    Genetic analysis has revealed that radiation and many chemical mutagens induce in bacteria an error-prone DNA repair process which is responsible for their mutagenic effect. The biochemical mechanism of this inducible error-prone repair has been studied by analysis of the first round of DNA synthesis on ultraviolet light-irradiated phiX174 DNA in both intact and ultraviolet light-irradiated host cells. Intracellular phiX174 DNA was extracted, subjected to isopycnic CsCl density-gradient analysis, hydroxylapatite chromatography and digestion by single-strand-specific endonuclease S/sub 1/. Ultraviolet light-induced photolesions in viral DNA cause a permanent blockage of DNA synthesis in intact Escherichia coli cells. However, when host cells were irradiated and incubated to induce fully the error-prone repair system, a significant fraction of irradiated phiX174 DNA molecules can be fully replicated. Thus, inducible error-prone repair in E.coli is manifested by an increased capacity for DNA synthesis on damaged phiX174 DNA. Chloramphenicol (100 ..mu.. g/ml), which is an inhibitor of the inducible error-prone DNA repair, is also an inhibitor of this particular inducible DNA synthesis.

  6. Transport proteins promoting Escherichia coli pathogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Fengyi; Saier, Milton H.

    2014-01-01

    Escherichia coli is a genetically diverse species infecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide annually. We examined seven well-characterized E. coli pathogens causing urinary tract infections, gastroenteritis, pyelonephritis and haemorrhagic colitis. Their transport proteins were identified and compared with each other and a non-pathogenic E. coli K12 strain to identify transport proteins related to pathogenesis. Each pathogen possesses a unique set of protein secretion systems for export to the cell surface or for injecting effector proteins into host cells. Pathogens have increased numbers of iron siderophore receptors and ABC iron uptake transporters, but the numbers and types of low-affinity secondary iron carriers were uniform in all strains. The presence of outer membrane iron complex receptors and high-affinity ABC iron uptake systems correlated, suggesting co-evolution. Each pathovar encodes a different set of pore-forming toxins and virulence-related outer membrane proteins lacking in K12. Intracellular pathogens proved to have a characteristically distinctive set of nutrient uptake porters, different from those of extracellular pathogens. The results presented in this report provide information about transport systems relevant to various types of E. coli pathogenesis that can be exploited in future basic and applied studies. PMID:24747185

  7. Transport proteins promoting Escherichia coli pathogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Fengyi; Saier, Milton H

    2014-01-01

    Escherichia coli is a genetically diverse species infecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide annually. We examined seven well-characterized E. coli pathogens causing urinary tract infections, gastroenteritis, pyelonephritis and haemorrhagic colitis. Their transport proteins were identified and compared with each other and a non-pathogenic E. coli K12 strain to identify transport proteins related to pathogenesis. Each pathogen possesses a unique set of protein secretion systems for export to the cell surface or for injecting effector proteins into host cells. Pathogens have increased numbers of iron siderophore receptors and ABC iron uptake transporters, but the numbers and types of low-affinity secondary iron carriers were uniform in all strains. The presence of outer membrane iron complex receptors and high-affinity ABC iron uptake systems correlated, suggesting co-evolution. Each pathovar encodes a different set of pore-forming toxins and virulence-related outer membrane proteins lacking in K12. Intracellular pathogens proved to have a characteristically distinctive set of nutrient uptake porters, different from those of extracellular pathogens. The results presented in this report provide information about transport systems relevant to various types of E. coli pathogenesis that can be exploited in future basic and applied studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Reconstitution of active mycobacterial binuclear iron monooxygenase complex in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furuya, Toshiki; Hayashi, Mika; Kino, Kuniki

    2013-10-01

    Bacterial binuclear iron monooxygenases play numerous physiological roles in oxidative metabolism. Monooxygenases of this type found in actinomycetes also catalyze various useful reactions and have attracted much attention as oxidation biocatalysts. However, difficulties in expressing these multicomponent monooxygenases in heterologous hosts, particularly in Escherichia coli, have hampered the development of engineered oxidation biocatalysts. Here, we describe a strategy to functionally express the mycobacterial binuclear iron monooxygenase MimABCD in Escherichia coli. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis of the mimABCD gene expression in E. coli revealed that the oxygenase components MimA and MimC were insoluble. Furthermore, although the reductase MimB was expressed at a low level in the soluble fraction of E. coli cells, a band corresponding to the coupling protein MimD was not evident. This situation rendered the transformed E. coli cells inactive. We found that the following factors are important for functional expression of MimABCD in E. coli: coexpression of the specific chaperonin MimG, which caused MimA and MimC to be soluble in E. coli cells, and the optimization of the mimD nucleotide sequence, which led to efficient expression of this gene product. These two remedies enabled this multicomponent monooxygenase to be actively expressed in E. coli. The strategy described here should be generally applicable to the E. coli expression of other actinomycetous binuclear iron monooxygenases and related enzymes and will accelerate the development of engineered oxidation biocatalysts for industrial processes.

  9. On the lack of host-cell reactivation of UV-irradiated phage T5

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiang, T.; Harm, W.

    1976-01-01

    Previously reported experiments have shown that host-cell reactivation (HCR) of UV-irradiated phage T1 in excision-repair proficient Escherichia coli cells is inhibited by superinfection with phage T5. Theoretical considerations have led to predictions concerning the dependence of repair inhibition on the multiplicity of superinfecting T5 phage and on the UV fluence to which they were exposed. These predictions have been supported by experimental results described in this paper. The fluence dependence permitted calculation of the relative UV sensitivity of the gene function responsible for repair inhibition; it was found to be about 2.3% that of the plaque-forming ability of phage T5. The T5-inhibitable step in excision repair occurs early in the infective cycle of T1. Furthermore, experiments involving the presence of 400 μg/ml chloramphenicol showed that HCR inhibition of T1 is caused by a protein produced after the FST segment of T5 (i.e. the first 8% of the T5 genome) has entered the host cell. A previously described minor T1 recovery process, occuring in both excision-repair-proficient and -deficient host-cells, is inhibited by T5 infection due to a different substance, which is most likely associated with the 'second-step-transfer' region of T5 DNA (involving the remainder of the genome). Superinfection with T4v 1 phage resulted in HCR inhibition of T1, resembling that observed after T5 superinfection. The discussion of these results suggests that inhibition of the bacterial excision repair system by T5 or T4 infection occurs at the level of UV-endonucleolytic incision, and that lack of HCR both in T-even phages and in T5 can be explained in the same manner

  10. Insights into Host Cell Modulation and Induction of New Cells by the Corn Smut Ustilago maydis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amey Redkar

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Many filamentous fungal pathogens induce drastic modulation of host cells causing abnormal infectious structures such as galls, or tumors that arise as a result of re-programming in the original developmental cell fate of a colonized host cell. Developmental consequences occur predominantly with biotrophic phytopathogens. This suggests that these host structures result as an outcome of efficient defense suppression and intimate fungal–host interaction to suit the pathogen’s needs for completion of its infection cycle. This mini-review mainly summarizes host cell re-programming that occurs in the Ustilago maydis – maize interaction, in which the pathogen deploys cell-type specific effector proteins with varying activities. The fungus senses the physiological status and identity of colonized host cells and re-directs the endogenous developmental program of its host. The disturbance of host cell physiology and cell fate leads to novel cell shapes, increased cell size, and/or the number of host cells. We particularly highlight the strategies of U. maydis to induce physiologically varied host organs to form the characteristic tumors in both vegetative and floral parts of maize.

  11. Host cell reactivation and UV-enhanced reactivation in synchronized mammalian cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lytle, C.D.; Schmidt, B.J.

    1981-01-01

    Does host cell reactivation (HCR) or UV-enhanced reactivation (UVER) of UV-irradiated Herpes simplex virus (UV-HSV) vary during the host mammalian cell cycle. The answer could be useful for interpreting UVER and or the two-component nature of the UV-HSV survival curve. Procedures were developed for infection of mitotically-synchronized CV-l monkey kidney cells. All virus survival curves determined at different cell cycle stages had two components with similar D 0 's and intercepts of the second components. Thus, no single stage of the host cell cycle was responsible for the second component of the virus survival curve. When the cells were UV-irradiated immediately prior to infection, enhanced survival of UV-HSV occurred for cell irradiation and virus infection initiated during late G 1 early S phase or late S early G 2 phase but not during early G 1 phase. For infection delayed by 24 h after cell irradiation, UVER was found at all investigated times. These results indicate that: (1) HCR is similar at all stages of the host cell cycle: and (2) the ''induction'' of UVER is not as rapid for cell-irradiation in early G 1 phase. This latter observation may be one reason why normal, contact-inhibited cells do not express UVER as rapidly as faster growing, less contact-inhibited cells. (author)

  12. Host cell subversion by Toxoplasma GRA16, an exported dense granule protein that targets the host cell nucleus and alters gene expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bougdour, Alexandre; Durandau, Eric; Brenier-Pinchart, Marie-Pierre; Ortet, Philippe; Barakat, Mohamed; Kieffer, Sylvie; Curt-Varesano, Aurélie; Curt-Bertini, Rose-Laurence; Bastien, Olivier; Coute, Yohann; Pelloux, Hervé; Hakimi, Mohamed-Ali

    2013-04-17

    After invading host cells, Toxoplasma gondii multiplies within a parasitophorous vacuole (PV) that is maintained by parasite proteins secreted from organelles called dense granules. Most dense granule proteins remain within the PV, and few are known to access the host cell cytosol. We identify GRA16 as a dense granule protein that is exported through the PV membrane and reaches the host cell nucleus, where it positively modulates genes involved in cell-cycle progression and the p53 tumor suppressor pathway. GRA16 binds two host enzymes, the deubiquitinase HAUSP and PP2A phosphatase, which exert several functions, including regulation of p53 and the cell cycle. GRA16 alters p53 levels in a HAUSP-dependent manner and induces nuclear translocation of the PP2A holoenzyme. Additionally, certain GRA16-deficient strains exhibit attenuated virulence, indicating the importance of these host alterations in pathogenesis. Therefore, GRA16 represents a potentially emerging subfamily of exported dense granule proteins that modulate host function. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Fungal invasion of normally non-phagocytic host cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott G Filler

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Many fungi that cause invasive disease invade host epithelial cells during mucosal and respiratory infection, and subsequently invade endothelial cells during hematogenous infection. Most fungi invade these normally non-phagocytic host cells by inducing their own uptake. Candida albicans hyphae interact with endothelial cells in vitro by binding to N-cadherin on the endothelial cell surface. This binding induces rearrangement of endothelial cell microfilaments, which results in the endocytosis of the organism. The capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans is composed of glucuronoxylomannan, which binds specifically to brain endothelial cells, and appears to mediate both adherence and induction of endocytosis. The mechanisms by which other fungal pathogens induce their own uptake are largely unknown. Some angioinvasive fungi, such as Aspergillus species and the Zygomycetes, invade endothelial cells from the abluminal surface during the initiation of invasive disease, and subsequently invade the luminal surface of endothelial cells during hematogenous dissemination. Invasion of normally non-phagocytic host cells has different consequences, depending on the type of invading fungus. Aspergillus fumigatus blocks apoptosis of pulmonary epithelial cells, whereas Paracoccidioides brasiliensis induces apoptosis of epithelial cells. This review summarizes the mechanisms by which diverse fungal pathogens invade normally non-phagocytic host cells and discusses gaps in our knowledge that provide opportunities for future research.

  14. Enforcing host cell polarity: an apicomplexan parasite strategy towards dissemination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumgartner, Martin

    2011-08-01

    The propagation of apicomplexan parasites through transmitting vectors is dependent on effective dissemination of parasites inside the mammalian host. Intracellular Toxoplasma and Theileria parasites face the challenge that their spread inside the host depends in part on the motile capacities of their host cells. In response, these parasites influence the efficiency of dissemination by altering adhesive and/or motile properties of their host cells. Theileria parasites do so by targeting signalling pathways that control host cell actin dynamics. The resulting enforced polar host cell morphology facilitates motility and invasiveness, by establishing focal adhesion and invasion structures at the leading edge of the infected cell. This parasite strategy highlights mechanisms of motility regulation that are also likely relevant for immune or cancer cell motility. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Human sepsis-associated Escherichia coli (SEPEC) is able to adhere to and invade kidney epithelial cells in culture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Conceição, R.A. [Departamento de Genética, Evolução e Bioagentes, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP (Brazil); Ludovico, M.S. [Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR (Brazil); Andrade, C.G.T.J. [Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR (Brazil); Yano, T. [Departamento de Genética, Evolução e Bioagentes, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP (Brazil)

    2012-04-13

    The adhesins of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli are essential for mediating direct interactions between the microbes and the host cell surfaces that they infect. Using fluorescence microscopy and gentamycin protection assays, we observed that 49 sepsis-associated E. coli (SEPEC) strains isolated from human adults adhered to and invaded Vero cells in the presence of D-mannose (100%). In addition, bacteria concentrations of approximately 2 × 10{sup 7} CFU/mL were recovered from Vero cells following an invasion assay. Furthermore, PCR analysis of adhesin genes showed that 98.0% of these SEPEC strains tested positive for fimH, 69.4% for flu, 53.1% for csgA, 38.8% for mat, and 32.7% for iha. Analysis of the invasin genes showed that 16.3% of the SEPEC strains were positive for tia, 12.3% for gimB, and 10.2% for ibeA. Therefore, these data suggest that SEPEC adhesion to cell surfaces occurs through non-fimH mechanisms. Scanning electron microscopy showed the formation of microcolonies on the Vero cell surface. SEPEC invasiveness was also confirmed by the presence of intracellular bacteria, and ultrastructural analysis using electron transmission microscopy revealed bacteria inside the Vero cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that these SEPEC strains had the ability to adhere to and invade Vero cells. Moreover, these data support the theory that renal cells may be the predominant pathway through which SEPEC enters human blood vessels.

  16. The Gene tia, Harbored by the Subtilase-Encoding Pathogenicity Island, Is Involved in the Ability of Locus of Enterocyte Effacement-Negative Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains To Invade Monolayers of Epithelial Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiani, Paola; Michelacci, Valeria; Minelli, Fabio; Caprioli, Alfredo; Morabito, Stefano

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-negative Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are human pathogens that lack the LEE locus, a pathogenicity island (PAI) involved in the intimate adhesion of LEE-positive strains to the host gut epithelium. The mechanism used by LEE-negative STEC strains to colonize the host intestinal mucosa is still not clear. The cell invasion determinant tia, previously described in enterotoxigenic E. coli strains, has been identified in LEE-negative STEC strains that possess the subtilase-encoding pathogenicity island (SE-PAI). We evaluated the role of the gene tia, present in these LEE-negative STEC strains, in the invasion of monolayers of cultured cells. We observed that these strains were able to invade Caco-2 and HEp-2 cell monolayers and compared their invasion ability with that of a mutant strain in which the gene tia had been inactivated. Mutation of the gene tia resulted in a strong reduction of the invasive phenotype, and complementation of the tia mutation with a functional copy of the gene restored the invasion activity. Moreover, we show that the gene tia is overexpressed in bacteria actively invading cell monolayers, demonstrating that tia is involved in the ability to invade cultured monolayers of epithelial cells shown by SE-PAI-positive E. coli, including STEC, strains. However, the expression of the tia gene in the E. coli K-12 strain JM109 was not sufficient, in its own right, to confer to this strain the ability to invade cell monolayers, suggesting that at least another factor must be involved in the invasion ability displayed by the SE-PAI-positive strains. PMID:28893912

  17. The Gene tia, Harbored by the Subtilase-Encoding Pathogenicity Island, Is Involved in the Ability of Locus of Enterocyte Effacement-Negative Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains To Invade Monolayers of Epithelial Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bondì, Roslen; Chiani, Paola; Michelacci, Valeria; Minelli, Fabio; Caprioli, Alfredo; Morabito, Stefano

    2017-12-01

    Locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-negative Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are human pathogens that lack the LEE locus, a pathogenicity island (PAI) involved in the intimate adhesion of LEE-positive strains to the host gut epithelium. The mechanism used by LEE-negative STEC strains to colonize the host intestinal mucosa is still not clear. The cell invasion determinant tia , previously described in enterotoxigenic E. coli strains, has been identified in LEE-negative STEC strains that possess the subtilase-encoding pathogenicity island (SE-PAI). We evaluated the role of the gene tia , present in these LEE-negative STEC strains, in the invasion of monolayers of cultured cells. We observed that these strains were able to invade Caco-2 and HEp-2 cell monolayers and compared their invasion ability with that of a mutant strain in which the gene tia had been inactivated. Mutation of the gene tia resulted in a strong reduction of the invasive phenotype, and complementation of the tia mutation with a functional copy of the gene restored the invasion activity. Moreover, we show that the gene tia is overexpressed in bacteria actively invading cell monolayers, demonstrating that tia is involved in the ability to invade cultured monolayers of epithelial cells shown by SE-PAI-positive E. coli , including STEC, strains. However, the expression of the tia gene in the E. coli K-12 strain JM109 was not sufficient, in its own right, to confer to this strain the ability to invade cell monolayers, suggesting that at least another factor must be involved in the invasion ability displayed by the SE-PAI-positive strains. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  18. Non-targeted mutagenesis of unirradiated lambda phage in Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wood, R.D.; Hutchinson, F.

    1984-01-01

    Non-targeted mutagenesis of lambda phage by ultraviolet light is the increase over background mutagenesis when non-irradiated phage are grown in irradiated Escherichia coli host cells. Such mutagenesis is caused by different processes from targeted mutagenesis, in which mutations in irradiated phage are correlated with photoproducts in the phage DNA. Non-irradiated phage grown in heavily irradiated uvr + host cells showed non-targeted mutations, which were 3/4 frameshifts, whereas targeted mutations were 2/3 transitions. For non-targeted mutagenesis in heavily irradiated host cells, there were one or two mutant phage per mutant burst. From the results of a series of experiments with various mutant host cells, a major pathway of non-targeted mutagenesis by ultraviolet light was proposed which acts in addition to ''SOS induction''. This pathway involves binding of the enzyme DNA polymerase I to damaged genomic DNA, and low polymerase activity leads to frameshift mutations during semiconservative DNA replication. The data suggest that this process will play a much smaller role in ultraviolet mutagenesis of the bacterial genome than it does in the mutagenesis of lambda phage. (author)

  19. Engineering the growth pattern and cell morphology for enhanced PHB production by Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Hong; Chen, Jinchun; Chen, Guo-Qiang

    2016-12-01

    E. coli JM109∆envC∆nlpD deleted with genes envC and nlpD responsible for degrading peptidoglycan (PG) led to long filamentous cell shapes. When cell fission ring location genes minC and minD of Escherichia coli were deleted, E. coli JM109∆minCD changed the cell growth pattern from binary division to multiple fissions. Bacterial morphology can be further engineered by overexpressing sulA gene resulting in inhibition on FtsZ, thus generating very long cellular filaments. By overexpressing sulA in E. coli JM109∆envC∆nlpD and E. coli JM109∆minCD harboring poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) synthesis operon phbCAB encoded in plasmid pBHR68, respectively, both engineered cells became long filaments and accumulated more PHB compared with the wild-type. Under same shake flask growth conditions, E. coli JM109∆minCD (pBHR68) overexpressing sulA grown in multiple fission pattern accumulated approximately 70 % PHB in 9 g/L cell dry mass (CDM), which was significantly higher than E. coli JM109∆envC∆nlpD and the wild type, that produced 7.6 g/L and 8 g/L CDM containing 64 % and 51 % PHB, respectively. Results demonstrated that a combination of the new division pattern with elongated shape of E. coli improved PHB production. This provided a new vision on the enhanced production of inclusion bodies.

  20. Initial Gut Microbial Composition as a Key Factor Driving Host Response to Antibiotic Treatment, as Exemplified by the Presence or Absence of Commensal Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ju, Tingting; Shoblak, Yasmeen; Gao, Yanhua; Yang, Kaiyuan; Fouhse, Janelle; Finlay, B Brett; So, Yee Wing; Stothard, Paul; Willing, Benjamin P

    2017-09-01

    Antibiotics are important for treating bacterial infection; however, efficacies and side effects of antibiotics vary in medicine and experimental models. A few studies have correlated microbiota composition variations with health outcomes in response to antibiotics; however, no study has demonstrated causality. We had noted variation in colonic expression of C-type lectins, regenerating islet-derived protein 3β (Reg3β) and Reg3γ, after metronidazole treatment in a mouse model. To investigate the effects of specific variations in the preexisting microbiome on host response to antibiotics, mice harboring a normal microbiota were allocated to 4 treatments in a 2-by-2 factorial arrangement with or without commensal Escherichia coli and with or without metronidazole in drinking water. E. coli colonized readily without causing a notable shift in the microbiota or host response. Metronidazole administration reduced microbiota biodiversity, indicated by decreased Chao1 and Shannon index values, and altered microbiota composition. However, the presence of E. coli strongly affected metronidazole-induced microbiota shifts. Remarkably, this single commensal bacterium in the context of a complex population led to variations in host responses to metronidazole treatment, including increased expression of antimicrobial peptides Reg3β and Reg3γ and intestinal inflammation indicated by tumor necrosis factor alpha levels. Similar results were obtained from 2-week antibiotic exposure and with additional E. coli isolates. The results of this proof-of-concept study indicate that even minor variations in initial commensal microbiota can drive shifts in microbial composition and host response after antibiotic administration. As well as providing an explanation for variability in animal models using antibiotics, the findings encourage the development of personalized medication in antibiotic therapies. IMPORTANCE This work provides an understanding of variability in studies where

  1. Bartonella entry mechanisms into mammalian host cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eicher, Simone C; Dehio, Christoph

    2012-08-01

    The Gram-negative genus Bartonella comprises arthropod-borne pathogens that typically infect mammals in a host-specific manner. Bartonella bacilliformis and Bartonella quintana are human-specific pathogens, while several zoonotic bartonellae specific for diverse animal hosts infect humans as an incidental host. Clinical manifestations of Bartonella infections range from mild symptoms to life-threatening disease. Following transmission by blood-sucking arthropods or traumatic contact with infected animals, bartonellae display sequential tropisms towards endothelial and possibly other nucleated cells and erythrocytes, the latter in a host-specific manner. Attachment to the extracellular matrix (ECM) and to nucleated cells is mediated by surface-exposed bacterial adhesins, in particular trimeric autotransporter adhesins (TAAs). The subsequent engulfment of the pathogen into a vacuolar structure follows a unique series of events whereby the pathogen avoids the endolysosomal compartments. For Bartonella henselae and assumingly most other species, the infection process is aided at different steps by Bartonella effector proteins (Beps). They are injected into host cells through the type IV secretion system (T4SS) VirB/D4 and subvert host cellular functions to favour pathogen uptake. Bacterial binding to erythrocytes is mediated by Trw, another T4SS, in a strictly host-specific manner, followed by pathogen-forced uptake involving the IalB invasin and subsequent replication and persistence within a membrane-bound intra-erythrocytic compartment. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  2. The Intriguing Evolutionary Journey of Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) toward Pathogenicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasqua, Martina; Michelacci, Valeria; Di Martino, Maria Letizia; Tozzoli, Rosangela; Grossi, Milena; Colonna, Bianca; Morabito, Stefano; Prosseda, Gianni

    2017-01-01

    Among the intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli , enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) are a group of intracellular pathogens able to enter epithelial cells of colon, multiplicate within them, and move between adjacent cells with a mechanism similar to Shigella , the ethiological agent of bacillary dysentery. Despite EIEC belong to the same pathotype of Shigella , they neither have the full set of traits that define Shigella nor have undergone the extensive gene decay observed in Shigella . Molecular analysis confirms that EIEC are widely distributed among E. coli phylogenetic groups and correspond to bioserotypes found in many E. coli serogroups. Like Shigella , also in EIEC the critical event toward a pathogenic life-style consisted in the acquisition by horizontal gene transfer of a large F-type plasmid (pINV) containing the genes required for invasion, intracellular survival, and spreading through the intestinal mucosa. In Shigella , the ample gain in virulence determinants has been counteracted by a substantial loss of functions that, although important for the survival in the environment, are redundant or deleterious for the life inside the host. The pathoadaptation process that has led Shigella to modify its metabolic profile and increase its pathogenic potential is still in infancy in EIEC, although maintenance of some features typical of E. coli might favor their emerging relevance as intestinal pathogens worldwide, as documented by recent outbreaks in industrialized countries. In this review, we will discuss the evolution of EIEC toward Shigella -like invasive forms going through the epidemiology, including the emergence of new virulent strains, their genome organization, and the complex interactions they establish with the host.

  3. Lipids in host-pathogen interactions: pathogens exploit the complexity of the host cell lipidome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Meer-Janssen, Ynske P M; van Galen, Josse; Batenburg, Joseph J; Helms, J Bernd

    2010-01-01

    Lipids were long believed to have a structural role in biomembranes and a role in energy storage utilizing cellular lipid droplets and plasma lipoproteins. Research over the last decades has identified an additional role of lipids in cellular signaling, membrane microdomain organization and dynamics, and membrane trafficking. These properties make lipids an attractive target for pathogens to modulate host cell processes in order to allow their survival and replication. In this review we will summarize the often ingenious strategies of pathogens to modify the lipid homeostasis of host cells, allowing them to divert cellular processes. To this end pathogens take full advantage of the complexity of the lipidome. The examples are categorized in generalized and emerging principles describing the involvement of lipids in host-pathogen interactions. Several pathogens are described that simultaneously induce multiple changes in the host cell signaling and trafficking mechanisms. Elucidation of these pathogen-induced changes may have important implications for drug development. The emergence of high-throughput lipidomic techniques will allow the description of changes of the host cell lipidome at the level of individual molecular lipid species and the identification of lipid biomarkers.

  4. Complete Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli Strain WG5

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Imamovic, Lejla; Misiakou, Maria-Anna; van der Helm, Eric

    2018-01-01

    Escherichia coli strain WG5 is a widely used host for phage detection, including somatic coliphages employed as standard ISO method 10705-1 (2000). Here, we present the complete genome sequence of a commercial E. coli WG5 strain.......Escherichia coli strain WG5 is a widely used host for phage detection, including somatic coliphages employed as standard ISO method 10705-1 (2000). Here, we present the complete genome sequence of a commercial E. coli WG5 strain....

  5. Recombinant Escherichia coli Trx-JZTX-III represses the proliferation of mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cells through induction of cell cycle arrest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Mei-Na; Zhao, Xue-Jiao; Zhao, Han-Dong; Zhang, Wei-Guang; Li, Feng-Lan; Chen, Ming-Zi; Li, Hui; Li, Guangchao

    2013-06-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli) Trx-jingzhaotoxin (JZTX)-III on cell growth in the mouse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line Hepa1-6. The JZTX-III gene sequence was synthesized and cloned into the pET-32a(+) vector to construct the recombinant fusion protein Trx-JZTX-III, which was subsequently purified. Hepa1-6 cells were treated with 0 to 1,000-µg/ml concentrations of Trx-JZTX-III; this was demonstrated to affect cell viability, as determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol‑2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetra-zolium bromide (MTT) assay. The expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein was investigated using western blot analysis. A colony formation assay was used to determine Hepa1-6 cell proliferation, and the migration ability of cells was determined using a wound‑healing assay. Additionally, flow cytometry was employed to observe changes in the cell cycle. The MTT assay and quantification of PCNA expression indicated that recombinant E. coli Trx-JZTX-III significantly repressed the proliferation of Hepa1-6 cells. Colony formation and the migration of malignant cells was inhibited following treatment with recombinant E. coli Trx-JZTX-III. Flow cytometry showed that recombinant E. coli Trx-JZTX-III induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. In conclusion, recombinant E. coli Trx-JZTX-III functions as a tumor suppressor drug in mouse HCC and its underlying mechanism may involve the induction of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest.

  6. Counting Legionella cells within single amoeba host cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Here we present the first attempt to quantify L. pneumophila cell numbers within individual amoebae hosts that may be released into engineered water systems. The maximum numbers of culturable L. pneumophila cells grown within Acanthamoeba polyphaga and Naegleria fowleri were 134...

  7. Plant-Adapted Escherichia coli Show Increased Lettuce Colonizing Ability, Resistance to Oxidative Stress and Chemotactic Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dublan, Maria de los Angeles; Ortiz-Marquez, Juan Cesar Federico; Lett, Lina; Curatti, Leonardo

    2014-01-01

    Background Escherichia coli is a widespread gut commensal and often a versatile pathogen of public health concern. E. coli are also frequently found in different environments and/or alternative secondary hosts, such as plant tissues. The lifestyle of E. coli in plants is poorly understood and has potential implications for food safety. Methods/Principal Findings This work shows that a human commensal strain of E. coli K12 readily colonizes lettuce seedlings and produces large microcolony-like cell aggregates in leaves, especially in young leaves, in proximity to the vascular tissue. Our observations strongly suggest that those cell aggregates arise from multiplication of single bacterial cells that reach those spots. We showed that E. coli isolated from colonized leaves progressively colonize lettuce seedlings to higher titers, suggesting a fast adaptation process. E. coli cells isolated from leaves presented a dramatic rise in tolerance to oxidative stress and became more chemotactic responsive towards lettuce leaf extracts. Mutant strains impaired in their chemotactic response were less efficient lettuce colonizers than the chemotactic isogenic strain. However, acclimation to oxidative stress and/or minimal medium alone failed to prime E. coli cells for enhanced lettuce colonization efficiency. Conclusion/Significance These findings help to understand the physiological adaptation during the alternative lifestyle of E. coli in/on plant tissues. PMID:25313845

  8. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 enhances NF-kappaB activation in Escherichia coli-stimulated urinary bladder cells through TLR4

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karlsson Mattias

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Epithelial cells of the urinary tract recognize pathogenic bacteria through pattern recognition receptors on their surface, such as toll-like receptors (TLRs, and mount an immune response through the activation of the NF-kappaB pathway. Some uropathogenic bacteria can subvert these cellular responses, creating problems with how the host eliminates pathogens. Lactobacillus is a genus of lactic acid bacteria that are part of the microbiota and consist of many probiotic strains, some specifically for urogenital infections. Immunomodulation has emerged as an important mode of action of probiotic and commensal lactobacilli and given the importance of epithelial cells, we evaluated the effect of the urogenital probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 on epithelial immune activation. Results Immune activation through the NF-kappaB pathway was initiated by stimulation of T24 urothelial cells with heat-killed Escherichia coli and this was further potentiated when cells were co-cultured with live L. rhamnosus GR-1. Heat-killed lactobacilli were poor activators of NF-kappaB. Concomitant stimulation of bladder cells with E. coli and L. rhamnosus GR-1 increased the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF, whereas IL-6 and CXCL8 levels were reduced. Another probiotic, L. rhamnosus GG, was also able to potentiate NF-kappaB in these cells although at a significantly reduced level compared to the GR-1 strain. The transcript numbers and protein levels of the lipopolysaccharide receptor TLR4 were significantly increased after co-stimulation with E. coli and lactobacilli compared to controls. Furthermore, inhibition of TLR4 activation by polymixin B completely blocked the lactobacilli potentiation of NF-kappaB. Conclusions The immunological outcome of E. coli challenge of bladder cells was influenced by probiotic L. rhamnosus GR-1, by enhancing the activation of NF-kappaB and TNF release. Thus the urogenital probiotic L. rhamnosus GR-1

  9. Repair of ultraviolet-light damaged ColE1 factor carrying Escherichia coli genes for guanine synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kibe, A.; Shimada, K.; Tagaki, Y.

    1979-01-01

    Hybrid ColE1 plasmids called ColE1-cos lambda-guaA or ColE1-cos lambda-gal can be efficiently transduced into various E.coli K-12 cells through packaging into lambda phage particles. Using these plasmids, repair of ultraviolet-light (UV) damaged ColE1 DNAs was studied in various UV sensitive E.coli K-12 mutants. The host mutations uvrA and uvrB markedly reduced host-cell reactivation of UV-irradiated ColE1-cos lambda-guaA. Pre-existing hybrid ColE1 plasmids had no effect on the frequency of lambda phage-mediated transduction of another differentially marked hybrid ColE1 DNAs. ColE1-cos lambda-guaA and ColE1-cos lambda-gal DNAs could temporarily but not stably co-exist in E.coli K-12 recA cells. The presence of ColE1-cos lambda-gal in uvrB cells promoted the repair of super-infected UV-irradiated ColE1-cos lambda-guaA about 7-fold. The same ColE1-cos lambda-gal plasmid in a uvrB recA double mutant did not have this promoting effect. These results indicate that the effect of resident hybrid ColE1 plasmids is manifested by the host recA + gene function(s) and suggest that ColE1 plasmit itself provides no recA + -like functions. (orig.) [de

  10. Repair of ultraviolet-light damaged ColE1 factor carrying Escherichia coli genes for guanine synthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kibe, A; Shimada, K; Tagaki, Y [Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan). Dept. of Biochemistry

    1979-01-01

    Hybrid ColE1 plasmids called ColE1-cos lambda-guaA or ColE1-cos lambda-gal can be efficiently transduced into various E.coli K-12 cells through packaging into lambda phage particles. Using these plasmids, repair of ultraviolet-light (UV) damaged ColE1 DNAs was studied in various UV sensitive E.coli K-12 mutants. The host mutations uvrA and uvrB markedly reduced host-cell reactivation of UV-irradiated ColE1-cos lambda-guaA. Pre-existing hybrid ColE1 plasmids had no effect on the frequency of lambda phage-mediated transduction of another differentially marked hybrid ColE1 DNAs. ColE1-cos lambda-guaA and ColE1-cos lambda-gal DNAs could temporarily but not stably co-exist in E.coli K-12 recA cells. The presence of ColE1-cos lambda-gal in uvrB cells promoted the repair of super-infected UV-irradiated ColE1-cos lambda-guaA about 7-fold. The same ColE1-cos lambda-gal plasmid in a uvrB recA double mutant did not have this promoting effect. These results indicate that the effect of resident hybrid ColE1 plasmids is manifested by the host recA/sup +/ gene function(s) and suggest that ColE1 plasmit itself provides no recA/sup +/-like functions.

  11. Outer Membrane Vesicles From Probiotic and Commensal Escherichia coli Activate NOD1-Mediated Immune Responses in Intestinal Epithelial Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María-Alexandra Cañas

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Gut microbiota plays a critical role in maintaining human intestinal homeostasis and host health. Bacterial extracellular vesicles are key players in bacteria–host communication, as they allow delivery of effector molecules into the host cells. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs released by Gram-negative bacteria carry many ligands of pattern recognition receptors that are key components of innate immunity. NOD1 and NOD2 cytosolic receptors specifically recognize peptidoglycans present within the bacterial cell wall. These intracellular immune receptors are essential in host defense against bacterial infections and in the regulation of inflammatory responses. Recent contributions show that NODs are also fundamental to maintain intestinal homeostasis and microbiota balance. Peptidoglycan from non-invasive pathogens is delivered to cytosolic NODs through OMVs, which are internalized via endocytosis. Whether this pathway could be used by microbiota to activate NOD receptors remains unexplored. Here, we report that OMVs isolated from the probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 and the commensal ECOR12 activate NOD1 signaling pathways in intestinal epithelial cells. NOD1 silencing and RIP2 inhibition significantly abolished OMV-mediated activation of NF-κB and subsequent IL-6 and IL-8 expression. Confocal fluorescence microscopy analysis confirmed that endocytosed OMVs colocalize with NOD1, trigger the formation of NOD1 aggregates, and promote NOD1 association with early endosomes. This study shows for the first time the activation of NOD1-signaling pathways by extracellular vesicles released by gut microbiota.

  12. Simultaneous transcriptional profiling of bacteria and their host cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael S Humphrys

    Full Text Available We developed an RNA-Seq-based method to simultaneously capture prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression profiles of cells infected with intracellular bacteria. As proof of principle, this method was applied to Chlamydia trachomatis-infected epithelial cell monolayers in vitro, successfully obtaining transcriptomes of both C. trachomatis and the host cells at 1 and 24 hours post-infection. Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens that cause a range of mammalian diseases. In humans chlamydiae are responsible for the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infections and trachoma (infectious blindness. Disease arises by adverse host inflammatory reactions that induce tissue damage & scarring. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying these outcomes. Chlamydia are genetically intractable as replication outside of the host cell is not yet possible and there are no practical tools for routine genetic manipulation, making genome-scale approaches critical. The early timeframe of infection is poorly understood and the host transcriptional response to chlamydial infection is not well defined. Our simultaneous RNA-Seq method was applied to a simplified in vitro model of chlamydial infection. We discovered a possible chlamydial strategy for early iron acquisition, putative immune dampening effects of chlamydial infection on the host cell, and present a hypothesis for Chlamydia-induced fibrotic scarring through runaway positive feedback loops. In general, simultaneous RNA-Seq helps to reveal the complex interplay between invading bacterial pathogens and their host mammalian cells and is immediately applicable to any bacteria/host cell interaction.

  13. Nucleation of holin domains and holes optimizes lysis timing of E. coli by phage λ

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, Gillian; Rutenberg, Andrew

    2007-03-01

    Holin proteins regulate the precise scheduling of Escherichia coli lysis during infection by bacteriophage λ. Inserted into the host bacterium's inner membrane during infection, holins aggregate to form rafts and then holes within those rafts. We present a two-stage nucleation model of holin action, with the nucleation of condensed holin domains followed by the nucleation of holes within these domains. Late nucleation of holin rafts leads to a weak dependence of lysis timing on host cell size, though both nucleation events contribute equally to timing errors. Our simulations recover the accurate scheduling observed experimentally, and also suggest that phage-λ lysis of E.coli is optimized.

  14. Soluble expression of recombinant proteins in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Hans; Mortensen, Kim

    2005-01-01

    Pure, soluble and functional proteins are of high demand in modern biotechnology. Natural protein sources rarely meet the requirements for quantity, ease of isolation or price and hence recombinant technology is often the method of choice. Recombinant cell factories are constantly employed...... molecular tools available. In spite of all these qualities, expression of recombinant proteins with E. coli as the host often results in insoluble and/or nonfunctional proteins. Here we review new approaches to overcome these obstacles by strategies that focus on either controlled expression of target...... for the production of protein preparations bound for downstream purification and processing. Eschericia coli is a frequently used host, since it facilitates protein expression by its relative simplicity, its inexpensive and fast high density cultivation, the well known genetics and the large number of compatible...

  15. Mechanisms of ion-bombardment-induced DNA transfer into bacterial E. coli cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, L.D., E-mail: yuld@thep-center.org [Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Sangwijit, K. [Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Prakrajang, K. [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Faculty of Science, Maejo University, Chiang Mai 50290 (Thailand); Phanchaisri, B. [Institute of Science and Technology Research, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thongkumkoon, P. [Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thopan, P. [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Singkarat, S. [Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Anuntalabhochai, S. [Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand)

    2014-05-01

    Highlights: • Ion bombardment could induce DNA transfer into E. coli cells. • The DNA transfer induction depended on ion energy and fluence. • The mechanism was associated with the bacterial cell envelope structure. • A mechanism phase diagram was proposed to summarize the mechanism. - Abstract: As a useful ion beam biotechnology, ion-bombardment-induced DNA transfer into bacterial Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells has been successfully operated using argon ions. In the process ion bombardment of the bacterial cells modifies the cell envelope materials to favor the exogenous DNA molecules to pass through the envelope to enter the cell. The occurrence of the DNA transfer induction was found ion energy and fluence dependent in a complex manner. At ion energy of a few keV and a few tens of keV to moderate fluences the DNA transfer could be induced by ion bombardment of the bacterial cells, while at the same ion energy but to high fluences DNA transfer could not be induced. On the other hand, when the ion energy was medium, about 10–20 keV, the DNA transfer could not be induced by ion bombardment of the cells. The complexity of the experimental results indicated a complex mechanism which should be related to the complex structure of the bacterial E. coli cell envelope. A phase diagram was proposed to interpret different mechanisms involved as functions of the ion energy and fluence.

  16. Mechanisms of ion-bombardment-induced DNA transfer into bacterial E. coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, L.D.; Sangwijit, K.; Prakrajang, K.; Phanchaisri, B.; Thongkumkoon, P.; Thopan, P.; Singkarat, S.; Anuntalabhochai, S.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Ion bombardment could induce DNA transfer into E. coli cells. • The DNA transfer induction depended on ion energy and fluence. • The mechanism was associated with the bacterial cell envelope structure. • A mechanism phase diagram was proposed to summarize the mechanism. - Abstract: As a useful ion beam biotechnology, ion-bombardment-induced DNA transfer into bacterial Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells has been successfully operated using argon ions. In the process ion bombardment of the bacterial cells modifies the cell envelope materials to favor the exogenous DNA molecules to pass through the envelope to enter the cell. The occurrence of the DNA transfer induction was found ion energy and fluence dependent in a complex manner. At ion energy of a few keV and a few tens of keV to moderate fluences the DNA transfer could be induced by ion bombardment of the bacterial cells, while at the same ion energy but to high fluences DNA transfer could not be induced. On the other hand, when the ion energy was medium, about 10–20 keV, the DNA transfer could not be induced by ion bombardment of the cells. The complexity of the experimental results indicated a complex mechanism which should be related to the complex structure of the bacterial E. coli cell envelope. A phase diagram was proposed to interpret different mechanisms involved as functions of the ion energy and fluence

  17. Amaranthus caudatus extract inhibits the invasion of E. coli into uroepithelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanty, Soumitra; Zambrana, Silvia; Dieulouard, Soizic; Kamolvit, Witchuda; Nilsén, Vera; Gonzales, Eduardo; Östenson, Claes-Göran; Brauner, Annelie

    2018-06-28

    Amaranthus caudatus is traditionally used to treat infections. Based on its traditional usage, we investigated the effect of A. caudatus on the bladder epithelial cells in the protection of E. coli infection. The direct antimicrobial effects of A. caudatus on uropathogenic bacteria were investigated using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. Bladder epithelial cell lines T24 and 5637 and uropathogenic E. coli strain #12 were used to investigate the effect of A. caudatus. Bacterial adhesion and invasion into bladder cells treated with A. caudatus was analyzed. Expression of uroplakin-1a (UPK1A), β1 integrin (ITGB1), caveolin-1 (CAV1) and the antimicrobial peptides human β defensin-2 (DEFB4A) and LL-37 (CAMP) was evaluated using RT-PCR. No direct antibacterial effect on E. coli or any of the tested uropathogenic strains was observed by A. caudatus. However, we demonstrated reduced mRNA expression of uroplakin-1a and caveolin-1, but not β1 integrin after treatment of uroepithelial cells, mirrored by the decreased adhesion and invasion of E. coli. A. caudatus treatment did not induce increased gene expression of the antimicrobial peptides, LL-37 and human β-defensin-2. Our results showed that A. caudatus has a protective role on bladder epithelial cells against uropathogenic E. coli infection by decreasing the bacterial adhesion and invasion, thereby preventing infection. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Inhibition of host cell protein synthesis by UV-inactivated poliovirus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helentjaris, T.; Ehrenfeld, E.

    1977-01-01

    The ability of poliovirus that was irradiated with UV light at energies up to 2,160 ergs/mm 2 to subsequently inhibit host cell protein synthesis was measured. The inactivation of the host cell shutoff function followed one-hit kinetics. Increasing irradiation did not affect the rate of inhibition until the multiplicity of infection after irradiation was reduced to approximately 1 PFU/cell. At higher functional multiplicities, the rate was unchanged, but an increasing lag before the onset of inhibition was observed with increasing irradiation. The energy levels required to inactivate virus-induced inhibition of host cell protein synthesis suggest that damage to virus RNA rather than to virus capsid proteins is responsible for the loss of function. When the inactivation of host cell shutoff was compared with the inactivation of other viral functions by UV irradiation, it correlated exactly with the loss of infectivity but not with other viral functions measured. Guanidine treatment, which prevents detectable viral RNA and protein synthesis, completely inhibited host cell shutoff by low multiplicities of unirradiated virus infection but not higher multiplicities. When a high multiplicity of virus was first reduced to a low titer by irradiation, host cell shutoff was still evident in the presence of guanidine. The results demonstrate that the complete inhibition of host cell protein synthesis can be accomplished by one infectious viral genome per cell

  19. Meta-Analysis of Transcriptional Responses to Mastitis-Causing Escherichia coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sidra Younis

    Full Text Available Bovine mastitis is a widespread disease in dairy cows, and is often caused by bacterial mammary gland infection. Mastitis causes reduced milk production and leads to excessive use of antibiotics. We present meta-analysis of transcriptional profiles of bovine mastitis from 10 studies and 307 microarrays, allowing identification of much larger sets of affected genes than any individual study. Combining multiple studies provides insight into the molecular effects of Escherichia coli infection in vivo and uncovers differences between the consequences of E. coli vs. Staphylococcus aureus infection of primary mammary epithelial cells (PMECs. In udders, live E. coli elicits inflammatory and immune defenses through numerous cytokines and chemokines. Importantly, E. coli infection causes downregulation of genes encoding lipid biosynthesis enzymes that are involved in milk production. Additionally, host metabolism is generally suppressed. Finally, defensins and bacteria-recognition genes are upregulated, while the expression of the extracellular matrix protein transcripts is silenced. In PMECs, heat-inactivated E. coli elicits expression of ribosomal, cytoskeletal and angiogenic signaling genes, and causes suppression of the cell cycle and energy production genes. We hypothesize that heat-inactivated E. coli may have prophylactic effects against mastitis. Heat-inactivated S. aureus promotes stronger inflammatory and immune defenses than E. coli. Lipopolysaccharide by itself induces MHC antigen presentation components, an effect not seen in response to E. coli bacteria. These results provide the basis for strategies to prevent and treat mastitis and may lead to the reduction in the use of antibiotics.

  20. Managing the SOS Response for Enhanced CRISPR-Cas-Based Recombineering in E. coli through Transient Inhibition of Host RecA Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreb, Eirik Adim; Hoover, Benjamin; Yaseen, Adam; Valyasevi, Nisakorn; Roecker, Zoe; Menacho-Melgar, Romel; Lynch, Michael D

    2017-12-15

    Phage-derived "recombineering" methods are utilized for bacterial genome editing. Recombineering results in a heterogeneous population of modified and unmodified chromosomes, and therefore selection methods, such as CRISPR-Cas9, are required to select for edited clones. Cells can evade CRISPR-Cas-induced cell death through recA-mediated induction of the SOS response. The SOS response increases RecA dependent repair as well as mutation rates through induction of the umuDC error prone polymerase. As a result, CRISPR-Cas selection is more efficient in recA mutants. We report an approach to inhibiting the SOS response and RecA activity through the expression of a mutant dominant negative form of RecA, which incorporates into wild type RecA filaments and inhibits activity. Using a plasmid-based system in which Cas9 and recA mutants are coexpressed, we can achieve increased efficiency and consistency of CRISPR-Cas9-mediated selection and recombineering in E. coli, while reducing the induction of the SOS response. To date, this approach has been shown to be independent of recA genotype and host strain lineage. Using this system, we demonstrate increased CRISPR-Cas selection efficacy with over 10 000 guides covering the E. coli chromosome. The use of dominant negative RecA or homologues may be of broad use in bacterial CRISPR-Cas-based genome editing where the SOS pathways are present.

  1. Autolysis of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis cells in low gravity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kacena, M. A.; Smith, E. E.; Todd, P.

    1999-01-01

    The role of gravity in the autolysis of Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli was studied by growing cells on Earth and in microgravity on Space Station Mir. Autolysis analysis was completed by examining the death phase or exponential decay of cells for approximately 4 months following the stationary phase. Consistent with published findings, the stationary-phase cell population was 170% and 90% higher in flight B. subtilis and E. coli cultures, respectively, than in ground cultures. Although both flight autolysis curves began at higher cell densities than control curves, the rate of autolysis in flight cultures was identical to that of their respective ground control rates.

  2. The Intriguing Evolutionary Journey of Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC toward Pathogenicity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martina Pasqua

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Among the intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli, enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC are a group of intracellular pathogens able to enter epithelial cells of colon, multiplicate within them, and move between adjacent cells with a mechanism similar to Shigella, the ethiological agent of bacillary dysentery. Despite EIEC belong to the same pathotype of Shigella, they neither have the full set of traits that define Shigella nor have undergone the extensive gene decay observed in Shigella. Molecular analysis confirms that EIEC are widely distributed among E. coli phylogenetic groups and correspond to bioserotypes found in many E. coli serogroups. Like Shigella, also in EIEC the critical event toward a pathogenic life-style consisted in the acquisition by horizontal gene transfer of a large F-type plasmid (pINV containing the genes required for invasion, intracellular survival, and spreading through the intestinal mucosa. In Shigella, the ample gain in virulence determinants has been counteracted by a substantial loss of functions that, although important for the survival in the environment, are redundant or deleterious for the life inside the host. The pathoadaptation process that has led Shigella to modify its metabolic profile and increase its pathogenic potential is still in infancy in EIEC, although maintenance of some features typical of E. coli might favor their emerging relevance as intestinal pathogens worldwide, as documented by recent outbreaks in industrialized countries. In this review, we will discuss the evolution of EIEC toward Shigella-like invasive forms going through the epidemiology, including the emergence of new virulent strains, their genome organization, and the complex interactions they establish with the host.

  3. Methods for production of proteins in host cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donnelly, Mark; Joachimiak, Andrzej

    2004-01-13

    The present invention provides methods for the production of proteins, particularly toxic proteins, in host cells. The invention provides methods which use a fusion protein comprising a chaperonin binding domain in host cells induced or regulated to have increased levels of chaperonin which binds the chaperonin binding domain.

  4. Influence of bromouracil density labelling on viability of UV irradiated Escherichia coli cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brozmanova, J [Slovenska Akademia Vied, Bratislava (Czechoslovakia). Vyskumny Ustav Onkologicky

    1976-01-01

    Influence of 5-bromouracil cultivation on cell viability and DNA synthesis in the Escherichia coli B/r thy/sup -/ trp/sup -/ Hcr/sup +/ and Escherichia coli C thy-321 strains was followed. It was found that a 120 min cultivation in the bromouracil medium (unirradiated cells) does not essentially influence the viability of the two investigated strains but has an inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis in cells of the E. coli B/r Hcr/sup +/ strain. However, cultivation with bromouracil after ultraviolet irradiation leads to a decreased surviving ability of the irradiated cells of both investigated strains. Repair of damage induced by ultraviolet radiation probably exhausts a considerable proportion of repair activity, so that additional injury produced by bromouracil cultivation cannot be liquidated immediately.

  5. Toxicity of cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles against Escherichia coli and HeLa cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hossain, Sk Tofajjen; Mukherjee, Samir Kumar

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Toxic effect of CdS NPs on the growth and cell division in E. coli was studied. • CdS NPs affected cell surface topology and cell division. • Downregulation of both FtsZ and FtsQ was observed due to NPs exposure. • CdS NPs affected HeLa cell morphology with fragmented nuclei. • All such effects might be due to elevated oxidative stress. -- Abstract: The present study endeavours to assess the toxic effect of synthesized CdS nanoparticles (NPs) on Escherichia coli and HeLa cells. The CdS NPs were characterized by DLS, XRD, TEM and AFM studies and the average size of NPs was revealed as ∼3 nm. On CdS NPs exposure bacterial cells changed morphological features to filamentous form and damage of the cell surface was found by AFM study. The expression of two conserved cell division components namely ftsZ and ftsQ in E. coli was decreased both at transcriptional and translational levels upon CdS NPs exposure. CdS NPs inhibited proper cell septum formation without affecting the nucleoid segregation. Viability of HeLa cells declined with increasing concentration of CdS NPs and the IC 50 value was found to be 4 μg/mL. NPs treated HeLa cells showed changed morphology with condensed and fragmented nuclei. Increased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was found both in E. coli and HeLa cells on CdS NPs exposure. The inverse correlation between declined cell viabilities and elevated ROS level suggested that oxidative stress seems to be the key event by which NPs induce toxicity both in E. coli and HeLa cells

  6. Non-targeted mutagenesis of unirradiated lambda phage in Escherichia coli

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wood, R.D.; Hutchinson, F. (Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (USA). Dept. of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry)

    1984-03-05

    Non-targeted mutagenesis of lambda phage by ultraviolet light is the increase over background mutagenesis when non-irradiated phage are grown in irradiated Escherichia coli host cells. Such mutagenesis is caused by different processes from targeted mutagenesis, in which mutations in irradiated phage are correlated with photoproducts in the phage DNA. Non-irradiated phage grown in heavily irradiated uvr/sup +/ host cells showed non-targeted mutations, which were 3/4 frameshifts, whereas targeted mutations were 2/3 transitions. For non-targeted mutagenesis in heavily irradiated host cells, there were one or two mutant phage per mutant burst. From the results of a series of experiments with various mutant host cells, a major pathway of non-targeted mutagenesis by ultraviolet light was proposed which acts in addition to ''SOS induction''. This pathway involves binding of the enzyme DNA polymerase I to damaged genomic DNA, and low polymerase activity leads to frameshift mutations during semiconservative DNA replication. The data suggest that this process will play a much smaller role in ultraviolet mutagenesis of the bacterial genome than it does in the mutagenesis of lambda phage.

  7. Uropathogenic E. coli Exploit CEA to Promote Colonization of the Urogenital Tract Mucosa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muenzner, Petra; Kengmo Tchoupa, Arnaud; Klauser, Benedikt; Brunner, Thomas; Putze, Johannes; Dobrindt, Ulrich; Hauck, Christof R.

    2016-01-01

    Attachment to the host mucosa is a key step in bacterial pathogenesis. On the apical surface of epithelial cells, members of the human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family are abundant glycoproteins involved in cell-cell adhesion and modulation of cell signaling. Interestingly, several gram-negative bacterial pathogens target these receptors by specialized adhesins. The prototype of a CEACAM-binding pathogen, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, utilizes colony opacity associated (Opa) proteins to engage CEA, as well as the CEA-related cell adhesion molecules CEACAM1 and CEACAM6 on human epithelial cells. By heterologous expression of neisserial Opa proteins in non-pathogenic E. coli we find that the Opa protein-CEA interaction is sufficient to alter gene expression, to increase integrin activity and to promote matrix adhesion of infected cervical carcinoma cells and immortalized vaginal epithelial cells in vitro. These CEA-triggered events translate in suppression of exfoliation and improved colonization of the urogenital tract by Opa protein-expressing E. coli in CEA-transgenic compared to wildtype mice. Interestingly, uropathogenic E. coli expressing an unrelated CEACAM-binding protein of the Afa/Dr adhesin family recapitulate the in vitro and in vivo phenotype. In contrast, an isogenic strain lacking the CEACAM-binding adhesin shows reduced colonization and does not suppress epithelial exfoliation. These results demonstrate that engagement of human CEACAMs by distinct bacterial adhesins is sufficient to blunt exfoliation and to promote host infection. Our findings provide novel insight into mucosal colonization by a common UPEC pathotype and help to explain why human CEACAMs are a preferred epithelial target structure for diverse gram-negative bacteria to establish a foothold on the human mucosa. PMID:27171273

  8. ARF6, PI3-kinase and host cell actin cytoskeleton in Toxoplasma gondii cell invasion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vieira da Silva, Claudio; Alves da Silva, Erika; Costa Cruz, Mario; Chavrier, Philippe; Arruda Mortara, Renato

    2009-01-01

    Toxoplasma gondii infects a variety of different cell types in a range of different hosts. Host cell invasion by T. gondii occurs by active penetration of the host cell, a process previously described as independent of host actin polymerization. Also, the parasitophorous vacuole has been shown to resist fusion with endocytic and exocytic pathways of the host cell. ADP-ribosylation factor-6 (ARF6) belongs to the ARF family of small GTP-binding proteins. ARF6 regulates membrane trafficking and actin cytoskeleton rearrangements at the plasma membrane. Here, we have observed that ARF6 is recruited to the parasitophorous vacuole of tachyzoites of T. gondii RH strain and it also plays an important role in the parasite cell invasion with activation of PI3-kinase and recruitment of PIP 2 and PIP 3 to the parasitophorous vacuole of invading parasites. Moreover, it was verified that maintenance of host cell actin cytoskeleton integrity is important to parasite invasion.

  9. Development of hyper osmotic resistant CHO host cells for enhanced antibody production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamachi, Yasuharu; Omasa, Takeshi

    2018-04-01

    Cell culture platform processes are generally employed to shorten the duration of new product development. A fed-batch process with continuous feeding is a conventional platform process for monoclonal antibody production using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. To establish a simplified platform process, the feeding method can be changed from continuous feed to bolus feed. However, this change induces a rapid increase of osmolality by the bolus addition of nutrients. The increased osmolality suppresses cell culture growth, and the final product concentration is decreased. In this study, osmotic resistant CHO host cells were developed to attain a high product concentration. To establish hyper osmotic resistant CHO host cells, CHO-S host cells were passaged long-term in a hyper osmotic basal medium. There were marked differences in cell growth of the original and established host cells under iso- (328 mOsm/kg) or hyper-osmolality (over 450 mOsm/kg) conditions. Cell growth of the original CHO host cells was markedly decreased by the induction of osmotic stress, whereas cell growth of the hyper osmotic resistant CHO host cells was not affected. The maximum viable cell concentration of hyper osmotic resistant CHO host cells was 132% of CHO-S host cells after the induction of osmotic stress. Moreover, the hyper osmotic resistant characteristic of established CHO host cells was maintained even after seven passages in iso-osmolality basal medium. The use of hyper osmotic resistance CHO host cells to create a monoclonal antibody production cell line might be a new approach to increase final antibody concentrations with a fed-batch process. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Effects of electron acceptors on removal of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli, resistance genes and class 1 integrons under anaerobic conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yuan, Heyang; Miller, Jennifer H. [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (United States); Abu-Reesh, Ibrahim M. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha (Qatar); Pruden, Amy [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (United States); He, Zhen, E-mail: zhenhe@vt.edu [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (United States)

    2016-11-01

    Anaerobic biotechnologies can effectively remove antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), but there is a need to better understand the mechanisms. Here we employ bioelectrochemical systems (BES) as a platform to investigate the fate of a native tetracycline and sulfonamide-resistant Escherichia coli strain and its ARGs. The E. coli strain carrying intI1, sulI and tet(E) was isolated from domestic wastewater and dosed into a tubular BES. The BES was first operated as a microbial fuel cell (MFC), with aeration in the cathode, which resulted in enhanced removal of E. coli and ARGs by ~ 2 log (i.e., order of magnitude) when switched from high current to open circuit operation mode. The BES was then operated as a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) to exclude the effects of oxygen diffusion, and the removal of E. coli and ARGs during the open circuit configuration was again 1–2 log higher than that at high current mode. Significant correlations of E. coli vs. current (R{sup 2} = 0.73) and ARGs vs. E. coli (R{sup 2} ranged from 0.54 to 0.87), and the fact that the BES substrate contained no electron acceptors, implied that the persistence of the E. coli and its ARGs was determined by the availability of indigenous electron acceptors in the BES, i.e., the anode electrode or the electron shuttles generated by the exoelectrogens. Subsequent experiments with pure-culture tetracycline and sulfonamide-resistant E. coli being incubated in a two-chamber MEC and serum bottles demonstrated that the E. coli could survive by respiring anode electrode and/or electron shuttles released by exoelectrogens, and ARGs persisted with their host E. coli. - Highlights: • The fate of an antibiotic resistant E. coli stain and its ARGs in BES is studied. • The removal of the E. coli and its ARGs is enhanced with decreased current. • The ARGs are removed when the host E. coli dies and persist when the host survives. • The survival of the E. coli depends

  11. Effects of electron acceptors on removal of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli, resistance genes and class 1 integrons under anaerobic conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan, Heyang; Miller, Jennifer H.; Abu-Reesh, Ibrahim M.; Pruden, Amy; He, Zhen

    2016-01-01

    Anaerobic biotechnologies can effectively remove antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), but there is a need to better understand the mechanisms. Here we employ bioelectrochemical systems (BES) as a platform to investigate the fate of a native tetracycline and sulfonamide-resistant Escherichia coli strain and its ARGs. The E. coli strain carrying intI1, sulI and tet(E) was isolated from domestic wastewater and dosed into a tubular BES. The BES was first operated as a microbial fuel cell (MFC), with aeration in the cathode, which resulted in enhanced removal of E. coli and ARGs by ~ 2 log (i.e., order of magnitude) when switched from high current to open circuit operation mode. The BES was then operated as a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) to exclude the effects of oxygen diffusion, and the removal of E. coli and ARGs during the open circuit configuration was again 1–2 log higher than that at high current mode. Significant correlations of E. coli vs. current (R"2 = 0.73) and ARGs vs. E. coli (R"2 ranged from 0.54 to 0.87), and the fact that the BES substrate contained no electron acceptors, implied that the persistence of the E. coli and its ARGs was determined by the availability of indigenous electron acceptors in the BES, i.e., the anode electrode or the electron shuttles generated by the exoelectrogens. Subsequent experiments with pure-culture tetracycline and sulfonamide-resistant E. coli being incubated in a two-chamber MEC and serum bottles demonstrated that the E. coli could survive by respiring anode electrode and/or electron shuttles released by exoelectrogens, and ARGs persisted with their host E. coli. - Highlights: • The fate of an antibiotic resistant E. coli stain and its ARGs in BES is studied. • The removal of the E. coli and its ARGs is enhanced with decreased current. • The ARGs are removed when the host E. coli dies and persist when the host survives. • The survival of the E. coli depends on the

  12. Production of chlorphenesin galactoside by whole cells of β-galactosidase-containing Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sang-Eun; Lee, Hyang-Yeol; Jung, Kyung-Hwan

    2013-06-28

    We investigated the transgalactosylation reaction of chlorphenesin (CPN) using β-galactosidase (β-gal)-containing Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells, in which galactose from lactose was transferred to CPN. The optimal CPN concentration for CPN galactoside (CPN-G) synthesis was observed at 40 mM under the conditions that lactose and β-gal (as E. coli cells) were 400 g/l and 4.8 U/ml, respectively, and the pH and temperature were 7.0 and 40oC, respectively. The time-course profile of CPN-G synthesis under these optimal conditions showed that CPN-G synthesis from 40 mM CPN reached a maximum of about 27 mM at 12 h. This value corresponded to an about 67% conversion of CPN to CPN-G, which was 4.47-5.36-fold higher than values in previous reports. In addition, we demonstrated by thin-layer chromatography to detect the sugar moiety that galactose was mainly transferred from lactose to CPN. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that CPN-G and CPN-GG (CPN galactoside, which accepted two galactose molecules) were definitively identified as the synthesized products using β-gal-containing E. coli cells. In particular, because we did not use purified β-gal, our β-gal-containing E. coli cells might be practical and cost-effective for enzymatically synthesizing CPN-G. It is expected that the use of β-gal-containing E. coli will be extended to galactose derivatization of other drugs to improve their functionality.

  13. Kupffer cell complement receptor clearance function and host defense.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loegering, D J

    1986-01-01

    Kupffer cells are well known to be important for normal host defense function. The development of methods to evaluate the in vivo function of specific receptors on Kupffer cells has made it possible to assess the role of these receptors in host defense. The rationale for studying complement receptors is based on the proposed important role of these receptors in host defense and on the observation that the hereditary deficiency of a complement receptor is associated with recurrent severe bacterial infections. The studies reviewed here demonstrate that forms of injury that are associated with depressed host defense including thermal injury, hemorrhagic shock, trauma, and surgery also cause a decrease in complement receptor clearance function. This decrease in Kupffer cell receptor clearance function was shown not to be the result of depressed hepatic blood flow or depletion of complement components. Complement receptor function was also depressed following the phagocytosis of particulates that are known to depress Kupffer cell host defense function. Endotoxemia and bacteremia also were associated with a depression of complement receptor function. Complement receptor function was experimentally depressed in uninjured animals by the phagocytosis of IgG-coated erythrocytes. There was a close association between the depression of complement receptor clearance function and increased susceptibility to the lethal effects of endotoxin and bacterial infection. These studies support the hypotheses that complement receptors on Kupffer cells are important for normal host defense and that depression of the function of these receptors impairs host defense.

  14. Transcriptome of E. coli K1 bound to human brain microvascular endothelial cells

    OpenAIRE

    Xie, Yi; Parthasarathy, Geetha; Di Cello, Francescopaolo; Teng, Ching-Hao; Paul-Satyaseela, Maneesh; Kim, Kwang Sik

    2007-01-01

    Escherichia coli K1 is the most common Gram-negative organism causing neonatal meningitis. Binding to human brain microvascdular endothelial cells (HBMEC) is an essential step for E. coli K1 traversal of the blood-brain barrier. In this study, we examined expression profiles of E. coli K1 strain RS218 during its binding to HBMEC. Comparison of HBMEC-bound E. coli K1 with collagen-bound E. coli revealed more than one hundred genes whose expression patterns were significantly changed in HBMEC-b...

  15. Bacterial host and reporter gene optimization for genetically encoded whole cell biosensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brutesco, Catherine; Prévéral, Sandra; Escoffier, Camille; Descamps, Elodie C T; Prudent, Elsa; Cayron, Julien; Dumas, Louis; Ricquebourg, Manon; Adryanczyk-Perrier, Géraldine; de Groot, Arjan; Garcia, Daniel; Rodrigue, Agnès; Pignol, David; Ginet, Nicolas

    2017-01-01

    Whole-cell biosensors based on reporter genes allow detection of toxic metals in water with high selectivity and sensitivity under laboratory conditions; nevertheless, their transfer to a commercial inline water analyzer requires specific adaptation and optimization to field conditions as well as economical considerations. We focused here on both the influence of the bacterial host and the choice of the reporter gene by following the responses of global toxicity biosensors based on constitutive bacterial promoters as well as arsenite biosensors based on the arsenite-inducible P ars promoter. We observed important variations of the bioluminescence emission levels in five different Escherichia coli strains harboring two different lux-based biosensors, suggesting that the best host strain has to be empirically selected for each new biosensor under construction. We also investigated the bioluminescence reporter gene system transferred into Deinococcus deserti, an environmental, desiccation- and radiation-tolerant bacterium that would reduce the manufacturing costs of bacterial biosensors for commercial water analyzers and open the field of biodetection in radioactive environments. We thus successfully obtained a cell survival biosensor and a metal biosensor able to detect a concentration as low as 100 nM of arsenite in D. deserti. We demonstrated that the arsenite biosensor resisted desiccation and remained functional after 7 days stored in air-dried D. deserti cells. We also report here the use of a new near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent reporter candidate, a bacteriophytochrome from the magnetotactic bacterium Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1, which showed a NIR fluorescent signal that remained optimal despite increasing sample turbidity, while in similar conditions, a drastic loss of the lux-based biosensors signal was observed.

  16. Host cells and methods for production of isobutanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anthony, Larry Cameron; He, Hongxian; Huang, Lixuan Lisa; Okeefe, Daniel P.; Kruckeberg, Arthur Leo; Li, Yougen; Maggio-Hall, Lori; McElvain, Jessica; Nelson, Mark J.; Patnaik, Ranjan; Rothman, Steven Cary

    2017-10-17

    Provided herein are recombinant yeast host cells and methods for their use for production of isobutanol. Yeast host cells provided comprise an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway and at least one of reduced or eliminated aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, reduced or eliminated acetolactate reductase activity; or a heterologous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having ketol-acid reductoisomerase activity.

  17. How pathogens use linear motifs to perturb host cell networks

    KAUST Repository

    Via, Allegra; Uyar, Bora; Brun, Christine; Zanzoni, Andreas

    2015-01-01

    Molecular mimicry is one of the powerful stratagems that pathogens employ to colonise their hosts and take advantage of host cell functions to guarantee their replication and dissemination. In particular, several viruses have evolved the ability to interact with host cell components through protein short linear motifs (SLiMs) that mimic host SLiMs, thus facilitating their internalisation and the manipulation of a wide range of cellular networks. Here we present convincing evidence from the literature that motif mimicry also represents an effective, widespread hijacking strategy in prokaryotic and eukaryotic parasites. Further insights into host motif mimicry would be of great help in the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms behind host cell invasion and the development of anti-infective therapeutic strategies.

  18. Virus-like particle of Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus produced in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells is distinctive from that produced in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kueh, Chare Li; Yong, Chean Yeah; Masoomi Dezfooli, Seyedehsara; Bhassu, Subha; Tan, Soon Guan; Tan, Wen Siang

    2017-03-01

    Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV) is a virus native to giant freshwater prawn. Recombinant MrNV capsid protein has been produced in Escherichia coli, which self-assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs). However, this recombinant protein is unstable, degrading and forming heterogenous VLPs. In this study, MrNV capsid protein was produced in insect Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells through a baculovirus system. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the recombinant protein produced by the insect cells self-assembled into highly stable, homogenous VLPs each of approximately 40 nm in diameter. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that the VLPs produced in Sf9 cells were highly antigenic and comparable to those produced in E. coli. In addition, the Sf9 produced VLPs were highly stable across a wide pH range (2-12). Interestingly, the Sf9 produced VLPs contained DNA of approximately 48 kilo base pairs and RNA molecules. This study is the first report on the production and characterization of MrNV VLPs produced in a eukaryotic system. The MrNV VLPs produced in Sf9 cells were about 10 nm bigger and had a uniform morphology compared with the VLPs produced in E. coli. The insect cell production system provides a good source of MrNV VLPs for structural and immunological studies as well as for host-pathogen interaction studies. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:549-557, 2017. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  19. Identifying mechanisms by which Escherichia coli O157:H7 subverts interferon-γ mediated signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 activation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nathan K Ho

    Full Text Available Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 is a food borne enteric bacterial pathogen that causes significant morbidity and mortality in both developing and industrialized nations. E. coli O157:H7 infection of host epithelial cells inhibits the interferon gamma pro-inflammatory signaling pathway, which is important for host defense against microbial pathogens, through the inhibition of Stat-1 tyrosine phosphorylation. The aim of this study was to determine which bacterial factors are involved in the inhibition of Stat-1 tyrosine phosphorylation. Human epithelial cells were challenged with either live bacteria or bacterial-derived culture supernatants, stimulated with interferon-gamma, and epithelial cell protein extracts were then analyzed by immunoblotting. The results show that Stat-1 tyrosine phosphorylation was inhibited by E. coli O157:H7 secreted proteins. Using sequential anion exchange and size exclusion chromatography, YodA was identified, but not confirmed to mediate subversion of the Stat-1 signaling pathway using isogenic mutants. We conclude that E. coli O157:H7 subverts Stat-1 tyrosine phosphorylation in response to interferon-gamma through a still as yet unidentified secreted bacterial protein.

  20. Transcriptome and microRNome of Theileria annulata Host Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Rchiad, Zineb

    2016-06-01

    Tropical Theileriosis is a parasitic disease of calves with a profound economic impact caused by Theileria annulata, an apicomplexan parasite of the genus Theileria. Transmitted by Hyalomma ticks, T. annulata infects and transforms bovine lymphocytes and macrophages into a cancer-like phenotype characterized by all six hallmarks of cancer. In the current study we investigate the transcriptional landscape of T. annulata-infected lymphocytes to define genes and miRNAs regulated by host cell transformation using next generation sequencing. We also define genes and miRNAs differentially expressed as a result of the attenuation of a T.annulata-infected macrophage cell line used as a vaccine. By comparing the transcriptional landscape of one attenuated and two transformed cell lines we identify four genes that we propose as key factors in transformation and virulence of the T. annulata host cells. We also identify miR- 126-5p as a key regulator of infected cells proliferation, adhesion, survival and invasiveness. In addition to the host cell trascriptome we studied T. annulata transcriptome and identified the role of ROS and TGF-β2 in controlling parasite gene expression. Moreover, we have used the deep parasite ssRNA-seq data to refine the available T. annulata annotation. Taken together, this study provides the full list of host cell’s genes and miRNAs transcriptionally perturbed after infection with T. annulata and after attenuation and describes genes and miRNAs never identified before as players in this type of host cell transformation. Moreover, this study provides the first database for the transcriptome of T. annulata and its host cells using next generation sequencing.

  1. Genetic reprogramming of host cells by bacterial pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran Van Nhieu, Guy; Arbibe, Laurence

    2009-10-29

    During the course of infection, pathogens often induce changes in gene expression in host cells and these changes can be long lasting and global or transient and of limited amplitude. Defining how, when, and why bacterial pathogens reprogram host cells represents an exciting challenge that opens up the opportunity to grasp the essence of pathogenesis and its molecular details.

  2. Bystander Host Cell Killing Effects of Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Archana Shrestha

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE binds to claudin receptors, e.g., claudin-4, and then forms a pore that triggers cell death. Pure cultures of host cells that do not express claudin receptors, e.g., fibroblasts, are unaffected by pathophysiologically relevant CPE concentrations in vitro. However, both CPE-insensitive and CPE-sensitive host cells are present in vivo. Therefore, this study tested whether CPE treatment might affect fibroblasts when cocultured with CPE-sensitive claudin-4 fibroblast transfectants or Caco-2 cells. Under these conditions, immunofluorescence microscopy detected increased death of fibroblasts. This cytotoxic effect involved release of a toxic factor from the dying CPE-sensitive cells, since it could be reproduced using culture supernatants from CPE-treated sensitive cells. Supernatants from CPE-treated sensitive cells, particularly Caco-2 cells, were found to contain high levels of membrane vesicles, often containing a CPE species. However, most cytotoxic activity remained in those supernatants even after membrane vesicle depletion, and CPE was not detected in fibroblasts treated with supernatants from CPE-treated sensitive cells. Instead, characterization studies suggest that a major cytotoxic factor present in supernatants from CPE-treated sensitive cells may be a 10- to 30-kDa host serine protease or require the action of that host serine protease. Induction of caspase-3-mediated apoptosis was found to be important for triggering release of the cytotoxic factor(s from CPE-treated sensitive host cells. Furthermore, the cytotoxic factor(s in these supernatants was shown to induce a caspase-3-mediated killing of fibroblasts. This bystander killing effect due to release of cytotoxic factors from CPE-treated sensitive cells could contribute to CPE-mediated disease.

  3. Epithelial cells detect functional type III secretion system of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli through a novel NF-κB signaling pathway.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yael Litvak

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC, a common cause of infant diarrhea, is associated with high risk of mortality in developing countries. The primary niche of infecting EPEC is the apical surface of intestinal epithelial cells. EPEC employs a type three secretion system (TTSS to inject the host cells with dozens of effector proteins, which facilitate attachment to these cells and successful colonization. Here we show that EPEC elicit strong NF-κB activation in infected host cells. Furthermore, the data indicate that active, pore-forming TTSS per se is necessary and sufficient for this NF-κB activation, regardless of any specific effector or protein translocation. Importantly, upon infection with wild type EPEC this NF-κB activation is antagonized by anti-NF-κB effectors, including NleB, NleC and NleE. Accordingly, this NF-κB activation is evident only in cells infected with EPEC mutants deleted of nleB, nleC, and nleE. The TTSS-dependent NF-κB activation involves a unique pathway, which is independent of TLRs and Nod1/2 and converges with other pathways at the level of TAK1 activation. Taken together, our results imply that epithelial cells have the capacity to sense the EPEC TTSS and activate NF-κB in response. Notably, EPEC antagonizes this capacity by delivering anti-NF-κB effectors into the infected cells.

  4. Escherichia coli producing colibactin triggers premature and transmissible senescence in mammalian cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Secher

    Full Text Available Cellular senescence is an irreversible state of proliferation arrest evoked by a myriad of stresses including oncogene activation, telomere shortening/dysfunction and genotoxic insults. It has been associated with tumor activation, immune suppression and aging, owing to the secretion of proinflammatory mediators. The bacterial genotoxin colibactin, encoded by the pks genomic island is frequently harboured by Escherichia coli strains of the B2 phylogenetic group. Mammalian cells exposed to live pks+ bacteria exhibit DNA-double strand breaks (DSB and undergo cell-cycle arrest and death. Here we show that cells that survive the acute bacterial infection with pks+ E. coli display hallmarks of cellular senescence: chronic DSB, prolonged cell-cycle arrest, enhanced senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal activity, expansion of promyelocytic leukemia nuclear foci and senescence-associated heterochromatin foci. This was accompanied by reactive oxygen species production and pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and proteases secretion. These mediators were able to trigger DSB and enhanced SA-β-Gal activity in bystander recipient cells treated with conditioned medium from senescent cells. Furthermore, these senescent cells promoted the growth of human tumor cells. In conclusion, the present data demonstrated that the E. coli genotoxin colibactin induces cellular senescence and subsequently propel bystander genotoxic and oncogenic effects.

  5. Cell-to-cell transformation in Escherichia coli: a novel type of natural transformation involving cell-derived DNA and a putative promoting pheromone.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rika Etchuuya

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli is not assumed to be naturally transformable. However, several recent reports have shown that E. coli can express modest genetic competence in certain conditions that may arise in its environment. We have shown previously that spontaneous lateral transfer of non-conjugative plasmids occurs in a colony biofilm of mixed E. coli strains (a set of a donor strain harbouring a plasmid and a plasmid-free recipient strain. In this study, with high-frequency combinations of strains and a plasmid, we constructed the same lateral plasmid transfer system in liquid culture. Using this system, we demonstrated that this lateral plasmid transfer was DNase-sensitive, indicating that it is a kind of transformation in which DNase-accessible extracellular naked DNA is essential. However, this transformation did not occur with purified plasmid DNA and required a direct supply of plasmid from co-existing donor cells. Based on this feature, we have termed this transformation type as 'cell-to-cell transformation'. Analyses using medium conditioned with the high-frequency strain revealed that this strain released a certain factor(s that promoted cell-to-cell transformation and arrested growth of the other strains. This factor is heat-labile and protease-sensitive, and its roughly estimated molecular mass was between ∼9 kDa and ∼30 kDa, indicating that it is a polypeptide factor. Interestingly, this factor was effective even when the conditioned medium was diluted 10(-5-10(-6, suggesting that it acts like a pheromone with high bioactivity. Based on these results, we propose that cell-to-cell transformation is a novel natural transformation mechanism in E. coli that requires cell-derived DNA and is promoted by a peptide pheromone. This is the first evidence that suggests the existence of a peptide pheromone-regulated transformation mechanism in E. coli and in Gram-negative bacteria.

  6. Fimbrial adhesins from extraintestinal Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klemm, Per; Hancock, Viktoria; Schembri, Mark A.

    2010-01-01

    Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) represent an important subclass of E. coli that cause a wide spectrum of diseases in human and animal hosts. Fimbriae are key virulence factors of ExPEC strains. These long surface located rod-shaped organelles mediate receptor-specific attachment...

  7. Escherichia coli lipoprotein binds human plasminogen via an intramolecular domain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tammy eGonzalez

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli lipoprotein (Lpp is a major cellular component that exists in two distinct states, bound-form and free-form. Bound-form Lpp is known to interact with the periplasmic bacterial cell wall, while free-form Lpp is localized to the bacterial cell surface. A function for surface-exposed Lpp has yet to be determined. We hypothesized that the presence of C-terminal lysines in the surface-exposed region of Lpp would facilitate binding to the host zymogen plasminogen, a protease commandeered by a number of clinically important bacteria. Recombinant Lpp was synthesized and the binding of Lpp to plasminogen, the effect of various inhibitors on this binding, and the effects of various mutations of Lpp on Lpp-plasminogen interactions were examined. Additionally, the ability of Lpp-bound plasminogen to be converted to active plasmin was analyzed. We determined that Lpp binds plasminogen via an atypical domain located near the center of mature Lpp that may not be exposed on the surface of intact E. coli according to the current localization model. Finally, we found that plasminogen bound by Lpp can be converted to active plasmin. While the consequences of Lpp binding plasminogen are unclear, these results prompt further investigation of the ability of surface exposed Lpp to interact with host molecules such as extracellular matrix components and complement regulators, and the role of these interactions in infections caused by E. coli and other bacteria.

  8. Global analysis of host response to induction of a latent bacteriophage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keasling Jay D

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The transition from viral latency to lytic growth involves complex interactions among host and viral factors, and the extent to which host physiology is buffered from the virus during induction of lysis is not known. A reasonable hypothesis is that the virus should be evolutionarily selected to ensure host health throughout induction to minimize its chance of reproductive failure. To address this question, we collected transcriptional profiles of Escherichia coli and bacteriophage lambda throughout lysogenic induction by UV light. Results We observed a temporally coordinated program of phage gene expression, with distinct early, middle and late transcriptional classes. Our study confirmed known host-phage interactions of induction of the heat shock regulon, escape replication, and suppression of genes involved in cell division and initiation of replication. We identified 728 E. coli genes responsive to prophage induction, which included pleiotropic stress response pathways, the Arc and Cpx regulons, and global regulators crp and lrp. Several hundred genes involved in central metabolism, energy metabolism, translation and transport were down-regulated late in induction. Though statistically significant, most of the changes in these genes were mild, with only 140 genes showing greater than two-fold change. Conclusion Overall, we observe that prophage induction has a surprisingly low impact on host physiology. This study provides the first global dynamic picture of how host processes respond to lambda phage induction.

  9. Oral chronic graft-versus-host disease: analysis of dendritic cells subpopulations*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botari, Clara Marino Espricigo; Nunes, Adauto José Ferreira; de Souza, Mair Pedro; Orti-Raduan, Érica Sinara Lenharo; Salvio, Ana Gabriela

    2014-01-01

    The graft-versus-host disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Aiming at contributing to the understanding of the role of myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and natural killer cells in chronic graft-versus-host disease, we examined biopsies of jugal mucosa of 26 patients with acute myeloid leukemia who had undergone allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Half of these patients developed oral chronic graft-versus-host disease. Microscopic sections were immunohistochemically stained for anti-CD1a, anti-CD123 and anti-CD56. We calculated the number of immunostained cells in the corium per square millimeter and applied the Mann-Whitney test. Results showed a statistically significant increase of myeloid dendritic cells (CD1a+; p=0,02) and natural killer cells (CD56; p=0,04) in patients with oral chronic graft-versus-host disease. CD123 immunostaining showed no statistical difference between groups. It was concluded that myeloid dendritic cells and natural killer cells participate in the development of oral chronic graft-versus-host disease. PMID:25054751

  10. Oral chronic graft-versus-host disease: analysis of dendritic cells subpopulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botari, Clara Marino Espricigo; Nunes, Adauto José Ferreira; Souza, Mair Pedro de; Orti-Raduan, Erica Sinara Lenharo; Salvio, Ana Gabriela

    2014-01-01

    The graft-versus-host disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Aiming at contributing to the understanding of the role of myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and natural killer cells in chronic graft-versus-host disease, we examined biopsies of jugal mucosa of 26 patients with acute myeloid leukemia who had undergone allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Half of these patients developed oral chronic graft-versus-host disease. Microscopic sections were immunohistochemically stained for anti-CD1a, anti-CD123 and anti-CD56. We calculated the number of immunostained cells in the corium per square millimeter and applied the Mann-Whitney test. Results showed a statistically significant increase of myeloid dendritic cells (CD1a+; p=0,02) and natural killer cells (CD56; p=0,04) in patients with oral chronic graft-versus-host disease. CD123 immunostaining showed no statistical difference between groups. It was concluded that myeloid dendritic cells and natural killer cells participate in the development of oral chronic graft-versus-host disease.

  11. Effect of bile on growth, peritoneal absorption, and blood clearance of Escherichia coli in E coli peritonitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersson, R.; Schalen, C.; Tranberg, K.G.

    1991-01-01

    The effect of intraperitoneal bile on growth, peritoneal absorption, and clearance of Escherichia coli was determined in E coli peritonitis in the rat. In E coli peritonitis, intraperitoneal bacterial counts gradually decreased, whereas they increased (after 2 hours) with subsequent development of bacteremia in E coli plus bile peritonitis. After an intraperitoneal injection of labeled bacteria, blood radioactivity was only initially lower in E coli plus bile peritonitis compared with E coli peritonitis. Clearance from blood was lower in E coli plus bile peritonitis than in E coli peritonitis. Organ localization was similar in E coli peritonitis and E coli plus bile peritonitis with decreased splenic, increased pulmonary, and unchanged hepatic uptakes compared with controls. Impaired peritoneal absorption of bacteria, together with impaired local host defense, is likely to enhance the noxious effect of bile in E coli peritonitis

  12. Heterologous expression of mlrA in a photoautotrophic host - Engineering cyanobacteria to degrade microcystins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dexter, Jason; Dziga, Dariusz; Lv, Jing; Zhu, Junqi; Strzalka, Wojciech; Maksylewicz, Anna; Maroszek, Magdalena; Marek, Sylwia; Fu, Pengcheng

    2018-06-01

    In this report, we establish proof-of-principle demonstrating for the first time genetic engineering of a photoautotrophic microorganism for bioremediation of naturally occurring cyanotoxins. In model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 we have heterologously expressed Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05 microcystinase (MlrA) bearing a 23 amino acid N-terminus secretion peptide from native Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 PilA (sll1694). The resultant whole cell biocatalyst displayed about 3 times higher activity against microcystin-LR compared to a native MlrA host (Sphingomonas sp. ACM 3962), normalized for optical density. In addition, MlrA activity was found to be almost entirely located in the cyanobacterial cytosolic fraction, despite the presence of the secretion tag, with crude cellular extracts showing MlrA activity comparable to extracts from MlrA expressing E. coli. Furthermore, despite approximately 9.4-fold higher initial MlrA activity of a whole cell E. coli biocatalyst, utilization of a photoautotrophic chassis resulted in prolonged stability of MlrA activity when cultured under semi-natural conditions (using lake water), with the heterologous MlrA biocatalytic activity of the E. coli culture disappearing after 4 days, while the cyanobacterial host displayed activity (3% of initial activity) after 9 days. In addition, the cyanobacterial cell density was maintained over the duration of this experiment while the cell density of the E. coli culture rapidly declined. Lastly, failure to establish a stable cyanobacterial isolate expressing native MlrA (without the N-terminus tag) via the strong cpcB560 promoter draws attention to the use of peptide tags to positively modulate expression of potentially toxic proteins. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Metabolic engineering of the Stevia rebaudiana ent-kaurene biosynthetic pathway in recombinant Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Min Kyung; Kang, Hyun-Jun; Kim, Jin Ho; Oh, Soon Hwan; Lee, Pyung Cheon

    2015-11-20

    The ent-kaurene is a dedicated precursor pool and is responsible for synthesizing natural sweeteners such as steviol glycosides. In this study, to produce ent-kaurene in Escherichia coli, we modularly constructed and expressed two ent-kaurene genes encoding ent-copalyl diphosphate synthase (CPPS) and ent-kaurene synthase (KS) from Stevia rebaudiana known as a typical plant producing steviol glycoside. The CPPS and KS from S. rebaudiana were functionally expressed in a heterologous host E. coli. Furthermore, in order to enhance ent-kaurene production in E. coli, six geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases (GGPPS) from various microorganisms and eight strains of E. coli as host were compared by measuring ent-kaurene production. The highest ent-kaurene production of approximately 41.1mg/L was demonstrated in E. coli strain MG1655 co-expressing synthetic CPPS-KS module and GGPPS from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The ent-kaurene production was further increased up to 179.6 mg/L by overexpression of the three key enzymes for isoprenoid precursor, 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS), farnesyl diphosphate synthase (IspA) and isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IDI) from E. coli. Finally, the highest titer of ent-kaurene (578 mg/L) with a specific yield of ent-kaurene of 143.5mg/g dry cell weight was obtained by culturing E. coli strain MG1655 co-expressing the ent-kaurene module, DXS, IDI and IspA in 1L bioreactor containing 20 g/L glycerol. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Fierce competition between Toxoplasma and Chlamydia for host cell structures in dually infected cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romano, Julia D; de Beaumont, Catherine; Carrasco, Jose A; Ehrenman, Karen; Bavoil, Patrik M; Coppens, Isabelle

    2013-02-01

    The prokaryote Chlamydia trachomatis and the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, two obligate intracellular pathogens of humans, have evolved a similar modus operandi to colonize their host cell and salvage nutrients from organelles. In order to gain fundamental knowledge on the pathogenicity of these microorganisms, we have established a cell culture model whereby single fibroblasts are coinfected by C. trachomatis and T. gondii. We previously reported that the two pathogens compete for the same nutrient pools in coinfected cells and that Toxoplasma holds a significant competitive advantage over Chlamydia. Here we have expanded our coinfection studies by examining the respective abilities of Chlamydia and Toxoplasma to co-opt the host cytoskeleton and recruit organelles. We demonstrate that the two pathogen-containing vacuoles migrate independently to the host perinuclear region and rearrange the host microtubular network around each vacuole. However, Toxoplasma outcompetes Chlamydia to the host microtubule-organizing center to the detriment of the bacterium, which then shifts to a stress-induced persistent state. Solely in cells preinfected with Chlamydia, the centrosomes become associated with the chlamydial inclusion, while the Toxoplasma parasitophorous vacuole displays growth defects. Both pathogens fragment the host Golgi apparatus and recruit Golgi elements to retrieve sphingolipids. This study demonstrates that the productive infection by both Chlamydia and Toxoplasma depends on the capability of each pathogen to successfully adhere to a finely tuned developmental program that aims to remodel the host cell for the pathogen's benefit. In particular, this investigation emphasizes the essentiality of host organelle interception by intravacuolar pathogens to facilitate access to nutrients.

  15. Interaction of KSHV with Host Cell Surface Receptors and Cell Entry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohanan Valiya Veettil

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Virus entry is a complex process characterized by a sequence of events. Since the discovery of KSHV in 1994, tremendous progress has been made in our understanding of KSHV entry into its in vitro target cells. KSHV entry is a complex multistep process involving viral envelope glycoproteins and several cell surface molecules that is utilized by KSHV for its attachment and entry. KSHV has a broad cell tropism and the attachment and receptor engagement on target cells have an important role in determining the cell type-specific mode of entry. KSHV utilizes heparan sulfate, integrins and EphrinA2 molecules as receptors which results in the activation of host cell pre-existing signal pathways that facilitate the subsequent cascade of events resulting in the rapid entry of virus particles, trafficking towards the nucleus followed by viral and host gene expression. KSHV enters human fibroblast cells by dynamin dependant clathrin mediated endocytosis and by dynamin independent macropinocytosis in dermal endothelial cells. Once internalized into endosomes, fusion of the viral envelope with the endosomal membranes in an acidification dependent manner results in the release of capsids which subsequently reaches the nuclear pore vicinity leading to the delivery of viral DNA into the nucleus. In this review, we discuss the principal mechanisms that enable KSHV to interact with the host cell surface receptors as well as the mechanisms that are required to modulate cell signaling machinery for a successful entry.

  16. Lycopene overproduction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae through combining pathway engineering with host engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yan; Xiao, Wenhai; Wang, Ying; Liu, Hong; Li, Xia; Yuan, Yingjin

    2016-06-21

    Microbial production of lycopene, a commercially and medically important compound, has received increasing concern in recent years. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is regarded as a safer host for lycopene production than Escherichia coli. However, to date, the lycopene yield (mg/g DCW) in S. cerevisiae was lower than that in E. coli and did not facilitate downstream extraction process, which might be attributed to the incompatibility between host cell and heterologous pathway. Therefore, to achieve lycopene overproduction in S. cerevisiae, both host cell and heterologous pathway should be delicately engineered. In this study, lycopene biosynthesis pathway was constructed by integration of CrtE, CrtB and CrtI in S. cerevisiae CEN.PK2. When YPL062W, a distant genetic locus, was deleted, little acetate was accumulated and approximately 100 % increase in cytosolic acetyl-CoA pool was achieved relative to that in parental strain. Through screening CrtE, CrtB and CrtI from diverse species, an optimal carotenogenic enzyme combination was obtained, and CrtI from Blakeslea trispora (BtCrtI) was found to have excellent performance on lycopene production as well as lycopene proportion in carotenoid. Then, the expression level of BtCrtI was fine-tuned and the effect of cell mating types was also evaluated. Finally, potential distant genetic targets (YJL064W, ROX1, and DOS2) were deleted and a stress-responsive transcription factor INO2 was also up-regulated. Through the above modifications between host cell and carotenogenic pathway, lycopene yield was increased by approximately 22-fold (from 2.43 to 54.63 mg/g DCW). Eventually, in fed-batch fermentation, lycopene production reached 55.56 mg/g DCW, which is the highest reported yield in yeasts. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was engineered to produce lycopene in this study. Through combining host engineering (distant genetic loci and cell mating types) with pathway engineering (enzyme screening and gene fine-tuning), lycopene yield was

  17. Study of the reactivation of X-ray inactivated lambda bacteriophages by irradiated Escherichia coli bacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiessling, W.

    1980-01-01

    Bacteriophages lambda and E.coli cells were exposed to X-rays in LB medium. Host cells exposed to a dose of 85 to 765 Gy had a reactivation factor 1.3 to 3.0 for bacteriophages inactivated by X-rays. The capacity of the bacteria for bacteriophage mutliplication remained apparently unchanged in this dose range. After UV-irradiation of the host cells, only a reactivation factor of 1.3 was found for bacteriophages exposed to X-radiation. The comparatively low Weigle reactivation of bacteriophages exposed to X-radiation - as compared with bacteriophages exposed to UV radiation was analyzed by counting free, non-adsorbed bacteriophages determined by filtration of radioactively labelled bacteriophage-host complexes, it was found to be due to a reduced adsorptivity. Reactivation experiments with bacteriophages exposed to X-rays and host bacterias with different degrees of radiosensitivity proved this assumption to be correct. (orig.) [de

  18. A Structural Study of Escherichia coli Cells Using an In Situ Liquid Chamber TEM Technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yibing Wang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Studying cell microstructures and their behaviors under living conditions has been a challenging subject in microbiology. In this work, in situ liquid chamber TEM was used to study structures of Escherichia coli cells in aqueous solutions at a nanometer-scale resolution. Most of the cells remained intact under electron beam irradiation, and nanoscale structures were observed during the TEM imaging. The analysis revealed structures of pili surrounding the E. coli cells; the movements of the pili in the liquid were also observed during the in situ tests. This technology also allowed the observation of features of the nucleoid in the E. coli cells. Overall, in situ TEM can be applied as a valuable tool to study real-time microscopic structures and processes in microbial cells residing in native aqueous solutions.

  19. Differential actions of chlorhexidine on the cell wall of Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hon-Yeung Cheung

    Full Text Available Chlorhexidine is a chlorinated phenolic disinfectant used commonly in mouthwash for its action against bacteria. However, a comparative study of the action of chlorhexidine on the cell morphology of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria is lacking. In this study, the actions of chlorhexidine on the cell morphology were identified with the aids of electron microscopy. After exposure to chlorhexidine, numerous spots of indentation on the cell wall were found in both Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. The number of indentation spots increased with time of incubation and increasing chlorhexidine concentration. Interestingly, the dented spots found in B. subtilis appeared mainly at the hemispherical caps of the cells, while in E. coli the dented spots were found all over the cells. After being exposed to chlorhexidine for a prolonged period, leakage of cellular contents and subsequent ghost cells were observed, especially from B subtilis. By using 2-D gel/MS-MS analysis, five proteins related to purine nucleoside interconversion and metabolism were preferentially induced in the cell wall of E. coli, while three proteins related to stress response and four others in amino acid biosynthesis were up-regulated in the cell wall materials of B. subtilis. The localized morphological damages together with the biochemical and protein analysis of the chlorhexidine-treated cells suggest that chlorhexidine may act on the differentially distributed lipids in the cell membranes/wall of B. subtilis and E. coli.

  20. Host cell reactivation in mammalian cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lytle, C.D.; Benane, S.G.; Stafford, J.E.

    1976-01-01

    The survival of UV-irradiated herpes simplex virus was determined in cultured Potoroo (a marsupial) and human cells under lighting conditions which promoted photereactivation. Photoreactivation was readily demonstrated for herpes virus in two lines of Potoroo cells with dose reduction factors of 0.7 to 0.8 for ovary cells and 0.5 to 0.7 for kidney cells. Light from Blacklite (near UV) lamps was more effective than from Daylight (mostly visible) lamps, suggesting that near UV radiation was more effecient for photoreactivation in Potoroo cells. The quantitative and qualitative aspects of this photoreactivation were similar to those reported for a similar virus infecting chick embryo cells. UV-survival curves of herpes virus in Potoroo cells indicated a high level of 'dark' host cell reactivation. No photoreactivation was found for UV-irradiated vaccinia virus in Potoroo cells. A similar photoreactivation study was done using special control lighting (lambda>600 nm) and human cells with normal repair and with cells deficient in excision repair (XP). No photoreactivation was found for UV-irradiated herpes virus in either human cell with either Blacklite or Daylight lamps as the sources of photoreactivating light. This result contrasts with a report of photoreactivation for a herpes virus in the same XP cells using incandescent lamps. (author)

  1. Exposure of E. coli to DNA-methylating agents impairs biofilm formation and invasion of eukaryotic cells via down regulation of the N-acetylneuraminate lyase NanA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pamela eDi Pasquale

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available DNA methylation damage can be induced by endogenous and exogenous chemical agents, which has led every living organism to develop suitable response strategies. We investigated protein expression profiles of Escherichia coli upon exposure to the alkylating agent methyl-methane sulfonate (MMS by differential proteomics. Quantitative proteomic data showed a massive downregulation of enzymes belonging to the glycolytic pathway and fatty acids degradation, strongly suggesting a decrease of energy production. A strong reduction in the expression of the N-acetylneuraminate lyases (NanA involved in the sialic acid metabolism was also observed. Using a null NanA mutant and DANA, a substrate analogue acting as competitive inhibitor, we demonstrated that down regulation of NanA affects biofilm formation and adhesion properties of E. coli MV1161. Exposure to alkylating agents also decreased biofilm formation and bacterial adhesion to Caco-2 eukaryotic cell line by the adherent invasive E. coli (AIEC strain LF82. Our data showed that methylation stress impairs E. coli adhesion properties and suggest a possible role of NanA in biofilm formation and bacteria host interactions.

  2. Photoreactivable sector of lethal damage in ultraviolet-irradiated Escherichia coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balgavy, P.

    1976-01-01

    The photoreactivable sector of lethal damage in Escherichia coli Bsub(s-1), Escherichia coli B/r Hcr - and Escherichia coli B/r Hcr + cells after ultraviolet irradiation at 254 nm is 0.823 +- 0.004, 0.70 +- 0.01 and 0.53 +- 0.06, respectively, at 99% confidence limits. For the low values of the photoreactivable sector in the B/r Hcr - and B/r Hcr + strains are likely to be responsible dark repair processes which eliminate lethal damage, brought about by pyrimidine dimers, preferably in comparison with lethal damage caused by photoproducts of another type. (author)

  3. Staphylococcus aureus produces membrane-derived vesicles that induce host cell death.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mamata Gurung

    Full Text Available Gram-negative bacteria produce outer membrane vesicles that play a role in the delivery of virulence factors to host cells. However, little is known about the membrane-derived vesicles (MVs produced by gram-positive bacteria. The present study examined the production of MVs from Staphylococcus aureus and investigated the delivery of MVs to host cells and subsequent cytotoxicity. Four S. aureus strains tested, two type strains and two clinical isolates, produced spherical nanovesicles during in vitro culture. MVs were also produced during in vivo infection of a clinical S. aureus isolate in a mouse pneumonia model. Proteomic analysis showed that 143 different proteins were identified in the S. aureus-derived MVs. S. aureus MVs were interacted with the plasma membrane of host cells via a cholesterol-rich membrane microdomain and then delivered their component protein A to host cells within 30 min. Intact S. aureus MVs induced apoptosis of HEp-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, whereas lysed MVs neither delivered their component into the cytosol of host cells nor induced cytotoxicity. In conclusion, this study is the first report that S. aureus MVs are an important vehicle for delivery of bacterial effector molecules to host cells.

  4. FimH has a strain and host-cell type dependent role in adherence of E. coli O157:H7 super-shedder strains to host cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) are Shiga toxin-producing food-borne pathogens that are a significant threat to human health, causing severe illnesses including hemorrhagic uremic syndrome and kidney failure. Cattle are the major reservoirs of O157, with asymptomatic animals harboring the organism i...

  5. Host cells and methods for producing isoprenyl alkanoates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Taek Soon; Fortman, Jeffrey L.; Keasling, Jay D.

    2015-12-01

    The invention provides for a method of producing an isoprenyl alkanoate in a genetically modified host cell. In one embodiment, the method comprises culturing a genetically modified host cell which expresses an enzyme capable of catalyzing the esterification of an isoprenol and a straight-chain fatty acid, such as an alcohol acetyltransferase (AAT), wax ester synthase/diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) or lipase, under a suitable condition so that the isoprenyl alkanoate is produced.

  6. Host manipulation by cancer cells: Expectations, facts, and therapeutic implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tissot, Tazzio; Arnal, Audrey; Jacqueline, Camille; Poulin, Robert; Lefèvre, Thierry; Mery, Frédéric; Renaud, François; Roche, Benjamin; Massol, François; Salzet, Michel; Ewald, Paul; Tasiemski, Aurélie; Ujvari, Beata; Thomas, Frédéric

    2016-03-01

    Similar to parasites, cancer cells depend on their hosts for sustenance, proliferation and reproduction, exploiting the hosts for energy and resources, and thereby impairing their health and fitness. Because of this lifestyle similarity, it is predicted that cancer cells could, like numerous parasitic organisms, evolve the capacity to manipulate the phenotype of their hosts to increase their own fitness. We claim that the extent of this phenomenon and its therapeutic implications are, however, underappreciated. Here, we review and discuss what can be regarded as cases of host manipulation in the context of cancer development and progression. We elaborate on how acknowledging the applicability of these principles can offer novel therapeutic and preventive strategies. The manipulation of host phenotype by cancer cells is one more reason to adopt a Darwinian approach in cancer research. © 2016 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Damage-induced DNA repair processes in Escherichia coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slezarikova, V.

    1986-01-01

    The existing knowledge is summed up of the response of Escherichia coli cells to DNA damage due to various factors including ultraviolet radiation. So far, three inducible mechanisms caused by DNA damage are known, viz., SOS induction, adaptation and thermal shock induction. Greatest attention is devoted to SOS induction. Its mechanism is described and the importance of the lexA recA proteins is shown. In addition, direct or indirect role is played by other proteins, such as the ssb protein binding the single-strand DNA sections. The results are reported of a study of induced repair processes in Escherichia coli cells repeatedly irradiated with UV radiation. A model of induction by repeated cell irradiation discovered a new role of induced proteins, i.e., the elimination of alkali-labile points in the daughter DNA synthetized on a damaged model. The nature of the alkali-labile points has so far been unclear. In the adaptation process, regulation proteins are synthetized whose production is induced by the presence of alkylation agents. In the thermal shock induction, new proteins synthetize in cells, whose function has not yet been clarified. (E.S.)

  8. Host cell proteins in biotechnology-derived products: A risk assessment framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Zafra, Christina L Zuch; Quarmby, Valerie; Francissen, Kathleen; Vanderlaan, Martin; Zhu-Shimoni, Judith

    2015-11-01

    To manufacture biotechnology products, mammalian or bacterial cells are engineered for the production of recombinant therapeutic human proteins including monoclonal antibodies. Host cells synthesize an entire repertoire of proteins which are essential for their own function and survival. Biotechnology manufacturing processes are designed to produce recombinant therapeutics with a very high degree of purity. While there is typically a low residual level of host cell protein in the final drug product, under some circumstances a host cell protein(s) may copurify with the therapeutic protein and, if it is not detected and removed, it may become an unintended component of the final product. The purpose of this article is to enumerate and discuss factors to be considered in an assessment of risk of residual host cell protein(s) detected and identified in the drug product. The consideration of these factors and their relative ranking will lead to an overall risk assessment that informs decision-making around how to control the levels of host cell proteins. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. W-reactivation of phage lambda in X-irradiated mutants of Escherichia coli K-12

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martignoni, K D; Haselbacher, I [Muenchen Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Strahlenbiologisches Inst.

    1980-07-01

    The survival of UV irradiated phage lambda was increased on X-irradiated E.coli K-12 host cells over that on unirradiated cells. The frequency of c mutants among the surviving phages was increased to a similar extent by the X-ray exposure of the host cells as by UV light. This W-reactivation of phage lambda occurred in uvrA, polA, and recB mutants besides the wild type at about equal X-ray doses, but at a reduced reactivation efficiency compared with the wild type. W-reactivation was undetectable in recA mutants. While maximal UV induced W-reactivation occured 30 min after irradiation, the maximal X-ray induced reactivation was found immediately after irradiation. Chloramphenicol (100 ..mu..g/ml) and nitrofurantoin (50 ..mu..g/ml) inhibited W-reactivation of phage lambda if added before irradiation of the host cells, indicating the necessity of protein synthesis for W-reactivation.

  10. DamX Controls Reversible Cell Morphology Switching in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khandige, Surabhi; Antoinette Asferg, Cecilie; Rasmussen, Karina Juhl

    2016-01-01

    undertaking targeted investigations that are challenging to perform in animal infection models. IMPORTANCE: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are most often caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) and account for a considerable health care burden. UPEC exhibits a dynamic lifestyle in the course....... In aiming to uncover genes underlying the phenomenon of UPEC morphotype switching, this study identifies damX, a cell division gene, as a mediator of reversible filamentation during UTI. DamX-mediated filamentation represents an additional pathway for bacterial cell shape control, an alternative to Sul......A-mediated FtsZ sequestration during E. coli uropathogenesis, and hence represents a potential target for combating UTI....

  11. Apicomplexans pulling the strings: manipulation of the host cell cytoskeleton dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardoso, Rita; Soares, Helena; Hemphill, Andrew; Leitão, Alexandre

    2016-07-01

    Invasive stages of apicomplexan parasites require a host cell to survive, proliferate and advance to the next life cycle stage. Once invasion is achieved, apicomplexans interact closely with the host cell cytoskeleton, but in many cases the different species have evolved distinct mechanisms and pathways to modulate the structural organization of cytoskeletal filaments. The host cell cytoskeleton is a complex network, largely, but not exclusively, composed of microtubules, actin microfilaments and intermediate filaments, all of which are modulated by associated proteins, and it is involved in diverse functions including maintenance of cell morphology and mechanical support, migration, signal transduction, nutrient uptake, membrane and organelle trafficking and cell division. The ability of apicomplexans to modulate the cytoskeleton to their own advantage is clearly beneficial. We here review different aspects of the interactions of apicomplexans with the three main cytoskeletal filament types, provide information on the currently known parasite effector proteins and respective host cell targets involved, and how these interactions modulate the host cell physiology. Some of these findings could provide novel targets that could be exploited for the development of preventive and/or therapeutic strategies.

  12. Host cell capable of producing enzymes useful for degradation of lignocellulosic material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Los, Alrik Pieter; Sagt, Cornelis Maria Jacobus; Schoonneveld-Bergmans, Margot Elisabeth Francoise; Damveld, Robbertus Antonius

    2017-08-22

    The invention relates to a host cell comprising at least four different heterologous polynucleotides chosen from the group of polynucleotides encoding cellulases, hemicellulases and pectinases, wherein the host cell is capable of producing the at least four different enzymes chosen from the group of cellulases, hemicellulases and pectinases, wherein the host cell is a filamentous fungus and is capable of secretion of the at least four different enzymes. This host cell can suitably be used for the production of an enzyme composition that can be used in a process for the saccharification of cellulosic material.

  13. Host cell capable of producing enzymes useful for degradation of lignocellulosic material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Los, Alrik Pieter; Sagt, Cornelis Maria Jacobus; Schooneveld-Bergmans, Margot Elisabeth Francoise; Damveld, Robbertus Antonius

    2015-08-18

    The invention relates to a host cell comprising at least four different heterologous polynucleotides chosen from the group of polynucleotides encoding cellulases, hemicellulases and pectinases, wherein the host cell is capable of producing the at least four different enzymes chosen from the group of cellulases, hemicellulases and pectinases, wherein the host cell is a filamentous fungus and is capable of secretion of the at least four different enzymes. This host cell can suitably be used for the production of an enzyme composition that can be used in a process for the saccharification of cellulosic material.

  14. FimH-mediated autoaggregation of Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schembri, Mark; Christiansen, G.; Klemm, Per

    2001-01-01

    Autoaggregation is a phenomenon thought to contribute to colonization of mammalian hosts by pathogenic bacteria. Type 1 fimbriae are surface organelles of Escherichia coli that mediate D-mannose-sensitive binding to various host surfaces. This binding is conferred by the minor fimbrial component...... FimH. In this study, we have used random mutagenesis to identify variants of the FimH adhesin that confer the ability of E. coli to autoaggregate and settle from liquid cultures. Three separate autoaggregating clones were identified, all of which contained multiple amino acid changes located within...

  15. Biological Activities of Uric Acid in Infection Due to Enteropathogenic and Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broome, Jacqueline E.; Lis, Agnieszka

    2016-01-01

    In previous work, we identified xanthine oxidase (XO) as an important enzyme in the interaction between the host and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and Shiga-toxigenic E. coli (STEC). Many of the biological effects of XO were due to the hydrogen peroxide produced by the enzyme. We wondered, however, if uric acid generated by XO also had biological effects in the gastrointestinal tract. Uric acid triggered inflammatory responses in the gut, including increased submucosal edema and release of extracellular DNA from host cells. While uric acid alone was unable to trigger a chloride secretory response in intestinal monolayers, it did potentiate the secretory response to cyclic AMP agonists. Uric acid crystals were formed in vivo in the lumen of the gut in response to EPEC and STEC infections. While trying to visualize uric acid crystals formed during EPEC and STEC infections, we noticed that uric acid crystals became enmeshed in the neutrophilic extracellular traps (NETs) produced from host cells in response to bacteria in cultured cell systems and in the intestine in vivo. Uric acid levels in the gut lumen increased in response to exogenous DNA, and these increases were enhanced by the actions of DNase I. Interestingly, addition of DNase I reduced the numbers of EPEC bacteria recovered after a 20-h infection and protected against EPEC-induced histologic damage. PMID:26787720

  16. Increased Production of Food-Grade d-Tagatose from d-Galactose by Permeabilized and Immobilized Cells of Corynebacterium glutamicum, a GRAS Host, Expressing d-Galactose Isomerase from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Kyung-Chul; Sim, Dong-Hyun; Seo, Min-Ju; Oh, Deok-Kun

    2016-11-02

    The generally recognized as safe microorganism Corynebacterium glutamicum expressing Geobacillus thermodenitrificans d-galactose isomerase (d-GaI) was an efficient host for the production of d-tagatose, a functional sweetener. The d-tagatose production at 500 g/L d-galactose by the host was 1.4-fold higher than that by Escherichia coli expressing d-GaI. The d-tagatose-producing activity of permeabilized C. glutamicum (PCG) cells treated with 1% (w/v) Triton X-100 was 2.1-fold higher than that of untreated cells. Permeabilized and immobilized C. glutamicum (PICG) cells in 3% (w/v) alginate showed a 3.1-fold longer half-life at 50 °C and 3.1-fold higher total d-tagatose concentration in repeated batch reactions than PCG cells. PICG cells, which produced 165 g/L d-tagatose after 3 h, with a conversion of 55% (w/w) and a productivity of 55 g/L/h, showed significantly higher d-tagatose productivity than that reported for other cells. Thus, d-tagatose production by PICG cells may be an economical process to produce food-grade d-tagatose.

  17. Donor Satellite Cell Engraftment is Significantly Augmented When the Host Niche is Preserved and Endogenous Satellite Cells are Incapacitated

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boldrin, Luisa; Neal, Alice; Zammit, Peter S; Muntoni, Francesco; Morgan, Jennifer E

    2012-01-01

    Stem cell transplantation is already in clinical practice for certain genetic diseases and is a promising therapy for dystrophic muscle. We used the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy to investigate the effect of the host satellite cell niche on the contribution of donor muscle stem cells (satellite cells) to muscle regeneration. We found that incapacitation of the host satellite cells and preservation of the muscle niche promote donor satellite cell contribution to muscle regeneration and functional reconstitution of the satellite cell compartment. But, if the host niche is not promptly refilled, or is filled by competent host satellite cells, it becomes nonfunctional and donor engraftment is negligible. Application of this regimen to aged host muscles also promotes efficient regeneration from aged donor satellite cells. In contrast, if the niche is destroyed, yet host satellite cells remain proliferation-competent, donor-derived engraftment is trivial. Thus preservation of the satellite cell niche, concomitant with functional impairment of the majority of satellite cells within dystrophic human muscles, may improve the efficiency of stem cell therapy. Stem Cells2012;30:1971–1984 PMID:22730231

  18. Human bladder uroepithelial cells synergize with monocytes to promote IL-10 synthesis and other cytokine responses to uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin L Duell

    Full Text Available Urinary tract infections are a major source of morbidity for women and the elderly, with Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC being the most prevalent causative pathogen. Studies in recent years have defined a key anti-inflammatory role for Interleukin-10 (IL-10 in urinary tract infection mediated by UPEC and other uropathogens. We investigated the nature of the IL-10-producing interactions between UPEC and host cells by utilising a novel co-culture model that incorporated lymphocytes, mononuclear and uroepithelial cells in histotypic proportions. This co-culture model demonstrated synergistic IL-10 production effects between monocytes and uroepithelial cells following infection with UPEC. Membrane inserts were used to separate the monocyte and uroepithelial cell types during infection and revealed two synergistic IL-10 production effects based on contact-dependent and soluble interactions. Analysis of a comprehensive set of immunologically relevant biomarkers in monocyte-uroepithelial cell co-cultures highlighted that multiple cytokine, chemokine and signalling factors were also produced in a synergistic or antagonistic fashion. These results demonstrate that IL-10 responses to UPEC occur via multiple interactions between several cells types, implying a complex role for infection-related IL-10 during UTI. Development and application of the co-culture model described in this study is thus useful to define the degree of contact dependency of biomarker production to UPEC, and highlights the relevance of histotypic co-cultures in studying complex host-pathogen interactions.

  19. The disulfide-rich Metridia luciferase refolded from E. coli inclusion bodies reveals the properties of a native folded enzyme produced in insect cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markova, Svetlana V; Larionova, Marina D; Gorbunova, Darya A; Vysotski, Eugene S

    2017-10-01

    The bioluminescence of a marine copepod Metridia longa is determined by a small secreted coelenterazine-dependent luciferase that uses coelenterazine as a substrate of enzymatic reaction to generate light (λ max =480nm). To date, four different isoforms of the luciferase differing in size, sequences, and properties have been cloned by functional screening. All of them contain ten conserved Cys residues that suggests up to five SS intramolecular bonds per luciferase molecule. Whereas the use of copepod luciferases as bioluminescent reporters in biomedical research in vivo is growing from year to year, their application for in vitro assays is still limited by the difficulty in obtaining significant amounts of luciferase. The most cost-effective host for producing recombinant proteins is Escherichia coli. However, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells maintain the reductive environment in cytoplasm that hinders the disulfide bond formation and consequently the proper folding of luciferase. Here we report the expression of the MLuc7 isoform of M. longa luciferase in E. coli cells and the efficient procedure for refolding from inclusion bodies yielding a high-active monomeric protein. Furthermore, in a set of identical experiments we demonstrate that bioluminescent and structural features of MLuc7 produced in bacterial cells are identical to those of MLuc7 isoform produced from culture medium of insect cells. Although the yield of high-purity protein is only 6mg/L, the application of E. coli cells to produce the luciferase is simpler and more cost-effective than the use of insect cells. We expect that the suggested technology of Metridia luciferase production allows obtaining of sufficient amounts of protein both for the development of novel in vitro analytical assays with the use of MLuc7 as a label and for structural studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Radiometric study of the metabolic processes in cell cultures inoculated with E.coli 0111

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stankova-Shindarova, I.

    1977-01-01

    The penetration and propagation of bacteria in tissue cells is accompanied by changes in the metabolic processes. A group of strains, belonging to one serologic type comprises invasive and noninvasive variants. Twenty two E.coli 0111 strains were studied. By labelling strains with 3 H-thymidine, 3 H-uridine and 14C-leucine it was demonstrated that the amino acid and protein synthesis of RC 3 cells inoculated with invasive E.coli 0111 variants becomes more intensive. Amino acid and protein synthesis in noninvasive E.coli 0111 following previous high incorporation of the three labelled compounds is rapidly reduced and remains within control limits. (author)

  1. Role of UV-inducible proteins in repair of various wild-type Escherichia coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sedliakova, M.; Slezarikova, V.; Brozmanova, J.; Masek, F.; Bayerova, V.

    1980-01-01

    3 wild-type strains of E. coli, namely K12 AB2497, B/r WP2 and 15 555-7, proficient in excision and post-replication repair, differ markedly in their UV resistance. To elucidate this difference, the influence was investigated of induction by application of inducing fluence (IF) before lethal fluence (LF) on repair processes after LF. In cells distinguished by low UV resistance (E. coli 15 555-7; E. coli B/r WP2), dimer excision was less complete in cultures irradiated with IF + LF than in cultures irradiated with LF only. The highly resistant E. coli K12 AB2497 performed complete excision both after IF + LF or after LF alone. All 3 types of cell survived better after IF + LF than after LF only. Because, in most strains so far investigated, the application of IF reduced dimer excision and increased survival, dimer excision per se does not appear important for survival. We conclude that the rate and completeness of dimer excision can serve as a measure of efficiency of the excision system whose action is necessary for repair of another lesion. Cells of all investigated strains could not resume DNA replication and died progressively when irradiated with LF and post-incubated with chloramphenicol (LF CAP + ). Thus, it appears that inducible proteins are necessary for repair in all wild-type E. coli cells given with potentially lethal doses of UV irradiation. (orig.)

  2. Host cells and methods for producing diacid compounds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steen, Eric J.; Fortman, Jeffrey L.; Dietrich, Jeffrey A.; Keasling, Jay D.

    2018-04-24

    The present invention provides for a method of producing one or more fatty acid derived dicarboxylic acids in a genetically modified host cell which does not naturally produce the one or more derived fatty acid derived dicarboxylic acids. The invention provides for the biosynthesis of dicarboxylic acid ranging in length from C3 to C26. The host cell can be further modified to increase fatty acid production or export of the desired fatty acid derived compound, and/or decrease fatty acid storage or metabolism.

  3. Perturbation of host-cell membrane is a primary mechanism of HIV cytopathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cloyd, M W; Lynn, W S

    1991-04-01

    Cytopathic viruses injure cells by a number of different mechanisms. The mechanism by which HIV-1 injures T cells was studied by temporally examining host-cell macromolecular syntheses, stages of the cell cycle, and membrane permeability following acute infection. T cells cytopathically infected at an m.o.i. of 1-5 grew normally for 24-72 hr, depending on the cell line, followed by the first manifestation of cell injury, slowing of cell division. At that time significant amounts of unintegrated HIV DNA and p24 core protein became detectable, and acridine orange flow cytometric cell cycle studies demonstrated the presence of fewer cells in the G2/M stage of the cell cycle. There was no change in the frequency of cells in the S-stage, and metabolic pulsing with radioactive precursors demonstrated that host-cell DNA, RNA, and protein syntheses were normal at that time and normal up to the time cells started to die (approximately 24 hr later), when all three decreased. Cellular lipid synthesis, however, was perturbed when cell multiplication slowed, with phospholipid synthesis reduced and neutral lipid synthesis enhanced. Permeability of the host-cell membrane to small molecules, such as Ca2+ and sucrose, was slightly enhanced early postinfection, and by the time of slowing of cell division, host membrane permeability was greatly increased to both Ca2+ and sucrose (Stokes radius 5.2 A) but not to inulin (Stokes radium 20 A). These changes in host-cell membrane permeability and phospholipid synthesis were not observed in acutely infected H9 cells, which are not susceptible to HIV cytopathology. Thus, HIV-1 appeared to predominantly injure T cells by perturbing host-cell membrane permeability and lipid synthesis, which is similar to the cytopathic mechanisms of paramyxoviruses.

  4. Restriction of phage T4 internal protein I mutants by a strain of Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Black, L.W.; Abremski, K.

    1974-01-01

    Phage T4 internal protein I(IPI), a small (ca, 10,000 MW), basic protein injected into the host with the phage DNA, is not required for infection of most hosts, but mutants defective in IPI are restricted by at least one naturally occurring strain of Escherichia coli, CT 596 (CT). Phages lacking IPI (IPI - ) appear to inject their DNA and bind it to the membrane of CT cells as well as wild-type phage T4 does, but shutoff of host protein synthesis, initiation of T4 protein synthesis, and cell killing are abnormal in the IPI - mutant infected CT host. The injection of IPI appears to be important in allowing T4 DNA to carry out early steps involved in takeover of this host. Restriction of IPI - phage growth by CT cells appears to be due, at least in part, to a defective prophage it harbors which renders the host resistant to successful infection by phage T4 which lack IPI or rII functions. Bacteria cured of this prophage can be infected by mutants defective in these functions. The resistance of CT cells to other coliphages, and the question of T-even phage internal protein diversity are discussed. (U.S.)

  5. Lipid exchange between Borrelia burgdorferi and host cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jameson T Crowley

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, has cholesterol and cholesterol-glycolipids that are essential for bacterial fitness, are antigenic, and could be important in mediating interactions with cells of the eukaryotic host. We show that the spirochetes can acquire cholesterol from plasma membranes of epithelial cells. In addition, through fluorescent and confocal microscopy combined with biochemical approaches, we demonstrated that B. burgdorferi labeled with the fluorescent cholesterol analog BODIPY-cholesterol or (3H-labeled cholesterol transfer both cholesterol and cholesterol-glycolipids to HeLa cells. The transfer occurs through two different mechanisms, by direct contact between the bacteria and eukaryotic cell and/or through release of outer membrane vesicles. Thus, two-way lipid exchange between spirochetes and host cells can occur. This lipid exchange could be an important process that contributes to the pathogenesis of Lyme disease.

  6. Immunomodulation of Host Chitinase 3-Like 1 During a Mammary Pathogenic Escherichia coli Infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koen Breyne

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Chitin is a N-acetyl-d-glucosamine biopolymer that can be recognized by chitin-binding proteins. Although mammals lack chitin synthase, they induce proteins responsible for detecting chitin in response to bacterial infections. Our aim was to investigate whether chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1 has a potential role in the innate immunity of the Escherichia coli (E. coli infected mammary gland. CHI3L1 protein was found to be secreted in whey of naturally coliform-affected quarters compared to whey samples isolated from healthy udders. In addition, gene expression of CHI3L1 was confirmed in udder tissue of cows experimentally infected with a mammary pathogenic E. coli (MPEC strain. Despite the known anatomical differences, the bovine udders’ innate immune response was mimicked by applying an experimental mouse model using MPEC or non-MPEC isolates. The effect of CHI3L1 expression in the murine mammary gland in response to coliform bacteria was investigated through the use of CHI3L1−/− mice as well as through treatment with either a pan-caspase inhibitor or chitin particles in wild-type mice. The local induction of CHI3L1 postinfection with different E. coli strains was demonstrated to be independent of both bacterial growth and mammary interleukin (IL-8 levels. Indeed, CHI3L1 emerged as a regulator impacting on the transcytosis of Ly6G-positive cells from the interstitial space into the alveolar lumen of the mammary tissue. Furthermore, CHI3L1 was found to be upstream regulated by caspase activity and had a major downstream effect on the local pro-inflammatory cytokine profile, including IL-1beta, IL-6, and RANTES/CCL5. In conclusion, CHI3L1 was demonstrated to play a key role in the cytokine and caspase signaling during E. coli triggered inflammation of the mammary gland.

  7. Effect of Light-Activated Hypocrellin B on the Growth and Membrane Permeability of Gram-Negative Escherichia coli Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuan Jiang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim. To investigate the effect of light-activated hypocrellin B on the growth and membrane permeability of Gram-negative bacteria. Methods. Escherichia coli (E. coli as a model bacterium of Gram-negative bacteria was incubated with various concentrations of hypocrellin B for 60 min and was subsequently irradiated by blue light with wavelength of 470 nm at the dose of 12 J/cm2. Colony forming units were counted and the growth inhibition rate of E. coli cells was calculated after light-activated hypocrellin B. Membrane permeability was measured using flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM with propidium iodide (PI staining. Bacterial morphology was observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM. Reactive oxygen species in bacterial cells were measured using flow cytometry with DCFH-DA staining. Results. Significant growth inhibition rate of E. coli cells was observed after photodynamic action of hypocrellin B. Remarkable damage to the ultrastructure of E. coli was also observed by TEM. Flow cytometry and CLSM observation showed that light-activated hypocrellin B markedly increased membrane permeability of E. coli. Flow cytometry showed the intracellular ROS increase in E. coli treated by photodynamic action of hypocrellin B. Conclusion. Light-activated hypocrellin B caused intracellular ROS increase and structural damages and inhibited the growth of Gram-negative E. coli cells.

  8. Shigella infection of intestinal epithelium and circumvention of the host innate defense system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashida, Hiroshi; Ogawa, Michinaga; Mimuro, Hitomi; Sasakawa, Chihiro

    2009-01-01

    Shigella, Gram-negative bacteria closely related to Escherichia coli, are highly adapted human pathogens that cause bacillary dysentery. Although Shigella have neither adherence factors nor flagella required for attaching or accessing the intestinal epithelium, Shigella are capable of colonizing the intestinal epithelium by exploiting epithelial-cell functions and circumventing the host innate immune response. During Shigella infection, they deliver many numbers of effectors through the type III secretion system into the surrounding space and directly into the host-cell cytoplasm. The effectors play pivotal roles from the onset of bacterial infection through to the establishment of the colonization of the intestinal epithelium, such as bacterial invasion, intracellular survival, subversion of the host immune defense response, and maintenance of the infectious foothold. These examples suggest that Shigella have evolved highly sophisticated infectious and intracellular strategies to establish replicative niches in the intestinal epithelium.

  9. Expression of maize prolamins in Escherichia Coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Szu-zhen; Esen, Asim

    1985-01-01

    We have constructed a cDNA expression library of developing corn (Zea manys L.) endosperm using plasmid pUC8 as vector and Escherichia coli strain DH1 as host. The expression library was screened with non-radioactive immunological probes to detect the expression of gamma-zein and alpha-zein. When anti-gamma-zein antibody was used as the probe, 23 colonies gave positive reactions. The lengths of cDNA inserts of the 23 colonies were found to be 250-900 base pairs. When anti-alpha zein antibody was used, however, fewer colonies gave positive reactions. The library was also screened by colony-hybridization with 32 P-labeled DNA probes. Based on immunological and hybridization screening of the library and other evidence, we conclude that alpha-zein was either toxic to E. coli cells or rapidly degraded whereas gamma-zein and its fragments were readily expressed. (author)

  10. Diversity in host clone performance within a Chinese hamster ovary cell line.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Callaghan, Peter M; Berthelot, Maud E; Young, Robert J; Graham, James W A; Racher, Andrew J; Aldana, Dulce

    2015-01-01

    Much effort has been expended to improve the capabilities of individual Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) host cell lines to synthesize recombinant therapeutic proteins (rPs). However, given the increasing variety in rP molecular types and formats it may be advantageous to employ a toolbox of CHO host cell lines in biomanufacturing. Such a toolbox would contain a panel of hosts with specific capabilities to synthesize certain molecular types at high volumetric concentrations and with the correct product quality (PQ). In this work, we examine a panel of clonally derived host cell lines isolated from CHOK1SV for the ability to manufacture two model proteins, an IgG4 monoclonal antibody (Mab) and an Fc-fusion protein (etanercept). We show that these host cell lines vary in their relative ability to synthesize these proteins in transient and stable pool production format. Furthermore, we examined the PQ attributes of the stable pool-produced Mab and etanercept (by N-glycan ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), respectively), and uncovered substantial variation between the host cell lines in Mab N-glycan micro-heterogeneity and etanercept N and O-linked macro-heterogeneity. To further investigate the capabilities of these hosts to act as cell factories, we examined the glycosylation pathway gene expression profiles as well as the levels of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria in the untransfected hosts. We uncovered a moderate correlation between ER mass and the volumetric product concentration in transient and stable pool Mab production. This work demonstrates the utility of leveraging diversity within the CHOK1SV pool to identify new host cell lines with different performance characteristics. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  11. Characterization of host lymphoid cells in antibody-facilitated bone marrow chimeras

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCarthy, S.A.; Griffith, I.J.; Gambel, P.; Francescutti, L.H.; Wegmann, T.G.

    1985-01-01

    The authors have produced stable murine antibody-facilitated (AF) chimeras by the simultaneous injection of P1 bone marrow cells and anti-P2 monoclonal antibody into normal (unirradiated) adult (P1 X P2)F1 recipients. These AF chimeras are healthy, long-lived, and exhibit no overt signs of graft-versus-host disease. They are immunocompetent and tolerant of host, P2-encoded alloantigens. Donor cell engraftment and takeover, monitored by glucosephosphate isomerase isozyme patterns, is usually complete (greater than 95%) in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, and hemopoietic stem cell compartments of long-term (greater than 3 months posttransplantation) AF chimeras. The authors report here, however, that splenic, lymph node, and thymic leukocytes of AF chimeras represent donor/host chimeric populations. Spleen cell populations of AF chimeras exhibit substantial chimera-to-chimera variation in the preponderant residual host cell type(s) present. Interpretations of the implications of these findings are discussed

  12. Effect of radiation doses rate on SOS response induction in irradiated Escherichia coli Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuetara Lugo, Elizabeth B.; Fuentes Lorenzo, Jorge L.; Almeida Varela, Eliseo; Prieto Miranda, Enrique F.; Sanchez Lamar, Angel; Llagostera Casal, Montserrat

    2005-01-01

    The present work is aimed to study the effect of radiation dose rate on the induction of SOS response in Escherichia coli cells. We measured the induction of sul A reporter gene in PQ-37 (SOS Chromotest) cells. Lead devises were built with different diameter and these were used for diminishing the dose rate of PX- -30M irradiator. Our results show that radiation doses rate significantly modifies the induction of SOS response. Induction factor increases proportionally to doses rate in Escherichia coli cells defective to nucleotide excision repair (uvrA), but not in wild type cells. We conclude that the dose rate affects the level of induction of SOS response

  13. Effect of culture medium, host strain and oxygen transfer on recombinant Fab antibody fragment yield and leakage to medium in shaken E. coli cultures

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Fab antibody fragments in E. coli are usually directed to the oxidizing periplasmic space for correct folding. From periplasm Fab fragments may further leak into extracellular medium. Information on the cultivation parameters affecting this leakage is scarce, and the unpredictable nature of Fab leakage is problematic regarding consistent product recovery. To elucidate the effects of cultivation conditions, we investigated Fab expression and accumulation into either periplasm or medium in E. coli K-12 and E. coli BL21 when grown in different types of media and under different aeration conditions. Results Small-scale Fab expression demonstrated significant differences in yield and ratio of periplasmic to extracellular Fab between different culture media and host strains. Expression in a medium with fed-batch-like glucose feeding provided highest total and extracellular yields in both strains. Unexpectedly, cultivation in baffled shake flasks at 150 rpm shaking speed resulted in higher yield and accumulation of Fabs into culture medium as compared to cultivation at 250 rpm. In the fed-batch medium, extracellular fraction in E. coli K-12 increased from 2-17% of total Fab at 250 rpm up to 75% at 150 rpm. This was partly due to increased lysis, but also leakage from intact cells increased at the lower shaking speed. Total Fab yield in E. coli BL21 in glycerol-based autoinduction medium was 5 to 9-fold higher at the lower shaking speed, and the extracellular fraction increased from ≤ 10% to 20-90%. The effect of aeration on Fab localization was reproduced in multiwell plate by variation of culture volume. Conclusions Yield and leakage of Fab fragments are dependent on expression strain, culture medium, aeration rate, and the combination of these parameters. Maximum productivity in fed-batch-like conditions and in autoinduction medium is achieved under sufficiently oxygen-limited conditions, and lower aeration also promotes increased Fab accumulation into

  14. Ecological and genetic determinants of plasmid distribution in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medaney, Frances; Ellis, Richard J; Raymond, Ben

    2016-11-01

    Bacterial plasmids are important carriers of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes. Nevertheless, little is known of the determinants of plasmid distribution in bacterial populations. Here the factors affecting the diversity and distribution of the large plasmids of Escherichia coli were explored in cattle grazing on semi-natural grassland, a set of populations with low frequencies of antibiotic resistance genes. Critically, the population genetic structure of bacterial hosts was chararacterized. This revealed structured E. coli populations with high diversity between sites and individuals but low diversity within cattle hosts. Plasmid profiles, however, varied considerably within the same E. coli genotype. Both ecological and genetic factors affected plasmid distribution: plasmid profiles were affected by site, E. coli diversity, E. coli genotype and the presence of other large plasmids. Notably 3/26 E. coli serotypes accounted for half the observed plasmid-free isolates indicating that within species variation can substantially affect carriage of the major conjugative plasmids. The observed population structure suggest that most of the opportunities for within species plasmid transfer occur between different individuals of the same genotype and support recent experimental work indicating that plasmid-host coevolution, and epistatic interactions on fitness costs are likely to be important in determining occupancy. © 2016 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Repositioning of Memantine as a Potential Novel Therapeutic Agent against Meningitic E. coli-Induced Pathogenicities through Disease-Associated Alpha7 Cholinergic Pathway and RNA Sequencing-Based Transcriptome Analysis of Host Inflammatory Responses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing-Yi Yu

    Full Text Available Neonatal sepsis and meningitis (NSM remains a leading cause worldwide of mortality and morbidity in newborn infants despite the availability of antibiotics over the last several decades. E. coli is the most common gram-negative pathogen causing NSM. Our previous studies show that α7 nicotinic receptor (α7 nAChR, an essential regulator of inflammation, plays a detrimental role in the host defense against NSM. Despite notable successes, there still exists an unmet need for new effective therapeutic approaches to treat this disease. Using the in vitro/in vivo models of the blood-brain barrier (BBB and RNA-seq, we undertook a drug repositioning study to identify unknown antimicrobial activities for known drugs. We have demonstrated for the first time that memantine (MEM, a FDA-approved drug for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, could very efficiently block E. coli-caused bacteremia and meningitis in a mouse model of NSM in a manner dependent on α7 nAChR. MEM was able to synergistically enhance the antibacterial activity of ampicillin in HBMEC infected with E. coli K1 (E44 and in neonatal mice with E44-caused bacteremia and meningitis. Differential gene expression analysis of RNA-Seq data from mouse BMEC infected with E. coli K1 showed that several E44-increased inflammatory factors, including IL33, IL18rap, MMP10 and Irs1, were significantly reduced by MEM compared to the infected cells without drug treatment. MEM could also significantly up-regulate anti-inflammatory factors, including Tnfaip3, CISH, Ptgds and Zfp36. Most interestingly, these factors may positively and negatively contribute to regulation of NF-κB, which is a hallmark feature of bacterial meningitis. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that circulating BMEC (cBMEC are the potential novel biomarkers for NSM. MEM could significantly reduce E44-increased blood level of cBMEC in mice. Taken together, our data suggest that memantine can efficiently block host inflammatory responses to

  16. Epithelial Cell Adherence Mediated by the Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Tia Protein

    OpenAIRE

    Mammarappallil, Joseph G.; Elsinghorst, Eric A.

    2000-01-01

    In vitro studies have shown that enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains are capable of invading cultured epithelial cells derived from the human ileum and colon. Two separate invasion loci (tia and tib) have previously been isolated from the classical ETEC strain H10407. The tia locus has been shown to direct the synthesis of Tia, a 25-kDa outer membrane protein. Tia is sufficient to confer the adherence and invasion phenotypes on laboratory stains of E. coli, suggesting that this pr...

  17. Mechanism of reactivation of the UV-inactivated cells of Escherichia coli by cell extracts of propionic acid bacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vorob'eva, L.I.; Khodzhaev, E.Y.; Ponomareva, G.M.

    1995-01-01

    Two mechanisms of reactivation of UV-inactivated Escherichia coli cells - photoreactivation (PhR) and reactivation by the dialyzate of cell extract of propionic acid bacteria - are shown to be different but not completely additive. PhR displays an insignificant negative effect on the reactivaton by active substances (peptides) of the dialyzate, whereas reactivation by dialyzate inhibits PhR. The maximal reactivation can be attained under complete PhR followed by the protective action of dialyzate. The dialyzate protects UV-irradiated E. coli cells with PolA, UvrA, and RecA mutations and Salmonella typhimurium TA 100 (UvrB) cells, and also exerts an antimutagenic effect on S. typhimurium TA 100. Protection by dialyzate is suggested to be due to restoration of the cell division mechanism damaged by UV irradiation. 14 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs

  18. Selective Deactivation of M13 Bacteriophage in E. Coli using Femtosecond Laser Pulses

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Molukanele, P

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Deactivation of M13 Bacteriophage in E. Coli using Femtosecond Laser Pulses P. Molukanele 1, 3, A. Du Plessis 1, T. Roberts 1, L. Botha 1, M. Khati 2,3, W. Campos 2, 3 1CSIR National Laser Centre, Femtosecond Science group, Pretoria, South Africa 2CSIR... that is about 1 ?m long and 5-6 nm in diameter. Its host Escherichia coli (E.coli), is approximately 2-6 ?m long and 1-1.5 ?m in diameter, see figure 1 below. Figure 1: Schematic representations of M13 bacteriophage and its host E.coli...

  19. Efficient cell-free expression with the endogenous E. Coli RNA polymerase and sigma factor 70

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noireaux Vincent

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Escherichia coli cell-free expression systems use bacteriophage RNA polymerases, such as T7, to synthesize large amounts of recombinant proteins. These systems are used for many applications in biotechnology, such as proteomics. Recently, informational processes have been reconstituted in vitro with cell-free systems. These synthetic approaches, however, have been seriously limited by a lack of transcription modularity. The current available cell-free systems have been optimized to work with bacteriophage RNA polymerases, which put significant restrictions to engineer processes related to biological information. The development of efficient cell-free systems with broader transcription capabilities is required to study complex informational processes in vitro. Results In this work, an efficient cell-free expression system that uses the endogenous E. coli RNA polymerase only and sigma factor 70 for transcription was prepared. Approximately 0.75 mg/ml of Firefly luciferase and enhanced green fluorescent protein were produced in batch mode. A plasmid was optimized with different regulatory parts to increase the expression. In addition, a new eGFP was engineered that is more translatable in cell-free systems than the original eGFP. The protein production was characterized with three different adenosine triphosphate (ATP regeneration systems: creatine phosphate (CP, phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP, and 3-phosphoglyceric acid (3-PGA. The maximum protein production was obtained with 3-PGA. Preparation of the crude extract was streamlined to a simple routine procedure that takes 12 hours including cell culture. Conclusions Although it uses the endogenous E. coli transcription machinery, this cell-free system can produce active proteins in quantities comparable to bacteriophage systems. The E. coli transcription provides much more possibilities to engineer informational processes in vitro. Many E. coli promoters/operators specific to sigma

  20. Studies on the ability of irradiated Escherichia coli bacteria to reactivate X-ray inactivated bacteriophages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiessling, W.

    1980-01-01

    The Weigle Reactivation phenomenon ie. the observation that low UV-flow irradiated bacteria increase the survival rate of UV-irradiated phages has not, to date, been studied with other forms of irradiation as inducers. In the studies reported here lambda-phages and E. coli cells in LB-medium were treated with X-rays. Host cells treated with an X-ray dose from 85 to 765 Gy showed a reactivation factor of 1.3 to 3.0 for X-ray inactivated phages. The capacity of the bacteria for phage reproduction did not appear to be markedly diminished. A reactivation factor of 1.3 only was found for X-irradiated phages when host cells were treated with UV-irradiation. The low Weigle reactivation of X-ray treated phages compared to UV-treatment was found to be due to a diminished absorption capacity, as demonstrated by the determination of free non-absorbed phages by filtration of radioactive-labelled phage-host-complexes. Reactivation studies on X-irradiated phages with various host bacteria of different radiation sensitivities confirm this finding. (orig.) [de

  1. Dynamic single-cell NAD(P)H measurement reveals oscillatory metabolism throughout the E. coli cell division cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zheng; Milias-Argeitis, Andreas; Heinemann, Matthias

    2018-02-01

    Recent work has shown that metabolism between individual bacterial cells in an otherwise isogenetic population can be different. To investigate such heterogeneity, experimental methods to zoom into the metabolism of individual cells are required. To this end, the autofluoresence of the redox cofactors NADH and NADPH offers great potential for single-cell dynamic NAD(P)H measurements. However, NAD(P)H excitation requires UV light, which can cause cell damage. In this work, we developed a method for time-lapse NAD(P)H imaging in single E. coli cells. Our method combines a setup with reduced background emission, UV-enhanced microscopy equipment and optimized exposure settings, overall generating acceptable NAD(P)H signals from single cells, with minimal negative effect on cell growth. Through different experiments, in which we perturb E. coli's redox metabolism, we demonstrated that the acquired fluorescence signal indeed corresponds to NAD(P)H. Using this new method, for the first time, we report that intracellular NAD(P)H levels oscillate along the bacterial cell division cycle. The developed method for dynamic measurement of NAD(P)H in single bacterial cells will be an important tool to zoom into metabolism of individual cells.

  2. Mechanisms of pressure-mediated cell death and injury in Escherichia coli: from fundamentals to food applications.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael eGänzle

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available High hydrostatic pressure is commercially applied to extend the shelf life of foods, and to improve food safety. Current applications operate at ambient temperature and 600 MPa or less. However, bacteria that may resist this pressure level include the pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and strains of Escherichia coli, including shiga-toxin producing E. coli. The resistance of E. coli to pressure is variable between strains and highly dependent on the food matrix. The targeted design of processes for the safe elimination of E. coli thus necessitates deeper insights into mechanisms of interaction and matrix-strain interactions. Cellular targets of high pressure treatment in E. coli include the barrier properties of the outer membrane, the integrity of the cytoplasmic membrane as well as the activity of membrane-bound enzymes, and the integrity of ribosomes. The pressure-induced denaturation of membrane bound enzymes results in generation of reactive oxygen species and subsequent cell death caused by oxidative stress. Remarkably, pressure resistance at the single cell level relates to the disposition of misfolded proteins in inclusion bodies. While the pressure resistance E. coli can be manipulated by over-expression or deletion of (stress proteins, the mechanisms of pressure resistance in wild type strains is multi-factorial and not fully understood. This review aims to provide an overview on mechanisms of pressure-mediated cell death in E. coli, and the use of this information for optimization of high pressure processing of foods.

  3. Mechanisms of pressure-mediated cell death and injury in Escherichia coli: from fundamentals to food applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gänzle, Michael; Liu, Yang

    2015-01-01

    High hydrostatic pressure is commercially applied to extend the shelf life of foods, and to improve food safety. Current applications operate at ambient temperature and 600 MPa or less. However, bacteria that may resist this pressure level include the pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and strains of Escherichia coli, including shiga-toxin producing E. coli. The resistance of E. coli to pressure is variable between strains and highly dependent on the food matrix. The targeted design of processes for the safe elimination of E. coli thus necessitates deeper insights into mechanisms of interaction and matrix-strain interactions. Cellular targets of high pressure treatment in E. coli include the barrier properties of the outer membrane, the integrity of the cytoplasmic membrane as well as the activity of membrane-bound enzymes, and the integrity of ribosomes. The pressure-induced denaturation of membrane bound enzymes results in generation of reactive oxygen species and subsequent cell death caused by oxidative stress. Remarkably, pressure resistance at the single cell level relates to the disposition of misfolded proteins in inclusion bodies. While the pressure resistance E. coli can be manipulated by over-expression or deletion of (stress) proteins, the mechanisms of pressure resistance in wild type strains is multi-factorial and not fully understood. This review aims to provide an overview on mechanisms of pressure-mediated cell death in E. coli, and the use of this information for optimization of high pressure processing of foods.

  4. Effect of visible light on progressive dormancy of Escherichia coli cells during the survival process in natural fresh water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barcina, I.; Gonzalez, J.M.; Iriberri, J.; Egea, L.

    1989-01-01

    Some effects of visible light on the survival of Escherichia coli in waters of the Butron river were studied by comparing illuminated and nonilluminated systems. The following count methods were used: CFU on a selective medium (eosin-methylene blue agar), CFU on a medium of recuperation (Trypticase soy agar with yeast extract and glucose), number of metabolically active cells by reduction of 2-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl tetrazolium chloride (INT) to INT-formazan, and total number of E. coli cells as determined by the acridine orange direct-count method. In the illuminated systems, decreases in CFU of E. coli and in the number of metabolically active cells were observed. However, no decline of the total number of E. coli cells was observed. By count methods, different stages of progressive dormancy of E. coli cells were determined to exist in illuminated systems. Culturable and recoverable cells were defined as viable cells, and metabolically active cells and morphologically intact cells were defined as somnicells. Indirect activity measurements were also done by using [14C]glucose. In illuminated systems, a decrease of glucose uptake by E. coli cells was observed throughout the experiments. The assimilated fraction of [14C]glucose decreased faster than the respired fraction in illuminated systems. The percentage of respired [14C]glucose (14CO2 production) with respect to the total glucose uptake increased throughout the experiments, and the percentage of assimilated glucose decreased. Therefore, the visible light was also responsible for an additional inhibition of biosynthetic processes

  5. Orientia tsutsugamushi ankyrin repeat-containing protein family members are Type 1 secretion system substrates that traffic to the host cell endoplasmic reticulum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    VieBrock, Lauren; Evans, Sean M; Beyer, Andrea R; Larson, Charles L; Beare, Paul A; Ge, Hong; Singh, Smita; Rodino, Kyle G; Heinzen, Robert A; Richards, Allen L; Carlyon, Jason A

    2014-01-01

    Scrub typhus is an understudied, potentially fatal infection that threatens one billion persons in the Asia-Pacific region. How the causative obligate intracellular bacterium, Orientia tsutsugamushi, facilitates its intracellular survival and pathogenesis is poorly understood. Many intracellular bacterial pathogens utilize the Type 1 (T1SS) or Type 4 secretion system (T4SS) to translocate ankyrin repeat-containing proteins (Anks) that traffic to distinct subcellular locations and modulate host cell processes. The O. tsutsugamushi genome encodes one of the largest known bacterial Ank repertoires plus T1SS and T4SS components. Whether these potential virulence factors are expressed during infection, how the Anks are potentially secreted, and to where they localize in the host cell are not known. We determined that O. tsutsugamushi transcriptionally expresses 20 unique ank genes as well as genes for both T1SS and T4SS during infection of mammalian host cells. Examination of the Anks' C-termini revealed that the majority of them resemble T1SS substrates. Escherichia coli expressing a functional T1SS was able to secrete chimeric hemolysin proteins bearing the C-termini of 19 of 20 O. tsutsugamushi Anks in an HlyBD-dependent manner. Thus, O. tsutsugamushi Anks C-termini are T1SS-compatible. Conversely, Coxiella burnetii could not secrete heterologously expressed Anks in a T4SS-dependent manner. Analysis of the subcellular distribution patterns of 20 ectopically expressed Anks revealed that, while 6 remained cytosolic or trafficked to the nucleus, 14 localized to, and in some cases, altered the morphology of the endoplasmic reticulum. This study identifies O. tsutsugamushi Anks as T1SS substrates and indicates that many display a tropism for the host cell secretory pathway.

  6. The functions of the variable lipoprotein family of Mycoplasma hyorhinis in adherence to host cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Qiyan; Wang, Jia; Ji, Yan; Ni, Bo; Zhang, Bixiong; Ma, Qinghong; Wei, Yanna; Xiao, Shaobo; Feng, Zhixin; Liu, Maojun; Shao, Guoqing

    2016-04-15

    Mycoplasma hyorhinis (M. hyorhinis) is a swine pathogen that is associated with various human cancers and contamination in cell cultures. However, no studies on the adhesion molecules of this pathogen have yet been reported. The variable lipoprotein (Vlp) family is an important surface component of M. hyorhinis. Herein, we performed several experiments to identify the function of the Vlp family in adherence to host cells. Seven recombinant Vlp (rVlp) proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography. The potential role of rVlp adherence to pig kidney (PK-15) and swine tracheal epithelial (STEC) cells was then studied by indirect immunofluorescence assay and microtiter plate adherence assay. Adhesion of M. hyorhinis to PK-15 and STEC cells was specifically inhibited by the addition of a cocktail of rVlp proteins. The rVlp protein mixture was shown to bind to both PK-15 and STEC cells. The binding increased in a dose-dependent manner and could be blocked by antisera against the rVlp proteins. Most of the rVlp proteins could bind individually to both PK-15 and STEC cells except for rVlpD and rVlpF, which bound only to STEC cells. Because Vlp members vary in size among different strains and generations, they may vary in their cytoadhesion capabilities in various strains. In summary, the present results indicate that the Vlp family functions as adhesins of M. hyorhinis. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  7. Effects of actonomycin D and ultraviolet irradiation on multiplication of brome mosaic virus in host and non-host cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maekawa, K.; Furusawa, I.; Okuno, T.

    1981-01-01

    The modes of multiplication of brome mosaic virus (BMV) were compared in protoplasts isolated from host and non-host plants. BMV actively multiplied in the leaves and isolated mesophyll protoplasts of barley, a host of BMV. BMV multiplication in barley protoplasts was inhibited by addition of actinomycin D immediately after inoculation or by u.v. irradiation of the protoplasts before inoculation. In contrast, although BMV could not multiply in leaves of radish and turnip (non-hosts for BMV) it multiplied at a low level in protoplasts isolated from these two plant species. Moreover, u.v. irradiation, or the addition of actinomycin D, enhanced multiplication of BMV in radish and turnip protoplasts. These results suggest that (i) in the host cells replication of BMV is dependent on cellular metabolism of nucleic acid and protein, and (ii) in the non-host cells a substance(s) inhibitory to replication of BMV is synthesized. (author)

  8. Quantitative analysis of commensal Escherichia coli populations reveals host-specific enterotypes at the intra-species level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smati, Mounira; Clermont, Olivier; Bleibtreu, Alexandre; Fourreau, Frédéric; David, Anthony; Daubié, Anne-Sophie; Hignard, Cécile; Loison, Odile; Picard, Bertrand; Denamur, Erick

    2015-08-01

    The primary habitat of the Escherichia coli species is the gut of warm-blooded vertebrates. The E. coli species is structured into four main phylogenetic groups A, B1, B2, and D. We estimated the relative proportions of these phylogroups in the feces of 137 wild and domesticated animals with various diets living in the Ile de France (Paris) region by real-time PCR. We distinguished three main clusters characterized by a particular abundance of two or more phylogroups within the E. coli animal commensal populations, which we called "enterocolitypes" by analogy with the enterotypes defined in the human gut microbiota at the genus level. These enterocolitypes were characterized by a dominant (>50%) B2, B1, or A phylogroup and were associated with different host species, diets, and habitats: wild and herbivorous species (wild rabbits and deer), domesticated herbivorous species (domesticated rabbits, horses, sheep, and cows), and omnivorous species (boar, pigs, and chickens), respectively. By analyzing retrospectively the data obtained using the same approach from 98 healthy humans living in Ile de France (Smati et al. 2013, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 79, 5005-5012), we identified a specific human enterocolitype characterized by the dominant and/or exclusive (>90%) presence of phylogroup B2. We then compared B2 strains isolated from animals and humans, and revealed that human and animal strains differ regarding O-type and B2 subgroup. Moreover, two genes, sfa/foc and clbQ, were associated with the exclusive character of strains, observed only in humans. In conclusion, a complex network of interactions exists at several levels (genus and intra-species) within the intestinal microbiota. © 2015 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Characterization of substances that restore impaired cell division of UV-irradiated E. coli B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshiyama, Y.; Shimoii, H.; Tamura, G.

    1981-01-01

    Substances which restore impaired cell division in UV-irradiated E. coli B were surveyed among various bacteria. The active substance was found only in several genera of Gram-negative bacteria, i.e., Escherichia, Enterobacter, Salmonella and some species of Pseudomonas. The activity in the dialyzed cell extract of E. coli B/r was observed in the presence of β-NAD and was enhanced by Mg 2+ and Mn 2+ . The active substance was very labile, but the activity was protected by 1 mM dithiothreitol in the process of purification. The activity of a fraction recovered through DEAE-cellulose column chromatography was stimulated by the presence of membrane fraction. Upon treatment with lipid-degrading enzymes and proteases, the division-stimulating activity was lost or reduced. It appears that the inactivation by lipase and phospholipase A2 was due to the formation of lysophospholipids and that a proteinous substance participated in the recovery of impaired cell division of UV-irradiated E. coli B

  10. Studies on radiosensitization of Escherichia coli cells by cis-platinum complexes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zimbrick, J.D.; Sukrochana, A.; Richmond, R.C.

    1979-01-01

    We recently reported that the antitumor drug cis-Pt(NH 3 ) 2 Cl 2 (cis-DDP) produces significant radiosensitization of anoxic E coli C cells. We have extended these studies to three other platinum drugs, all of which have been shown to be more effective antitumor drugs than cis-DDP. The drugs are: cis-dichloro bis(ethylene imine) Pt(II) (cis-DEP); cis-dichlorobicyclopentylamine Pt(II) (cis-PAD); and Pt-thymine blue (cis-PTB). Survival curve studies indicate that these drugs all produce greater anoxic radiosensitization of E coli C than cis-DDP at concentrations which are less toxic to the cells than similar concentrations of cis-DDP. If the cells are treated with any one of these drugs for two hours and then washed to remove the drug before irradiation, no detectable radiosensitization is found. We conclude that these drugs have the potential for being useful agents in combined modality therapy and that they warrant further study in mammalian systems

  11. Comparison of mutagenic efficiency of decay of 32P incorporated in E.Coli WP-2 and E.Coli WP-2S cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pluciennik, H.

    1975-01-01

    32 P-labelled Escherichia coli WP-2 and Escherichia coli WP-2S cells were stored at -196 0 . The lethal effect induced by 32 P decay was equal in both strains. Lethal efficiency of 32 P→ 32 S transmutation in DNA amounted to 0.046. Reversion try→try + were induced with a ten times higher efficiency in UV-sensitive strain WP-2S, as compared with strain WP-2. (author)

  12. Vanillin production using Escherichia coli cells over-expressing isoeugenol monooxygenase of Pseudomonas putida.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamada, Mamoru; Okada, Yukiyoshi; Yoshida, Toyokazu; Nagasawa, Toru

    2008-04-01

    The isoeugenol monooxygenase gene of Pseudomonas putida IE27 was inserted into an expression vector, pET21a, under the control of the T7 promoter. The recombinant plasmid was introduced into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells, containing no vanillin-degrading activity. The transformed E. coli BL21(DE3) cells produced 28.3 g vanillin/l from 230 mM isoeugenol, with a molar conversion yield of 81% at 20 degrees C after 6 h. In the reaction system, no accumulation of undesired by-products, such as vanillic acid or acetaldehyde, was observed.

  13. An indole-deficient Escherichia coli strain improves screening of cytochromes P450 for biotechnological applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brixius-Anderko, Simone; Hannemann, Frank; Ringle, Michael; Khatri, Yogan; Bernhardt, Rita

    2017-05-01

    Escherichia coli has developed into an attractive organism for heterologous cytochrome P450 production, but, in some cases, was restricted as a host in view of a screening of orphan cytochromes P450 or mutant libraries in the context of molecular evolution due to the formation of the cytochrome P450 inhibitor indole by the enzyme tryptophanase (TnaA). To overcome this effect, we disrupted the tnaA gene locus of E. coli C43(DE3) and evaluated the new strain for whole-cell substrate conversions with three indole-sensitive cytochromes P450, myxobacterial CYP264A1, and CYP109D1 as well as bovine steroidogenic CYP21A2. For purified CYP264A1 and CYP21A2, the half maximal inhibitory indole concentration was determined to be 140 and 500 μM, which is within the physiological concentration range occurring during cultivation of E. coli in complex medium. Biotransformations with C43(DE3)_∆tnaA achieved a 30% higher product formation in the case of CYP21A2 and an even fourfold increase with CYP264A1 compared with C43(DE3) cells. In whole-cell conversion based on CYP109D1, which converts indole to indigo, we could successfully avoid this reaction. Results in microplate format indicate that our newly designed strain is a suitable host for a fast and efficient screening of indole-influenced cytochromes P450 in complex medium. © 2016 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  14. Intravital imaging of donor allogeneic effector and regulatory T cells with host dendritic cells during GVHD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Kaifeng Lisa; Fulton, LeShara M; Berginski, Matthew; West, Michelle L; Taylor, Nicholas A; Moran, Timothy P; Coghill, James M; Blazar, Bruce R; Bear, James E; Serody, Jonathan S

    2014-03-06

    Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a systemic inflammatory response due to the recognition of major histocompatibility complex disparity between donor and recipient after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). T-cell activation is critical to the induction of GVHD, and data from our group and others have shown that regulatory T cells (Tregs) prevent GVHD when given at the time of HSCT. Using multiphoton laser scanning microscopy, we examined the single cell dynamics of donor T cells and dendritic cells (DCs) with or without Tregs postallogeneic transplantation. We found that donor conventional T cells (Tcons) spent very little time screening host DCs. Tcons formed stable contacts with DCs very early after transplantation and only increased velocity in the lymph node at 20 hours after transplant. We also observed that Tregs reduced the interaction time between Tcons and DCs, which was dependent on the generation of interleukin 10 by Tregs. Imaging using inducible Tregs showed similar disruption of Tcon-DC contact. Additionally, we found that donor Tregs induce host DC death and down-regulate surface proteins required for donor T-cell activation. These data indicate that Tregs use multiple mechanisms that affect host DC numbers and function to mitigate acute GVHD.

  15. Cellular Aspects of Shigella Pathogenesis: Focus on the Manipulation of Host Cell Processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Killackey, Samuel A; Sorbara, Matthew T; Girardin, Stephen E

    2016-01-01

    Shigella is a Gram-negative bacterium that is responsible for shigellosis. Over the years, the study of Shigella has provided a greater understanding of how the host responds to bacterial infection, and how bacteria have evolved to effectively counter the host defenses. In this review, we provide an update on some of the most recent advances in our understanding of pivotal processes associated with Shigella infection, including the invasion into host cells, the metabolic changes that occur within the bacterium and the infected cell, cell-to-cell spread mechanisms, autophagy and membrane trafficking, inflammatory signaling and cell death. This recent progress sheds a new light into the mechanisms underlying Shigella pathogenesis, and also more generally provides deeper understanding of the complex interplay between host cells and bacterial pathogens in general.

  16. Cytotoxic Vibrio T3SS1 Rewires Host Gene Expression to Subvert Cell Death Signaling and Activate Cell Survival Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Nisco, Nicole J.; Kanchwala, Mohammed; Li, Peng; Fernandez, Jessie; Xing, Chao; Orth, Kim

    2017-01-01

    Bacterial effectors are potent manipulators of host signaling pathways. The marine bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. para), delivers effectors into host cells through two type three secretion systems (T3SS). The ubiquitous T3SS1 is vital for V. para survival in the environment, whereas T3SS2 causes acute gastroenteritis in human hosts. Although the natural host is undefined, T3SS1 effectors attack highly conserved cellular processes and pathways to orchestrate non-apoptotic cell death. Much is known about how T3SS1 effectors function in isolation, but we wanted to understand how their concerted action globally affects host cell signaling. To assess the host response to T3SS1, we compared gene expression changes over time in primary fibroblasts infected with V. para that have a functional T3SS1 (T3SS1+) to those in cells infected with V. para lacking T3SS1 (T3SS1−). Overall, the host transcriptional response to both T3SS1+ and T3SS1− V. para was rapid, robust, and temporally dynamic. T3SS1 re-wired host gene expression by specifically altering the expression of 398 genes. Although T3SS1 effectors target host cells at the posttranslational level to cause cytotoxicity, network analysis indicated that V. para T3SS1 also precipitates a host transcriptional response that initially activates cell survival and represses cell death networks. The increased expression of several key pro-survival transcripts mediated by T3SS1 was dependent on a host signaling pathway that is silenced later in infection by the posttranslational action of T3SS1. Taken together, our analysis reveals a complex interplay between roles of T3SS1 as both a transcriptional and posttranslational manipulator of host cell signaling. PMID:28512145

  17. Modeling base excision repair in Escherichia coli bacterial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belov, O.V.

    2011-01-01

    A model describing the key processes in Escherichia coli bacterial cells during base excision repair is developed. The mechanism is modeled of damaged base elimination involving formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (the Fpg protein), which possesses several types of activities. The modeling of the transitions between DNA states is based on a stochastic approach to the chemical reaction description

  18. Traversing the Cell: Agrobacterium T-DNA’s Journey to the Host Genome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gelvin, Stanton B.

    2012-01-01

    The genus Agrobacterium is unique in its ability to conduct interkingdom genetic exchange. Virulent Agrobacterium strains transfer single-strand forms of T-DNA (T-strands) and several Virulence effector proteins through a bacterial type IV secretion system into plant host cells. T-strands must traverse the plant wall and plasma membrane, traffic through the cytoplasm, enter the nucleus, and ultimately target host chromatin for stable integration. Because any DNA sequence placed between T-DNA “borders” can be transferred to plants and integrated into the plant genome, the transfer and intracellular trafficking processes must be mediated by bacterial and host proteins that form complexes with T-strands. This review summarizes current knowledge of proteins that interact with T-strands in the plant cell, and discusses several models of T-complex (T-strand and associated proteins) trafficking. A detailed understanding of how these macromolecular complexes enter the host cell and traverse the plant cytoplasm will require development of novel technologies to follow molecules from their bacterial site of synthesis into the plant cell, and how these transferred molecules interact with host proteins and sub-cellular structures within the host cytoplasm and nucleus. PMID:22645590

  19. Effect of gold nanoparticles on thermal gradient generation and thermotaxis of E. coli cells in microfluidic device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murugesan, Nithya; Panda, Tapobrata; Das, Sarit K

    2016-08-01

    Bacteria responds to changing chemical and thermal environment by moving towards or away from a particular location. In this report, we looked into thermal gradient generation and response of E. coli DH5α cells to thermal gradient in the presence and in the absence of spherical gold nanoparticles (size: 15 to 22 nm) in a static microfluidic environment using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) made microfluidic device. A PDMS-agarose based microfluidic device for generating thermal gradient has been developed and the thermal gradient generation in the device has been validated with the numerical simulation. Our studies revealed that the presence of gold nanoparticles, AuNPs (0.649 μg/mL) has no effect on the thermal gradient generation. The E. coli DH5α cells have been treated with AuNPs of two different concentrations (0.649 μg/mL and 0.008 μg/mL). The thermotaxis behavior of cells in the presence of AuNPs has been studied and compared to the thermotaxis of E.coli DH5α cells in the absence of AuNPs. In case of thermotaxis, in the absence of the AuNPs, the E. coli DH5α cells showed better thermotaxis towards lower temperature range, whereas in the presence of AuNPs (0.649 μg/mL and 0.008 μg/mL) thermotaxis of the E. coli DH5α cells has been inhibited. The results show that the spherical AuNPs intervenes in the themotaxis of E. coli DH5α cells and inhibits the cell migration. The reason for the failure in thermotaxis response mechanism may be due to decreased F-type ATP synthase activity and collapse of membrane potential by AuNPs, which, in turn, leads to decreased ATP levels. This has been hypothesized since both thermotaxis and chemotaxis follows the same response mechanism for migration in which ATP plays critical role.

  20. Induction of sos response in Escherichia Coli cells by gamma rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuentes Lorenzo, J.L.; Padron Soler, E.; Martin Hernandez, G.; Perez Tamayo, N.; del Sol Abascal, E.R.; Almeida Varela, E.

    1996-01-01

    The kinetics of sos response induction in Escherichia Coli cells was studied by means of the gene fusion SfiA:LacZ. In these cells, the specific beta galactosidase activity and the cellular growth rate showed an exponential behaviour. The sensitivity of the GC 2181 starin to gamma irradiation is equal to Do -1= 0.00088/Gy. The beta galactosidase activity

  1. [A novel gene (Aa-accA ) encoding acetyl-CoA carboxyltransferase alpha-subunit of Alkalimonas amylolytica N10 enhances salt and alkali tolerance of Escherichia coli and tobacco BY-2 cells].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xian, Mingjie; Zhai, Lei; Zhong, Naiqin; Ma, Yiwei; Xue, Yanfen; Ma, Yanhe

    2013-08-04

    Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) catalyzes the first step of fatty acid synthesis. In most bacteria, ACC is composed of four subunits encoded by accA, accB, accC, and accD. Of them, accA encodes acetyl-CoA carboxyltransferase alpha-subunit. Our prior work on proteomics of Alkalimonas amylolytica N10 showed that the expression of the Aa-accA has a remarkable response to salt and alkali stress. This research aimed to find out the Aa-accA gene contributing to salt and alkali tolerance. The Aa-accA was amplified by PCR from A. amylolytica N10 and expressed in E. coli K12 host. The effects of Aa-accA expression on the growth of transgenic strains were examined under different NaCl concentration and pH conditions. Transgenic tobacco BY-2 cells harboring Aa-accA were also generated via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The viability of BY-2 cells was determined with FDA staining method after salt and alkali shock. The Aa-accA gene product has 318 amino acids and is homologous to the carboxyl transferase domain of acyl-CoA carboxylases. It showed 76% identity with AccA (acetyl-CoA carboxylase carboxyltransferase subunit alpha) from E. coli. Compared to the wild-type strains, transgenic E. coli K12 strain containing Aa-accA showed remarkable growth superiority when grown in increased NaCl concentrations and pH levels. The final cell density of the transgenic strains was 2.6 and 3.5 times higher than that of the control type when they were cultivated in LB medium containing 6% (W/V) NaCl and at pH 9, respectively. Complementary expression of Aa-accA in an accA-depletion E. coli can recover the tolerance of K12 delta accA to salt and alkali stresses to some extent. Similar to the transgenic E. coli, transgenic tobacco BY-2 cells showed higher percentages of viability compared to the wild BY-2 cells under the salt or alkali stress condition. We found that Aa-accA from A. amylolytica N10 overexpression enhances the tolerance of both transgenic E. coli and tobacco BY-2 cells to

  2. Inhibition of Apoptosis by Escherichia coli K1 Is Accompanied by Increased Expression of BclXL and Blockade of Mitochondrial Cytochrome c Release in Macrophages

    OpenAIRE

    Sukumaran, Sunil K.; Selvaraj, Suresh K.; Prasadarao, Nemani V.

    2004-01-01

    Escherichia coli K1 survival in the blood is a critical step for the onset of meningitis in neonates. Therefore, the circulating bacteria are impelled to avoid host defense mechanisms by finding a niche to survive and multiply. Our recent studies have shown that E. coli K1 enters and survives in both monocytes and macrophages in the newborn rat model of meningitis as well as in macrophage cell lines. Here we demonstrate that E. coli K1 not only extends the survival of human and murine infecte...

  3. Experimental induced avian E. coli salpingitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Rikke Heidemann; Thøfner, Ida; Pors, Susanne Elisabeth

    2016-01-01

    Several types of Escherichia coli have been associated with extra-intestinal infections in poultry, however, they may vary significantly in their virulence potential. The aim of the present study was to investigate the virulence of five strains of E. coli obtained from different disease......) had a distinct ability to cause disease. Results of the study shows major differences in virulence of different strains of E. coli in ascending infections; however, there was no indication of tissue-specific adaptation, since strains obtained from lesions unrelated to the reproductive system were...... fully capable of causing experimental infection. In conclusion, the study provides evidence for the clinical outcome of infection with E. coli in poultry is largely influenced by the specific strain as well as individual host factors....

  4. Mesenchymal stromal cells in the antimicrobial host response of hematopoietic stem cell recipients with graft-versus-host disease--friends or foes?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balan, A; Lucchini, G; Schmidt, S; Schneider, A; Tramsen, L; Kuçi, S; Meisel, R; Bader, P; Lehrnbecher, T

    2014-10-01

    Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells, which exhibit broad immunosuppressive activities. Moreover, they may be administered irrespectively of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) compatibility, without inducing life-threatening immunological reactions, as they express no HLA class II and limited HLA class I antigens under resting conditions. These characteristics have made MSC an appealing candidate for cell therapy after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), for example, for treatment of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) or for graft rejection prevention/treatment in allogeneic HSCT recipients. Unfortunately, information regarding the effect of MSC infusion on the host response to infectious agents is scarce, and study results on infectious complications in patients receiving MSC are conflicting. The present review focuses on the available data from in vitro studies and animal models regarding the interaction of MSC with bacterial, viral and fungal pathogens. In a clinical part, we present the current information on infectious complications in allogeneic HSCT recipients who had received MSCs as prophylaxis or treatment of GvHD disease.

  5. Host cell interactions of outer membrane vesicle-associated virulence factors of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157: Intracellular delivery, trafficking and mechanisms of cell injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greune, Lilo; Jarosch, Kevin-André; Steil, Daniel; Zhang, Wenlan; He, Xiaohua; Lloubes, Roland; Fruth, Angelika; Kim, Kwang Sik; Schmidt, M. Alexander; Dobrindt, Ulrich; Mellmann, Alexander; Karch, Helge

    2017-01-01

    Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are important tools in bacterial virulence but their role in the pathogenesis of infections caused by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157, the leading cause of life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome, is poorly understood. Using proteomics, electron and confocal laser scanning microscopy, immunoblotting, and bioassays, we investigated OMVs secreted by EHEC O157 clinical isolates for virulence factors cargoes, interactions with pathogenetically relevant human cells, and mechanisms of cell injury. We demonstrate that O157 OMVs carry a cocktail of key virulence factors of EHEC O157 including Shiga toxin 2a (Stx2a), cytolethal distending toxin V (CdtV), EHEC hemolysin, and flagellin. The toxins are internalized by cells via dynamin-dependent endocytosis of OMVs and differentially separate from vesicles during intracellular trafficking. Stx2a and CdtV-B, the DNase-like CdtV subunit, separate from OMVs in early endosomes. Stx2a is trafficked, in association with its receptor globotriaosylceramide within detergent-resistant membranes, to the Golgi complex and the endoplasmic reticulum from where the catalytic Stx2a A1 fragment is translocated to the cytosol. CdtV-B is, after its retrograde transport to the endoplasmic reticulum, translocated to the nucleus to reach DNA. CdtV-A and CdtV-C subunits remain OMV-associated and are sorted with OMVs to lysosomes. EHEC hemolysin separates from OMVs in lysosomes and targets mitochondria. The OMV-delivered CdtV-B causes cellular DNA damage, which activates DNA damage responses leading to G2 cell cycle arrest. The arrested cells ultimately die of apoptosis induced by Stx2a and CdtV via caspase-9 activation. By demonstrating that naturally secreted EHEC O157 OMVs carry and deliver into cells a cocktail of biologically active virulence factors, thereby causing cell death, and by performing first comprehensive analysis of intracellular trafficking of OMVs and OMV-delivered virulence factors

  6. HumanViCe: Host ceRNA network in virus infected cells in human

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suman eGhosal

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Host-virus interaction via host cellular components has been an important field of research in recent times. RNA interference mediated by short interfering RNAs and microRNAs (miRNA, is a widespread anti-viral defence strategy. Importantly, viruses also encode their own miRNAs. In recent times miRNAs were identified as key players in host-virus interaction. Furthermore, viruses were shown to exploit the host miRNA networks to suite their own need. The complex cross-talk between host and viral miRNAs and their cellular and viral targets forms the environment for viral pathogenesis. Apart from protein-coding mRNAs, non-coding RNAs may also be targeted by host or viral miRNAs in virus infected cells, and viruses can exploit the host miRNA mediated gene regulatory network via the competing endogenous RNA effect. A recent report showed that viral U-rich non-coding RNAs called HSUR, expressed in primate virus herpesvirus saimiri (HVS infected T cells, were able to bind to three host miRNAs, causing significant alteration in cellular level for one of the miRNAs. We have predicted protein coding and non protein-coding targets for viral and human miRNAs in virus infected cells. We identified viral miRNA targets within host non-coding RNA loci from AGO interacting regions in three different virus infected cells. Gene ontology (GO and pathway enrichment analysis of the genes comprising the ceRNA networks in the virus infected cells revealed enrichment of key cellular signalling pathways related to cell fate decisions and gene transcription, like Notch and Wnt signalling pathways, as well as pathways related to viral entry, replication and virulence. We identified a vast number of non-coding transcripts playing as potential ceRNAs to the immune response associated genes; e.g. APOBEC family genes, in some virus infected cells. All these information are compiled in HumanViCe, a comprehensive database that provides the potential ceRNA networks in virus

  7. Modeling conduction in host-graft interactions between stem cell grafts and cardiomyocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Michael Q; Yu, Jin; Whittington, R Hollis; Wu, Joseph C; Kovacs, Gregory T A; Giovangrandi, Laurent

    2009-01-01

    Cell therapy has recently made great strides towards aiding heart failure. However, while transplanted cells may electromechanically integrate into host tissue, there may not be a uniform propagation of a depolarization wave between the heterogeneous tissue boundaries. A model using microelectrode array technology that maps the electrical interactions between host and graft tissues in co-culture is presented and sheds light on the effects of having a mismatch of conduction properties at the boundary. Skeletal myoblasts co-cultured with cardiomyocytes demonstrated that conduction velocity significantly decreases at the boundary despite electromechanical coupling. In an attempt to improve the uniformity of conduction with host cells, differentiating human embryonic stem cells (hESC) were used in co-culture. Over the course of four to seven days, synchronous electrical activity was observed at the hESC boundary, implying differentiation and integration. Activity did not extend far past the boundary, and conduction velocity was significantly greater than that of the host tissue, implying the need for other external measures to properly match the conduction properties between host and graft tissue.

  8. Plant parasitic nematode effectors target host defence and nuclear functions to establish feeding cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michaël eQuentin

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Plant parasitic nematodes are microscopic worms, the most damaging species of which have adopted a sedentary lifestyle within their hosts. These obligate endoparasites have a biotrophic relationship with plants, in which they induce the differentiation of root cells into hypertrophied, multinucleate feeding cells. Effectors synthesised in the oesophageal glands of the nematode are injected into the plant cells via the syringe-like stylet and play a key role in manipulating the host machinery. The establishment of specialized feeding cells requires these effectors to modulate many aspects of plant cell morphogenesis and physiology, including defence responses. This cell reprogramming requires changes to host nuclear processes. Some proteins encoded by parasitism genes target host nuclei. Several of these proteins were immunolocalised within feeding cell nuclei or shown to interact with host nuclear proteins. Comparative genomics and functional analyses are gradually revealing the roles of nematode effectors. We describe here these effectors and their hypothesised roles in the unique feeding behaviour of these pests.

  9. Inhibition of host cell translation elongation by Legionella pneumophila blocks the host cell unfolded protein response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hempstead, Andrew D; Isberg, Ralph R

    2015-12-08

    Cells of the innate immune system recognize bacterial pathogens by detecting common microbial patterns as well as pathogen-specific activities. One system that responds to these stimuli is the IRE1 branch of the unfolded protein response (UPR), a sensor of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Activation of IRE1, in the context of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling, induces strong proinflammatory cytokine induction. We show here that Legionella pneumophila, an intravacuolar pathogen that replicates in an ER-associated compartment, blocks activation of the IRE1 pathway despite presenting pathogen products that stimulate this response. L. pneumophila TLR ligands induced the splicing of mRNA encoding XBP1s, the main target of IRE1 activity. L. pneumophila was able to inhibit both chemical and bacterial induction of XBP1 splicing via bacterial translocated proteins that interfere with host protein translation. A strain lacking five translocated translation elongation inhibitors was unable to block XBP1 splicing, but this could be rescued by expression of a single such inhibitor, consistent with limitation of the response by translation elongation inhibitors. Chemical inhibition of translation elongation blocked pattern recognition receptor-mediated XBP1 splicing, mimicking the effects of the bacterial translation inhibitors. In contrast, host cell-promoted inhibition of translation initiation in response to the pathogen was ineffective in blocking XBP1 splicing, demonstrating the need for the elongation inhibitors for protection from the UPR. The inhibition of host translation elongation may be a common strategy used by pathogens to limit the innate immune response by interfering with signaling via the UPR.

  10. Salmonella modulation of host cell gene expression promotes its intracellular growth.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian Hannemann

    Full Text Available Salmonella Typhimurium has evolved a complex functional interface with its host cell largely determined by two type III secretion systems (T3SS, which through the delivery of bacterial effector proteins modulate a variety of cellular processes. We show here that Salmonella Typhimurium infection of epithelial cells results in a profound transcriptional reprogramming that changes over time. This response is triggered by Salmonella T3SS effector proteins, which stimulate unique signal transduction pathways leading to STAT3 activation. We found that the Salmonella-stimulated changes in host cell gene expression are required for the formation of its specialized vesicular compartment that is permissive for its intracellular replication. This study uncovers a cell-autonomous process required for Salmonella pathogenesis potentially opening up new avenues for the development of anti-infective strategies that target relevant host pathways.

  11. Salmonella modulation of host cell gene expression promotes its intracellular growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannemann, Sebastian; Gao, Beile; Galán, Jorge E

    2013-01-01

    Salmonella Typhimurium has evolved a complex functional interface with its host cell largely determined by two type III secretion systems (T3SS), which through the delivery of bacterial effector proteins modulate a variety of cellular processes. We show here that Salmonella Typhimurium infection of epithelial cells results in a profound transcriptional reprogramming that changes over time. This response is triggered by Salmonella T3SS effector proteins, which stimulate unique signal transduction pathways leading to STAT3 activation. We found that the Salmonella-stimulated changes in host cell gene expression are required for the formation of its specialized vesicular compartment that is permissive for its intracellular replication. This study uncovers a cell-autonomous process required for Salmonella pathogenesis potentially opening up new avenues for the development of anti-infective strategies that target relevant host pathways.

  12. Inhibitory effect of membrane-specific drugs on liquid-holding recovery in U.V.-irradiated E. coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yonei, S.

    1980-01-01

    Liquid-holding recovery (LHR), as been shown to be dependent on the polA + -dependent DNA repair pathways. The experiment described attempted to examine whether the membrane-specific drugs, procaine and chlorpromazine, can inhibit the LHR in U.V.-irradiated cells of E. coli B. Results show that cell membranes may influence DNA repair and ultimate survival of E. coli. (author)

  13. Genome engineering for improved recombinant protein expression in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahalik, Shubhashree; Sharma, Ashish K; Mukherjee, Krishna J

    2014-12-19

    A metabolic engineering perspective which views recombinant protein expression as a multistep pathway allows us to move beyond vector design and identify the downstream rate limiting steps in expression. In E.coli these are typically at the translational level and the supply of precursors in the form of energy, amino acids and nucleotides. Further recombinant protein production triggers a global cellular stress response which feedback inhibits both growth and product formation. Countering this requires a system level analysis followed by a rational host cell engineering to sustain expression for longer time periods. Another strategy to increase protein yields could be to divert the metabolic flux away from biomass formation and towards recombinant protein production. This would require a growth stoppage mechanism which does not affect the metabolic activity of the cell or the transcriptional or translational efficiencies. Finally cells have to be designed for efficient export to prevent buildup of proteins inside the cytoplasm and also simplify downstream processing. The rational and the high throughput strategies that can be used for the construction of such improved host cell platforms for recombinant protein expression is the focus of this review.

  14. E. coli Nissle 1917 Affects Salmonella adhesion to porcine intestinal epithelial cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Schierack

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN has been shown to interfere in a human in vitro model with the invasion of several bacterial pathogens into epithelial cells, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not known. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of EcN on Salmonella Typhimurium invasion of porcine intestinal epithelial cells, focusing on EcN effects on the various stages of Salmonella infection including intracellular and extracellular Salmonella growth rates, virulence gene regulation, and adhesion. We show that EcN affects the initial Salmonella invasion steps by modulating Salmonella virulence gene regulation and Salmonella SiiE-mediated adhesion, but not extra- and intracellular Salmonella growth. However, the inhibitory activity of EcN against Salmonella invasion always correlated with EcN adhesion capacities. EcN mutants defective in the expression of F1C fimbriae and flagellae were less adherent and less inhibitory toward Salmonella invasion. Another E. coli strain expressing F1C fimbriae was also adherent to IPEC-J2 cells, and was similarly inhibitory against Salmonella invasion like EcN. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that EcN affects Salmonella adhesion through secretory components. This mechanism appears to be common to many E. coli strains, with strong adherence being a prerequisite for an effective reduction of SiiE-mediated Salmonella adhesion.

  15. Adherence of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli to Human Epithelial Cells: The Role of Intimin

    Science.gov (United States)

    1995-04-28

    mucosa (e.g., enterotoxigenic E. coli, Vibrio cholerae , and Boroetella pertussis); ii) damage to the epithelial cell microvilli induced by the...diarrhea in Mayan childm in Mexico . J. Infect. Dis. 163, 507-513. G6mez-Ouarte, O.G. and Kaper, J.B. (1995). A plasmid-encoded regulartory region...de la Cabaca, F., and Garibay, E.V. (1987). Enteroadherent Escherichia coli as a cause of diarrhea among children in Mexico . J . Clin. Microbiol. 25

  16. Tunable Control of an Escherichia coli Expression System for the Overproduction of Membrane Proteins by Titrated Expression of a Mutant lac Repressor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Seong Keun; Lee, Dae-Hee; Kim, Oh Cheol; Kim, Jihyun F; Yoon, Sung Ho

    2017-09-15

    Most inducible expression systems suffer from growth defects, leaky basal induction, and inhomogeneous expression levels within a host cell population. These difficulties are most prominent with the overproduction of membrane proteins that are toxic to host cells. Here, we developed an Escherichia coli inducible expression system for membrane protein production based on titrated expression of a mutant lac repressor (mLacI). Performance of the mLacI inducible system was evaluated in conjunction with commonly used lac operator-based expression vectors using a T7 or tac promoter. Remarkably, expression of a target gene can be titrated by the dose-dependent addition of l-rhamnose, and the expression levels were homogeneous in the cell population. The developed system was successfully applied to overexpress three membrane proteins that were otherwise difficult to produce in E. coli. This gene expression control system can be easily applied to a broad range of existing protein expression systems and should be useful in constructing genetic circuits that require precise output signals.

  17. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of an Escherichia coli-selected mutant of the nuclease domain of the metallonuclease colicin E7

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Czene, Aniko; Toth, Eszter; Gyurcsik, Bela

    2013-01-01

    The metallonuclease colicin E7 is a member of the HNH family of endonucleases. It serves as a bacterial toxin in Escherichia coli, protecting the host cell from other related bacteria and bacteriophages by degradation of their chromosomal DNA under environmental stress. Its cell-killing activity ....... X-ray diffraction data were collected to 1.6 Å resolution and could be indexed and averaged in the trigonal space group P3121 or P3221, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 55.4, c = 73.1 Å. Structure determination by molecular replacement is in progress.......The metallonuclease colicin E7 is a member of the HNH family of endonucleases. It serves as a bacterial toxin in Escherichia coli, protecting the host cell from other related bacteria and bacteriophages by degradation of their chromosomal DNA under environmental stress. Its cell-killing activity...... is attributed to the nonspecific nuclease domain (NColE7), which possesses the catalytic ββα-type metal ion-binding HNH motif at its C-terminus. Mutations affecting the positively charged amino acids at the N-terminus of NColE7 (444-576) surprisingly showed no or significantly reduced endonuclease activity...

  18. Effect of the mutation of recB21 of Escherichia coli on indirect recombinogenesis of bacteriophage lambda

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castillo-Villanueva, A.

    1993-01-01

    In this work two undamaged amber lambda mutants were crossed in UV-irradiated Escherichia coli host cells and the total and recombinant λ + progenies scored after one lytic cycle. In a wild - type strain, such treatment produces an stimulation of 5-7 times in the production of recombinant λ + particles, accompanied by a variable but consistent increase in the total phage pro genie too. The effect has been designed as indirect recombinogenesis of bacteriophage lambda because it is elicited among undamaged λ genomes by the UV irradiation of host cells. Through the use of recB21 mutants we tested the role of the RecBCD enzyme as a whole in the effect just described and observed that in those hosts the effect is absent. The RecBCD enzyme of Escherichia coli has different activities, important for both the genetic recombination and recovery from DNA damage. Among those activities is that of ATP-dependent double-stranded DNA exonuclease, by means of which the enzyme digests the lineal molecules of viral DNA, produced during the late phase of lambda lytic cycle. To face such a destructive activity, λ encodes the Gam protein which inhibits all the activities of RecBCD; so the ability of RecBCD to act in the phage response, may be due either to a residual activity of the enzyme in lambda infected host cells or to an unknown Gam non-inhibited activity of the RecBCD enzyme. because the synthesis of the RecBCD is constitutive, the apparent inducibility of the λ response should be due to another reason such as an increase in the molecular substrates on which the enzyme acts. (Author)

  19. Meningitic Escherichia coli K1 penetration and neutrophil transmigration across the blood-brain barrier are modulated by alpha7 nicotinic receptor.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feng Chi

    Full Text Available Alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR, an essential regulator of inflammation, is abundantly expressed in hippocampal neurons, which are vulnerable to bacterial meningitis. However, it is unknown whether α7 nAChR contributes to the regulation of these events. In this report, an aggravating role of α7 nAChR in host defense against meningitic E. coli infection was demonstrated by using α7-deficient (α7(-/- mouse brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC and animal model systems. As shown in our in vitro and in vivo studies, E. coli K1 invasion and polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN transmigration across the blood-brain barrier (BBB were significantly reduced in α7(-/- BMEC and α7(-/- mice. Stimulation by nicotine was abolished in the α7(-/- cells and animals. The same blocking effect was achieved by methyllycaconitine (α7 antagonist. The tight junction molecules occludin and ZO-1 were significantly reduced in the brain cortex of wildtype mice infected with E. coli and treated with nicotine, compared to α7(-/- cells and animals. Decreased neuronal injury in the hippocampal dentate gyrus was observed in α7(-/- mice with meningitis. Proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, MCP-1, MIP-1alpha, and RANTES and adhesion molecules (CD44 and ICAM-1 were significantly reduced in the cerebrospinal fluids of the α7(-/- mice with E. coli meningitis. Furthermore, α7 nAChR is the major calcium channel for nicotine- and E. coli K1-increased intracellular calcium concentrations of mouse BMEC. Taken together, our data suggest that α7 nAChR plays a detrimental role in the host defense against meningitic infection by modulation of pathogen invasion, PMN recruitment, calcium signaling and neuronal inflammation.

  20. Variation among Staphylococcus aureus membrane vesicle proteomes affects cytotoxicity of host cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeon, Hyejin; Oh, Man Hwan; Jun, So Hyun; Kim, Seung Il; Choi, Chi Won; Kwon, Hyo Il; Na, Seok Hyeon; Kim, Yoo Jeong; Nicholas, Asiimwe; Selasi, Gati Noble; Lee, Je Chul

    2016-04-01

    Staphylococcus aureus secretes membrane-derived vesicles (MVs), which can deliver virulence factors to host cells and induce cytopathology. However, the cytopathology of host cells induced by MVs derived from different S. aureus strains has not yet been characterized. In the present study, the cytotoxic activity of MVs from different S. aureus isolates on host cells was compared and the proteomes of S. aureus MVs were analyzed. The MVs purified from S. aureus M060 isolated from a patient with staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome showed higher cytotoxic activity toward host cells than that shown by MVs from three other clinical S. aureus isolates. S. aureus M060 MVs induced HEp-2 cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, but the cytotoxic activity of MVs was completely abolished by treatment with proteinase K. In a proteomic analysis, the MVs from three S. aureus isolates not only carry 25 common proteins, but also carry ≥60 strain-specific proteins. All S. aureus MVs contained δ-hemolysin (Hld), γ-hemolysin, leukocidin D, and exfoliative toxin C, but exfoliative toxin A (ETA) was specifically identified in S. aureus M060 MVs. ETA was delivered to HEp-2 cells via S. aureus MVs. Both rETA and rHld induced cytotoxicity in HEp-2 cells. In conclusion, MVs from clinical S. aureus isolates differ with respect to cytotoxic activity in host cells, and these differences may result from differences in the MV proteomes. Further proteogenomic analysis or mutagenesis of specific genes is necessary to identify cytotoxic factors in S. aureus MVs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Comparison of mutagenic efficiency of decay of /sup 32/P incorporated in E. Coli WP-2 and E. Coli WP-2S cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pluciennik, H [Warsaw Univ. (Poland). Instytut Podstawowych Problemow Chemii

    1975-01-01

    Phosphorous-32 labelled Escherichia coli WP-2 and Escherichia coli WP-2S cells were stored at -196/sup 0/. The lethal effect induced by /sup 32/P decay was equal in both strains. Lethal efficiency of /sup 32/P..-->../sup 32/S transmutation in DNA amounted to 0.046. Reversion try..-->..try/sup +/ were induced with a ten times higher efficiency in uv-sensitive strain WP-2S, as compared with strain WP-2.

  2. Immunocytochemical localization of the elongation factor Tu in E. coli cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slot, J.W.; Schilstra, M.J.; Meide, P.H. van der; Posthuma, G.; Cremers, A.F.M.; Bosch, L.

    1984-01-01

    The localization of the elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) in ultrathin cryosections of E. coli cells was determined with the electron microscope using a highly specific immunological labellin technique. EF-Tu is distributed almost homogeneously throughout the cytoplasm. Although it has often been

  3. Regulation of stem-cell mediated host immunity by the sphingolipid ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Regulation of stem-cell mediated host immunity by the sphingolipid pathway ... in the generation of mature immune cells and the functioning of the surrounding ... methods with human cells and genetically engineered mice to examine how the ...

  4. Host-Polarized Cell Growth in Animal Symbionts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pende, Nika; Wang, Jinglan; Weber, Philipp M; Verheul, Jolanda; Kuru, Erkin; Rittmann, Simon K-M R; Leisch, Nikolaus; VanNieuwenhze, Michael S; Brun, Yves V; den Blaauwen, Tanneke; Bulgheresi, Silvia

    2018-04-02

    To determine the fundamentals of cell growth, we must extend cell biological studies to non-model organisms. Here, we investigated the growth modes of the only two rods known to widen instead of elongating, Candidatus Thiosymbion oneisti and Thiosymbion hypermnestrae. These bacteria are attached by one pole to the surface of their respective nematode hosts. By incubating live Ca. T. oneisti and T. hypermnestrae with a peptidoglycan metabolic probe, we observed that the insertion of new cell wall starts at the poles and proceeds inward, concomitantly with FtsZ-based membrane constriction. Remarkably, in Ca. T. hypermnestrae, the proximal, animal-attached pole grows before the distal, free pole, indicating that the peptidoglycan synthesis machinery is host oriented. Immunostaining of the symbionts with an antibody against the actin homolog MreB revealed that it was arranged medially-that is, parallel to the cell long axis-throughout the symbiont life cycle. Given that depolymerization of MreB abolished newly synthesized peptidoglycan insertion and impaired divisome assembly, we conclude that MreB function is required for symbiont widening and division. In conclusion, our data invoke a reassessment of the localization and function of the bacterial actin homolog. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  5. Low Bioavailability and High Immunogenicity of a New Brand of E. coli l-Asparaginase with Active Host Contaminating Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Priscila Pini Zenatti

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The drug l-asparaginase is a cornerstone in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL. The native E. coli l-asparaginase used in Brazil until recently has been manufactured by Medac/Kyowa. Then a decision was taken by the Ministry of Health in 2017 to supply the National Health System with a cheaper alternative l-asparaginase manufactured by Beijing SL Pharmaceutical, called Leuginase®. As opposed to Medac, the asparaginase that has been in use in Brazil under the trade name of Aginasa®, it was not possible to find a single entry with the terms Leuginase in the Pubmed repository. The apparent lack of clinical studies and the scarcity of safety information provided to the hospitals by the drug distributor created a debate among Brazilian pediatric oncologists about issues of safety and efficacy that culminated eventually in a court decision to halt the distribution of the new drug all over the country. Boldrini Children's Center, a non-profit pediatric oncohematology hospital, has conducted its own evaluation of Leuginase®. Mass spectrometry analyses found at least 12 different contaminating host-cell proteins (HCP in Leuginase®. The presence of two HCP (beta-lactamase and malate dehydrogenase was confirmed by orthogonal methodologies. The relative number of HCP peptides ranged from 19 to 37% of the total peptides identified by mass spectrometry. In vivo studies in mice injected with Leuginase® revealed a 3 times lower plasma bioavailability and the development of higher antibody titres against l-asparaginase in comparison to Aginasa®-injected animals. The decision to buy a new drug based on its price alone is not safe. Developing countries are especially vulnerable to cheaper alternatives that lack solid quality assurance. Keywords: l-Asparaginase, Host contaminant proteins, Mass spectrometry, Bioavailability, Immunogenicity

  6. Role of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Virulence Factors in Development of Urinary Tract Infection and Kidney Damage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bien, Justyna; Sokolova, Olga; Bozko, Przemyslaw

    2012-01-01

    Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is a causative agent in the vast majority of urinary tract infections (UTIs), including cystitis and pyelonephritis, and infectious complications, which may result in acute renal failure in healthy individuals as well as in renal transplant patients. UPEC expresses a multitude of virulence factors to break the inertia of the mucosal barrier. In response to the breach by UPEC into the normally sterile urinary tract, host inflammatory responses are triggered leading to cytokine production, neutrophil influx, and the exfoliation of infected bladder epithelial cells. Several signaling pathways activated during UPEC infection, including the pathways known to activate the innate immune response, interact with calcium-dependent signaling pathways. Some UPEC isolates, however, might possess strategies to delay or suppress the activation of components of the innate host response in the urinary tract. Studies published in the recent past provide new information regarding how virulence factors of uropathogenic E. coli are involved in activation of the innate host response. Despite numerous host defense mechanisms, UPEC can persist within the urinary tract and may serve as a reservoir for recurrent infections and serious complications. Presentation of the molecular details of these events is essential for development of successful strategies for prevention of human UTIs and urological complications associated with UTIs. PMID:22506110

  7. Selfish restriction modification genes: resistance of a resident R/M plasmid to displacement by an incompatible plasmid mediated by host killing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naito, Y; Naito, T; Kobayashi, I

    1998-01-01

    Previous work from this laboratory demonstrated that plasmids carrying a type II restriction-modification gene complex are not easily lost from their bacterial host because plasmid-free segregant cells are killed through chromosome cleavage. Here, we have followed the course of events that takes place when an Escherichia coli rec BC sbcA strain carrying a plasmid coding for the PaeR7I restriction-modification (R/M) gene complex is transformed by a plasmid with an identical origin of replication. The number of transformants that appeared was far fewer than with the restriction-minus (r-) control. Most of the transformants were very small. After prolonged incubation, the number and the size of the colonies increased, but this increase never attained the level of the r- control. Most of the transformed colonies retained the drug-resistance of the resident, r+ m+ plasmid. These results indicate that post-segregational host killing occurs when a plasmid bearing an R/M gene complex is displaced by an incompatible plasmid. Such cell killing eliminates the competitor plasmid along with the host and, thus, would allow persistence of the R/M plasmid in the neighboring, clonal host cells in nature. This phenomenon is reminiscent of mammalian apoptosis and other forms of altruistic cell death strategy against infection. This type of resistance to displacement was also studied in a wild type Escherichia coli strain that was normal for homologous recombination (rec+). A number of differences between the recBC sbcA strain and the rec+ strain were observed and these will be discussed.

  8. RNAi screen reveals host cell kinases specifically involved in Listeria monocytogenes spread from cell to cell.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan Chong

    Full Text Available Intracellular bacterial pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes and Rickettsia conorii display actin-based motility in the cytosol of infected cells and spread from cell to cell through the formation of membrane protrusions at the cell cortex. Whereas the mechanisms supporting cytosolic actin-based motility are fairly well understood, it is unclear whether specific host factors may be required for supporting the formation and resolution of membrane protrusions. To address this gap in knowledge, we have developed high-throughput fluorescence microscopy and computer-assisted image analysis procedures to quantify pathogen spread in human epithelial cells. We used the approach to screen a siRNA library covering the human kinome and identified 7 candidate kinases whose depletion led to severe spreading defects in cells infected with L. monocytogenes. We conducted systematic validation procedures with redundant silencing reagents and confirmed the involvement of the serine/threonine kinases, CSNK1A1 and CSNK2B. We conducted secondary assays showing that, in contrast with the situation observed in CSNK2B-depleted cells, L. monocytogenes formed wild-type cytosolic tails and displayed wild-type actin-based motility in the cytosol of CSNK1A1-depleted cells. Furthermore, we developed a protrusion formation assay and showed that the spreading defect observed in CSNK1A1-depleted cells correlated with the formation of protrusion that did not resolve into double-membrane vacuoles. Moreover, we developed sending and receiving cell-specific RNAi procedures and showed that CSNK1A was required in the sending cells, but was dispensable in the receiving cells, for protrusion resolution. Finally, we showed that the observed defects were specific to Listeria monocytogenes, as Rickettsia conorii displayed wild-type cell-to-cell spread in CSNK1A1- and CSNK2B-depleted cells. We conclude that, in addition to the specific host factors supporting cytosolic actin

  9. Adhesion to the host cell surface is sufficient to mediate Listeria monocytogenes entry into epithelial cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortega, Fabian E.; Rengarajan, Michelle; Chavez, Natalie; Radhakrishnan, Prathima; Gloerich, Martijn; Bianchini, Julie; Siemers, Kathleen; Luckett, William S.; Lauer, Peter; Nelson, W. James; Theriot, Julie A.

    2017-01-01

    The intestinal epithelium is the first physiological barrier breached by the Gram-positive facultative pathogen Listeria monocytogenes during an in vivo infection. Listeria monocytogenes binds to the epithelial host cell receptor E-cadherin, which mediates a physical link between the bacterium and filamentous actin (F-actin). However, the importance of anchoring the bacterium to F-actin through E-cadherin for bacterial invasion has not been tested directly in epithelial cells. Here we demonstrate that depleting αE-catenin, which indirectly links E-cadherin to F-actin, did not decrease L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells in tissue culture. Instead, invasion increased due to increased bacterial adhesion to epithelial monolayers with compromised cell–cell junctions. Furthermore, expression of a mutant E-cadherin lacking the intracellular domain was sufficient for efficient L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells. Importantly, direct biotin-mediated binding of bacteria to surface lipids in the plasma membrane of host epithelial cells was sufficient for uptake. Our results indicate that the only requirement for L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells is adhesion to the host cell surface, and that E-cadherin–mediated coupling of the bacterium to F-actin is not required. PMID:28877987

  10. Optimization of the Expression of DT386-BR2 Fusion Protein in Escherichia coli using Response Surface Methodology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shafiee, Fatemeh; Rabbani, Mohammad; Jahanian-Najafabadi, Ali

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the best condition for the production of DT386-BR2 fusion protein, an immunotoxin consisting of catalytic and translocation domains of diphtheria toxin fused to BR2, a cancer specific cell penetrating peptide, for targeted eradication of cancer cells, in terms of the host, cultivation condition, and culture medium. Recombinant pET28a vector containing the codons optimized for the expression of the DT386-BR2 gene was transformed to different strains of Escherichia coli ( E. coli BL21 DE3, E. coli Rosetta DE3 and E. coli Rosetta-gami 2 DE3), followed by the induction of expression using 1 mM IPTG. Then, the strain with the highest ability to produce recombinant protein was selected and used to determine the best expression condition using response surface methodology (RSM). Finally, the best culture medium was selected. Densitometry analysis of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the expressed fusion protein showed that E. coli Rosetta DE3 produced the highest amounts of the recombinant fusion protein when quantified by 1 mg/ml bovine serum albumin (178.07 μg/ml). Results of RSM also showed the best condition for the production of the recombinant fusion protein was induction with 1 mM IPTG for 2 h at 37°C. Finally, it was established that terrific broth could produce higher amounts of the fusion protein when compared to other culture media. In this study, we expressed the recombinant DT386-BR2 fusion protein in large amounts by optimizing the expression host, cultivation condition, and culture medium. This fusion protein will be subjected to purification and evaluation of its cytotoxic effects in future studies.

  11. Optimization of the Expression of DT386-BR2 Fusion Protein in Escherichia coli using Response Surface Methodology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatemeh Shafiee

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The aim of this study was to determine the best condition for the production of DT386-BR2 fusion protein, an immunotoxin consisting of catalytic and translocation domains of diphtheria toxin fused to BR2, a cancer specific cell penetrating peptide, for targeted eradication of cancer cells, in terms of the host, cultivation condition, and culture medium. Materials and Methods: Recombinant pET28a vector containing the codons optimized for the expression of the DT386-BR2 gene was transformed to different strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli BL21 DE3, E. coli Rosetta DE3 and E. coli Rosetta-gami 2 DE3, followed by the induction of expression using 1 mM IPTG. Then, the strain with the highest ability to produce recombinant protein was selected and used to determine the best expression condition using response surface methodology (RSM. Finally, the best culture medium was selected. Results: Densitometry analysis of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the expressed fusion protein showed that E. coli Rosetta DE3 produced the highest amounts of the recombinant fusion protein when quantified by 1 mg/ml bovine serum albumin (178.07 μg/ml. Results of RSM also showed the best condition for the production of the recombinant fusion protein was induction with 1 mM IPTG for 2 h at 37°C. Finally, it was established that terrific broth could produce higher amounts of the fusion protein when compared to other culture media. Conclusion: In this study, we expressed the recombinant DT386-BR2 fusion protein in large amounts by optimizing the expression host, cultivation condition, and culture medium. This fusion protein will be subjected to purification and evaluation of its cytotoxic effects in future studies.

  12. Insect Cells as Hosts for Recombinat Proteins

    OpenAIRE

    Murwani, Retno

    1997-01-01

    Since the development of recombinant baculovirus expression system, insect cell culture has rapidly gain popularity as the method of choice for production of a variety of biologically active proteins. Up to date tens of recombinant protein have been produced by this method commercially or non-commercially and have been widely used for research. This review describes the basic concept of baculovirus expression vector and the use of insect cells as host for recombinant proteins. Examples of the...

  13. Dynamic Quantification of Host Schwann Cell Migration into Peripheral Nerve Allografts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitlock, Elizabeth L.; Myckatyn, Terence M.; Tong, Alice Y.; Yee, Andrew; Yan, Ying; Magill, Christina K.; Johnson, Philip J.; Mackinnon, Susan E.

    2010-01-01

    Host Schwann cell (SC) migration into nerve allografts is the limiting factor in the duration of immunosuppression following peripheral nerve allotransplantation, and may be affected by different immunosuppressive regimens. Our objective was to compare SC migration patterns between clinical and experimental immunosuppression regimens both over time and at the harvest endpoint. Eighty mice that express GFP under the control of the Schwann cell specific S100 promoter were engrafted with allogeneic, nonfluorescent sciatic nerve grafts. Mice received immunosuppression with either tacrolimus (FK506), or experimental T-cell triple costimulation blockade (CSB), consisting of CTLA4-immunoglobulin fusion protein, anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody, and anti-inducible costimulator monoclonal antibody. Migration of GFP-expressing host SCs into wild-type allografts was assessed in vivo every 3 weeks until 15 weeks postoperatively, and explanted allografts were evaluated for immunohistochemical staining patterns to differentiate graft from host SCs. Immunosuppression with tacrolimus exhibited a plateau of SC migration, characterized by significant early migration (< 3 weeks) followed by a constant level of host SCs in the graft (15 weeks). At the endpoint, graft fluorescence was decreased relative to surrounding host nerve, and donor SCs persisted within the graft. CSB-treated mice displayed gradually increasing migration of host SCs into the graft, without the plateau noted in tacrolimus-treated mice, and also maintained a population of donor SCs at the 15-week endpoint. SC migration patterns are affected by immunosuppressant choice, particularly in the immediate postoperative period, and the use of a single treatment of CSB may allow for gradual population of nerve allografts with host SCs. PMID:20633557

  14. The perfect host: a mouse host embryo facilitating more efficient germ line transmission of genetically modified embryonic stem cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert A Taft

    Full Text Available There is a continual need to improve efficiency in creating precise genetic modifications in mice using embryonic stem cells (ESCs. We describe a novel approach resulting in 100% germline transmission from competent injected ESCs. We developed an F1 mouse host embryo (Perfect Host, PH that selectively ablates its own germ cells via tissue-specific induction of diphtheria toxin. This approach allows competent microinjected ESCs to fully dominate the germline, eliminating competition for this critical niche in the developing and adult animal. This is in contrast to conventional methods, where competition from host germ cells results in offspring derived from host cells and ESCs, necessitating extensive breeding of chimeras and genotyping to identify germline. The germline transmission process is also complicated by variability in the actual number of ESCs that colonize the germline niche and the proportion that are germline competent. To validate the PH approach we used ESC lines derived from 129 F1, BALB/cByJ, and BTBR backgrounds as well as an iPS line. Resulting chimeric males produced 194 offspring, all paternally derived from the introduced stem cells, with no offspring being derived from the host genome. We further tested this approach using eleven genetically modified C57BL/6N ESC lines (International Knockout Mouse Consortium. ESC germline transmission was observed in 9/11 (82% lines using PH blastocysts, compared to 6/11 (55% when conventional host blastocysts were used. Furthermore, less than 35% (83/240 of mice born in the first litters from conventional chimeras were confirmed to be of ESC-origin. By comparison, 100% (137/137 of the first litter offspring of PH chimeras were confirmed as ESC-derived. Together, these data demonstrate that the PH approach increases the probability of germline transmission and speeds the generation of ESC derived animals from chimeras. Collectively, this approach reduces the time and costs inherent in the

  15. Survival and evolution of a large multidrug resistance plasmid in new clinical bacterial hosts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Porse, Andreas; Schønning, Kristian; Munck, Christian

    2016-01-01

    sequencing to show that the long-term persistence and molecular integrity of the plasmid is highly influenced by multiple factors within a 25 kb plasmid region constituting a host-dependent burden. In the E. coli hosts investigated here, improved plasmid stability readily evolves via IS26 mediated deletions...... consistently followed by all evolved E. coli lineages exposes a trade-off between horizontal and vertical transmission that may ultimately limit the dissemination potential of clinical multidrug resistance plasmids in these hosts....

  16. The cytotoxic type 3 secretion system 1 of Vibrio rewires host gene expression to subvert cell death and activate cell survival pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Nisco, Nicole J; Kanchwala, Mohammed; Li, Peng; Fernandez, Jessie; Xing, Chao; Orth, Kim

    2017-05-16

    Bacterial effectors potently manipulate host signaling pathways. The marine bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus ( V. para ) delivers effectors into host cells through two type 3 secretion systems (T3SSs). T3SS1 is vital for V. para survival in the environment, whereas T3SS2 causes acute gastroenteritis in human hosts. Although the natural host is undefined, T3SS1 effectors attack highly conserved cellular processes and pathways to orchestrate nonapoptotic cell death. To understand how the concerted action of T3SS1 effectors globally affects host cell signaling, we compared gene expression changes over time in primary fibroblasts infected with V. para that have a functional T3SS1 (T3SS1 + ) to those in cells infected with V. para lacking T3SS1 (T3SS1 - ). Overall, the host transcriptional response to both T3SS1 + and T3SS1 - V. para was rapid, robust, and temporally dynamic. T3SS1 rewired host gene expression by specifically altering the expression of 398 genes. Although T3SS1 effectors targeted host cells at the posttranslational level to cause cytotoxicity, V. para T3SS1 also precipitated a host transcriptional response that initially activated cell survival and repressed cell death networks. The increased expression of several key prosurvival transcripts mediated by T3SS1 depended on a host signaling pathway that is silenced posttranslationally later in infection. Together, our analysis reveals a complex interplay between the roles of T3SS1 as both a transcriptional and posttranslational manipulator of host cell signaling. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  17. Exposure to Sub-lethal 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid Arrests Cell Division and Alters Cell Surface Properties in Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhat, Supriya V.; Kamencic, Belma; Körnig, André; Shahina, Zinnat; Dahms, Tanya E. S.

    2018-01-01

    Escherichia coli is a robust, easily adaptable and culturable bacterium in vitro, and a model bacterium for studying the impact of xenobiotics in the environment. We have used correlative atomic force – laser scanning confocal microscopy (AFM-LSCM) to characterize the mechanisms of cellular response to the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). One of the most extensively used herbicides world-wide, 2,4-D is known to cause hazardous effects in diverse non-target organisms. Sub-lethal concentrations of 2,4-D caused DNA damage in E. coli WM1074 during short exposure periods which increased significantly over time. In response to 2,4-D, FtsZ and FtsA relocalized within seconds, coinciding with the complete inhibition of cell septation and cell elongation. Exposure to 2,4-D also resulted in increased activation of the SOS response. Changes to cell division were accompanied by concomitant changes to surface roughness, elasticity and adhesion in a time-dependent manner. This is the first study describing the mechanistic details of 2,4-D at sub-lethal levels in bacteria. Our study suggests that 2,4-D arrests E. coli cell division within seconds after exposure by disrupting the divisome complex, facilitated by dissipation of membrane potential. Over longer exposures, 2,4-D causes filamentation as a result of an SOS response to oxidative stress induced DNA damage. PMID:29472899

  18. Virulence factors of Escherichia coli in relation to the importance of vaccination in pigs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniele Araujo Pereira

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC is the major cause of diarrhea in newborn and weaned pigs. Bacteria adhesion to the host cell is considered a specific phenomenon among fimbrial and non-fimbrial adhesins with their respective receptors on enterocytes. Enteric disorders are related with the fimbriae F4 (K88, F5 (K99, F6 (987P, F41, and F18. In addition to ETEC, another category of E. coli , porcine pathogenic E. coli (PEPEC,can cause diarrhea in pigs; it produces the porcine attaching and effacing-associated (Paa adhesin in, which is capable to cause a typical lesion known as an attaching and effacing (A/E lesion. Immunization of sows with adhesin is important to stimulate the production of antibodies and their subsequent transfer to piglets through colostrum. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the main impacts of enteric diseases caused by E. coli in swine production and to highlight the importance of continuing research on this bacterium to improve disease prevention through vaccination.

  19. A multivalent adsorption apparatus explains the broad host range of phage phi92: a comprehensive genomic and structural analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwarzer, David; Buettner, Falk F R; Browning, Christopher; Nazarov, Sergey; Rabsch, Wolfgang; Bethe, Andrea; Oberbeck, Astrid; Bowman, Valorie D; Stummeyer, Katharina; Mühlenhoff, Martina; Leiman, Petr G; Gerardy-Schahn, Rita

    2012-10-01

    Bacteriophage phi92 is a large, lytic myovirus isolated in 1983 from pathogenic Escherichia coli strains that carry a polysialic acid capsule. Here we report the genome organization of phi92, the cryoelectron microscopy reconstruction of its virion, and the reinvestigation of its host specificity. The genome consists of a linear, double-stranded 148,612-bp DNA sequence containing 248 potential open reading frames and 11 putative tRNA genes. Orthologs were found for 130 of the predicted proteins. Most of the virion proteins showed significant sequence similarities to proteins of myoviruses rv5 and PVP-SE1, indicating that phi92 is a new member of the novel genus of rv5-like phages. Reinvestigation of phi92 host specificity showed that the host range is not limited to polysialic acid-encapsulated Escherichia coli but includes most laboratory strains of Escherichia coli and many Salmonella strains. Structure analysis of the phi92 virion demonstrated the presence of four different types of tail fibers and/or tailspikes, which enable the phage to use attachment sites on encapsulated and nonencapsulated bacteria. With this report, we provide the first detailed description of a multivalent, multispecies phage armed with a host cell adsorption apparatus resembling a nanosized Swiss army knife. The genome, structure, and, in particular, the organization of the baseplate of phi92 demonstrate how a bacteriophage can evolve into a multi-pathogen-killing agent.

  20. The chlamydial periplasmic stress response serine protease cHtrA is secreted into host cell cytosol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flores Rhonda

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The periplasmic High Temperature Requirement protein A (HtrA plays important roles in bacterial protein folding and stress responses. However, the role of chlamydial HtrA (cHtrA in chlamydial pathogenesis is not clear. Results The cHtrA was detected both inside and outside the chlamydial inclusions. The detection was specific since both polyclonal and monoclonal anti-cHtrA antibodies revealed similar intracellular labeling patterns that were only removed by absorption with cHtrA but not control fusion proteins. In a Western blot assay, the anti-cHtrA antibodies detected the endogenous cHtrA in Chlamydia-infected cells without cross-reacting with any other chlamydial or host cell antigens. Fractionation of the infected cells revealed cHtrA in the host cell cytosol fraction. The periplasmic cHtrA protein appeared to be actively secreted into host cell cytosol since no other chlamydial periplasmic proteins were detected in the host cell cytoplasm. Most chlamydial species secreted cHtrA into host cell cytosol and the secretion was not inhibitable by a type III secretion inhibitor. Conclusion Since it is hypothesized that chlamydial organisms possess a proteolysis strategy to manipulate host cell signaling pathways, secretion of the serine protease cHtrA into host cell cytosol suggests that the periplasmic cHtrA may also play an important role in chlamydial interactions with host cells.

  1. A host defense mechanism involving CFTR-mediated bicarbonate secretion in bacterial prostatitis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Xie

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Prostatitis is associated with a characteristic increase in prostatic fluid pH; however, the underlying mechanism and its physiological significance have not been elucidated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study a primary culture of rat prostatic epithelial cells and a rat prostatitis model were used. Here we reported the involvement of CFTR, a cAMP-activated anion channel conducting both Cl(- and HCO(3(-, in mediating prostate HCO(3(- secretion and its possible role in bacterial killing. Upon Escherichia coli (E. coli-LPS challenge, the expression of CFTR and carbonic anhydrase II (CA II, along with several pro-inflammatory cytokines was up-regulated in the primary culture of rat prostate epithelial cells. Inhibiting CFTR function in vitro or in vivo resulted in reduced bacterial killing by prostate epithelial cells or the prostate. High HCO(3(- content (>50 mM, rather than alkaline pH, was found to be responsible for bacterial killing. The direct action of HCO(3(- on bacterial killing was confirmed by its ability to increase cAMP production and suppress bacterial initiation factors in E. coli. The relevance of the CFTR-mediated HCO(3(- secretion in humans was demonstrated by the upregulated expression of CFTR and CAII in human prostatitis tissues. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The CFTR and its mediated HCO(3(- secretion may be up-regulated in prostatitis as a host defense mechanism.

  2. The cytoskeleton in cell-autonomous immunity: structural determinants of host defence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mostowy, Serge; Shenoy, Avinash R.

    2016-01-01

    Host cells use antimicrobial proteins, pathogen-restrictive compartmentalization and cell death in their defence against intracellular pathogens. Recent work has revealed that four components of the cytoskeleton — actin, microtubules, intermediate filaments and septins, which are well known for their roles in cell division, shape and movement — have important functions in innate immunity and cellular self-defence. Investigations using cellular and animal models have shown that these cytoskeletal proteins are crucial for sensing bacteria and for mobilizing effector mechanisms to eliminate them. In this Review, we highlight the emerging roles of the cytoskeleton as a structural determinant of cell-autonomous host defence. PMID:26292640

  3. Host Cell Responses to Persistent Mycoplasmas - Different Stages in Infection of HeLa Cells with Mycoplasma hominis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopfe, Miriam; Deenen, René; Degrandi, Daniel; Köhrer, Karl; Henrich, Birgit

    2013-01-01

    Mycoplasma hominis is a facultative human pathogen primarily associated with bacterial vaginosis and pelvic inflammatory disease, but it is also able to spread to other sites, leading to arthritis or, in neonates, meningitis. With a minimal set of 537 annotated genes, M. hominis is the second smallest self-replicating mycoplasma and thus an ideal model organism for studying the effects of an infectious agent on its host more closely. M. hominis adherence, colonisation and invasion of HeLa cells were characterised in a time-course study using scanning electron microscopy, confocal microscopy and microarray-based analysis of the HeLa cell transcriptome. At 4 h post infection, cytoadherence of M. hominis to the HeLa cell surface was accompanied by differential regulation of 723 host genes (>2 fold change in expression). Genes associated with immune responses and signal transduction pathways were mainly affected and components involved in cell-cycle regulation, growth and death were highly upregulated. At 48 h post infection, when mycoplasma invasion started, 1588 host genes were differentially expressed and expression of genes for lysosome-specific proteins associated with bacterial lysis was detected. In a chronically infected HeLa cell line (2 weeks), the proportion of intracellular mycoplasmas reached a maximum of 10% and M. hominis-filled protrusions of the host cell membrane were seen by confocal microscopy, suggesting exocytotic dissemination. Of the 1972 regulated host genes, components of the ECM-receptor interaction pathway and phagosome-related integrins were markedly increased. The immune response was quite different to that at the beginning of infection, with a prominent induction of IL1B gene expression, affecting pathways of MAPK signalling, and genes connected with cytokine-cytokine interactions and apoptosis. These data show for the first time the complex, time-dependent reaction of the host directed at mycoplasmal clearance and the counter measures of

  4. Silver nanoparticle-E. coli colloidal interaction in water and effect on E. coli survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dror-Ehre, A; Mamane, H; Belenkova, T; Markovich, G; Adin, A

    2009-11-15

    Silver nanoparticles exhibit antibacterial properties via bacterial inactivation and growth inhibition. The mechanism is not yet completely understood. This work was aimed at elucidating the effect of silver nanoparticles on inactivation of Escherichia coli, by studying particle-particle interactions in aqueous suspensions. Stable, molecularly capped, positively or negatively charged silver nanoparticles were mixed at 1 to 60microgmL(-1) with suspended E. coli cells to examine their effect on inactivation of the bacteria. Gold nanoparticles with the same surfactant were used as a control, being of similar size but made up of a presumably inert metal. Log reduction of 5log(10) and complete inactivation were obtained with the silver nanoparticles while the gold nanoparticles did not show any inactivation ability. The effect of molecularly capped nanoparticles on E. coli survival was dependent on particle number. Log reduction of E. coli was associated with the ratio between the number of nanoparticles and the initial bacterial cell count. Electrostatic attraction or repulsion mechanisms in silver nanoparticle-E. coli cell interactions did not contribute to the inactivation process.

  5. Thioredoxin from Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holmgren, A.; Ohlsson, I.; Grankvist, M.L.

    1978-01-01

    A competition radioimmunoassay for Escherichia coli thioredoxin using 125 I-labeled thioredoxin-S 2 and a double antibody technique was developed. The method permits determination of picomole amounts of thioredoxin in crude cell extracts and was used to study the localization of thioredoxin cell fractions. E. coli B was calculated to have approximately 10,000 copies of thioredoxin per cell mainly located in the soluble fraction after separation of the membrane and soluble fractions by gentle lysis and centrifugation. E. coli B tsnC mutants which are defective in the replication of phage T7 DNA in vivo and in vitro were examined for their content of thioredoxin. E. coli B tsnC 7004 contained no detectable level of thioredoxin in cell-free extracts examined under a variety of conditions. The results strongly suggest that tsnC 7004 is a nonsense or deletion mutant. Two other E. coli tsnC mutants, 7007 and 7008, contained detectable levels of thioredoxin in crude extracts as measured by thioredoxin reductase and gave similar immunoprecipitation reactions as the parent strain B/1. By radioimmunoassay incompletely cross-reacting material was present in both strains. These results show that tsnC 7007 and 7008 belong to a type of thioredoxin mutants with missence mutations in the thioredoxin gene affecting the function of thioredoxin as subunit in phage T7 DNA polymerase

  6. Expression of maize prolamins in Escherichia Coli. [Zea mays L

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Szu-zhen; Esen, Asim

    1985-12-02

    A cDNA expression library of developing corn (Zea mays L.) endosperm has been constructed using plasmid pUC8 as vector and Escherichia coli strain DH1 as host. The expression library was screened with non-radioactive immunological probes to detect the expression of gamma-zein and alpha-zein. When anti-gamma-zein antibody was used as the probe, 23 colonies gave positive reactions. The lengths of cDNA inserts of the 23 colonies were found to be 250-900 base pairs. When anti-alpha zein antibody was used, however, fewer colonies gave positive reactions. The library was also screened by colony-hybridization with /sup 32/P-labeled DNA probes. Based on immunological and hybridization screening of the library and other evidence, it was conclude that alpha-zein was either toxic to E. coli cells or rapidly degraded whereas gamma-zein and its fragments were readily expressed. 21 references.

  7. Bacteria modulate the CD8+ T cell epitope repertoire of host cytosol-exposed proteins to manipulate the host immune response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaakov Maman

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available The main adaptive immune response to bacteria is mediated by B cells and CD4+ T-cells. However, some bacterial proteins reach the cytosol of host cells and are exposed to the host CD8+ T-cells response. Both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria can translocate proteins to the cytosol through type III and IV secretion and ESX-1 systems, respectively. The translocated proteins are often essential for the bacterium survival. Once injected, these proteins can be degraded and presented on MHC-I molecules to CD8+ T-cells. The CD8+ T-cells, in turn, can induce cell death and destroy the bacteria's habitat. In viruses, escape mutations arise to avoid this detection. The accumulation of escape mutations in bacteria has never been systematically studied. We show for the first time that such mutations are systematically present in most bacteria tested. We combine multiple bioinformatic algorithms to compute CD8+ T-cell epitope libraries of bacteria with secretion systems that translocate proteins to the host cytosol. In all bacteria tested, proteins not translocated to the cytosol show no escape mutations in their CD8+ T-cell epitopes. However, proteins translocated to the cytosol show clear escape mutations and have low epitope densities for most tested HLA alleles. The low epitope densities suggest that bacteria, like viruses, are evolutionarily selected to ensure their survival in the presence of CD8+ T-cells. In contrast with most other translocated proteins examined, Pseudomonas aeruginosa's ExoU, which ultimately induces host cell death, was found to have high epitope density. This finding suggests a novel mechanism for the manipulation of CD8+ T-cells by pathogens. The ExoU effector may have evolved to maintain high epitope density enabling it to efficiently induce CD8+ T-cell mediated cell death. These results were tested using multiple epitope prediction algorithms, and were found to be consistent for most proteins tested.

  8. Characterisation of Commensal Escherichia coli Isolated from Apparently Healthy Cattle and Their Attendants in Tanzania.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balichene P Madoshi

    Full Text Available While pathogenic types of Escherichia coli are well characterized, relatively little is known about the commensal E. coli flora. In the current study, antimicrobial resistance in commensal E. coli and distribution of ERIC-PCR genotypes among isolates of such bacteria from cattle and cattle attendants on cattle farms in Tanzania were investigated. Seventeen E. coli genomes representing different ERIC-PCR types of commensal E. coli were sequenced in order to determine their possible importance as a reservoir for both antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence factors. Both human and cattle isolates were highly resistant to tetracycline (40.8% and 33.1%, sulphamethazole-trimethoprim (49.0% and 8.8% and ampicillin (44.9% and 21.3%. However, higher proportion of resistant E. coli and higher frequency of resistance to more than two antimicrobials was found in isolates from cattle attendants than isolates from cattle. Sixteen out of 66 ERIC-PCR genotypes were shared between the two hosts, and among these ones, seven types contained isolates from cattle and cattle attendants from the same farm, suggesting transfer of strains between hosts. Genome-wide analysis showed that the majority of the sequenced cattle isolates were assigned to phylogroups B1, while human isolates represented phylogroups A, C, D and E. In general, in silico resistome and virulence factor identification did not reveal differences between hosts or phylogroups, except for lpfA and iss found to be cattle and B1 phylogroup specific. The most frequent plasmids replicon genes found in strains from both hosts were of IncF type, which are commonly associated with carriage of antimicrobial and virulence genes. Commensal E. coli from cattle and attendants were found to share same genotypes and to carry antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes associated with both intra and extraintestinal E. coli pathotypes.

  9. Coxiella burnetii Nine Mile II proteins modulate gene expression of monocytic host cells during infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaw Edward I

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Coxiella burnetii is an intracellular bacterial pathogen that causes acute and chronic disease in humans. Bacterial replication occurs within enlarged parasitophorous vacuoles (PV of eukaryotic cells, the biogenesis and maintenance of which is dependent on C. burnetii protein synthesis. These observations suggest that C. burnetii actively subverts host cell processes, however little is known about the cellular biology mechanisms manipulated by the pathogen during infection. Here, we examined host cell gene expression changes specifically induced by C. burnetii proteins during infection. Results We have identified 36 host cell genes that are specifically regulated when de novo C. burnetii protein synthesis occurs during infection using comparative microarray analysis. Two parallel sets of infected and uninfected THP-1 cells were grown for 48 h followed by the addition of chloramphenicol (CAM to 10 μg/ml in one set. Total RNA was harvested at 72 hpi from all conditions, and microarrays performed using Phalanx Human OneArray™ slides. A total of 784 (mock treated and 901 (CAM treated THP-1 genes were up or down regulated ≥2 fold in the C. burnetii infected vs. uninfected cell sets, respectively. Comparisons between the complementary data sets (using >0 fold, eliminated the common gene expression changes. A stringent comparison (≥2 fold between the separate microarrays revealed 36 host cell genes modulated by C. burnetii protein synthesis. Ontological analysis of these genes identified the innate immune response, cell death and proliferation, vesicle trafficking and development, lipid homeostasis, and cytoskeletal organization as predominant cellular functions modulated by C. burnetii protein synthesis. Conclusions Collectively, these data indicate that C. burnetii proteins actively regulate the expression of specific host cell genes and pathways. This is in addition to host cell genes that respond to the presence of the

  10. Inhibition of spontaneous induction of lambdoid prophages in Escherichia coli cultures: simple procedures with possible biotechnological applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wrobel Borys

    2001-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Infections of bacterial cultures by bacteriophages are serious problems in biotechnological laboratories. Apart from such infections, prophage induction in the host cells may also be dangerous. Escherichia coli is a commonly used host in biotechnological production, and many laboratory strains of this bacterium harbour lambdoid prophages. These prophages may be induced under certain conditions leading to phage lytic development. This is fatal for further cultivations as relatively low, though still significant, numbers of phages may be overlooked. Thus, subsequent cultures of non-lysogenic strains may be infected and destroyed by such phage. Results Here we report that slow growth of bacteria decreases deleterious effects of spontaneous lambdoid prophage induction. Moreover, replacement of glucose with glycerol in a medium stimulates lysogenic development of the phage after infection of E. coli cells. A plasmid was constructed overexpressing the phage 434 cI gene, coding for the repressor of phage promoters which are necessary for lytic development. Overproduction of the cI repressor abolished spontaneous induction of the λimm434 prophage. Conclusions Simple procedures that alleviate problems with spontaneous induction of lambdoid prophage and subsequent infection of E. coli strains by these phages are described. Low bacterial growth rate, replacement of glucose with glycerol in a medium and overproduction of the cI repressor minimise the risk of prophage induction during cultivation of lysogenic bacteria and subsequent infection of other bacterial strains.

  11. Reductone effect on UV-irradiated starved E. coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Felzenszwalb, I.; Gomes, R.A.

    1982-01-01

    A starvation-induced resistence enhancement (SIRE) to UV and reductone treatments was observed in repair-profient E. coli cells. The UV-reductone positive interaction, which is possibly related to excision repair mechanisms, was not modified by prestarvation when all cells in culture had completed their round of DNA replication. In irradiated prestarved reductone-treated cells, a decrease in the DNA degradation rate was detected after the removal of reductone and the induction of a lower number of DNA single-strand breaks. The induction kinectics of DNA single-strand breaks in prestarved UV-irradiated and the repair kinetics of these lesions are slower than in non-starved cells. The resistance enhancement demonstrated under these conditions could be justified either by the generation of fewer doubles strand breaks during repair or by the possibility of repair of these lesions. (Author) [pt

  12. Further studies on a temperature-sensitive mutant of Escherichia coli with defective repair capacity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morfiadakis, I.; Geissler, E.; Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR, Berlin. Zentralinstitut fuer Molekularbiologie)

    1981-01-01

    A temperature-sensitive mutant of E. coli, WG24, was studied with respect to its sensitivity to photodynamic action, its capacity to perform host controlled reactivation, and its sensitivity to transduction at elevated temperatures. Mutant cells are much more sensitive than wild type cells to photodynamic action by thiopyronine and visible light at elevated temperatures. As well defined rec mutants, WG24 cells are less able to reactivate UV irradiated lambdac phages at elevated temperatures, while their ability to repair T1 phages is less impaired. Mutant cells cannot be transduced to T6 resistance at a detectable rate at elevated temperature. It is concluded, therefore, that some rec gene carries a ts mutation in this mutant. (author)

  13. Trichomonas vaginalis exosomes deliver cargo to host cells and mediate host∶parasite interactions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olivia Twu

    Full Text Available Trichomonas vaginalis is a common sexually transmitted parasite that colonizes the human urogential tract where it remains extracellular and adheres to epithelial cells. Infections range from asymptomatic to highly inflammatory, depending on the host and the parasite strain. Here, we use a combination of methodologies including cell fractionation, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, RNA, proteomic and cytokine analyses and cell adherence assays to examine pathogenic properties of T. vaginalis. We have found that T.vaginalis produces and secretes microvesicles with physical and biochemical properties similar to mammalian exosomes. The parasite-derived exosomes are characterized by the presence of RNA and core, conserved exosomal proteins as well as parasite-specific proteins. We demonstrate that T. vaginalis exosomes fuse with and deliver their contents to host cells and modulate host cell immune responses. Moreover, exosomes from highly adherent parasite strains increase the adherence of poorly adherent parasites to vaginal and prostate epithelial cells. In contrast, exosomes from poorly adherent strains had no measurable effect on parasite adherence. Exosomes from parasite strains that preferentially bind prostate cells increased binding of parasites to these cells relative to vaginal cells. In addition to establishing that parasite exosomes act to modulate host∶parasite interactions, these studies are the first to reveal a potential role for exosomes in promoting parasite∶parasite communication and host cell colonization.

  14. Multidrug resistant commensal Escherichia coli in animals and its impact for public health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ama eSzmolka

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available After the era of plentiful antibiotics we are alarmed by the increasing number of antibiotic resistant strains. The genetic flexibility and adaptability of E. coli to constantly changing environments allows to acquire a great number of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Commensal strains of E. coli as versatile residents of the lower intestine are also repeatedly challenged by antimicrobial pressures during the lifetime of their host. As a consequence, commensal strains acquire the respective resistance genes, and/or develop resistant mutants in order to survive and maintain microbial homeostasis in the lower intestinal tract. Thus, commensal E. coli strains are regarded as indicators of antimicrobial load on their hosts. This chapter provides a short historic background of the appearance and presumed origin and transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes in commensal intestinal E. coli of animals with comparative information on their pathogenic counterparts. The dynamics, development and ways of evolution of resistance in the E. coli populations differ according to hosts, resistance mechanisms and antimicrobial classes used. The most frequent tools of E. coli against a variety of antimicrobials are the efflux pumps and mobile resistance mechanisms carried by plasmids and/or other transferable elements. The emergence of hybrid plasmids (both resistance and virulence among E. coli is of further concern. Co-existence and co-transfer of these bad genes in this huge and most versatile in vivo compartment may represent an increased public health risk in the future. Significance of multidrug resistant (MDR commensal E. coli seem to be highest in the food animal industry, acting as reservoir for intra- and interspecific exchange and a source for spread of MDR determinants through contaminated food to humans. Thus, public health potential of MDR commensal E. coli of food animals can be a concern and needs monitoring and more molecular analysis in the

  15. Geographic variability of Escherichia coli ribotypes from animals in Idaho and Georgia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartel, Peter G; Summer, Jacob D; Hill, Jennifer L; Collins, J Victoria; Entry, James A; Segars, William I

    2002-01-01

    Several genotypic methods have been developed for determining the host origin of fecal bacteria in contaminated waters. Some of these methods rely on a host origin database to identify environmental isolates. It is not well understood to what degree these host origin isolates are geographically variable (i.e., cosmopolitan or endemic). This is important because a geographically limited host origin database may or may not be universally applicable. The objective of our study was to use one genotypic method, ribotyping, to determine the geographic variability of the fecal bacterium, Escherichia coli, from one location in Idaho and three locations in Georgia for cattle (Bos taurus), horse (Equus caballus), swine (Sus scrofa), and chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). A total of 568 fecal E. coli isolates from Kimberly, ID (125 isolates), Athens, GA (210 isolates), Brunswick, GA (102 isolates), and Tifton, GA (131 isolates), yielded 213 ribotypes. The percentage of ribotype sharing within an animal species increased with decreased distance between geographic locations for cattle and horses, but not for swine and chicken. When the E. coli ribotypes among the four host species were compared at one location, the percent of unshared ribotypes was 86, 89, 81, and 79% for Kimberly, Athens, Brunswick, and Tifton, respectively. These data suggest that there is good ribotype separation among host animal species at each location. The ability to match environmental isolates to a host origin database may depend on a large number of environmental and host origin isolates that ideally are not geographically separated.

  16. Regulatory T Cells and Host Anti-CML Responses

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Wong, Jr, K. K

    2008-01-01

    CD4+CD25+FoxP-3+ regulatory T-cells (Tregs) suppress immune responses to "self" antigens, but also have been shown to suppress host anti-tumor responses in several human malignancies, including breast, gastrointestinal, and ovarian cancer...

  17. Porphyromonas gingivalis as a Model Organism for Assessing Interaction of Anaerobic Bacteria with Host Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wunsch, Christopher M; Lewis, Janina P

    2015-12-17

    Anaerobic bacteria far outnumber aerobes in many human niches such as the gut, mouth, and vagina. Furthermore, anaerobic infections are common and frequently of indigenous origin. The ability of some anaerobic pathogens to invade human cells gives them adaptive measures to escape innate immunity as well as to modulate host cell behavior. However, ensuring that the anaerobic bacteria are live during experimental investigation of the events may pose challenges. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobe, is capable of invading a variety of eukaryotic non-phagocytic cells. This article outlines how to successfully culture and assess the ability of P. gingivalis to invade human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Two protocols were developed: one to measure bacteria that can successfully invade and survive within the host, and the other to visualize bacteria interacting with host cells. These techniques necessitate the use of an anaerobic chamber to supply P. gingivalis with an anaerobic environment for optimal growth. The first protocol is based on the antibiotic protection assay, which is largely used to study the invasion of host cells by bacteria. However, the antibiotic protection assay is limited; only intracellular bacteria that are culturable following antibiotic treatment and host cell lysis are measured. To assess all bacteria interacting with host cells, both live and dead, we developed a protocol that uses fluorescent microscopy to examine host-pathogen interaction. Bacteria are fluorescently labeled with 2',7'-Bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein acetoxymethyl ester (BCECF-AM) and used to infect eukaryotic cells under anaerobic conditions. Following fixing with paraformaldehyde and permeabilization with 0.2% Triton X-100, host cells are labeled with TRITC phalloidin and DAPI to label the cell cytoskeleton and nucleus, respectively. Multiple images taken at different focal points (Z-stack) are obtained for temporal

  18. Exploitation of the host cell ubiquitin machinery by microbial effector proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Yi-Han; Machner, Matthias P

    2017-06-15

    Pathogenic bacteria are in a constant battle for survival with their host. In order to gain a competitive edge, they employ a variety of sophisticated strategies that allow them to modify conserved host cell processes in ways that favor bacterial survival and growth. Ubiquitylation, the covalent attachment of the small modifier ubiquitin to target proteins, is such a pathway. Ubiquitylation profoundly alters the fate of a myriad of cellular proteins by inducing changes in their stability or function, subcellular localization or interaction with other proteins. Given the importance of ubiquitylation in cell development, protein homeostasis and innate immunity, it is not surprising that this post-translational modification is exploited by a variety of effector proteins from microbial pathogens. Here, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of the many ways microbes take advantage of host ubiquitylation, along with some surprising deviations from the canonical theme. The lessons learned from the in-depth analyses of these host-pathogen interactions provide a fresh perspective on an ancient post-translational modification that we thought was well understood.This article is part of a Minifocus on Ubiquitin Regulation and Function. For further reading, please see related articles: 'Mechanisms of regulation and diversification of deubiquitylating enzyme function' by Pawel Leznicki and Yogesh Kulathu ( J. Cell Sci. 130 , 1997-2006). 'Cell scientist to watch - Mads Gyrd-Hansen' ( J. Cell Sci. 130 , 1981-1983). © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  19. DNA sequence changes in mutation induced by ultraviolet light in the gpt gene on the chromosome of Escherichia coli uvr+ und uvrA cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sockett, H.; Romac, S.; Hutchinson, F.

    1991-01-01

    Sequence changes in mutations induced by ultraviolet light are reported for the chromosomal Escherichia coli gpt gene in almost isogenic E. coli uvr + and excision-deficient uvrA cells. Differences between the mutagenic spectra are ascribed to preferential removal of photoproducts in the transcribed strand by excision repair in uvr + cells. This conclusion is confirmed by analysis of published results for genes in both uvr + and uvr − cells, showing a similar selective removal of mutagenic products from the transcribed strand of the E. coli lacI gene and of the lambda phage cl repressor gene. Comparison of these data with published results for ultraviolet mutagenesis of gpt on a chromosome in Chinese hamster ovary cells showed that a mutagenic hot spot in mammalian cells is not present in E. coli; the possibility is suggested that the hot spot might arise from localized lack of excision repair. Otherwise, mutagenesis in hamster cells appeared similar to that in E. coli uvr + cells, except there appears to be a smaller fraction of single-base additions and deletions (frameshifts) in mammalian than in bacterial cells. Phenotypes of 6-thioguanine-resistant E. coli showed there is a gene (or genes) other than gpt involved in the utilization of thioguanine by bacteria

  20. Escherichia coli cell-free protein synthesis and isotope labeling of mammalian proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terada, Takaho; Yokoyama, Shigeyuki

    2015-01-01

    This chapter describes the cell-free protein synthesis method, using an Escherichia coli cell extract. This is a cost-effective method for milligram-scale protein production and is particularly useful for the production of mammalian proteins, protein complexes, and membrane proteins that are difficult to synthesize by recombinant expression methods, using E. coli and eukaryotic cells. By adjusting the conditions of the cell-free method, zinc-binding proteins, disulfide-bonded proteins, ligand-bound proteins, etc., may also be produced. Stable isotope labeling of proteins can be accomplished by the cell-free method, simply by using stable isotope-labeled amino acid(s) in the cell-free reaction. Moreover, the cell-free protein synthesis method facilitates the avoidance of stable isotope scrambling and dilution over the recombinant expression methods and is therefore advantageous for amino acid-selective stable isotope labeling. Site-specific stable isotope labeling is also possible with a tRNA molecule specific to the UAG codon. By the cell-free protein synthesis method, coupled transcription-translation is performed from a plasmid vector or a PCR-amplified DNA fragment encoding the protein. A milligram quantity of protein can be produced with a milliliter-scale reaction solution in the dialysis mode. More than a thousand solution structures have been determined by NMR spectroscopy for uniformly labeled samples of human and mouse functional domain proteins, produced by the cell-free method. Here, we describe the practical aspects of mammalian protein production by the cell-free method for NMR spectroscopy. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Taurine modulates neutrophil function but potentiates uropathogenic E. coli infection in the murine bladder.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Condron, Claire

    2010-08-01

    Eradication of a urinary tract infection (UTI) appears to be related to a number of innate host defence mechanisms and their interactions with invading bacteria. Recurrent UTIs (rUTIs) pose a difficult problem in that these bacteria use both host and bacterial factors to evade elimination. Neutrophil bactericidal function is depressed, both systemically and in urine, in patients with a history of recurrent UTI. Taurine is a semi-essential amino acid and is successful in preserving neutrophil bactericidal function in urine. Taurine may preserve neutrophil function at the urothelium and thus aid UTI resolution. Adult female (6 weeks old) C57Bl\\/6 mice were randomised into three groups: a saline gavage only control group, a saline gavage + E. coli group, and a taurine gavage + E. coli group [21 g\\/70 kg taurine in 0.9% normal saline (N\\/S) for 5 days]. Whilst taurine gavage pre-treatment resulted in increased serum neutrophils respiratory burst activity, at the urothelial-endothelial interface it caused higher colony forming units in the urine and a higher incidence of E. coli invasion in the bladder wall with no evidence of increased bladder wall neutrophils infiltration on MPO assay of histological assessment. Histologically there was also evidence of reduced bladder inflammation and urothelial cell apoptosis. In conclusion, taurine effectively increases neutrophils activity but given its anti-inflammatory properties, at the expense of decreased urothelial-endothelial activation thus preventing clearance of active E. coli infection in the bladder. Despite the negative results, this study demonstrates the importance of modulating interactions at the urothelial interface.

  2. Molecular photonic imaging of cancer using light-emitting e. coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jae Hyo; Min, Jung Joon; Moon, Sung Min; Kim, Hyun Ju; Hong, Yeong Jin; Choy, Hyon E.; Bom, Hee Seung; Jeong, Jae Ho; Cho, Kyoung Oh

    2005-01-01

    Cancer research has long sought a magic bullet that would selectively target and destroy malignant cells. In this study, we exploited that E. coli injected into tumor-bearing mice selectively target and proliferate in solid tumors by employing optical imaging technique. Lux operon or GFP has been cloned into pUC19 plasmid to engineer pUC19Lux or pUC19gfp which was transformed into varying kinds of wild type (MG1655) or mutant E.coli strains. For stable expression, lux operon was cloned with asd (aspartate β-semialdehyde dehydrogenase) gene and transformed into asd defective E. coli (MG1655asd-/asd+lux). These bacteria were i.v. injected into tumor mice or directly into central necrosis of tumor. The imaging signal from wild type E.coli was detected initially at liver (20min), then migrated to and shine in the tumor mass until 2 weeks of injection which was consistently observed in immuno-defective (nude) and -competent (Balb/c) mice. Imaging signal of stbaly transformed strain (MG1655asd-/asd+lux) was stronger and longer-lasting than that of transiently transformed strain (MG1655lux). Flagella defective E. coli strain failed to reach tumor loci. Only a few amounts of stress regulatory defective E. coli strain arrived at but couldn't survive at the tumor loci. E. coli colonies expressing GFP was mostly observed at the border of central necrosis and peripheral proliferative areas in immunofluorescence studies. Directly injected MG1655ad-/asd+lux was transiently observed at central necrosis followed by spreading to the peripheral tumor mass which was consistent with the finding by tail vein injection. We successfully engineered E. coli strain stably expressing lux reporter gene. E. coli strongly targeted solid tumor regardless of host immune status. Our results support that the targeting of tumor by E.coli is an active process and would be applied as a delivery vehicle of varying imaging markers or therapeutic molecules

  3. [Effect of eicosapentaenoic acid on mRNA expression of tight junction protein ZO-1 in intestinal epithelial cells after Escherichia coli LF82 infection].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Li-Jun; Lin, Yan; Zhang, Wei; Tian, Jiao; Wang, Ya; Chen, Peng-De; Hu, Chong-Kang; Zeng, Ling-Chao; Yang, Jie; Wang, Bao-Xi; Jiang, Xun

    2017-06-01

    To investigate the change in the expression of tight junction protein ZO-1 in intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2 cells) and the protective effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) after adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (E.coli) LF82 infection. The Caco-2 cell line was used to establish an in vitro model of tight junction of intestinal epithelial cells. Caco-2 cells were divided into EPA treatment groups (0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 μmol/L EPA) and EPA (0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 μmol/L EPA)+E.coli LF82 treatment (0, 6, and 12 hours) groups. A microscope was used to observe the morphological characteristics of the cells. MTT assay was used to determine the cell growth curve. The activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) at both sides of the cell membrane was compared to evaluate the Caco-2 cell model. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to investigate the effects of different concentrations of EPA on the survival rate and apoptosis rate of Caco-2 cells. RT-qPCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of ZO-1 in Caco-2 cells after EPA and/or E.coli LF82 treatment. ELISA was used to measure the change in the level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in culture supernatant. After EPA treatment (25 and 50 μmol/L), the proliferation of Caco-2 cells was induced in a dose-dependent manner. The survival rates of the cells were significantly higher than those in the control group (PE.coli LF82 treatment groups had decreasing mRNA expression of ZO-1 in Caco-2 cells over the time of treatment and had significantly lower mRNA expression of ZO-1 than the untreated group (PE.coli LF82 and 25 or 50 μmol/L EPA for 6 or 12 hours showed an increase in the mRNA expression of ZO-1 with the increasing concentration of EPA, as well as significantly higher mRNA expression of ZO-1 than the Caco-2 cells treated with E.coli LF82 alone (PE.coli LF82 alone for 6 or 12 hours had increasing secretion of TNF-α over the time of treatment and had significantly higher secretion than the untreated

  4. Receptor for the F4 fimbriae of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Pengpeng; Zou, Yajie; Wang, Yiting; Song, Yujie; Liu, Wei; Francis, David H; Zhu, Guoqiang

    2015-06-01

    Infection with F4(+) enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) responsible for diarrhea in neonatal and post-weaned piglets leads to great economic losses in the swine industry. These pathogenic bacteria express either of three fimbrial variants F4ab, F4ac, and F4ad, which have long been known for their importance in host infection and initiating protective immune responses. The initial step in infection for the bacterium is to adhere to host enterocytes through fimbriae-mediated recognition of receptors on the host cell surface. A number of receptors for ETEC F4 have now been described and characterized, but their functions are still poorly understood. The current review summarizes the latest research addressing the characteristics of F4 fimbriae receptors and the interactions of F4 fimbriae and their receptors on host cells. These include observations that as follows: (1) FaeG mediates the binding activities of F4 and is an essential component of the F4 fimbriae, (2) the F4 fimbrial receptor gene is located in a region of chromosome 13, (3) the biochemical properties of F4 fimbrial receptors that form the binding site of the bacterium are now recognized, and (4) specific receptors confer susceptibility/resistance to ETEC F4 infection in pigs. Characterizing the host-pathogen interaction will be crucial to understand the pathogenicity of the bacteria, provide insights into receptor activation of the innate immune system, and develop therapeutic strategies to prevent this illness.

  5. Nucleic acid and protein extraction from electropermeabilized E. coli cells on a microfluidic chip

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Matos, T.; Senkbeil, Silja; Mendonça, A.

    2013-01-01

    technique has been developed which is based on exposing E. coli cells to low voltages to allow extraction of nucleic acids and proteins. The flow-through electropermeability chip used consists of a microfluidic channel with integrated gold electrodes that promote cell envelope channel formation at low...

  6. Accurate Dna Assembly And Direct Genome Integration With Optimized Uracil Excision Cloning To Facilitate Engineering Of Escherichia Coli As A Cell Factory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cavaleiro, Mafalda; Kim, Se Hyeuk; Nørholm, Morten

    2015-01-01

    Plants produce a vast diversity of valuable compounds with medical properties, but these are often difficult to purify from the natural source or produce by organic synthesis. An alternative is to transfer the biosynthetic pathways to an efficient production host like the bacterium Escherichia co......-excision-based cloning and combining it with a genome-engineering approach to allow direct integration of whole metabolic pathways into the genome of E. coli, to facilitate the advanced engineering of cell factories........ Cloning and heterologous gene expression are major bottlenecks in the metabolic engineering field. We are working on standardizing DNA vector design processes to promote automation and collaborations in early phase metabolic engineering projects. Here, we focus on optimizing the already established uracil...

  7. Bacterial cell-cell communication in the host via RRNPP peptide-binding regulators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David ePerez-Pascual

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Human microbiomes are composed of complex and dense bacterial consortia. In these environments, bacteria are able to react quickly to change by coordinating their gene expression at the population level via small signaling molecules. In Gram-positive bacteria, cell-cell communication is mostly mediated by peptides that are released into the extracellular environment. Cell-cell communication based on these peptides is especially widespread in the group Firmicutes, in which they regulate a wide array of biological processes, including functions related to host-microbe interactions. Among the different agents of communication, the RRNPP family of cytoplasmic transcriptional regulators, together with their cognate re-internalized signaling peptides, represents a group of emerging importance. RRNPP members that have been studied so far are found mainly in species of bacilli, streptococci, and enterococci. These bacteria are characterized as both human commensal and pathogenic, and share different niches in the human body with other microorganisms. The goal of this mini-review is to present the current state of research on the biological relevance of RRNPP mechanisms in the context of the host, highlighting their specific roles in commensalism or virulence.

  8. Molecular mechanisms of Porphyromonas gingivalis-host cell interaction on periodontal diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masaaki Nakayama

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis is a major oral pathogen and associated with periodontal diseases including periodontitis and alveolar bone loss. In this review, we indicate that two virulence factors, which are hemoglobin receptor protein (HbR and cysteine proteases “gingipains”, expressed by P. gingivalis have novel functions on the pathogenicity of P. gingivalis. P. gingivalis produces three types of gingipains and concomitantly several adhesin domains. Among the adhesin domains, hemoglobin receptor protein (HbR, also called HGP15, has the function of induction of interleukin-8 (IL-8 expression in human gingival epithelial cells, indicating the possibility that HbR is associated with P. gingivalis-induced periodontal inflammation. On bacteria-host cells contact, P. gingivalis induces cellular signaling alteration in host cells. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K and Akt are well known to play a pivotal role in various cellular physiological functions including cell survival and glucose metabolism in mammalian cells. Recently, we demonstrated that gingipains attenuate the activity of PI3K and Akt, which might have a causal influence on periodontal diseases by chronic infection to the host cells from the speculation of molecular analysis. In this review, we discuss new molecular and biological characterization of the virulence factors from P. gingivalis.

  9. Sensibilization of escherichia coli cells by cholesterol incorporated into their membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Breslev, S.E.; Rozenberg, O.A.; Noskin, L.A.; Stepanova, I.M.; Beketova, A.G.; Loshakova, L.V.; Kovaleva, I.G.

    1984-01-01

    It has been established earlier that a level of cell radiosensitivity is defined by membrane viscosity changing in a wide temperature range. Therefore in epsilon coli cells of a natural type lethal doses of gamma rays are increased approximately a 3.5 times at 45 deg C, as compared to 4 deg C. Cholesterol changing a phase state of membrane lipids was used as a modifying factor. Liposomes were used with the goal of effective bacteria transfer to a membrane. It is established that liposomes without cholesterol do not affect their radioresistance and an increase of its content leads to resistance decrease. The effect is attained only at a sufficient long time of incubation of cells with liposomes (10-16 h). At 4 deg C lipids of E. coli membrane are in a solid-crystalline state independently on pholesterol presence, because of this, radiosensitivity does not change. Temperature increase up to 45 deg C transfer a part of lipids to a liquid-crystalline state, thus decreasing membrane viscosity. In this case cholesterol manifests itself. The authors explain viscosity increase with a violation in functioning of those enzyme systems, which activity is connected with membrane structural state, including enzymes of DNA repair. The authors assume that the radiosensibilization effect of cholesterol introduction into a bacterial membrane in high-temperature cell irradiation is explained by this phenomenon

  10. Dual analysis of the murine cytomegalovirus and host cell transcriptomes reveal new aspects of the virus-host cell interface.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanda Juranic Lisnic

    Full Text Available Major gaps in our knowledge of pathogen genes and how these gene products interact with host gene products to cause disease represent a major obstacle to progress in vaccine and antiviral drug development for the herpesviruses. To begin to bridge these gaps, we conducted a dual analysis of Murine Cytomegalovirus (MCMV and host cell transcriptomes during lytic infection. We analyzed the MCMV transcriptome during lytic infection using both classical cDNA cloning and sequencing of viral transcripts and next generation sequencing of transcripts (RNA-Seq. We also investigated the host transcriptome using RNA-Seq combined with differential gene expression analysis, biological pathway analysis, and gene ontology analysis. We identify numerous novel spliced and unspliced transcripts of MCMV. Unexpectedly, the most abundantly transcribed viral genes are of unknown function. We found that the most abundant viral transcript, recently identified as a noncoding RNA regulating cellular microRNAs, also codes for a novel protein. To our knowledge, this is the first viral transcript that functions both as a noncoding RNA and an mRNA. We also report that lytic infection elicits a profound cellular response in fibroblasts. Highly upregulated and induced host genes included those involved in inflammation and immunity, but also many unexpected transcription factors and host genes related to development and differentiation. Many top downregulated and repressed genes are associated with functions whose roles in infection are obscure, including host long intergenic noncoding RNAs, antisense RNAs or small nucleolar RNAs. Correspondingly, many differentially expressed genes cluster in biological pathways that may shed new light on cytomegalovirus pathogenesis. Together, these findings provide new insights into the molecular warfare at the virus-host interface and suggest new areas of research to advance the understanding and treatment of cytomegalovirus

  11. Proteomic View of Interactions of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli with the Intestinal Environment in Gnotobiotic Piglets.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rembert Pieper

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin (Stx-producing Escherichia coli cause severe intestinal infections involving colonization of epithelial Peyer's patches and formation of attachment/effacement (A/E lesions. These lesions trigger leukocyte infiltration followed by inflammation and intestinal hemorrhage. Systems biology, which explores the crosstalk of Stx-producing Escherichia coli with the in vivo host environment, may elucidate novel molecular pathogenesis aspects.Enterohemorrhagic E. coli strain 86-24 produces Shiga toxin-2 and belongs to the serotype O157:H7. Bacterial cells were scrapped from stationary phase cultures (the in vitro condition and used to infect gnotobiotic piglets via intestinal lavage. Bacterial cells isolated from the piglets' guts constituted the in vivo condition. Cell lysates were subjected to quantitative 2D gel and shotgun proteomic analyses, revealing metabolic shifts towards anaerobic energy generation, changes in carbon utilization, phosphate and ammonia starvation, and high activity of a glutamate decarboxylase acid resistance system in vivo. Increased abundance of pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase (PntA and PntB suggested in vivo shortage of intracellular NADPH. Abundance changes of proteins implicated in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis (LpxC, ArnA, the predicted acyltransferase L7029 and outer membrane (OM assembly (LptD, MlaA, MlaC suggested bacterial cell surface modulation in response to activated host defenses. Indeed, there was evidence for interactions of innate immunity-associated proteins secreted into the intestines (GP340, REG3-γ, resistin, lithostathine, and trefoil factor 3 with the bacterial cell envelope.Proteomic analysis afforded insights into system-wide adaptations of strain 86-24 to a hostile intestinal milieu, including responses to limited nutrients and cofactor supplies, intracellular acidification, and reactive nitrogen and oxygen species-mediated stress. Protein and lipopolysaccharide compositions of the OM

  12. Low-level red laser therapy alters effects of ultraviolet C radiation on Escherichia coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canuto, K.S.; Guimaraes, O.R.; Geller, M.; Sergio, L.P.S.; Paoli, F.; Fonseca, A.S.

    2015-01-01

    Low-level lasers are used at low power densities and doses according to clinical protocols supplied with laser devices or based on professional practice. Although use of these lasers is increasing in many countries, the molecular mechanisms involved in effects of low-level lasers, mainly on DNA, are controversial. In this study, we evaluated the effects of low-level red lasers on survival, filamentation, and morphology of Escherichia coli cells that were exposed to ultraviolet C (UVC) radiation. Exponential and stationary wild-type and uvrA-deficient E. coli cells were exposed to a low-level red laser and in sequence to UVC radiation. Bacterial survival was evaluated to determine the laser protection factor (ratio between the number of viable cells after exposure to the red laser and UVC and the number of viable cells after exposure to UVC). Bacterial filaments were counted to obtain the percentage of filamentation. Area-perimeter ratios were calculated for evaluation of cellular morphology. Experiments were carried out in duplicate and the results are reported as the means of three independent assays. Pre-exposure to a red laser protected wild-type and uvrA-deficient E. coli cells against the lethal effect of UVC radiation, and increased the percentage of filamentation and the area-perimeter ratio, depending on UVC fluence and physiological conditions in the cells. Therapeutic, low-level red laser radiation can induce DNA lesions at a sub-lethal level. Consequences to cells and tissues should be considered when clinical protocols based on this laser are carried out. (author)

  13. Low-level red laser therapy alters effects of ultraviolet C radiation on Escherichia coli cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Canuto, K.S.; Guimaraes, O.R.; Geller, M. [Centro Universitario Serra dos Orgaos, Teresopolis, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias da Saude; Sergio, L.P.S. [Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Departamento de Biofisica e Biometria; Paoli, F. [Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, MG (Brazil). Departamento de Morfologia; Fonseca, A.S., E-mail: adnfonseca@ig.com.br [Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Departamento de Ciencias Fisiologicas

    2015-10-15

    Low-level lasers are used at low power densities and doses according to clinical protocols supplied with laser devices or based on professional practice. Although use of these lasers is increasing in many countries, the molecular mechanisms involved in effects of low-level lasers, mainly on DNA, are controversial. In this study, we evaluated the effects of low-level red lasers on survival, filamentation, and morphology of Escherichia coli cells that were exposed to ultraviolet C (UVC) radiation. Exponential and stationary wild-type and uvrA-deficient E. coli cells were exposed to a low-level red laser and in sequence to UVC radiation. Bacterial survival was evaluated to determine the laser protection factor (ratio between the number of viable cells after exposure to the red laser and UVC and the number of viable cells after exposure to UVC). Bacterial filaments were counted to obtain the percentage of filamentation. Area-perimeter ratios were calculated for evaluation of cellular morphology. Experiments were carried out in duplicate and the results are reported as the means of three independent assays. Pre-exposure to a red laser protected wild-type and uvrA-deficient E. coli cells against the lethal effect of UVC radiation, and increased the percentage of filamentation and the area-perimeter ratio, depending on UVC fluence and physiological conditions in the cells. Therapeutic, low-level red laser radiation can induce DNA lesions at a sub-lethal level. Consequences to cells and tissues should be considered when clinical protocols based on this laser are carried out. (author)

  14. Transcriptomic analysis displays the effect of (-)-roemerine on the motility and nutrient uptake in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayyildiz, Dilara; Arga, Kazim Yalcin; Avci, Fatma Gizem; Altinisik, Fatma Ece; Gurer, Caglayan; Gulsoy Toplan, Gizem; Kazan, Dilek; Wozny, Katharina; Brügger, Britta; Mertoglu, Bulent; Sariyar Akbulut, Berna

    2017-08-01

    Among the different families of plant alkaloids, (-)-roemerine, an aporphine type, was recently shown to possess significant antibacterial activity in Escherichia coli. Based on the increasing demand for antibacterials with novel mechanisms of action, the present work investigates the potential of the plant-derived alkaloid (-)-roemerine as an antibacterial in E. coli cells using microarray technology. Analysis of the genome-wide transcriptional reprogramming in cells after 60 min treatment with 100 μg/mL (-)-roemerine showed significant changes in the expression of 241 genes (p value 2). Expression of selected genes was confirmed by qPCR. Differentially expressed genes were classified into functional categories to map biological processes and molecular pathways involved. Cellular activities with roles in carbohydrate transport and metabolism, energy production and conversion, lipid transport and metabolism, amino acid transport and metabolism, two-component signaling systems, and cell motility (in particular, the flagellar organization and motility) were among metabolic processes altered in the presence of (-)-roemerine. The down-regulation of the outer membrane proteins probably led to a decrease in carbohydrate uptake rate, which in turn results in nutrient limitation. Consequently, energy metabolism is slowed down. Interestingly, the majority of the expressional alterations were found in the flagellar system. This suggested reduction in motility and loss in the ability to form biofilms, thus affecting protection of E. coli against host cell defense mechanisms. In summary, our findings suggest that the antimicrobial action of (-)-roemerine in E. coli is linked to disturbances in motility and nutrient uptake.

  15. Green biosynthesis of biocompatible CdSe quantum dots in living Escherichia coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Zhengyu; Qian, Jing; Su, Yilong; Ai, Xiaoxia; Wu, Shengmei; Gu, Yueqing

    2014-01-01

    A green and efficient biosynthesis method to prepare fluorescence-tunable biocompatible cadmium selenide quantum dots using Escherichia coli cells as biological matrix was proposed. Decisive factors in biosynthesis of cadmium selenide quantum dots in a designed route in Escherichia coli cells were elaborately investigated, including the influence of the biological matrix growth stage, the working concentration of inorganic reactants, and the co-incubation duration of inorganic metals to biomatrix. Ultraviolet-visible, photoluminescence, and inverted fluorescence microscope analysis confirmed the unique optical properties of the biosynthesized cadmium selenide quantum dots. The size distribution of the nanocrystals extracted from cells and the location of nanocrystals foci in vivo were also detected seriously by transmission electron microscopy. A surface protein capping layer outside the nanocrystals was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements, which were supposed to contribute to reducing cytotoxicity and maintain a high viability of cells when incubating with quantum dots at concentrations as high as 2 μM. Cell morphology observation indicated an effective labeling of living cells by the biosynthesized quantum dots after a 48 h co-incubation. The present work demonstrated an economical and environmentally friendly approach to fabricating highly fluorescent quantum dots which were expected to be an excellent fluorescent dye for broad bio-imaging and labeling. (papers)

  16. Host defense, dendritic cells and the human lung

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J.M.W. van Haarst (Jan Maarten)

    1995-01-01

    textabstractHost defense mechanisms protect the body against microorganisms and other foreign structures. These mechanisms can be divided in nonspecific, or innate, and specific, or acquired, immunity. In both branches of immunity the several types of leukocytes (white blood cells) play a dominant

  17. Inhibition of P-fimbriated Escherichia coli adhesion by multivalent galabiose derivatives studied by a live-bacteria application of surface plasmon resonance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salminen, Annika; Loimaranta, Vuokko; Joosten, John A F; Khan, A Salam; Hacker, Jörg; Pieters, Roland J; Finne, Jukka

    2007-09-01

    Uropathogenic P-fimbriated Escherichia coli adheres to host cells by specific adhesins recognizing galabiose (Galalpha1-4Gal)-containing structures on cell surfaces. In search of agents inhibiting this first step of infection, the inhibition potency of a set of synthetic mono- and multivalent galabiose compounds was evaluated. In order to mimic the flow conditions of natural infections, a live-bacteria application of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was established. For the measurement of the binding of E. coli to a surface containing galabiose, live bacteria were injected over the flow cell, and the inhibition of adhesion caused by the galabiose inhibitors was recorded. Quantitative binding data were recorded in real-time for each inhibitor. The results were compared with those of conventional static haemagglutination and ELISA-based cell adhesion assays. Compared with the Gram-positive Streptococcus suis bacteria, which also bind to galabiose and whose binding inhibition is strongly dependent on the multivalency of the inhibitor, E. coli inhibition was only moderately affected by the valency. However, a novel octavalent compound was found to be the most effective inhibitor of E. coli PapG(J96) adhesion, with an IC50 value of 2 microM. Measurement of bacterial adhesion by SPR is an efficient way to characterize the adhesion of whole bacterial cells and allows the characterization of the inhibitory potency of adhesion inhibitors under dynamic flow conditions. Under these conditions, multivalency increases the anti-adhesion potency of galabiose-based inhibitors of P-fimbriated E. coli adhesion and provides a promising approach for the design of high-affinity anti-adhesion agents.

  18. Molecular model of a type III secretion system needle: Implications for host-cell sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deane, Janet E; Roversi, Pietro; Cordes, Frank S; Johnson, Steven; Kenjale, Roma; Daniell, Sarah; Booy, Frank; Picking, William D; Picking, Wendy L; Blocker, Ariel J; Lea, Susan M

    2006-08-15

    Type III secretion systems are essential virulence determinants for many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. The type III secretion system consists of cytoplasmic, transmembrane, and extracellular domains. The extracellular domain is a hollow needle protruding above the bacterial surface and is held within a basal body that traverses both bacterial membranes. Effector proteins are translocated, via this external needle, directly into host cells, where they subvert normal cell functions to aid infection. Physical contact with host cells initiates secretion and leads to formation of a pore, thought to be contiguous with the needle channel, in the host-cell membrane. Here, we report the crystal structure of the Shigella flexneri needle subunit MxiH and a complete model for the needle assembly built into our three-dimensional EM reconstruction. The model, combined with mutagenesis data, reveals that signaling of host-cell contact is relayed through the needle via intersubunit contacts and suggests a mode of binding for a tip complex.

  19. Metal binding proteins, recombinant host cells and methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Summers, Anne O.; Caguiat, Jonathan J.

    2004-06-15

    The present disclosure provides artificial heavy metal binding proteins termed chelons by the inventors. These chelons bind cadmium and/or mercuric ions with relatively high affinity. Also disclosed are coding sequences, recombinant DNA molecules and recombinant host cells comprising those recombinant DNA molecules for expression of the chelon proteins. In the recombinant host cells or transgenic plants, the chelons can be used to bind heavy metals taken up from contaminated soil, groundwater or irrigation water and to concentrate and sequester those ions. Recombinant enteric bacteria can be used within the gastrointestinal tracts of animals or humans exposed to toxic metal ions such as mercury and/or cadmium, where the chelon recombinantly expressed in chosen in accordance with the ion to be rededicated. Alternatively, the chelons can be immobilized to solid supports to bind and concentrate heavy metals from a contaminated aqueous medium including biological fluids.

  20. Modification of radiation response of E. coli B/r cells by phenothiazines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maniar, H.S.; Singh, B.B.

    1983-01-01

    Promethazine and trimeprazine sensitized anoxic E. coli B/r cells to 60 Co gamma-rays, but both drugs showed a radioprotective effect under euoxic conditions. Their radiosensitizing effect was found to be due to the reaction of radiolytically induced hydroxyl radicals with the sensitizers. The radioprotective effect of these drugs is attributed to changes in the membrane structure conducive with chemical repair of the damaged sites in the gel region of the cellular membrane by intracellular sulphydryl compounds. Pre-irradiation depletion of sulphydryls from E. coli B/r by treatment with N-ethyl maleimide abolished the radioprotective effect of these drugs under euoxic conditions. (author)

  1. Host-Specific Patterns of Genetic Diversity among IncI1-I gamma and IncK Plasmids Encoding CMY-2 beta-Lactamase in Escherichia coli Isolates from Humans, Poultry Meat, Poultry, and Dogs in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Katrine Hartung; Bortolaia, Valeria; Nielsen, Christine Ahl

    2016-01-01

    and commensal E. coli isolates collected from 2006 to 2012 from humans, retail poultry meat, broilers, and dogs. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST), antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and conjugation were performed in conjunction with plasmid replicon typing, plasmid multilocus sequence typing (p......MLST), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and sequencing of selected bla(CMY-2)-harboring plasmids. MLST revealed high strain diversity, with few E. coli lineages occurring in multiple host species and sample types. bla(CMY-2) was detected on plasmids in 83 (89%) isolates. Most (75%) of the plasmids...... were conjugative and did not (96%) cotransfer resistance to antimicrobials other than cephalosporins. The main replicon types identified were IncI1-I gamma (55%) and IncK (39%). Isolates from different host species mainly carried distinct plasmid subtypes. Seven of the 18 human isolates harbored IncI1...

  2. Reduction of fatal graft-versus-host disease by 3H--thymidine suicide of donor cells cultured with host cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheever, M.A.; Einstein, A.B. Jr.; Kempf, R.A.; Fefer, A.

    1977-01-01

    The effect of the tritiated thymidine ( 3 H-TdR) suicide technique on the ability of donor cells to induce fatal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was studied. C57BL/6 (H-2/sup b/) spleen cells were stimulated in vitro with irradiated BALB/c (H-2/sup d/) Moloney lymphoma cells in mixed culture and 3 H-TdR of high-specific activity added to eliminate proliferating cells. The ability of such cells to induce fatal GVHD was assayed by injecting them i.v. into adult BALB/c mice immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide (180 mg/kg). These cells induced fatal GVHD in fewer mice (52 percent) than did C57BL/6 cells cultured with BALB/c lymphoma cells but without 3 H-TdR (87 percent) and C57BL/6 cells cultured with irradiated C57BL/6 cells with (95 percent) or without 3 H-TdR (86 percent). Thus, the 3 H-TdR suicide technique greatly diminished the ability of cells to induce lethal GVHD

  3. Voltage-gated calcium flux mediates Escherichia coli mechanosensation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruni, Giancarlo N; Weekley, R Andrew; Dodd, Benjamin J T; Kralj, Joel M

    2017-08-29

    Electrically excitable cells harness voltage-coupled calcium influx to transmit intracellular signals, typically studied in neurons and cardiomyocytes. Despite intense study in higher organisms, investigations of voltage and calcium signaling in bacteria have lagged due to their small size and a lack of sensitive tools. Only recently were bacteria shown to modulate their membrane potential on the timescale of seconds, and little is known about the downstream effects from this modulation. In this paper, we report on the effects of electrophysiology in individual bacteria. A genetically encoded calcium sensor expressed in Escherichia coli revealed calcium transients in single cells. A fusion sensor that simultaneously reports voltage and calcium indicated that calcium influx is induced by voltage depolarizations, similar to metazoan action potentials. Cytoplasmic calcium levels and transients increased upon mechanical stimulation with a hydrogel, and single cells altered protein concentrations dependent on the mechanical environment. Blocking voltage and calcium flux altered mechanically induced changes in protein concentration, while inducing calcium flux reproduced these changes. Thus, voltage and calcium relay a bacterial sense of touch and alter cellular lifestyle. Although the calcium effectors remain unknown, these data open a host of new questions about E. coli , including the identity of the underlying molecular players, as well as other signals conveyed by voltage and calcium. These data also provide evidence that dynamic voltage and calcium exists as a signaling modality in the oldest domain of life, and therefore studying electrophysiology beyond canonical electrically excitable cells could yield exciting new findings.

  4. Integration of AI-2 Based Cell-Cell Signaling with Metabolic Cues in Escherichia coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arindam Mitra

    Full Text Available The quorum sensing molecule Autoinducer-2 (AI-2 is generated as a byproduct of activated methyl cycle by the action of LuxS in Escherichia coli. AI-2 is synthesized, released and later internalized in a cell-density dependent manner. Here, by mutational analysis of the genes, uvrY and csrA, we describe a regulatory circuit of accumulation and uptake of AI-2. We constructed a single-copy chromosomal luxS-lacZ fusion in a luxS + merodiploid strain and evaluated its relative expression in uvrY and csrA mutants. At the entry of stationary phase, the expression of the fusion and AI-2 accumulation was positively regulated by uvrY and negatively regulated by csrA respectively. A deletion of csrA altered message stability of the luxS transcript and CsrA protein exhibited weak binding to 5' luxS regulatory region. DNA protein interaction and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis confirmed direct interaction of UvrY with the luxS promoter. Additionally, reduced expression of the fusion in hfq deletion mutant suggested involvement of small RNA interactions in luxS regulation. In contrast, the expression of lsrA operon involved in AI-2 uptake, is negatively regulated by uvrY and positively by csrA in a cell-density dependent manner. The dual role of csrA in AI-2 synthesis and uptake suggested a regulatory crosstalk of cell signaling with carbon regulation in Escherichia coli. We found that the cAMP-CRP mediated catabolite repression of luxS expression was uvrY dependent. This study suggests that luxS expression is complex and regulated at the level of transcription and translation. The multifactorial regulation supports the notion that cell-cell communication requires interaction and integration of multiple metabolic signals.

  5. DNA synthesis and uv resistance in Escherichia coli K12 cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Slezarikova, V [Slovenska Akademia Vied, Bratislava (Czechoslovakia). Vyskumny Ustav Onkologicky

    1976-01-01

    The influence was studied of preirradiation inhibition of proteosynthesis by amino acids starvation on survival and DNA synthesis in E. coli K 12 cells, which differ by their genetic features with regard to a certain type of repair. The surviving fraction was studied by appropriate dilution of cell suspension and spreading on agar plates. DNA synthesis was investigated by the incorporation of thymine-2-/sup 14/C. In our conditions a correlation was found between cell survival and the resistance of DNA replication to UV radiation in cells proficient in excision and post-replication repair. This correlation was not found in the excision deficient strain. It is concluded that enhanced resistance of DNA replication is not a sufficient condition for enhanced cell resistance.

  6. Membrane rafts: a potential gateway for bacterial entry into host cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartlova, Anetta; Cerveny, Lukas; Hubalek, Martin; Krocova, Zuzana; Stulik, Jiri

    2010-04-01

    Pathogenic bacteria have developed various mechanisms to evade host immune defense systems. Invasion of pathogenic bacteria requires interaction of the pathogen with host receptors, followed by activation of signal transduction pathways and rearrangement of the cytoskeleton to facilitate bacterial entry. Numerous bacteria exploit specialized plasma membrane microdomains, commonly called membrane rafts, which are rich in cholesterol, sphingolipids and a special set of signaling molecules which allow entry to host cells and establishment of a protected niche within the host. This review focuses on the current understanding of the raft hypothesis and the means by which pathogenic bacteria subvert membrane microdomains to promote infection.

  7. Development of a high yielding E. coli periplasmic expression system for the production of humanized Fab' fragments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Mark; Patel, Pareshkumar; Edon, Marjory; Ramage, Walter; Dickinson, Robert; Humphreys, David P

    2017-01-01

    Humanized Fab' fragments may be produced in the periplasm of Escherichia coli but can be subject to degradation by host cell proteases. In order to increase Fab' yield and reduce proteolysis we developed periplasmic protease deficient strains of E. coli. These strains lacked the protease activity of Tsp, protease III and DegP. High cell density fermentations indicated Tsp deficient strains increased productivity two fold but this increase was accompanied by premature cell lysis soon after the induction of Fab' expression. To overcome the reduction in cell viability we introduced suppressor mutations into the spr gene. The mutations partially restored the wild type phenotype of the cells. Furthermore, we coexpressed a range of periplasmic chaperone proteins with the Fab', DsbC had the most significant impact, increasing humanized Fab' production during high cell density fermentation. When DsbC coexpression was combined with a Tsp deficient spr strain we observed an increase in yield and essentially restored "wild type" cell viability. We achieved a final periplasmic yield of over 2.4g/L (final cell density OD 600 105), 40 h post Fab' induction with minimal cell lysis.The data suggests that proteolysis, periplasm integrity, protein folding and disulphide bond formation are all potential limiting steps in the production of Fab' fragments in the periplasm of E. coli. In this body of work, we have addressed these limiting steps by utilizing stabilized protease deficient strains and chaperone coexpression. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:212-220, 2017. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  8. Effects of host cell sterol composition upon internalization of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and clustered β1 integrin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, JiHyun; Fukuto, Hana S; Brown, Deborah A; Bliska, James B; London, Erwin

    2018-01-26

    Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is a foodborne pathogenic bacterium that causes acute gastrointestinal illness, but its mechanisms of infection are incompletely described. We examined how host cell sterol composition affected Y. pseudotuberculosis uptake. To do this, we depleted or substituted cholesterol in human MDA-MB-231 epithelial cells with various alternative sterols. Decreasing host cell cholesterol significantly reduced pathogen internalization. When host cell cholesterol was substituted with various sterols, only desmosterol and 7-dehydrocholesterol supported internalization. This specificity was not due to sterol dependence of bacterial attachment to host cells, which was similar with all sterols studied. Because a key step in Y. pseudotuberculosis internalization is interaction of the bacterial adhesins invasin and YadA with host cell β1 integrin, we compared the sterol dependence of wildtype Y. pseudotuberculosis internalization with that of Δ inv , Δ yadA , and Δ inv Δ yadA mutant strains. YadA deletion decreased bacterial adherence to host cells, whereas invasin deletion had no effect. Nevertheless, host cell sterol substitution had a similar effect on internalization of these bacterial deletion strains as on the wildtype bacteria. The Δ inv Δ yadA double mutant adhered least to cells and so was not significantly internalized. The sterol structure dependence of Y. pseudotuberculosis internalization differed from that of endocytosis, as monitored using antibody-clustered β1 integrin and previous studies on other proteins, which had a more permissive sterol dependence. This study suggests that agents could be designed to interfere with internalization of Yersinia without disturbing endocytosis. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  9. Preparation of α-deuterated L-amino acids using E.coli cells containing tryptophanase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faleev, N.G.; Ruvinov, S.B.; Saporovskaya, M.B.; Belikov, V.M.; Zakomyrdina, L.N.; Sakharova, I.S.; Torchinskij, Yu.M.

    1989-01-01

    Method for preparation of a series of α-deuterated L-amino acids of high optical purity with quantitative chemica yield, suing stereospecific isotopic exchange in D 2 O under the effect of E.coli cells with high tryptophanase activity was developed

  10. F4+ enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) adhesion mediated by the major fimbrial subunit FaeG.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Pengpeng; Song, Yujie; Zou, Yajie; Yang, Ying; Zhu, Guoqiang

    2015-09-01

    The FaeG subunit is the major constituent of F4(+) fimbriae, associated with glycoprotein and/or glycolipid receptor recognition and majorly contributes to the pathogen attachment to the host cells. To investigate the key factor involved in the fimbrial binding of F4(+) Escherichia coli, both the recombinant E. coli SE5000 strains carrying the fae operon gene clusters that express the different types of fimbriae in vitro, named as rF4ab, rF4ac, and rF4ad, respectively, corresponding to the fimbrial types F4ab, F4ac, and F4ad, and the three isogenic in-frame faeG gene deletion mutants were constructed. The adhesion assays and adhesion inhibition assays showed that ΔfaeG mutants had a significant reduction in the binding to porcine brush border as well as the intestinal epithelial cell lines, while the complemented strain ΔfaeG/pfaeG restored the adhesion function. The recombinant bacterial strains rF4ab, rF4ac, and rF4ad have the same binding property as wild-type F4(+) E. coli strains do and improvement in terms of binding to porcine brush border and the intestinal epithelial cells, and the adherence was blocked by the monoclonal antibody anti-F4 fimbriae. These data demonstrate that the fimbrial binding of F4(+) E. coli is directly mediated by the major FaeG subunit. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Perspectives on the Trypanosoma cruzi–host cell receptor interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villalta, Fernando; Scharfstein, Julio; Ashton, Anthony W.; Tyler, Kevin M.; Guan, Fangxia; Mukherjee, Shankar; Lima, Maria F.; Alvarez, Sandra; Weiss, Louis M.; Huang, Huan; Machado, Fabiana S.

    2009-01-01

    Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The critical initial event is the interaction of the trypomastigote form of the parasite with host receptors. This review highlights recent observations concerning these interactions. Some of the key receptors considered are those for thromboxane, bradykinin, and for the nerve growth factor TrKA. Other important receptors such as galectin-3, thrombospondin, and laminin are also discussed. Investigation into the molecular biology and cell biology of host receptors for T. cruzi may provide novel therapeutic targets. PMID:19283409

  12. Effects of burn with and without Escherichia coli infection in rats on intestinal vs. splenic T-cell responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravindranath, T; Al-Ghoul, W; Namak, S; Fazal, N; Durazo-Arvizu, R; Choudhry, M; Sayeed, M M

    2001-12-01

    To evaluate the effect of burn injury with and without an Escherichia coliseptic complication on T-cell proliferation, interleukin-2 production, and Ca(2+) signaling responses in intestinal Peyer's patch and splenic T cells. Prospective, randomized, sham-controlled animal study. University medical center research laboratory. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were subjected to a 30% total body surface area, full skin thickness burn. Infection in rats was induced via intraperitoneal inoculation of E. coli, 10(9) colony forming units/kg, with or without a prior burn. Rat Peyer's patch and splenic T lymphocytes were isolated by using a nylon wool cell purification protocol. T-cell proliferation, interleukin-2 production, and Ca(2+) signaling responses were measured after stimulation of cells with the mitogen, concanavalin A. T-cell proliferation was determined by measuring incorporation of (3)H-thymidine into T-cell cultures. Interleukin-2 production by T-cell cultures was measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Intracellular T-cell Ca2(+ )concentration, [Ca(2+)](i), was measured by the use of Ca(2+)-specific fluorescent label, fura-2, and its fluorometric quantification. [Ca(2+)](i) was also evaluated by the use of digital video imaging of fura-2 loaded individual T cells. T-cell proliferation and interleukin-2 production were suppressed substantially in both Peyer's patch and splenic T cells 3 days after either the initial burn alone or burn followed by the E. coli inoculation at 24 hrs after the initial burn. There seemed to be no demonstrable additive effects of E. coli infection on the effects produced by burn injury alone. The T-cell proliferation and interleukin-2 production suppressions with burn or burn-plus-infection insults were correlated with attenuated Ca(2+) signaling. E. coli infection alone suppressed T-cell proliferation in Peyer's patch but not in splenic T cells at 2 days postbacterial inoculation; E. coli infection had no effect on

  13. Fermented soya bean (tempe) extracts reduce adhesion of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli to intestinal epithelial cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roubos-van den Hil, P.J.; Nout, M.J.R.; Beumer, R.R.; Meulen, van der J.; Zwietering, M.H.

    2009-01-01

    Aims: This study aimed to investigate the effect of processed soya bean, during the successive stages of tempe fermentation and different fermentation times, on adhesion of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88 to intestinal brush border cells as well as Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells; and

  14. Variation in RNA virus mutation rates across host cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marine Combe

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available It is well established that RNA viruses exhibit higher rates of spontaneous mutation than DNA viruses and microorganisms. However, their mutation rates vary amply, from 10(-6 to 10(-4 substitutions per nucleotide per round of copying (s/n/r and the causes of this variability remain poorly understood. In addition to differences in intrinsic fidelity or error correction capability, viral mutation rates may be dependent on host factors. Here, we assessed the effect of the cellular environment on the rate of spontaneous mutation of the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV, which has a broad host range and cell tropism. Luria-Delbrück fluctuation tests and sequencing showed that VSV mutated similarly in baby hamster kidney, murine embryonic fibroblasts, colon cancer, and neuroblastoma cells (approx. 10(-5 s/n/r. Cell immortalization through p53 inactivation and oxygen levels (1-21% did not have a significant impact on viral replication fidelity. This shows that previously published mutation rates can be considered reliable despite being based on a narrow and artificial set of laboratory conditions. Interestingly, we also found that VSV mutated approximately four times more slowly in various insect cells compared with mammalian cells. This may contribute to explaining the relatively slow evolution of VSV and other arthropod-borne viruses in nature.

  15. Toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles in Escherichia coli correlates with conduction band and hydration energies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaweeteerawat, Chitrada; Ivask, Angela; Liu, Rong; Zhang, Haiyuan; Chang, Chong Hyun; Low-Kam, Cecile; Fischer, Heidi; Ji, Zhaoxia; Pokhrel, Suman; Cohen, Yoram; Telesca, Donatello; Zink, Jeffrey; Mädler, Lutz; Holden, Patricia A; Nel, Andre; Godwin, Hilary

    2015-01-20

    Metal oxide nanoparticles (MOx NPs) are used for a host of applications, such as electronics, cosmetics, construction, and medicine, and as a result, the safety of these materials to humans and the environment is of considerable interest. A prior study of 24 MOx NPs in mammalian cells revealed that some of these materials show hazard potential. Here, we report the growth inhibitory effects of the same series of MOx NPs in the bacterium Escherichia coli and show that toxicity trends observed in E. coli parallel those seen previously in mammalian cells. Of the 24 materials studied, only ZnO, CuO, CoO, Mn2O3, Co3O4, Ni2O3, and Cr2O3 were found to exert significant growth inhibitory effects; these effects were found to relate to membrane damage and oxidative stress responses in minimal trophic media. A correlation of the toxicological data with physicochemical parameters of MOx NPs revealed that the probability of a MOx NP being toxic increases as the hydration enthalpy becomes less negative and as the conduction band energy approaches those of biological molecules. These observations are consistent with prior results observed in mammalian cells, revealing that mechanisms of toxicity of MOx NPs are consistent across two very different taxa. These results suggest that studying nanotoxicity in E. coli may help to predict toxicity patterns in higher organisms.

  16. Quantitative measurement of damage caused by 1064-nm wavelength optical trapping of Escherichia coli cells using on-chip single cell cultivation system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ayano, Satoru; Wakamoto, Yuichi; Yamashita, Shinobu; Yasuda, Kenji

    2006-01-01

    We quantitatively examined the possible damage to the growth and cell division ability of Escherichia coli caused by 1064-nm optical trapping. Using the synchronous behavior of two sister E. coli cells, the growth and interdivision times between those two cells, one of which was trapped by optical tweezers, the other was not irradiated, were compared using an on-chip single cell cultivation system. Cell growth stopped during the optical trapping period, even with the smallest irradiated power on the trapped cells. Moreover, the damage to the cell's growth and interdivision period was proportional to the total irradiated energy (work) on the cell, i.e., irradiation time multiplied by irradiation power. The division ability was more easily affected by a smaller energy, 0.36 J, which was 30% smaller than the energy that adversely affected growth, 0.54 J. The results indicate that the damage caused by optical trapping can be estimated from the total energy applied to cells, and furthermore, that the use of optical trapping for manipulating cells might cause damage to cell division and growth mechanisms, even at wavelengths under 1064 nm, if the total irradiation energy is excessive

  17. DAF as a therapeutic target for steroid hormones: implications for host-pathogen interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nowicki, Bogdan; Nowicki, Stella

    2013-01-01

    In this chapter, we present a concise historic prospective and a summary of accumulated knowledge on steroid hormones, DAF expression, and therapeutic implication of steroid hormone treatment on multiple pathologies, including infection and the host-pathogen interactions. DAF/CD55 plays multiple physiologic functions including tissue protection from the cytotoxic complement injury, an anti-inflammatory function due to its anti-adherence properties which enhance transmigration of monocytes and macrophages and reduce tissue injury. DAF physiologic functions are essential in many organ systems including pregnancy for protection of the semiallogeneic fetus or for preventing uncontrolled infiltration by white cells in their pro- and/or anti-inflammatory functions. DAF expression appears to have multiple regulatory tissue-specific and/or menstrual cycle-specific mechanisms, which involve complex signaling mechanisms. Regulation of DAF expression may involve a direct or an indirect effect of at least the estrogen, progesterone, and corticosteroid regulatory pathways. DAF is exploited in multiple pathologic conditions by pathogens and viruses in chronic tissue infection processes. The binding of Escherichia coli bearing Dr adhesins to the DAF/CD55 receptor is DAF density dependent and triggers internalization of E. coli via an endocytic pathway involving CD55, lipid rafts, and microtubules. Dr+ E. coli or Dr antigen may persist in vivo in the interstitium for several months. Further understanding of such processes should be instrumental in designing therapeutic strategies for multiple conditions involving DAF's protective or pathologic functions and tailoring host expression of DAF.

  18. Manipulation of the Host Cell Membrane during Plasmodium Liver Stage Egress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul-Christian Burda

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available A crucial step in the life cycle of Plasmodium parasites is the transition from the liver stage to the blood stage. Hepatocyte-derived merozoites reach the blood vessels of the liver inside host cell-derived vesicles called merosomes. The molecular basis of merosome formation is only partially understood. Here we show that Plasmodium berghei liver stage merozoites, upon rupture of the parasitophorous vacuole membrane, destabilize the host cell membrane (HCM and induce separation of the host cell actin cytoskeleton from the HCM. At the same time, the phospholipid and protein composition of the HCM appears to be substantially altered. This includes the loss of a phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2 reporter and the PIP2-dependent actin-plasma membrane linker ezrin from the HCM. Furthermore, transmembrane domain-containing proteins and palmitoylated and myristoylated proteins, as well as glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins, lose their HCM localization. Collectively, these findings provide an explanation of HCM destabilization during Plasmodium liver stage egress and thereby contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that lead to merosome formation.

  19. Recruitment of host's progenitor cells to sites of human amniotic fluid stem cells implantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirabella, Teodelinda; Poggi, Alessandro; Scaranari, Monica; Mogni, Massimo; Lituania, Mario; Baldo, Chiara; Cancedda, Ranieri; Gentili, Chiara

    2011-06-01

    The amniotic fluid is a new source of multipotent stem cells with a therapeutic potential for human diseases. Cultured at low cell density, human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSCs) were still able to generate colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) after 60 doublings, thus confirming their staminal nature. Moreover, after extensive in vitro cell expansion hAFSCs maintained a stable karyotype. The expression of genes, such as SSEA-4, SOX2 and OCT3/4 was confirmed at early and later culture stage. Also, hAFSCs showed bright expression of mesenchymal lineage markers and immunoregulatory properties. hAFSCs, seeded onto hydroxyapatite scaffolds and subcutaneously implanted in nude mice, played a pivotal role in mounting a response resulting in the recruitment of host's progenitor cells forming tissues of mesodermal origin such as fat, muscle, fibrous tissue and immature bone. Implanted hAFSCs migrated from the scaffold to the skin overlying implant site but not to other organs. Given their in vivo: (i) recruitment of host progenitor cells, (ii) homing towards injured sites and (iii) multipotentiality in tissue repair, hAFSCs are a very appealing reserve of stem cells potentially useful for clinical application in regenerative medicine. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Production of isotopically labeled heterologous proteins in non-E. coli prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Hideo; Shimada, Ichio

    2010-01-01

    The preparation of stable isotope-labeled proteins is necessary for the application of a wide variety of NMR methods, to study the structures and dynamics of proteins and protein complexes. The E. coli expression system is generally used for the production of isotope-labeled proteins, because of the advantages of ease of handling, rapid growth, high-level protein production, and low cost for isotope-labeling. However, many eukaryotic proteins are not functionally expressed in E. coli, due to problems related to disulfide bond formation, post-translational modifications, and folding. In such cases, other expression systems are required for producing proteins for biomolecular NMR analyses. In this paper, we review the recent advances in expression systems for isotopically labeled heterologous proteins, utilizing non-E. coli prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

  1. Repair-defective mutants of Alteromonas espejiana, the host for bacteriophage PM2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zerler, B.R.; Wallace, S.S.

    1984-01-01

    The in vivo repair processes of Alteromonas espejiana, the host for bacteriophage PM2, were characterized, and UV- and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS)-sensitive mutants were isolated. Wild-type A. espejiana cells were capable of photoreactivation, excision, recombination, and inducible repair. There was no detecttable pyrimidine dimer-DNA N-glycosylase activity, and pyrimidine dimer removal appeared to occur by a pathway analogous to the Escherichia coli Uvr pathway. The UV- and MMS-sensitive mutants of A. espejiana included three groups, each containing at least one mutation involved with excision, recombination, or inducible repair. One group that was UV sensitive but not sensitive to MMS or X rays showed a decreased ability to excise pyrimidine dimers. Mutants in this group were also sensitive to psoralen plus near-UV light and were phenotypically analogous to the E. coli uvr mutants. A second group was UV and MMS sensitive but not sensitive to X rays and appeared to contain mutations in a gene(s) involved in recombination repair. These recombination-deficient mutants differed from the E. coli rec mutants, which are MMS and X-ray sensitive. The third group of A. espejiana mutants was sensitive to UV, MMS, and X rays. These mutants were recombination deficient, lacked inducible repair, and were phenotypically similar to E. coli recA mutants

  2. Expression and purification of chimeric peptide comprising EGFR B-cell epitope and measles virus fusion protein T-cell epitope in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Meizhi; Zhao, Lin; Zhu, Lei; Chen, Zhange; Li, Huangjin

    2013-03-01

    Chimeric peptide MVF-EGFR(237-267), comprising a B-cell epitope from the dimerization interface of human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and a promiscuous T-cell epitope from measles virus fusion protein (MVF), is a promising candidate antigen peptide for therapeutic vaccine. To establish a high-efficiency preparation process of this small peptide, the coding sequence was cloned into pET-21b and pET-32a respectively, to be expressed alone or in the form of fusion protein with thioredoxin (Trx) and His(6)-tag in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The chimeric peptide failed to be expressed alone, but over-expressed in the fusion form, which presented as soluble protein and took up more than 30% of total proteins of host cells. The fusion protein was seriously degraded during the cell disruption, in which endogenous metalloproteinase played a key role. Degradation of target peptide was inhibited by combined application of EDTA in the cell disruption buffer and a step of Source 30Q anion exchange chromatography (AEC) before metal-chelating chromatography (MCAC) for purifying His(6)-tagged fusion protein. The chimeric peptide was recovered from the purified fusion protein by enterokinase digestion at a yield of 3.0 mg/L bacteria culture with a purity of more than 95%. Immunogenicity analysis showed that the recombinant chimeric peptide was able to arouse more than 1×10(4) titers of specific antibody in BALB/c mice. Present work laid a solid foundation for the development of therapeutic peptide vaccine targeting EGFR dimerization and provided a convenient and low-cost preparation method for small peptides. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Effect of whey goat milk kefir on hydrophobicity of E. coli O157:H7, S. typhi bacteria and C. albicans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dedi Fardiaz

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The hydrophobicity of bacteria. was determined using BATH (Bacteria adhesion to hydrocarbon test. All bacteria showed that 0,9 ml n-octane exposure gave a positive response and indicating that E. coli O157:H7 was categorized as moderate hydrophobic bacteria,  while S.  typhi  and C. albicans were catagorized as  highly hydrophobic bacteria. Goat Milk Kefir increased hydrophobicity of E.  coli O157:H7 by 24.40, however, decreased hydrophobicity of S. typhi by 47.56  and C. albicans by 70.14 percent, respectively. This finding showed that one of the inhibition mechanism may be caused by  an interaction  of  organic acid and peptide  compounds with cell membrane, in which hydrophobic sites of component  modified the hydrophobicity of the bacteria cell surface. The hydrophobicity modification in bacterial  cell wall might result inhibition of adhetion bacteria at cell host. Key words : Enterophatogenic bacteria, hidrophobisitas bacteria

  4. Mucin2 is Required for Probiotic Agents-Mediated Blocking Effects on Meningitic E. coli-Induced Pathogenicities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Jing-Yi; He, Xiao-Long; Puthiyakunnon, Santhosh; Peng, Liang; Li, Yan; Wu, Li-Sha; Peng, Wen-Ling; Zhang, Ya; Gao, Jie; Zhang, Yao-Yuan; Boddu, Swapna; Long, Min; Cao, Hong; Huang, Sheng-He

    2015-10-01

    Mucin2 (MUC2), an important regulatory factor in the immune system, plays an important role in the host defense system against bacterial translocation. Probiotics known to regulate MUC2 gene expression have been widely studied, but the interactions among probiotic, pathogens, and mucin gene are still not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of MUC2 in blocking effects of probiotics on meningitic E. coli-induced pathogenicities. In this study, live combined probiotic tablets containing living Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus were used. MUC2 expression was knocked down in Caco-2 cells by RNA interference. 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR), which enhances mucin-promoted probiotic effects through inducing production of Sadenosyl- L-methionine (SAMe), was used to up-regulate MUC2 expression in Caco-2 cells. The adhesion to and invasion of meningitic E. coli were detected by competition assays. Our studies showed that probiotic agents could block E. coli-caused intestinal colonization, bacteremia, and meningitis in a neonatal sepsis and meningitis rat model. MUC2 gene expression in the neonatal rats given probiotic agents was obviously higher than that of the infected and uninfected control groups without probiotic treatment. The prohibitive effects of probiotic agents on MUC2-knockdown Caco-2 cells infected with E44 were significantly reduced compared with nontransfected Caco-2 cells. Moreover, the results also showed that 5- Aza-CdR, a drug enhancing the production of SAMe that is a protective agent of probiotics, was able to significantly suppress adhesion and invasion of E44 to Caco-2 cells by upregulation of MUC2 expression. Taken together, our data suggest that probiotic agents can efficiently block meningitic E. coli-induced pathogenicities in a manner dependent on MUC2.

  5. Survival and SOS response induction in ultraviolet B irradiated Escherichia coli cells with defective repair mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prada Medina, Cesar Augusto; Aristizabal Tessmer, Elke Tatjana; Quintero Ruiz, Nathalia; Serment-Guerrero, Jorge; Fuentes, Jorge Luis

    2016-06-01

    Purpose In this paper, the contribution of different genes involved in DNA repair for both survival and SOS induction in Escherichia coli mutants exposed to ultraviolet B radiation (UVB, [wavelength range 280-315 nm]) was evaluated. Materials and methods E. coli strains defective in uvrA, oxyR, recO, recN, recJ, exoX, recB, recD or xonA genes were used to determine cell survival. All strains also had the genetic sulA::lacZ fusion, which allowed for the quantification of SOS induction through the SOS Chromotest. Results Five gene products were particularly important for survival, as follows: UvrA > RecB > RecO > RecJ > XonA. Strains defective in uvrA and recJ genes showed elevated SOS induction compared with the wild type, which remained stable for up to 240 min after UVB-irradiation. In addition, E. coli strains carrying the recO or recN mutation showed no SOS induction. Conclusions The nucleotide excision and DNA recombination pathways were equally used to repair UVB-induced DNA damage in E. coli cells. The sulA gene was not turned off in strains defective in UvrA and RecJ. RecO protein was essential for processing DNA damage prior to SOS induction. In this study, the roles of DNA repair proteins and their contributions to the mechanisms that induce SOS genes in E. coli are proposed.

  6. Effects of electron acceptors on removal of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli, resistance genes and class 1 integrons under anaerobic conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Heyang; Miller, Jennifer H; Abu-Reesh, Ibrahim M; Pruden, Amy; He, Zhen

    2016-11-01

    Anaerobic biotechnologies can effectively remove antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), but there is a need to better understand the mechanisms. Here we employ bioelectrochemical systems (BES) as a platform to investigate the fate of a native tetracycline and sulfonamide-resistant Escherichia coli strain and its ARGs. The E. coli strain carrying intI1, sulI and tet(E) was isolated from domestic wastewater and dosed into a tubular BES. The BES was first operated as a microbial fuel cell (MFC), with aeration in the cathode, which resulted in enhanced removal of E. coli and ARGs by ~2 log (i.e., order of magnitude) when switched from high current to open circuit operation mode. The BES was then operated as a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) to exclude the effects of oxygen diffusion, and the removal of E. coli and ARGs during the open circuit configuration was again 1-2 log higher than that at high current mode. Significant correlations of E. coli vs. current (R(2)=0.73) and ARGs vs. E. coli (R(2) ranged from 0.54 to 0.87), and the fact that the BES substrate contained no electron acceptors, implied that the persistence of the E. coli and its ARGs was determined by the availability of indigenous electron acceptors in the BES, i.e., the anode electrode or the electron shuttles generated by the exoelectrogens. Subsequent experiments with pure-culture tetracycline and sulfonamide-resistant E. coli being incubated in a two-chamber MEC and serum bottles demonstrated that the E. coli could survive by respiring anode electrode and/or electron shuttles released by exoelectrogens, and ARGs persisted with their host E. coli. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. [NKT cells and graft-versus-host disease-review].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Lei; Hao, Sha; Yuan, Wei-Ping; Cheng, Tao

    2013-10-01

    NKT cells (nature killer T cells), as a regulatory cellular compartment in the immune system, express cell surface markers of T cells and NK cells. It secretes a variety of cytokines that stimulate specific antigens. Through regulating the balance of Th1/Th2, the NKT cells play an important role in prevention and treatment of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Its antitumor and anti-infectious effects serve as a basis of its application in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. A better understanding of the biological and immunological features of NKT cell, as well as its specific immune regulatory mechanisms, will further justify the rationales of using NKT cells in the management of GVHD for patients. In this review, the biologic properties, classification, differentiation and development, immune activation of NKT cells as well as the NKT cells and GVHD including the related mechanisms of prevention and treatment of GVHD with NKT cells, NKT cells and tumors, NKT cells and infection, and NKT cells and clinical GVHD are summarized.

  8. Immunohistochemical localization of host and donor-derived cells in the regenerating thymus of radiation bone marrow chimeras

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ceredig, R.; Schreyer, M.

    1984-01-01

    The anatomical distribution of CBA (Thy-1.2) host and AKR (Thy-1.1) donor-derived cells in the regenerating thymus of AKR → CBA radiation bone marrow chimeras was investigated. Cryostat sections of chimeric thymuses were incubated with biotin-conjugated monoclonal anti-Thy-1 antibodies specific for host and donor-derived cells and the distribution of the corresponding Thy-1 antigen revealed by the immunoperoxidase staining technique. The thymus was initially repopulated by Thy-1.2 + host-derived cells, but by 28 days following bone marrow reconstitution the few remaining host cells were found mostly in the thymus medulla. However, occasional Thy-1.2 + cells were still present in extramedullary, primarily cortical, sites. Donor-derived (Thy-1.1 + ) cells were first seen in the 11-day chimeric thymus as single cells frequently closely associated with blood vessels in medullary areas. By 17 days, the cortex contained many Thy-1.1 + cells, although occasional single positive cells were still present in the medulla. Changes in the anatomical distribution of host and donor-derived cells in the regenerating chimeric thymus appeared to correlate with changes in their Thy-1 fluorescence profile as determined by flow microfluorometry. (Auth.)

  9. Anaplasma phagocytophilum Manipulates Host Cell Apoptosis by Different Mechanisms to Establish Infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pilar Alberdi

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that causes human and animal granulocytic anaplasmosis and tick-borne fever of ruminants. This obligate intracellular bacterium evolved to use common strategies to establish infection in both vertebrate hosts and tick vectors. Herein, we discuss the different strategies used by the pathogen to modulate cell apoptosis and establish infection in host cells. In vertebrate neutrophils and human promyelocytic cells HL-60, both pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic factors have been reported. Tissue-specific differences in tick response to infection and differential regulation of apoptosis pathways have been observed in adult female midguts and salivary glands in response to infection with A. phagocytophilum. In tick midguts, pathogen inhibits apoptosis through the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT pathway, while in salivary glands, the intrinsic apoptosis pathways is inhibited but tick cells respond with the activation of the extrinsic apoptosis pathway. In Ixodes scapularis ISE6 cells, bacterial infection down-regulates mitochondrial porin and manipulates protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum and cell glucose metabolism to inhibit apoptosis and facilitate infection, whereas in IRE/CTVM20 tick cells, inhibition of apoptosis appears to be regulated by lower caspase levels. These results suggest that A. phagocytophilum uses different mechanisms to inhibit apoptosis for infection of both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts.

  10. Heterologous Expression of Plant Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes for Effective Production of Cellulosic Biofuels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Sang-Kyu; Parisutham, Vinuselvi; Jeong, Seong Hun; Lee, Sung Kuk

    2012-01-01

    A major technical challenge in the cost-effective production of cellulosic biofuel is the need to lower the cost of plant cell wall degrading enzymes (PCDE), which is required for the production of sugars from biomass. Several competitive, low-cost technologies have been developed to produce PCDE in different host organisms such as Escherichia coli, Zymomonas mobilis, and plant. Selection of an ideal host organism is very important, because each host organism has its own unique features. Synthetic biology-aided tools enable heterologous expression of PCDE in recombinant E. coli or Z. mobilis and allow successful consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) in these microorganisms. In-planta expression provides an opportunity to simplify the process of enzyme production and plant biomass processing and leads to self-deconstruction of plant cell walls. Although the future of currently available technologies is difficult to predict, a complete and viable platform will most likely be available through the integration of the existing approaches with the development of breakthrough technologies. PMID:22911272

  11. Fate and Persistence of a Pathogenic NDM-1-Positive Escherichia coli Strain in Anaerobic and Aerobic Sludge Microcosms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mantilla-Calderon, David; Hong, Pei-Ying

    2017-07-01

    The presence of emerging biological pollutants in treated wastewater effluents has gained attention due to increased interest in water reuse. To evaluate the effectiveness of the removal of such contaminants by the conventional wastewater treatment process, the fate and decay kinetics of NDM-1-positive Escherichia coli strain PI7 and its plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were assessed in microcosms of anaerobic and aerobic sludge. Results showed that E. coli PI7 decayed at a significantly lower rate under anaerobic conditions. Approximate half-lives were 32.4 ± 1.4 h and 5.9 ± 0.9 h in the anaerobic and aerobic microcosms, respectively. In the aerobic microcosms, after 72 h of operation, E. coli PI7 remained detectable, but no further decay was observed. Instead, 1 in every 10,000 E. coli cells was identified to be recalcitrant to decay and persist indefinitely in the sludge. ARGs associated with the E. coli PI7 strain were detected to have transferred to other native microorganisms in the sludge or were released to the liquid fraction upon host decay. Extracellular DNA quickly degraded in the liquid fraction of the aerobic sludge. In contrast, no DNA decay was detected in the anaerobic sludge water matrix throughout the 24-h sampling period. This study suggests an increased likelihood of environmental dispersion of ARGs associated with anaerobically treated wastewater effluents and highlights the potential importance of persister cells in the dissemination of E. coli in the environment during reuse events of treated wastewater. IMPORTANCE This study examines the decay kinetics of a pathogenic and antibiotic resistant strain of Escherichia coli in microcosms simulating biological treatment units of aerobic and anaerobic sludge. The results of this study point at a significantly prolonged persistence of the E. coli and the associated antibiotic resistance gene in the anaerobic sludge. However, horizontal transfer of the plasmid encoding the

  12. Quantitative Brightness Analysis of Fluorescence Intensity Fluctuations in E. Coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kwang-Ho Hur

    Full Text Available The brightness measured by fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy specifies the average stoichiometry of a labeled protein in a sample. Here we extended brightness analysis, which has been mainly applied in eukaryotic cells, to prokaryotic cells with E. coli serving as a model system. The small size of the E. coli cell introduces unique challenges for applying brightness analysis that are addressed in this work. Photobleaching leads to a depletion of fluorophores and a reduction of the brightness of protein complexes. In addition, the E. coli cell and the point spread function of the instrument only partially overlap, which influences intensity fluctuations. To address these challenges we developed MSQ analysis, which is based on the mean Q-value of segmented photon count data, and combined it with the analysis of axial scans through the E. coli cell. The MSQ method recovers brightness, concentration, and diffusion time of soluble proteins in E. coli. We applied MSQ to measure the brightness of EGFP in E. coli and compared it to solution measurements. We further used MSQ analysis to determine the oligomeric state of nuclear transport factor 2 labeled with EGFP expressed in E. coli cells. The results obtained demonstrate the feasibility of quantifying the stoichiometry of proteins by brightness analysis in a prokaryotic cell.

  13. The role of genotype in the protection of E.coli cells against radiation of defferent LET by cysteamin and glycerol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krasavin, E.A.; Amirtaev, K.G.; Kozubek, S.; Tokarova, B.; Cherevatenko, A.P.

    1985-01-01

    The protecting effects of cysteamin and glycerol on the survival of wild type E.Coli cells, rec A - mutant, pol A - mutant, and Gamsup(r) 444 mutant cells against radiation of different LET has been investigated. The results suggest that the protection of E.Coli cells by the alone-mentioned compounds are of different nature. There is no protection by cysteamin in repair defficient mutants. On the other hand the protective effects of glycerol increases from rec A - mutant to wild type and pol A - mutant. Dose-modifying factors (DMF) in the case of carbon particles have been determined, too. We have obtained DMF=1.36 and DMF=1.32 respectively, in the case of glycerol. On the contrary, cysteamin did not influence the effect of carbon ions in E.Coli cells at all. Possible mechanisms of the protecting effects of cysteamin and glycerol are considered

  14. Characterization, Genome Sequence, and Analysis of Escherichia Phage CICC 80001, a Bacteriophage Infecting an Efficient L-Aspartic Acid Producing Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Youqiang; Ma, Yuyue; Yao, Su; Jiang, Zengyan; Pei, Jiangsen; Cheng, Chi

    2016-03-01

    Escherichia phage CICC 80001 was isolated from the bacteriophage contaminated medium of an Escherichia coli strain HY-05C (CICC 11022S) which could produce L-aspartic acid. The phage had a head diameter of 45-50 nm and a tail of about 10 nm. The one-step growth curve showed a latent period of 10 min and a rise period of about 20 min. The average burst size was about 198 phage particles per infected cell. Tests were conducted on the plaques, multiplicity of infection, and host range. The genome of CICC 80001 was sequenced with a length of 38,810 bp, and annotated. The key proteins leading to host-cell lysis were phylogenetically analyzed. One protein belonged to class II holin, and the other two belonged to the endopeptidase family and N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase family, respectively. The genome showed the sequence identity of 82.7% with that of Enterobacteria phage T7, and carried ten unique open reading frames. The bacteriophage resistant E. coli strain designated CICC 11021S was breeding and its L-aspartase activity was 84.4% of that of CICC 11022S.

  15. Rifampicin sensitivity of residual RNA synthesis in Escherichia coli cells exposed to ultraviolet radiation and combined ultraviolet and γ radiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prakash, R.K.; Netrawali, M.S.; Pradhan, D.S.

    1976-01-01

    UV-irradiation prevents rifampicin inhibition of the initiation of RNA synthesis by E.coli cells, but such rifampicin insensitivity is not exhibited by the residual RNA synthesis in γ-irradiated cells. Studies of the rate of [ 3 H]-uridine incorporation by E.coli cells at various times of incubation have been used to show that when γ-irradiation was given either before or after UV-irradiation of cells, the observed rifampicin insensitivity of residual RNA synthesis in the UV-irradiated cells was obliterated. RNA synthesis in cells subjected to combined exposures of UV- and γ-radiations was lowered to a lesser extent than that in the cells exposed to UV-irradiation alone. Possible mechanisms are discussed. (U.K.)

  16. Rifampicin sensitivity of residual RNA synthesis in Escherichia coli cells exposed to ultraviolet radiation and combined ultraviolet and. gamma. radiations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prakash, R K; Netrawali, M S; Pradhan, D S [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India). Biochemistry and Food Technology Div.

    1976-09-01

    UV-irradiation prevents rifampicin inhibition of the initiation of RNA synthesis by E.coli cells, but such rifampicin insensitivity is not exhibited by the residual RNA synthesis in ..gamma..-irradiated cells. Studies of the rate of (/sup 3/H)-uridine incorporation by E.coli cells at various times of incubation have been used to show that when ..gamma.. irradiation was given either before or after uv-irradiation of cells, the observed rifampicin insensitivity of residual RNA synthesis in the uv-irradiated cells was obliterated. RNA synthesis in cells subjected to combined exposures of uv- and ..gamma..-radiations was lowered to a lesser extent than that in the cells exposed to uv-irradiation alone. Possible mechanisms are discussed.

  17. Expression of goose parvovirus whole VP3 protein and its epitopes in Escherichia coli cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarasiuk, K; Woźniakowski, G; Holec-Gąsior, L

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was the expression of goose parvovirus capsid protein (VP3) and its epitopes in Escherichia coli cells. Expression of the whole VP3 protein provided an insufficient amount of protein. In contrast, the expression of two VP3 epitopes (VP3ep4, VP3ep6) in E. coli, resulted in very high expression levels. This may suggest that smaller parts of the GPV antigenic determinants are more efficiently expressed than the complete VP3 gene.

  18. Predicting the subcellular localization of viral proteins within a mammalian host cell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas DY

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The bioinformatic prediction of protein subcellular localization has been extensively studied for prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. However, this is not the case for viruses whose proteins are often involved in extensive interactions at various subcellular localizations with host proteins. Results Here, we investigate the extent of utilization of human cellular localization mechanisms by viral proteins and we demonstrate that appropriate eukaryotic subcellular localization predictors can be used to predict viral protein localization within the host cell. Conclusion Such predictions provide a method to rapidly annotate viral proteomes with subcellular localization information. They are likely to have widespread applications both in the study of the functions of viral proteins in the host cell and in the design of antiviral drugs.

  19. Invasion of Eukaryotic Cells by Legionella Pneumophila: A Common Strategy for all Hosts?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul S Hoffman

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available Legionella pneumophila is an environmental micro-organism capable of producing an acute lobar pneumonia, commonly referred to as Legionnaires’ disease, in susceptible humans. Legionellae are ubiquitous in aquatic environments, where they survive in biofilms or intracellularly in various protozoans. Susceptible humans become infected by breathing aerosols laden with the bacteria. The target cell for human infection is the alveolar macrophage, in which the bacteria abrogate phagolysosomal fusion. The remarkable ability of L pneumophila to infect a wide range of eukaryotic cells suggests a common strategy that exploits very fundamental cellular processes. The bacteria enter host cells via coiling phagocytosis and quickly subvert organelle trafficking events, leading to formation of a replicative phagosome in which the bacteria multiply. Vegetative growth continues for 8 to 10 h, after which the bacteria develop into a short, highly motile form called the ‘mature form’. The mature form exhibits a thickening of the cell wall, stains red with the Gimenez stain, and is between 10 and 100 times more infectious than agar-grown bacteria. Following host cell lysis, the released bacteria infect other host cells, in which the mature form differentiates into a Gimenez-negative vegetative form, and the cycle begins anew. Virulence of L pneumophila is considered to be multifactorial, and there is growing evidence for both stage specific and sequential gene expression. Thus, L pneumophila may be a good model system for dissecting events associated with the host-parasite interactions.

  20. Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus: interaction with fibroblasts and muscle cells - new insights into parasite-mediated host cell cytotoxicity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Chaves Vilela

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus are parasitic, flagellated protists that inhabit the urogenital tract of humans and bovines, respectively. T. vaginalis causes the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide and has been associated with an increased risk for human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection in humans. Infections by T. foetus cause significant losses to the beef industry worldwide due to infertility and spontaneous abortion in cows. Several studies have shown a close association between trichomonads and the epithelium of the urogenital tract. However, little is known concerning the interaction of trichomonads with cells from deeper tissues, such as fibroblasts and muscle cells. Published parasite-host cell interaction studies have reported contradictory results regarding the ability of T. foetus and T. vaginalis to interact with and damage cells of different tissues. In this study, parasite-host cell interactions were examined by culturing primary human fibroblasts obtained from abdominal biopsies performed during plastic surgeries with trichomonads. In addition, mouse 3T3 fibroblasts, primary chick embryo myogenic cells and L6 muscle cells were also used as models of target cells. The parasite-host cell cultures were processed for scanning and transmission electron microscopy and were tested for cell viability and cell death. JC-1 staining, which measures mitochondrial membrane potential, was used to determine whether the parasites induced target cell damage. Terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling staining was used as an indicator of chromatin damage. The colorimetric crystal violet assay was performed to ana-lyse the cytotoxicity induced by the parasite. The results showed that T. foetus and T. vaginalis adhered to and were cytotoxic to both fibroblasts and muscle cells, indicating that trichomonas infection of the connective and muscle tissues is likely to occur; such

  1. PARTICIPATION OF TLR4 IN ENGULFMENT OF ESCHERICHIA COLI BY HUMAN BLOOD NEUTROPHILS IN PRESENCE OF LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. V. Zubova

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract. TLR4 is a key player in signaling system of host cells. Possible role of TLR4 is actively discussed, e.g. its significance for phagocytosis. A capacity of neutrophils to engulf FITC-labeled E. coli bacteria upon activation with LPS of different origin was studied in presence of anti-TLR4 Mab’s (HTA125 clone. It was shown that, in whole blood, TLR4 does not play any essential role in engulfment of bacteria by the neutrophils. Phagocytic activity of neutrophils in blood increases increased after their priming with E. coli endotoxins. LPS from Rb. сapsulatus did not affect phagocytosis. In presence of endotoxins, the degree of TLR4 involvement in neutrophil phagocytosis depends on LPS structure.

  2. Identification of a Peptide-Pheromone that Enhances Listeria monocytogenes Escape from Host Cell Vacuoles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xayarath, Bobbi; Alonzo, Francis; Freitag, Nancy E.

    2015-01-01

    Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen that invades mammalian cells and escapes from membrane-bound vacuoles to replicate within the host cell cytosol. Gene products required for intracellular bacterial growth and bacterial spread to adjacent cells are regulated by a transcriptional activator known as PrfA. PrfA becomes activated following L. monocytogenes entry into host cells, however the signal that stimulates PrfA activation has not yet been defined. Here we provide evidence for L. monocytogenes secretion of a small peptide pheromone, pPplA, which enhances the escape of L. monocytogenes from host cell vacuoles and may facilitate PrfA activation. The pPplA pheromone is generated via the proteolytic processing of the PplA lipoprotein secretion signal peptide. While the PplA lipoprotein is dispensable for pathogenesis, bacteria lacking the pPplA pheromone are significantly attenuated for virulence in mice and have a reduced efficiency of bacterial escape from the vacuoles of nonprofessional phagocytic cells. Mutational activation of PrfA restores virulence and eliminates the need for pPplA-dependent signaling. Experimental evidence suggests that the pPplA peptide may help signal to L. monocytogenes its presence within the confines of the host cell vacuole, stimulating the expression of gene products that contribute to vacuole escape and facilitating PrfA activation to promote bacterial growth within the cytosol. PMID:25822753

  3. Phage adsorption and lytic propagation in Lactobacillus plantarum: Could host cell starvation affect them?

    OpenAIRE

    Briggiler Marc?, Mari?ngeles; Reinheimer, Jorge; Quiberoni, Andrea

    2015-01-01

    Background Bacteriophages constitute a great threat to the activity of lactic acid bacteria used in industrial processes. Several factors can influence the infection cycle of bacteriophages. That is the case of the physiological state of host cells, which could produce inhibition or delay of the phage infection process. In the present work, the influence of Lactobacillus plantarum host cell starvation on phage B1 adsorption and propagation was investigated. Result First, cell growth kinetics ...

  4. Epigenetic silencing of host cell defense genes enhances intracellular survival of the rickettsial pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose C Garcia-Garcia

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Intracellular bacteria have evolved mechanisms that promote survival within hostile host environments, often resulting in functional dysregulation and disease. Using the Anaplasma phagocytophilum-infected granulocyte model, we establish a link between host chromatin modifications, defense gene transcription and intracellular bacterial infection. Infection of THP-1 cells with A. phagocytophilum led to silencing of host defense gene expression. Histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1 expression, activity and binding to the defense gene promoters significantly increased during infection, which resulted in decreased histone H3 acetylation in infected cells. HDAC1 overexpression enhanced infection, whereas pharmacologic and siRNA HDAC1 inhibition significantly decreased bacterial load. HDAC2 does not seem to be involved, since HDAC2 silencing by siRNA had no effect on A. phagocytophilum intracellular propagation. These data indicate that HDAC up-regulation and epigenetic silencing of host cell defense genes is required for A. phagocytophilum infection. Bacterial epigenetic regulation of host cell gene transcription could be a general mechanism that enhances intracellular pathogen survival while altering cell function and promoting disease.

  5. Cloning, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of Escherichia coli PapD-like protein (EcpD)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pandey, Nishant Kumar; Pal, Ravi Kant; Kashyap, Maruthi; Bhavesh, Neel Sarovar

    2012-01-01

    The Escherichia coli PapD-like protein (EcpD), from uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), which is a periplasmic chaperon of Yad fimbriae was cloned, overexpressed, purified and crystallized. The crystals obtained diffracted X-rays to 1.67 Å resolution and belonged to space group C222 1 . Many Gram-negative bacteria are characterized by hair-like proteinaceous appendages on their surface known as fimbriae. In uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, fimbriae mediate attachment by binding to receptors on the host cell, often contributing to virulence and disease. E. coli PapD-like protein (EcpD) is a periplasmic chaperone that plays an important role in the proper folding and guiding of Yad fimbrial proteins to the outer membrane usher protein in a process known as pilus biogenesis. EcpD is essential for pilus biogenesis in uropathogenic E. coli and plays an important role in virulence. In the present study, EcpD was cloned, overexpressed, purified and crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals diffracted to 1.67 Å resolution and belonged to the orthorhombic space group C222 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 100.3, b = 127.6, c = 45.9 Å. There was a single molecule in the asymmetric unit and the corresponding Matthews coefficient was calculated to be 3.02 Å 3 Da −1 , with 59% solvent content. Initial phases were determined by molecular replacement

  6. Colocalization and interaction between elongasome and divisome during a preparative cell division phase in Escherichia coli

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ploeg, van der R.; Verheul, J.; Vischer, N.O.E.; Alexeeva, S.V.; Hoogendoorn, E.; Postma, M.; Banzhaf, M.; Vollmer, W.; Blaauwen, den T.

    2013-01-01

    The rod-shaped bacterium Escherichia coli grows by insertion of peptidoglycan into the lateral wall during cell elongation and synthesis of new poles during cell division. The monofunctional transpeptidases PBP2 and PBP3 are part of specialized protein complexes called elongasome and divisome,

  7. Synchronous induction of detachment and reattachment of symbiotic Chlorella spp. from the cell cortex of the host Paramecium bursaria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kodama, Yuuki; Fujishima, Masahiro

    2013-09-01

    Paramecium bursaria harbor several hundred symbiotic Chlorella spp. Each alga is enclosed in a perialgal vacuole membrane, which can attach to the host cell cortex. How the perialgal vacuole attaches beneath the host cell cortex remains unknown. High-speed centrifugation (> 1000×g) for 1min induces rapid detachment of the algae from the host cell cortex and concentrates the algae to the posterior half of the host cell. Simultaneously, most of the host acidosomes and lysosomes accumulate in the anterior half of the host cell. Both the detached algae and the dislocated acidic vesicles recover their original positions by host cyclosis within 10min after centrifugation. These recoveries were inhibited if the host cytoplasmic streaming was arrested by nocodazole. Endosymbiotic algae during the early reinfection process also show the capability of desorption after centrifugation. These results demonstrate that adhesion of the perialgal vacuole beneath the host cell cortex is repeatedly inducible, and that host cytoplasmic streaming facilitates recovery of the algal attachment. This study is the first report to illuminate the mechanism of the induction to desorb for symbiotic algae and acidic vesicles, and will contribute to the understanding of the mechanism of algal and organelle arrangements in Paramecium. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  8. Differential proteome analysis of chikungunya virus infection on host cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina Li-Ping Thio

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV is an emerging mosquito-borne alphavirus that has caused multiple unprecedented and re-emerging outbreaks in both tropical and temperate countries. Despite ongoing research efforts, the underlying factors involved in facilitating CHIKV replication during early infection remains ill-characterized. The present study serves to identify host proteins modulated in response to early CHIKV infection using a proteomics approach. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The whole cell proteome profiles of CHIKV-infected and mock control WRL-68 cells were compared and analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE. Fifty-three spots were found to be differentially modulated and 50 were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF. Eight were significantly up-regulated and 42 were down-regulated. The mRNA expressions of 15 genes were also found to correlate with the corresponding protein expression. STRING network analysis identified several biological processes to be affected, including mRNA processing, translation, energy production and cellular metabolism, ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP and cell cycle regulation. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study constitutes a first attempt to investigate alteration of the host cellular proteome during early CHIKV infection. Our proteomics data showed that during early infection, CHIKV affected the expression of proteins that are involved in mRNA processing, host metabolic machinery, UPP, and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1 regulation (in favour of virus survival, replication and transmission. While results from this study complement the proteomics results obtained from previous late host response studies, functional characterization of these proteins is warranted to reinforce our understanding of their roles during early CHIKV infection in humans.

  9. Investigating the Relatedness of Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli to Other E. coli and Shigella Isolates by Using Comparative Genomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazen, Tracy H; Leonard, Susan R; Lampel, Keith A; Lacher, David W; Maurelli, Anthony T; Rasko, David A

    2016-08-01

    Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) is a unique pathovar that has a pathogenic mechanism nearly indistinguishable from that of Shigella species. In contrast to isolates of the four Shigella species, which are widespread and can be frequent causes of human illness, EIEC causes far fewer reported illnesses each year. In this study, we analyzed the genome sequences of 20 EIEC isolates, including 14 first described in this study. Phylogenomic analysis of the EIEC genomes demonstrated that 17 of the isolates are present in three distinct lineages that contained only EIEC genomes, compared to reference genomes from each of the E. coli pathovars and Shigella species. Comparative genomic analysis identified genes that were unique to each of the three identified EIEC lineages. While many of the EIEC lineage-specific genes have unknown functions, those with predicted functions included a colicin and putative proteins involved in transcriptional regulation or carbohydrate metabolism. In silico detection of the Shigella virulence plasmid (pINV), which is essential for the invasion of host cells, demonstrated that a form of pINV was present in nearly all EIEC genomes, but the Mxi-Spa-Ipa region of the plasmid that encodes the invasion-associated proteins was absent from several of the EIEC isolates. The comparative genomic findings in this study support the hypothesis that multiple EIEC lineages have evolved independently from multiple distinct lineages of E. coli via the acquisition of the Shigella virulence plasmid and, in some cases, the Shigella pathogenicity islands. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  10. Effect of endocytosis inhibitors on Coxiella burnetii interaction with host cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tujulin, E.; Macellaro, A.; Norlander, L.; Liliehoeoek, B.

    1998-01-01

    The obligate intracellular rickettsia Coxiella burnetii has previously been reported to reach the intra-vacuolar compartment of host cells by phagocytosis. With the aim to further examine the mechanisms of C. burnetii internalisation, macrophage monolayers were treated with well characterised inhibitors of endocytosis. The treatment with two general inhibitors, colchicine and methylamine, resulted in a pronounced dose-dependent decrease of radiolabelled phase II rickettsiae retained from the intracellular fraction. A third inhibitor used, amiloride, has been reported to reduce effectively clathrin-independent pinocytic pathways. The internalisation of C. burnetii was shown to be substantially reduced also by amiloride and the effect was dependent on its concentration. The passive role of C. burnetii in the internalisation was verified by using heat-killed C. burnetii. Host cells treated with either of the three inhibitors (amiloride, colchicine and methylamine) showed a similar reduction of intracellular C. burnetii after exposure to killed as weal as live organisms. The data presented indicate that different endocytic mechanisms, pinocytosis as well as phagocytosis, may mediate the uptake of C. burnetii by a host cell. Key words: Coxiella burnetii; internalisation; endocytosis (authors)

  11. Peptide Nucleic Acid Knockdown and Intra-host Cell Complementation of Ehrlichia Type IV Secretion System Effector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pratibha Sharma

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Survival of Ehrlichia chaffeensis depends on obligatory intracellular infection. One of the barriers to E. chaffeensis research progress has been the inability, using conventional techniques, to generate knock-out mutants for genes essential for intracellular infection. This study examined the use of Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs technology to interrupt type IV secretion system (T4SS effector protein expression in E. chaffeensis followed by intracellular complementation of the effector to determine its requirement for infection. Successful E. chaffeensis infection depends on the E. chaffeensis-specific T4SS protein effector, ehrlichial translocated factor-1 (Etf-1, which induces Rab5-regulated autophagy to provide host cytosolic nutrients required for E. chaffeensis proliferation. Etf-1 is also imported by host cell mitochondria where it inhibits host cell apoptosis to prolong its infection. We designed a PNA specific to Etf-1 and showed that the PNA bound to the target region of single-stranded Etf-1 RNA using a competitive binding assay. Electroporation of E. chaffeensis with this PNA significantly reduced Etf-1 mRNA and protein, and the bacteria's ability to induce host cell autophagy and infect host cells. Etf-1 PNA-mediated inhibition of ehrlichial Etf-1 expression and E. chaffeensis infection could be intracellularly trans-complemented by ectopic expression of Etf-1-GFP in host cells. These data affirmed the critical role of bacterial T4SS effector in host cell autophagy and E. chaffeensis infection, and demonstrated the use of PNA to analyze the gene functions of obligate intracellular bacteria.

  12. Restriction alleviation of phage λ in Escherichia Coli K-12 cells after γ-irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rabinkova, E.V.; Torosyan, M.V.; Fradkin, G.E.

    1987-01-01

    In γ-irradiated cells of Escherichia coli K-12 restriction allevation of an unmodified phage λ is only observed in AB1157 strain. No restriction allevation by γ-rays is registered in AB1157 mutants (rec A and ssb-1)

  13. Identification of novel esterase-active enzymes from hot environments by use of the host bacterium Thermus thermophilus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benedikt eLeis

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Functional metagenomic screening strategies, which are independent of known sequence information, can lead to the identification of truly novel genes and enzymes. Since E. coli has been used exhaustively for this purpose as a host, it is important to establish alternative expression hosts and to use them for functional metagenomic screening for new enzymes. In this study we show that Thermus thermophilus HB27 is an excellent screening host and can be used as an alternative provider of truly novel biocatalysts. In a previous study we constructed the mutant strain BL03 that was no longer able to grow on defined minimal medium supplemented with tributyrin as the sole carbon source and could be used as a host to screen for metagenomic DNA fragments that could complement growth on tributyrin. Several thousand single fosmid clones from thermophilic metagenomic libraries from heated compost and hot spring water samples were subjected to a comparative screening for esterase activity in both T. thermophilus strain BL03 and E. coli EPI300. We scored a greater number of active clones in the thermophilic bacterium than in the mesophilic E. coli. From all clones functionally screened in E. coli, only two thermostable α/β-fold hydrolase enzymes with high amino acid sequence similarity to already characterized enzymes were identifiable. In contrast, five further fosmids were found that conferred lipolytic activities in T. thermophilus. Four open reading frames (ORFs were found which did not share significant similarity to known esterase enzymes. Two of the genes were expressed in both hosts and the novel thermophilic esterases, which based on their primary structures could not be assigned to known esterase or lipase families, were purified and preliminarily characterized. Our work underscores the benefit of using additional screening hosts other than E. coli for the identification of novel biocatalysts with industrial relevance.

  14. Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Mosquito C6/36 Cells Reveals Host Proteins Involved in Zika Virus Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xin, Qi-Lin; Deng, Cheng-Lin; Chen, Xi; Wang, Jun; Wang, Shao-Bo; Wang, Wei; Deng, Fei; Zhang, Bo; Xiao, Gengfu; Zhang, Lei-Ke

    2017-06-15

    Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging arbovirus belonging to the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae During replication processes, flavivirus manipulates host cell systems to facilitate its replication, while the host cells activate antiviral responses. Identification of host proteins involved in the flavivirus replication process may lead to the discovery of antiviral targets. The mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are epidemiologically important vectors for ZIKV, and effective restrictions of ZIKV replication in mosquitoes will be vital in controlling the spread of virus. In this study, an iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis of ZIKV-infected Aedes albopictus C6/36 cells was performed to investigate host proteins involved in the ZIKV infection process. A total of 3,544 host proteins were quantified, with 200 being differentially regulated, among which CHCHD2 can be upregulated by ZIKV infection in both mosquito C6/36 and human HeLa cells. Our further study indicated that CHCHD2 can promote ZIKV replication and inhibit beta interferon (IFN-β) production in HeLa cells, suggesting that ZIKV infection may upregulate CHCHD2 to inhibit IFN-I production and thus promote virus replication. Bioinformatics analysis of regulated host proteins highlighted several ZIKV infection-regulated biological processes. Further study indicated that the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) plays roles in the ZIKV entry process and that an FDA-approved inhibitor of the 20S proteasome, bortezomib, can inhibit ZIKV infection in vivo Our study illustrated how host cells respond to ZIKV infection and also provided a candidate drug for the control of ZIKV infection in mosquitoes and treatment of ZIKV infection in patients. IMPORTANCE ZIKV infection poses great threats to human health, and there is no FDA-approved drug available for the treatment of ZIKV infection. During replication, ZIKV manipulates host cell systems to facilitate its replication, while host cells activate

  15. Phagocytosis and Epithelial Cell Invasion by Crohn’s Disease-Associated Adherent-Invasive Escherichia coli Are Inhibited by the Anti-inflammatory Drug 6-Mercaptopurine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federica Migliore

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC strains are overrepresented in the dysbiotic microbiota of Crohn’s disease (CD patients, and contribute to the onset of the chronic inflammation typical of the disease. However, the effects of anti-inflammatory drugs used for CD treatment on AIEC virulence have not yet been investigated. In this report, we show that exposure of AIEC LF82 strain to amino-6-mercaptopurine (6-MP riboside, one of the most widely used anti-inflammatory drugs in CD, impairs its ability to adhere to, and consequently to invade, human epithelial cells. Notably, phagocytosis of LF82 treated with 6-MP by human macrophages is also reduced, suggesting that 6-MP affects AIEC cell surface determinants involved both in interaction with epithelial cells and in uptake by macrophages. Since a main target of 6-MP in bacterial cells is the inhibition of the important signal molecule c-di-GMP, we also tested whether perturbations in cAMP, another major signaling pathway in E. coli, might have similar effects on interactions with human cells. To this aim, we grew LF82 in the presence of glucose, which leads to inhibition of cAMP synthesis. Growth in glucose-supplemented medium resulted in a reduction in AIEC adhesion to epithelial cells and uptake by macrophages. Consistent with these results, both 6-MP and glucose can affect expression of cell adhesion-related genes, such as the csg genes, encoding thin aggregative fimbriae (curli. In addition, glucose strongly inhibits expression of the fim operon, encoding type 1 pili, a known AIEC determinant for adhesion to human cells. To further investigate whether 6-MP can indeed inhibit c-di-GMP signaling in AIEC, we performed biofilm and motility assays and determination of extracellular polysaccharides. 6-MP clearly affected biofilm formation and cellulose production, but also, unexpectedly, reduced cell motility, itself an important virulence factor for AIEC. Our results provide strong evidence

  16. Expansion of donor-reactive host T cells in primary graft failure after allogeneic hematopoietic SCT following reduced-intensity conditioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koyama, M; Hashimoto, D; Nagafuji, K; Eto, T; Ohno, Y; Aoyama, K; Iwasaki, H; Miyamoto, T; Hill, G R; Akashi, K; Teshima, T

    2014-01-01

    Graft rejection remains a major obstacle in allogeneic hematopoietic SCT following reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC-SCT), particularly after cord blood transplantation (CBT). In a murine MHC-mismatched model of RIC-SCT, primary graft rejection was associated with activation and expansion of donor-reactive host T cells in peripheral blood and BM early after SCT. Donor-derived dendritic cells are at least partly involved in host T-cell activation. We then evaluated if such an expansion of host T cells could be associated with graft rejection after RIC-CBT. Expansion of residual host lymphocytes was observed in 4/7 patients with graft rejection at 3 weeks after CBT, but in none of the 17 patients who achieved engraftment. These results suggest the crucial role of residual host T cells after RIC-SCT in graft rejection and expansion of host T cells could be a marker of graft rejection. Development of more efficient T cell-suppressive conditioning regimens may be necessary in the context of RIC-SCT.

  17. Genetic Attributes of E. coli Isolates from Chlorinated Drinking Water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blyton, Michaela D J; Gordon, David M

    2017-01-01

    Escherichia coli, is intimately associated with both human health and water sanitation. E. coli isolates from water can either be (i) host associated commensals, indicating recent faecal contamination; (ii) diarrheal pathogens or (iii) extra-intestinal pathogens that pose a direct health risk; or (iv) free-living. In this study we genetically characterised 28 E. coli isolates obtained from treated drinking water in south eastern Australia to ascertain their likely source. We used full genome sequencing to assign the isolates to their phylogenetic group and multi-locus sequence type. The isolates were also screened in silico for several virulence genes and genes involved in acquired antibiotic resistance. The genetic characteristics of the isolates indicated that four isolates were likely human pathogens. However, these isolates were not detected in sufficient numbers to present a health risk to the public. An additional isolate was a human associated strain. Nine isolates were water associated free-living strains that were unlikely to pose a health risk. Only 14% of the isolates belonged to the host associated phylogenetic group (B2) and only a single isolate had any antibiotic resistance genes. This suggests that the primary source of the drinking water E. coli isolates may not have been recent human faecal contamination.

  18. Genetic Attributes of E. coli Isolates from Chlorinated Drinking Water.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michaela D J Blyton

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli, is intimately associated with both human health and water sanitation. E. coli isolates from water can either be (i host associated commensals, indicating recent faecal contamination; (ii diarrheal pathogens or (iii extra-intestinal pathogens that pose a direct health risk; or (iv free-living. In this study we genetically characterised 28 E. coli isolates obtained from treated drinking water in south eastern Australia to ascertain their likely source. We used full genome sequencing to assign the isolates to their phylogenetic group and multi-locus sequence type. The isolates were also screened in silico for several virulence genes and genes involved in acquired antibiotic resistance. The genetic characteristics of the isolates indicated that four isolates were likely human pathogens. However, these isolates were not detected in sufficient numbers to present a health risk to the public. An additional isolate was a human associated strain. Nine isolates were water associated free-living strains that were unlikely to pose a health risk. Only 14% of the isolates belonged to the host associated phylogenetic group (B2 and only a single isolate had any antibiotic resistance genes. This suggests that the primary source of the drinking water E. coli isolates may not have been recent human faecal contamination.

  19. Prodigiosin - A Multifaceted Escherichia coli Antimicrobial Agent.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tjaša Danevčič

    Full Text Available Despite a considerable interest in prodigiosin, the mechanism of its antibacterial activity is still poorly understood. In this work, Escherichia coli cells were treated with prodigiosin to determine its antimicrobial effect on bacterial physiology. The effect of prodigiosin was concentration dependent. In prodigiosin treated cells above MIC value no significant DNA damage or cytoplasmic membrane disintegration was observed. The outer membrane, however, becomes leaky. Cells had severely decreased respiration activity. In prodigiosin treated cells protein and RNA synthesis were inhibited, cells were elongated but could not divide. Pre-treatment with prodigiosin improved E. coli survival rate in media containing ampicillin, kanamycin and erythromycin but not phleomycin. The results suggest that prodigiosin acts as a bacteriostatic agent in E. coli cells. If prodigiosin was diluted, cells resumed growth. The results indicate that prodigiosin has distinct mode of antibacterial action in different bacteria.

  20. The comparative investigation of gene mutation induction in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli cells after irradiation by different LET radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borejko, A.V.; Bulah, A.P.

    2005-01-01

    The data of mutagenetic action of ionizing radiation with different physical characteristics on bacterial cells with various genotypes are presented. It was shown that regularities of inducible mutagenesis in Bacillus subtilis and E. coli are consimilar. The dose-response dependence for both types of cells is described by the linear-quadratic function. The RBE on LET relationship has a local maximum at 20 keV/μm. The crucial role in inducible mutagenesis in E. coli and Bacillus subtilis cells is played by the error-prone SOS-repair

  1. Membrane cholesterol regulates lysosome-plasma membrane fusion events and modulates Trypanosoma cruzi invasion of host cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bárbara Hissa

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi are able to invade several types of non-phagocytic cells through a lysosomal dependent mechanism. It has been shown that, during invasion, parasites trigger host cell lysosome exocytosis, which initially occurs at the parasite-host contact site. Acid sphingomyelinase released from lysosomes then induces endocytosis and parasite internalization. Lysosomes continue to fuse with the newly formed parasitophorous vacuole until the parasite is completely enclosed by lysosomal membrane, a process indispensable for a stable infection. Previous work has shown that host membrane cholesterol is also important for the T. cruzi invasion process in both professional (macrophages and non-professional (epithelial phagocytic cells. However, the mechanism by which cholesterol-enriched microdomains participate in this process has remained unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: In the present work we show that cardiomyocytes treated with MβCD, a drug able to sequester cholesterol from cell membranes, leads to a 50% reduction in invasion by T. cruzi trypomastigotes, as well as a decrease in the number of recently internalized parasites co-localizing with lysosomal markers. Cholesterol depletion from host membranes was accompanied by a decrease in the labeling of host membrane lipid rafts, as well as excessive lysosome exocytic events during the earlier stages of treatment. Precocious lysosomal exocytosis in MβCD treated cells led to a change in lysosomal distribution, with a reduction in the number of these organelles at the cell periphery, and probably compromises the intracellular pool of lysosomes necessary for T. cruzi invasion. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Based on these results, we propose that cholesterol depletion leads to unregulated exocytic events, reducing lysosome availability at the cell cortex and consequently compromise T. cruzi entry into host cells. The results also suggest that two different pools of

  2. Reconstitution of TCA cycle with DAOCS to engineer Escherichia coli into an efficient whole cell catalyst of penicillin G.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Baixue; Fan, Keqiang; Zhao, Jian; Ji, Junjie; Wu, Linjun; Yang, Keqian; Tao, Yong

    2015-08-11

    Many medically useful semisynthetic cephalosporins are derived from 7-aminodeacetoxycephalosporanic acid (7-ADCA), which has been traditionally made by the polluting chemical method. Here, a whole-cell biocatalytic process based on an engineered Escherichia coli strain expressing 2-oxoglutarate-dependent deacetoxycephalosporin C synthase (DAOCS) for converting penicillin G to G-7-ADCA is developed. The major engineering strategy is to reconstitute the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle of E. coli to force the metabolic flux to go through DAOCS catalyzed reaction for 2-oxoglutarate to succinate conversion. Then the glyoxylate bypass was disrupted to eliminate metabolic flux that may circumvent the reconstituted TCA cycle. Additional engineering steps were taken to reduce the degradation of penicillin G and G-7-ADCA in the bioconversion process. These steps include engineering strategies to reduce acetate accumulation in the biocatalytic process and to knock out a host β-lactamase involved in the degradation of penicillin G and G-7-ADCA. By combining these manipulations in an engineered strain, the yield of G-7-ADCA was increased from 2.50 ± 0.79 mM (0.89 ± 0.28 g/L, 0.07 ± 0.02 g/gDCW) to 29.01 ± 1.27 mM (10.31 ± 0.46 g/L, 0.77 ± 0.03 g/gDCW) with a conversion rate of 29.01 mol%, representing an 11-fold increase compared with the starting strain (2.50 mol%).

  3. Capture of cell culture-derived influenza virus by lectins: strain independent, but host cell dependent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Opitz, Lars; Zimmermann, Anke; Lehmann, Sylvia; Genzel, Yvonne; Lübben, Holger; Reichl, Udo; Wolff, Michael W

    2008-12-01

    Strategies to control influenza outbreaks are focused mainly on prophylactic vaccination. Human influenza vaccines are trivalent blends of different virus subtypes. Therefore and due to frequent antigenic drifts, strain independent manufacturing processes are required for vaccine production. This study verifies the strain independency of a capture method based on Euonymus europaeus lectin-affinity chromatography (EEL-AC) for downstream processing of influenza viruses under various culture conditions propagated in MDCK cells. A comprehensive lectin binding screening was conducted for two influenza virus types from the season 2007/2008 (A/Wisconsin/67/2005, B/Malaysia/2506/2004) including a comparison of virus-lectin interaction by surface plasmon resonance technology. EEL-AC resulted in a reproducible high product recovery rate and a high degree of contaminant removal in the case of both MDCK cell-derived influenza virus types demonstrating clearly the general applicability of EEL-AC. In addition, host cell dependency of EEL-AC was studied with two industrial relevant cell lines: Vero and MDCK cells. However, the choice of the host cell lines is known to lead to different product glycosylation profiles. Hence, altered lectin specificities have been observed between the two cell lines, requiring process adaptations between different influenza vaccine production systems.

  4. Conditional Function of Autoaggregative Protein Cah and Common cah Mutations in Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Michelle Qiu; Brandl, Maria T; Kudva, Indira T; Katani, Robab; Moreau, Matthew R; Kapur, Vivek

    2018-01-01

    Cah is a calcium-binding autotransporter protein involved in autoaggregation and biofilm formation. Although cah is widespread in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), we detected mutations in cah at a frequency of 31.3% in this pathogen. In STEC O157:H7 supershedder strain SS17, a large deletion results in a smaller coding sequence, encoding a protein lacking the C-terminal 71 amino acids compared with Cah in STEC O157:H7 strain EDL933. We examined the function of Cah in biofilm formation and host colonization to better understand the selective pressures for cah mutations. EDL933-Cah played a conditional role in biofilm formation in vitro : it enhanced E. coli DH5α biofilm formation on glass surfaces under agitated culture conditions that prevented autoaggregation but inhibited biofilm formation under hydrostatic conditions that facilitated autoaggregation. This function appeared to be strain dependent since Cah-mediated biofilm formation was diminished when an EDL933 cah gene was expressed in SS17. Deletion of cah in EDL933 enhanced bacterial attachment to spinach leaves and altered the adherence pattern of EDL933 to bovine recto-anal junction squamous epithelial (RSE) cells. In contrast, in trans expression of EDL933 cah in SS17 increased its attachment to leaf surfaces, and in DH5α, it enhanced its adherence to RSE cells. Hence, the ecological function of Cah appears to be modulated by environmental conditions and other bacterial strain-specific properties. Considering the prevalence of cah in STEC and its role in attachment and biofilm formation, cah mutations might be selected in ecological niches in which inactivation of Cah would result in an increased fitness in STEC during colonization of plants or animal hosts. IMPORTANCE Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) harbors genes encoding diverse adhesins, and many of these are known to play an important role in bacterial attachment and host colonization. We demonstrated here that the

  5. Antimutagenic action of aminoacids on UV-irradiated E. Coli cells: evidence of the existence of metabolic regulation of antimutagenic activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filippov, V.D.

    1990-01-01

    The yield of mutations in Escherichia Coli cells placed after UV irradiation in a glucose-free salt medium enriched with casamino acids was determined. It is shown that in the absence of glucose casamino acids and certain individual amino acids produce a strong antimutagenetic effect. The acquired data allow to assume the existence of fine metabolic regulation of mutation reparation processes and occurrence of mutations in E. Coli cells exposed to UV-radiation

  6. Uptake of biotin by Chlamydia Spp. through the use of a bacterial transporter (BioY and a host-cell transporter (SMVT.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derek J Fisher

    Full Text Available Chlamydia spp. are obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that cause disease in humans and animals. Minor variations in metabolic capacity between species have been causally linked to host and tissue tropisms. Analysis of the highly conserved genomes of Chlamydia spp. reveals divergence in the metabolism of the essential vitamin biotin with genes for either synthesis (bioF_2ADB and/or transport (bioY. Streptavidin blotting confirmed the presence of a single biotinylated protein in Chlamydia. As a first step in unraveling the need for divergent biotin acquisition strategies, we examined BioY (CTL0613 from C. trachomatis 434/Bu which is annotated as an S component of the type II energy coupling-factor transporters (ECF. Type II ECFs are typically composed of a transport specific component (S and a chromosomally unlinked energy module (AT. Intriguingly, Chlamydia lack recognizable AT modules. Using (3H-biotin and recombinant E. coli expressing CTL0613, we demonstrated that biotin was transported with high affinity (a property of Type II ECFs previously shown to require an AT module and capacity (apparent K(m of 3.35 nM and V(max of 55.1 pmol×min(-1×mg(-1. Since Chlamydia reside in a host derived membrane vacuole, termed an inclusion, we also sought a mechanism for transport of biotin from the cell cytoplasm into the inclusion vacuole. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that the mammalian sodium multivitamin transporter (SMVT, which transports lipoic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid into cells, localizes to the inclusion. Since Chlamydia also are auxotrophic for lipoic and pantothenic acids, SMVT may be subverted by Chlamydia to move multiple essential compounds into the inclusion where BioY and another transporter(s would be present to facilitate transport into the bacterium. Collectively, our data validates the first BioY from a pathogenic organism and describes a two-step mechanism by which Chlamydia transport biotin

  7. Uptake of Biotin by Chlamydia Spp. through the Use of a Bacterial Transporter (BioY) and a Host-Cell Transporter (SMVT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, Derek J.; Fernández, Reinaldo E.; Adams, Nancy E.; Maurelli, Anthony T.

    2012-01-01

    Chlamydia spp. are obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that cause disease in humans and animals. Minor variations in metabolic capacity between species have been causally linked to host and tissue tropisms. Analysis of the highly conserved genomes of Chlamydia spp. reveals divergence in the metabolism of the essential vitamin biotin with genes for either synthesis (bioF_2ADB) and/or transport (bioY). Streptavidin blotting confirmed the presence of a single biotinylated protein in Chlamydia. As a first step in unraveling the need for divergent biotin acquisition strategies, we examined BioY (CTL0613) from C. trachomatis 434/Bu which is annotated as an S component of the type II energy coupling-factor transporters (ECF). Type II ECFs are typically composed of a transport specific component (S) and a chromosomally unlinked energy module (AT). Intriguingly, Chlamydia lack recognizable AT modules. Using 3H-biotin and recombinant E. coli expressing CTL0613, we demonstrated that biotin was transported with high affinity (a property of Type II ECFs previously shown to require an AT module) and capacity (apparent K(m) of 3.35 nM and V(max) of 55.1 pmol×min−1×mg−1). Since Chlamydia reside in a host derived membrane vacuole, termed an inclusion, we also sought a mechanism for transport of biotin from the cell cytoplasm into the inclusion vacuole. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that the mammalian sodium multivitamin transporter (SMVT), which transports lipoic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid into cells, localizes to the inclusion. Since Chlamydia also are auxotrophic for lipoic and pantothenic acids, SMVT may be subverted by Chlamydia to move multiple essential compounds into the inclusion where BioY and another transporter(s) would be present to facilitate transport into the bacterium. Collectively, our data validates the first BioY from a pathogenic organism and describes a two-step mechanism by which Chlamydia transport biotin from the

  8. Brucella abortus choloylglycine hydrolase affects cell envelope composition and host cell internalization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Inés Marchesini

    Full Text Available Choloylglycine hydrolase (CGH, E.C. 3.5.1.24 is a conjugated bile salt hydrolase that catalyses the hydrolysis of the amide bond in conjugated bile acids. Bile salt hydrolases are expressed by gastrointestinal bacteria, and they presumably decrease the toxicity of host's conjugated bile salts. Brucella species are the causative agents of brucellosis, a disease affecting livestock and humans. CGH confers Brucella the ability to deconjugate and resist the antimicrobial action of bile salts, contributing to the establishment of a successful infection through the oral route in mice. Additionally, cgh-deletion mutant was also attenuated in intraperitoneally inoculated mice, which suggests that CGH may play a role during systemic infection other than hydrolyzing conjugated bile acids. To understand the role CGH plays in B. abortus virulence, we infected phagocytic and epithelial cells with a cgh-deletion mutant (Δcgh and found that it is defective in the internalization process. This defect along with the increased resistance of Δcgh to the antimicrobial action of polymyxin B, prompted an analysis of the cell envelope of this mutant. Two-dimensional electrophoretic profiles of Δcgh cell envelope-associated proteins showed an altered expression of Omp2b and different members of the Omp25/31 family. These results were confirmed by Western blot analysis with monoclonal antibodies. Altogether, the results indicate that Brucella CGH not only participates in deconjugation of bile salts but also affects overall membrane composition and host cell internalization.

  9. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 Ameliorates Escherichia coli-Induced Inflammation and Cell Damage via Attenuation of ASC-Independent NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Qiong; Liu, Ming-Chao; Yang, Jun; Wang, Jiu-Feng; Zhu, Yao-Hong

    2016-02-15

    Escherichia coli is a major environmental pathogen causing bovine mastitis, which leads to mammary tissue damage and cell death. We explored the effects of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 on ameliorating E. coli-induced inflammation and cell damage in primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). Increased Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), NOD1, and NOD2 mRNA expression was observed following E. coli challenge, but this increase was attenuated by L. rhamnosus GR-1 pretreatment. Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses revealed that L. rhamnosus GR-1 pretreatment decreased the E. coli-induced increases in the expression of the NOD-like receptor family member pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) and the serine protease caspase 1. However, expression of the adaptor protein apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC, encoded by the Pycard gene) was decreased during E. coli infection, even with L. rhamnosus GR-1 pretreatment. Pretreatment with L. rhamnosus GR-1 counteracted the E. coli-induced increases in interleukin-1β (IL-1β), -6, -8, and -18 and tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA expression but upregulated IL-10 mRNA expression. Our data indicate that L. rhamnosus GR-1 reduces the adhesion of E. coli to BMECs, subsequently ameliorating E. coli-induced disruption of cellular morphology and ultrastructure and limiting detrimental inflammatory responses, partly via promoting TLR2 and NOD1 synergism and attenuating ASC-independent NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Although the residual pathogenic activity of L. rhamnosus, the dosage regimen, and the means of probiotic supplementation in cattle remain undefined, our data enhance our understanding of the mechanism of action of this candidate probiotic, allowing for development of specific probiotic-based therapies and strategies for preventing pathogenic infection of the bovine mammary gland. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  10. Cell extracts of propionic acid bacteria reactivate cells of Escherichia coli inactivated by ultraviolet radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vorob'eva, L.I.; Nikitenko, G.V.; Khodzhaev, E.Yu.; Ponomareva, G.M.

    1994-01-01

    Cell extracts of three Propionibacterium shermanii strains were shown to exert a reactivating effect on cells of E. coli AB 1157 inactivated by ultraviolet radiation. The reactivating effect was revealed after both preincubation and postincubation of the irradiated cells with the extracts. The effect increased with a decrease of the survival rate within the range of 1.8-0.006%. The protective factor (or factors) is dialyzable and thermolabile; it was detected both in the fraction of soluble proteins and in the fraction of nucleoproteins and nucleic acids. The protective properties of dialyzate disappear after incubation with proteinase K and trypsin, decrease after incubation with α-amylase, deoxyribonuclease-1, or ribonuclease, and do not change under the influence of lipase. The reactivating factor is believed to be of a polypeptide nature

  11. E. coli Surface Properties Differ between Stream Water and Sediment Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao Liang

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The importance of E. coli as an indicator organism in fresh water has led to numerous studies focusing on cell properties and transport behavior. However, previous studies have been unable to assess if differences in E. coli cell surface properties and genomic variation are associated with different environmental habitats. In this study, we investigated the variation in characteristics of E. coli obtained from stream water and stream bottom sediments. Cell properties were measured for 77 genomically different E. coli strains (44 strains isolated from sediments and 33 strains isolated from water under common stream conditions in the Upper Midwestern United States: pH 8.0, ionic strength 10mM and 22˚C. Measured cell properties include hydrophobicity, zeta potential, net charge, total acidity and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS composition. Our results indicate that stream sediment E. coli had significantly greater hydrophobicity, greater EPS protein content and EPS sugar content, less negative net charge, and higher point of zero charge than stream water E. coli. A significant positive correlation was observed between hydrophobicity and EPS protein for stream sediment E. coli but not for stream water E. coli. Additionally, E. coli surviving in the same habitat tended to have significantly larger (GTG5 genome similarity. After accounting for the intrinsic impact from the genome, environmental habitat was determined to be a factor influencing some cell surface properties, such as hydrophobicity. The diversity of cell properties and its resulting impact on particle interactions should be considered for environmental fate and transport modeling of aquatic indicator organisms such as E. coli.

  12. E. coli Surface Properties Differ between Stream Water and Sediment Environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Xiao; Liao, Chunyu; Thompson, Michael L; Soupir, Michelle L; Jarboe, Laura R; Dixon, Philip M

    2016-01-01

    The importance of E. coli as an indicator organism in fresh water has led to numerous studies focusing on cell properties and transport behavior. However, previous studies have been unable to assess if differences in E. coli cell surface properties and genomic variation are associated with different environmental habitats. In this study, we investigated the variation in characteristics of E. coli obtained from stream water and stream bottom sediments. Cell properties were measured for 77 genomically different E. coli strains (44 strains isolated from sediments and 33 strains isolated from water) under common stream conditions in the Upper Midwestern United States: pH 8.0, ionic strength 10 mM and 22°C. Measured cell properties include hydrophobicity, zeta potential, net charge, total acidity, and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) composition. Our results indicate that stream sediment E. coli had significantly greater hydrophobicity, greater EPS protein content and EPS sugar content, less negative net charge, and higher point of zero charge than stream water E. coli . A significant positive correlation was observed between hydrophobicity and EPS protein for stream sediment E. coli but not for stream water E. coli . Additionally, E. coli surviving in the same habitat tended to have significantly larger (GTG) 5 genome similarity. After accounting for the intrinsic impact from the genome, environmental habitat was determined to be a factor influencing some cell surface properties, such as hydrophobicity. The diversity of cell properties and its resulting impact on particle interactions should be considered for environmental fate and transport modeling of aquatic indicator organisms such as E. coli .

  13. The ABC transporter Rv1272c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis enhances the import of long-chain fatty acids in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Audrey; Daniel, Jaiyanth

    2018-02-05

    Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which causes tuberculosis, is capable of accumulating triacylglycerol (TAG) by utilizing fatty acids from host cells. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are involved in transport processes in all organisms. Among the classical ABC transporters in Mtb none have been implicated in fatty acid import. Since the transport of fatty acids from the host cell is important for dormancy-associated TAG synthesis in the pathogen, mycobacterial ABC transporter(s) could potentially be involved in this process. Based on sequence identities with a bacterial ABC transporter that mediates fatty acid import for TAG synthesis, we identified Rv1272c, a hitherto uncharacterized ABC-transporter in Mtb that also shows sequence identities with a plant ABC transporter involved in fatty acid transport. We expressed Rv1272c in E. coli and show that it enhances the import of radiolabeled fatty acids. We also show that Rv1272c causes a significant increase in the metabolic incorporation of radiolabeled long-chain fatty acids into cardiolipin, a tetra-acylated phospholipid, and phosphatidylglycerol in E. coli. This is the first report on the function of Rv1272c showing that it displays a long-chain fatty acid transport function. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Deficiency in L-serine deaminase interferes with one-carbon metabolism and cell wall synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiao; El-Hajj, Ziad W; Newman, Elaine

    2010-10-01

    Escherichia coli K-12 provided with glucose and a mixture of amino acids depletes L-serine more quickly than any other amino acid even in the presence of ammonium sulfate. A mutant without three 4Fe4S L-serine deaminases (SdaA, SdaB, and TdcG) of E. coli K-12 is unable to do this. The high level of L-serine that accumulates when such a mutant is exposed to amino acid mixtures starves the cells for C(1) units and interferes with cell wall synthesis. We suggest that at high concentrations, L-serine decreases synthesis of UDP-N-acetylmuramate-L-alanine by the murC-encoded ligase, weakening the cell wall and producing misshapen cells and lysis. The inhibition by high L-serine is overcome in several ways: by a large concentration of L-alanine, by overproducing MurC together with a low concentration of L-alanine, and by overproducing FtsW, thus promoting septal assembly and also by overexpression of the glycine cleavage operon. S-Adenosylmethionine reduces lysis and allows an extensive increase in biomass without improving cell division. This suggests that E. coli has a metabolic trigger for cell division. Without that reaction, if no other inhibition occurs, other metabolic functions can continue and cells can elongate and replicate their DNA, reaching at least 180 times their usual length, but cannot divide.

  15. Organic biocides hosted in layered double hydroxides: enhancing antimicrobial activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cruz Alejandra Santana

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Samples of layered double hydroxides containing carbonates as compensating anions were prepared by the urea method. These LDHs were used as hosts of anions coming from pipemidic and nalidixic acid. XRD results confirm that these anions were hosted in the interlayer space of LDHs. Further, from 27Al NMR MAS characterization of an interaction between the brucite-like layers and anions was suggested. Then the hybrids LDHs were used as biocide of Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli. The release profile of pipemidic and nalidixic anions from hybrid LDHs occurs for periods as long as 3.5 hours. The free-organic acid LDHs were not able to kill S. Typhi, neither E. coli. In contrast, the hybrids LDHs eliminate almost completely bacteria within short times.

  16. Ingestion of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Escherichia coli by human peritoneal mesothelial cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Visser, C. E.; Brouwer-Steenbergen, J. J.; Schadee-Eestermans, I. L.; Meijer, S.; Krediet, R. T.; Beelen, R. H.

    1996-01-01

    In the present study we examined whether mesothelial cells can ingest and digest bacteria. The results showed that all strains were ingested. Ingested staphylococci proliferated abundantly, and only a few were digested. Escherichia coli, however, was digested during the first 8 h, whereafter the

  17. Maillard neoglycans as inhibitors for in vitro adhesion of F4+ enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli to piglet intestinal cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarabia-Sainz, Héctor Manuel; Mata Haro, Verónica; Sarabia Sainz, José Andre-I; Vázquez-Moreno, Luz; Montfort, Gabriela Ramos-Clamont

    2017-01-01

    Adhesion of enterotoxigenic (ETEC) E. coli to host intestinal cells is mediated by lectin-like fimbriae that bind to specific glycan moieties on the surfaces of enterocytes. To prevent in vitro binding of E. coli F4 fimbriae (F4 ETEC + ) to piglet enterocytes, neoglycans were synthesized by the Maillard reaction conjugating lactose (Lac), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) or chitin oligosaccharides (Ochit) to porcine serum albumin (PSA). Neoglycans were characterized by SDS-PAGE, intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and recognition by plant lectins, as well as by F4 ETEC variants. Electrophoretic patterns suggested the binding to PSA of 63, 13 and 2 molecules of Lac, GOS and Ochit, respectively. All neoglycans displayed quenching of tryptophan fluorescence consistent with the degree of glycation estimated by SDS-PAGE. Plant lectins recognized the neoglycans according to their specificity, whereas antigenic variants of F4 ETEC (ab, ac and ad) recognized PSA-Ochit and PSA-Lac with higher affinity than that for GOS. Neoglycans partially hindered the in vitro binding of F4 + ETEC to piglet enterocytes in a dose-dependent manner. The most effective blocking was observed with PSA-Lac that partially inhibited the adhesion of bacteria to enterocytes in a dose dependent manner, as quantified by flow cytometry. Increased production of the cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α was observed in response to F4 + ETEC infection of enterocytes and production was reduced in the presence of PSA-Ochit and PSA-GOS. These results suggest that neoglycans synthesized by the Maillard reaction could be useful in the prophylaxis of diarrhea in piglets.

  18. The logic, experimental steps, and potential of heterologous natural product biosynthesis featuring the complex antibiotic erythromycin A produced through E. coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Ming; Zhang, Haoran; Pfeifer, Blaine A

    2013-01-13

    The heterologous production of complex natural products is an approach designed to address current limitations and future possibilities. It is particularly useful for those compounds which possess therapeutic value but cannot be sufficiently produced or would benefit from an improved form of production. The experimental procedures involved can be subdivided into three components: 1) genetic transfer; 2) heterologous reconstitution; and 3) product analysis. Each experimental component is under continual optimization to meet the challenges and anticipate the opportunities associated with this emerging approach. Heterologous biosynthesis begins with the identification of a genetic sequence responsible for a valuable natural product. Transferring this sequence to a heterologous host is complicated by the biosynthetic pathway complexity responsible for product formation. The antibiotic erythromycin A is a good example. Twenty genes (totaling >50 kb) are required for eventual biosynthesis. In addition, three of these genes encode megasynthases, multi-domain enzymes each ~300 kDa in size. This genetic material must be designed and transferred to E. coli for reconstituted biosynthesis. The use of PCR isolation, operon construction, multi-cystronic plasmids, and electro-transformation will be described in transferring the erythromycin A genetic cluster to E. coli. Once transferred, the E. coli cell must support eventual biosynthesis. This process is also challenging given the substantial differences between E. coli and most original hosts responsible for complex natural product formation. The cell must provide necessary substrates to support biosynthesis and coordinately express the transferred genetic cluster to produce active enzymes. In the case of erythromycin A, the E. coli cell had to be engineered to provide the two precursors (propionyl-CoA and (2S)-methylmalonyl-CoA) required for biosynthesis. In addition, gene sequence modifications, plasmid copy number

  19. Efficient biosynthesis of L-phenylglycine by an engineered Escherichia coli with a tunable multi-enzyme-coordinate expression system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Qiaoli; Zhou, Junping; Yang, Taowei; Zhang, Xian; Xu, Meijuan; Rao, Zhiming

    2018-03-01

    Whole-cell catalysis with co-expression of two or more enzymes in a single host as a simple low-cost biosynthesis method has been widely studied and applied but hardly with regulation of multi-enzyme expression. Here we developed an efficient whole-cell catalyst for biosynthesis of L-phenylglycine (L-Phg) from benzoylformic acid through co-expression of leucine dehydrogenase from Bacillus cereus (BcLeuDH) and NAD + -dependent mutant formate dehydrogenase from Candida boidinii (CbFDH A10C ) in Escherichia coli with tunable multi-enzyme-coordinate expression system. By co-expressing one to four copies of CbFDH A10C and optimization of the RBS sequence of BcLeuDH in the expression system, the ratio of BcLeuDH to CbFDH in E. coli BL21/pETDuet-rbs 4 leudh-3fdh A10C was finally regulated to 2:1, which was the optimal one determined by enzyme-catalyzed synthesis. The catalyst activity of E. coli BL21/pETDuet-rbs 4 leudh-3fdh A10C was 28.4 mg L -1  min -1  g -1 dry cell weight for L-Phg production using whole-cell transformation, it's was 3.7 times higher than that of engineered E. coli without enzyme expression regulation. Under optimum conditions (pH 8.0 and 35 °C), 60 g L -1 benzoylformic acid was completely converted to pure chiral L-Phg in 4.5 h with 10 g L -1 dry cells and 50.4 g L -1 ammonium formate, and with enantiomeric excess > 99.9%. This multi-enzyme-coordinate expression system strategy significantly improved L-Phg productivity and demonstrated a novel low-cost method for enantiopure L-Phg production.

  20. Synthesis of a Bacillus subtilis small, acid-soluble spore protein in Escherichia coli causes cell DNA to assume some characteristics of spore DNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Setlow, B.; Hand, A.R.; Setlow, P.

    1991-01-01

    Small, acid-soluble proteins (SASP) of the alpha/beta-type are associated with DNA in spores of Bacillus subtilis. Induction of synthesis of alpha/beta-type SASP in Escherichia coli resulted in rapid cessation of DNA synthesis, followed by a halt in RNA and then protein accumulation, although significant mRNA and protein synthesis continued. There was a significant loss in viability associated with SASP synthesis in E. coli: recA+ cells became extremely long filaments, whereas recA mutant cells became less filamentous. The nucleoids of cells with alpha/beta-type SASP were extremely condensed, as viewed in both light and electron microscopes, and immunoelectron microscopy showed that the alpha/beta-type SASP were associated with the cell DNA. Induction of alpha/beta-type SASP synthesis in E. coli increased the negative superhelical density of plasmid DNA by approximately 20%; UV irradiation of E. coli with alpha/beta-type SASP gave reduced yields of thymine dimers but significant amounts of the spore photoproduct. These changes in E. coli DNA topology and photochemistry due to alpha/beta-type SASP are similar to the effects of alpha/beta-type SASP on the DNA in Bacillus spores, further suggesting that alpha/beta-type SASP are a major factor determining DNA properties in bacterial spores

  1. Single-cell, real-time detection of oxidative stress induced in Escherichia coli by the antimicrobial peptide CM15.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Heejun; Yang, Zhilin; Weisshaar, James C

    2015-01-20

    Antibiotics target specific biochemical mechanisms in bacteria. In response to new drugs, pathogenic bacteria rapidly develop resistance. In contrast, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have retained broad spectrum antibacterial potency over millions of years. We present single-cell fluorescence assays that detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the Escherichia coli cytoplasm in real time. Within 30 s of permeabilization of the cytoplasmic membrane by the cationic AMP CM15 [combining residues 1-7 of cecropin A (from moth) with residues 2-9 of melittin (bee venom)], three fluorescence signals report oxidative stress in the cytoplasm, apparently involving O2 (-), H2O2, and •OH. Mechanistic studies indicate that active respiration is a prerequisite to the CM15-induced oxidative damage. In anaerobic conditions, signals from ROS are greatly diminished and the minimum inhibitory concentration increases 20-fold. Evidently the natural human AMP LL-37 also induces a burst of ROS. Oxidative stress may prove a significant bacteriostatic mechanism for a variety of cationic AMPs. If so, host organisms may use the local oxygen level to modulate AMP potency.

  2. Industrial production of clotting factors: Challenges of expression, and choice of host cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Sampath R

    2015-07-01

    The development of recombinant forms of blood coagulation factors as safer alternatives to plasma derived factors marked a major advance in the treatment of common coagulation disorders. These are complex proteins, mostly enzymes or co-enzymes, involving multiple post-translational modifications, and therefore are difficult to express. This article reviews the nature of the expression challenges for the industrial production of these factors, vis-à-vis the translational and post-translational bottlenecks, as well as the choice of host cell lines for high-fidelity production. For achieving high productivities of vitamin K dependent proteins, which include factors II (prothrombin), VII, IX and X, and protein C, host cell limitation of γ-glutamyl carboxylation is a major bottleneck. Despite progress in addressing this, involvement of yet unidentified protein(s) impedes a complete cell engineering solution. Human factor VIII expresses at very low levels due to limitations at several steps in the protein secretion pathway. Protein and cell engineering, vector improvement and alternate host cells promise improvement in the productivity. Production of Von Willebrand factor is constrained by its large size, complex structure, and the need for extensive glycosylation and disulfide-bonded oligomerization. All the licensed therapeutic factors are produced in CHO, BHK or HEK293 cells. While HEK293 is a recent adoption, BHK cells appear to be disfavored. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. A structural investigation of the capsular antigens of some Klebsiella and E. coli serotypes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parolis, L.A.S.

    1985-11-01

    The work described in this thesis forms part of a program concerned with the study of exocellular capsular polysaccharides of some Enterobacteriaceae. 1 H- and 13 C-n.m.r. spectroscopy have been used in this study. Klebsiella and Escherichia coli are of interest because they are often pathogenic to man; E. coli are commensal bacteria as well as opportunistic pathogens. The bacterial capsule is the first line of defence of the bacterial cell against attack by the host's immunological defences and administered antibiotics, and thus knowledge of its composition and characteristics is of importance in devising ways of combating infection by these organisms. The structure of the capsular polysaccharide has been investigated employing a combination of chemical and spectroscopic methods. Several oligo-saccharides were isolated and characterized by high resolution 1 H-n.m.r. spectroscopy and methylation analysis. The E. coli group of bacteria possesses seventy-four recognized polysaccharide capsules and the structures of approximately twenty percent of these have been reported. The emphasis of this research group is centered on the elucidation of the structures of E. coli capsules. The acidic capsular polysaccharide isolated from E. coli K9 has been investigated using the techniques of methylation analysis periodate oxidation, bacteriophage degradation and n.m.r. spectroscopy. This thesis however represents a transition period in the study of Enterobacteriaceae capsular polysaccharides and so includes the structure elucidation of two Klebsiella polysaccharides, that of the K14 and K68 serotypes, and one E. coli polysaccharide, that of the K9 serotype. Bacteriophage-borne enzyme degradations of Klebsiella K14 and E. coli K9 polysaccharides have been performed and are presented. The thesis also includes a comparative study of the 0-specific side-chains of the lipo-polysaccharides of E. coli 09 and 09a serogroups

  4. Investigating host-pathogen behavior and their interaction using genome-scale metabolic network models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadhukhan, Priyanka P; Raghunathan, Anu

    2014-01-01

    Genome Scale Metabolic Modeling methods represent one way to compute whole cell function starting from the genome sequence of an organism and contribute towards understanding and predicting the genotype-phenotype relationship. About 80 models spanning all the kingdoms of life from archaea to eukaryotes have been built till date and used to interrogate cell phenotype under varying conditions. These models have been used to not only understand the flux distribution in evolutionary conserved pathways like glycolysis and the Krebs cycle but also in applications ranging from value added product formation in Escherichia coli to predicting inborn errors of Homo sapiens metabolism. This chapter describes a protocol that delineates the process of genome scale metabolic modeling for analysing host-pathogen behavior and interaction using flux balance analysis (FBA). The steps discussed in the process include (1) reconstruction of a metabolic network from the genome sequence, (2) its representation in a precise mathematical framework, (3) its translation to a model, and (4) the analysis using linear algebra and optimization. The methods for biological interpretations of computed cell phenotypes in the context of individual host and pathogen models and their integration are also discussed.

  5. Differential mechanism of Escherichia coli Inactivation by (+)-limonene as a function of cell physiological state and drug's concentration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chueca, Beatriz; Pagán, Rafael; García-Gonzalo, Diego

    2014-01-01

    (+)-limonene is a lipophilic antimicrobial compound, extracted from citrus fruits' essential oils, that is used as a flavouring agent and organic solvent by the food industry. A recent study has proposed a common and controversial mechanism of cell death for bactericidal antibiotics, in which hydroxyl radicals ultimately inactivated cells. Our objective was to determine whether the mechanism of Escherichia coli MG1655 inactivation by (+)-limonene follows that of bactericidal antibiotics. A treatment with 2,000 μL/L (+)-limonene inactivated 4 log10 cycles of exponentially growing E. coli cells in 3 hours. On one hand, an increase of cell survival in the ΔacnB mutant (deficient in a TCA cycle enzyme), or in the presence of 2,2'-dipyridyl (inhibitor of Fenton reaction by iron chelation), thiourea, or cysteamine (hydroxyl radical scavengers) was observed. Moreover, the ΔrecA mutant (deficient in an enzyme involved in SOS response to DNA damage) was more sensitive to (+)-limonene. Thus, this indirect evidence indicates that the mechanism of exponentially growing E. coli cells inactivation by 2,000 μL/L (+)-limonene is due to the TCA cycle and Fenton-mediated hydroxyl radical formation that caused oxidative DNA damage, as observed for bactericidal drugs. However, several differences have been observed between the proposed mechanism for bactericidal drugs and for (+)-limonene. In this regard, our results demonstrated that E. coli inactivation was influenced by its physiological state and the drug's concentration: experiments with stationary-phase cells or 4,000 μL/L (+)-limonene uncovered a different mechanism of cell death, likely unrelated to hydroxyl radicals. Our research has also shown that drug's concentration is an important factor influencing the mechanism of bacterial inactivation by antibiotics, such as kanamycin. These results might help in improving and spreading the use of (+)-limonene as an antimicrobial compound, and in clarifying the controversy about

  6. Specific selection for virulent urinary tract infectious Escherichia coli strains during catheter-associated biofilm formation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ferrieres, Lionel; Hancock, Viktoria; Klemm, Per

    2007-01-01

    microorganisms can attach. Urinary tract infectious (UTI) Escherichia coli range in pathogenicity and the damage they cause - from benign asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) strains, which inflict no or few problems to the host, to uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains, which are virulent and often cause severe...... for and promote biofilm formation of the most virulent group of UTI E. coli strains, hardly a desirable situation for the catheterized patient....

  7. Problem-Solving Test: RNA and Protein Synthesis in Bacteriophage-Infected "E. coli" Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szeberenyi, Jozsef

    2008-01-01

    The classic experiment presented in this problem-solving test was designed to identify the template molecules of translation by analyzing the synthesis of phage proteins in "Escherichia coli" cells infected with bacteriophage T4. The work described in this test led to one of the most seminal discoveries of early molecular biology: it dealt a…

  8. Th17 Cell Induction by Adhesion of Microbes to Intestinal Epithelial Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atarashi, Koji; Tanoue, Takeshi; Ando, Minoru; Kamada, Nobuhiko; Nagano, Yuji; Narushima, Seiko; Suda, Wataru; Imaoka, Akemi; Setoyama, Hiromi; Nagamori, Takashi; Ishikawa, Eiji; Shima, Tatsuichiro; Hara, Taeko; Kado, Shoichi; Jinnohara, Toshi; Ohno, Hiroshi; Kondo, Takashi; Toyooka, Kiminori; Watanabe, Eiichiro; Yokoyama, Shin-Ichiro; Tokoro, Shunji; Mori, Hiroshi; Noguchi, Yurika; Morita, Hidetoshi; Ivanov, Ivaylo I; Sugiyama, Tsuyoshi; Nuñez, Gabriel; Camp, J Gray; Hattori, Masahira; Umesaki, Yoshinori; Honda, Kenya

    2015-10-08

    Intestinal Th17 cells are induced and accumulate in response to colonization with a subgroup of intestinal microbes such as segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) and certain extracellular pathogens. Here, we show that adhesion of microbes to intestinal epithelial cells (ECs) is a critical cue for Th17 induction. Upon monocolonization of germ-free mice or rats with SFB indigenous to mice (M-SFB) or rats (R-SFB), M-SFB and R-SFB showed host-specific adhesion to small intestinal ECs, accompanied by host-specific induction of Th17 cells. Citrobacter rodentium and Escherichia coli O157 triggered similar Th17 responses, whereas adhesion-defective mutants of these microbes failed to do so. Moreover, a mixture of 20 bacterial strains, which were selected and isolated from fecal samples of a patient with ulcerative colitis on the basis of their ability to cause a robust induction of Th17 cells in the mouse colon, also exhibited EC-adhesive characteristics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Modulation of Host Osseointegration during Bone Regeneration by Controlling Exogenous Stem Cells Differentiation Using a Material Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Xiaohua; Wang, Liping; Xia, Zengmin; Chen, Li; Jiang, Xi; Rowe, David; Wei, Mei

    2014-02-01

    Stem cell-based tissue engineering for large bone defect healing has attracted enormous attention in regenerative medicine. However, sufficient osseointegration of the grafts combined with exogenous stem cells still remains a major challenge. Here we developed a material approach to modulate the integration of the grafts to the host tissue when exogenous bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) were used as donor cells. Distinctive osseointegration of bone grafts was observed as we varied the content of hydroxyapatite (HA) in the tissue scaffolds implanted in a mouse femur model. More than 80% of new bone was formed in the first two weeks of implantation in high HA content scaffold but lack of host integration while only less than 5% of the new bone was formed during this time period in the no HA group but with much stronger host integration. Cell origin analysis leveraging GFP reporter indicates new bone in HA containing groups was mainly derived from donor BMSCs. In comparison, both host and donor cells were found on new bone surface in the no HA groups which led to seamless bridging between host tissue and the scaffold. Most importantly, host integration during bone formation is closely dictated to the content of HA present in the scaffolds. Taken together, we demonstrate a material approach to modulate the osseointegration of bone grafts in the context of exogenous stem cell-based bone healing strategy which might lead to fully functional bone tissue regeneration.

  10. Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for the production of riboflavin

    OpenAIRE

    Lin, Zhenquan; Xu, Zhibo; Li, Yifan; Wang, Zhiwen; Chen, Tao; Zhao, Xueming

    2014-01-01

    Background Riboflavin (vitamin B2), the precursor of the flavin cofactors flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), is used commercially as an animal feed supplement and food colorant. E. coli is a robust host for various genetic manipulations and has been employed for efficient production of biofuels, polymers, amino acids, and bulk chemicals. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand the metabolic capacity of E. coli for the riboflavin production by modification...

  11. Cross-modulation of pathogen-specific pathways enhances malnutrition during enteric co-infection with Giardia lamblia and enteroaggregative Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartelt, Luther A; Bolick, David T; Mayneris-Perxachs, Jordi; Kolling, Glynis L; Medlock, Gregory L; Zaenker, Edna I; Donowitz, Jeffery; Thomas-Beckett, Rose Viguna; Rogala, Allison; Carroll, Ian M; Singer, Steven M; Papin, Jason; Swann, Jonathan R; Guerrant, Richard L

    2017-07-01

    Diverse enteropathogen exposures associate with childhood malnutrition. To elucidate mechanistic pathways whereby enteric microbes interact during malnutrition, we used protein deficiency in mice to develop a new model of co-enteropathogen enteropathy. Focusing on common enteropathogens in malnourished children, Giardia lamblia and enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC), we provide new insights into intersecting pathogen-specific mechanisms that enhance malnutrition. We show for the first time that during protein malnutrition, the intestinal microbiota permits persistent Giardia colonization and simultaneously contributes to growth impairment. Despite signals of intestinal injury, such as IL1α, Giardia-infected mice lack pro-inflammatory intestinal responses, similar to endemic pediatric Giardia infections. Rather, Giardia perturbs microbial host co-metabolites of proteolysis during growth impairment, whereas host nicotinamide utilization adaptations that correspond with growth recovery increase. EAEC promotes intestinal inflammation and markers of myeloid cell activation. During co-infection, intestinal inflammatory signaling and cellular recruitment responses to EAEC are preserved together with a Giardia-mediated diminishment in myeloid cell activation. Conversely, EAEC extinguishes markers of host energy expenditure regulatory responses to Giardia, as host metabolic adaptations appear exhausted. Integrating immunologic and metabolic profiles during co-pathogen infection and malnutrition, we develop a working mechanistic model of how cumulative diet-induced and pathogen-triggered microbial perturbations result in an increasingly wasted host.

  12. Serratia marcescens Induces Apoptotic Cell Death in Host Immune Cells via a Lipopolysaccharide- and Flagella-dependent Mechanism*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishii, Kenichi; Adachi, Tatsuo; Imamura, Katsutoshi; Takano, Shinya; Usui, Kimihito; Suzuki, Kazushi; Hamamoto, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Takeshi; Sekimizu, Kazuhisa

    2012-01-01

    Injection of Serratia marcescens into the blood (hemolymph) of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, induced the activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), followed by caspase activation and apoptosis of blood cells (hemocytes). This process impaired the innate immune response in which pathogen cell wall components, such as glucan, stimulate hemocytes, leading to the activation of insect cytokine paralytic peptide. S. marcescens induced apoptotic cell death of silkworm hemocytes and mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro. We searched for S. marcescens transposon mutants with attenuated ability to induce apoptosis of silkworm hemocytes. Among the genes identified, disruption mutants of wecA (a gene involved in lipopolysaccharide O-antigen synthesis), and flhD and fliR (essential genes in flagella synthesis) showed reduced motility and impaired induction of mouse macrophage cell death. These findings suggest that S. marcescens induces apoptosis of host immune cells via lipopolysaccharide- and flagella-dependent motility, leading to the suppression of host innate immunity. PMID:22859304

  13. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) antisense effects in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Good, L; Nielsen, P E

    1999-01-01

    Antisense peptide nucleic acid (PNA) can be used to control cell growth, gene expression and growth phenotypes in the bacteria Escherichia coli. PNAs targeted to the RNA components of the ribosome can inhibit translation and cell growth, and PNAs targeted to mRNA can limit gene expression with gene...... and sequence specificity. In an E. coli cell extract, efficient inhibition is observed when using PNA concentrations in the nanomolar range, whereas micromolar concentrations are required for inhibition in growing cells. A mutant strain of E. coli that is more permeable to antibiotics also is more susceptible...... to antisense PNAs than the wild type. This chapter details methods for testing the antisense activities of PNA in E. coli. As an example of the specific antisense inhibition possible, we show the effects of an anti-beta-galactosidase PNA in comparison to control PNAs. With improvements in cell uptake...

  14. Effect of host lex, recA, recF, and uvrD genotypes on the ultraviolet light-protecting and related properties of plasmid R46 in Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waleh, N.S.; Stocker, B.A.D.

    1979-01-01

    The ability of plasmid R46 to reduce the lethal but enhance the mutagenic effect of ultraviolet (uv) irradiation was tested in sets of Escherichia coli K-12 derivatives, wild type or with different mutations affecting DNA repair capacity, but otherwise isogenic. uv protection and enhancement of uv mutagenic effect were obtained in uvrA6, uvrB5, uvrD3, and recF143 hosts, but not in a recA56 strain. The plasmid gave some uv protection in two lexA1 and two lexA101 strains and in one lexA102 host, but produced no such effect in another lexA102 host. The plasmid restored uv mutagenic effect in a lexB30 strain, the yield of induced mutants per survivor of irradiation (10 J/m 2 ) being about the same for the lexB30(R46) and lex + (R46) strains; by contrast the plasmid, though it reduced the uv sensitivity of the lexB30 strain, did not make it as uv-resistant as the lex + R - strain

  15. SPOC1-mediated antiviral host cell response is antagonized early in human adenovirus type 5 infection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schreiner, Sabrina; Kinkley, Sarah; Bürck, Carolin

    2013-01-01

    , and playing a role in DNA damage response. SPOC1 co-localized with viral replication centers in the host cell nucleus, interacted with Ad DNA, and repressed viral gene expression at the transcriptional level. We discovered that this SPOC1-mediated restriction imposed upon Ad growth is relieved by its...... viruses (HSV-1, HSV-2, HIV-1, and HCV) also depleted SPOC1 in infected cells. Our findings provide a general model for how pathogenic human viruses antagonize intrinsic SPOC1-mediated antiviral responses in their host cells. A better understanding of viral entry and early restrictive functions in host...

  16. Radioactive background with thymine dimer estimation in uv irradiated Escherichia coli cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Masek, F [Slovenska Akademia Vied, Bratislava (Czechoslovakia). Vyskumny Ustav Onkologicky

    1976-01-01

    Ultraviolet radiation induces photoproducts in the cell DNA, mainly pyrimidine dimers responsible for the essential part of lethal and mutagenic damage. Radioactive tracers were used in determining the amount of photoproducts. Radioisotope labelling of microbial cells involves the problem of background which influences analytical results. Undesirably high radioactive background on the chromatograms of the hydrolysates of the acid-insoluble fraction of UV irradiated Escherichia coli cells complicates the determination of the amount of UV photoproducts. The background may be suppressed by chromatographic purification of radioactive precursors. Also a more thorough separation orocedure of DNA macromolecules contributes to reducing the background. From this point of view it seems advantageous to use two-dimensional paper chromatography rather than one-dimensional.

  17. Quantitative analysis of commensal Escherichia coli populations reveals host-specific enterotypes at the intra-species level

    OpenAIRE

    Smati, Mounira; Clermont, Olivier; Bleibtreu, Alexandre; Fourreau, Frédéric; David, Anthony; Daubié, Anne-Sophie; Hignard, Cécile; Loison, Odile; Picard, Bertrand; Denamur, Erick

    2015-01-01

    The primary habitat of the Escherichia coli species is the gut of warm-blooded vertebrates. The E. coli species is structured into four main phylogenetic groups A, B1, B2, and D. We estimated the relative proportions of these phylogroups in the feces of 137 wild and domesticated animals with various diets living in the Ile de France (Paris) region by real-time PCR. We distinguished three main clusters characterized by a particular abundance of two or more phylogroups within the E. coli animal...

  18. Synergistic effects in mixed Escherichia coli biofilms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reisner, A.; Holler, B.M.; Molin, Søren

    2006-01-01

    Bacterial biofilms, often composed of multiple species and genetically distinct strains, develop under complex influences of cell-cell interactions. Although detailed knowledge about the mechanisms underlying formation of single-species laboratory biofilms has emerged, little is known about...... the pathways governing development of more complex heterogeneous communities. In this study, we established a laboratory model where biofilm-stimulating effects due to interactions between genetically diverse strains of Escherichia coli were monitored. Synergistic induction of biofilm formation resulting from...... the cocultivation of 403 undomesticated E. coli strains with a characterized E. coli K-12 strain was detected at a significant frequency. The survey suggests that different mechanisms underlie the observed stimulation, yet synergistic development of biofilm within the subset of E. coli isolates (n = 56) exhibiting...

  19. Escherichia coli: a brief review of diarrheagenic pathotypes and their role in diarrheal diseases in Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafari, A; Aslani, MM; Bouzari, S

    2012-01-01

    Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli have developed different strategies for establishment of infection in their host. Understanding these pathogenic mechanisms has led to the development of specific diagnostic tools for identification and categorization of E. coli strains into different pathotypes. This review aims to provide an overview of the various categories of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and the data obtained in Iran pertaining to these pathotypes. PMID:23066484

  20. Variant innate immune responses of mammary epithelial cells to challenge by Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and the regulating effect of taurine on these bioprocesses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Liuhai; Xu, Yuanyuan; Lu, Jinye; Liu, Ming; Bin Dai; Miao, Jinfeng; Yin, Yulong

    2016-07-01

    Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are important pathogens causing subclinical and clinical bovine mastitis, respectively. Taurine, an organic acid found in animal tissues, has been used for the treatment of various superficial infections and chronic inflammations. We challenged a bovine mammary epithelial cell (MEC) line (MAC-T) or a mouse mammary epithelial cell line (EpH4-Ev) with either E. coli or S. aureus and compared the responses of MECs to these 2 pathogens. We also examined the regulatory effects of taurine on these responses. Receptor analyses showed that both TLR2 and TLR4 are upregulated upon exposure to either E. coli or S. aureus. Taurine pre-treatment dampened upregulation to some extent. E. coli and S. aureus stimulated comparable levels of ROS, which could be inhibited by taurine pre-treatment. E. coli infection elicited a dramatic change in iNOS expression. Taurine significantly decreased iNOS expression in the S. aureus challenged group. Protein microarray demonstrated that 32/40 and 8/40 inflammatory molecules/mediators were increased after E. coli or S. aureus challenge, respectively. The fold changes of most molecules were higher in the E. coli infection group than that in the S. aureus infection group. Taurine negatively regulated the inflammatory profile in both bacterial infections. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (such as TNF-α) connected with TLR activation were down-regulated by taurine pre-treatment. The influence of TAK-242 and OxPAPC on cytokine/molecule expression profiles to E. coli challenge are different than to S. aureus. Some important factors (MyD88, TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS and IL-6) mediated by TLR activation were suppressed either in protein microarray or special assay (PCR/kits) or both. TAK-242 restrained ROS production and NAGase activity similar to the effect of taurine in E. coli challenge groups. The detection of 3 indices (T-AOC, SOD and MDA) reflecting oxidative stress in vivo, showed that

  1. Cell wall composition profiling of parasitic giant dodder (Cuscuta reflexa) and its hosts: a priori differences and induced changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnsen, Hanne R; Striberny, Bernd; Olsen, Stian; Vidal-Melgosa, Silvia; Fangel, Jonatan U; Willats, William G T; Rose, Jocelyn K C; Krause, Kirsten

    2015-08-01

    Host plant penetration is the gateway to survival for holoparasitic Cuscuta and requires host cell wall degradation. Compositional differences of cell walls may explain why some hosts are amenable to such degradation while others can resist infection. Antibody-based techniques for comprehensive profiling of cell wall epitopes and cell wall-modifying enzymes were applied to several susceptible hosts and a resistant host of Cuscuta reflexa and to the parasite itself. Infected tissue of Pelargonium zonale contained high concentrations of de-esterified homogalacturonans in the cell walls, particularly adjacent to the parasite's haustoria. High pectinolytic activity in haustorial extracts and high expression levels of pectate lyase genes suggest that the parasite contributes directly to wall remodeling. Mannan and xylan concentrations were low in P. zonale and in five susceptible tomato introgression lines, but high in the resistant Solanum lycopersicum cv M82, and in C. reflexa itself. Knowledge of the composition of resistant host cell walls and the parasite's own cell walls is useful in developing strategies to prevent infection by parasitic plants. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

  2. Oxygen-Dependent Cell-to-Cell Variability in the Output of the Escherichia coli Tor Phosphorelay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roggiani, Manuela; Goulian, Mark

    2015-06-15

    Escherichia coli senses and responds to trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) in the environment through the TorT-TorS-TorR signal transduction system. The periplasmic protein TorT binds TMAO and stimulates the hybrid kinase TorS to phosphorylate the response regulator TorR through a phosphorelay. Phosphorylated TorR, in turn, activates transcription of the torCAD operon, which encodes the proteins required for anaerobic respiration via reduction of TMAO to trimethylamine. Interestingly, E. coli respires TMAO in both the presence and absence of oxygen, a behavior that is markedly different from the utilization of other alternative electron acceptors by this bacterium. Here we describe an unusual form of regulation by oxygen for this system. While the average level of torCAD transcription is the same for aerobic and anaerobic cultures containing TMAO, the behavior across the population of cells is strikingly different under the two growth conditions. Cellular levels of torCAD transcription in aerobic cultures are highly heterogeneous, in contrast to the relatively homogeneous distribution in anaerobic cultures. Thus, oxygen regulates the variance of the output but not the mean for the Tor system. We further show that this oxygen-dependent variability stems from the phosphorelay. Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is utilized by numerous bacteria as an electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration. In E. coli, expression of the proteins required for TMAO respiration is tightly regulated by a signal transduction system that is activated by TMAO. Curiously, although oxygen is the energetically preferred electron acceptor, TMAO is respired even in the presence of oxygen. Here we describe an interesting and unexpected form of regulation for this system in which oxygen produces highly variable expression of the TMAO utilization proteins across a population of cells without affecting the mean expression of these proteins. To our knowledge, this is the first reported example of a stimulus

  3. Genetic Control of the Secondary Modification of Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Escherichia coli1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mamelak, Linda; Boyer, Herbert W.

    1970-01-01

    The wild-type restriction and modification alleles of Escherichia coli K-12 and B were found to have no measurable effect on the patterns of methylated bases in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of these strains. The genetic region controlling the methylation of cytosine in E. coli K-12 was mapped close to his, and the presence or absence of this gene in E. coli B or E. coli K had no effect on the restriction and modification properties of these strains. Thus, only a few of the methylated bases in the DNA of these strains are involved in host modification, and the biological role of the remainder remains obscure. PMID:4919756

  4. Preparation of. alpha. -deuterated L-amino acids using E. coli cells containing tryptophanase. Poluchenie. alpha. -dejterirovannykh L-aminokislot s ispol'zovaniem kletok E. coli, soderzhashchikh triptofanazy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Faleev, N G; Ruvinov, S B; Saporovskaya, M B; Belikov, V M; Zakomyrdina, L N; Sakharova, I S; Torchinskij, Yu M [AN SSSR, Moscow (USSR). Inst. Ehlementoorganicheskikh Soedinenij AN SSSR, Moscow (USSR). Inst. Molekulyarnoj Biologii AN SSSR, Moscow (USSR)

    1989-10-01

    Method for preparation of a series of {alpha}-deuterated L-amino acids of high optical purity with quantitative chemica yield, suing stereospecific isotopic exchange in D{sub 2}O under the effect of E.coli cells with high tryptophanase activity was developed.

  5. λ-prophage induction in E.coli cells by radiation with different LET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonev, M.N.; Collev, S.D.

    1997-01-01

    λ-prophage induction in E.coli H fr H (λ) strain after irradiation with α-particles, accelerated helium ions, boron and carbon ions, as well as deuterons is investigated. The dose dependence of the fraction of induced cells is measured and its initial slope (λ-induction potency - λ i p) is determined. It is shown that the dependence of λ i p on LET is a curve with a maximum

  6. Variation in siderophore biosynthetic gene distribution and production across environmental and faecal populations of Escherichia coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura J Searle

    Full Text Available Iron is essential for Escherichia coli growth and survival in the host and the external environment, but its availability is generally low due to the poor solubility of its ferric form in aqueous environments and the presence of iron-withholding proteins in the host. Most E. coli can increase access to iron by excreting siderophores such as enterobactin, which have a very strong affinity for Fe3+. A smaller proportion of isolates can generate up to 3 additional siderophores linked with pathogenesis; aerobactin, salmochelin, and yersiniabactin. However, non-pathogenic E. coli are also able to synthesise these virulence-associated siderophores. This raises questions about their role in the ecology of E. coli, beyond virulence, and whether specific siderophores might be linked with persistence in the external environment. Under the assumption that selection favours phenotypes that confer a fitness advantage, we compared siderophore production and gene distribution in E. coli isolated either from agricultural plants or the faeces of healthy mammals. This population-level comparison has revealed that under iron limiting growth conditions plant-associated isolates produced lower amounts of siderophores than faecal isolates. Additionally, multiplex PCR showed that environmental isolates were less likely to contain loci associated with aerobactin and yersiniabactin synthesis. Although aerobactin was linked with strong siderophore excretion, a significant difference in production was still observed between plant and faecal isolates when the analysis was restricted to strains only able to synthesise enterobactin. This finding suggests that the regulatory response to iron limitation may be an important trait associated with adaptation to the non-host environment. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the ability to produce multiple siderophores facilitates E. coli gut colonisation and plays an important role in E. coli commensalism.

  7. RNAi screen reveals an Abl kinase-dependent host cell pathway involved in Pseudomonas aeruginosa internalization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia F Pielage

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Internalization of the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa by non-phagocytic cells is promoted by rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton, but the host pathways usurped by this bacterium are not clearly understood. We used RNAi-mediated gene inactivation of approximately 80 genes known to regulate the actin cytoskeleton in Drosophila S2 cells to identify host molecules essential for entry of P. aeruginosa. This work revealed Abl tyrosine kinase, the adaptor protein Crk, the small GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42, and p21-activated kinase as components of a host signaling pathway that leads to internalization of P. aeruginosa. Using a variety of complementary approaches, we validated the role of this pathway in mammalian cells. Remarkably, ExoS and ExoT, type III secreted toxins of P. aeruginosa, target this pathway by interfering with GTPase function and, in the case of ExoT, by abrogating P. aeruginosa-induced Abl-dependent Crk phosphorylation. Altogether, this work reveals that P. aeruginosa utilizes the Abl pathway for entering host cells and reveals unexpected complexity by which the P. aeruginosa type III secretion system modulates this internalization pathway. Our results furthermore demonstrate the applicability of using RNAi screens to identify host signaling cascades usurped by microbial pathogens that may be potential targets for novel therapies directed against treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections.

  8. Discovery of an Escherichia coli Esterase with High Activity and Enantioselectivity toward 1,2-O-Isopropylideneglycerol Esters

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Godinho, Luis F.; Reis, Carlos R.; Tepper, Pieter G.; Poelarends, Gerrit J.; Quax, Wim J.

    Escherichia coli has been widely used as an expression host for the identification of desired biocatalysts through screening or selection assays. We have previously used E. coli in growth selection and screening assays for identification of Bacillus subtilis lipase variants (located in the

  9. Deficiency in l-Serine Deaminase Interferes with One-Carbon Metabolism and Cell Wall Synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiao; El-Hajj, Ziad W.; Newman, Elaine

    2010-01-01

    Escherichia coli K-12 provided with glucose and a mixture of amino acids depletes l-serine more quickly than any other amino acid even in the presence of ammonium sulfate. A mutant without three 4Fe4S l-serine deaminases (SdaA, SdaB, and TdcG) of E. coli K-12 is unable to do this. The high level of l-serine that accumulates when such a mutant is exposed to amino acid mixtures starves the cells for C1 units and interferes with cell wall synthesis. We suggest that at high concentrations, l-serine decreases synthesis of UDP-N-acetylmuramate-l-alanine by the murC-encoded ligase, weakening the cell wall and producing misshapen cells and lysis. The inhibition by high l-serine is overcome in several ways: by a large concentration of l-alanine, by overproducing MurC together with a low concentration of l-alanine, and by overproducing FtsW, thus promoting septal assembly and also by overexpression of the glycine cleavage operon. S-Adenosylmethionine reduces lysis and allows an extensive increase in biomass without improving cell division. This suggests that E. coli has a metabolic trigger for cell division. Without that reaction, if no other inhibition occurs, other metabolic functions can continue and cells can elongate and replicate their DNA, reaching at least 180 times their usual length, but cannot divide. PMID:20729359

  10. Alternate thermoregulation and functional binding of Escherichia coli type 1 fimbriae in environmental and animal isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, Jacqueline; Rossez, Yannick; Mainda, Geoffrey; Gally, David L; Daniell, Tim J; Holden, Nicola J

    2016-11-01

    Type 1 fimbriae (T1F) are well characterised cell surface organelles expressed by Escherichia coli and required for adherence to mannosylated host tissue. They satisfy molecular Koch's postulates as a virulence determinant and a host-adapted role has been reinforced by reports that T1F expression is repressed at submammalian temperatures. Analysis of a group of 136 environmental and animal E. coli isolates that express T1F at 37°C showed that 28% are also capable of expression at 20°C, in a phase variable manner. The heterogeneous proportions varied widely, and although growth temperature impacted the total proportion expressing T1F, there was no direct correlation between growth at 37°C and 20°C, indicative of differences in thermoregulation of the genetic switch (fimS) that controls phase variation. Specificities of the adhesin (FimH) also varied between the isolates: most bound to α-(1-3) mannan and yeast extracts as expected, but some recognised β-(1-4)-mannans and N-linked glycoproteins from plants, and T1F from two of the isolates mediated binding to plant roots. The results expand our view of a well-described adherence factor to show alternative expression profiles and adhesin specificities, which in turn may confer an advantage for certain isolates in alternative hosts and habitats. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Cell wall glycoproteins at interaction sites between parasitic giant dodder (Cuscuta reflexa) and its host Pelargonium zonale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Striberny, Bernd; Krause, Kirsten

    2015-01-01

    The process of host plant penetration by parasitic dodder (genus Cuscuta) is accompanied by molecular and structural changes at the host/parasite interface. Recently, changes in pectin methyl esterification levels in the host cell walls abutting parasitic cells in established infection sites were reported. In addition to that, we show here that the composition of cell wall glycoproteins in Cuscuta-infected Pelargonium zonale undergoes substantial changes. While several arabinogalactan protein epitopes exhibit decreased abundances in the vicinity of the Cuscuta reflexa haustorium, extensins tend to increase in the infected areas.

  12. More Novel Hantaviruses and Diversifying Reservoir Hosts — Time for Development of Reservoir-Derived Cell Culture Models?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabella Eckerle

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Due to novel, improved and high-throughput detection methods, there is a plethora of newly identified viruses within the genus Hantavirus. Furthermore, reservoir host species are increasingly recognized besides representatives of the order Rodentia, now including members of the mammalian orders Soricomorpha/Eulipotyphla and Chiroptera. Despite the great interest created by emerging zoonotic viruses, there is still a gross lack of in vitro models, which reflect the exclusive host adaptation of most zoonotic viruses. The usually narrow host range and genetic diversity of hantaviruses make them an exciting candidate for studying virus-host interactions on a cellular level. To do so, well-characterized reservoir cell lines covering a wide range of bat, insectivore and rodent species are essential. Most currently available cell culture models display a heterologous virus-host relationship and are therefore only of limited value. Here, we review the recently established approaches to generate reservoir-derived cell culture models for the in vitro study of virus-host interactions. These successfully used model systems almost exclusively originate from bats and bat-borne viruses other than hantaviruses. Therefore we propose a parallel approach for research on rodent- and insectivore-borne hantaviruses, taking the generation of novel rodent and insectivore cell lines from wildlife species into account. These cell lines would be also valuable for studies on further rodent-borne viruses, such as orthopox- and arenaviruses.

  13. Global chromosomal structural instability in a subpopulation of starving Escherichia coli cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongxu Lin

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Copy-number variations (CNVs constitute very common differences between individual humans and possibly all genomes and may therefore be important fuel for evolution, yet how they form remains elusive. In starving Escherichia coli, gene amplification is induced by stress, controlled by the general stress response. Amplification has been detected only encompassing genes that confer a growth advantage when amplified. We studied the structure of stress-induced gene amplification in starving cells in the Lac assay in Escherichia coli by array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH, with polymerase chain reaction (pcr and DNA sequencing to establish the structures generated. About 10% of 300 amplified isolates carried other chromosomal structural change in addition to amplification. Most of these were inversions and duplications associated with the amplification event. This complexity supports a mechanism similar to that seen in human non-recurrent copy number variants. We interpret these complex events in terms of repeated template switching during DNA replication. Importantly, we found a significant occurrence (6 out of 300 of chromosomal structural changes that were apparently not involved in the amplification event. These secondary changes were absent from 240 samples derived from starved cells not carrying amplification, suggesting that amplification happens in a differentiated subpopulation of stressed cells licensed for global chromosomal structural change and genomic instability. These data imply that chromosomal structural changes occur in bursts or showers of instability that may have the potential to drive rapid evolution.

  14. Hyperthermia studies using inductive and ultrasound methods on E. coli bacteria and mouse glioma cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cabral–Prieto, A.; López-Callejas, R.; Rodríguez-Méndez, B. G.; Santos-Cuevas, C. L.; Celis-Almazán, J.; Olea-Mejía, O.; Gómez-Morales, J. L.; Peña-Eguiluz, R.; Valencia-Alvarado, R.; Mercado-Cabrera, A.; Muñoz-Castro, A. E.; García-Santibañez, F.

    2017-01-01

    The survival of Escherichia coli bacteria and mouse glioma cells were studied under different temperatures using direct heating in water, ultrasound, and magnetic fluid hyperthermia. The survival of these microorganisms depended on whether the heating mode was continuous or discontinuous, surviving more in the former than in the discontinuous heating mode. Whereas Escherichia coli bacteria did not survive at temperatures ≥50"∘C, the mouse glioma cells did not survive at temperatures ≥48"∘C. The survival of both these microorganisms was independent of the presence or absence of the magnetic nanoparticles of magnetite, suggesting that these, having mean particle sizes of 9.5, 8.5 and 5, did not show any apparent cytotoxicity effect. Present results also showed that the inductive heating system which used a radiofrequency of 13.56 MHz, providing a maximum magnetic field strength of 160 A/m, the electric rather than magnetic heating predominated.

  15. Adenovirus E4ORF1-induced MYC activation promotes host cell anabolic glucose metabolism and virus replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thai, Minh; Graham, Nicholas A; Braas, Daniel; Nehil, Michael; Komisopoulou, Evangelia; Kurdistani, Siavash K; McCormick, Frank; Graeber, Thomas G; Christofk, Heather R

    2014-04-01

    Virus infections trigger metabolic changes in host cells that support the bioenergetic and biosynthetic demands of viral replication. Although recent studies have characterized virus-induced changes in host cell metabolism (Munger et al., 2008; Terry et al., 2012), the molecular mechanisms by which viruses reprogram cellular metabolism have remained elusive. Here, we show that the gene product of adenovirus E4ORF1 is necessary for adenovirus-induced upregulation of host cell glucose metabolism and sufficient to promote enhanced glycolysis in cultured epithelial cells by activation of MYC. E4ORF1 localizes to the nucleus, binds to MYC, and enhances MYC binding to glycolytic target genes, resulting in elevated expression of specific glycolytic enzymes. E4ORF1 activation of MYC promotes increased nucleotide biosynthesis from glucose intermediates and enables optimal adenovirus replication in primary lung epithelial cells. Our findings show how a viral protein exploits host cell machinery to reprogram cellular metabolism and promote optimal progeny virion generation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Patterns of oligonucleotide sequences in viral and host cell RNA identify mediators of the host innate immune system.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin D Greenbaum

    Full Text Available The innate immune response provides a first line of defense against pathogens by targeting generic differential features that are present in foreign organisms but not in the host. These innate responses generate selection forces acting both in pathogens and hosts that further determine their co-evolution. Here we analyze the nucleic acid sequence fingerprints of these selection forces acting in parallel on both host innate immune genes and ssRNA viral genomes. We do this by identifying dinucleotide biases in the coding regions of innate immune response genes in plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and then use this signal to identify other significant host innate immune genes. The persistence of these biases in the orthologous groups of genes in humans and chickens is also examined. We then compare the significant motifs in highly expressed genes of the innate immune system to those in ssRNA viruses and study the evolution of these motifs in the H1N1 influenza genome. We argue that the significant under-represented motif pattern of CpG in an AU context--which is found in both the ssRNA viruses and innate genes, and has decreased throughout the history of H1N1 influenza replication in humans--is immunostimulatory and has been selected against during the co-evolution of viruses and host innate immune genes. This shows how differences in host immune biology can drive the evolution of viruses that jump into species with different immune priorities than the original host.

  17. A role for host cell exocytosis in InlB-mediated internalisation of Listeria monocytogenes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Ngo, Hoan; Bhalla, Manmeet; Chen, Da-Yuan; Ireton, Keith

    2017-11-01

    The bacterial surface protein InlB mediates internalisation of Listeria monocytogenes into human cells through interaction with the host receptor tyrosine kinase, Met. InlB-mediated entry requires localised polymerisation of the host actin cytoskeleton. Apart from actin polymerisation, roles for other host processes in Listeria entry are unknown. Here, we demonstrate that exocytosis in the human cell promotes InlB-dependent internalisation. Using a probe consisting of VAMP3 with an exofacial green fluorescent protein tag, focal exocytosis was detected during InlB-mediated entry. Exocytosis was dependent on Met tyrosine kinase activity and the GTPase RalA. Depletion of SNARE proteins by small interfering RNA demonstrated an important role for exocytosis in Listeria internalisation. Depletion of SNARE proteins failed to affect actin filaments during internalisation, suggesting that actin polymerisation and exocytosis are separable host responses. SNARE proteins were required for delivery of the human GTPase Dynamin 2, which promotes InlB-mediated entry. Our results identify exocytosis as a novel host process exploited by Listeria for infection. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Properties of alternative microbial hosts used in synthetic biology: towards the design of a modular chassis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Juhyun; Salvador, Manuel; Saunders, Elizabeth; González, Jaime; Avignone-Rossa, Claudio

    2016-01-01

    The chassis is the cellular host used as a recipient of engineered biological systems in synthetic biology. They are required to propagate the genetic information and to express the genes encoded in it. Despite being an essential element for the appropriate function of genetic circuits, the chassis is rarely considered in their design phase. Consequently, the circuits are transferred to model organisms commonly used in the laboratory, such as Escherichia coli, that may be suboptimal for a required function. In this review, we discuss some of the properties desirable in a versatile chassis and summarize some examples of alternative hosts for synthetic biology amenable for engineering. These properties include a suitable life style, a robust cell wall, good knowledge of its regulatory network as well as of the interplay of the host components with the exogenous circuits, and the possibility of developing whole-cell models and tuneable metabolic fluxes that could allow a better distribution of cellular resources (metabolites, ATP, nucleotides, amino acids, transcriptional and translational machinery). We highlight Pseudomonas putida, widely used in many different biotechnological applications as a prominent organism for synthetic biology due to its metabolic diversity, robustness and ease of manipulation. PMID:27903818

  19. Micro-patterned agarose gel devices for single-cell high-throughput microscopy of E. coli cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Priest, David G; Tanaka, Nobuyuki; Tanaka, Yo; Taniguchi, Yuichi

    2017-12-21

    High-throughput microscopy of bacterial cells elucidated fundamental cellular processes including cellular heterogeneity and cell division homeostasis. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic devices provide advantages including precise positioning of cells and throughput, however device fabrication is time-consuming and requires specialised skills. Agarose pads are a popular alternative, however cells often clump together, which hinders single cell quantitation. Here, we imprint agarose pads with micro-patterned 'capsules', to trap individual cells and 'lines', to direct cellular growth outwards in a straight line. We implement this micro-patterning into multi-pad devices called CapsuleHotel and LineHotel for high-throughput imaging. CapsuleHotel provides ~65,000 capsule structures per mm 2 that isolate individual Escherichia coli cells. In contrast, LineHotel provides ~300 line structures per mm that direct growth of micro-colonies. With CapsuleHotel, a quantitative single cell dataset of ~10,000 cells across 24 samples can be acquired and analysed in under 1 hour. LineHotel allows tracking growth of > 10 micro-colonies across 24 samples simultaneously for up to 4 generations. These easy-to-use devices can be provided in kit format, and will accelerate discoveries in diverse fields ranging from microbiology to systems and synthetic biology.

  20. Microbiota promote secretory cell determination in the intestinal epithelium by modulating host Notch signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Troll, Joshua V; Hamilton, M Kristina; Abel, Melissa L; Ganz, Julia; Bates, Jennifer M; Stephens, W Zac; Melancon, Ellie; van der Vaart, Michiel; Meijer, Annemarie H; Distel, Martin; Eisen, Judith S; Guillemin, Karen

    2018-02-23

    Resident microbes promote many aspects of host development, although the mechanisms by which microbiota influence host tissues remain unclear. We showed previously that the microbiota is required for allocation of appropriate numbers of secretory cells in the zebrafish intestinal epithelium. Because Notch signaling is crucial for secretory fate determination, we conducted epistasis experiments to establish whether the microbiota modulates host Notch signaling. We also investigated whether innate immune signaling transduces microbiota cues via the Myd88 adaptor protein. We provide the first evidence that microbiota-induced, Myd88-dependent signaling inhibits host Notch signaling in the intestinal epithelium, thereby promoting secretory cell fate determination. These results connect microbiota activity via innate immune signaling to the Notch pathway, which also plays crucial roles in intestinal homeostasis throughout life and when impaired can result in chronic inflammation and cancer. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  1. Yeast casein kinase 2 governs morphology, biofilm formation, cell wall integrity, and host cell damage of Candida albicans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Sook-In; Rodriguez, Natalie; Irrizary, Jihyun; Liboro, Karl; Bogarin, Thania; Macias, Marlene; Eivers, Edward; Porter, Edith; Filler, Scott G; Park, Hyunsook

    2017-01-01

    The regulatory networks governing morphogenesis of a pleomorphic fungus, Candida albicans are extremely complex and remain to be completely elucidated. This study investigated the function of C. albicans yeast casein kinase 2 (CaYck2p). The yck2Δ/yck2Δ strain displayed constitutive pseudohyphae in both yeast and hyphal growth conditions, and formed enhanced biofilm under non-biofilm inducing condition. This finding was further supported by gene expression analysis of the yck2Δ/yck2Δ strain which showed significant upregulation of UME6, a key transcriptional regulator of hyphal transition and biofilm formation, and cell wall protein genes ALS3, HWP1, and SUN41, all of which are associated with morphogenesis and biofilm architecture. The yck2Δ/yck2Δ strain was hypersensitive to cell wall damaging agents and had increased compensatory chitin deposition in the cell wall accompanied by an upregulation of the expression of the chitin synthase genes, CHS2, CHS3, and CHS8. Absence of CaYck2p also affected fungal-host interaction; the yck2Δ/yck2Δ strain had significantly reduced ability to damage host cells. However, the yck2Δ/yck2Δ strain had wild-type susceptibility to cyclosporine and FK506, suggesting that CaYck2p functions independently from the Ca+/calcineurin pathway. Thus, in C. albicans, Yck2p is a multifunctional kinase that governs morphogenesis, biofilm formation, cell wall integrity, and host cell interactions.

  2. Fate and persistence of a pathogenic NDM-1-positive Escherichia coli strain in anaerobic and aerobic sludge microcosms

    KAUST Repository

    Mantilla-Calderon, David

    2017-04-15

    The presence of emerging biological pollutants in treated wastewater effluents has gained attention due to increased interest in water reuse. To evaluate the effectiveness of the removal of such contaminants by the conventional wastewater treatment process, the fate and decay kinetics of NDM-1-positive Escherichia coli strain PI7 and its plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were assessed in microcosms of anaerobic and aerobic sludge. Results showed that E. coli PI7 decayed at a significantly slower rate under anaerobic conditions. Approximate half-lives were 32.4 ± 1.4 h and 5.9 ± 0.9 h in the anaerobic and aerobic microcosms, respectively. In the aerobic microcosms, after 72 h of operation, E. coli PI7 remained detectable but no further decay was observed. Instead, 1 in every 10000 E. coli cells was identified to be recalcitrant to decay and persist indefinitely in the sludge. ARGs associated with the E. coli PI7 were detected to have transferred to other native microorganisms in the sludge, or are released to the liquid fraction upon host decay. Extracellular DNA quickly degraded in the liquid fraction of the aerobic sludge. In contrast, no DNA decay was detected in the anaerobic sludge water matrix throughout the 24 h sampling period. This study suggests an increased likelihood of environmental dispersion of ARGs associated with anaerobically treated wastewater effluents and highlights the potential importance of persister cells in the dissemination of E. coli in the environment during reuse events of treated wastewater.IMPORTANCE This study examines the decay kinetics of a pathogenic and antibiotic resistant strain of Escherichia coli in microcosms simulating biological treatment units of aerobic and anaerobic sludge. The results of this study points at a significantly prolonged persistence of the E. coli and the associated antibiotic resistance gene in the anaerobic sludge. However, horizontal transfer of the plasmid encoding the antibiotic

  3. Production of R-Mandelic Acid Using Nitrilase from Recombinant E. coli Cells Immobilized with Tris(Hydroxymethyl)Phosphine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xin-Hong; Liu, Zhi-Qiang; Xue, Ya-Ping; Wang, Yuan-Shan; Yang, Bo; Zheng, Yu-Guo

    2018-03-01

    Recombinant Escherichia coli cells harboring nitrilase from Alcaligenes faecalis were immobilized using tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine (THP) as the coupling agent. The optimal pH and temperature of the THP-immobilized cells were determined at pH 8.0 and 55 °C. The half-lives of THP-immobilized cells measured at 35, 40, and 50 °C were 1800, 965, and 163 h, respectively. The concentration of R-mandelic acid (R-MA) reached 358 mM after merely 1-h conversion by the immobilized cells with 500 mM R,S-mandelonitrile (R,S-MN), affording the highest productivity of 1307 g L -1  day -1 and the space-time productivity of 143.2 mmol L -1  h -1  g -1 . The immobilized cells with granular shape were successfully recycled for 60 batches using 100 mM R,S-MN as substrate at 40 °C with 64% of relative activity, suggesting that the immobilized E. coli cells obtained in this study are promising for the production of R-MA.

  4. Complexities in human herpesvirus-6A and -6B binding to host cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pedersen, Simon Metz; Hoellsberg, Per

    2006-01-01

    Human herpesvirus-6A and -6B uses the cellular receptor CD46 for fusion and infection of the host cell. The viral glycoprotein complex gH-gL from HHV-6A binds to the short consensus repeat 2 and 3 in CD46. Although all the major isoforms of CD46 bind the virus, certain isoforms may have higher affinity than others for the virus. Within recent years, elucidation of the viral complex has identified additional HHV-6A and -6B specific glycoproteins. Thus, gH-gL associates with a gQ1-gQ2 dimer to form a heterotetrameric complex. In addition, a novel complex consisting of gH-gL-gO has been described that does not bind CD46. Accumulating evidence suggests that an additional HHV-6A and -6B receptor exists. The previous simple picture of HHV-6A/B-host cell contact therefore includes more layers of complexities on both the viral and the host cell side of the interaction

  5. Preliminary Study on the Effect of Wastewater Storage in Septic Tank on E. coli Concentration in Summer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James K. Bradshaw

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available On-site wastewater treatment systems (OWTS work by first storing the wastewater in a septic tank before releasing it to soils for treatment that is generally effective and sustainable. However, it is not clear how the abundance of E. coli changes during its passage through the tank. In this study, which was conducted under the UGA young Scholar Program in summer of 2010, we examined the change in wastewater quality parameters during the passage of the wastewater through the tank and after its release into soil. We collected wastewater samples at the inlet and outlet of an experimental septic tank in addition to obtaining water samples from lysimeters below trenches where the drainpipes were buried. We report that E. coli concentration was higher by 100-fold in the septic tank effluent than influent wastewater samples, indicating the growth of E. coli inside the tank under typical Georgian summer weather. This is contrary to the assumption that E. coli cells do not grow outside their host and suggests that the microbial load of the wastewater is potentially enhanced during its storage in the tank. Electrical conductivity, pH and nitrogen were similar between the influent and effluent wastewater samples. E. coli and total coliform concentrations were mainly below detection in lysimeter samples, indicating the effectiveness of the soil in treating the wastewater.

  6. The Comparative Investigation of Gene Mutation Induction in {\\it Bacillus subtilis} and {\\it Escherichia coli} Cells after Irradiation by Different LET Radiation

    CERN Document Server

    Boreyko, A V

    2005-01-01

    The data of mutagenic action of ionizing radiation with different physical characteristics on bacterial cells with various genotypes are presented. It was shown that regularities of inducible mutagenesis in {\\it Bacillus subtilis} and {\\it E.coli} are consimilar. The dose-response dependence for both types of cells is described by the linear-quadratic function. The RBE on LET relationship has a local maximum at 20 keV/$\\mu $m. The crucial role in inducible mutagenesis in {\\it E.coli} and {\\it Bacillus subtilis} cells is played by the error-prone $SOS$-repair.

  7. A genomically modified Escherichia coli strain carrying an orthogonal E. coli histidyl-tRNA synthetase•tRNAHis pair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Englert, Markus; Vargas-Rodriguez, Oscar; Reynolds, Noah M; Wang, Yane-Shih; Söll, Dieter; Umehara, Takuya

    2017-11-01

    Development of new aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS)•tRNA pairs is central for incorporation of novel non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins via genetic code expansion (GCE). The Escherichia coli and Caulobacter crescentus histidyl-tRNA synthetases (HisRS) evolved divergent mechanisms of tRNA His recognition that prevent their cross-reactivity. Although the E. coli HisRS•tRNA His pair is a good candidate for GCE, its use in C. crescentus is limited by the lack of established genetic selection methods and by the low transformation efficiency of C. crescentus. E. coli was genetically engineered to use a C. crescentus HisRS•tRNA His pair. Super-folder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) were used as reporters for read-through assays. A library of 313 ncAAs coupled with the sfGFP reporter system was employed to investigate the specificity of E. coli HisRS in vivo. A genomically modified E. coli strain (named MEOV1) was created. MEVO1 requires an active C. crescentus HisRS•tRNA His pair for growth, and displays a similar doubling time as the parental E. coli strain. sfGFP- and CAT-based assays showed that the E. coli HisRS•tRNA His pair is orthogonal in MEOV1 cells. A mutation in the anticodon loop of E. coli tRNA His CUA elevated its suppression efficiency by 2-fold. The C. crescentus HisRS•tRNA His pair functionally complements an E. coli ΔhisS strain. The E. coli HisRS•tRNA His is orthogonal in MEOV1 cells. E. coli tRNA His CUA is an efficient amber suppressor in MEOV1. We developed a platform that allows protein engineering of E. coli HisRS that should facilitate GCE in E. coli. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Biochemistry of Synthetic Biology - Recent Developments" Guest Editor: Dr. Ilka Heinemann and Dr. Patrick O'Donoghue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Microscopy-based Assays for High-throughput Screening of Host Factors Involved in Brucella Infection of Hela Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casanova, Alain; Low, Shyan H; Emmenlauer, Mario; Conde-Alvarez, Raquel; Salcedo, Suzana P; Gorvel, Jean-Pierre; Dehio, Christoph

    2016-08-05

    Brucella species are facultative intracellular pathogens that infect animals as their natural hosts. Transmission to humans is most commonly caused by direct contact with infected animals or by ingestion of contaminated food and can lead to severe chronic infections. Brucella can invade professional and non-professional phagocytic cells and replicates within endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived vacuoles. The host factors required for Brucella entry into host cells, avoidance of lysosomal degradation, and replication in the ER-like compartment remain largely unknown. Here we describe two assays to identify host factors involved in Brucella entry and replication in HeLa cells. The protocols describe the use of RNA interference, while alternative screening methods could be applied. The assays are based on the detection of fluorescently labeled bacteria in fluorescently labeled host cells using automated wide-field microscopy. The fluorescent images are analyzed using a standardized image analysis pipeline in CellProfiler which allows single cell-based infection scoring. In the endpoint assay, intracellular replication is measured two days after infection. This allows bacteria to traffic to their replicative niche where proliferation is initiated around 12 hr after bacterial entry. Brucella which have successfully established an intracellular niche will thus have strongly proliferated inside host cells. Since intracellular bacteria will greatly outnumber individual extracellular or intracellular non-replicative bacteria, a strain constitutively expressing GFP can be used. The strong GFP signal is then used to identify infected cells. In contrast, for the entry assay it is essential to differentiate between intracellular and extracellular bacteria. Here, a strain encoding for a tetracycline-inducible GFP is used. Induction of GFP with simultaneous inactivation of extracellular bacteria by gentamicin enables the differentiation between intracellular and extracellular

  9. Occurrence and molecular analysis of Balantidium coli in mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) in the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassell, James M; Blake, Damer P; Cranfield, Michael R; Ramer, Jan; Hogan, Jennifer N; Noheli, Jean Bosco; Waters, Michael; Hermosilla, Carlos

    2013-10-01

    Cysts morphologically resembling Balantidium coli were identified in the feces of a mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei). Confirmatory PCR and sequencing revealed two distinct B. coli-specific sequences (ITS-1, sub-types A0 and B1). This represents the first report of B. coli in this species, raising the possibility of infection from a reservoir host.

  10. Metabolic Modeling of Common Escherichia coli Strains in Human Gut Microbiome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yue-Dong Gao

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The recent high-throughput sequencing has enabled the composition of Escherichia coli strains in the human microbial community to be profiled en masse. However, there are two challenges to address: (1 exploring the genetic differences between E. coli strains in human gut and (2 dynamic responses of E. coli to diverse stress conditions. As a result, we investigated the E. coli strains in human gut microbiome using deep sequencing data and reconstructed genome-wide metabolic networks for the three most common E. coli strains, including E. coli HS, UTI89, and CFT073. The metabolic models show obvious strain-specific characteristics, both in network contents and in behaviors. We predicted optimal biomass production for three models on four different carbon sources (acetate, ethanol, glucose, and succinate and found that these stress-associated genes were involved in host-microbial interactions and increased in human obesity. Besides, it shows that the growth rates are similar among the models, but the flux distributions are different, even in E. coli core reactions. The correlations between human diabetes-associated metabolic reactions in the E. coli models were also predicted. The study provides a systems perspective on E. coli strains in human gut microbiome and will be helpful in integrating diverse data sources in the following study.

  11. Construction of cellulose-utilizing Escherichia coli based on a secretable cellulase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Dongfang; Luan, Yaqi; Wang, Qian; Liang, Quanfeng; Qi, Qingsheng

    2015-10-09

    The microbial conversion of plant biomass into value added products is an attractive option to address the impacts of petroleum dependency. The Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli is commonly used as host for the industrial production of various chemical products with a variety of sugars as carbon sources. However, this strain neither produces endogenous cellulose degradation enzymes nor secrets heterologous cellulases for its poor secretory capacity. Thus, a cellulolytic E. coli strain capable of growth on plant biomass would be the first step towards producing chemicals and fuels. We previously identified the catalytic domain of a cellulase (Cel-CD) and its N-terminal sequence (N20) that can serve as carriers for the efficient extracellular production of target enzymes. This finding suggested that cellulose-utilizing E. coli can be engineered with minimal heterologous enzymes. In this study, a β-glucosidase (Tfu0937) was fused to Cel-CD and its N-terminal sequence respectively to obtain E. coli strains that were able to hydrolyze the cellulose. Recombinant strains were confirmed to use the amorphous cellulose as well as cellobiose as the sole carbon source for growth. Furthermore, both strains were engineered with poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) synthesis pathway to demonstrate the production of biodegradable polyesters directly from cellulose materials without exogenously added cellulases. The yield of PHB reached 2.57-8.23 wt% content of cell dry weight directly from amorphous cellulose/cellobiose. Moreover, we found the Cel-CD and N20 secretion system can also be used for the extracellular production of other hydrolytic enzymes. This study suggested that a cellulose-utilizing E. coli was created based on a heterologous cellulase secretion system and can be used to produce biofuels and biochemicals directly from cellulose. This system also offers a platform for conversion of other abundant renewable biomass to biofuels and biorefinery products.

  12. Molecular cloning and expression of Corynebacterium glutamicum genes for amino acid synthesis in Escherichia coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beskrovnaya, O.Yu.; Fonshtein, M.Yu.; Kolibaba, L.G.; Yankovskii, N.K.; Debabov, V.G.

    1989-01-01

    Molecular cloning of Corynebacterium glutamicum genes for threonine and lysine synthesis has been done in Escherichia coli cells. The clonal library of EcoRI fragments of chromosomal DNA of C. glutamicum was constructed on the plasmid vector λpSL5. The genes for threonine and lysine synthesis were identified by complementation of E. coli mutations in thrB and lysA genes, respectively. Recombinant plasmids, isolated from independent ThrB + clone have a common 4.1-kb long EcoRI DNA fragment. Hybrid plasmids isolated from LysA + transductants of E. coli have common 2.2 and 3.3 kb long EcoRI fragments of C. glutamicum DNA. The hybrid plasmids consistently transduced the markers thrB + and lysA + . The Southern hybridization analysis showed that the cloned DNA fragments hybridized with the fragments of identical length in C. glutamicum chromosomes

  13. Relevance of DNA repair pathways on ascorbic acid effects on Echerichia Coli K-12 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slyus, M.A. van; Oliveira, R.L.B. da C.; Felzenszwalb, I.; Gomes, R.A.; Menck, C.F.

    1985-01-01

    Inactivation kinetics were performed with repair proficient and deficient Escherichia coli K-12 cells treated with oxidized solutions of ascorbic acid. The repair pathways controlled by the recA and uvrA gene products are essential for cell survival to the treatment. However, SOS chromotest result indicates that the SOS functions are only induced at high and toxic concentrations of the drug. Moreover, single strand breaks in DNA from treated cells are detected, demonstrating genome damage promoted by oxidized solutions of ascorbate. (M.A.C.) [pt

  14. Establishment of Myotis myotis cell lines--model for investigation of host-pathogen interaction in a natural host for emerging viruses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaocui He

    Full Text Available Bats are found to be the natural reservoirs for many emerging viruses. In most cases, severe clinical signs caused by such virus infections are normally not seen in bats. This indicates differences in the virus-host interactions and underlines the necessity to develop natural host related models to study these phenomena. Due to the strict protection of European bat species, immortalized cell lines are the only alternative to investigate the innate anti-virus immune mechanisms. Here, we report about the establishment and functional characterization of Myotis myotis derived cell lines from different tissues: brain (MmBr, tonsil (MmTo, peritoneal cavity (MmPca, nasal epithelium (MmNep and nervus olfactorius (MmNol after immortalization by SV 40 large T antigen. The usefulness of these cell lines to study antiviral responses has been confirmed by analysis of their susceptibility to lyssavirus infection and the mRNA patterns of immune-relevant genes after poly I:C stimulation. Performed experiments indicated varying susceptibility to lyssavirus infection with MmBr being considerably less susceptible than the other cell lines. Further investigation demonstrated a strong activation of interferon mediated antiviral response in MmBr contributing to its resistance. The pattern recognition receptors: RIG-I and MDA5 were highly up-regulated during rabies virus infection in MmBr, suggesting their involvement in promotion of antiviral responses. The presence of CD14 and CD68 in MmBr suggested MmBr cells are microglia-like cells which play a key role in host defense against infections in the central nervous system (CNS. Thus the expression pattern of MmBr combined with the observed limitation of lyssavirus replication underpin a protective mechanism of the CNS controlling the lyssavirus infection. Overall, the established cell lines are important tools to analyze antiviral innate immunity in M. myotis against neurotropic virus infections and present a valuable

  15. Establishment of Myotis myotis cell lines--model for investigation of host-pathogen interaction in a natural host for emerging viruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Xiaocui; Korytář, Tomáš; Zhu, Yaqing; Pikula, Jiří; Bandouchova, Hana; Zukal, Jan; Köllner, Bernd

    2014-01-01

    Bats are found to be the natural reservoirs for many emerging viruses. In most cases, severe clinical signs caused by such virus infections are normally not seen in bats. This indicates differences in the virus-host interactions and underlines the necessity to develop natural host related models to study these phenomena. Due to the strict protection of European bat species, immortalized cell lines are the only alternative to investigate the innate anti-virus immune mechanisms. Here, we report about the establishment and functional characterization of Myotis myotis derived cell lines from different tissues: brain (MmBr), tonsil (MmTo), peritoneal cavity (MmPca), nasal epithelium (MmNep) and nervus olfactorius (MmNol) after immortalization by SV 40 large T antigen. The usefulness of these cell lines to study antiviral responses has been confirmed by analysis of their susceptibility to lyssavirus infection and the mRNA patterns of immune-relevant genes after poly I:C stimulation. Performed experiments indicated varying susceptibility to lyssavirus infection with MmBr being considerably less susceptible than the other cell lines. Further investigation demonstrated a strong activation of interferon mediated antiviral response in MmBr contributing to its resistance. The pattern recognition receptors: RIG-I and MDA5 were highly up-regulated during rabies virus infection in MmBr, suggesting their involvement in promotion of antiviral responses. The presence of CD14 and CD68 in MmBr suggested MmBr cells are microglia-like cells which play a key role in host defense against infections in the central nervous system (CNS). Thus the expression pattern of MmBr combined with the observed limitation of lyssavirus replication underpin a protective mechanism of the CNS controlling the lyssavirus infection. Overall, the established cell lines are important tools to analyze antiviral innate immunity in M. myotis against neurotropic virus infections and present a valuable tool for a

  16. Establishment of Myotis myotis Cell Lines - Model for Investigation of Host-Pathogen Interaction in a Natural Host for Emerging Viruses

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Xiaocui; Korytář, Tomáš; Zhu, Yaqing; Pikula, Jiří; Bandouchova, Hana; Zukal, Jan; Köllner, Bernd

    2014-01-01

    Bats are found to be the natural reservoirs for many emerging viruses. In most cases, severe clinical signs caused by such virus infections are normally not seen in bats. This indicates differences in the virus-host interactions and underlines the necessity to develop natural host related models to study these phenomena. Due to the strict protection of European bat species, immortalized cell lines are the only alternative to investigate the innate anti-virus immune mechanisms. Here, we report about the establishment and functional characterization of Myotis myotis derived cell lines from different tissues: brain (MmBr), tonsil (MmTo), peritoneal cavity (MmPca), nasal epithelium (MmNep) and nervus olfactorius (MmNol) after immortalization by SV 40 large T antigen. The usefulness of these cell lines to study antiviral responses has been confirmed by analysis of their susceptibility to lyssavirus infection and the mRNA patterns of immune-relevant genes after poly I:C stimulation. Performed experiments indicated varying susceptibility to lyssavirus infection with MmBr being considerably less susceptible than the other cell lines. Further investigation demonstrated a strong activation of interferon mediated antiviral response in MmBr contributing to its resistance. The pattern recognition receptors: RIG-I and MDA5 were highly up-regulated during rabies virus infection in MmBr, suggesting their involvement in promotion of antiviral responses. The presence of CD14 and CD68 in MmBr suggested MmBr cells are microglia-like cells which play a key role in host defense against infections in the central nervous system (CNS). Thus the expression pattern of MmBr combined with the observed limitation of lyssavirus replication underpin a protective mechanism of the CNS controlling the lyssavirus infection. Overall, the established cell lines are important tools to analyze antiviral innate immunity in M. myotis against neurotropic virus infections and present a valuable tool for a

  17. Cell surface appearance of unexpected host MHC determinants on thymocytes from radiation bone marrow chimeras

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharrow, S.O.; Mathieson, B.J.; Singer, A.

    1981-01-01

    The phenotypic appearance of cell surface antigens on murine thymocytes from long-term radiation bone marrow chimeras was analyzed using indirect immunofluorescence and flow microfluorometry. Cells maturing in the thymi of these mice were typed for MHC (Kk, I-Ak, H-2b, Kb, and Ib) and non-MHC (Lty 1, Ly 9, and TL) determinants. All cells were of donor origin as determined by non-MHC (Ly) phenotype in P1 leads to P2, P1 x P2 leads to P1, and P1 leads to P2 radiation chimeras. In contrast, the MHC phenotypes of these thymocytes were markedly affected by the host environment. Specifically, H-2 and I-A determinants of both parental phenotypes were detected on thymocytes from P1 leads to P1 x P2 chimeras; I-A determinants of host phenotype were present, whereas I-A determinants of donor phenotype were reduced on thymocytes from P1 x P2 leads to P1 chimeras; and thymocytes from P1 leads to P2 chimeras possessed H-2 and I-A determinants of host phenotype but showed reduction of donor I-A phenotype determinants. The appearance of host cell surface H-2 and I-A determinants on thymocytes from chimeras closely parallels the functional recognition of MHC determinants by T cells from chimeric mice and thus may be significantly related to the development of the self-recognition repertoire by maturing T cells

  18. Lymphotoxin organizes contributions to host defense and metabolic illness from innate lymphoid cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Upadhyay, Vaibhav; Fu, Yang-Xin

    2014-04-01

    The lymphotoxin (LT)-pathway is a unique constituent branch of the Tumor Necrosis Superfamily (TNFSF). Use of LT is a critical mechanism by which fetal innate lymphoid cells regulate lymphoid organogenesis. Within recent years, adult innate lymphoid cells have been discovered to utilize this same pathway to regulate IL-22 and IL-23 production for host defense. Notably, genetic studies have linked polymorphisms in the genes encoding LTα to several phenotypes contributing to metabolic syndrome. The role of the LT-pathway may lay the foundation for a bridge between host immune response, microbiota, and metabolic syndrome. The contribution of the LT-pathway to innate lymphoid cell function and metabolic syndrome will be visited in this review. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Heterologously expressed Staphylococcus aureus fibronectin-binding proteins are sufficient for invasion of host cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sinha, B; Francois, P; Que, Y A; Hussain, M; Heilmann, C; Moreillon, P; Lew, D; Krause, K H; Peters, Georg; Herrmann, M

    2000-01-01

    Staphylococcus aureus invasion of mammalian cells, including epithelial, endothelial, and fibroblastic cells, critically depends on fibronectin bridging between S. aureus fibronectin-binding proteins (FnBPs) and the host fibronectin receptor integrin alpha(5)beta(1) (B. Sinha et al., Cell.

  20. Interplay between enterobactin, myeloperoxidase and lipocalin 2 regulates E. coli survival in the inflamed gut

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singh, Vishal; Yeoh, Beng San; Xiao, Xia

    2015-01-01

    During an inflammatory response in the gut, some commensal bacteria such as E. coli can thrive and contribute to disease. Here we demonstrate that enterobactin (Ent), a catecholate siderophore released by E. coli, is a potent inhibitor of myeloperoxidase (MPO), a bactericidal enzyme of the host. ...

  1. Knowledge to Predict Pathogens: Legionella pneumophila Lifecycle Critical Review Part I Uptake into Host Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexis L. Mraz

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila is an infectious disease agent of increasing concern due to its ability to cause Legionnaires’ Disease, a severe community pneumonia, and the difficulty in controlling it within water systems. L. pneumophila thrives within the biofilm of premise plumbing systems, utilizing protozoan hosts for protection from disinfectants and other environmental stressors. While there is a great deal of information regarding how L. pneumophila interacts with protozoa and human macrophages (host for human infection, the ability to use this data in a model to attempt to predict a concentration of L. pneumophila in a water system is not known. The lifecycle of L. pneumophila within host cells involves three processes: uptake, growth, and egression from the host cell. The complexity of these three processes would risk conflation of the concepts; therefore, this review details the available information regarding how L. pneumophila invades host cells (uptake within the context of data needed to model this process, while a second review will focus on growth and egression. The overall intent of both reviews is to detail how the steps in L. pneumophila’s lifecycle in drinking water systems affect human infectivity, as opposed to detailing just its growth and persistence in drinking water systems.

  2. Effects of Auger cascades of bromine induced by K-shell photoionization on plasmid DNA, bacteriophages, E.coli and yeast cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maezawa, Hiroshi; Ito, Takashi

    1988-01-01

    When bromouracil-labelled E.coli cells were irradiated with X-rays cells killing was enhanced above the absorption edge, 13.49 keV, by 8% as compared with 12.40 keV (below the edge) only in the presence of 7.8% DMSO. In the case of dried BrdU-labelled T1 phage, a larger (about 26%) enhancing effect was observed. This would partly be due to the incomplete suppression of radical mediated process in E.coli cells. Various degrees of energy-dependent enhancement observed in the different biological systems are discussed both from the induced number of Auger events and from the increased energy absorption due to the presence of Br atoms in the system. (author)

  3. Hyperthermia studies using inductive and ultrasound methods on E. coli bacteria and mouse glioma cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cabral–Prieto, A., E-mail: agustin.cabral@inin.gob.mx; López-Callejas, R., E-mail: regulo.lopez@inin.gob.mx; Rodríguez-Méndez, B. G., E-mail: benjamin.rodriguez@inin.gob.mx; Santos-Cuevas, C. L., E-mail: clara.cuevas@inin.gob.mx [Carretera México-Toluca s/n, La Marquesa, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (Mexico); Celis-Almazán, J., E-mail: jony-jac-5@hotmail.com; Olea-Mejía, O., E-mail: oleaoscar@yahoo.com.mx [Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Centro Conjunto de Investigación en Química Sustentable (Mexico); Gómez-Morales, J. L. [Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Campus El Cerrillo, Facultad de Ciencias (Mexico); Peña-Eguiluz, R., E-mail: rosendo.eguiluz@inin.gob.mx; Valencia-Alvarado, R., E-mail: raul.valencia@inin.gob.mx; Mercado-Cabrera, A., E-mail: antonio.mercado@inin.gob.mx; Muñoz-Castro, A. E., E-mail: arturo.munoz@inin.gob.mx [Carretera México-Toluca s/n, La Marquesa, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (Mexico); García-Santibañez, F., E-mail: fegasa2@yahoo.com.mx [Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Campus El Cerrillo, Facultad de Ciencias (Mexico)

    2017-11-15

    The survival of Escherichia coli bacteria and mouse glioma cells were studied under different temperatures using direct heating in water, ultrasound, and magnetic fluid hyperthermia. The survival of these microorganisms depended on whether the heating mode was continuous or discontinuous, surviving more in the former than in the discontinuous heating mode. Whereas Escherichia coli bacteria did not survive at temperatures ≥50{sup ∘}C, the mouse glioma cells did not survive at temperatures ≥48{sup ∘}C. The survival of both these microorganisms was independent of the presence or absence of the magnetic nanoparticles of magnetite, suggesting that these, having mean particle sizes of 9.5, 8.5 and 5, did not show any apparent cytotoxicity effect. Present results also showed that the inductive heating system which used a radiofrequency of 13.56 MHz, providing a maximum magnetic field strength of 160 A/m, the electric rather than magnetic heating predominated.

  4. Inhibition of protein geranylgeranylation and farnesylation protects against graft-versus-host disease via effects on CD4 effector T cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hechinger, Anne-Kathrin; Maas, Kristina; Dürr, Christoph; Leonhardt, Franziska; Prinz, Gabriele; Marks, Reinhard; Gerlach, Ulrike; Hofmann, Maike; Fisch, Paul; Finke, Jürgen; Pircher, Hanspeter; Zeiser, Robert

    2013-01-01

    Despite advances in immunosuppressive regimens, acute graft-versus-host disease remains a frequent complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Pathogenic donor T cells are dependent on correct attachment of small GTPases to the cell membrane, mediated by farnesyl- or geranylgeranyl residues, which, therefore, constitute potential targets for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis. A mouse model was used to study the impact of a farnesyl-transferase inhibitor and a geranylgeranyl-transferase inhibitor on acute graft-versus-host disease, anti-cytomegalovirus T-cell responses and graft-versus-leukemia activity. Treatment of mice undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation with farnesyl-transferase inhibitor and geranylgeranyl-transferase inhibitor reduced the histological severity of graft-versus-host disease and prolonged survival significantly. Mechanistically, farnesyl-transferase inhibitor and geranylgeranyl-transferase inhibitor treatment resulted in reduced alloantigen-driven expansion of CD4 T cells. In vivo treatment led to increased thymic cellularity and polyclonality of the T-cell receptor repertoire by reducing thymic graft-versus-host disease. These effects were absent when squalene production was blocked. The farnesyl-transferase inhibitor and geranylgeranyl-transferase inhibitor did not compromise CD8 function against leukemia cells or reconstitution of T cells that were subsequently responsible for anti-murine cytomegalovirus responses. In summary, we observed an immunomodulatory effect of inhibitors of farnesyl-transferase and geranylgeranyl-transferase on graft-versus-host disease, with enhanced functional immune reconstitution. In the light of the modest toxicity of farnesyl-transferase inhibitors such as tipifarnib in patients and the potent reduction of graft-versus-host disease in mice, farnesyl-transferase and geranylgeranyl-transferase inhibitors could help to reduce graft-versus-host disease significantly without

  5. Effect of DNA sequence of Fab fragment on yield characteristics and cell growth of E. coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulmala, Antti; Huovinen, Tuomas; Lamminmäki, Urpo

    2017-06-19

    Codon usage is one of the factors influencing recombinant protein expression. We were interested in the codon usage of an antibody Fab fragment gene exhibiting extreme toxicity in the E. coli host. The toxic synthetic human Fab gene contained domains optimized by the "one amino acid-one codon" method. We redesigned five segments of the Fab gene with a "codon harmonization" method described by Angov et al. and studied the effects of these changes on cell viability, Fab yield and display on filamentous phage using different vectors and bacterial strains. The harmonization considerably reduced toxicity, increased Fab expression from negligible levels to 10 mg/l, and restored the display on phage. Testing the impact of the individual redesigned segments revealed that the most significant effects were conferred by changes in the constant domain of the light chain. For some of the Fab gene variants, we also observed striking differences in protein yields when cloned from a chloramphenicol resistant vector into an identical vector, except with ampicillin resistance. In conclusion, our results show that the expression of a heterodimeric secretory protein can be improved by harmonizing selected DNA segments by synonymous codons and reveal additional complexity involved in heterologous protein expression.

  6. Molecular prophage typing of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Hyuk-Joon; Seong, Won-Jin; Kim, Jae-Hong

    2013-03-23

    Escherichia coli prophages confer virulence and resistance to physico-chemical, nutritional, and antibiotic stresses on their hosts, and they enhance the evolution of E. coli. Thus, studies on profiles of E. coli prophages are valuable to understand the population structure and evolution of E. coli pathogenicity. Large terminase genes participate in phage genome packaging and are one of the cornerstones for the identification of prophages. Thus, we designed primers to detect 16 types of large terminase genes and analyzed the genomes of 48 E. coli and Shigella reference strains for the prophage markers. We also investigated the distribution of the 16 prophage markers among 92 avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) strains. APEC strains were classified into 61 prophage types (PPTs). Each strain was different from the reference strains as measured by the PPTs and from the frequency of each prophage marker. Investigation of the distribution of prophage-related serum resistance (bor), toxin (stx1 and cdtI), and T3SS effector (lom, espK, sopE, nleB, and ospG) genes revealed the presence of bor (44.1%), lom (95.5%) and cdtI (9.1%) in APEC strains with related prophages. Therefore, the molecular prophage typing method may be useful to understand population structure and evolution of E. coli pathogenicity, and further studies on the mobility of the prophages and the roles of virulence genes in APEC pathogenicity may be valuable. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. The Paracoccidioides cell wall: past and present layers towards understanding interaction with the host

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosana ePuccia

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The cell wall of pathogenic fungi plays import roles in interaction with the host, so that its composition and structure may determine the course of infection. Here we present an overview of the current and past knowledge on the cell wall constituents of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and P. lutzii. These are temperature-dependent dimorphic fungi that cause paracoccidioidomycosis, a systemic granulomatous and debilitating disease. Focus is given on cell wall carbohydrate and protein contents, their immune-stimulatory features, adhesion properties, drug target characteristics, and morphological phase specificity. We offer a journey towards the future understanding of the dynamic life that takes place in the cell wall and of the changes that it may suffer when living in the human host.

  8. Nanomimics of host cell membranes block invasion and expose invasive malaria parasites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Najer, Adrian; Wu, Dalin; Bieri, Andrej; Brand, Françoise; Palivan, Cornelia G; Beck, Hans-Peter; Meier, Wolfgang

    2014-12-23

    The fight against most infectious diseases, including malaria, is often hampered by the emergence of drug resistance and lack or limited efficacies of vaccines. Therefore, new drugs, vaccines, or other strategies to control these diseases are needed. Here, we present an innovative nanotechnological strategy in which the nanostructure itself represents the active substance with no necessity to release compounds to attain therapeutic effect and which might act in a drug- and vaccine-like dual function. Invasion of Plasmodium falciparum parasites into red blood cells was selected as a biological model for the initial validation of this approach. Stable nanomimics-polymersomes presenting receptors required for parasite attachment to host cells-were designed to efficiently interrupt the life cycle of the parasite by inhibiting invasion. A simple way to build nanomimics without postformation modifications was established. First, a block copolymer of the receptor with a hydrophobic polymer was synthesized and then mixed with a polymersome-forming block copolymer. The resulting nanomimics bound parasite-derived ligands involved in the initial attachment to host cells and they efficiently blocked reinvasion of malaria parasites after their egress from host cells in vitro. They exhibited efficacies of more than 2 orders of magnitude higher than the soluble form of the receptor, which can be explained by multivalent interactions of several receptors on one nanomimic with multiple ligands on the infective parasite. In the future, our strategy might offer interesting treatment options for severe malaria or a way to modulate the immune response.

  9. Where in the Cell Are You? Probing HIV-1 Host Interactions through Advanced Imaging Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brennan S. Dirk

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Viruses must continuously evolve to hijack the host cell machinery in order to successfully replicate and orchestrate key interactions that support their persistence. The type-1 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1 is a prime example of viral persistence within the host, having plagued the human population for decades. In recent years, advances in cellular imaging and molecular biology have aided the elucidation of key steps mediating the HIV-1 lifecycle and viral pathogenesis. Super-resolution imaging techniques such as stimulated emission depletion (STED and photoactivation and localization microscopy (PALM have been instrumental in studying viral assembly and release through both cell–cell transmission and cell–free viral transmission. Moreover, powerful methods such as Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC have shed light on the protein-protein interactions HIV-1 engages within the host to hijack the cellular machinery. Specific advancements in live cell imaging in combination with the use of multicolor viral particles have become indispensable to unravelling the dynamic nature of these virus-host interactions. In the current review, we outline novel imaging methods that have been used to study the HIV-1 lifecycle and highlight advancements in the cell culture models developed to enhance our understanding of the HIV-1 lifecycle.

  10. Ureaplasma parvum infection alters filamin a dynamics in host cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brown Mary B

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Ureaplasmas are among the most common bacteria isolated from the human urogenital tract. Ureaplasmas can produce asymptomatic infections or disease characterized by an exaggerated inflammatory response. Most investigations have focused on elucidating the pathogenic potential of Ureaplasma species, but little attention has been paid to understanding the mechanisms by which these organisms are capable of establishing asymptomatic infection. Methods We employed differential proteome profiling of bladder tissues from rats experimentally infected with U. parvum in order to identify host cell processes perturbed by colonization with the microbe. Tissues were grouped into four categories: sham inoculated controls, animals that spontaneously cleared infection, asymptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI, and complicated UTI. One protein that was perturbed by infection (filamin A was used to further elucidate the mechanism of U. parvum-induced disruption in human benign prostate cells (BPH-1. BPH-1 cells were evaluated by confocal microscopy, immunoblotting and ELISA. Results Bladder tissue from animals actively colonized with U. parvum displayed significant alterations in actin binding proteins (profilin 1, vinculin, α actinin, and filamin A that regulate both actin polymerization and cell cytoskeletal function pertaining to focal adhesion formation and signal transduction (Fisher's exact test, P U. parvum perturbed the regulation of filamin A. Specifically, infected BPH-1 cells exhibited a significant increase in filamin A phosphorylated at serine2152 (P ≤ 0.01, which correlated with impaired proteolysis of the protein and its normal intracellular distribution. Conclusion Filamin A dynamics were perturbed in both models of infection. Phosphorylation of filamin A occurs in response to various cell signaling cascades that regulate cell motility, differentiation, apoptosis and inflammation. Thus, this phenomenon may be a useful

  11. Co-Expression of ORFCma with PHB Depolymerase (PhaZCma ) in Escherichia coli Induces Efficient Whole-Cell Biodegradation of Polyesters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ming-Chieh; Liu, En-Jung; Yang, Cheng-Han; Hsiao, Li-Jung; Wu, Tzong-Ming; Li, Si-Yu

    2018-04-01

    Whole-cell degradation of polyesters not only avoids the tedious process of enzyme separation, but also allows the degraded product to be reused as a carbon source. In this study, Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) harboring phaZ Cma , a gene encoding poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) depolymerase from Caldimonas manganoxidans, is constructed. The extra-cellular fraction of E. coli/pPHAZ exhibits a fast PHB degradation rate where it only took 35 h to completely degrade PHB films, while C. manganoxidans takes 81 h to do the same. The co-expression of ORF Cma (a putative periplasmic substrate binding protein that is within the same operon of phaZ Cma ) further improves the PHB degradation. While 28 h is needed for E. coli/pPHAZ to cause an 80% weight loss in PHB films, E. coli/pORFPHAZ needs only 21 h. Furthermore, it is able to degrade at-least four different polyesters, PHB, poly(lactic acid) (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA). Testing of the time course of 3-hydroxybutyrate concentration and the turbidity of the degradation solutions over time shows that PhaZ Cma has both exo- and endo-enzymatic activity. The whole-cell E. coli/pORFPHAZ can be used for recycling various polyesters while ORF Cma can potentially be a universal element for enhancing the secretion of recombinant protein. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Proteome data from a host-pathogen interaction study with Staphylococcus aureus and human lung epithelial cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristin Surmann

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available To simultaneously obtain proteome data of host and pathogen from an internalization experiment, human alveolar epithelial A549 cells were infected with Staphylococcus aureus HG001 which carried a plasmid (pMV158GFP encoding a continuously expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP. Samples were taken hourly between 1.5 h and 6.5 h post infection. By fluorescence activated cell sorting GFP-expressing bacteria could be enriched from host cell debris, but also infected host cells could be separated from those which did not carry bacteria after contact (exposed. Additionally, proteome data of A549 cells which were not exposed to S. aureus but underwent the same sample processing steps are provided as a control. Time-resolved changes in bacterial protein abundance were quantified in a label-free approach. Proteome adaptations of host cells were monitored by comparative analysis to a stable isotope labeled cell culture (SILAC standard. Proteins were extracted from the cells, digested proteolytically, measured by nanoLC–MS/MS, and subsequently identified by database search and then quantified. The data presented here are related to a previously published research article describing the interplay of S. aureus HG001 and human epithelial cells (Surmann et al., 2015 [1]. They have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange platform with the identifiers PRIDE: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/pride/archive/projects/PXD002384 for the S. aureus HG001 proteome dataset and PRIDE: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/pride/archive/projects/PXD002388 for the A549 proteome dataset.

  13. Effects of Thy-1+ cell depletion on the capacity of donor lymphoid cells to induce tolerance across an entire MHC disparity in sublethally irradiated adult hosts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pierce, G.E.; Watts, L.M.

    1989-01-01

    Thy-1+ cell depletion with anti-Thy-1.2 mAb and complement markedly reduced the capacity of C57BL/6J, H-2b bone marrow to establish mixed lymphoid chimerism and induce tolerance to C57BL/6J skin grafts across an entire MHC disparity in BALB/c, H-2d hosts conditioned with sublethal, fractionated 7.5 Gy total-body irradiation. In this model tolerance can be transferred to secondary irradiated BALB/c hosts only by cells of C57BL/6J donor, not host, genotype isolated from the spleens of tolerant hosts. Thy-1+ cell depletion abolished the capacity of C57BL/6J donor cells from tolerant BALB/c host spleens to transfer tolerance. The capacity of semiallogeneic BALB/c x C57BL/6J F1, H-2d/b donor BM and spleen cells to induce chimerism and tolerance to C57BL/6J skin grafts in BALB/c parental hosts was also reduced by Thy-1+ cell depletion. Thus the requirement for donor Thy-1+ cells cannot be explained simply on the basis of alloaggression. It is unlikely that the requisite Thy-1+ cells are nonspecific suppressor cells: Thy-1+ cell depletion had no effect on the slight but significant prolongation of third-party C3H/HeJ, H-2k skin grafts in irradiated BALB/c hosts injected with allogeneic C57BL/6J or semiallogeneic BALB/c x C57BL/6J F1 BM compared to irradiated controls injected with medium only. Furthermore, injections of semiallogeneic F1 spleen cells had no significant effect on the survival of the third-party grafts, although these cells were fully capable of inducing tolerance, and their capacity to induce tolerance was significantly reduced by Thy-1+ cell depletion. The requirement for a specific population of lymphoid cells, i.e. Thy-1+, remains unexplained but suggests that donor cells might play a role in the induction or maintenance of tolerance in this model other than merely providing a circulating source of donor antigens

  14. Generational distribution of a Candida glabrata population: Resilient old cells prevail, while younger cells dominate in the vulnerable host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouklas, Tejas; Alonso-Crisóstomo, Luz; Székely, Tamás; Diago-Navarro, Elizabeth; Orner, Erika P; Smith, Kalie; Munshi, Mansa A; Del Poeta, Maurizio; Balázsi, Gábor; Fries, Bettina C

    2017-05-01

    Similar to other yeasts, the human pathogen Candida glabrata ages when it undergoes asymmetric, finite cell divisions, which determines its replicative lifespan. We sought to investigate if and how aging changes resilience of C. glabrata populations in the host environment. Our data demonstrate that old C. glabrata are more resistant to hydrogen peroxide and neutrophil killing, whereas young cells adhere better to epithelial cell layers. Consequently, virulence of old compared to younger C. glabrata cells is enhanced in the Galleria mellonella infection model. Electron microscopy images of old C. glabrata cells indicate a marked increase in cell wall thickness. Comparison of transcriptomes of old and young C. glabrata cells reveals differential regulation of ergosterol and Hog pathway associated genes as well as adhesion proteins, and suggests that aging is accompanied by remodeling of the fungal cell wall. Biochemical analysis supports this conclusion as older cells exhibit a qualitatively different lipid composition, leading to the observed increased emergence of fluconazole resistance when grown in the presence of fluconazole selection pressure. Older C. glabrata cells accumulate during murine and human infection, which is statistically unlikely without very strong selection. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that neutrophils constitute the predominant selection pressure in vivo. When we altered experimentally the selection pressure by antibody-mediated removal of neutrophils, we observed a significantly younger pathogen population in mice. Mathematical modeling confirmed that differential selection of older cells is sufficient to cause the observed demographic shift in the fungal population. Hence our data support the concept that pathogenesis is affected by the generational age distribution of the infecting C. glabrata population in a host. We conclude that replicative aging constitutes an emerging trait, which is selected by the host and may even play an

  15. Toxicity mechanism of carbon nanotubes on Escherichia coli

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Young, Yu-Fu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing-Hua University, No. 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China); Lee, Hui-Ju [Department of Life Science, National Tsing-Hua University, No. 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China); Shen, Yi-Shan; Tseng, Shih-Hao; Lee, Chi-Young [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing-Hua University, No. 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China); Tai, Nyan-Hwa, E-mail: nhtai@mx.nthu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing-Hua University, No. 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China); Chang, Hwan-You, E-mail: hychang@mx.nthu.edu.tw [Department of Life Science, National Tsing-Hua University, No. 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China)

    2012-05-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer F-MWCNTs possess higher antibiotic performance than that of the F-SWCNTs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer E. coli cells were pierced when incubated with F-MWCNTs and trapped when incubated with F-SWCNTs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The rigidity and moment of CNTs play important role on the antibiotic effect. - Abstract: The influences of carbon nanomaterials on bacteria were investigated using three types of dispersed and functionalized carbon nanomaterials (F-CNMs), viz. functionalized carbon nanopowder (F-CNP), functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (F-SWCNTs), and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNTs). F-CNMs with different aspect ratios were used to study the influence of material configuration on the viability of Escherichia coli (E. coli). Although these materials were functionalized to improve their dispersibility, the original morphologies and chemical properties of the materials were maintained. Traditional bacteria quantitative plating analysis was conducted, and the results of which revealed that the F-CNP and the F-SWCNTs showed a less significant effect on the viability of E. coli, while the F-MWCNTs obviously inhibited cell viability. A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and a scanning electron microscopy were used to verify the functionalization of the F-CNMs and to examine the interaction of F-CNMs with E. coli, respectively; in addition, we adopted chemiluminescence assays to measure the concentration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) released from the damaged cells. The results showed that the ATP of the F-MWCNTs sample is two-fold higher than that of the control, indicating direct piercing of E. coli by F-MWCNTs leads to bacteria death. Furthermore, F-SWCNTs were concluded to have less influence on the viability of E. coli because ultra-long F-SWCNTs used in this study performed less rigidity to pierce the cells.

  16. Toxicity mechanism of carbon nanotubes on Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Young, Yu-Fu; Lee, Hui-Ju; Shen, Yi-Shan; Tseng, Shih-Hao; Lee, Chi-Young; Tai, Nyan-Hwa; Chang, Hwan-You

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► F-MWCNTs possess higher antibiotic performance than that of the F-SWCNTs. ► E. coli cells were pierced when incubated with F-MWCNTs and trapped when incubated with F-SWCNTs. ► The rigidity and moment of CNTs play important role on the antibiotic effect. - Abstract: The influences of carbon nanomaterials on bacteria were investigated using three types of dispersed and functionalized carbon nanomaterials (F-CNMs), viz. functionalized carbon nanopowder (F-CNP), functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (F-SWCNTs), and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNTs). F-CNMs with different aspect ratios were used to study the influence of material configuration on the viability of Escherichia coli (E. coli). Although these materials were functionalized to improve their dispersibility, the original morphologies and chemical properties of the materials were maintained. Traditional bacteria quantitative plating analysis was conducted, and the results of which revealed that the F-CNP and the F-SWCNTs showed a less significant effect on the viability of E. coli, while the F-MWCNTs obviously inhibited cell viability. A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and a scanning electron microscopy were used to verify the functionalization of the F-CNMs and to examine the interaction of F-CNMs with E. coli, respectively; in addition, we adopted chemiluminescence assays to measure the concentration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) released from the damaged cells. The results showed that the ATP of the F-MWCNTs sample is two-fold higher than that of the control, indicating direct piercing of E. coli by F-MWCNTs leads to bacteria death. Furthermore, F-SWCNTs were concluded to have less influence on the viability of E. coli because ultra-long F-SWCNTs used in this study performed less rigidity to pierce the cells.

  17. Cryptosporidia: Epicellular parasites embraced by the host cell membrane

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Valigurová, A.; Jirků, Miloslav; Koudela, Břetislav; Gelnar, M.; Modrý, David; Šlapeta, J.

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 38, 8/9 (2008), s. 913-922 ISSN 0020-7519 R&D Projects: GA ČR GD524/03/H133; GA ČR GA524/05/0992; GA MŠk LC522 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : Cryptosporidium * host cell invasion * epicellular * parasitophorous sac * ultrastructure Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 3.752, year: 2008

  18. Serratia marcescens ShlA pore-forming toxin is responsible for early induction of autophagy in host cells and is transcriptionally regulated by RcsB.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Venanzio, Gisela; Stepanenko, Tatiana M; García Véscovi, Eleonora

    2014-09-01

    Serratia marcescens is a Gram-negative bacterium that thrives in a wide variety of ambient niches and interacts with an ample range of hosts. As an opportunistic human pathogen, it has increased its clinical incidence in recent years, being responsible for life-threatening nosocomial infections. S. marcescens produces numerous exoproteins with toxic effects, including the ShlA pore-forming toxin, which has been catalogued as its most potent cytotoxin. However, the regulatory mechanisms that govern ShlA expression, as well as its action toward the host, have remained unclear. We have shown that S. marcescens elicits an autophagic response in host nonphagocytic cells. In this work, we determine that the expression of ShlA is responsible for the autophagic response that is promoted prior to bacterial internalization in epithelial cells. We show that a strain unable to express ShlA is no longer able to induce this autophagic mechanism, while heterologous expression of ShlA/ShlB suffices to confer on noninvasive Escherichia coli the capacity to trigger autophagy. We also demonstrate that shlBA harbors a binding motif for the RcsB regulator in its promoter region. RcsB-dependent control of shlBA constitutes a feed-forward regulatory mechanism that allows interplay with flagellar-biogenesis regulation. At the top of the circuit, activated RcsB downregulates expression of flagella by binding to the flhDC promoter region, preventing FliA-activated transcription of shlBA. Simultaneously, RcsB interaction within the shlBA promoter represses ShlA expression. This circuit offers multiple access points to fine-tune ShlA production. These findings also strengthen the case for an RcsB role in orchestrating the expression of Serratia virulence factors. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  19. Internalization of components of the host cell plasma membrane during infection by Trypanosoma cruzi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carvalho TMU

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available Epimastigote and trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi attach to the macrophage surface and are internalized with the formation of a membrane bounded vacuole, known as the parasitophorous vacuole (PV. In order to determine if components of the host cell membrane are internalized during formation of the PV we labeled the macrophage surface with fluorescent probes for proteins, lipids and sialic acid residues and then allowed the labeled cells to interact with the parasites. The interaction process was interrupted after 1 hr at 37ºC and the distribution of the probes analyzed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. During attachment of the parasites to the macrophage surface an intense labeling of the attachment regions was observed. Subsequently labeling of the membrane lining the parasitophorous vacuole containing epimastigote and trypomastigote forms was seen. Labeling was not uniform, with regions of intense and light or no labeling. The results obtained show that host cell membrane lipids, proteins and sialoglycoconjugates contribute to the formation of the membrane lining the PV containing epimastigote and trypomastigote T. cruzi forms. Lysosomes of the host cell may participate in the process of PV membrane formation.

  20. Ehrlichia chaffeensis infection in the reservoir host (white-tailed deer and in an incidental host (dog is impacted by its prior growth in macrophage and tick cell environments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arathy D S Nair

    Full Text Available Ehrlichia chaffeensis, transmitted from Amblyomma americanum ticks, causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis. It also infects white-tailed deer, dogs and several other vertebrates. Deer are its reservoir hosts, while humans and dogs are incidental hosts. E. chaffeensis protein expression is influenced by its growth in macrophages and tick cells. We report here infection progression in deer or dogs infected intravenously with macrophage- or tick cell-grown E. chaffeensis or by tick transmission in deer. Deer and dogs developed mild fever and persistent rickettsemia; the infection was detected more frequently in the blood of infected animals with macrophage inoculum compared to tick cell inoculum or tick transmission. Tick cell inoculum and tick transmission caused a drop in tick infection acquisition rates compared to infection rates in ticks fed on deer receiving macrophage inoculum. Independent of deer or dogs, IgG antibody response was higher in animals receiving macrophage inoculum against macrophage-derived Ehrlichia antigens, while it was significantly lower in the same animals against tick cell-derived Ehrlichia antigens. Deer infected with tick cell inoculum and tick transmission caused a higher antibody response to tick cell cultured bacterial antigens compared to the antibody response for macrophage cultured antigens for the same animals. The data demonstrate that the host cell-specific E. chaffeensis protein expression influences rickettsemia in a host and its acquisition by ticks. The data also reveal that tick cell-derived inoculum is similar to tick transmission with reduced rickettsemia, IgG response and tick acquisition of E. chaffeensis.

  1. Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli is the predominant diarrheagenic E. coli pathotype among irrigation water and food sources in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aijuka, Matthew; Santiago, Araceli E; Girón, Jorge A; Nataro, James P; Buys, Elna M

    2018-08-02

    Diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) has been implicated in foodborne outbreaks worldwide and have been associated with childhood stunting in the absence of diarrhoea. Infection is extraordinarily common, but the routes of transmission have not been determined. Therefore, determining the most prevalent pathotypes in food and environmental sources may help provide better guidance to various stakeholders in ensuring food safety and public health and advancing understanding of the epidemiology of enteric disease. We characterized 205 E. coli strains previously isolated from producer distributor bulk milk (PDBM)(118), irrigation water (48), irrigated lettuce (29) and street vendor coleslaw (10) in South Africa. Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) and diffusely adherent E. coli (DAEC) were sought. We used PCR and partial gene sequencing for all 205 strains while 46 out of 205 that showed poor resolution were subsequently characterized using cell adherence (HeLa cells). PCR and partial gene sequencing of aatA and/or aaiC genes confirmed EAEC (2%, 5 out of 205) as the only pathotype. Phylogenetic analysis of sequenced EAEC strains with E. coli strains in GenBank showing ≥80% nucleotide sequence similarity based on possession of aaiC and aatA generated distinct clusters of strains separated predominantly based on their source of isolation (food source or human stool) suggesting a potential role of virulence genes in source tracking. EAEC 24%, 11 out of 46 strains (PDBM = 15%, irrigation water = 7%, irrigated lettuce = 2%) was similarly the predominant pathotype followed by strains showing invasiveness to HeLa cells, 4%, 2 out of 46 (PDBM = 2%, irrigated lettuce = 2%), among stains characterized using cell adherence. Therefore, EAEC may be the leading cause of DEC associated food and water-borne enteric infection in South Africa. Additionally, solely using molecular based methods targeting virulence

  2. Functional expression of a penicillin acylase from the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus HB27 in Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Torres Leticia L

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Penicillin acylases (PACs are enzymes of industrial relevance in the manufacture of β-lactam antibiotics. Development of a PAC with a longer half-life under the reaction conditions used is essential for the improvement of the operational stability of the process. A gene encoding a homologue to Escherichia coli PAC was found in the genome of the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus (Tth HB27. Because of the nature of this PAC and its complex maturation that is crucial to reach its functional heterodimeric final conformation, the overexpression of this enzyme in a heterologous mesophilic host was a challenge. Here we describe the purification and characterization of the PAC protein from Tth HB27 overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Results Fusions to a superfolder green fluorescent protein and differential membrane solubilization assays indicated that the native enzyme remains attached through its amino-terminal end to the outer side of the cytoplasmic membrane of Tth cells. In order to overexpress this PAC in E. coli cells, a variant of the protein devoid of its membrane anchoring segment was constructed. The effect of the co-expression of chaperones and calcium supplementation of the culture medium was investigated. The total production of PAC was enhanced by the presence of DnaK/J and GrpE and even more by trigger factor and GroEL/ES. In addition, 10 mM calcium markedly improved both PAC specific and volumetric activities. Recombinant PAC was affinity-purified and proper maturation of the protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF analysis of the subunits. The recombinant protein was tested for activity towards several penicillins, cephalosporins and homoserine lactones. Hydrophobic acyl-chain penicillins were preferred over the rest of the substrates. Penicillin K (octanoyl penicillin was the best substrate, with the highest specificity constant value (16.12 mM-1.seg-1. The optimum pH was aprox. 4 and the optimum

  3. Functional expression of a penicillin acylase from the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus HB27 in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres, Leticia L; Ferreras, Eloy R; Cantero, Angel; Hidalgo, Aurelio; Berenguer, José

    2012-08-09

    Penicillin acylases (PACs) are enzymes of industrial relevance in the manufacture of β-lactam antibiotics. Development of a PAC with a longer half-life under the reaction conditions used is essential for the improvement of the operational stability of the process. A gene encoding a homologue to Escherichia coli PAC was found in the genome of the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus (Tth) HB27. Because of the nature of this PAC and its complex maturation that is crucial to reach its functional heterodimeric final conformation, the overexpression of this enzyme in a heterologous mesophilic host was a challenge. Here we describe the purification and characterization of the PAC protein from Tth HB27 overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Fusions to a superfolder green fluorescent protein and differential membrane solubilization assays indicated that the native enzyme remains attached through its amino-terminal end to the outer side of the cytoplasmic membrane of Tth cells. In order to overexpress this PAC in E. coli cells, a variant of the protein devoid of its membrane anchoring segment was constructed. The effect of the co-expression of chaperones and calcium supplementation of the culture medium was investigated. The total production of PAC was enhanced by the presence of DnaK/J and GrpE and even more by trigger factor and GroEL/ES. In addition, 10 mM calcium markedly improved both PAC specific and volumetric activities. Recombinant PAC was affinity-purified and proper maturation of the protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF analysis of the subunits. The recombinant protein was tested for activity towards several penicillins, cephalosporins and homoserine lactones. Hydrophobic acyl-chain penicillins were preferred over the rest of the substrates. Penicillin K (octanoyl penicillin) was the best substrate, with the highest specificity constant value (16.12 mM-1.seg-1). The optimum pH was aprox. 4 and the optimum temperature was 75 °C. The half-life of

  4. Genotypic and Phenotypic Characteristics Associated with Biofilm Formation by Human Clinical Escherichia coli Isolates of Different Pathotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiebel, Juliane; Böhm, Alexander; Nitschke, Jörg; Burdukiewicz, Michał; Weinreich, Jörg; Ali, Aamir; Roggenbuck, Dirk; Rödiger, Stefan; Schierack, Peter

    2017-12-15

    -related infections due to their high resistance to antibiotics and the host immune system. In nonpathogenic Escherichia coli , cell surface components playing a pivotal role in biofilm formation are well known. In contrast, there is poor information for their role in biofilm formation of pathogenic isolates. Our study provides insights into the correlation of biofilm-associated genes or specific phenotypes with the biofilm formation ability of commensal and pathogenic E. coli Additionally, we describe a newly developed method enabling qualitative biofilm analysis by automated image analysis, which is beneficial for high-throughput screenings. Our results help to establish a better understanding of E. coli biofilm formation. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  5. Behavior of pulsed electric field injured Escherichia coli O157:H7 cells in apple juice amended with pyruvate and catalase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pulse Electric Field (PEF) treatment has been used to inactivate bacteria in liquid foods. However, information on the behavior of PEF injured Escherichia coli bacteria in media during storage at 5 and 23C are limited. In this study, we investigated the fate of E. coli O157:H7 cells at 6.8 log CFU/m...

  6. Mutagenic action of heavy ions on Escherichia coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tokarova, B.; Amirtayev, K.G.; Kozubek, S.; Krasavin, E.A.

    1989-01-01

    Introduction of direct mutations in the lactose operon of E.coli cells by γ radiation and accelerated heavy ions with different LET was studied. The experiments were performed with the wide type polA and lexA strains. The quadratic dependence of the mutation rate on the dose of different radiation for the wild type strain and the polA mutant was observed. However different radiations showed different relative genetic effectiveness. The dependence of RGE on LET for the wild type and polA strain has a maximum. In the experiments with the lexA strain low mutation rates and linear dose-response dependences N m /N(D) were observed. The RGE falls down with increasing LET of ionizing radiation. 22 refs.; 5 figs.; 2 tabs

  7. Tracing Conidial Fate and Measuring Host Cell Antifungal Activity Using a Reporter of Microbial Viability in the Lung

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anupam Jhingran

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Fluorescence can be harnessed to monitor microbial fate and to investigate functional outcomes of individual microbial cell-host cell encounters at portals of entry in native tissue environments. We illustrate this concept by introducing fluorescent Aspergillus reporter (FLARE conidia that simultaneously report phagocytic uptake and fungal viability during cellular interactions with the murine respiratory innate immune system. Our studies using FLARE conidia reveal stepwise and cell-type-specific requirements for CARD9 and Syk, transducers of C-type lectin receptor and integrin signals, in neutrophil recruitment, conidial uptake, and conidial killing in the lung. By achieving single-event resolution in defined leukocyte populations, the FLARE method enables host cell profiling on the basis of pathogen uptake and killing and may be extended to other pathogens in diverse model host organisms to query molecular, cellular, and pharmacologic mechanisms that shape host-microbe interactions.

  8. Urothelial CD44 facilitates Escherichia coli infection of the murine urinary tract

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rouschop, Kasper M. A.; Sylva, Marc; Teske, Gwendoline J. D.; Hoedemaeker, Inge; Pals, Steven T.; Weening, Jan J.; van der Poll, Tom; Florquin, Sandrine

    2006-01-01

    Escherichia coli is the most common pathogen found in urinary tract infections (UTIs), mainly affecting children and women. We report that CD44, a hyaluronic acid (HA) binding protein that mediates cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, facilitates the interaction of E. coli with urothelial cells

  9. Enhanced expression of membrane proteins in E. coli with a PBAD promoter mutant: synergies with chaperone pathway engineering strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nannenga Brent L

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Membrane proteins (MPs populate 20-30% of genomes sequenced to date and hold potential as therapeutic targets as well as for practical applications in bionanotechnology. However, MP toxicity and low yields in normally robust expression hosts such as E. coli has curtailed progress in our understanding of their structure and function. Results Using the seven transmembrane segments H. turkmenica deltarhodopsin (HtdR as a reporter, we isolated a spontaneous mutant in the arabinose-inducible PBAD promoter leading to improved cell growth and a twofold increase in the recovery of active HtdR at 37°C. A single transversion in a conserved region of the cyclic AMP receptor protein binding site caused the phenotype by reducing htdR transcript levels by 65%. When the mutant promoter was used in conjunction with a host lacking the molecular chaperone Trigger Factor (Δtig cells, toxicity was further suppressed and the amount of correctly folded HtdR was 4-fold that present in the membranes of control cells. More importantly, while improved growth barely compensated for the reduction in transcription rates when another polytopic membrane protein (N. pharonis sensory rhodopsin II was expressed under control of the mutant promoter in wild type cells, a 4-fold increase in productivity could be achieved in a Δtig host. Conclusions Our system, which combines a downregulated version of the tightly repressed PBAD promoter with a TF-deficient host may prove a valuable alternative to T7-based expression for the production of membrane proteins that have so far remained elusive targets.

  10. Rapid Growth of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli during Human Urinary Tract Infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valerie S. Forsyth

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC strains cause most uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs. These strains are a subgroup of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC strains that infect extraintestinal sites, including urinary tract, meninges, bloodstream, lungs, and surgical sites. Here, we hypothesize that UPEC isolates adapt to and grow more rapidly within the urinary tract than other E. coli isolates and survive in that niche. To date, there has not been a reliable method available to measure their growth rate in vivo. Here we used two methods: segregation of nonreplicating plasmid pGTR902, and peak-to-trough ratio (PTR, a sequencing-based method that enumerates bacterial chromosomal replication forks present during cell division. In the murine model of UTI, UPEC strain growth was robust in vivo, matching or exceeding in vitro growth rates and only slowing after reaching high CFU counts at 24 and 30 h postinoculation (hpi. In contrast, asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU strains tended to maintain high growth rates in vivo at 6, 24, and 30 hpi, and population densities did not increase, suggesting that host responses or elimination limited population growth. Fecal strains displayed moderate growth rates at 6 hpi but did not survive to later times. By PTR, E. coli in urine of human patients with UTIs displayed extraordinarily rapid growth during active infection, with a mean doubling time of 22.4 min. Thus, in addition to traditional virulence determinants, including adhesins, toxins, iron acquisition, and motility, very high growth rates in vivo and resistance to the innate immune response appear to be critical phenotypes of UPEC strains.

  11. Effect of lactoferrin protein on red blood cells and macrophages: mechanism of parasite–host interaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    An

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Namrata Anand,1 Rupinder K Kanwar,2 Mohan Lal Dubey,1 R K Vahishta,3 Rakesh Sehgal,1,* Anita K Verma,4 Jagat R Kanwar2,*1Department of Medical Parasitology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India; 2Nanomedicine Laboratory of Immunology and Molecular Biomedical Research, School of Medicine, Molecular and Medical Research Strategic Research Centre, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia; 3Department of Histopathology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 4Nanobiotech Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Kirorimal College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India*These authors contributed equally to this workBackground: Lactoferrin is a natural multifunctional protein known to have antitumor, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity. Apart from its antimicrobial effects, lactoferrin is known to boost the immune response by enhancing antioxidants. Lactoferrin exists in various forms depending on its iron saturation. The present study was done to observe the effect of lactoferrin, isolated from bovine and buffalo colostrum, on red blood cells (RBCs and macrophages (human monocytic cell line-derived macrophages THP1 cells.Methods: Lactoferrin obtained from both species and in different iron saturation forms were used in the present study, and treatment of host cells were given with different forms of lactoferrin at different concentrations. These treated host cells were used for various studies, including morphometric analysis, viability by MTT assay, survivin gene expression, production of reactive oxygen species, phagocytic properties, invasion assay, and Toll-like receptor-4, Toll-like receptor-9, and MDR1 expression, to investigate the interaction between lactoferrin and host cells and the possible mechanism of action with regard to parasitic infections.Results: The mechanism of interaction between host cells and lactoferrin have shown various aspects of gene

  12. Escherichia Coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodsell, David S.

    2009-01-01

    Diverse biological data may be used to create illustrations of molecules in their cellular context. I describe the scientific results that support a recent textbook illustration of an "Escherichia coli cell". The image magnifies a portion of the bacterium at one million times, showing the location and form of individual macromolecules. Results…

  13. UDP-N-acetylmuramic acid l-alanine ligase (MurC) inhibition in a tolC mutant Escherichia coli strain leads to cell death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humnabadkar, Vaishali; Prabhakar, K R; Narayan, Ashwini; Sharma, Sreevalli; Guptha, Supreeth; Manjrekar, Praveena; Chinnapattu, Murugan; Ramachandran, Vasanthi; Hameed, Shahul P; Ravishankar, Sudha; Chatterji, Monalisa

    2014-10-01

    The Mur ligases play an essential role in the biosynthesis of bacterial peptidoglycan and hence are attractive antibacterial targets. A screen of the AstraZeneca compound library led to the identification of compound A, a pyrazolopyrimidine, as a potent inhibitor of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa MurC. However, cellular activity against E. coli or P. aeruginosa was not observed. Compound A was active against efflux pump mutants of both strains. Experiments using an E. coli tolC mutant revealed accumulation of the MurC substrate and a decrease in the level of product upon treatment with compound A ,: indicating inhibition of MurC enzyme in these cells. Such a modulation was not observed in the E. coli wild-type cells. Further, overexpression of MurC in the E. coli tolC mutant led to an increase in the compound A MIC by ≥16-fold, establishing a correlation between MurC inhibition and cellular activity. In addition, estimation of the intracellular compound A level showed an accumulation of the compound over time in the tolC mutant strain. A significant compound A level was not detected in the wild-type E. coli strain even upon treatment with high concentrations of the compound. Therefore, the lack of MIC and absence of MurC inhibition in wild-type E. coli were possibly due to suboptimal compound concentration as a consequence of a high efflux level and/or poor permeativity of compound A. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  14. Multiple factors and processes involved in host cell killing by bacteriophage Mu: characterization and mapping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waggoner, B T; Marrs, C F; Howe, M M; Pato, M L

    1984-07-15

    The regions of bacteriophage Mu involved in host cell killing were determined by infection of a lambda-immune host with 12 lambda pMu-transducing phages carrying different amounts of Mu DNA beginning at the left end. Infecting lambda pMu phages containing 5.0 (+/- 0.2) kb or less of the left end of Mu DNA did not kill the lambda-immune host, whereas lambda pMu containing 5.1 kb did kill, thus locating the right end of the kil gene between approximately 5.0 and 5.1 kb. For the Kil+ phages the extent of killing increased as the multiplicity of infection (m.o.i.) increased. In addition, killing was also affected by the presence of at least two other regions of Mu DNA: one, located between 5.1 and 5.8 kb, decreased the extent of killing; the other, located between 6.3 and 7.9 kb, greatly increased host cell killing. Killing was also assayed after lambda pMu infection of a lambda-immune host carrying a mini-Mu deleted for most of the B gene and the middle region of Mu DNA. Complementation of mini-Mu replication by infecting B+ lambda pMu phages resulted in killing of the lambda-immune, mini-Mu-containing host, regardless of the presence or absence of the Mu kil gene. The extent of host cell killing increased as the m.o.i. of the infecting lambda pMu increased, and was further enhanced by both the presence of the kil gene and the region located between 6.3 and 7.9 kb. These distinct processes of kil-mediated killing in the absence of replication and non-kil-mediated killing in the presence of replication were also observed after induction of replication-deficient and kil mutant prophages, respectively.

  15. Contribution of MS-based proteomics to the understanding of Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 interaction with host cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Enrique eSantamaría

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Like other DNA viruses, Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1 replicates and proliferates in host cells continuously modulating the host molecular environment. Following a sophisticated temporal expression pattern, HSV-1 encodes at least 89 multifunctional proteins that interplay with and modify the host cell proteome. During the last decade, advances in mass spectrometry applications coupled to the development of proteomic separation methods have allowed to partially monitor the impact of HSV-1 infection in human cells. In this review, we discuss the current use of different proteome fractionation strategies to define HSV-1 targets on two major application areas: i viral protein interactomics to decipher viral protein interactions in host cells and ii differential quantitative proteomics to analyse the virally induced changes in the cellular proteome. Moreover, we will also discuss the potential application of high throughput proteomic approaches to study global proteome dynamics and also post-translational modifications in HSV-1-infected cells, what will greatly improved our molecular knowledge of HSV-1 infection.

  16. Als3 is a Candida albicans invasin that binds to cadherins and induces endocytosis by host cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Quynh T Phan

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Candida albicans is the most common cause of hematogenously disseminated and oropharyngeal candidiasis. Both of these diseases are characterized by fungal invasion of host cells. Previously, we have found that C. albicans hyphae invade endothelial cells and oral epithelial cells in vitro by inducing their own endocytosis. Therefore, we set out to identify the fungal surface protein and host cell receptors that mediate this process. We found that the C. albicans Als3 is required for the organism to be endocytosed by human umbilical vein endothelial cells and two different human oral epithelial lines. Affinity purification experiments with wild-type and an als3delta/als3delta mutant strain of C. albicans demonstrated that Als3 was required for C. albicans to bind to multiple host cell surface proteins, including N-cadherin on endothelial cells and E-cadherin on oral epithelial cells. Furthermore, latex beads coated with the recombinant N-terminal portion of Als3 were endocytosed by Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing human N-cadherin or E-cadherin, whereas control beads coated with bovine serum albumin were not. Molecular modeling of the interactions of the N-terminal region of Als3 with the ectodomains of N-cadherin and E-cadherin indicated that the binding parameters of Als3 to either cadherin are similar to those of cadherin-cadherin binding. Therefore, Als3 is a fungal invasin that mimics host cell cadherins and induces endocytosis by binding to N-cadherin on endothelial cells and E-cadherin on oral epithelial cells. These results uncover the first known fungal invasin and provide evidence that C. albicans Als3 is a molecular mimic of human cadherins.

  17. Phospholipase D promotes Arcanobacterium haemolyticum adhesion via lipid raft remodeling and host cell death following bacterial invasion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlson Petteri

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Arcanobacterium haemolyticum is an emerging bacterial pathogen, causing pharyngitis and more invasive infections. This organism expresses an unusual phospholipase D (PLD, which we propose promotes bacterial pathogenesis through its action on host cell membranes. The pld gene is found on a genomic region of reduced %G + C, suggesting recent horizontal acquisition. Results Recombinant PLD rearranged HeLa cell lipid rafts in a dose-dependent manner and this was inhibited by cholesterol sequestration. PLD also promoted host cell adhesion, as a pld mutant had a 60.3% reduction in its ability to adhere to HeLa cells as compared to the wild type. Conversely, the pld mutant appeared to invade HeLa cells approximately two-fold more efficiently as the wild type. This finding was attributable to a significant loss of host cell viability following secretion of PLD from intracellular bacteria. As determined by viability assay, only 15.6% and 82.3% of HeLa cells remained viable following invasion by the wild type or pld mutant, respectively, as compared to untreated HeLa cells. Transmission electron microscopy of HeLa cells inoculated with A. haemolyticum strains revealed that the pld mutant was contained within intracellular vacuoles, as compared to the wild type, which escaped the vacuole. Wild type-infected HeLa cells also displayed the hallmarks of necrosis. Similarly inoculated HeLa cells displayed no signs of apoptosis, as measured by induction of caspase 3/7, 8 or 9 activities. Conclusions These data indicate that PLD enhances bacterial adhesion and promotes host cell necrosis following invasion, and therefore, may be important in the disease pathogenesis of A. haemolyticum infections.

  18. Shigella reroutes host cell central metabolism to obtain high-flux nutrient supply for vigorous intracellular growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kentner, David; Martano, Giuseppe; Callon, Morgane; Chiquet, Petra; Brodmann, Maj; Burton, Olga; Wahlander, Asa; Nanni, Paolo; Delmotte, Nathanaël; Grossmann, Jonas; Limenitakis, Julien; Schlapbach, Ralph; Kiefer, Patrick; Vorholt, Julia A; Hiller, Sebastian; Bumann, Dirk

    2014-07-08

    Shigella flexneri proliferate in infected human epithelial cells at exceptionally high rates. This vigorous growth has important consequences for rapid progression to life-threatening bloody diarrhea, but the underlying metabolic mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we used metabolomics, proteomics, and genetic experiments to determine host and Shigella metabolism during infection in a cell culture model. The data suggest that infected host cells maintain largely normal fluxes through glycolytic pathways, but the entire output of these pathways is captured by Shigella, most likely in the form of pyruvate. This striking strategy provides Shigella with an abundant favorable energy source, while preserving host cell ATP generation, energy charge maintenance, and survival, despite ongoing vigorous exploitation. Shigella uses a simple three-step pathway to metabolize pyruvate at high rates with acetate as an excreted waste product. The crucial role of this pathway for Shigella intracellular growth suggests targets for antimicrobial chemotherapy of this devastating disease.

  19. The Vibrio parahaemolyticus Type III Secretion Systems manipulate host cell MAPK for critical steps in pathogenesis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Matlawska-Wasowska, Ksenia

    2010-12-01

    Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a food-borne pathogen causing inflammation of the gastrointestinal epithelium. Pathogenic strains of this bacterium possess two Type III Secretion Systems (TTSS) that deliver effector proteins into host cells. In order to better understand human host cell responses to V. parahaemolyticus, the modulation of Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) activation in epithelial cells by an O3:K6 clinical isolate, RIMD2210633, was investigated. The importance of MAPK activation for the ability of the bacterium to be cytotoxic and to induce secretion of Interleukin-8 (IL-8) was determined.

  20. Development of a continuous bioconversion system using a thermophilic whole-cell biocatalyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ninh, Pham Huynh; Honda, Kohsuke; Yokohigashi, Yukako; Okano, Kenji; Omasa, Takeshi; Ohtake, Hisao

    2013-03-01

    The heat treatment of recombinant mesophilic cells having heterologous thermophilic enzymes results in the denaturation of indigenous mesophilic enzymes and the elimination of undesired side reactions; therefore, highly selective whole-cell catalysts comparable to purified enzymes can be readily prepared. However, the thermolysis of host cells leads to the heat-induced leakage of thermophilic enzymes, which are produced as soluble proteins, limiting the exploitation of their excellent stability in repeated and continuous reactions. In this study, Escherichia coli cells having the thermophilic fumarase from Thermus thermophilus (TtFTA) were treated with glutaraldehyde to prevent the heat-induced leakage of the enzyme, and the resulting cells were used as a whole-cell catalyst in repeated and continuous reactions. Interestingly, although electron microscopic observations revealed that the cellular structure of glutaraldehyde-treated E. coli was not apparently changed by the heat treatment, the membrane permeability of the heated cells to relatively small molecules (up to at least 3 kDa) was significantly improved. By applying the glutaraldehyde-treated E. coli having TtFTA to a continuous reactor equipped with a cell-separation membrane filter, the enzymatic hydration of fumarate to malate could be operated for more than 600 min with a molar conversion yield of 60% or higher.

  1. Intramacrophage survival of uropathogenic Escherichia coli: Differences between diverse clinical isolates and between mouse and human macrophages

    KAUST Repository

    Bokil, Nilesh J.

    2011-11-01

    Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) are the primary cause of urinary tract infections. Recent studies have demonstrated that UPEC can invade and replicate within epithelial cells, suggesting that this bacterial pathogen may occupy an intracellular niche within the host. Given that many intracellular pathogens target macrophages, we assessed the interactions between UPEC and macrophages. Colonization of the mouse bladder by UPEC strain CFT073 resulted in increased expression of myeloid-restricted genes, consistent with the recruitment of inflammatory macrophages to the site of infection. In in vitro assays, CFT073 was able to survive within primary mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) up to 24h post-infection. Three additional well-characterized clinical UPEC isolates associated with distinct UTI symptomatologies displayed variable long-term survival within BMM. UPEC strains UTI89 and VR50, originally isolated from patients with cystitis and asymptomatic bacteriuria respectively, showed elevated bacterial loads in BMM at 24h post-infection as compared to CFT073 and the asymptomatic bacteriuria strain 83972. These differences did not correlate with differential effects on macrophage survival or initial uptake of bacteria. E. coli UTI89 localized to a Lamp1 + vesicular compartment within BMM. In contrast to survival within mouse BMM, intracellular bacterial loads of VR50 were low in both human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM) and in human T24 bladder epithelial cells. Collectively, these data suggest that some UPEC isolates may subvert macrophage anti-microbial pathways, and that host species differences may impact on intracellular UPEC survival. © 2011 Elsevier GmbH.

  2. The Escherichia coli transcriptome linked to growth fitness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bei-Wen Ying

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available A series of Escherichia coli strains with varied genomic sequences were subjected to high-density microarray analyses to elucidate the fitness-correlated transcriptomes. Fitness, which is commonly evaluated by the growth rate during the exponential phase, is not only determined by the genome but is also linked to growth conditions, e.g., temperature. We previously reported genetic and environmental contributions to E. coli transcriptomes and evolutionary transcriptome changes in thermal adaptation. Here, we describe experimental details on how to prepare microarray samples that truly represent the growth fitness of the E. coli cells. A step-by-step record of sample preparation procedures that correspond to growing cells and transcriptome data sets that are deposited at the GEO database (GSE33212, GSE52770, GSE61739 are also provided for reference. Keywords: Transcriptome, Growth fitness, Escherichia coli, Microarray

  3. Antimicrobial activity of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LBM 5006 is enhanced in the presence of Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benitez, Lisianne; Correa, AnaPaula; Daroit, Daniel; Brandelli, Adriano

    2011-03-01

    Increased antimicrobial activity was observed when Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LBM 5006 strain was cultivated in the presence of thermally inactivated cells of Escherichia coli, but not with Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, or Bacillus cereus. E. coli also enhanced the antimicrobial activity when it was added to the medium in the form of living cells or as cell debris after cellular fractionation. No inducing activity was observed with addition of cell-free supernatant of E. coli cultures, suggesting that inducing factor is associated to the cells. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that additional peptide bands are secreted when B. amyloliquefaciens was cultivated in the presence of cell debris of E. coli. These results suggest that the presence of intact or inactivated E. coli enhanced the synthesis of antimicrobial peptides by B. amyloliquefaciens LBM 5006.

  4. Changes in antibiotic sensitivity and cell surface hydrophobicity in Escherichia coli injured by heating, freezing, drying or gamma radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mackey, B.M.

    1983-01-01

    Escherichia coli cells exposed to mild heating, freezing and thawing, drying or γ-radiation were sensitised to hydrophobic antibiotics and sodium deoxycholate but not to small hydrophilic antibiotics. These stress treatments also caused increases in cell surface hydrophobicity broadly reflecting the degree of sensitivity to hydrophobic antibiotics. (Auth.)

  5. Inactivation and Gene Expression of a Virulent WastewaterEscherichia coliStrain and the Nonvirulent CommensalEscherichia coliDSM1103 Strain upon Solar Irradiation

    KAUST Repository

    Aljassim, Nada I.; Mantilla-Calderon, David; Wang, Tiannyu; Hong, Pei-Ying

    2017-01-01

    This study examined the decay kinetics and molecular responses of two Escherichia coli strains upon solar irradiation. The first is E. coli PI-7, a virulent and antibiotic-resistant strain that was isolated from wastewater and carries the emerging NDM-1 antibiotic resistance gene. The other strain, E. coli DSM1103, displayed lower virulence and antibiotic resistance than E. coli PI-7. In a buffer solution, E. coli PI-7 displayed a longer lag phase prior to decay and a longer half-life compared with E. coli DSM1103 (6.64 ± 0.63 h and 2.85 ± 0.46 min vs 1.33 ± 0.52 h and 2.04 ± 0.36 min). In wastewater, both E. coli strains decayed slower than they did in buffer. Although solar irradiation remained effective in reducing the numbers of both strains by more than 5-log10 in <24 h, comparative genomics and transcriptomics revealed differences in the genomes and overall regulation of genes between the two E. coli strains. A wider arsenal of genes related to oxidative stress, cellular repair and protective mechanisms were upregulated in E. coli PI-7. Subpopulations of E. coli PI-7 expressed genes related to dormancy and persister cell formation during the late decay phase, which may have accounted for its prolonged persistence. Upon prolonged solar irradiation, both E. coli strains displayed upregulation of genes related to horizontal gene transfer and antibiotic resistance. Virulence functions unique to E. coli PI-7 were also upregulated. Our findings collectively indicated that, whereas solar irradiation is able to reduce total cell numbers, viable E. coli remained and expressed genes that enable survival despite solar treatment. There remains a need for heightened levels of concern regarding risks arising from the dissemination of E. coli that may remain viable in wastewater after solar irradiation.

  6. Inactivation and Gene Expression of a Virulent WastewaterEscherichia coliStrain and the Nonvirulent CommensalEscherichia coliDSM1103 Strain upon Solar Irradiation

    KAUST Repository

    Aljassim, Nada I.

    2017-03-06

    This study examined the decay kinetics and molecular responses of two Escherichia coli strains upon solar irradiation. The first is E. coli PI-7, a virulent and antibiotic-resistant strain that was isolated from wastewater and carries the emerging NDM-1 antibiotic resistance gene. The other strain, E. coli DSM1103, displayed lower virulence and antibiotic resistance than E. coli PI-7. In a buffer solution, E. coli PI-7 displayed a longer lag phase prior to decay and a longer half-life compared with E. coli DSM1103 (6.64 ± 0.63 h and 2.85 ± 0.46 min vs 1.33 ± 0.52 h and 2.04 ± 0.36 min). In wastewater, both E. coli strains decayed slower than they did in buffer. Although solar irradiation remained effective in reducing the numbers of both strains by more than 5-log10 in <24 h, comparative genomics and transcriptomics revealed differences in the genomes and overall regulation of genes between the two E. coli strains. A wider arsenal of genes related to oxidative stress, cellular repair and protective mechanisms were upregulated in E. coli PI-7. Subpopulations of E. coli PI-7 expressed genes related to dormancy and persister cell formation during the late decay phase, which may have accounted for its prolonged persistence. Upon prolonged solar irradiation, both E. coli strains displayed upregulation of genes related to horizontal gene transfer and antibiotic resistance. Virulence functions unique to E. coli PI-7 were also upregulated. Our findings collectively indicated that, whereas solar irradiation is able to reduce total cell numbers, viable E. coli remained and expressed genes that enable survival despite solar treatment. There remains a need for heightened levels of concern regarding risks arising from the dissemination of E. coli that may remain viable in wastewater after solar irradiation.

  7. Ascorbate enhances u.v.-mutagenesis in E. coli but inhibits it in Chinese hamster cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rossman, T.G.; Klein, C.B.; Naslund, M.

    1986-01-01

    Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) causes an increase in the mutation frequency of u.v.-irradiated Escherichia coli WP2. The enhancement occurs at all u.v. fluences, and is dependent upon the ascorbate concentration in the medium. A maximum effect (approx. 8- to 13-fold) is seen at 100-150 μg/ml, although some enhancement can be seen even at 10 μg/ml. The comutagenic effect of ascorbate with u.v. in E. coli is dependent upon peptone, a constituent of nutrient broth. The enhancement of u.v.-mutagenesis by ascorbate is absent in strains WP2sub(s) (uvrA) amd WP6 (polA), suggesting that ascorbate affects the repair of pyrimidine dimers. The opposite results are observed for u.v.-mutagenesis in Chinese hamster V79 cells. The presence of ascorbate (50 μg/ml) during u.v. irradiation does not enhance the u.v. effect, but rather decreases it approx. 30%. These results are discussed with regard to differences in the mechanism of u.v.-mutagenesis and DNA repair in bacterial and mammalian cells. (author)

  8. Biocatalytic Production of Trehalose from Maltose by Using Whole Cells of Permeabilized Recombinant Escherichia coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhaojuan Zheng

    Full Text Available Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide, which can protect proteins, lipid membranes, and cells from desiccation, refrigeration, dehydration, and other harsh environments. Trehalose can be produced by different pathways and trehalose synthase pathway is a convenient, practical, and low-cost pathway for the industrial production of trehalose. In this study, 3 candidate treS genes were screened from genomic databases of Pseudomonas and expressed in Escherichia coli. One of them from P. stutzeri A1501 exhibited the best transformation ability from maltose into trehalose and the least byproduct. Thus, whole cells of this recombinant E. coli were used as biocatalyst for trehalose production. In order to improve the conversion rate of maltose to trehalose, optimization of the permeabilization and biotransformation were carried out. Under optimal conditions, 92.2 g/l trehalose was produced with a high productivity of 23.1 g/(l h. No increase of glucose was detected during the whole course. The biocatalytic process developed in this study might serve as a candidate for the large scale production of trehalose.

  9. Inhibition of Bifidobacterium Cell Wall 51.74 kDa Adhesin Isolated from Infants Feces Towards Adhesion of Enteric Phatogen E. coli on Enterocyte Balb/C Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I Sukrama

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To determine 51.74 kDa adhesin of Bifidobacterium sp cell wall isolated from infants feces as an anti adhesion of E. coli on enterocyte mice. Methods: Randomized Posttest-Only Control Group Design was employed to investigate adherence ability of this adhesin towards E.coli adhesion on mice entherocyte. Results: In this research, it was obtained, that the 51.74 kDa adhesin cell wall of Bifidobacterium sp has an ability to inhibit adhesion of E. coli on mice enterocyte. The ability was increased as an increase of adhsein concentration. Conclusions: that can be drawn from this research is the finding of 51.74 kDa adhesin cell wall of Bifidobacterium sp isolated from infants feces that can inhibit adhseion of E. coli on mice enterocyte. Future work that can be carried out are further researches concerning whether these protein can be applied to inhibit adherence of other pathogen bacteria

  10. Effect of human polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes on chromosomal and plasmid DNA of Escherichia coli. Role of acid DNase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rozenberg-Arska, M.; van Strijp, J.A.; Hoekstra, W.P.; Verhoef, J.

    1984-01-01

    Phagocytosis and killing by polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes are important host resistance factors against invading microorganisms. Evidence showing that killing is rapidly followed by degradation of bacterial components is limited. Therefore, we studied the fate of Escherichia coli DNA following phagocytosis of E. coli by polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes. [ 3 H]Thymidine-labeled, unencapsulated E. coli PC2166 and E. coli 048K1 were incubated in serum, washed, and added to leukocytes. Uptake and killing of the bacteria and degradation of DNA were measured. Although phagocytosis and killing by mononuclear leukocytes was less efficient than that by polymorphonuclear leukocytes, only mononuclear leukocytes were able to degrade E. coli PC2166 DNA. Within 2 h, 60% of the radioactivity added to mononuclear leukocytes was released into the supernate, of which 40% was acid soluble. DNA of E. coli 048K1 was not degraded. To further analyze the capacity of mononuclear leukocytes to degrade E. coli DNA, chromosomal and plasmid DNA was isolated from ingested bacteria and subjected to agarose gel-electrophoresis. Only chromosomal DNA was degraded after phagocytosis. Plasmid DNA of E. coli carrying a gene coding for ampicillin resistance remained intact for a 2-h period after ingestion, and was still able to transform recipient E. coli cells after this period. Although we observed no DNA degradation during phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear leukocytes, lysates of both polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes contained acid-DNase activity with a pH optimum of 4.9. However, the DNase activity of mononuclear leukocytes was 20 times higher than that of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. No difference was observed between DNase activity from polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes from a chronic granulomatous disease patient with DNase activity from control polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes

  11. Entry of a Six-Residue Antimicrobial Peptide Derived from Lactoferricin B into Single Vesicles and Escherichia coli Cells without Damaging their Membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moniruzzaman, Md; Islam, Md Zahidul; Sharmin, Sabrina; Dohra, Hideo; Yamazaki, Masahito

    2017-08-22

    Lactoferricin B (LfcinB) and shorter versions of this peptide have antimicrobial activity. However, the elementary processes of interactions of these peptides with lipid membranes and bacteria are still not well understood. To elucidate the mechanism of their antimicrobial activity, we investigated the interactions of LfcinB (4-9) (its sequence of RRWQWR) with Escherichia coli cells and giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). LfcinB (4-9) and lissamine rhodamine B red-labeled LfcinB (4-9) (Rh-LfcinB (4-9)) did not induce an influx of a membrane-impermeant fluorescent probe, SYTOX green, from the outside of E. coli cells into their cytoplasm, indicating that no damage occurred in their plasma membrane. To examine the activity of LfcinB (4-9) to enter E. coli cytoplasm, we investigated the interaction of Rh-LfcinB (4-9) with single cells of E. coli containing calcein using confocal microscopy. We found that Rh-LfcinB (4-9) entered the cytoplasm without leakage of calcein. Next, we investigated the interactions of Rh-LfcinB (4-9) with single GUVs of dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG) and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) mixtures containing a fluorescent probe, Alexa Fluor 647 hydrazide (AF647), using the single GUV method. The results indicate that Rh-LfcinB (4-9) outside the GUV translocated through the GUV membrane and entered its lumen without leakage of AF647. Interaction of Rh-LfcinB (4-9) with DNA increased its fluorescence intensity greatly. Therefore, we can conclude that Rh-LfcinB (4-9) can translocate across lipid membrane regions of the plasma membrane of E. coli cells to enter their cytoplasm without leakage of calcein and its antimicrobial activity is not due to damage of their plasma membranes.

  12. Thymus transcriptome reveals novel pathways in response to avian pathogenic Escherichia coli infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, H; Liu, P; Nolan, L K; Lamont, S J

    2016-12-01

    Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) can cause significant morbidity in chickens. The thymus provides the essential environment for T cell development; however, the thymus transcriptome has not been examined for gene expression in response to APEC infection. An improved understanding of the host genomic response to APEC infection could inform future breeding programs for disease resistance and APEC control. We therefore analyzed the transcriptome of the thymus of birds challenged with APEC, contrasting susceptible and resistant phenotypes. Thousands of genes were differentially expressed in birds of the 5-day post infection (dpi) challenged-susceptible group vs. 5 dpi non-challenged, in 5 dpi challenged-susceptible vs. 5 dpi challenged-resistant birds, as well as in 5 dpi vs. one dpi challenged-susceptible birds. The Toll-like receptor signaling pathway was the major innate immune response for birds to respond to APEC infection. Moreover, lysosome and cell adhesion molecules pathways were common mechanisms for chicken response to APEC infection. The T-cell receptor signaling pathway, cell cycle, and p53 signaling pathways were significantly activated in resistant birds to resist APEC infection. These results provide a comprehensive assessment of global gene networks and biological functionalities of differentially expressed genes in the thymus under APEC infection. These findings provide novel insights into key molecular genetic mechanisms that differentiate host resistance from susceptibility in this primary lymphoid tissue, the thymus. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association.

  13. Host epithelial cell invasion by Campylobacter jejuni: trigger or zipper mechanism?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tadhg eÓ Cróinín

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Campylobacter jejuni, a spiral-shaped Gram-negative pathogen, is a highly frequent cause of gastrointestinal foodborne illness in humans worldwide. Clinical outcome of C. jejuni infections ranges from mild to severe diarrheal disease, and some other complications including reactive arthritis and Guillain–Barré syndrome. This review article highlights various C. jejuni pathogenicity factors, host cell determinants and proposed signaling mechanisms involved in human host cell invasion and their potential role in the development of C. jejuni-mediated disease. A model is presented which outlines the various important interactions of C. jejuni with the intestinal epithelium, and we discuss the pro’s and con’s for the zipper over the trigger mechanism of invasion. Future work should clarify the contradictory role of some previously identified factors, and should identify and characterize novel virulence determinants, which are crucial to provide fresh insights into the diversity of strategies employed by this pathogen to cause disease.

  14. Multiplexed Single Intact Cell Droplet Digital PCR (MuSIC ddPCR) Method for Specific Detection of Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) in Food Enrichment Cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMahon, Tanis C; Blais, Burton W; Wong, Alex; Carrillo, Catherine D

    2017-01-01

    Foodborne illness attributed to enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), a highly pathogenic subset of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), is increasingly recognized as a significant public health issue. Current microbiological methods for identification of EHEC in foods often use PCR-based approaches to screen enrichment broth cultures for characteristic gene markers [i.e., Shiga toxin ( stx ) and intimin ( eae )]. However, false positives arise when complex food matrices, such as beef, contain mixtures of eae -negative STEC and eae -positive E. coli , but no EHEC with both markers in a single cell. To reduce false-positive detection of EHEC in food enrichment samples, a Multiplexed, Single Intact Cell droplet digital PCR (MuSIC ddPCR) assay capable of detecting the co-occurrence of the stx and eae genes in a single bacterial cell was developed. This method requires: (1) dispersal of intact bacteria into droplets; (2) release of genomic DNA (gDNA) by heat lysis; and (3) amplification and detection of genetic targets ( stx and eae ) using standard TaqMan chemistries with ddPCR. Performance of the method was tested with panels of EHEC and non-target E. coli . By determining the linkage (i.e., the proportion of droplets in which stx and eae targets were both amplified), samples containing EHEC (typically greater than 20% linkage) could be distinguished from samples containing mixtures of eae -negative STEC and eae -positive E. coli (0-2% linkage). The use of intact cells was necessary as this linkage was not observed with gDNA extracts. EHEC could be accurately identified in enrichment broth cultures containing excess amounts of background E. coli and in enrichment cultures derived from ground beef/pork and leafy-green produce samples. To our knowledge, this is the first report of dual-target detection in single bacterial cells using ddPCR. The application of MuSIC ddPCR to enrichment-culture screening would reduce false-positives, thereby improving the cost, speed, and

  15. Effect of selective T cell depletion of host and/or donor bone marrow on lymphopoietic repopulation, tolerance, and graft-vs-host disease in mixed allogeneic chimeras (B10 + B10.D2----B10)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ildstad, S.T.; Wren, S.M.; Bluestone, J.A.; Barbieri, S.A.; Stephany, D.; Sachs, D.H.

    1986-01-01

    Reconstitution of lethally irradiated mice with a mixture of T cell-depleted syngeneic plus T cell-depleted allogeneic bone marrow (B10 + B10.D2----B10) leads to the induction of mixed lymphopoietic chimerism, excellent survivals, specific in vivo transplantation tolerance to subsequent donor strain skin grafts, and specific in vitro unresponsiveness to allogeneic donor lymphoid elements as assessed by mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) proliferative and cell-mediated lympholysis (CML) cytotoxicity assays. When B10 recipient mice received mixed marrow inocula in which the syngeneic component had not been T cell depleted, whether or not the allogeneic donor marrow was treated, they repopulated exclusively with host-type cells, promptly rejected donor-type skin allografts, and were reactive in vitro to the allogeneic donor by CML and MLR assays. In contrast, T cell depletion of the syngeneic component of the mixed marrow inocula resulted in specific acceptance of allogeneic donor strain skin grafts. Such animals were specifically unreactive to allogeneic donor lymphoid elements in vitro by CML and MLR, but were reactive to third party. When both the syngeneic and allogeneic marrow were T cell depleted, variable percentages of host- and donor-type lymphoid elements were detected in the mixed reconstituted host. When only the syngeneic bone marrow was T cell depleted, animals repopulated exclusively with donor-type cells. Although these animals had detectable in vitro anti-host (B10) reactivity by CML and MLR and reconstituted as fully allogeneic chimeras, they exhibited excellent survival and had no in vivo evidence for graft-vs-host disease. Experiments in which untreated donor spleen cells were added to the inocula in this last group suggest that the presence of T cell-depleted syngeneic bone marrow cells diminishes graft-vs-host disease and the mortality from it

  16. Use of lymphokine-activated killer cells to prevent bone marrow graft rejection and lethal graft-vs-host disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azuma, E.; Yamamoto, H.; Kaplan, J.

    1989-01-01

    Prompted by our recent finding that lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells mediate both veto and natural suppression, we tested the ability of adoptively transferred LAK cells to block two in vivo alloreactions which complicate bone marrow transplantation: resistance to transplanted allogeneic bone marrow cells, and lethal graft-vs-host disease. Adoptive transfer of either donor type B6D2 or recipient-type B6 lymphokine-activated bone marrow cells, cells found to have strong LAK activity, abrogated or inhibited the resistance of irradiated B6 mice to both B6D2 marrow and third party-unrelated C3H marrow as measured by CFU in spleen on day 7. The ability of lymphokine-activated bone marrow cells to abrogate allogeneic resistance was eliminated by C lysis depletion of cells expressing asialo-GM1, NK1.1, and, to a variable degree, Thy-1, but not by depletion of cells expressing Lyt-2, indicating that the responsible cells had a LAK cell phenotype. Similar findings were obtained by using splenic LAK cells generated by 3 to 7 days of culture with rIL-2. Demonstration that allogeneic resistance could be blocked by a cloned LAK cell line provided direct evidence that LAK cells inhibit allogeneic resistance. In addition to inhibiting allogeneic resistance, adoptively transferred recipient-type LAK cells prevented lethal graft-vs-host disease, and permitted long term engraftment of allogeneic marrow. Irradiation prevented LAK cell inhibition of both allogeneic resistance and lethal graft-vs-host disease. These findings suggest that adoptive immunotherapy with LAK cells may prove useful in preventing graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease in human bone marrow transplant recipients

  17. Genome-wide analysis of E. coli cell-gene interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardinale, S; Cambray, G

    2017-11-23

    The pursuit of standardization and reliability in synthetic biology has achieved, in recent years, a number of advances in the design of more predictable genetic parts for biological circuits. However, even with the development of high-throughput screening methods and whole-cell models, it is still not possible to predict reliably how a synthetic genetic construct interacts with all cellular endogenous systems. This study presents a genome-wide analysis of how the expression of synthetic genes is affected by systematic perturbations of cellular functions. We found that most perturbations modulate expression indirectly through an effect on cell size, putting forward the existence of a generic Size-Expression interaction in the model prokaryote Escherichia coli. The Size-Expression interaction was quantified by inserting a dual fluorescent reporter gene construct into each of the 3822 single-gene deletion strains comprised in the KEIO collection. Cellular size was measured for single cells via flow cytometry. Regression analyses were used to discriminate between expression-specific and gene-specific effects. Functions of the deleted genes broadly mapped onto three systems with distinct primary influence on the Size-Expression map. Perturbations in the Division and Biosynthesis (DB) system led to a large-cell and high-expression phenotype. In contrast, disruptions of the Membrane and Motility (MM) system caused small-cell and low-expression phenotypes. The Energy, Protein synthesis and Ribosome (EPR) system was predominantly associated with smaller cells and positive feedback on ribosome function. Feedback between cell growth and gene expression is widespread across cell systems. Even though most gene disruptions proximally affect one component of the Size-Expression interaction, the effect therefore ultimately propagates to both. More specifically, we describe the dual impact of growth on cell size and gene expression through cell division and ribosomal content

  18. Secretion of clostridium cellulase by E. coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Ida Kuo

    1998-01-01

    A gene, encoding an endocellulase from a newly isolated mesophilic Clostridium strain IY-2 which can digest bamboo fibers, cellulose, rice straw, and sawdust, was isolated by shotgun cloning in an E. coli expression plasmid pLC2833. E. coli positive clones were selected based on their ability to hydrolyze milled bamboo fibers and cellulose present in agar plates. One clone contained a 2.8 kb DNA fragment that was responsible for cellulase activity. Western blot analyses indicated that the positive clone produced a secreted cellulase with a mass of about 58,000 daltons that was identical in size to the subunit of one of the three major Clostridium cellulases. The products of cellulose digestion by this cloned cellulase were cellotetraose and soluble higher polymers. The cloned DNA contained signal sequences capable of directing the secretion of heterologous proteins from an E. coli host. The invention describes a bioprocess for the treatment of cellulosic plant materials to produce cellular growth substrates and fermentation end products suitable for production of liquid fuels, solvents, and acids.

  19. Strategies for Protein Overproduction in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mott, John E.

    1984-01-01

    Examines heterologous expression in Escherichia coli and the role of regulatory sequences which control gene expression at transcription resulting in abundant production of messenger RNA and regulatory sequences in mRNA which promote efficient translation. Also examines the role of E. coli cells in stabilizing mRNA and protein that is…

  20. Helicobacter pylori Disrupts Host Cell Membranes, Initiating a Repair Response and Cell Proliferation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsueh-Fen Juan

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori, the human stomach pathogen, lives on the inner surface of the stomach and causes chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. Plasma membrane repair response is a matter of life and death for human cells against physical and biological damage. We here test the hypothesis that H. pylori also causes plasma membrane disruption injury, and that not only a membrane repair response but also a cell proliferation response are thereby activated. Vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA and cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA have been considered to be major H. pylori virulence factors. Gastric cancer cells were infected with H. pylori wild type (vacA+/cagA+, single mutant (ΔvacA or ΔcagA or double mutant (ΔvacA/ΔcagA strains and plasma membrane disruption events and consequent activation of membrane repair components monitored. H. pylori disrupts the host cell plasma membrane, allowing localized dye and extracellular Ca2+ influx. Ca2+-triggered members of the annexin family, A1 and A4, translocate, in response to injury, to the plasma membrane, and cell surface expression of an exocytotic maker of repair, LAMP-2, increases. Additional forms of plasma membrane disruption, unrelated to H. pylori exposure, also promote host cell proliferation. We propose that H. pylori activation of a plasma membrane repair is pro-proliferative. This study might therefore provide new insight into potential mechanisms of H. pylori-induced gastric carcinogenesis.

  1. Inactivation of Escherichia coli in broth and sausage by combined high pressure and Lactobacillus casei cell extract.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Hyun-Jung; Yousef, Ahmed E

    2010-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of combined high pressure and Lactobacillus casei cell extract (CE) on Escherichia coli O157 strains with variation in pressure resistance in broth and sausage. Pressure-resistant (O157:H7 and O157:H12) and -sensitive (O157-M1 and O157-M2) E. coli strains were used. Pressure treatment at 350 MPa for 20 min in broth caused 1.1-1.2 logs reduction in O157:H12 and O157:H7 and 4.1-5.5 logs reduction in the O157-M1 and O157-M2. When high pressure was treated in the presence of CE (32 CEAU/mL), the combination treatment caused a significant inactivation in the pressure-resistant O157:H7 strains resulting in the viability loss of 4.3-4.6 logs and the synergistic effect increased with increase in treatment time (p casei CE may cause considerable damage to cellular components of E. coli during the high pressure treatment. The synergy between high pressure processing and Lb. casei OSY-LB6A CE against pressure-resistant E. coli O157 strains suggests the feasibility of using this combination to minimize the risk of transmission of E. coli O157 by food.

  2. Bovine natural killer cells are present in Escherichia coli infected mammary gland tissue and show antimicrobial activity in vitro

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sipka, Anja; Pomeroy, Brianna; Klaessig, Suzanne; Schukken, Ynte

    2016-01-01

    Natural killer (NK) cells are early responders in bacterial infections but their role in bovine mastitis has not been characterized. For the first time, we show the presence of NK cells (NKp46+/CD3−) in bovine mammary gland tissue after an intramammary challenge with Escherichia (E.) coli. A small

  3. Involvement of UV-inducible repair in pyrimidine dimer excision in Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masek, F.; Sedliakova, M.

    1978-01-01

    The influence of UV radiation on pyrimidine dimer excision in the cells of three excision-proficient E.coli strains was studied. For this purpose cells were irradiated with a first fluence of 300 ergs/mm 2 and at different time intervals with a second fluence of 500 ergs/mm 2 . After the second fluence dimer excision was found to be partly inhibited in E.coli B/r Hcr + and E.coli 15 555-7, but not in E.coli K12 SR20. (author)

  4. Involvement of UV-inducible repair in pyrimidine dimer excision in Escherichia coli

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Masek, F; Sedliakova, M [Slovenska Akademia Vied, Bratislava (Czechoslovakia)

    1978-11-15

    The influence of UV radiation on pyrimidine dimer excision in the cells of three excision-proficient E.coli strains was studied. For this purpose cells were irradiated with a first fluence of 300 ergs/mm/sup 2/ and at different time intervals with a second fluence of 500 ergs/mm/sup 2/. After the second fluence dimer excision was found to be partly inhibited in E.coli B/r Hcr/sup +/ and E.coli 15 555-7, but not in E.coli K12 SR20.

  5. Antibacterial compounds of Canadian honeys target bacterial cell wall inducing phenotype changes, growth inhibition and cell lysis that resemble action of β-lactam antibiotics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katrina Brudzynski

    Full Text Available Honeys show a desirable broad spectrum activity against Gram-positive and negative bacteria making antibacterial activity an intrinsic property of honey and a desirable source for new drug development. The cellular targets and underlying mechanism of action of honey antibacterial compounds remain largely unknown. To facilitate the target discovery, we employed a method of phenotypic profiling by directly comparing morphological changes in Escherichia coli induced by honeys to that of ampicillin, the cell wall-active β-lactam of known mechanism of action. Firstly, we demonstrated the purity of tested honeys from potential β-lactam contaminations using quantitative LC-ESI-MS. Exposure of log-phase E. coli to honey or ampicillin resulted in time- and concentration-dependent changes in bacterial cell shape with the appearance of filamentous phenotypes at sub-inhibitory concentrations and spheroplasts at the MBC. Cell wall destruction by both agents, clearly visible on microscopic micrographs, was accompanied by increased permeability of the lipopolysaccharide outer membrane as indicated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS. More than 90% E. coli exposed to honey or ampicillin became permeable to propidium iodide. Consistently with the FACS results, both honey-treated and ampicillin-treated E. coli cells released lipopolysaccharide endotoxins at comparable levels, which were significantly higher than controls (p<0.0001. E. coli cells transformed with the ampicillin-resistance gene (β-lactamase remained sensitive to honey, displayed the same level of cytotoxicity, cell shape changes and endotoxin release as ampicillin-sensitive cells. As expected, β-lactamase protected the host cell from antibacterial action of ampicillin. Thus, both honey and ampicillin induced similar structural changes to the cell wall and LPS and that this ability underlies antibacterial activities of both agents. Since the cell wall is critical for cell growth and

  6. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Spatially Controls Activation and Misregulation of Host Cell Rac1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available Yersinia pseudotuberculosis binds host cells and modulates the mammalian Rac1 guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase at two levels. Activation of Rac1 results from integrin receptor engagement, while misregulation is promoted by translocation of YopE and YopT proteins into target cells. Little is known regarding how these various factors interplay to control Rac1 dynamics. To investigate these competing processes, the localization of Rac1 activation was imaged microscopically using fluorescence resonance energy transfer. In the absence of translocated effectors, bacteria induced activation of the GTPase at the site of bacterial binding. In contrast, the entire cellular pool of Rac1 was inactivated shortly after translocation of YopE RhoGAP. Inactivation required membrane localization of Rac1. The translocated protease YopT had very different effects on Rac1. This protein, which removes the membrane localization site of Rac1, did not inactivate Rac1, but promoted entry of cleaved activated Rac1 molecules into the host cell nucleus, allowing Rac1 to localize with nuclear guanosine nucleotide exchange factors. As was true for YopE, membrane-associated Rac1 was the target for YopT, indicating that the two translocated effectors may compete for the same pool of target protein. Consistent with the observation that YopE inactivation requires membrane localization of Rac1, the presence of YopT in the cell interfered with the action of the YopE RhoGAP. As a result, interaction of target cells with a strain that produces both YopT and YopE resulted in two spatially distinct pools of Rac1: an inactive cytoplasmic pool and an activated nuclear pool. These studies demonstrate that competition between bacterial virulence factors for access to host substrates is controlled by the spatial arrangement of a target protein. In turn, the combined effects of translocated bacterial proteins are to generate pools of a single signaling molecule with distinct localization and

  7. Pathogen Trojan Horse Delivers Bioactive Host Protein to Alter Maize Anther Cell Behavior in Situ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Linde, Karina; Timofejeva, Ljudmilla; Egger, Rachel L; Ilau, Birger; Hammond, Reza; Teng, Chong; Meyers, Blake C; Doehlemann, Gunther; Walbot, Virginia

    2018-03-01

    Small proteins are crucial signals during development, host defense, and physiology. The highly spatiotemporal restricted functions of signaling proteins remain challenging to study in planta. The several month span required to assess transgene expression, particularly in flowers, combined with the uncertainties from transgene position effects and ubiquitous or overexpression, makes monitoring of spatiotemporally restricted signaling proteins lengthy and difficult. This situation could be rectified with a transient assay in which protein deployment is tightly controlled spatially and temporally in planta to assess protein functions, timing, and cellular targets as well as to facilitate rapid mutagenesis to define functional protein domains. In maize ( Zea mays ), secreted ZmMAC1 (MULTIPLE ARCHESPORIAL CELLS1) was proposed to trigger somatic niche formation during anther development by participating in a ligand-receptor module. Inspired by Homer's Trojan horse myth, we engineered a protein delivery system that exploits the secretory capabilities of the maize smut fungus Ustilago maydis , to allow protein delivery to individual cells in certain cell layers at precise time points. Pathogen-supplied ZmMAC1 cell-autonomously corrected both somatic cell division and differentiation defects in mutant Zm mac1-1 anthers. These results suggest that exploiting host-pathogen interactions may become a generally useful method for targeting host proteins to cell and tissue types to clarify cellular autonomy and to analyze steps in cell responses. © 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

  8. Defect in negative selection in lpr donor-derived T cells differentiating in non-lpr host thymus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, K.; Yoshikai, Y.; Asano, T.; Himeno, K.; Iwasaki, A.; Nomoto, K.

    1991-01-01

    Transplantation of bone marrow cells of lpr/lpr mice into irradiated normal mice fails to develop massive lymphadenopathy or autoimmunity but causes severe graft-vs.-host-like syndrome. To elucidate an abnormality of lpr/lpr bone marrow-derived T cells, we transplanted bone marrow cells of Mlsb lpr/lpr mice into H-2-compatible Mlsa non-lpr mice. Although lpr/lpr T cell precursors repopulated the host thymus as well as +/+ cells, a proportion of CD4+CD8+ cells decreased, and that of both CD4- and CD8- single-positive cells increased compared with those of +/+ recipients. Notably, in MRL/lpr----AKR and C3H/lpr----AKR chimeras, CD4 single-positive thymocytes contained an increased number of V beta 6+ cells in spite of potentially deleting alleles of Mlsa, whereas V beta 6+ mature T cells were deleted in the MRL/+ ----AKR and C3H/+ ----AKR chimeras. There was no difference between MRL/+ ----AKR and MRL/lpr----AKR chimeras in their proportion of V beta 3+ cells because both host and donor strain lack the deleting alleles. Interleukin 2 receptor expression of mature T cells, in the thymus and lymph node, was obviously higher in the MRL/lpr----AKR chimeras, in particular in the forbidden V beta 6+ subset. Moreover, lpr donor-derived peripheral T cells showed vigorous anti-CD3 response. These results indicate that lpr-derived T cells escape not only tolerance-related clonal deletion but also some induction of unresponsiveness in the non-lpr thymus

  9. Overexpressed Proteins in Hypervirulent Clade 8 and Clade 6 Strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Compared to E. coli O157:H7 EDL933 Clade 3 Strain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalia Amigo

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli O157:H7 is responsible for severe diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS, and predominantly affects children under 5 years. The major virulence traits are Shiga toxins, necessary to develop HUS and the Type III Secretion System (T3SS through which bacteria translocate effector proteins directly into the host cell. By SNPs typing, E. coli O157:H7 was separated into nine different clades. Clade 8 and clade 6 strains were more frequently associated with severe disease and HUS. In this study, we aimed to identify differentially expressed proteins in two strains of E. coli O157:H7 (clade 8 and clade 6, obtained from cattle and compared them with the well characterized reference EDL933 strain (clade 3. Clade 8 and clade 6 strains show enhanced pathogenicity in a mouse model and virulence-related properties. Proteins were extracted and analyzed using the TMT-6plex labeling strategy associated with two dimensional liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry in tandem. We detected 2241 proteins in the cell extract and 1787 proteins in the culture supernatants. Attention was focused on the proteins related to virulence, overexpressed in clade 6 and 8 strains compared to EDL933 strain. The proteins relevant overexpressed in clade 8 strain were the curli protein CsgC, a transcriptional activator (PchE, phage proteins, Stx2, FlgM and FlgD, a dienelactone hydrolase, CheW and CheY, and the SPATE protease EspP. For clade 6 strain, a high overexpression of phage proteins was detected, mostly from Stx2 encoding phage, including Stx2, flagellin and the protease TagA, EDL933_p0016, dienelactone hydrolase, and Haemolysin A, amongst others with unknown function. Some of these proteins were analyzed by RT-qPCR to corroborate the proteomic data. Clade 6 and clade 8 strains showed enhanced transcription of 10 out of 12 genes compared to EDL933. These results may provide new insights in E. coli O157:H7 mechanisms of pathogenesis.

  10. Multiepitope Fusion Antigen Induces Broadly Protective Antibodies That Prevent Adherence of Escherichia coli Strains Expressing Colonization Factor Antigen I (CFA/I), CFA/II, and CFA/IV

    OpenAIRE

    Ruan, Xiaosai; Knudsen, David E.; Wollenberg, Katie M.; Sack, David A.; Zhang, Weiping

    2014-01-01

    Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years and continues to be a major threat to global health. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains are the most common bacteria causing diarrhea in developing countries. ETEC strains are able to attach to host small intestinal epithelial cells by using bacterial colonization factor antigen (CFA) adhesins. This attachment helps to initiate the diarrheal disease. Vaccines that induce antiadhesin immunity to block a...

  11. Nuclear entry of poliovirus protease-polymerase precursor 3CD: implications for host cell transcription shut-off

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, Rakhi; Raychaudhuri, Santanu; Dasgupta, Asim

    2004-01-01

    Host cell transcription mediated by all three RNA polymerases is rapidly inhibited after infection of mammalian cells with poliovirus (PV). Both genetic and biochemical studies have shown that the virus-encoded protease 3C cleaves the TATA-binding protein and other transcription factors at glutamine-glycine sites and is directly responsible for host cell transcription shut-off. PV replicates in the cytoplasm of infected cells. To shut-off host cell transcription, 3C or a precursor of 3C must enter the nucleus of infected cells. Although the 3C protease itself lacks a nuclear localization signal (NLS), amino acid sequence examination of 3D identified a potential single basic type NLS, KKKRD, spanning amino acids 125-129 within this polypeptide. Thus, a plausible scenario is that 3C enters the nucleus in the form of its precursor, 3CD, which then generates 3C by auto-proteolysis ultimately leading to cleavage of transcription factors in the nucleus. Using transient transfection of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fusion polypeptides, we demonstrate here that both 3CD and 3D are capable of entering the nucleus in PV-infected cells. However, both polypeptides remain in the cytoplasm in uninfected HeLa cells. Mutagenesis of the NLS sequence in 3D prevents nuclear entry of 3D and 3CD in PV-infected cells. We also demonstrate that 3CD can be detected in the nuclear fraction from PV-infected HeLa cells as early as 2 h postinfection. Significant amount of 3CD is found associated with the nuclear fraction by 3-4 h of infection. Taken together, these results suggest that both the 3D NLS and PV infection are required for the entry of 3CD into the nucleus and that this may constitute a means by which viral protease 3C is delivered into the nucleus leading to host cell transcription shut-off

  12. Action of sodium deoxycholate on Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Mello, A.; Yotis, W.W.

    1987-01-01

    Sodium deoxycholate is used in a number of bacteriological media for the isolation and classification of gram-negative bacteria from food and the environment. Initial experiments to study the effect of deoxycholate on the growth parameters of Escherichia coli showed an increase in the lag time constant and generation time and a decrease in the growth rate constant total cell yield of this microorganisms. Cell fractionation studies indicated that sodium deoxycholate at levels used in bacteriological media interferes with the incorporation of [U- 14 C]glucose into the cold-trichloroacetic acid-soluble, ethanol-soluble, and trypsin-soluble cellular fractions of E. coli. Finally, sodium deoxycholate interfered with the flagellation and motility of Proteus mirabilis and E. coli. It would appear then that further improvement of the deoxycholate medium may be in order

  13. Action of sodium deoxycholate on Escherichia coli

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D' Mello, A.; Yotis, W.W.

    1987-08-01

    Sodium deoxycholate is used in a number of bacteriological media for the isolation and classification of gram-negative bacteria from food and the environment. Initial experiments to study the effect of deoxycholate on the growth parameters of Escherichia coli showed an increase in the lag time constant and generation time and a decrease in the growth rate constant total cell yield of this microorganisms. Cell fractionation studies indicated that sodium deoxycholate at levels used in bacteriological media interferes with the incorporation of (U-/sup 14/C)glucose into the cold-trichloroacetic acid-soluble, ethanol-soluble, and trypsin-soluble cellular fractions of E. coli. Finally, sodium deoxycholate interfered with the flagellation and motility of Proteus mirabilis and E. coli. It would appear then that further improvement of the deoxycholate medium may be in order.

  14. Division site selection in Escherichia coli involves dynamic redistribution of Min proteins within coiled structures that extend between the two cell poles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shih, Yu-Ling; Le, Trung; Rothfield, Lawrence

    2003-06-01

    The MinCDE proteins of Escherichia coli are required for proper placement of the division septum at midcell. The site selection process requires the rapid oscillatory redistribution of the proteins from pole to pole. We report that the three Min proteins are organized into extended membrane-associated coiled structures that wind around the cell between the two poles. The pole-to-pole oscillation of the proteins reflects oscillatory changes in their distribution within the coiled structure. We also report that the E. coli MreB protein, which is required for maintaining the rod shape of the cell, also forms extended coiled structures, which are similar to the MreB structures that have previously been reported in Bacillus subtilis. The MreB and MinCDE coiled arrays do not appear identical. The results suggest that at least two functionally distinct cytoskeletal-like elements are present in E. coli and that structures of this type can undergo dynamic changes that play important roles in division site placement and possibly other aspects of the life of the cell.

  15. Staphylococcus aureus-induced G2/M phase transition delay in host epithelial cells increases bacterial infective efficiency.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ludmila Alekseeva

    Full Text Available Staphylococcus aureus is a highly versatile, opportunistic pathogen and the etiological agent of a wide range of infections in humans and warm-blooded animals. The epithelial surface is its principal site of colonization and infection. In this work, we investigated the cytopathic effect of S. aureus strains from human and animal origins and their ability to affect the host cell cycle in human HeLa and bovine MAC-T epithelial cell lines. S. aureus invasion slowed down cell proliferation and induced a cytopathic effect, resulting in the enlargement of host cells. A dramatic decrease in the number of mitotic cells was observed in the infected cultures. Flow cytometry analysis revealed an S. aureus-induced delay in the G2/M phase transition in synchronous HeLa cells. This delay required the presence of live S. aureus since the addition of the heat-killed bacteria did not alter the cell cycle. The results of Western blot experiments showed that the G2/M transition delay was associated with the accumulation of inactive cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk1, a key inducer of mitosis entry, and with the accumulation of unphosphorylated histone H3, which was correlated with a reduction of the mitotic cell number. Analysis of S. aureus proliferation in asynchronous, G1- and G2-phase-enriched HeLa cells showed that the G2 phase was preferential for bacterial infective efficiency, suggesting that the G2 phase delay may be used by S. aureus for propagation within the host. Taken together, our results divulge the potential of S. aureus in the subversion of key cellular processes such as cell cycle progression, and shed light on the biological significance of S. aureus-induced host cell cycle alteration.

  16. Global impact of Salmonella type III secretion effector SteA on host cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardenal-Muñoz, Elena; Gutiérrez, Gabriel; Ramos-Morales, Francisco

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We analyzed HeLa cells transcriptome in response to Salmonella SteA. • Significant differential expression was detected for 58 human genes. • They are involved in ECM organization and regulation of some signaling pathways. • Cell death, cell adhesion and cell migration were decreased in SteA-expressing cells. • These results contribute to understand the role of SteA during infections. - Abstract: Salmonella enterica is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes gastroenteritis, bacteremia and typhoid fever in several animal species including humans. Its virulence is greatly dependent on two type III secretion systems, encoded in pathogenicity islands 1 and 2. These systems translocate proteins called effectors into eukaryotic host cell. Effectors interfere with host signal transduction pathways to allow the internalization of pathogens and their survival and proliferation inside vacuoles. SteA is one of the few Salmonella effectors that are substrates of both type III secretion systems. Here, we used gene arrays and bioinformatics analysis to study the genetic response of human epithelial cells to SteA. We found that constitutive synthesis of SteA in HeLa cells leads to induction of genes related to extracellular matrix organization and regulation of cell proliferation and serine/threonine kinase signaling pathways. SteA also causes repression of genes related to immune processes and regulation of purine nucleotide synthesis and pathway-restricted SMAD protein phosphorylation. In addition, a cell biology approach revealed that epithelial cells expressing steA show altered cell morphology, and decreased cytotoxicity, cell–cell adhesion and migration

  17. Global impact of Salmonella type III secretion effector SteA on host cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cardenal-Muñoz, Elena; Gutiérrez, Gabriel; Ramos-Morales, Francisco

    2014-07-11

    Highlights: • We analyzed HeLa cells transcriptome in response to Salmonella SteA. • Significant differential expression was detected for 58 human genes. • They are involved in ECM organization and regulation of some signaling pathways. • Cell death, cell adhesion and cell migration were decreased in SteA-expressing cells. • These results contribute to understand the role of SteA during infections. - Abstract: Salmonella enterica is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes gastroenteritis, bacteremia and typhoid fever in several animal species including humans. Its virulence is greatly dependent on two type III secretion systems, encoded in pathogenicity islands 1 and 2. These systems translocate proteins called effectors into eukaryotic host cell. Effectors interfere with host signal transduction pathways to allow the internalization of pathogens and their survival and proliferation inside vacuoles. SteA is one of the few Salmonella effectors that are substrates of both type III secretion systems. Here, we used gene arrays and bioinformatics analysis to study the genetic response of human epithelial cells to SteA. We found that constitutive synthesis of SteA in HeLa cells leads to induction of genes related to extracellular matrix organization and regulation of cell proliferation and serine/threonine kinase signaling pathways. SteA also causes repression of genes related to immune processes and regulation of purine nucleotide synthesis and pathway-restricted SMAD protein phosphorylation. In addition, a cell biology approach revealed that epithelial cells expressing steA show altered cell morphology, and decreased cytotoxicity, cell–cell adhesion and migration.

  18. Color-Coded Imaging of Syngeneic Orthotopic Malignant Lymphoma Interacting with Host Stromal Cells During Metastasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumoto, Takuro; Suetsugu, Atsushi; Hasegawa, Kosuke; Nakamura, Miki; Aoki, Hitomi; Kunisada, Takahiro; Tsurumi, Hisashi; Shimizu, Masahito; Hoffman, Robert M

    2016-04-01

    The EL4 cell line was previously derived from a lymphoma induced in a C57/BL6 mouse by 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene. In a previous study, EL4 lymphoma cells expressing red fluorescent protein (EL4-RFP) were established and injected into the tail vein of C57/BL6 green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic mice. Metastasis was observed at multiple sites which were also enriched with host GFP-expressing stromal cells. In the present study, our aim was to establish an orthotopic model of EL4-RFP. In the present study, EL4-RFP lymphoma cells were injected in the spleen of C57/BL6 GFP transgenic mice as an orthotopic model of lymphoma. Resultant primary tumor and metastases were imaged with the Olympus FV1000 scanning laser confocal microscope. EL4-RFP metastasis was observed 21 days later. EL4-RFP tumors in the spleen (primary injection site), liver, supra-mediastinum lymph nodes, abdominal lymph nodes, bone marrow, and lung were visualized by color-coded imaging. EL4-RFP metastases in the liver, lymph nodes, and bone marrow in C57/BL6 GFP mice were rich in GFP stromal cells such as macrophages, fibroblasts, dendritic cells, and normal lymphocytes derived from the host animal. Small tumors were observed in the spleen, which were rich in host stromal cells. In the lung, no mass formation of lymphoma cells occurred, but lymphoma cells circulated in lung peripheral blood vessels. Phagocytosis of EL4-RFP lymphoma cells by macrophages, as well as dendritic cells and fibroblasts, were observed in culture. Color-coded imaging of the lymphoma microenvironment suggests an important role of stromal cells in lymphoma progression and metastasis. Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

  19. The Influence of Virus Infection on the Extracellular pH of the Host Cell Detected on Cell Membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hengjun; Maruyama, Hisataka; Masuda, Taisuke; Honda, Ayae; Arai, Fumihito

    2016-01-01

    Influenza virus infection can result in changes in the cellular ion levels at 2-3 h post-infection. More H(+) is produced by glycolysis, and the viral M2 proton channel also plays a role in the capture and release of H(+) during both viral entry and egress. Then the cells might regulate the intracellular pH by increasing the export of H(+) from the intracellular compartment. Increased H(+) export could lead indirectly to increased extracellular acidity. To detect changes in extracellular pH of both virus-infected and uninfected cells, pH sensors were synthesized using polystyrene beads (ϕ1 μm) containing Rhodamine B and Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). The fluorescence intensity of FITC can respond to both pH and temperature. So Rhodamine B was also introduced in the sensor for temperature compensation. Then the pH can be measured after temperature compensation. The sensor was adhered to cell membrane for extracellular pH measurement. The results showed that the multiplication of influenza virus in host cell decreased extracellular pH of the host cell by 0.5-0.6 in 4 h after the virus bound to the cell membrane, compared to that in uninfected cells. Immunostaining revealed the presence of viral PB1 protein in the nucleus of virus-bound cells that exhibited extracellular pH changes, but no PB1 protein are detected in virus-unbound cells where the extracellular pH remained constant.

  20. The influence of virus infection on the extracellular pH of the host cell detected on cell membrane

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hengjun Liu

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Influenza virus infection can result in changes in the cellular ion levels at 2–3 hours post-infection. More H+ is produced by glycolysis, and the viral M2 proton channel also plays a role in the capture and release of H+ during both viral entry and egress. Then the cells might regulate the intracellular pH by increasing the export of H+ from the intracellular compartment. Increased H+ export could lead indirectly to increased extracellular acidity. To detect changes in extracellular pH of both virus-infected and uninfected cells, pH sensors were synthesized using polystyrene beads (1μm containing Rhodamine B and Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC. The fluorescence intensity of FITC can respond to both pH and temperature. So Rhodamine B was also introduced in the sensor for temperature compensation. Then the pH can be measured after temperature compensation. The sensor was adhered to cell membrane for extracellular pH measurement. The results showed that the multiplication of influenza virus in host cell decreased extracellular pH of the host cell by 0.5–0.6 in 4 hours after the virus bound to the cell membrane, compared to that in uninfected cells. Immunostaining revealed the presence of viral PB1 subunits in the nucleus of virus-bound cells that exhibited extracellular pH changes, but no PB1 subunits are detected in virus-unbound cells where the extracellular pH remained constant.