In Silico Virulence Prediction and Virulence Gene Discovery Of
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The Rcs Phosphorelay May Regulate the E. Coli Capsule Response to Sublethal Streptomycin Treatment
Journal of Experimental Microbiology and Immunology (JEMI) Copyright © April 2015, M&I UBC The Rcs Phosphorelay May Regulate the E. coli Capsule Response to Sublethal Streptomycin Treatment Iris Luo, Josh Wiebe, Yunan Liu Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia The Escherichia coli colanic acid capsule produced by the cps gene confers resistance in the presence of sublethal antibiotic concentrations. However, the exact mechanism of capsule gene regulation in reaction to the presence of antibiotics is unknown. The two main proposed cps regulation pathways both involve the Rcs phosphorelay system, but differ regarding dependence on RpoS for cps transcription. In this study, we explored the changes in capsule formation and antibiotic resistance in response to treatment with sublethal concentrations of streptomycin using deletion mutants of the two proposed regulation pathways. Wild type, Δ rcsB, Δ rpoS, and Δ cps. E. coli strains were incubated in sublethal concentrations of streptomycin. When examined with MIC assays, the deletion mutants showed higher levels of antibiotic resistance compared to wild type strains of E. coli. We also demonstrated that capsule production was induced under sublethal streptomycin conditions with Maneval staining. Furthermore, qPCR detection of cps transcription indicated downregulation in Δ rcsB strains and upregulation in Δ rpoS after streptomycin treatment. Together, these results suggest that E. coli streptomycin resistance is not dependent on capsule production, and that rcsB and rpoS may both play a role in cps regulation when treated with sublethal doses of streptomycin. Escherichia coli are rod shaped bacteria capable of producing a polysaccharide capsule. The capsule is important for protection from desiccation, survival during oxidative stress, bacterial virulence, and antibiotic resistance (1). -
Global Analysis of Chaperone Effects Using a Reconstituted Cell-Free Translation System
Global analysis of chaperone effects using a reconstituted cell-free translation system Tatsuya Niwaa, Takashi Kanamorib,1, Takuya Uedab,2, and Hideki Taguchia,2 aDepartment of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan; and bDepartment of Medical Genome Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan Edited by George H. Lorimer, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, and approved April 19, 2012 (received for review January 25, 2012) Protein folding is often hampered by protein aggregation, which can three chaperone systems are known to act cooperatively: TF and be prevented by a variety of chaperones in the cell. A dataset that DnaK exhibit overlapping cotranslational roles in vivo (13–15). evaluates which chaperones are effective for aggregation-prone Overexpression of DnaK/DnaJ and GroEL/GroES in E. coli proteins would provide an invaluable resource not only for un- rpoH mutant cells, which are deficient in heat-shock proteins, derstanding the roles of chaperones, but also for broader applications prevents aggregation of newly translated proteins (16). GroEL is in protein science and engineering. Therefore, we comprehensively believed to be involved in folding after the polypeptides are re- evaluated the effects of the major Escherichia coli chaperones, trigger leased from the ribosome, although the possible cotranslational factor, DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE, and GroEL/GroES, on ∼800 aggregation- involvement of GroEL has also been reported (17–20). prone cytosolic E. coli proteins, using a reconstituted chaperone-free Over the past two decades many efforts have been focused on translation system. -
XIAO-DISSERTATION-2015.Pdf
CELLULAR AND PROCESS ENGINEERING TO IMPROVE MAMMALIAN MEMBRANE PROTEIN EXPRESSION By Su Xiao A dissertation is submitted to Johns Hopkins University in conformity with the requirements for degree of Doctor of Philosophy Baltimore, Maryland May 2015 © 2015 Su Xiao All Rights Reserved Abstract Improving the expression level of recombinant mammalian proteins has been pursued for production of commercial biotherapeutics in industry, as well as for biomedical studies in academia, as an adequate supply of correctly folded proteins is a prerequisite for all structure and function studies. Presented in this dissertation are different strategies to improve protein functional expression level, especially for membrane proteins. The model protein is neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1), a hard-to- express G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). GPCRs are integral membrane proteins playing a central role in cell signaling and are targets for most of the medicines sold worldwide. Obtaining adequate functional GPCRs has been a bottleneck in their structure studies because the expression of these proteins from mammalian cells is very low. The first strategy is the adoption of mammalian inducible expression system. A stable and inducible T-REx-293 cell line overexpressing an engineered rat NTSR1 was constructed. 2.5 million Functional copies of NTSR1 per cell were detected on plasma membrane, which is 167 fold improvement comparing to NTSR1 constitutive expression. The second strategy is production process development including suspension culture adaptation and induction parameter optimization. A further 3.5 fold improvement was achieved and approximately 1 milligram of purified functional NTSR1 per liter suspension culture was obtained. This was comparable yield to the transient baculovirus- insect cell system. -
Differences in Lateral Gene Transfer in Hypersaline Versus Thermal Environments Matthew E Rhodes1*, John R Spear2, Aharon Oren3 and Christopher H House1
Rhodes et al. BMC Evolutionary Biology 2011, 11:199 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/11/199 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Differences in lateral gene transfer in hypersaline versus thermal environments Matthew E Rhodes1*, John R Spear2, Aharon Oren3 and Christopher H House1 Abstract Background: The role of lateral gene transfer (LGT) in the evolution of microorganisms is only beginning to be understood. While most LGT events occur between closely related individuals, inter-phylum and inter-domain LGT events are not uncommon. These distant transfer events offer potentially greater fitness advantages and it is for this reason that these “long distance” LGT events may have significantly impacted the evolution of microbes. One mechanism driving distant LGT events is microbial transformation. Theoretically, transformative events can occur between any two species provided that the DNA of one enters the habitat of the other. Two categories of microorganisms that are well-known for LGT are the thermophiles and halophiles. Results: We identified potential inter-class LGT events into both a thermophilic class of Archaea (Thermoprotei) and a halophilic class of Archaea (Halobacteria). We then categorized these LGT genes as originating in thermophiles and halophiles respectively. While more than 68% of transfer events into Thermoprotei taxa originated in other thermophiles, less than 11% of transfer events into Halobacteria taxa originated in other halophiles. Conclusions: Our results suggest that there is a fundamental difference between LGT in thermophiles and halophiles. We theorize that the difference lies in the different natures of the environments. While DNA degrades rapidly in thermal environments due to temperature-driven denaturization, hypersaline environments are adept at preserving DNA. -
Evaluating Alternative Hypotheses to Explain the Downward Trend in the Indices of the COVID-19 Pandemic Death Rate
Evaluating alternative hypotheses to explain the downward trend in the indices of the COVID-19 pandemic death rate Sonali Shinde1, Pratima Ranade1 and Milind Watve2 1 Department of Biodiversity, Abasaheb Garware College, Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India 2 Independent Researcher, Pune, Maharashtra, India ABSTRACT Background: In the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, in the global data on the case fatality ratio (CFR) and other indices reflecting death rate, there is a consistent downward trend from mid-April to mid-November. The downward trend can be an illusion caused by biases and limitations of data or it could faithfully reflect a declining death rate. A variety of explanations for this trend are possible, but a systematic analysis of the testable predictions of the alternative hypotheses has not yet been attempted. Methodology: We state six testable alternative hypotheses, analyze their testable predictions using public domain data and evaluate their relative contributions to the downward trend. Results: We show that a decline in the death rate is real; changing age structure of the infected population and evolution of the virus towards reduced virulence are the most supported hypotheses and together contribute to major part of the trend. The testable predictions from other explanations including altered testing efficiency, time lag, improved treatment protocols and herd immunity are not consistently supported, or do not appear to make a major contribution to this trend although they may influence some other patterns of the epidemic. Conclusion: The fatality of the infection showed a robust declining time trend between mid April to mid November. Changing age class of the infected and Submitted 7 December 2020 Accepted 3 March 2021 decreasing virulence of the pathogen were found to be the strongest contributors to Published 20 April 2021 the trend. -
Metabolic Sensor Governing Bacterial Virulence in Staphylococcus Aureus
Metabolic sensor governing bacterial virulence in PNAS PLUS Staphylococcus aureus Yue Dinga, Xing Liub, Feifei Chena, Hongxia Dia, Bin Xua, Lu Zhouc, Xin Dengd,e, Min Wuf, Cai-Guang Yangb,1, and Lefu Lana,1 aDepartment of Molecular Pharmacology and bChinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; cDepartment of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China; dDepartment of Chemistry and eInstitute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637; and fDepartment of Basic Sciences University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58203 Edited by Richard P. Novick, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, and approved October 14, 2014 (received for review June 13, 2014) An effective metabolism is essential to all living organisms, in- To survive and replicate efficiently in the host, S. aureus has cluding the important human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus.To developed exquisite mechanisms for scavenging nutrients and establish successful infection, S. aureus must scavenge nutrients adjusting its metabolism to maintain growth while also coping with and coordinate its metabolism for proliferation. Meanwhile, it also stress (6, 11). On the other hand, S. aureus produces a wide array must produce an array of virulence factors to interfere with host of virulence factors to evade host immune defenses and to derive defenses. However, the ways in which S. aureus ties its metabolic nutrition either parasitically or destructively from the host during state to its virulence regulation remain largely unknown. Here we infections (6). -
Chaperonin-Assisted Protein Folding: a Chronologue
Quarterly Reviews of Chaperonin-assisted protein folding: Biophysics a chronologue cambridge.org/qrb Arthur L. Horwich1,2 and Wayne A. Fenton2 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale School of Medicine, Boyer Center, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, USA and 2Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Boyer Center, 295 Congress Avenue, New Invited Review Haven, CT 06510, USA Cite this article: Horwich AL, Fenton WA (2020). Chaperonin-assisted protein folding: a Abstract chronologue. Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics This chronologue seeks to document the discovery and development of an understanding of – 53, e4, 1 127. https://doi.org/10.1017/ oligomeric ring protein assemblies known as chaperonins that assist protein folding in the cell. S0033583519000143 It provides detail regarding genetic, physiologic, biochemical, and biophysical studies of these Received: 16 August 2019 ATP-utilizing machines from both in vivo and in vitro observations. The chronologue is orga- Revised: 21 November 2019 nized into various topics of physiology and mechanism, for each of which a chronologic order Accepted: 26 November 2019 is generally followed. The text is liberally illustrated to provide firsthand inspection of the key Key words: pieces of experimental data that propelled this field. Because of the length and depth of this Chaperonin; GroEL; GroES; Hsp60; protein piece, the use of the outline as a guide for selected reading is encouraged, but it should also be folding of help in pursuing the text in direct order. Author for correspondence: Arthur L. Horwich, E-mail: [email protected] Table of contents I. Foundational discovery of Anfinsen and coworkers – the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide contains all of the information required for folding to the native state 7 II. -
Studies of Staphylococcal Infections. I. Virulence of Staphy- Lococci and Characteristics of Infections in Embryonated Eggs * WILLIAM R
Journal of Clinical Investigation Vol. 43, No. 11, 1964 Studies of Staphylococcal Infections. I. Virulence of Staphy- lococci and Characteristics of Infections in Embryonated Eggs * WILLIAM R. MCCABE t (From the Research Laboratory, West Side Veterans Administration Hospital, and the Department of Medicine, Research and Educational Hospitals, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Ill.) Many of the determinants of the pathogenesis niques still require relatively large numbers of and course of staphylococcal infections remain staphylococci to produce infection (19). Fatal imprecisely defined (1, 2) despite their increas- systemic infections have been equally difficult to ing importance (3-10). Experimental infections produce in animals and have necessitated the in- in suitable laboratory animals have been of con- jection of 107 to 109 bacteria (20-23). A few siderable assistance in clarifying the role of host strains of staphylococci have been found that are defense mechanisms and specific bacterial virulence capable of producing lethal systemic infections factors with a variety of other infectious agents. with inocula of from 102 to 103 bacteria (24) and A sensitive experimental model would be of value have excited considerable interest (25-27). The in defining the importance of these factors in virulence of these strains apparently results from staphylococcal infections, but both humans and an unusual antigenic variation (27, 28) which, the usual laboratory animals are relatively re- despite its interest, is of doubtful significance in sistant. Extremely large numbers of staphylo- human staphylococcal infection, since such strains cocci are required to produce either local or sys- have been isolated only rarely from clinical in- temic infections experimentally. -
Virulence During Newcastle Disease Viruses Cross Species Adaptation
viruses Review Virulence during Newcastle Disease Viruses Cross Species Adaptation Claudio L. Afonso Base2bio, LLC, Oshkosh, WI 54905, USA; [email protected]; Tel.: +1-800-817-7160 Abstract: The hypothesis that host adaptation in virulent Newcastle disease viruses (NDV) has been accompanied by virulence modulation is reviewed here. Historical records, experimental data, and phylogenetic analyses from available GenBank sequences suggest that currently circulating NDVs emerged in the 1920–19400s from low virulence viruses by mutation at the fusion protein cleavage site. These viruses later gave rise to multiple virulent genotypes by modulating virulence in opposite directions. Phylogenetic and pathotyping studies demonstrate that older virulent NDVs further evolved into chicken-adapted genotypes by increasing virulence (velogenic-viscerotropic pathotypes with intracerebral pathogenicity indexes [ICPIs] of 1.6 to 2), or into cormorant-adapted NDVs by moderating virulence (velogenic–neurotropic pathotypes with ICPIs of 1.4 to 1.6), or into pigeon-adapted viruses by further attenuating virulence (mesogenic pathotypes with ICPIs of 0.9 to 1.4). Pathogenesis and transmission experiments on adult chickens demonstrate that chicken-adapted velogenic-viscerotropic viruses are more capable of causing disease than older velogenic-neurotropic viruses. Currently circulating velogenic–viscerotropic viruses are also more capable of replicating and of being transmitted in naïve chickens than viruses from cormorants and pigeons. These evolutionary virulence changes are consistent with theories that predict that virulence may evolve in many directions in order to achieve maximum fitness, as determined by genetic and ecologic constraints. Keywords: NDV; evolution; virulence; host adaptation Citation: Afonso, C.L. Virulence during Newcastle Disease Viruses Cross Species Adaptation. -
Mrvr, a Group B Streptococcus Transcription Factor That Controls Multiple Virulence Traits
bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.17.386367; this version posted November 17, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 1 2 3 4 MrvR, a Group B Streptococcus Transcription Factor that Controls Multiple Virulence Traits 5 6 Allison N. Dammann1, Anna B. Chamby2, Andrew J. Catomeris3, Kyle M. Davidson4, Hervé 7 Tettelin5,6, Jan-Peter van Pijkeren7, Kathyayini P. Gopalakrishna4, Mary F. Keith4, Jordan L. 8 Elder4, Adam J. Ratner1,8, Thomas A. Hooven4,9* 9 10 1 Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA 11 12 2 University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA 13 14 3 Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA 15 16 4 Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 17 18 5 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 19 Baltimore, MD, USA 20 21 6 Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 22 USA 23 24 7 Department of Food Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA 25 26 8 Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, NY, USA 27 28 9 Richard King Mellon Institute for Pediatric Research, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, 29 Pittsburgh, PA, USA 30 31 * Corresponding author 32 E-mail: [email protected] 33 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.17.386367; this version posted November 17, 2020. -
Bacillus Subtilis
Das Phagenschock-Protein LiaH aus Bacillus subtilis Dissertation der Fakultät für Biologie der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Vorgelegt von aus Leisnig München April 2012 1. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Thorsten Mascher 2. Gutachterin: Prof. Dr. Ute Vothknecht Tag der Abgabe: 10.04.2012 Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 31.10.2012 Eidesstattliche Versicherung und Erklärung Hiermit versichere ich an Eides statt, dass die vorliegende Dissertation von mir selbständig und ohne unerlaubte Hilfe angefertigt wurde. Zudem wurden keine anderen als die angegebenen Quellen verwendet. Außerdem versichere ich, dass die Dissertation keiner anderen Prüfungskommission vorgelegt wurde und ich mich nicht anderweitig einer Doktorprüfung ohne Erfolg unterzogen habe. München, den 10.04.2012 ____________________________ Diana Wolf „Nichts beflügelt die Wissenschaft so, wie der Schwatz mit Kollegen auf dem Flur.“ Arno Penzias (*1933), amerik. Physiker, 1978 Nobelpreis Inhaltsverzeichnis Inhaltsverzeichnis Publikationsliste IV Abkürzungsverzeichnis V Zusammenfassung VII Summary IX Kapitel I: Einleitung 1 I.1. Aufbau der bakteriellen Zellwand 1 I.2. Zellwandbiosynthese 2 I.3. Die Zellwand als Ziel von antibiotisch wirkenden Substanzen 5 I.4. Die Zellhüllstressantwort in Gram-positiven Bakterien am Beispiel B. subtilis 8 I.5. Das LiaFSR-Dreikomponentensystem in B. subtilis 11 I.5.1. Induktion des LiaFSR-3KS 12 I.5.2. Regulation und Funktion des LiaFSR-3KS 12 I.6. Die Zellhüllstressantwort in Gram-negativen Bakterien am Beispiel E. coli 14 I.7. Die Phagenschock-Antwort in E. coli 16 I.7.1. Induktion der Phagenschock-Antwort 17 I.7.2. Regulation der Phagenschock-Antwort 18 I.7.3. Rolle der Phagenschock-Antwort im Energiestoffwechsel 20 I.8. Die Phagenschock-Antwort in anderen Organismen 20 I.8.1. -
The Genome of Hyperthermus Butylicus: a Sulfur-Reducing, Peptide Fermenting, Neutrophilic Crenarchaeote Growing up to 108 °C
Archaea 2, 127–135 © 2007 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada The genome of Hyperthermus butylicus: a sulfur-reducing, peptide fermenting, neutrophilic Crenarchaeote growing up to 108 °C KIM BRÜGGER,1,2 LANMING CHEN,1,2 MARKUS STARK,3,4 ARNE ZIBAT,4 PETER REDDER,1 ANDREAS RUEPP,4,5 MARIANA AWAYEZ,1 QUNXIN SHE,1 ROGER A. GARRETT1,6 and HANS-PETER KLENK3,4,7 1 Danish Archaea Centre, Institute of Molecular Biology, Copenhagen University, Sølvgade 83H, 1307 Copenhagen K, Denmark 2 These authors contributed equally to the project 3 e.gene Biotechnologie GmbH, Poeckinger Fussweg 7a, 82340 Feldafing, Germany 4 Formerly EPIDAUROS Biotechnologie AG, Genes and Genome Analysis Team 5 Present address: Institut für Bioinformatik, GSF-Forschungszentrum für Umwelt und Gesundheit, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany 6 Editing author 7 Corresponding author ([email protected]) Received October 26, 2006; accepted January 2, 2007; published online January 19, 2007 Summary Hyperthermus butylicus, a hyperthermophilic 1990). It grows between 80 and 108 oC with a broad tempera- neutrophile and anaerobe, is a member of the archaeal kingdom ture optimum. The organism utilizes peptide mixtures as car- Crenarchaeota. Its genome consists of a single circular chro- bon and energy sources but not amino acid mixtures, various mosome of 1,667,163 bp with a 53.7% G+C content. A total of synthetic peptides or undigested protein. It can also generate 1672 genes were annotated, of which 1602 are protein-coding, energy by reduction of elemental sulfur to yield H2S. Fermen- and up to a third are specific to H.